Rishabh Shroff

Partner (Co-Head - Private Client and Head - International Business Development)

people

Rishabh is Co-Head of the Private Client practice and Head of International Business Development at the Firm, specialising in family constitutions and settlements, trusts, wills and succession planning.

membership

Qualifications

  • 2007 LL.B, London School of Economics, London
  • 2007 Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, India
  • . Solicitor, Supreme Court of England & Wales
expertise

Expertise

Practice Areas

  • Private Client
  • General Corporate

Rishabh Shroff is a Partner in Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, and operates out of the Mumbai office. After completing his LL.B from the London School of Economics, London, he joined the Firm in September 2007. He was admitted as an advocate in the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa (India) in 2007. He is also a Solicitor, Supreme Court of England & Wales.

Private Client Experience

Rishabh is the Co-Head of the Private Client practice at the Firm, specialising in family constitutions and settlements, trusts, wills and succession planning. He provides succession, taxation, estate and wealth planning advice to wealthy individuals and their families, who are often promoters of large family businesses. He also provides related advice to trustees and other private client service providers, such as family offices and institutional / corporate trustees.

Rishabh advises on a number of issues, including the creation and management of domestic trusts, along with advising both trustees and beneficiaries in relation to their relative rights, responsibilities and obligations. He is experienced in the drafting and creation of inter-vivos trusts and their constitutional mechanisms, and has experience in dealing with complex issues such as settler reserved powers, protector powers and appointment mechanisms. He also frequently advises on complex issues arising under the Indian exchange control regime (including in respect of Non Resident Indians and foreign trusts and companies), SEBI Takeover Regulations and the SEBI Listing Agreement, etc.

Rishabh is involved in the setting up and administration of a number of bespoke private trust companies in India. He also advises on a number of charitable and philanthropic endeavours, including on India’s statutory Corporate Social Responsibility regime.

Rishabh was featured in detail in a landmark publication on family business and the next generation of corporate India, “The Inheritors: Stories of Entrepreneurship and Success” by Sonu Bhasin (Penguin Books, November 2017)2. The said book talks about his journey in his own business, and how those personal experiences have helped him better understand the dynamics between family & business.

Japan Desk & Corporate Experience

Rishabh is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate team, specialising in foreign investments into India, private mergers & acquisitions and joint venture transactions. He had also worked in the Firm’s Projects & Projects Finance (infrastructure) team for two years (2007 – 2009).

Rishabh is the Co-Head of the Firm’s Japan Desk, and works with Japanese clients frequently. He has been a part of the Japan Desk for over 13+ years, and during this time has advised a number of leading Japanese and international companies on their investments into India. He is responsible for managing the Indo-Japanese transactions handled by the Firm, and for building and maintaining relationships with its clients in Japan. He regularly travels to Japan for speaking and participating in various India focused seminars.

Rishabh had worked for three months in Homburger AG (Zurich) in 2008 as part of a Secondment Program between the Firm and Homburger AG. He was also seconded to Withers LLP (London) in August 2013 for four months, and to Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (New York) in July 2007 for five months.

WWF India

Rishabh is the Philanthropy Ambassador for WWF India. As an active philanthropist and someone who is deeply concerned about the environment, Rishabh works closely with WWF India on various policies, initiatives and activities through the year, including on matters of environmental policies and changes.

Rishabh is a keen writer, and hopes to release a number of publications in the area of Private Client law in the near future. When he is not writing, Rishabh can be found reading, travelling extensively, playing the piano or playing badminton.

Awards & Recognition

  • Featured in the ’40 under 40′ list as published by Fortune India, 2023
  • Recognised in ‘IBLJ’s A- List Lawyers’, 2022-2023
  • Recognised as ’50 Up and coming Future Legal Leaders’ at Indian Business Law Journal (IBLJ), 2022
  • Ranked ‘Top Individual lawyer’ at Forbes PowerList, 2021
  • ‘Recommended Lawyer’, for private client by Legal 500, 2021 & 2022
  • Featured in “The Economic Times 40 under Forty: India Inc’s Top Young Leaders 2021” list as published by The Economic Times and Spencer Stuart.
  • Ranked continuously since 2017 as one of the top specialist private client / family business lawyers in the world, by the UK’s prestigious legal publication, Legal Week. Featured in Legal Week’s & the American Lawyer’s flagship publication, Private Client Global Elite. In 2017, he was the only lawyer from India, and one of only a handful in Asia, to achieve this recognition
  • Ranked as BAND 1 by the prestigious Chambers & Partners Chambers HNW 2017 Guide, as well as in the Chambers HNW 2016 Guide as well. The Guide has written, “Sources particularly highlight Shroff’s commitment to developing the firm’s private wealth offering: “He has a keen interest in this sector," notes one interviewee, with another adding that “Shroff is particularly focused and passionate about this area of law." (Rishabh) Shroff also advises HNW clients on the complex issues which arise from trust governance mechanisms and is involved in the setting up and administration of a number of bespoke private trust companies in India. He also provides legal services in relation to philanthropic and charitable endeavours.
  • Rated as one of Asia’s ‘40 Under 40’ lawyers by Asian Legal Business, October 2018.
  • Awarded the ‘Most Promising Private Client Professional’ award by the India Wealth Awards 2019, Association of Wealth Management of India.
  • Ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 & 2022
  • Awarded the ‘Private Client Lawyer of the Year 2015’ award by the prestigious publication, ‘The Asian Lawyer’ in November 2015.
  • Awarded the ‘Rising Star’ Award at the ‘Legal Era Gennext Congress & Awards’ in March 2016.

Memberships

  • Chair, Maharashtra Chapter, FICCI Young Leaders Forum
  • Senior Committee Member, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Region Family Business (FBN) Committee
  • Trust & Estate Practitioner (TEP), Society of Trust Estate Practitioners (STEP)
  • Former Founder / Director and Senior Member of ‘STEP Estate Planning India Private Limited’, the Indian Chapter of STEP
  • Member, International Bar Associate India Working Group
  • Head, International Business Development at the Firm

Publications

  • Regular / monthly columnist in the Mint Newspaper (www.livemint.com). He writes on personal finance, succession and estate planning
  • “Like Son, Like Daughter”, published in the Trust Quarterly Review, Vol 18, Issue 4
  • Published extensively across various STEP global publications and newsletters
  • Quoted and published extensively in The Economic Times, Mint Newspaper, Business Standard, etc
  • General Editor, ‘enTrusted’, the Firm’s flagship and bespoke publication on family business, estate and succession planning
  • General Editor, ‘Shinkansen to India’, the Firm’s flagship and bespoke publication dedicated for its Japanese clients
  • Rishabh also frequently publishes various articles on the Firm’s Blog: privateclient.cyrilamarchandblogs.com
  • Other older publications include: “Budget 2013: Will India’s proposed inheritance tax be a ‘heir’ raising experience?” (Economic Times, February 28, 2012); “Succession Planning in Family/Promoter driven companies” (Spencer Stuart Board Index 2012); “The Evolving Role of Marwari Women in Business” (Marwar Magazine, March / April 2015 Edition); The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Private Client (2015 and 2016 Editions); Private Wealth Guide for Asia (Indian Chapter) (2012); “Rapid wealth creation fuels fast growth for India’s advisors”, (Citywealth Magazine (UK), September 2015).

Qualifications

  • 2007 LL.B, London School of Economics, London
  • 2007 Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, India
  • . Solicitor, Supreme Court of England & Wales
expertise

Expertise

Practice Areas

  • Private Client
  • General Corporate