Berjis Desai

BERJIS DESAI, 65, has been practising transactional and dispute resolution laws for the last 42 years.

Mr. Desai graduated with first class honours from the Elphinstone College and stood first in the University of Bombay at the LL.B exam. He was awarded the Rotary International Scholarship to study post-graduate law at Cambridge University, U.K. where he secured a Starred First. He also stood first at the Solicitors’ Examination.

Since 2003, Mr. Desai was the Managing Partner, and from 2016, the Senior Partner, of J. Sagar Associates (JSA), a national law firm having more than 300 lawyers. He retired from JSA on April 1, 2017, upon turning 60.

Mr. Desai is now an independent legal counsel engaged in Private Client Practice, that is, succession and estate planning for HNIs and promoter families through wills, trusts and family arrangements; resolving family, testamentary and business disputes through mediation and confidential fast track arbitration; insolvency and asset reconstruction advisory.

Mr. Desai is a director of leading listed and non-listed public companies in India including The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited, Praj Industries Limited, Jubilant Food Works Limited, Man Infraconstruction Limited, Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited, Star Health & Allied Insurance Company Limited and Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited.

A former working journalist, Mr. Desai is a writer and columnist. His books, ‘OH! THOSE PARSIS’ – A to Z of the Parsi Way of life, and ‘The Bawaji’: Chronicles of a Vanishing Community’ have been on the bestseller list of Amazon Essay Books. His novel, ‘Towers of Silence’ has just been published. His other interests include study of esoteric Zoroastrianism and comparative religions.

Mr. Desai is passionate about preserving the heritage of Parsi fire temples and Towers of Silence; and has founded the PARSI ZOROASTRIAN GUARDS OF THE HOLY FIRE (PZGHF).