Zia Mody

Zia Mody (born 19 July 1956) is an eminent Indian corporate lawyer and businesswoman. She is the oldest daughter of Soli Sorabjee, a former Attorney General of India and has three brothers, Jehangir, Jamshed and Hormazd.

Zia is one of the founding partners of AZB & Partners, one of India's premier law firms, and is recognized as one of India's foremost corporate attorneys. She has been recognized for her contribution to the legal world, both in India and globally. She boasts an impressive list of clients, including General Electric, Tata Group, Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group and Vedanta Resources. She also advises large private equity houses including KKR, Bain Capital and Warburg Pincus. She ranked No.1 in Fortune India 'India's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business' list in 2018 and 2019, on which she has consistently ranked since 2011.

Biography
Mody's initial education was at Elphinstone College, Mumbai. She studied law at Selwyn College, Cambridge, in 1978 and was enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa in 1978. She secured master's degree from Harvard Law School and was then admitted as a member of the New York State Bar in 1980. She is dually licensed to practice law in India and the United States. She worked for five years with Baker McKenzie in New York City, before returning to India. Her husband, business tycoon Jaydev Mody, is the chairman of Delta Corp. They live in Mumbai, Maharashtra and have three daughters, Anjali, Aarti and Aditi.

She started her own practice, Chambers of Zia Mody, in Mumbai in 1984. She practiced in the Indian Courts for over 10 years as a Counsel. She then merged with other firms to form AZB & Partners, one of India's largest law firms in 2004, one of India's largest law firms, with over 600 lawyers.

Mody's primary practice consists of M&A, Private Equity, Securities Law and Litigation.

Zia is a Baháʼí by religion. Her mother, Zena Sorabjee, who introduced her to the faith, was appointed by the governing institution of the religion as Counsellor for South Central Asia.

Achievements
Zia is widely recognized and acknowledged in the legal industry for her expertise by various organizations. She has been consistently ranked by reputed organizations for her skills when it comes to acquisitions, joint ventures, company restructuring, foreign inward investment related practice and corporate law.



Zia is recognized as a Top Tier / Band 1 lawyer by all the major international publications, including, Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, IFLR1000 Asialaw Profiles and India Business Law Journal, to name a few.

Memberships and Affiliations

 * Member, Maharashtra's Economic Advisory Council (2023)
 * Independent Director (2018 –Present), Member of Audit & Risk Committee (2018 – Present) and Member of Investment Committee (2019 – Present), Ascendas Property Fund Trustee Pte. Ltd., Singapore
 * Honorary Fellow, Selwyn College, Cambridge (2019 – Present)
 * Independent Non – Executive Director and Member of Human Resources & Remuneration Committee of the Board, China Light and Power Holdings Limited, CLP Group, Hong Kong (2015 – Present)
 * Deputy Chairman (2013 – 2021), Non–Executive Director (2006 – 2021), Chairman's Committee Member (2015 – 2021), Risk Committee Member (2012 – 2021) and Nomination Committee Member (2019 – 2021), Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, Asia Pacific Board
 * Non – Executive Member of the Governing Board, International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) (2017 – Present)
 * Member, Confederation of Indian Industry National Council (2015 – Present)
 * Special Invitee, Competition Law Review Committee set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (2018)
 * Member, Committee on Corporate Governance formed by SEBI, under the chairmanship of Uday Kotak (2017)
 * Expert Committee Panel, Law Commission of India on 'Amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996' (2014)
 * Vice President & Member, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) (2010 – 2013)
 * Member, World Bank Administrative Tribunal, Washington D.C. (2008 – 2013)
 * Member, Reserve Bank of India Committee on Comprehensive Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low–Income Households, chaired by Dr. Nachiket Mor (2013)
 * Member, Godrej Committee on Corporate Governance, set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (2012)
 * Member, Raghuram Rajan Committee on Financial Sector Reforms, constituted by the Government of India (2007)

Charitable Work
Zia Mody's charity almost entirely goes to the Baha'i fund. However, she has also contributed to Jai Vakeel Foundation.