PEOPLE

Sheetal Sabnis

Partner

LOCATION
Mumbai

Profile

Sheetal is a Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution practice at Kochhar Mumbai office. She is also a seasoned Aviation Law expert with almost two decades of integrated in-house and law firm experience.

Sheetal’s practice focuses on complex civil and commercial litigation, professional responsibility, creditor disputes, trial matters and arbitrations. Over the span of 18 years, she has handled numerous high-stake and complex litigation and arbitration matters.

Prior to joining Kochhar & Co., Sheetal was an inhouse counsel heading the Legal and Contracts division for one of India’s major aviation companies. During her tenure, she extensively advised the airlines on and handled various matters including commercial/supplier and IT contracts, regulatory issues, competition law issues, IPR, sensitive employee and HR issues, data privacy, aircraft leasing and financing, due diligence and high-stake litigation and arbitrations.

Her private practice experience also includes having worked as a Senior Litigation Partner with one of the leading law firms in Mumbai for several years.

Expertise

Dispute Resolution
Aviation
Employment Law

Awards & Recognitions

Legal 500 Asia Pacific : Recommended Lawyer for Aviation (including Aerospace & Defence) 2022
Forbes India Legal Powerlist - Top 100 Lawyers: Felicitated for expertise in Litigation & Alternate Dispute Resolution-Arbitration, Mediation 2021

Education

  • LL.B, Symbiosis Society’s Law College Pune, 2003
  • B.Com, BYK College of Commerce, Nashik, 2000

Memberships

  • Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa, Enrollment year 2003

Select Experience Statement

  • Handled and advised on the takeover of Sahara Airlines by Jet Airways, for an amount of Rs. 2000 crores from the stage of the execution of the Share Purchase Agreement till the success in the dispute between Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines in arbitration, before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
  • Handled, advised and settled the Family Dispute and Settlement between the Salgaoncar brothers, mining barons of Goa including the litigation in the Hon’ble Bombay High Court.
  • Handled, advised and settled a major Family Dispute and arbitration between Kirloskar Brothers Ltd. and Kirloskar Electric Co. Ltd. (dispute between uncle and one of the Kirloskar brothers) as regards the use of the mark “Kirloskar”.
  • Handled and settled/obtained favourable orders in several arbitrations including arbitrations with HCC, Alstom (international arbitration), Goa Shipyard Ltd., Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited related to EPC and Defence Contracts etc. on behalf of Kirloskar Group companies.
  • Advised and Handled several labour matters of Jet Airways and GoAir including Pilot Strikes and Writ Petitions in the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
  • Handled and successfully obtained favorable orders from SEBI for Jet Airways in the matter of the Investment Agreement entered into with Etihad relating to the interpretation of the term “Control” as defined under the FDI policy.
  • Advised GoAir and was involved in preparation of a major challenge to the concerned Civil Aviation Requirements, in pursuance of the competition law provisions in India. This contemplated an action as against the Director General of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Civil Aviation in India.
  • Advised GoAir on all major Aircraft Lease Agreements and their legal rights and obligations thereon and negotiated with various Lessors on their behalf. Standardised and settled various aviation agreements including aircraft lease agreements, maintenance agreements, Purchase Agreements, fuel supply agreements, Term Sheets, MOUs, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Letters of Intent, Engagement Letters, Data Protection Agreements, vendor agreements, marketing Agreements, charter agreements, facility agreements, transport agreements, Share Purchase Agreements, Escrow Agreements etc. for GoAir and Jet Airways, from time to time.
  • Advised GoAir on a then proposed IPO. Was also involved in the Jet Airways IPO at the relevant time. Prepared all due diligence checklists and prepared the relevant documentation, was involved in setting up of the data rooms along with the company secretary, front ended discussions with consultants and bankers.
  • Represented GoAir on important litigation matters including the matter of “middle seat occupancy during COVID” in the Bombay High Court and the “refund of booking amounts” litigation in the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

Industry Presence

  • Keynote Speaker in the Webinar on Arbitration/Dispute Resolution hosted by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Pune

Contact Details

  • 202, VIOS Tower, New Cuffe Parade, Sewri Chembur Road, Wadala East, Mumbai - 400 037, Maharashtra (INDIA)
  • +91 22 6112 0700
  • +91 22 6655 9705
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