Partners named in India Business Law Journal's 'International A-List' 2025

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP partners Kamal Shah, London, Diwakar Agarwal, Dubai, and Gregory Xu, Singapore, have been named in India Business Law Journal’s (IBLJ) 'International A-List' 2025.

IBLJ's 'International A-List' is an annual ranking which is based on recommendations and nominations provided by private practice lawyers at Indian-based law firms, and in-house legal advisers specialising in Indian affairs, relating to individuals who they regard as top authorities at international law firms.

IBLJ emphasise that an 'International A-List' lawyer must have "a profound understanding of India’s intricacies, the needs of Indian clients, and foster strong connections within the Indian legal community." 

Kamal, head of Stephenson Harwood's India group, specialises in complex, cross-border international arbitration, commercial litigation, and fraud and asset recovery matters relating to India. He advises corporations, banks, governments, and wealthy families and individuals, in complex disputes. Most notably, he acted for GAIL (India) Limited, in relation to a multi-billion-dollar dispute against SEFE Marketing & Trading Singapore Pte Limited as a result of the sanctions imposed by Russia following the Ukraine war. The matter settled in January 2025.

Diwakar is a senior corporate and commercial partner in Stephenson Harwood's Dubai office. He has close to 30 years' experience, almost 20 of which have been spent advising clients throughout India on complex, cross-border M&A transactions, private equity and venture capital deals, strategic joint ventures, corporate structuring and general corporate and commercial advisory matters in the Middle East. Most recently Diwakar has acted on a series of IPOs and QIPs following India's recent IPO boom, as well as advising Kaya Limited, an Indian multinational skincare, haircare, and bodycare treatment provider, on the divestment of its Middle East businesses.

Gregory leads the firm's general banking and project financing offering for Southeast Asia out of the Singapore office. He has more than 16 years' experience structuring, documenting, restructuring and enforcing high value transactions across a range of complex multi-jurisdictional matters. He recently advised the State Bank of India on a construction finance loan to Radial IT Park, a CapitaLand group company. This deal won the 'Green Project of the Year' award at The Asset's Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards 2024 – South Asia and is the largest sustainability-focused commercial real estate project to be funded by the State Bank of India.

The ranking reinforces the strength and depth of the firm's India group and the value the firm places on this important market.

To view IBLJ's 'International A-List' 2025, click here.