Alok Dhir
Alok Dhir
Alok Dhir, a chartered accountant & a renowned lawyer, has extensive experience of four decades in corporate commercial and civil law with special focus on Corporate and Financial Restructuring, Insolvency Laws, Takeovers, M&A, Banking Law, Real Estate, PE transactions, turning around of financially stressed entities in the country and issues related to Asset Reconstruction & Securitization.
He started the practice of insolvency in the early 80s when distress asset advisory was practically unknown in the Indian context. He was a part of the development of Insolvency laws in the country and steered the legislative/regulatory changes in the same with the promulgation of SICA 1985, RDDB & FI Act 1993, SARFAESI Act 2002 and the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in 2016. In 1985, when SICA was promulgated, he single-handedly assisted the Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) in drafting the regulatory framework. His name became synonymous with BIFR as the firm used to handle almost 2/3rd of all cases referred to BIFR.
He is an innovative lawyer having strong legal & commercial acumen. He is a veteran in the industry, providing creative solutions and developing complex structures for achieving resolution for stakeholders in corporate and commercial insolvencies and M&A transactions.
He is a leading legal counsel and represents a diverse client base before various Tribunals, Courts, High Courts and Supreme Court of India. He is one of the first few Insolvency Professionals registered under the IBC 2016.
He has founded IRR Insolvency Professionals Private Limited which is the first IPE licensed by the IBBI and also promoted one of the first private sector ARC licensed by RBI which is involved in the acquisition and resolution of toxic assets in India with an exemplary track record.
He is actively involved with regulators and the Govt. in devising mechanisms for Cross Border legislation, Group Insolvency, Personal Insolvency, etc. He was appointed as a member of Working Group constituted to strategize the approach for implementing the IBC and drafting rules and regulation for Corporate Guarantors and Individuals with businesses and also served as a member of the Grievance Redressal Committee with ICSI Insolvency Professionals Agency. He was also the Treasurer of INSOL India from 2016 to 2023.
He has been bestowed with many awards and has received various accolades for his myriad contribution across the field of insolvency laws. He has been consistently recognized as the leading lawyer for ‘Restructuring & Insolvency’ in the country by most credited rankings for legal services globally including being featured as an exceptional lawyer in ‘The A-List: India’s top 100 lawyers’ by India Business Law Journal. He has also been featured in Forbes India. He was also bestowed the ‘Hall of Fame’ recognition by Legal 500.
He is a prominent authority and often invited as an expert to speak in various conferences, seminars and webinars. He is widely covered in the news of most mainstream media to share his views on ongoing cases and development of the Insolvency laws in the country.
Maneesha Dhir
Maneesha Dhir is a highly reputed litigation lawyer with over three decades of expertise in handling a wide range of cases in Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency, Commercial Litigation, Arbitration (Domestic & International), Telecom, and M&A. She represents a diverse client base including business houses, MNCs, banks/FIs, PSUs, and Central and State Governments, Ministries, and Departments before the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, and various other Courts, Tribunals, and Appellate bodies.
She has served as a member on several key committees responsible for framing rules and regulations relating to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) / National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and for drafting the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016. She was also Secretary of INSOL India from 2008 to 2015 and a member of the Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee (BLRC) which drafted the structure of the new IBC.
She was part of the Achutan Committee (SEBI) for advising on the Takeover Code and a member of the Bimal Jalan Committee, set up by SEBI to examine ownership and governance of Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs). She also contributed to the committee set up to amend the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959, and Company Secretaries Act, 1980 to strengthen the disciplinary mechanisms of the professional institutes.
She is widely acclaimed for her work in the Telecom sector, both in regulatory matters and litigation. As Senior Counsel for the Department of Telecom (DoT), she represented the Government of India in complex telecom licensing and 3G spectrum litigation. She was appointed as Special Counsel by the Office of the Custodian and MCA in high-profile matters such as Satyam Computers, Maytas Infra, Maytas Properties, Sahara India, and Ketan Parekh & Companies before various forums including the CLB, High Court, and Supreme Court.
She served as Panel Advocate / Central Government Pleader at the Delhi High Court, and was also Senior Panel Counsel for the Union of India, appointed by the Ministry of Law and Justice. She has been Standing Counsel for BSNL and Retainer Counsel with TRAI.
Maneesha has been bestowed with numerous awards and recognitions for her outstanding contributions, including:
‘National Bar Award’ by All India Bar Association
‘Lawyer of the Year – Insolvency & Restructuring (2023-24)’ by Legal Era
‘Managing Partner of the Year (Female) 2023’ by The Economic Times
‘ESG Law Firm of the Year - Legal Leader Awards 2024’ by BW Businessworld
‘Woman Lawyer of the Year 2020’ by Public Diplomacy Forum
She has been ranked among India’s Top 15 Dispute Resolution Lawyers by Asian Legal Business and recently recognized as ‘Highly Regarded – Women Leader 2024’ by IFLR1000. She is also ranked as:
‘Recognised Practitioner’ – Chambers & Partners
‘Distinguished Practitioner’ – AsiaLaw Profiles
‘Litigation Star’ – Benchmark Litigation
Maneesha is a regular speaker at global conferences on Insolvency Laws, Arbitration, AI, and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB). She has conducted multiple study circles on IBC at the Delhi High Court and delivered guest lectures at law schools and professional institutions.
She regularly contributes articles to leading legal publications and is the author of the book “AI For Good: India & Beyond”. She also contributed the India Chapter of the Global Legal Insights – IPO Guide published by the Global Legal Group in April 2024.
Beyond her professional commitments, she actively supports social causes, conducts pro bono matters, and advises the Rural Medicare Centre, which provides advanced healthcare at affordable costs.
Poonam Bisht
Poonam Bisht is the Partner & Chief Executive Officer of Dhir & Dhir Associates, one of the highly reputed law firms in India. With a long-standing commitment and association with the firm for over two decades, Poonam has brought in organic growth both internally and externally through her in-depth understanding of critical aspects of law firm management.
She has played an instrumental role in building robust systems and processes across various firm functions. She spearheads the firm’s operations and focuses on management, strategic communications, finance, practice development, IT, and more. Poonam works closely with lawyers and clients to understand their legal requirements and professional aspirations, helping to create business opportunities. Over the years, she has successfully assisted Managing Partners and Partners on several strategic and financial initiatives, enabling the firm to scale its growth trajectory.
Since taking on the CEO’s role, she has introduced several successful working models. She is widely recognized for transforming the firm’s managerial and strategic functions. Under her leadership, the firm has implemented technology-driven processes, aligned with best practices, and developed a growth roadmap with a strong focus on delivering expert and practical client solutions.
In addition to her operational responsibilities, Poonam ensures a conducive work environment where professionals are motivated to deliver high-quality services efficiently. She is actively involved in acquiring and retaining talent, motivating professionals, and aligning team aspirations with the firm’s vision. She keeps the team informed about new laws and amendments, especially relevant in India’s rapidly evolving economic and legal landscape.
Poonam also serves as the Presiding Officer of the firm’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), established under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Additionally, she is an External Member of the POSH Committee of a major aerospace manufacturing company.
Sachin Gupta
Sachin Gupta heads the Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice of the Firm as a Senior Partner, with a prime focus on complex civil & commercial litigation and arbitration matters.
Sachin graduated as an engineer and thereafter completed his degree in Law. He has immense exposure in the field of corporate commercial law. His areas of expertise include:
Rehabilitation of distressed entities
Shareholders’ dispute resolution
Equity and debt-related issues
Recovery of debts and securitisation-related matters
Bidding and commercial disputes arising from contractual matters
He handles matters before the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, Tribunals, and other quasi-judicial and alternate dispute resolution forums. He also provides consultancy, opinions, and strategic advice to clients for managing litigation.
Sachin has advised clients in a broad range of litigation matters related to:
Commercial contracts
Shareholder agreements
Oppression and mismanagement
Winding-up proceedings
White-collar crimes
Amalgamation and restructuring of companies
He appears in both trial and appellate courts, including handling writ litigations.
In addition, he handles Real Estate litigation, including:
Specific performance of contracts for sale
Breach of lease terms
Disputes arising out of Joint Development Agreements (JDAs)
Sachin frequently contributes to legal scholarship and has authored numerous articles in the areas of Restructuring & Insolvency, Banking & Finance, Civil & Commercial Laws, Dispute Resolution, and Litigation & Arbitration. His work has been published in several leading legal publications.
He has been consistently recognized by leading international legal directories:
“Notable Practitioner” – AsiaLaw (2024 Edition)
“Highly Regarded” – IFLR1000 (2024 Edition)
“Leading Lawyer” – Legal Era (2024 Edition)
“Litigation Star – Commercial and Transactions” – Benchmark Litigation (2024 Edition)
Team Services
At Dhir & Dhir Associates, we enhance our knowledge and service offerings by merging practice and sector groups to develop a comprehensive understanding of our clients’ businesses and markets. We focus on relationships, not deals, and we are considered very approachable and accessible from top to bottom of the hierarchy.
The firm combines flexibility and responsiveness with practical, in-depth experience to provide legal advice that reflects the commercial context in which it is sought. We form close, constructive, and responsive working relationships, and our approach ensures continuity and clear communication.
The partners of the firm inculcate integrity and ethics as the guiding principles of their conduct. Our highly qualified, innovative and experienced team of lawyers, chartered accountants, company secretaries and management consultants seek to achieve the highest standards of services possible to the diversified client portfolio.