Pranav Bhanot

Co-Chair

Pranav Bhanot is a commercial litigation solicitor and mediator who has represented clients ranging from Central Government, the UK's National Health Service, multi-national corporation and High Net Worth Individuals. Pranav's enthusiasm in the Indian Legal System started following his work experience at the Supreme Court and High Court in New Delhi. In 2019, Pranav was shortlisted as Junior Lawyer of the Year in the UK's Law Society Excellence Awards and was named in the top 100 most influential people in shaping UK and India relations in 2018. Pranav is the editor of the book "A Living Bridge" and was the President of BPP Law School in London.

Shama Gupta

Co-Chair

Shama Gupta is a lawyer with over 3 decades of experience in real estate and legal regulatory compliance. She is currently the Responsible Business Ambassador with Freeths LLP, a leading national firm, and a member of its International Working Group. Shama’s career portfolio includes 10 years as a law lecturer, Council Member for The Law Society of England & Wales and its Social Mobility Ambassador . Shama’s passion for giving back to the legal fraternity was recognised by The President’s Prize awarded by Nottinghamshire Law Society.

Vaneeta Sharma

Secretary

Vaneeta is a Barrister at Drystone Chambers and appears in all Civil and Criminal Courts in England & Wales. Specialising in criminal and immigration law, Vaneeta has worked on cases involving government officials, complex fraud and serious violent and sexual crimes. She is known for her attention to detail, cross-examination skills and her ability to advise on the effective preparation and possible outcomes in cases.

She has been noted for matters that involve vulnerable clients and her ability to approach them with sensitivity. In cases where there is a guilty plea, she is commended for her skilful mitigation in assessing cases in totality in order to achieve non-custodial sentences where possible.

Vaneeta has combined her work in law with her pro-bono community work in order to support ethnic minority communities for over a decade. She provides legal support to her local area of West London whilst working with Migrant Advisory and Advocacy Service and has held leading roles within the Society of Asian Lawyers and the International Bar Association.