Profile

Profile

Puhazh is a lawyer and is the General Managing Partner the firmPuhazh’s practice area includes Infrastructure, Banking and Corporate, International Trade (WTO), Information Technology(IT/ITES), Alternate Dispute resolution, mines & minerals and International Investments. He has led numerous transactions in Singapore, Brunei, Srilanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Africa, USA, Canada, UK etc.

Puhazh is a consultant to a number of reputed law firms in the Asian region including LAW ASIA, a leading international law firm headquartered in Singapore.

A record holder in his LL.B (First rank holder) program bagging nine gold medals from the University of Kerala. Did his M.Phil in International Law from India’s top ranking University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. A Deans (Merit) Scholar at New York University School of Law for his LLM, where he was also awarded the prestigious International Law and Human Rights fellowship. Puhazh was invited by the Hague Academy of International Law at the International Court of Justice for the prestigious Public International Law Lecture Series in 2003.

Puhazh is also a well known arguing counsel. Even during his college days, he represented India in the XIth Manfred Lacs International moot court competition held at Sydney, Australia in 2000 Puhazh has worked as a lawyer at the Appellate body Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) at Geneva. He was a member of the Team, which assisted the WTO Appellate body in deciding the famous dispute of U.S v. Canada – the Soft wood Lumber VI, and U.S v. E.C – the Zeroing case. He also worked as the Assistant Coordinator (Academics) for the Re- gional Trade Policy Course conducted by the World Trade Organization at the National Uni- versity of Singapore in which Senior/Mid level civil servants from thirty different countries were imparted training in Trade Law.

He was a Visiting Expert Advisor for Judge His Excellency Mr Rene Blattamann at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, to advise him in the trial of Mr Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, a Congolese war lord from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a rare honor for any lawyer and only senior judges, prosecutors, senior attorneys from leading law firms, professors of international law were invited by ICC for such a position.

Puhazh is ranked as a leading lawyer in India for ‘Contracts and Information Technology’ by GLOBAL LAW EXPERTS, a reputed rating agency based out of London.

Puhazh represents a number of government organizations as well. He was earlier the National Legal Consultant for the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Legal Counsel for Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Senior Legal Counsel for the Airports Authority of India.

Education

LL.M., New York University School of Law (Deans Scholar, International Law and Human Rights Fellow)

PGCITL, European University Institute and ILO, Turin, Italy

LL.B., University of Kerala (Gold medalist),India

B.Sc Chemistry (Ist class honours), M.S University, India

Bar Qualifications and Language Proficiency

Admitted to the Indian bar in 2000.

Qualified Solicitor (U.K)

Proficient in English, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.

Work Experience

Sept 2000 – June 2003 – Junior Advocate - SVS Partners, New Delhi

Aug 2003 – Nov 2006 – Associate – PARAS KUHAD & ASSOCIATES (Law Firm), New Delhi

(Mr Paras Kuhad is a Senior Advocate and currently the Additional Solicitor General of India)

Nov 2006 – June 2010 – Senior Associate – KOCHHAR & CO (Law Firm), Chennai.

July 2010 – Present – Partner – SPAB & CO, Advocates & Legal Consultants (Law Firm- An associate of LAW ASIA, International Lawyers, Singapore),Chennai

Background

A record holder in LL.B (First rank holder) program secured nine gold medals from the University of Kerala.

Represented India in the XIth Manfred Lachs International moot court court competition at Sydney, Australia in 2002.

Attended the prestigious Hague Academy Lecture Series (Public International Law) in 2003 organised by International Court of Justice, The Netherlands on a scholarship from The Netherlands government.

Worked as a Legal trainee lawyer the Appellate body Secretariat of the World Trade Organization at Geneva. Member of the Team, which assisted the WTO Appellate body in deciding the famous dispute of U.S v. Canada, the Soft wood Lumber VI, and U.S v. E.C, the Zeroing case.

Worked as an Assistant Coordinator (Academics) for the Regional Trade Policy Course conducted by the World Trade Organisation at the National University of Singapore in which Senior/Mid level civil servants from thirty different countries were imparted training in Trade Law.

Visiting Expert for Judge Mr Rene Blattamann in March 2010, at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Rated as a Leading individual for Contract Law by Global Law Expert, a rating agency based out of UK.