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LawQuests Team

Advocates and Solicitor (E & W)

EDUCATION

Poorvi Chothani, Esq

LL.M., University of
Pennsylvania Law
School, USA

Founder & Managing Partner LawQuest

Solicitor, England and Wales


Advocate, the Bar Council
of Maharashtra and Goa
Attorney, the New York
State Bar

ADMISSIONS
Maharashtra and Goa
New York
England and Wales

SUMMARY PROFILE
Poorvi is the founder and managing partner of The Law Offices of Poorvi Chothani and LawQuest a
unified business and immigration law firm with offices in New York, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Poorvi's practice has been focused on immigration law since 2003.This coupled with more than 25
years of experience in dispute resolution, corporate and commercial laws enable her to provide
holistic legal counsel to LawQuest's clients.
She has worked closely with large, local and international clients, including renowned international
consulting firms, Indian and American banks and investor relations companies, multi-jurisdictional
business processing companies, pharmaceutical and health product organizations to name a few,
helping them achieve their business goals in India and abroad.
Poorvi serves as Vice-Chair of the India Committee and is a member of the Immigration &
Nationality Committee, both of which are a part of the Section of International Law, the American
Bar Association (ABA). She has been the past president of The American Alumni Association,
Mumbai (2008-2010), the convener of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), Mumbai Chapter
and a founding member of the New York State Bar Association's (NYSBA) India Chapter. As a
member on the board of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce's, National and Western
Regions' executive committees, she is actively involved in cross-border work between the two
countries. She is also part of the Steering Group of American Immigration Lawyers Association's
(AILA) Global Migration Section and has served as conference chair for the section's Global
Migration Forums in 2012 and 2013 and co-chair in 2014.
Additionally, Poorvi is often quoted in the Economic Times and Business Standard, India's leading
business daily and on radio, CNBC-TV18 and Zee Business News. She is a regular speaker at
events organized by leading national and international organizations. Poorvi is an Associate Editor
of the India Law News (ILN), a quarterly publication by the International Section of the ABA. She
regularly publishes articles in prominent national and international law and business journals.
(Poorvi has been nominated, amongst the world's leading private practice lawyers in
"Who'sWhoLegal" each year since 2009.) Poorvi was nominated for the prestigious ICICICNBCTV18 Emerging India Awards as "Woman Entrepreneur of the Year-SME" for 2013.
Poorvi is actively involved in fund raising activities for education related charities and under her
leadership, the team at LawQuest renders pro-bono services to several charitable institutes.

PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS


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Poorvi was the panel speaker at the International Bar Association's 6th Biennial Global
Immigration Conference, London, speaking on "Hot Tips for Indian Immigration";

Poorvi was the panel speaker on "Consular Processing/Immigrant Petitions: It's as straight
forward as Skateboarding Lombard Street" at the American Immigration Lawyers Association
(AILA) in San Francisco, U.S;

Poorvi was the U.S. conference chair at the American Immigration Lawyers Association
(AILA)-Global Migration Forum titled "Navigating a Global Practice through Dynamic World
Markets", held in June 2013 in San Francisco, California;

Poorvi attended the Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Conference 2013 in Seoul,
South Korea. The topic covered was "The Future of Law & Business in the Asia-Pacific
Region";

Poorvi was the discussion leader for a series of three teleconferences on "Global Migration"
organized by Immigration Law Works (ILW.Com);

Poorvi is a member of the Steering Group and Executive Committee Bangkok District Chapter
of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA);

Poorvi was the conference co-chair at the Global Migration Forum of the American
Immigration Lawyers Association's (AILA) - Global Immigration Forum in Nashville,
Tennessee. The topic for the forum was a detailed discussion on "Workforce Globalization: An
International Immigration Law Perspective"; and

Poorvi was a speaker and panelist on the Immigration Committee Panel at the American
Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference in San Diego. She also spoke at
AILA's Global Forum-Indian Immigration on "Consular Processing";

LawQuest co-hosted a CxO Forum event in association with More Than HR (MTHR)

Poorvi spoke to a select audience at the IMC on "Update on U.S. Immigration Reform
Initiatives: How They May Impact Indian Businesses";

Poorvi attended the 6th Biennial International Bar Associations Conference in London, UK.
The topic of discussion was "BRICS Countries & Emerging Markets".

Poorvi has hosted a series of seminars on H-1B Visas: Preparing for the Filing Season Trends, Challenges and Opportunities in both Mumbai and Bengaluru annually.

Poorvi Chothani was a Discussion Leader for the AILA Global Immigration Forum in Boston.
Her panel topic was MANAGING GLOBAL IMMIGRATION - INNOVATION, GROWTH AND
MANAGEMENT.

Advocates and Solicitor (E & W)

PUBLICATIONS
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"Global Mobility Handbook"- Poorvi is the editor and author of three chapters (The United
States, the United Kingdom and India) (2013 and 2012 edition);

Poorvi co-authored an article on "Cross Border Immigration Law" for the Thomson Reuters
European Lawyers Reference Series;

"Indian Visas-An Update " Poorvi is the co-author for this article published by the International
Bar Association (IBA) in September, 2012;

"Getting the Deal through-Corporate Immigration 2012 and 2013, India" Poorvi is the co-author
for this article for the Law Business Research, Official Research Partner International Bar
Association;

"Medical Visas" - Poorvi authored the article for the India Law News (ILN);

"Acquiring Indian Citizenship"- Poorvi co-authored the article for the International Bar
Association (IBA) in May, 2012;

"An Overview of Business Travel to India" The article was co-authored by Poorvi and published
in the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) Email Magazine, e-zette for their 2011
issue;

"The Road to Independence"-The American Bar Association's prestigious publication is a book


that has 101 contributing woman authors. Poorvi was one of the 101 women lawyers from all
over the world who wrote about how they set up their own law firms;

In addition over the years Poorvi has written for many publications such as Interpreter Release,
New York State Bar Journal, ILW.COM, India Law Journal (ILW), New Managing Intellectual
Property Magazine, Money Talk, Asia Law Journal, Manupatra Intellectual Property Reports,
Manupatra Newsline, NASSCOM's Portal and The Economic Times.

Advocates and Solicitor (E & W)

LawQuests Team

Advocate and Solicitor (E & W)

Manizeh Mistry

EDUCATION
Advocate, the Bar Council of
Maharashtra and Goa
LL.B., University of
Mumbai, India
International MBA, United
Business Institute
B.Com., University of Mumbai

ADMISSIONS
Mahahrashtra and Goa

Senior Associate - Immigration,


Transaction & Employment Law
103, Maker Tower F, 10th Floor, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005, India
Tel.: +91 22 4002 0954, Fax: +91 22 2216 3215
manizehm@lawquestinternational.com

SUMMARY PROFILE
Manizeh focuses on Employment and Immigration Law. She is routinely involved in advising on
Commercial Contracts as well as drafting Employment Contracts and Ancillary Documents,
Service and Contractor Agreements and preparation of Confidentiality and Non-compete
Agreements. Manizeh, a key member of LawQuest's Global Immigration team, is highly skilled in
preparing non-immigrant visa petitions and applications for multi-national corporations. She works
with large corporations, in conjunction with our network of local counsel in about 40 jurisdictions to
facilitate the transfer of key personnel and their dependents abroad by securing the appropriate
employment authorizations, entry visas and residence permits. She also helps companies with
their operations and global immigration compliance program in India to obtain work permits,
registration requirements, extension of visas and compliance with local laws pertaining to the
employment of expatriates in India.

PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS


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Manizeh has attended a seminar on "Doing Business with Vietnam & INDEE-VIETNAM";

Manizeh attended a webinar on "Consular Processing for Experts" organized by ILW;

Manizeh has attended a work shop on "New U.S. Visa Processing System, GS -Global
Support Strategy for Visa Services" organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Consulate General of the United States;

Manizeh attended a seminar on "Doing Business with Indonesia" and was invited to the "Trade
Expo Indonesia" organized by the Indian Merchant's Chamber.

PUBLICATIONS
v

"Getting the Deal Through -Corporate Immigration 2012 and 2013, India" Manizeh is the coauthor for this article for the Law Business Research, Official Research Partner International
Bar Association;

"Acquiring Indian Citizenship"-Manizeh co-authored the article for the International Bar
Association (IBA) in May, 2012;

Manizeh has authored/co-authored multiple articles for LegalEra Magazine-"Trade Secret- A


Matter of Confidentiality", "Contract Demonstration and Damages", "Overview on Immigration
and Work Visas for Foreign Nationals in India", "Expatriates and Social Security in India",
"Foreign Nationals who wish to work and do Business in India";

Manizeh has co-authored an article on Cross Border Immigration law for Thompson Reuters The European Lawyer Reference Series;

v Manizeh has authored articles for Nithia is Indian Law Radar Newsletter on Arbitration in India
and Non-Immigrant Visas.

LawQuests Team

Advocates and Solicitor (E & W)

Deepak V. More

EDUCATION
LL.B. K.C. Law College,
Mumbai
Advocate, the Bar Council of
Maharashtra and Goa

Associate - Civil, Property and Employment Law


103, Maker Tower F, 10th Floor, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005, India
Tel.: +91 22 4002 0954, Fax: +91 22 2216 3215
deepak@lawquestinternational.com

ADMISSIONS
Mahahrashtra and Goa

SUMMARY PROFILE
Deepak primarily focuses on Civil, Property & Employment Law as well as and Legal Services
Related to the Charity Commissioner Office the also assists in other key areas at LawQuest. He is
well versed with all Government office law requirements, especially at the Mantralaya - the
administrative headquarters of the State Government of Maharashtra, India.

LawQuests Team

Advocates and Solicitor (E & W)

Bindu Mittal

EDUCATION
Juris Doctor from the Ohio State
University, Moritz College of
Law, USA
BBA in International Business,
USA

Senior Relationship Manager


103, Maker Tower F, 10th Floor, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005, India
Tel.: +91 22 4002 0954, Fax: +91 22 2216 3215
bindu@lawquestinternational.com

SUMMARY PROFILE
Bindu is the Senior Relationship Manager at LawQuest and has been exclusively involved in
immigration law over the past few years especially in H-1 and L-1 visa preparation for the US
market. She is the firm's liaison manager for clients who have global immigration and global
employment requirements.

LawQuest
LawQuest is a general business and immigration law firm, with offices in New York, Mumbai and Bengaluru offering client centric
legal and business solutions. Our firm's vision is to establish a strong legal practice, based on local expertise and intercontinental
capabilities by offering high end services to global and local clients. LawQuest's growing team of lawyers and support staff render
professional services with integrity and dedication to meet client expectations effectively. LawQuest's cross country and cross
regional networks enable it to render seamless assistance to clients regardless of their location within defined timeframes.
LawQuest's team publishes a monthly newsletter, "LawQuest Alerts-Legal and Immigration Updates" and subscriptions can be
requested by emailing us on alerts@lawquestinternational.com

LawQuest's Clients
LawQuest's clients include both large and small corporations, online and offline agencies, consultants and other professionals.
Our clients range from multi-national companies, large national corporations and fortune 500 companies (who are all world
leaders in their respective industry segments) to small and medium business enterprises.
Most of our clients choose us based on referrals from other clients and colleagues; a testimony to the confidence the community
has in our work.

LawQuest's Corporate Social Responsibility Endeavours


In view of its commitment to the society, LawQuest renders pro-bono or subsidised services to several non-profit organizations
including:
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Trust Law Connect - A Thompson Reuters Endeavour

The Vedanta Academy;

Saathi;

Habitat for Humanity;

The American Alumni Association;

SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together);

Ayzh, a social enterprise that provides health and livelihood solutions to impoverished women worldwide.

LawQuest
LawQuest's Professionals are Members of the following:
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The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa;

The American Bar Association (ABA) Steering Group, the Immigration and Nationality Committee;

The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA);

The International Bar Association (IBA);

The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Tech Law;

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA);

The American Alumni Association (AAA) - President (2008-2010);

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE);

Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) Member National and Western India Council Committees and
Legal Forum;

The Indian Merchants' Chamber Ladies Wing (IMC) Co-Chair Legal Cell Committee;

The American Bar Association's Section of International Law - Vice Chair of the India Committee; and Vice-Chair
of the Aerospace and Defence Committee;

New York State Bar Association's International Section - India Chapter Founder Member;

IvyLife, India - Founder Member; and

Penn Club of Mumbai Committee Member;

Other Organizations
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Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) - Convener of the Mumbai Chapter (2009-2011)

The American Immigration Bar Association

Association of European Lawyers (AEL)

Contracts and Foreign Director Investment


LawQuest's team assists its clients create, operate, regulate and expand their businesses. Our range of
services includes assisting our clients with establishing new business entities or forming new
relationships and helping them administer their existing commercial relationships. We assist with all
phases of business development, including proffering strategic advice, negotiations, drafting,
conducting due diligence searches, title verification, registration and providing legal opinions. We also
assist with establish business under India's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy.
Legal Services Include:
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Incorporation of Companies;

Statutory Filings of a Company;

Joint Ventures and Shareholders Agreements;

Commercial Transactions; and


Foreign Direct Investment

Real Estate Law


LawQuest is equipped to handle multiple aspects of Real Estate Law. Our clients require us to represent them in
various capacities as vendors, purchasers, developers, licensors, licensees, lessors or lessees. When real estate
deals escalate to different levels of disputes, we assist with the protection of our clients' needs in an efficient and costeffective manner whether the manner of resolution is mediation, arbitration or traditional litigation. LawQuest's
services include strategic advice, negotiations, drafting, conducting due diligence searches, title verification,
and registration, providing legal opinions, litigation, alternate dispute resolution and re-development among other
things.

Legal Services Include


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Conveyancing;

Sale Purchase Agreement;

Leave and License; and

Power of Attorney.

Legal Services Related to the Charity Commissioner's


While today's globalized world has become a never ending rat race for most, there are still many people who believe in
giving back to society and the creation and foundation of Non-Government Organizational Charity trusts is one such
means. The governance of these trusts fall under the Charity Commissioners office and LawQuest's team
successfully handles work and causes related to this. The areas of work that are covered by the Charity
Commissioners office

Legal Services Include:


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Starting an NGO under the Maharashtra Co-perative Societies Registration Act, 1960;

Closure of an NGO;

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Starting a Public Charitable Trust under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950; Winding up of societies
and trusts.
Legal matters that come under the purview of the Charity Commissioner's office (Maharashtra); and

Legal disputes related to NGO's and Public Trusts.

Employment and Labour Law


LawQuest assists clients with employment related issues within India, compliance with various applicable acts that
are pertinent to a set of employees, officers and senior management. Our services include strategic advice,
negotiations, drafting, providing legal opinion, litigation and alternate dispute resolution.

Legal Services Include:


Employment and Labour Law
v Assistance with Employment Contracts and Ancillary documents, including Technology and Intellectual
Agreements. Property license Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements, Secrecy Agreements and
Non-compete Agreements;
v Advising on Non-compete Issues and their Enforceability;
v Advising on Applicable Labour Laws and Employment Laws;
v Advising on Data Projection and Privacy Issues;
v Advising on Strategy and Documentation for Safeguarding of Confidential Information and Protecting
Intellectual Property (IP);
v Assisting with Employee Credential Verifications through Third Party Vendors;
v Advising on Personal Policies, Drafting Handbook of Employment Terms and Conditions and Employee
Manuals;
v Litigation Strategy; and
v Employer Employee Dispute under Industrial Dispute Act and the Minimum Wage Act

Global Migration - Work Permits and Visas


In a growing globalized world, human mobility is increasing exponentially. Indian and global clients often require onestop-shops to meet their requirements to post professionals and other personnel in international locations. The need
for these services has seen a spurt, in view of Indian Companies acquiring or setting up businesses abroad.
LawQuest's qualified professionals and personnel offer these services across borders in over 30 jurisdictions
worldwide. LawQuest collaborates with local and other local and overseas network partners, to meet client
requirements as and when necessary.
Australia

France

Turkey

Japan

The Netherlands

Sri Lanka

Austria

Germany

Indonesia

Mexico

China

Argentina

Belgium

Hong Kong

Poland

Russia

The Philippines

Switzerland

Brazil

India

Romania

South Africa

The United Kingdom

Thailand

Canada

Israel

The United Arab Emirates

Spain

The United States

Kenya

Denmark

Italy

Saudi Arabia

In-house Expertise:
US Immigration
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Immigrant Visas
Employment Visas
Family Based Immigration Visas
Non-Immigrant Visas
H-1B Visas
Business Visas
Student Visas
L-1 Visas
Tourist Visas
Consular Processing
Legal Consultation and Written Opinions

UK Immigration
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Points Based Immigration


Work Permits
Sole Representative Visas
Business Visas
Tourist Visas

Indian Immigration
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Employment and Business Visas


Registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Registration
Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Registration

Network Member: The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

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