International Law
Sovereignty, jurisdiction, international institutions, human rights, and cross-border legal order.
Lawyer & Legal Researcher

International Law • Dispute Resolution • Governance • Public Policy
Examining how legal institutions respond to changing forms of authority, conflict, regulation, and global interdependence.
About Me
I am a lawyer and legal researcher based in Bengaluru, interested in how legal institutions respond to technological, geopolitical, and social change. My work is shaped by a broader concern with the way law distributes authority, structures governance, resolves disputes, and adapts when established doctrines encounter unfamiliar realities. This has drawn me to questions across international law, dispute resolution, public policy, institutional design, and emerging legal challenges.
My research combines doctrinal analysis with an interest in practical legal reform. Across different projects, I have examined digital infrastructure and sovereignty, changing conceptions of jurisdiction, arbitration, environmental governance, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, and regulatory decision-making. Although these subjects differ, they are connected by a common inquiry: how can legal frameworks remain principled and legitimate while responding effectively to new forms of power, risk, and institutional complexity?
Alongside my academic work, I have developed experience through legal internships, fellowship programmes, peer-review and editorial responsibilities, competitions, and research presentations before academic audiences in India and abroad. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to careful research, clear writing, and intellectual independence. I aim to produce work that connects rigorous legal reasoning with the practical realities faced by courts, regulators, institutions, and those affected by their decisions.
Research Interests
Sovereignty, jurisdiction, international institutions, human rights, and cross-border legal order.
Arbitration, mediation, adjudication, remedial design, and complex commercial or public disputes.
Institutional authority, accountability, regulatory legitimacy, and the design of public decision-making.
Policy development through legal research, political economy, institutional analysis, and comparative frameworks.
Education
Degrees & School Education
Master's Programme · Currently Pursuing
National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
Postgraduate Study in Business and Commercial Law.
The programme develops an interdisciplinary understanding of business and commercial law, with attention to the legal frameworks governing corporate activity, transactions, regulation, and institutional decision-making. It complements my interest in connecting doctrinal legal analysis with the practical needs of businesses, regulators, and public institutions.
Postgraduate Diploma
Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai
First Class; Grade A++; 77%; CGPA 7.17/8; Rank 2; Top 5% of the Batch.
The diploma provided focused study of arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and dispute-management processes. It strengthened my understanding of arbitration agreements, procedural strategy, arbitral awards, settlement design, and the relationship between courts and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
Integrated Undergraduate Law Degree
St. Joseph’s College of Law, Karnataka State Law University
First Class; Grade A (Very Good); Law-Weighted CGPA 8.5/10; Top 10% of the Batch.
The five-year integrated programme combined humanities study with a broad legal curriculum. It developed foundations across constitutional, civil, criminal, commercial, and international law while strengthening legal research, writing, advocacy, statutory interpretation, and analytical reasoning.
ISC · Humanities
The Frank Anthony Public School, Bengaluru
94%; CGPA 9.6/10; Distinction.
The ISC Humanities programme developed a strong foundation in social analysis, interpretation, argumentation, and structured writing. This interdisciplinary training shaped the perspective that later informed my study of law, governance, institutions, and public policy.
ICSE
St. Germain High School, Bengaluru
83%; CGPA 8.6/10; First Division.
The ICSE curriculum provided a broad secondary-school foundation and encouraged disciplined study across analytical, linguistic, scientific, and social subjects. It helped develop the communication, reasoning, and academic habits that supported my later legal education.
Trade Law Academy
National University of Singapore and Centre for International Law
An intensive academy examining the foundations of the international trade law system and its interaction with contemporary geopolitical pressures. The programme considered core legal principles alongside industrial policy, trade dispute settlement, regional trade agreements, digital trade, and emerging mega-regional frameworks.
Summer School
Lamb Building and Keating Chambers, United Kingdom
A practitioner-oriented programme providing exposure to commercial, criminal, and civil law through the perspectives of barristers and legal professionals. It broadened my understanding of legal reasoning, case strategy, advocacy, and professional practice within the legal system of England and Wales.
Summer School
University of Bradford, School of Law, United Kingdom
A seven-day programme exploring how legal systems respond to rapid technological, social, commercial, and political change. Sessions addressed emerging questions involving artificial intelligence, digital economies, cryptocurrency, climate change, conflict, crime, terrorism, and the development of new regulatory approaches.
WIPO Korea Summer School
WIPO, Korean Intellectual Property Office and International Intellectual Property Training Institute
An intensive interdisciplinary programme on intellectual property law and the international systems protecting innovation and creativity. The course examined patents, trademarks, copyright, enforcement, IP management and valuation, while considering how intellectual property can support entrepreneurship, legal start-ups, public health, and sustainable development.
Skills
Research, drafting, analysis, and communication skills developed through academic work, professional training, competitions, and institutional engagement.
Experience
Fellowship
Fellowship
Mercatus Center at George Mason University, United States
Peer Review & Editorial Experience
Peer Review & Manuscript Evaluation
Interdisciplinary publication project on systemic exclusion and access to justice
Internships
Legal Internship
Researched schemes formulated by the National Legal Services Authority and examined their role in improving access to legal aid and justice. Observed proceedings before different judicial forums, including the Labour Court, Family Court, and Commercial Court, which provided exposure to the functioning and procedural differences of specialised courts.
Assisted with the preparation of case briefs and developed practical familiarity with the filing and organisation of court documents. The internship offered an institutional perspective on legal-services delivery and the administration of justice beyond conventional private practice.
Dispute Resolution Internship
Under Mr. Arjun K. Perikal
Conducted legal research concerning an application for a stay in connection with an initial public offering and disputes relating to the allotment and alleged illegal transfer of shares. Examined limitation issues under Articles 58 and 113 of the Limitation Act, 1963, alongside questions arising under Sections 2(1)(f) and 17 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
Assisted with the drafting of an agreement and a sale deed and researched the infringement of registered trademarks. Also undertook a comparative analysis of stamp-duty collection across four states and contributed research towards proposed reforms relating to Karnataka’s stamp-duty framework.
Government Litigation Internship
Under Mr. Sashi Kiran Shetty
Undertook research across public, civil, corporate, and criminal-law matters handled by the Office of the Advocate General. The research covered the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960, Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
Examined specific statutory provisions and relevant judicial authorities to support ongoing matters handled by government counsel. Attended court proceedings and assisted Additional Government Advocates with legal research and preparation, gaining exposure to litigation involving the State and public authorities.
Intellectual Property Internship
Conducted research on intellectual-property law, with particular emphasis on trademarks, registration procedures, infringement, and related remedies. Prepared case briefs and reviewed judicial decisions relevant to ongoing trademark and intellectual-property matters.
The internship also provided exposure to the practical relationship between trademark prosecution, advisory work, and litigation. Participated in professional sessions concerning trademark registration and career pathways within intellectual-property practice and litigation.
Supreme Court Chambers Internship
Supreme Court of India
Reviewed case files, judgments, and legal authorities relevant to matters being prepared before the courts. Assisted with legal research, the preparation of case briefs, drafting-related assignments, and the translation of documents required for ongoing proceedings.
Researched legal articles and supporting authorities that could be used in the preparation of arguments. Attended legal discussions, lectures, and court proceedings, gaining exposure to the manner in which factual records and legal authorities are organised for appellate and Supreme Court advocacy.
Legal Internship
Conducted research across constitutional law, criminal procedure, contract law, arbitration, labour law, matrimonial law, and the Right to Information Act. Assisted with an Enforcement Case Information Report-related assignment, drafted a legal notice, and researched the doctrine of prior use in trademark disputes.
Examined judicial developments concerning the Hindu Marriage Act and the evolution of the right to be forgotten in India. The internship offered broad exposure to legal research and drafting across company, contractual, and criminal-law matters.
Social Impact & Field Experience
Field Research and Outreach
Participated in field visits and district-level surveys examining the experiences and requirements of persons with disabilities. Visited hospitals and interacted with public departments and institutional stakeholders involved in disability welfare and service delivery.
Contributed to research concerning the causes and prevention of disability and assisted with outreach programmes for children with disabilities in rural communities. This experience provided direct exposure to the relationship between public policy, institutional accessibility, and community-based social support.
Selected Publication Highlights
Proposed Reforms to the UN OHCHR Call for Inputs
This policy contribution examines the tension between protections afforded to foreign investors and the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
It proposes reforms aimed at ensuring that investment governance, regulatory decision-making, and dispute-resolution frameworks operate consistently with environmental and human-rights obligations.
View UN OHCHR contribution ↗An Emerging Paradigm in the Realm of International Law
The paper examines how liability rules may respond when artificial-intelligence systems operate in legally complex air and space environments.
It considers the role of human programming, the application of existing legal principles, and the scope of responsibility under international law.
Read publication ↗Extraterritoriality in Deutschland’s Competition Law and Policy
This co-authored paper studies the extraterritorial reach of German competition law in relation to European Union rules and public international law.
It examines the effects principle, choice-of-law questions, and the value of multilateral engagement through institutions such as the OECD and WTO.
Read publication ↗A Wake-up Call for Reimagining the Framework for Global Health Cooperation
The paper considers how the pandemic exposed weaknesses in regional and global-health coordination.
It focuses on ASEAN and the need for stronger legal cooperation, institutional harmonisation, and collective mechanisms capable of responding to transnational health emergencies.
View conference paper listing ↗United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights — Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment
This policy contribution addresses the tension between investor protection and the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. It proposes reforms intended to align investment governance with environmental and human-rights obligations.
Cambridge Open Engage, Cambridge University Press · Working Paper
This working paper examines arbitration as a mechanism for resolving intellectual-property disputes in India. It considers how specialist procedure, confidentiality, and enforceability could support innovation while reducing pressure on conventional courts.
International Journal of Law Management and Humanities (IJLMH)
The article considers responsibility when autonomous systems operate in legally complex air and space environments. It evaluates human programming, oversight, and the capacity of existing international-law principles to allocate liability.
International Journal of Novel Research and Development (IJNRD)
This paper examines whether the expansion of administrative governance has altered the classical separation of powers. It considers delegation, institutional overlap, judicial review, and the continued importance of checks and balances.
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis (IJLRA)
The paper critically evaluates the gender-specific scope of India’s workplace sexual-harassment framework. It asks whether broader, gender-neutral protection would improve equality, access to redress, and the design of workplace complaint mechanisms.
Prague University of Economics and Business
This co-authored paper studies the extraterritorial reach of German competition law in relation to European Union rules and public international law. It analyses the effects principle, choice-of-law concerns, and the value of multilateral cooperation.
International Journal of Advanced Legal Research (IJALR)
The article studies the vulnerabilities exposed by the mass movement of migrant workers during the pandemic. It assesses labour-law protections and asks whether India’s evolving labour codes adequately address mobility, welfare, and enforcement gaps.
Alliance Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Alliance University
This essay examines the boundary between necessary judicial support and excessive court involvement in alternative dispute resolution. It considers how intervention can protect fairness while preserving efficiency, finality, and party autonomy.
Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
The paper considers how the pandemic exposed weaknesses in regional and global-health coordination. It argues for stronger legal cooperation, institutional harmonisation, and collective mechanisms for responding to transnational health emergencies.
Constitutional Law and Policy Reform Society, Pravin Gandhi College of Law
The essay examines the marital-rape exception through constitutional equality, bodily autonomy, dignity, and consent. It challenges the legal distinction between sexual violence within and outside marriage and argues for rights-centred reform.
Legal Bites, Amity Law School
This article considers the constitutional position of press freedom and its relationship with democratic accountability. It examines state restrictions, institutional pressures, and the need to balance legitimate regulation with independent journalism.
Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR)
The paper explores how racial categories and discriminatory perceptions are socially formed and sustained. It considers the relationship between historical structures, contemporary attitudes, and the legal or institutional responses required to confront racism.
Awards & Honours
Competitions & Distinctions
3rd Rank
Memorial Drafting Competition
A national memorial-drafting event testing legal research, authority selection, written advocacy, and structured argument. The submission received third place for its organisation, legal analysis, and presentation.
2nd Rank
Legislative Amendment Drafting
A national competition centred on identifying deficiencies in an existing legal framework and drafting a reasoned legislative amendment. The task combined statutory interpretation, reform design, and precise legislative language.
Merit Rank
National Legal Essay Competition
A national essay-writing competition conducted by Amity Law School. The event evaluated research depth, argument structure, originality, legal reasoning, and the quality of written presentation.
2nd Rank
Opinion Writing Competition
A national legal-opinion writing event assessing the ability to identify issues, formulate a reasoned position, and communicate legal analysis with clarity. The entry received second place in the competition.
Winner
Constitutional Law Essay Competition
A national competition organised by the Constitutional Law and Policy Reform Society at Pravin Gandhi College of Law, University of Mumbai. The winning essay addressed marital rape through constitutional rights, bodily autonomy, and legal reform.
4th Rank · Top 6 Commendation
Public Health Law Essay Competition
A national competition organised by the Centre for Public Health Law at National Law University Odisha. The submission examined privacy, data sharing, and public-health governance and received a commendation among the six highest-ranked entries.
Winner
24-Hour ESG Research Lab
A time-bound national research challenge organised by Dhir & Dhir Associates in association with CarDekho Group. Participants worked through an intensive environmental, social, and governance problem requiring rapid legal and policy analysis.
Top 25 Teams
Energy Law Contract Drafting
A national agreement-drafting competition organised by RGNUL’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy Laws with Luthra & Luthra Law Offices. Teams were assessed on commercial understanding, risk allocation, drafting clarity, and legal enforceability.
4th Rank · Top 5 Presenter
National Paper Presentation
A national dispute-resolution conference organised by the School of Law, Christ University, with the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre, Hyderabad. The paper was ranked fourth among 27 selected presenters.
Participant
Global Public Policy Event
A policy-focused international hackathon connected with Yale University. The event required collaborative problem-solving, concise policy design, and the communication of recommendations to a wider academic and policy audience.
Semi-Finalist
Public Policy Hackathon
A collaborative policy event involving participants and institutions associated with IIT Kanpur, IIM Calcutta, IIM Udaipur, BITS Pilani, and IIFT Kolkata. The challenge focused on developing practical policy responses through research and structured presentation.
Semi-Finalist
Public Policy Hackathon
An interdisciplinary policy competition hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Teams developed evidence-based proposals under time constraints and presented solutions designed for real-world policy implementation.
Top 15 Teams
Article Writing Competition
A national article-writing competition organised by the Centre for Law and Technology at NLIU Bhopal. The submission was ranked 15th out of 32 participating teams, placing it among the competition’s top 15 entries.
Top 15 Teams
Agreement Drafting Competition
A national agreement-drafting competition organised by the Centre for Law and Technology at NLIU Bhopal. The submission was ranked 15th out of 128 participating teams, placing it among the competition’s top 15 teams.
Moot Court & ADR Events
2nd Runner-Up · 3rd of 27 Teams
National Constitutional Law Moot
A national moot court competition focused on constitutional-law advocacy. Teams were evaluated through memorials and oral rounds requiring close engagement with doctrine, precedent, jurisdiction, and persuasive courtroom presentation.
1st Rank
Alternative Dispute Resolution Essay Competition
A flagship writing competition organised by the Alliance Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution at Alliance University. The essay examined whether judicial intervention in ADR operates as a safeguard or undermines autonomy and efficiency.
Participant
International Mediation Competition
A mediation competition organised by MediateGuru in association with Khaitan & Co. and S.S. Rana. Participants were assessed on negotiation strategy, client representation, collaborative problem-solving, and settlement-building.
23rd of 42 Teams
Role: Instructing Solicitor
An international commercial arbitration moot supported by Allens Linklaters and CIArb Australia. As instructing solicitor, I supported the team’s case preparation, coordinated the development of arguments, and contributed to the strategic organisation of the written and oral advocacy materials.
Professional Enrolments
Professional Enrolment
Enrolled with the Karnataka State Bar Council; cleared the All India Bar Examination and registered with the Bar Council of India.
Mediation Accreditation
Completed the Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation Q-AP2 Qualifying Assessment Programme, comprising 40 hours of mediator training.
Professional Qualification Preparation
Currently preparing for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination through QLTS.
Paper Presentations & Conferences
Asian Law Centre, University of Melbourne; Surabaya University; Vietnam National University; and IOER — conference on legal cooperation, harmonisation, and unification in ASEAN.
14th International Scientific Conference on Law in Business of Selected Member States of the European Union, involving Prague University of Economics and Business and partner institutions.
Planting Seeds for the Future of Intellectual Property Law Conference, Sheffield Institute for Corporate and Commercial Law, University of Sheffield.
Serious and Organised Crime Conference, Hume Institute Lausanne and Staffordshire University.
114th Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Oxford Brookes University.
Preventing the Wasting of Waste Conference, University College London and University of Copenhagen.
1st Bangalore Dispute Resolution Conclave, School of Law, Christ University and International Arbitration and Mediation Centre, Hyderabad.
6th Conference on Human Rights: Human Rights and Indigeneity, involving the University of Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, Universitas Gadjah Mada, University of Jember, and Australian Consulate-General in Surabaya.
42nd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Law and History Society, University of Southern Queensland.
International Conference on Sports Governance, Ethics and Policy, NUJS Kolkata, Global Sports Policy Review, and NUJS Centre for Sports Law and Policy.
Asia Pacific Copyright Association Conference, City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Maritime and Commercial Law Centre.
Conference Participation
Professional Memberships
Lectures & Workshops
Organizational Experience
Additional Training
Certificate Courses
Law is not static.
It must evolve with the world it seeks to govern.