Noor Anand Chawla

Why they matter: From visionary jurists to fearless advocates, and even the most judicious judges, India’s legal landscape is shaped by these constitutional savants. Journalist Noor Anand Chawla delves deep into the lives of those who balance the scales of justice.

Zia Mody

Cut from the same cloth as her father Soli Sorabjee, Zia Mody has reached similar professional heights through sheer grit and determination. Bearing the rare distinction of having passed the New York State Bar examination, following degrees from the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, she initially practised in the US.

Upon her return to India, she juggled her marriage to business tycoon Jaydev Mody and being mother to three daughters, along with pioneering the corporate law stream of mergers and acquisitions in India by co-founding one of the country’s leading law firms, AZB & Partners. She has since become the go-to lawyer for the biggest corporate players because, in the words of her professional partner, Bahram Vakil, “Zia has an unending stamina and exceptional work ethic.”

Being a woman in a man’s world has never been easy, but Mody credits her family’s support and highlights her willingness to always work 30 percent harder than her male colleagues to make a mark. As she shared in an interview to Business Today: “As a woman, it absolutely requires extra time and commitment to show that you are as good as your male peers… As a corporate lawyer, it has become much easier for women… because in today’s world, everybody needs talent… and women are talent.”

To see who else is on the list, grab the copy of HELLO! India’s August 2023 issue right here!