Tanvi Kumar
Tanvi Kumar is a Partner at Khaitan & Co with over 15 years of experience, specializing in mergers & acquisitions and private equity transactions. Recognized as a Notable Practitioner by IFLR1000 and awarded Star Woman Lawyer of the Year by Legal Era in 2021, Tanvi has established herself as one of India’s top legal minds. […]

Tanvi Kumar is a Partner at Khaitan & Co with over 15 years of experience, specializing in mergers & acquisitions and private equity transactions. Recognized as a Notable Practitioner by IFLR1000 and awarded Star Woman Lawyer of the Year by Legal Era in 2021, Tanvi has established herself as one of India’s top legal minds. Her journey reflects resilience, deep client focus, and a balance of technical expertise with strategic leadership. She has pursued executive education at ISB and Columbia, demonstrating her belief in lifelong learning, and continues to mentor and shape the next generation of lawyers. Beyond law, Tanvi finds inspiration in art, travel, and family, striving to live as a wholesome individual who integrates work, purpose, and personal growth.

From preparing for medical school to serendipitously finding her calling in law at ILS Law College, Tanvi’s path has been defined by adaptability and grit. Her entire career has been with Khaitan & Co, where she rose from intern to partner, attributing her growth to the firm’s culture of collaboration, mentorship, and shared success. A defining moment in her career was her partnership appointment — a milestone that tested not only her legal acumen but also her leadership, relationship management, and client trust. Over the years, she has led complex transactions, including the high-profile acquisition of brands and businesses from United Spirits, navigating regulatory, IP, and financing challenges with a team of 40 lawyers. Tanvi’s perspective blends foresight, preparation, and implementation — qualities she credits to both professional mentors and her disciplined upbringing. Outside the boardroom, she embraces travel, art appreciation, and family time, weaving creativity and balance into her professional intensity.

Key highlights of Koffee Conversation with Tanvi Kumar:

  • Tanvi shared her defining career moments, including the transition to partnership and her philosophy of resilience and continuous growth.
  • She credited Khaitan’s culture of mentorship, shared opportunities, and values as the reason for her long tenure at the firm.
  • On deal-making, she outlined her 3-step playbook: anticipate, prepare, implement — an approach that allows her to stay ahead in high-pressure M&A transactions.
  • She discussed the evolution of client relationships, emphasizing the importance of moving from trusted adviser to being treated as part of the client’s own team.
  • Tanvi highlighted the growing role of transactional liability insurance in Indian M&A, bridging valuation gaps and risk allocation.
  • She reflected on her most complex deal — the acquisition from United Spirits — and the lessons it taught about assessing counterparties’ risk profiles.
  • Lifelong learning emerged as a key theme: her executive programs at ISB (board effectiveness) and Columbia (M&A and PE) expanded her perspective beyond law into governance and commercial strategy.
  • On leadership, she stressed relationship-building and giving before expecting, as essential shifts from associate to partner.
  • Tanvi shared her experience with legal tech and AI tools like Litera Compare and generative AI, which help streamline reviews and enhance efficiency under tight deadlines.
  • She traced the maturity of India’s M&A landscape, noting that Indian law firms now match global standards in sophistication and innovation.
  • For aspiring lawyers, her advice included reading the room, understanding work styles, and setting clear short- and long-term goals.
  • Personally, she spoke about her formative years, family influence, and the discipline of preparation that shaped her work ethic.
  • Her passions for travel and art reflect her creative side, with London holding a special place as both a professional and personal favorite city.
  • She described herself as someone striving to become an “evolved, wholesome individual”, with spirituality being an emerging pursuit.
  • In rapid-fire, she revealed her love for Chinese food, black color, home-cooked meals, coffee over tea, Delhi winters, and a mantra of honesty.

You are on the end, so you are definitely interested in this conversation with Tanvi Kumar. Go and watch the full Koffee Conversation episode here: 👉

0 Comments

LETS GET CONNECTED

You May Also Like

Nikita Mishra

Nikita Mishra, Founder of Shanik Consultants, brings around 15 years of international experience across India, the UAE and Central Asia. Her professional journey has moved through law firms, in-house legal roles, international advisory and entrepreneurship, covering corporate advisory, M&A, cross-border investments, governance and regulatory compliance. This diverse experience has shaped her approach to legal advice […]

Read Highlight

Amit Mittal

Amit Mittal, Director at AeroIntellect Aviation, brings around 21 years of experience across aviation finance, aircraft leasing, banking, airport management, aviation projects, consulting and international alliances. With a BE in Production Engineering, an MBA in Marketing and Aviation Management, and additional qualifications in software design and development, his career reflects a multidisciplinary journey through several […]

Read Highlight

Dr. Lunalisa Potsangbam

Lunalisa Potsangbam, Partner at MS Law Partners, brings a distinctive perspective to intellectual property law, shaped by an unusual journey from scientific research to legal practice. With a PhD in Organic Chemistry and a research background spanning natural product chemistry and textile chemistry, she entered the legal profession without any formal background in law or […]

Read Highlight

Kanan Chawda

For Kanan Chawda, Partner at White & Brief – Advocates and Solicitors, the journey from law school to partnership has transformed the way she understands the legal profession. With over a decade of experience across dispute resolution, litigation, arbitration, NCLT, contracts, IBC, IPR and commercial matters, Kanan believes that the practice of law eventually becomes […]

Read Highlight

Priyanka Ananth

For Priyanka Ananth, Corporate Lawyer at Krishnamurthy & Co. (K Law), being a modern lawyer means going beyond knowing what the law says. Her professional journey across in-house legal roles, legal management and law-firm practice has given her multiple perspectives on how law interacts with business, people, technology and risk. Today, she approaches legal issues […]

Read Highlight

Ronil Goger

For Ronil Goger, Founder & Managing Partner at Blaze Legal, intellectual property is no longer confined to trademark registrations, copyright filings or courtroom disputes. It sits at the intersection of law, business, creativity, technology and psychology. His journey into IP began unexpectedly—with a childhood curiosity about why Sony was producing a Spider-Man film when Spider-Man […]

Read Highlight

Reuben Chacko

For Reuben Chacko, Partner at S&R Associates, capital markets is far more than IPOs, transaction documents and closing ceremonies. Leading the firm’s capital markets practice in the southern region, Reuben has built a career advising companies across public offerings, QIPs and major capital market transactions, with experience spanning NBFCs, banking, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, real estate […]

Read Highlight

Kavita Pancholi

Kavita Pancholi, Partner at DSK Legal, is a seasoned corporate lawyer known for her work across corporate transactions, private equity, compliance and strategic legal advisory. Her professional journey reflects the changing role of lawyers—from technical legal advisors to trusted business partners who understand commercial realities, build relationships and help clients navigate complex decisions. Kavita’s journey […]

Read Highlight

Madhup Singhal

Madhup Singhal, Co-Chair of the Hydrocarbon Committee at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is an accomplished lawyer whose professional journey spans litigation, arbitration, corporate advisory, energy regulation, contract management and high-value infrastructure projects. With extensive experience advising organizations across power, oil and gas, mining, steel and renewable energy, his work has involved complex […]

Read Highlight

Rahim Shamji

Rahim Shamji, Founder and CEO of ADR ODR International, has built a remarkable professional journey across barrister practice, mediation, negotiation, digital dispute resolution, education and entrepreneurship. His experience also includes working with the Civil Mediation Council, serving as a barrister at Gatehouse Chambers and developing expertise in digital dispute resolution. His journey reflects a powerful […]

Read Highlight