Mr Karnal Singh, former head of ED and ex-IPS officer inaugurates law firm - Circle of Counsels

Mr Karnal Singh, former head of ED and ex-IPS officer inaugurates law firm - Circle of Counsels

Together with 4 other Founding Partners, Karnal Singh, a former director of the Enforcement Directorate, founded the law firm, Circle of Counsels in New Delhi, India. Litigation, conflict practice and white-collar defence will be the primary areas of emphasis for the firm.

In his three years as the Chief of ED before his retirement in 2018, the illustrious former IPS officer Karnal Singh, an advocate, oversaw a number of high-profile investigations.

A group of well-respected, highly experienced professionals have come together to form Circle of Counsels, as stated in a news release.

The company will act as counsel and advocate for clients in a variety of legal matters. The areas of white-collar defence (anti-bribery, anti-fraud, and anti-money-laundering), civil and corporate-commercial disputes of all types, alternative dispute resolution, foreign exchange management law, regulatory and compliance, blockchain and cryptocurrency advisory, and internal investigations will be given special attention.

Karnal Singh, Jasmine Damkewala, Vikram Singh, Russell A. Stamets, and Archit Singh founded the firm and run day-to-day operations. In addition, the senior litigation team will feature Gandharv Anand, an accomplished and well-respected attorney. Karnal Singh, Managing Partner will lead the advisory functions of the firm.

Over the course of her career, Jasmine Damkewala has amassed over two decades of expertise as a skilled litigator and now serves as the firm's Advocate-on-Record at India's highest court. She has extensive experience in a wide range of contentious subjects, from constitutional law and business litigation to media law and intellectual property conflicts to telecom and real estate to employment and environmental to service to criminal defence.

She is also on the list of the International Arbitration Centre at the Delhi High Court and has experience representing both domestic and foreign clients in arbitration proceedings. As an Advocate on Record listed on the Supreme Court of India's rolls, Jasmine will also continue her current practise.

Vikram Singh, the brain behind the successful litigation firm Law People, has been an attorney for over twenty years. In addition to being an authority in investigations, fraud detection, economic offences, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption, foreign exchange management legislation, the National Security Act, general criminal law trials, insolvency and bankruptcy, domestic and international arbitration, and real estate disputes, he is also well-known as an expert in a wide range of other controversial areas.

Archit Singh and Gandharv Anand have vast experience and a proven track record in the areas of White-Collar Defense, Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Corruption, Foreign Exchange Management legislation, and Investigations & Trials.

Russell A. Stamets practises law in both the United States and India, and he counsels start-ups, corporations, and people on matters including business contracts, market entrance strategies, regulatory concerns, and dispute resolution. He is on the Advisory Council of the Ethical Alliance, a global compliance group, and has been declared a certified corporate director by the Institute of Directors in New Delhi. As an expert in anti-corruption investigations, he is well-versed in World Bank integrity probes, corporate anti-corruption probes, and other compliance-related problems.

Circle of Counsels' founding and managing partner, Karnal Singh, made the following statement about the company: "The purpose of founding the firm is to develop strategic interventions and to provide customers with timely advice on the complexities of the law. Any unfavourable scenario can be greatly improved by a prompt and well-planned response, especially during investigations by investigating agencies."