Iqbal finished his J.D. from Columbia Law School (as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar) and LL.B. from The London School of Economics and Political Science. Iqbal has also worked at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York and at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York. He is enrolled with the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa and is also admitted to the New York Bar.

Iqbal received the M&A Lawyer of the Year 2022 award by BW Legal World Global Legal Summit and Legal Leaders Awards 2022 and has been acknowledged as one of the top M&A and Private Equity Lawyers in the Forbes Legal Powerlist for 2021, 2020. He has also been identified as one of India’s Super 50 Lawyers for 2020 by Asian Legal Business, has received a leading Dealmaker of Asia 2020 award by the Asian Legal Business Indian Law Awards 2020 (Thomson Reuters), and has been recognised as a leading Private Equity Lawyer by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021 / 2020 / 2019 rankings. As per Chambers, Iqbal Khan attracts extensive praise from clients, with one remarking that he "brings a level of rigour that makes him unique and invaluable for us as a client with demanding standards,” whilst others remarking that “[he] has extremely strong legal knowledge and grasp of case precedents," and that "he understands the concerns of international investors into India.”

Prior to 2019, he was recognised as the Dealmaker of the Year 2019, the Indian M&A Lawyer of the Year (Client Choice Awards 2018 by Lexology, which recognises those law firm partners around the world that stand apart for the excellent client care they provide and the quality of their service, and as per client testimonials, “Iqbal is a thorough professional; he is one of the top lawyers in his field” and “He has great expertise in M&A law; he is immensely insightful, helpful and far superior to others in his field”), the Indian M&A Lawyer of the Year (ACQ5 Global Awards 2018), the winner of the M&A Awards 2018 (by Finance Monthly) and as a leading M&A, Private Equity and Corporate Lawyer by the RSG India Report.

Iqbal is also a director on the board of The Aga Khan Foundation (India), a private, not-for-profit, non-denominational, international development agency, and on the board of DCB Bank, a private sector bank.

Iqbal is the first Indian lawyer to author both ICLG’s Mergers and Acquisitions Laws and Regulations Guide for India for 2019/2020, and Getting The Deal Through’s Private M&A Guide for 2019/2020.

“Be courageous when courage is required; be diplomatic when diplomacy is required – but never be afraid to speak the truth or to acknowledge your own mistakes.”

“Iqbal is one of the best lawyers I have worked with globally. His grip on legal issues as well as his ability to solve problem is excellent. I have absolutely enjoyed working with him.”

Salil Oberoi
Director, Bluewater