Saurabh Kirpal

After studying physics at St Stephens College in Delhi, Saurabh Kirpal read law at the University of Oxford and did his master’s in law at the University of Cambridge. He did a brief stint working with the United Nations in Geneva before returning to Delhi. There, he has been practicing at the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court and has been designated as a Senior Advocate by a unanimous Court. He has appeared in a range of matters covering a diverse range of subjects from commercial to constitutional law. This is reflected in the variety of clients he has appeared for—from Anil Ambani in his legal battle against his brother to being the counsel for Navtej Johar, Ritu Dalmia and others in the case that led to the reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He also argued the case seeking recognition of same sex marriage before the Supreme Court. A self-described ‘accidental activist’ he also is the managing trustee of the Naz Foundation Trust, the NGO that first fought for decriminalization of homosexuality in India. He is editor of Sex and the Supreme Court, an anthology about issues relating to law, gender and sexuality and has also authored the book Fifteen judgments: Cases that Shaped India’s Financial Landscape.