BITS Law School, Mumbai, a new-age Law School under the aegis of BITS Pilani, an Institution of Eminence, in collaboration with Surana & Surana International Attorneys (SSIA), announced Mr. Arvind P Datar as the recipient of the inaugural Fali Nariman Memorial Award. The award was presented on 15 February 2025 in recognition of Mr. Datar’s outstanding contribution towards the legal field over the course of 45 years.
The Fali Nariman Memorial Award was instituted to honour the enduring legacy of Fali Nariman (1929–2024), one of India’s most revered jurists. Nariman’s contributions to constitutional law, judicial independence, integrity and high ethical standards remain foundational to Indian legal practice. This award recognises individuals who exemplify his values including unwavering integrity, high ethical standards, preserving the Rule of Law, and promoting the principles of democracy and the Constitution of India.
Mr. Arvind Datar, a distinguished Senior Advocate, has played a pivotal role in shaping constitutional, commercial, and taxation law through his advocacy in landmark cases before the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts and international tribunals, including the International Court of Justice. Beyond litigation, his leadership in legal institutions such as the Palkhivala Foundation and his scholarly contributions further reflect his commitment to legal education and public service.
On receiving the award, Mr. Datar, said “Congratulations to BITS Law School for instituting the Fali Nariman Memorial Award. It is indeed a grateful and apt tribute to an outstanding counsel whose life will always be a guiding light to the present and coming generation of lawyers”.
Delivering the presidential address for the event, Justice UU Lalit, former Chief Justice of India, said, “We could not have found a more deserving recipient than Mr. Arvind Datar to confer upon him the first Fali Nariman Memorial Award. As a part of the advisory council of BITS Law School, I could not have asked for anything better than being a part of this inaugural event.”
Prof. (Dr.) Ashish Bharadwaj, Founding Dean, BITS Law School, Mumbai, stated “It is a privilege for BITS and SSIA to bestow the inaugural Fali S Nariman Memorial Award to Mr Arvind Datar. Mr Datar’s career stands as a model of thorough legal knowledge especially in constitutional, commercial and taxation laws, unshakable integrity, utmost modesty, high ethical standards, and deep respect for democratic principles — values that this award seeks to honour. From a large number of nominations, the distinguished jury unanimously selected Datar. The values of Mr Fali Nariman align remarkably well with the vision of BITS Law School of becoming an inspirational benchmark in new-age legal education with creativity & empathy.“
Mr. Vinod Surana, Managing Partner, SSIA, said on the occasion “Today is a day to not only celebrate the life and contribution of the law legend Mr Fali Nariman but also an occasion to pause and reflect on the values and virtues he symbolized so that we can imbibe these qualities in our quest towards progress and perfection. Values that the BITS law school and my law firm constantly admire and aspire to assimilate.”
The award process called for nominations in Nov 2024 and received 76 nominations which were then evaluated by the distinguished jury of Justice Sanjay Gangapurwala (Retd. Chief Justice, Madras High Court), Dr. Lalit Bhasin (Founder, Bhasin & Co.), Mr. Percival Billimoria (Senior Advocate), Dr. Aparna Chandra (Associate Professor, NLSIU Bengaluru), and Mr. Naveen Raju (General Counsel & EVP, Mahindra & Mahindra).
The award function was followed by a fireside chat on Legal Education: Innovative Ideas with three stalwarts of the profession – Justice Roshan Dalvi, former judge at the Bombay High Court, Mr. Percival Billimoria, and Professor Aparna Chandra.
The event was held at BITS Pilani’s Mumbai Campus and attended by legal professionals, students, and faculty of BITS Law School and the BITS School of Management.
About BITS Law School (BITSLAW): BITS Law School, Mumbai is a new-age law school (under the aegis of BITS Pilani backed by the Aditya Birla Group and recognised by the UGC as an Institution of Eminence). BITSLAW has been established with a vision towards becoming an inspirational benchmark for new-age, multidisciplinary legal education and research in India with creativity and empathy. BITSLAW offers legal knowledge, practical training, and holistic education to produce legal professionals who will be passionate to create a more fair, just, and inclusive society. It aims to instil among its students, an appreciation of the Constitutional Principles and the Rule of Law. BITS Law School is approved by the Bar Council of India (BCI) and offers two five-year integrated full-time residential programmes – B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.).
About Surana and Surana International Attorneys (SSIA): The Chennai-headquartered Surana & Surana International Attorneys has been ranked among the top law firms in India since 1998 by leading national and international publications like Legal Business London, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Business India, IFLR 1000, Chambers Global and Legal 100 Asia Pacific. It is the world’s first law firm to achieve SA8000 and ISO 14000 as well as Asia’s first to achieve ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certifications for professional legal services. Prestigious international case studies have been written about the firm’s ‘principles before profits’ approach. The firm has a full-fledged office in New Delhi.
