Rajiv Luthra: Remembering an extraordinary lawyer, mentor, and friend

To spend time with Rajiv Luthra was to be enveloped in an extraordinary embrace of compassion, inspirational vision, warmth, generosity, selflessness and laughter. An enveloping frequently experienced sitting beside him in the back of his Bentley, watching in awe as he ploughed the streets of Delhi providing strategic advice on major transactions; conducting multiple (and often parallel) board meetings; carefully mixing and sampling (high volume) tracks from his extensive music library on the iPad positioned in front of him; puffing on his pipe; recounting spectacular adventures; dispensing profound wisdom; and periodically belting out Sinatra’s “My Way” in his (not always tonal) booming baritone.

A first-generation lawyer, Rajiv single-handedly built Luthra & Luthra Law Offices from a one-room operation in 1989, to a globally recognised full-service law firm, with over 320 members and 65 Partners; offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru; and an active presence and recognition well beyond. He pioneered areas of practice in India such as taxation, competition, capital markets, and project finance. He was the recipient of countless awards, including by former Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan and former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh.  He was forever in demand for appointment to corporate boards, high-level Government committees, international advisory bodies, and as a speaker at international conferences. And in all this activity, he became one of India’s finest international ambassadors.

In the field of international arbitration, in particular, Rajiv was one of the most respected and active of Indian practitioners on the international stage. He served as a Member of the Board of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), regularly convened and addressed arbitration conferences, and was a force in the development of the law and practice of arbitration in India.

But there was much more to Rajiv than just a first-class lawyer. Rajiv was unique. Unique in his passion for life, his passion for others, and the immeasurable impact he had on so many people, worldwide. 

Luthra & Luthra is not just a law firm – it is a close-knit family.  And as Founder and Managing Partner, he worked tirelessly to ensure that every member of the firm – whether fee earner or staff – was content, and in an environment in which they could flourish. He nurtured and invested in talent wherever he saw it, and far beyond the confines of his firm. He built and guided careers and life plans, dispensed advice and mentored.  Everything he did was infused with old-school values of integrity, decency, and – perhaps more than anything else – a kindness so powerful that it marked everyone with whom he interacted. Whether government ministers, heads of industry, ambassadors, Indian film stars, or students, office interns and cleaning staff, Rajiv had a genuine concern for everyone, time for everyone, and a singular ability to disarm, charm and inspire.

And in any encounter with Rajiv, there was laughter.

My own first meeting with Rajiv was somewhat unusual: he purchased me in an auction. Having (unwisely) agreed to be a lot for sale in a charity auction in Singapore, Rajiv out-bid all others to secure my services in Delhi as an “intern for a day”.  But contrary to the clear description in the auction brochure, this did not prove to be a one-day assignment, for Rajiv misunderstood the arrangement as a life-long indenture.  There followed frequent trips to Delhi, where – no matter how august the gathering – I would be publicly introduced and addressed as “Intern”, and the subject of a lament by Rajiv as to the inadequacies of my cleaning and polishing skills, and how he wished to find someone to whom he might sell me.  

Every trip to see Rajiv was a memorable and formative experience. Each a whirlwind of meetings, lectures, talks, dinners, and post-dinner, and post-post-dinner, talks with leaders, or those Rajiv identified as future leaders, not only in law, but the arts, industry, government, and a multitude of other fields. Much that took place was in his own home - a warm and beautifully hospitable haven that always seemed full of fascinating people, all of whom feeling firmly part of his family.  And every journey home entailed a struggle to find luggage space for all the gifts that Rajiv had bestowed on me, as he did with every other guest. 

And beyond his professional family, Rajiv was utterly devoted to his personal family. He always described his wonderful wife Gayatri as an “angel” (for putting up with him), and he was overflowing with pride for his beautiful daughters Sanaa and Arshia.

This was a man quintessentially larger than life (albeit every time this was said of him, he would respond with a naughty smile that this was “body shaming”). There will never be another Rajiv. But as he embarks on new adventures, the pure love that he instilled in so many will continue to define his extraordinary legacy.

Toby Landau KC is a barrister, advocate and arbitrator, and a member of the Bars of England & Wales, Singapore, New York, the BVI and Northern Ireland, and is registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). He practises in London as a sole practitioner and in Singapore from Duxton Hill Chambers (Singapore Group Practice).