Ajay serves as a member of Reed Smith’s Executive Committee and as the Managing Partner of the firm’s Philadelphia office. His legal practice is national and international in scope, with a strong emphasis on structured finance and real estate capital markets transactions. Ajay also has a top reputation in a broad spectrum of other transactional areas, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; joint ventures, and cross-border strategic alliances. Recognized as one of the foremost authorities on issues arising from India’s emergence as a global power, Ajay is regularly called upon by leading multinational corporations to provide counsel on entering the Indian market, and to act as a liaison and negotiator within India's complex regulatory regime. Ajay was recently named by Lex Witness, a leading Indian journal of legal and corporate affairs, as one of India’s Top 50 power players shaping the country’s modern legal and business landscapes.
On the civic front in the Philadelphia region, in 2011, Ajay was appointed by Mayor Michael Nutter to the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation, the region’s premier workforce development agency and the City’s fiscal agent for state and federal employment and training funds. Ajay also serves as chairman of The Center PAC, a federal and state non-partisan political action committee that supports policies and candidates who champion entrepreneurship, economic growth, and sustainable prosperity throughout the region. In 2011, Ajay founded tradephilly, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing Philadelphia’s value in the global marketplace. A sought-after thought leader, he appears as a regular on Inside Story, a Sunday-morning news and roundtable debate show which airs on ABC’s WPVI station serving the Greater Philadelphia market. Ajay also serves as a member of the Board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Southeastern Pennsylvania’s leading business advocacy organization; as a Board member of the World Affairs Council, the region’s preeminent leadership and educational forum on international affairs; as a member of the Corporate Executive Board for the Philadelphia Museum of Art; as a Trustee of Lincoln University, a Historically Black University; as Pennsylvania State Chair of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys; as a member of the Archbishop’s Cabinet for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; as a founding board member of I-LEAD, a Philadelphia community-based college degree program; as a board member of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe; as a member of the National Constitution Center’s Corporate Council and as a member of the board for Comcast/NBCUniversal’s Joint Diversity Council.
A condensed summary of Ajay's notable awards includes:
- In 2011, received the Economic Development Award from REDI, Inc., a nonprofit that serves displaced individuals and children with developmental disabilities.
- In 2011, received the International Vision Award from International House Philadelphia, a multicultural housing center that provides residential and community services to over 400 foreign students and interns.
- In 2010, named by Lex Witness as one of the "Hall of Fame Top 50" who have transformed India's legal and business landscapes.
- In 2010, named by Lawdragon as one of the "Leading Lawyers in America."
- In 2009, named by The Legal Intelligencer as a "Diversity Attorney of the Year."
- In 2009, named by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a "Minority Business Leader."
- In 2008, named by National Asian Pacific American Bar Association as a "Best Lawyer Under 40."
- In 2008, selected by Leadership Philadelphia as a "Next Generation Connector," one of the leaders who connect for the common good.
- In 2005, named to Philadelphia Business Journal's prestigious list of "40 Under 40."
- In 2005, received the Multiple Sclerosis Leadership Award.
- In 2004, named to Realcomm's prestigious list of "Top 30 People to Watch in 2004."
- In 2003, selected as American Lawyer Media's "Lawyer on the Fast Track," an award bestowed upon 30 lawyers under the age of 40.