Our people

Ajay serves his firm as its Vice Chair of Business & Finance Department, which comprises more than 700 of Reed Smith's nearly 1,600 attorneys in 23 offices around the world.  Ajay is also the Office Managing Partner of the firm's Philadelphia office.  His practice is national and international in scope, with a strong emphasis in structured finance and real estate capital markets transactions.  He has significant experience representing servicers of commercial mortgage loans in the servicing-related aspects of structured finance transactions.  In 2006, he was elected into a fellowship in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys in recognition of his national reputation for his skills in the real estate and capital market areas.

He also has a top reputation in a broad spectrum of other transactional areas, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; joint ventures; strategic alliances and real estate acquisitions and finance.  Ajay also counsels clients in a wide variety of technology-based real estate transactions in which technology and real estate industries converge.  His book, Negotiating Telecommunications Agreements, was recently published by the American Bar Association.

Recognized as one of the foremost experts on the business, legal and cultural issues arising from India's emergence as a global power, Ajay is regularly called upon by leading multinational corporations across a range of industries to provide counsel on entering the Indian market, and to act as a liaison, negotiator and cultural translator within India's complex regulatory regime.  Ajay is also the founder and chairman of the Global Indian Chamber of Commerce, a 20,000-member non-profit organization dedicated to promoting trade relationships between India and the West. 

A sought-after thought leader, Ajay 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 is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Lincoln University, a Historically Black University, and a founding board member of I-LEAD, a Philadelphia community-based college degree program.

A condensed summary of Ajay’s professional achievements include:

• 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 2006, 2007 and 2008, named as a Rising Star by the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Magazine.
• In 2006, elected into a fellowship in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys.
• Starting in 2005, Ajay has made recurring appearances on the Emmy Award Winning "It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle" on CN8-Comcast Network.
• Starting in 2005, Ajay has appeared as a regular on WPVI Channel 6's Inside Story, a weekly Sunday morning news and current events roundtable.  
• 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.
• In 2003, appointed by Realcomm as National Chairman of the Legal and Regulatory Affairs Committee.
• In 2000, named to the India Media Council's elite "40 Under 40 People to Watch in the 2000s."
• In 1999, founded the Global Indian Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization, with presence in both India and the United States.  Since its formation, Ajay has served as the Chamber’s Chairman and CEO.  With more than 20,000 members, the Chamber continues to serve as a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth among its members, and is recognized as a strong promoter of trade between India and the United States.
• In 1999, was featured on the cover of Fidelity Investment’s Focus Magazine.
• In 1996, advised Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge’s Stadium and Exposition Task Force regarding financing options for constructing sports stadiums in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Publications

• "Default Prevention 101,” co-authored with Jeffrey D. Kaiser, Esquire for Mortgage Banking magazine – May 2008
• Book entitled Negotiating Telecommunications Agreements published by the American Bar Association
• “Defeasance of Commercial Mortgage Loans - A Cradle-to-Grave Analysis,” published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute in 2005
• “Who Ya’ Gonna Call – Lease Busters!” co-authored with Robert D. Lane, Jr., Esquire was published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute in 2003
• “Racing to Provide the 'Last Mile' of Internet Access to Commercial Tenants,” co-authored with Robert D. Lane, Jr., Esquire for the Legal Intelligencer
• “Wired Buildings: Extending the 'Last Mile' of Internet Access to Commercial Tenants,” co-authored with Robert D. Lane, Jr., Esquire for the Fall 2000 edition of the Papers of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Speeches / Presentations

• A frequent lecturer, Ajay has made presentations to both executive and academic audiences on a wide variety of topics, including telecommunications, India-related business process outsourcing transactions, corporate real estate strategies, and defeasance of securitized loans. Most recently he has spoken before the Greater Philadelphia Senior Executive Group, the American Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and Realcomm’s Commercial Real Estate Technology eConference, as well as given lectures on India-related topics to graduate and undergraduate students at Temple University, St. Joseph’s University and Drexel University.
• Considered one of the leading experts on topics such as real estate, capital markets, outsourcing, and global business, Ajay is quoted extensively by local, national and international newspapers and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal, Corporate Board Member Magazine, Philadelphia Business Journal, Legal Intelligencer, Economic Times, India Express, Deccan Herald, and IndUS Business Journal.

Experience

Legal Education

Undergraduate Education

Professional Admissions / Qualifications

• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey