Niyati is a senior associate in Reed Smith’s New York office, where her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. Dual-qualified in India and New York, she represents corporations, financial institutions, startups, and individuals in high-stakes disputes across jurisdictions including the United States, the UK, Switzerland, India, the UAE, and others.
Niyati has been recognized in the India Business Law Journal’s 2025 A-List of 100 lawyers most recommended by clients and peers for excellence in India-related cross-border legal matters.
Niyati handles a diverse range of matters, including:
Litigation and dispute resolution: Niyati represents clients in complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract, shareholder disputes, and multi-jurisdictional business conflicts. She regularly handles the enforcement and defense of arbitration awards before U.S. courts and across international forums such as UNCITRAL, ICSID, ICC, and AAA/ICDR. She is experienced in coordinating with foreign counsel and navigating overlapping regulatory regimes.
Startups and emerging companies: Niyati advises early-stage companies in the United States, the UK, and India on legal matters critical to growth – formation, fundraising, intellectual property, employment, contracts, and compliance – offering strategic, business-oriented legal support.
Asset tracing and enforcement: Niyati works with investigators and litigation teams to trace, value, and recover concealed assets. Her work includes securing pre-judgment remedies, freezing orders, and disclosure orders in aid of enforcement actions.
Trusts and estates litigation: Niyati represents beneficiaries, fiduciaries, nonprofits, and trust companies in disputes involving wills, trusts, guardianships, and fiduciary duties in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
White-collar defense and investigations: Niyati advises corporations and individuals in connection with internal investigations, regulatory proceedings, and related civil litigation – including matters involving cryptocurrency and NFTs. She has successfully recovered over $10 million in frozen assets in cross-border disputes.
Construction disputes: Niyati represents owners, contractors, and suppliers in disputes related to complex construction projects, including buildings designated as landmarks and protected by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Niyati is a frequent contributor to legal scholarship, with articles published in the Journal of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, the American Review of International Arbitration, and other leading journals. Her publications address international dispute resolution, enforcement of foreign judgments, economic sanctions, and climate change law.
She is the founder of Indian Women in International Arbitration, a network supporting women in the field. Niyati also serves as the Deputy Chair of the International Dispute Resolution Committee of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and as the Americas Representative of the AIAC Young Professionals Group. She is a mentor with the Young ITA Mentorship Program and has served as a coach and arbitrator in international moot court competitions. She was named a Laureate Runner-up at the Paris Arbitration Academy by the Comité français de l’arbitrage (CFA).
Fluent in English and Hindi, Niyati brings clients deep cross-cultural insight and a global perspective.
