Devendra P.N. Pradhan

Managing Partner

mail dpradhan@pradhanlaw.com

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“Devendra Pradhan is well known for his legal expertise. He understands the local market, is responsive and client focused. He has a wealth of experience in various areas of commercial law, especially in M&A, aviation, corporate, finance, and project finance. Shirshak Ghimire and Aadittya Kansakar also stand out for their capability in cross-border mandates.”

“Devendra has a personal touch, always takes responsibility/ownership, and cares about his clients. ”

“[Devendra] focuses very much on quality, and frankly he's a quality practitioner.”

“Devendra Pradhan also has wealth of expertise in M&A, as part of his wider corporate practice, and is praised by clients for his efficiency.”

“Devendra Pradhan [is] recommended [for] his experience in complex cross-border corporate transactions in particular. ”

"The impressive Devendra Pradhan earns praise for his practical advice."

“Clients pay tribute to his approachability, responseiveness and 'complete competence'.”

“[T]he best Nepalese lawyer I've encountered.”

“[Devendra offers a] realistic perspective that encompasses a more global outlook.”

“[Devendra Pradhan] is head and shoulders above others, working mainly for international companies.”

"Pradhan was quick to grasp deal specifics, understood French law and was able to reconcile it to Nepal law."

“Devendra Pradhan is a widely recognized cross-border lawyer.”

"[Devendra Pradhan's] recommendations are pragmatic, and his firm has helped us achieve our objectives in Nepal at a reasonable cost.”

“Devendra Pradhan is astute and provides practical solutions to matters.”

Devendra is the founder and managing partner of the firm. Devendra is a dual-qualified lawyer in Nepal and New York and District of Columbia, USA. Devendra has been honored by the Supreme Court of Nepal with the designation of "Senior Advocate". Devendra worked with various law firms in New York and Washington, D.C.

Devendra has more than three decades of seasoned experience in commercial and international law field. In his three decades long career, Devendra has worked in various innovative, high-profile and high-value transactions in various areas of commercial law, specifically mergers & acquisitions, aviation, banking and finance, hydroelectricity, infrastructure development, project finance, telecommunications, technology, media, intellectual property, commercial litigation and arbitration and international transactions, etc.

In M&A field, Devendra handled some of the most high-profile and complex cross-border acquisition deals in a number of sectors including hydroelectricity, telecommunications, technology, construction, hospitality, food and beverage, etc. including the biggest acquisition deal in Nepalese corporate history.

In aviation sector, Devendra has assisted major aircraft and engine manufacturers, foreign aircraft owners and leasing companies, banks and financiers, insurers and reinsurers, airlines and brokers in dozens of cross-border aircraft leasing, purchase-sale and financing transactions. Similarly, Devendra has assisted national and international airlines, insurance and reinsurance companies in the management and settlement of aviation accident liability claims in dozens of fatal aviation accidents.

In banking and finance sector, Devendra periodically advises world's major international banks, export credit agencies, bilateral agencies and supranational bodies in sophisticated cross-border banking and finance transactions as well as obtaining sovereign guarantee from the Government of Nepal.

In project development field, Devendra advises lenders, multilateral and bilateral agencies, sponsors, project developers, suppliers, contractors and other project participants in financing, project structuring, construction and other project development issues relating to project finance and infrastructure development.

In TMT sector, Devendra has assisted major social media, technology and telecom companies in a wide range of emerging and sophisticated issues, such as, licensing and permits, product approval and registration, data protection, VoIP, online video streaming services, e-commerce, cloud computing and data storage, block chain computing, etc.

Major international legal directories have recognized Devendra amongst the world's pre-eminent lawyers in various areas of commercial law, especially in M&A, aviation, corporate, financial, project finance, franchise and trademark fields for the last several years.

Education

American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C., LL.M. in International Business Law, 2001
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, Bachelor's Degree in Law, 1990

Professional Training

Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, U.S.A., Academy of American and International Law, 1999

Bar Admission

Nepal, 1991
New York, 2003
District of Columbia, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States, 2008
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2008
United States Court of International Trade, 2003
United States Tax Court, 2003

Legal 500 - Mr. Devendra Pradhan regonized in "Hall of Fame", 2025

Legal 500 - Mr. Devendra Pradhan listed in "Leading Individuals", 2024

IFLR1000 - "Highly Regarded" Financial and Corporate categories, 2024

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2022

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer -Project Finance, 2022

IFLR1000 - "Highly Regarded" Financial and Corporate categories, 2022

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Project Finance, 2021

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Aviation, 2021

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Aviation, 2020

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2021

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Aviation, 2019

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2020

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Trademarks, 2019

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2019

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2018 (opted out)

Chambers Asia-Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2018 (opted out)

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Aviation, 2018

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2018

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Trademarks, 2018

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2017 (opted out)

Chambers Asia-Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2017 (opted out)

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Aviation, 2017

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Trademarks, 2017

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2017

InterContinental Finance Magazine - ICFM 500 Leading Lawyers 2017

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2016 (opted out)

Chambers Asia Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2016 (opted out)

InterContinental Finance Magazine - ICFM 500 Leading Lawyers 2016

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2016 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Transport, 2016 (opted out)

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2015 (opted out)

Chambers Asia Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2015 (opted out)

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Aviation, 2015

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Merger & Acquitions, 2015

Expert Guides - World's Leading Lawyer - Trademarks, 2015

InterContinental Finance Magazine - [Devendra Pradhan] ICFM 500 Leading Lawyers 2015

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Transport, 2015 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2015 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Franchise, 2015 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Trademark, 2015 (opted out)

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2014 (opted out)

Chambers Asia Pacific - - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2014 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2014 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Trademark, 2014 (opted out)

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2013 (opted out)

Chambers Asia Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2013 (opted out)

Intercontinental Finance Magazine - [Devendra Pradhan] "one of the top 500 lawyers in the world - IFCM 500 Leading Lawyer Awards 2013"

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2012 (opted out)

Chambers Asia Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2012 (opted out)

Lawyers World Magazine - [Devendra Pradhan] Leading lawyers Awards 2012

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Aviation, 2012 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2012 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Project Finance, 2012 (opted out)

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2011 (opted out)

Chambers Asia Pacific - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2011 (opted out)

ACQ Magazine - [Devendra Pradhan] Lawyer of the Year in Nepal - ACQ Law Awards 2011

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Aviation, 2011 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2011 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Mergers & Acquisitions, 2011 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Trademark, 2011 (opted out)

Chambers Global - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2010 (opted out)

Chambers Asia - "leading individual" (Band 1), 2010 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Aviation, 2010 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - "World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2010 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Mergers & Acquisitions, 2010 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Project Finance, 2010 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Trademark, 2010 (opted out)

Chambers Global - "top ranked lawyer", 2009 (opted out)

Chambers Asia - "top ranked lawyer", 2009 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Trademark, 2009 (opted out)

Who's Who Legal - “World's Leading Lawyer" - Business, 2009 (opted out)

Conflict of Laws Rules in Nepal, Business Law International, Vol. 23, No. 1, International Bar Association, London (January 2022)
Judicial Review and Public Interest Litigation: Nepal's Practice and Experience (in Nepali), Nyayadoot, Year 51, Vol. 221, 2077 Falgun/Chaitra, Nepal Bar Association, Kathmandu, Nepal (March 2021)
Country Guides (Trademarks) - Nepal, co-contributed with Aadittya Kansakar, International Trademark Association, New York (January 2020)
Nepal - Data Protection Overview (2019), co-authored with Aadittya Kansakar, Cecile Park Publishing Ltd. trading as OneTrust DataGuidance, London (May 2019)
World Drone Regulations (Nepal Chapter), L2b Aviation Ltd., London (2019)
World Aircraft Repossession Index (Nepal Chapter), co-authored with Shirshak Ghimire, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, New York (Third Edition, November 2018)
Nepal’s Accession to the Montreal Convention and its Applicable Liability Regime, New Business Age, Kathmandu, Nepal (October 2018)
Tort Law and Its Applicability in Nepal, New Business Age, Kathmandu, Nepal (September 2018)
Legal Environment Report of the “Belt and Road” Countries (Nepal Chapter), co-authored with Aadittya J. Kansakar and Anup Raj Upreti, Peking University Press, China (April 2017)
Aircraft Liens & Detention Rights, (Nepal Chapter), Sweet & Maxwell Limited, London (AL R.55: June 2016)
Aircraft Leasing and Financing in Nepal, Airline Economics, Aviation Law Yearbook 2016, London (February 2016)
Franchising in Asia 2015: Legal and Business Considerations (Nepal Chapter), co-authored with Shirshak Ghimire, NexNoir Foundation (First Edition, July 2015)
Aircraft Finance: Registration, Securities and Enforcement, (Nepal Chapter), Sweet & Maxwell Limited, London (AF R.75: September 2014)
Country Guides: Insurance, (Nepal Chapter), Thompson Reuters, London (August 2013)
Country Guides: Money Laundering, (Nepal Chapter), Thompson Reuters, London (January 2013)
Getting the Deal Through - Telecoms and Media 2011, (Nepal Chapter), Law Business Research Ltd, London (May 2011)
Getting the Deal Through - Telecoms and Media 2010, (Nepal Chapter), Law Business Research Ltd, London (May 2010)
Trademark Law and Practice in Nepal, Intellectual Property 2010, Digital Guide, Executive View Media Limited, London (March 2010)
Getting the Deal Through - Telecoms and Media 2009, (Nepal Chapter), Law Business Research Ltd, London (May 2009)
2008 Antitrust Year in Review, (Nepal Chapter), ABA Section of International Law, Chicago (April 2009)
Aviation Industry in Nepal: Need to Adhere to Geneva and Cape Town Convention, New Business Age, Kathmandu, Nepal (October-November 2008)
Getting the Deal Through - Air Transport 2009, (Nepal Chapter), Law Business Research Ltd, London (September 2008)
Corporate Insolvency Law in Nepal, Insolvency and Creditors’ Right Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 1, International Bar Association, London (April 2004)
The Fifth Jurisdiction Under the Montreal Liability Convention: Wandering American or Wandering Everybody? 68 J. AIR L. & COM. 717 (2003)
Doing Business in India, (book review for Juris Publishing, New York) International Business Lawyer, International Bar Association, London (September 2000)
International Commercial Arbitration, (Nepal Chapter), Oceana Publications, Inc., New York (2000)
Foreign Direct Investment, Asia Pacific Forum Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 1, International Bar Association, London (June 2000)
Arbitration Act 1999, International Business Lawyer, Vol. 28, No. 2, International Bar Association, London (February 2000)
Banks and the Control of Money Laundering, (Nepal Chapter), Center for International Business Law, London (1999)
Company Act 1997, International Business Lawyer, Vol. 26, No. 2, International Bar Association, London (February 1998)