Featured BiographyImage source: StarsUnfolded
Quick Info
Date of birth19 July 1956
Age68 Years
BirthplaceMumbai
ProfessionLawyer
NationalityIndian
Marital statusMarried
SpouseJaydev Mody
FamilyFather: Soli Sorabjee; Mother: Zena; 3 daughters
Zia Mody Biography
Zia Mody is a prominent Indian corporate lawyer and founding partner of AZB & Partners. Born in Mumbai in 1956, she trained at Cambridge and Harvard, pract
Early life and backgroundZia Jaydev Mody was born on 19 July 1956 in Mumbai. She grew up in a family with a strong legal background: her father is Soli Sorabjee, a former Attorney General of India, and her mother is Zena. Mody received her early education in Mumbai, attending Elphinstone College, and later pursued legal studies at Selwyn College, Cambridge. She completed an LLM at Harvard Law School in 1978.
Career
After passing the New York State Bar in 1979, Mody spent about five years working in New York with the firm Baker & McKenzie before returning to India. She began practicing law in Mumbai in 1984 and launched her own chambers. In the mid-1990s she joined forces with Ajay Bahl and Bahram Vakil to form AZB & Partners; under her leadership the firm grew from a small partnership to one of India's major law firms, with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune and several hundred legal professionals.
Mody has advised major Indian corporations and multinational clients across high-profile transactions. During AZB's early years the firm handled significant mandates such as advice to Tata Steel on its acquisition of NatSteel and later worked on Tata Motors' acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover. She has also been retained by large Indian groups and private equity houses for transactional work.
Her practice areas include arbitration and corporate transactions, and she is known for both domestic and cross-border advisory work. Mody has served on numerous industry and regulatory committees and international bodies, reflecting a wide engagement with financial, corporate and arbitration matters. Her roles have included membership of the Securities and Exchange Board of India standing committee on mutual funds, participation in Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry capital market committees, service on the Governing Board of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration, and tenure with the World Bank Administrative Tribunal in Washington, D.C.
She also served as Vice President and member of the London Court of International Arbitration and has held leadership and non-executive directorship roles with HSBC in the Asia-Pacific region. Domestically, she has been part of RBI and government-appointed committees, including work on financial services for small businesses and corporate governance reviews.
Public profile
Mody has been widely recognized in legal and business rankings and has received numerous awards over her career. She has appeared in listings of powerful and influential women in business, has been named Businesswoman of the Year by the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence, and has earned industry honors including lifetime achievement and managing partner awards from regional and international legal publications. Her distinctions span recognitions for transactional expertise, market-leading status in mergers and acquisitions, and honors from organizations such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Euromoney.
Outside of work she has interests that include piano, horse-riding, reading and travel. Horse-riding in particular has been a longstanding pastime: she has competed at amateur riding events and is known to have ridden temperamental horses successfully.
Personal life
Zia Mody is married to Jaydev Mody; the couple have three daughters. Her daughters pursue diverse careers: one is a furniture designer, another is a lawyer, and the third works with a wildlife conservation organization. Zia follows the Bahá'í Faith.
Latest updates
Mody continues as managing partner of AZB & Partners and remains active in both the Indian legal market and on international arbitration and governance platforms. Her career has included participation on expert panels called by the Law Commission of India, and she continues to be recognized through industry awards and professional listings.
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Recent Work
Founding and leading one of India's major law firms with national offices and hundreds of legal professionals.
Career Highlights
- Founding partner and managing partner of AZB & Partners
- Advised major corporate transactions including work for Tata Steel and Tata Motors
- Served on international arbitration bodies and high-level regulatory committees
- Recipient of numerous legal and business awards, including lifetime achievement and managing partner honors
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Zia Mody born?
Zia Mody was born on 19 July 1956.
What is Zia Mody known for?
Zia Mody is known for lawyer.
What is Zia Mody’s marital status?
Zia Mody's marital status is listed as Married.
Who is Zia Mody married to?
Zia Mody is publicly listed as married to Jaydev Mody.

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