Water & Shark appoints Advocate Aniket Gautam as Senior Managing Partner

Dubai: Water & Shark, a global advisory firm serving sovereign institutions, royal families, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and multinational enterprises across more than 12 countries, today announced the appointment of Advocate Aniket Gautam as Senior Managing Partner to lead its cross-border dispute resolution and international legal practice.

The strategic appointment coincides with a broader partnership between Water & Shark and ASG & Partners, a full-service Indian law firm. This collaboration integrates Water & Shark’s global advisory network with ASG & Partners’ India-rooted legal experience, offering unified legal and dispute-resolution capabilities across the UAE, India, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United States, and other international jurisdictions.

As Founder and Managing Partner of ASG & Partners, Mr. Gautam will direct Water & Shark Legal’s international dispute-resolution mandates. Working alongside the firm’s legal, tax, and advisory teams, he will oversee complex multi-jurisdictional disputes, international enforcement, and cross-border family legal proceedings.

With nearly two decades of experience, Mr. Gautam is admitted to the Bar Council of Delhi and the DIFC Courts in Dubai. His practice encompasses corporate advisory, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, international arbitration, capital markets, banking and finance, white-collar crime, insolvency, and regulatory policy. He has earned numerous industry accolades, including recognition as “Managing Partner of the Year 2026” at the Middle East Conference in Dubai, while ASG & Partners was named “Emerging Law Firm of the Year 2026” in Corporate and Commercial Laws in India.

"This appointment brings to fruition a shared decade-long vision to create a truly seamless, multi-jurisdictional platform. Aniket’s deep dispute resolution expertise and established legal footprint significantly enhance our ability to protect and serve our clients across borders." said Advocate CA. Harsh Girish Patel, Founder and Global CEO of Water & Shark.

"This partnership bridges essential legal frameworks across India, the UAE, and global arbitration forums. By combining multi-disciplinary capabilities while maintaining independent governance, both firms can provide sophisticated, borderless counsel for high-stakes cross-border matters." said Advocate Aniket Gautam, Senior Managing Partner at Water & Shark.

Expanded Legal Capability

The partnership strengthens Water & Shark Legal’s capabilities in international arbitration, cross-border commercial disputes, family dispute resolution and mediation, debt recovery and enforcement, white-collar crime and regulatory investigations, insolvency and restructuring, and India market entry and exit structuring.

The integrated practice will support clients across key forums including DIFC Courts, DIAC, ADGM, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC and AAA/ICDR, with coordinated legal and advisory support across multiple jurisdictions.