Harsha Aswani is a Senior Associate in the Corporate Practice at IIPRD and Khurana & Khurana. Her practice sits at the intersection of corporate and commercial transactions, intellectual property, and institutional collaborations.
She advises on the structuring of, and drafts, reviews, and negotiates a wide range of strategic and corporate agreements, including non-disclosure agreements, memoranda of understanding, IP licensing and assignment agreements, technology transfer and collaboration agreements, franchise agreements, and strategic partnership agreements. Her work frequently involves advising on legal and regulatory frameworks applicable to technology and innovation-driven businesses, including open-source software (OSS) compliance, regulatory considerations in the online gaming sector, and commercial and regulatory issues relating to app-based mobility and cab aggregation platforms operating across multiple state jurisdictions. She also assists Indian and foreign with on the preparation and review of website and platform documentation, including terms of use, privacy policies, and related digital compliance frameworks. Harsha represents and advises start-ups, government bodies, and public sector undertakings in connection with a range of mandates, including technology collaborations, institutional partnerships, and related commercial and regulatory arrangements. She also advises clients on regulatory and commercial aspects of public procurement and localisation requirements under the Make in India framework.
Harsha is actively involved in domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and strategic investments. Her work involves drafting, reviewing, and negotiating transaction documentation, including business transfer agreements, shareholders’ agreements, and share subscription agreements, as well as conducting legal due diligence and reviewing corporate and regulatory records. She also works on matters under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, including conducting preliminary legal assessments relating to resolution processes, advising on eligibility considerations under Section 29A, and assisting investors and resolution applicants with legal evaluation and participation in the insolvency resolution framework.
Harsha also handles end-to-end regulatory registrations for research-driven entities, including facilitating DSIR applications for recognition of in-house R&D units of private sector companies and SIRO recognition applications for universities, colleges, and other non-profit research institutions with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Harsha holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Rights from National Law University Jodhpur, where she graduated with a Gold Medal for academic excellence. She is also a WIPO alumna and was selected among the top 52 participants globally for the 12th Advanced International Certificate Course on IP Asset Management for Business Success organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization in collaboration with the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA), and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).