Advocate Nitin Thakker, senior lawyer and president of the Bombay Bar Association, was recently conferred the Attorney General Soli J. Sorabjee Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to legal Jurisprudence & Bar Leadership by Justice N. Kotiswar Singh in the presence of Justice A.K. Patnaik.
Over Five Decades of Practice
Thakker is practising at Bombay High Court for over 58 years. A distinguished commercial lawyer specializing in banking law, he also serves as an arbitrator and mediator. He has embraced three essential qualities of a lawyer: industry, intellect and integrity - values he imbibed from his mentor, Anil Divan.
His Presidency has seen major reforms, including amending the Bombay Bar Association's Rules to mandate at least five women on every committee thereby addressing the issue of gender imbalance. He launched India's first bar association podcast featuring stories of former BBA judges and organised advocacy training for young lawyers. He also led the BBA's sports delegation to Malaysia, fostering international legal camaraderie.
Contributions to Legal Literature and Legacy
He served on the High Court committee that published "The Bombay High Court - The Story of the Building (1878-2003)." Previously, as vice-president, he helped produce "Legacy", a commemorative volume celebrating the BBA's history, and played a key role in its 150th anniversary celebrations. For nearly two decades, he has been a member of the K.T. Desai Memorial Lecture Committee. His outstanding contributions were recognized with the Lawyers' Day Award, presented by attorney general R. Venkataramani in 2023. In 2025, he organised the inaugural Fali Nariman Memorial Lecture to honour the legendary jurist's legacy-which was delivered by Justice B.R. Gavai, now the Chief Justice of India.
Internationally, Thakker has presented papers at LAWASIA and AIJA conferences. Elected to AIJA's Executive Committee with the highest votes, he was later honoured as honorary vice -president for life.
Commitment to Legal Education and Social Work
He serves on the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of India and advises several Mumbai law colleges, including Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU). He is also associated with various educational and social NGOs working across rural and urban areas.
