It is with unbearable sorrow and profound love that I share the passing of our Founder & CEO Dr. Ashok Sharma, who left us on October 2, 2025.
Born on September 9, 1952, in Bathinda, Punjab, to his loving parents, Late Shri H. L. Sharma and Late Smt. Chandra Kala Sharma.
He served as Chief Law Officer of MMTC Limited, India's first Golden Super Star Trading House, where he oversaw complex legal matters involving international trade, joint ventures, commercial and maritime arbitration, and high-stakes litigation. With over five decades of professional experience as an advocate and in-house counsel, he became a towering figure in India's corporate legal landscape.
For his exceptional contribution to the legal profession, he was conferred the National Law Day Award in 2008 by the then Hon'ble Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, for his Outstanding Contribution to the Practice of Law relating to Public Sector Undertakings.
He was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) and served as a Director on the CIArb India Board, continuing to practice as an arbitrator in commercial and maritime disputes until his passing. He was one of the few Maritime Arbitrators based out of Delhi.
I feel deeply grateful to have had the privilege of working closely with my Dr. Sharma and contributing, in some measure, to his vision and mission for in-house corporate lawyers through the Federation of Indian Corporate Lawyers (FICL), which he founded and led as its Founder and CEO. Under his inspiring leadership, FICL grew into India's foremost platform for corporate legal professionals, fostering collaboration, professional excellence, and a shared sense of community.
His vision extended beyond borders, FICL forged global partnerships across 17 countries through associations with In-house Counsel Worldwide (ICW), the Asia Pacific Corporate Counsel Alliance (APCCA), and the African Corporate and Government Counsel Forum (ACGC Forum), positioning India's in-house legal fraternity on the global stage. FICL also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre during his tenure.
In addition to his institutional contributions, Dad served on the Editorial Board of the Indian Business Law Journal and Law.asia, where he shared his insights and helped shape thought leadership within the legal community.
You will be loved, remembered, and missed beyond measure today and always.
By Rohan Sharma, Director
From Ravi Thilakawardana (from Sri Lanka)
Former President of ACL Sri Lanka (2008 - 2010)
Former Secretary of APCCA (2016 - 2021)
