Chitrajeet Upadhyaya
Founder & Managing Partner, HRU LEGAL
Advocate, Gujarat High Court & Supreme Court of India • Enrolled 2003
A Fourth-Generation Legal Leader
Chitrajeet B. Upadhyaya is the Founder and Managing Partner of HRU Legal LLP, one of Ahmedabad's premier law firms. He brings over 25 years of practice at the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court of India, combining a deep-rooted legal heritage with a sharp, forward-looking approach to complex legal matters.
As a fourth-generation lawyer, Mr. Upadhyaya carries forward a family legacy spanning more than 106 years, one that began when his great-grandfather, a Barrister-at-Law trained in London, served as standing counsel to the princely state of Bhavnagar during British India. His grandfather built a renowned reputation in post-independence land law, and his father pioneered the firm's growth into commercial law, admiralty, and international trade. This generational depth gives Mr. Upadhyaya an unmatched foundation in legal tradition, combined with a modern, commercially aware mindset.
Today, Mr. Upadhyaya serves a diverse client base, from multinational corporations and institutional investors to high-net-worth individuals, religious trusts, and government functionaries, offering practical, results-focused legal counsel across a broad range of practice areas.
Practice Specialisations
Constitutional & Administrative Law
Writ petitions, public law challenges, and appellate matters before the High Court and Supreme Court of India.
Criminal Law
Criminal trials, white-collar offences, customs violations, and complex fraud matters.
Civil & Revenue Law
Election law, land laws, public trusts, banking matters, and property conveyancing.
Corporate & Commercial Law
Securities regulation, arbitration, mediation, and cross-border commercial matters.
Real Estate & Local Governance
RERA compliance in Gujarat, representation before panchayats, municipalities, and urban bodies.
Family Law & Succession
Matrimonial disputes, wills, inheritance, and consumer protection matters.
Cross-Border Legal Advisory
Mr. Upadhyaya has an established track record of advising international clients on navigating the Indian legal system. His cross-border practice covers clients from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and beyond.
His international advisory work includes guiding foreign charitable and religious organisations through Indian trust and charity compliance, representing foreign entities in commercial disputes before Indian tribunals, and advising overseas investors on regulatory requirements under Indian law. For global clients, Mr. Upadhyaya serves as a single point of contact bridging legal, cultural, and procedural complexities with clarity and precision.
Selected Client Engagements
Prime Minister of India
Represented in election scrutiny proceedings in 2007, 2012, and 2014, reflecting the highest level of trust placed in counsel.
Minister of External Affairs (S. Jaishankar)
Represented India's Cabinet-rank External Affairs Minister along with several other senior political leaders and constitutional functionaries.
Swaminarayan Religious Institutions
Managed high-value trust and charity disputes for major Swaminarayan institutions with operations spanning India, the USA, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
Securities & Capital Markets (SEBI)
Represented clients before the Securities Appellate Tribunal in regulatory and compliance matters arising from SEBI enforcement actions.
NSE & BSE Arbitration
Conducted arbitration proceedings before the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange for clients in capital market disputes.
International Charitable Organizations
Advised foreign charitable and religious entities on compliance with Indian trust and charity laws, navigating cross-border regulatory requirements.
Widespread Legal Services Across India
HRU Legal maintains an extensive domestic practice, with a strong team of advocates and paralegals operating across district and sessions courts in all major cities of Gujarat, as well as before the Supreme Court and various High Courts across India. The firm is equipped to handle the full spectrum of legal needs — from trial-level representation to complex appellate matters.
Key domestic service areas include:
- Arbitration and alternative dispute resolution
- Insolvency proceedings under the IBC, DRT, and SARFAESI frameworks
- Criminal matters from trial through to appeal
- Civil litigation, property disputes, and title matters
- Corporate structuring and regulatory compliance
- Representation before tribunals and quasi-judicial authorities
Jurisdictions Where Mr. Upadhyaya Practice
Your Strategic Legal Partner in India
HRU Legal was founded with a clear purpose: to be the trusted legal partner for businesses and individuals who require expert, dependable counsel in one of the world's most dynamic legal markets. We combine the depth of a century-long legacy with the agility and standards of a modern, internationally-oriented law firm.