Varnika Chawla

Associate ESG & Impact
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP

Overview

Varnika is an associate in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP and a member of the Firm’s ESG & Impact Practice Group, which advises some of the world’s most sophisticated private equity firms, corporations, project sponsors and lenders on complex and evolving legal issues relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) and climate-related regulatory requirements, investor demands, strategic opportunities, and voluntary reporting frameworks and coalitions.

Varnika’s practice focuses on climate change law and policy, including voluntary carbon markets, offsets and carbon credit transactions, and Article 6, Paris Agreement. Varnika regularly advises clients on ESG and human rights risk advisory across commercial and sustainable finance transactions, including fund formation, regulatory advisory work, debt capital markets transactions (in particular green and sustainability-linked bonds), derivatives and corporate and banking transactions.

Varnika advises clients on identifying ESG opportunities and mitigating ESG risks across a range of compliance and transactional matters, including through the development of policies, risk assessments, diligence procedures and investigation. Varnika supports clients in navigating the evolving ESG regulatory landscape, including in relation to modern slavery, diversity and inclusivity, sustainable finance and non-financial reporting, and soft law standard like the OECD Guidelines and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and has extensive experience in advising clients on cross border private equity, private fund structuring, M&A transactions and reorganisations as well as UK and international disputes. Varnika is dual qualified in England and Wales and India.

More

Thought Leadership

Publications

“The Doctrine of Corporate Opportunity - A Comparative Analysis,” Business Law Review, 2018

“Indian Supreme Court on the Patentability of Genetically Modified Life Forms,” Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, 2018

“Corporate Powers as Powers Held in Trust,” Business Law Review, 2017

“A Human Rights Analysis of Acid Attacks under the Indian Penal Code,” Journal of International Human Rights Law, 2017

Memberships & Affiliations

Bar Council of India

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2021, Admitted to Practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales
  • 2017, Bar Council of India

Languages

  • English
  • Hindi
  • Urdu
  • German
  • Punjabi

Education

  • National Law School of India UniversityB.A.; LL.B.with Honors2017

    Editor-in-Chief, NLS Business Law Review

    Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Indian Journal of International Economic Law

    University Gold Medalist