President

Ravi Kambhampaty

sabadcpresident@gmail.com

Ravi Kambhampaty is presently a Supervisory Attorney at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Prior to his current position, Ravi was an Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in the National Security Division (NSD). Ravi also serves as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army Reserves and previously served overseas on Active Duty in Eastern Afghanistan, Bogota, Colombia, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

Ravi is a former chair or co-chair of SABA-DC's Public Interest, Public Interest Fellowship, Mentorship, and Government Committees. He is a co-chair of SABA-North America (SABA-NA)'s Military Law Section (a 2021 program of the year award recipient), and is a graduate of the SABA-NA leadership institute.

Ravi received his J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he participated in the Law School's International Law Clinic and spent his last semester working on Human Rights issues in Windhoek, Namibia. Ravi received his B.A., Summa Cum Laude, in Political Science and History from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

President-Elect

Avani Uppalapati

Avani Uppalapati is a Big Law Consultant at Khawaja Partners, a national legal search agency dedicated to helping partners, associates, and in-house counsel find the next strategic career move. Prior to her work as a legal recruiter, Avani was an associate at two law firms in the DC area. Her work extended across commercial litigation, international trade, and TechComm. In her time in biglaw, she authored numerous client publications and engaged in diverse pro bono efforts.

Avani received her J.D. from The Georgetown University Law Center, where she was an editor of The Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, the president of the South Asian Law Students Association, and a participant in the Federal Legislation Clinic. She received her B.A. in English and Public Policy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Vice President of Programming

Anupma Sahay

Anupma Sahay is an associate attorney at Reed Smith. She focuses her practice on U.S. and foreign utility and design patent preparation and prosecution in the software and mechanical arts.

Anupma received her J.D. from the Temple University Beasley School of Law and her B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from Drexel University.

Anupma also writes freelance for the Washington City Paper and is a board member and committee member for patent diversity pipeline organizations. In addition to V.P. of Programming, Anupma serves as IP Section Co-Chair for SABA-DC.

Vice President of Communications

Anand Shah

sabadccommunications@gmail.com

Anand Shah is an Assistant General Counsel at KPMG LLP, where he is part of the Confidentiality, Privacy & Information Protection team. He advises the firm on issues related to data privacy, cybersecurity, information governance, and technology transformation. Anand was previously an associate at two national law firms in D.C. and prior to that served as a cybercrime prosecutor at the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. He received his JD from the Emory University School of Law, a Certificate in Technology Commercialization from the George Institute of Technology, and BA from The George Washington University in International Affairs and Economics.

Vice President of Membership

Khatija Choudhry

Khatija Choudhry is an associate in Ballard Spahr LLP’s Business and Transactions practice where she focuses on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganizations, contract negotiations and other areas of corporate law. Before joining the firm, Khatija worked for a business law firm in Wisconsin.

Khatija first gained exposure to SABA-DC when she joined as a member in 2021. Since 2023, Khatija has served on the Board as the Vice President of Membership.

Khatija received her JD from Marquette University Law School, and her B.A. from Winona State University.

Co-Vice President of Gala

Vishnu Tirumala

Vishnu Tirumala is an Associate at Sidley Austin focusing on litigation and investigations. Vishnu received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. He received a B.S./B.A. from the University of Louisville.

Co-Vice President of Gala

Shaina Vinayek

Shaina Vinayek is an associate attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she is part of the Antitrust Practice Group.

Shaina earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2018. She also holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland, College Park; an M.P.H in Epidemiology from Columbia University; and, an M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University.

Shaina currently serves as a Young Lawyer Representative for the U.S. Comments & Policy Committee of the Antitrust Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Treasurer

Amal Rafiq

sabadctreasurer@gmail.com

Amal Rafiq is an associate attorney at Vedder Price P.C. in Washington, D.C. where she specializes in employee benefits and executive compensation.

Amal received her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, PA where she was president of the South Asian Law Students Association, and her B.A. in Psychology from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Secretary

Aditya Patel

Aditya “Adi” Patel is an associate attorney at Miles & Stockbridge P.C. where he represents business and corporate clients in mergers and acquisitions, corporate compliance, entity formation and other commercial and general corporate and taxation matters. 

Adi holds an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law and earned his J.D. from the Emory University School of Law, where he was a Nathaniel Gozansky Scholar and a Kathy Buckman Gibson Scholar.  He received his B.S. from the University of Houston and is admitted to practice in Washington D.C. and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

General Director

Kirti Suri

Kirti Suri joined the SABA-DC Board in 2022 and previously served as the VP of Communications in 2022 and 2023. Kirti is an Assistant Attorney General in the Government Contracts Section of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. She developed her background in government contracts and procurement through her role with DC At-Large Councilmember Robert White as Deputy Committee Director for the Committee on Government Operations and Facilities. She is passionate about local government's role in improving the lives of District residents. Before beginning her legal career, Kirti gained experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors, having held positions at American University as a Program Coordinator and J.P. Morgan Chase as a Senior Associate. 

Kirti earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law in 2018 and her B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Delaware in 2012.

General Director
Dina Mishra

Dina Mishra is an accomplished appellate attorney who has spent most of her career in federal public service.  In addition to serving as a judicial law clerk at the Supreme Court of the United States and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, she has served in various roles at the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, and the Office of Management & Budget.  She has also practiced as an attorney at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP in Washington, DC and during an academic fellowship at Georgetown Law.  Dina has led or contributed to briefing or delivered oral argument in many important cases, as well as counseled numerous federal agencies on issues of constitutional law and administrative law. 

Dina received her J.D. from Yale Law School and her A.B., summa cum laude, in Economics from Harvard College.

General Director
Jomy J. Methipara

Jomy J. Methipara, Partner at Dickinson Wright PLLC, is a business attorney who advises entrepreneurs, business executives and general counsel on corporate and securities law matters such as corporate formation and structuring, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiations, and efforts to raise capital.  Jomy is also well experienced in intellectual property law matters, specifically patents.  Jomy represents clients including Fortune 500 companies, startup companies, technology companies, and individual inventors before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 

Jomy received his J.D. from the UIC - John Marshall Law School and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

General Director

Asha Scielzo (she/her/hers)

Asha Scielzo serves as the Director of the nationally ranked Health Law and Policy Program at American University Washington College of Law. She teaches a variety of experiential and innovative courses on the topics of health care fraud and abuse, corporate compliance, governance, digital health, and health care business transactions. Asha is also deeply committed to mentoring law students and junior lawyers to support them in developing rewarding and impactful careers.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the South Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C., Asha serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, a nonprofit educational organization with the mission of providing high-quality scholarship, debate, and critical thought for professionals at the intersection of law, medicine, and ethics. She is also privileged to serve as the President-Elect Designate of the American Health Law Association (the nation’s largest, 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to legal issues in the health care field). She brings over 20 years of health care industry experience (including 15 years of large law firm practice) to the law school.Asha received her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and her B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania.

General Director

Manasi Raveendran

Manasi has worked in roles in government and as in-house counsel, advising on government oversight and investigations as well as counselling businesses on various issues, including anti-corruption regulations and cybersecurity. Manasi is passionate about giving back to her community and has participated in bar service through the American Bar Association (ABA) and now through SABA-DC. Manasi received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her B.A. from Boston University. In her free time she enjoys exploring new cuisines, delving into a mystery novel, and going on adventures near and far!

General Director

Sohil Khurana

General Director

Aseem Chipalkatti

Aseem Chipalkatti is a Trial Attorney at the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division. Prior to the DOJ, Aseem clerked for a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Claremont McKenna College.

Aseem has been involved with SABA since 2022, and previously served as SABA-DC’s Vice President of Gala. Currently, in addition to his duties as a General Director, he serves as a Co-Chair of the Government and Junior Lawyer Divisions.

General Director

Shereen Gomez

Shereen Gomez is a Director of Alternative Dispute Resolution Services in the Commercial Division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).  

Shereen received her B.S. in Psychology at Virginia Tech, a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, and an LL.M. in Tax at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

General Director

Aliya Manjee

Aliya Manjee is Director and General Counsel at Qorvis, a strategic communications firm headquartered  in Washington, D.C., and works with sovereign and corporate clients where government relations, management consulting, and communications converge. Aliya previously served as Counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Oversight. 

Aliya has a Bachelors of Arts in English from Marquette University and a Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School.

Immediate Past President

Deb Sengupta is Counsel in the Intellectual Property and Technology practice of Dentons.  Deb's practice focuses on the chemical, pharmaceutical and nanotechnology areas, including counseling, preparation and prosecution of domestic and international patent applications, patent infringement and validity opinions.

Deb received her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School, where she served as the President of the GW Law Chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.  Deb received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cornell University.  

Deb was recognized as a 2022 Rising Star by SABA North America, and was a 2021 LCLD Fellow and a 2020 NAPABA Leadership Advancement Program Fellow

Deb has a long history of volunteer service in the D.C. community, and is a Board member of the Constellation Theatre Company.