PEOPLE
Karan Sachdev
Litigation. Disputes. Advocacy.
LL.B. (Mumbai University) · Chartered Accountant (All India Rank 9) · Diploma in International Taxation (ICAI)
ENROLMENT NO. MAH/977/2022
Karan Sachdev is a practitioner with 15 years of litigation and advisory experience across tax, insolvency and other commercial laws. He practises independently as counsel, appearing before the Supreme Court, High Courts and tribunals across the country, and regularly appears as arguing counsel in tax matters. He was earlier a Partner at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, New Delhi, leading the firm’s indirect tax litigation team, and has worked in the chambers of Mr. Balbir Singh, Senior Advocate, assisting in regulatory and commercial matters.
Professional Experience
Counsel, Chambers of Mr. Balbir Singh, Senior Advocate
MARCH 2024 – DECEMBER 2025
- Assisted in the preparation and conduct of complex tax and commercial litigation before the Supreme Court and High Courts.
Partner, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, New Delhi
JULY 2014 – FEBRUARY 2024
- Led the firm’s indirect tax litigation team across High Court jurisdictions nationally, covering arbitration claims, GST anti-profiteering matters, and classification disputes across sectors including locomotives, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
- Represented clients before High Courts, the CESTAT, tax commissioners and the advance ruling authority, including service tax litigation at all levels.
Associate, Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co., New Delhi
AUGUST 2013 – JUNE 2014
- Coordinated commercial litigation, including contractual disputes, NCLT proceedings and writ petitions.
Notable Matters
Winzo — GST (2026 INSC 595)
Represented Winzo before the Supreme Court in the batch of online gaming GST matters involving stakes of more than USD 1 billion, decided in DGGI v. Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., 2026 INSC 595.
Landmark Indirect Tax Litigation
Part of the team representing assessees in landmark indirect tax cases before the Supreme Court on the leviability of service tax on works contracts, export of services, and classification and valuation disputes, and represented assessees in the Reckitt Benckiser batch challenging the GST anti-profiteering provisions before the Delhi High Court.
Yes Bank — AT-1 Bonds (Supreme Court)
Assisted Mr. Balbir Singh, Senior Advocate, appearing for the Administrator of Yes Bank before the Supreme Court, in the challenge to the write-off of AT-1 bonds worth more than USD 1 billion.
Cisco Systems India Pvt. Ltd. (2023:DHC:695)
Refund of customs duty paid in excess on related-party imports. Successfully argued before the High Court in a claim of more than USD 5 million, upheld by the Supreme Court.
META Inc. and Alphabet Inc. (NCLAT and the Supreme Court)
Assisted Mr. Balbir Singh, Senior Advocate, in representing the Competition Commission of India against META and Alphabet in abuse-of-dominance proceedings.
Insolvency and Commercial Disputes
Various matters involving insolvency, contractual, regulatory and competition law issues across forums, including the NCLT and NCLAT.
Wadpack Private Ltd. (2020 (3) TMI 533)
Denial of export benefit for a lapse in filing the bill of entry for export to an SEZ unit.
Mccann Erickson (India) Ltd. (2019-VIL-89-CESTAT-DEL)
Laid down law on the validity of service tax payment under RCM through utilisation of credit.
MEET THE OTHER PARTNER
Advisory. Strategy. Transaction.