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Five newly elected members on the 20-member standing committee of the Bombay Bar Association (BBA) are Parsis. Four of them, Naushad Engineer, Farhan Dubash, Firoz Bharucha and Kainaz Irani are first timers. Senior advocate Jimmy Pochkhanawalla, who was reelected to the Association, has served as committee member from 1984 onwards and is the senior-most member of the standing committee. Elections to one of the oldest bar associations of the country were held on February 17-18, 2021. In a note to Parsiana, Pochkhanawalla stated that "their victory is even sweeter, given the fact that this year a record 47 nominations were received for the post of 20 candidates,” adding that over 1,000 votes were cast. The senior jurist sent brief profiles of the five members to Parsiana. 

 

 

 

 

 

Called to the bar in 1973 and designated as senior advocate since 1991, Pochkhanawalla practices both on the original and appellate side of high courts in civil suits, writs, municipal and indirect tax matters, noted his profile. A company director and trustee in a few organizations, he has served as the Western classical music critic of The Indian Express.
In independent practice since 2005, Engineer appears on both the original as well as appellate sides. He "is the preferred choice as mediator for many a litigant.” His soft-spoken manners and affable nature have often led parties to agreeing to put aside their differences and settle their dispute/s, noted Pochkhanawalla about Engineer. A grandson of labor lawyer late Maneck Gagrat, Engineer is a trustee at the J. N. Petit Institute.  
Dubash who studied in Bombay and is also a solicitor from England and Wales, has been practicing independently since the last 10 years. A first generation lawyer, he has a "thriving arbitration practice… His friendly disposition often results in parties agreeing to him being the arbitrator to their disputes,” stated Pochkhanawalla. Dubash appears in matters on both the original and appellate side of the High Court.
Bharucha has a "solid arbitration practice apart from appearing in some criminal matters,” noted Pochkhanawalla. He has appeared for the Parsi community and  has "successfully argued matters for sitting Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Xerxes Dastur in the lead up to his election” to the apex body. The lawyer has also represented the then minority trustees in the matter between BPP and Aderbad Cooperative Housing Society Ltd when they had filed an intervention application to secure the interest of the Punchayet. "In that matter, he successfully protected the interest of the BPP by getting the court to not accept the consent terms sought to be filed by the then majority trustees with the Society and dispose of the matter. Based on arguments advanced by him, the Court referred the consent terms to the office of the Charity Commissioner, so as to ensure that the BPP’s interest is not jeopardized in any manner,” said Pochkhanawalla.
A practicing advocate for over 11 years, Irani’s expertise is in civil litigation and arbitration. She appears before various tribunals and subordinate courts in Bombay too, in addition to the High Court. Appointed as arbitrator and court commissioner for recording evidence by the Court, Irani has also served as the amicus curiae (person who assists the court in legal matters) in a few matters. 
Membership to the BBA is open to all advocates who practice or intend to practice in the Bombay High Court. Applicants are first admitted as temporary members, after which they can apply to be made permanent. Only permanent members can offer themselves for elections to the standing committee, notes their website.