Fountainhead Legal is an expert law firm in major legal practice areas including Technology Law and Data Privacy, General Corporate, Startup Legal & Compliance, Indirect Tax and Litigation Management. It is known for providing strategic and practical legal solutions to a broad spectrum of clients ranging from newly built start-ups to mature companies and other domestic clients. The team of practitioners at Fountainhead Legal comprises lawyers with an in-depth understanding of the law and solution-driven acumen.
The firm has a tight-knit association with its clients and is determined to help clients navigate the complex legal landscape. It recognizes and addresses the challenges as the situation requires, fostering long-term associations with the clients. The dynamic approach of Fountainhead Legal towards providing actionable advice and timely delivery of services has made it the first go-to firm for its clients.
Meet Our Team
Rashmi Deshpande
Founder
Rashmi Deshpande is an accomplished advocate with 18 years of experience across Big 4 consulting and Big Law, having worked at Deloitte, BMR & Associates, KPMG, PwC, and as a partner at Khaitan & Co. before founding Fountainhead Legal in 2023. Her practice spans data privacy, general corporate advisory, contract drafting, and succession planning, covering industries such as Financial Services, Fintech, Insurance, IT/ITES, Life Sciences, and Real Estate. Rashmi is well-versed in data privacy regulations, including India’s DPDP Act and GDPR, helping clients navigate compliance, draft privacy policies, and establish robust data protection frameworks.
Rashmi’s extensive indirect tax experience includes advising on tax advisory and compliance matters, conducting due diligence for M&A transactions, and supporting clients through regulatory transitions like GST implementation. Known for her expertise in complex indirect tax litigation, she has represented clients from tribunals to the Supreme Court. Additionally, Rashmi has successfully secured Production Linked Incentives (PLI) and Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) benefits from Central and State Governments. A strong advocate for knowledge sharing, she has conducted numerous training sessions on GST, data privacy, and technology law, and regularly contributes to thought leadership through published articles.
Shirin Patel
Partner
Shirin Patel is an experienced legal, compliance and governance professional with over 25 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry. She has held senior roles with leading insurers including Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, Bharti Life Insurance, Tata AIG General Insurance, and Edelweiss Life Insurance, where she has consistently demonstrated foresight, precision, and integrity in steering enterprise-wide compliance and governance functions.
Her expertise spans regulatory compliance, corporate advisory, risk management, and contract management. She has successfully designed and implemented governance frameworks, overseen the implementation of data privacy laws, and provided advisory in succession planning.
As a legal expert on Internal Committees under POSH, Shirin plays a pivotal role in fostering safe, inclusive, and ethical workplaces.
Shirin is a Company Secretary from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. She holds a B.Com. and LLB from Mumbai University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Law & Cyber Forensics from the National Law School of India University.
Aarushi Ghai
Senior Associate
Aarushi Ghai is a law graduate from NMIMS University and a dedicated legal professional with expertise in Data Privacy, Technology Law, Indirect Tax, and General Corporate. As an associate, she is focused on providing strategic legal solutions to businesses across various sectors and ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks. She has assisted FinTech companies on data deletion challenges, privacy policies, and software agreements, helping them navigate complex data protection regulations. Her understanding of India’s DPDP Act and global privacy laws enables her to assist clients in establishing robust data governance frameworks. Additionally, she has advised businesses on shareholders’ agreements, share purchase agreements, and key commercial contracts, ensuring seamless transactions. With a solution-driven approach, she helps clients mitigate legal risks while aligning regulatory compliance with business objectives, making her a trusted advisor in today’s evolving legal landscape.
Vaibhav Gupta
Associate
Vaibhav Gupta, is a legal professional with a strong foundation in litigation, contracts, and consumer disputes, coupled with specialized expertise in technology law. He holds an LL.M. in Technology Law from the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, where he focused on emerging areas such as data privacy, fintech, healthtech, and technology regulation. Vaibhav has experience of practicing before district courts and tribunals, gaining hands-on experience in consumer disputes, contractual matters, and general civil litigation. His diverse background enables him to combine practical dispute resolution skills with a nuanced understanding of technology-driven legal challenges. At Fountainhead Legal, Vaibhav contributes to the firm’s practice in technology law, data privacy, litigation management, and GST-related advisory. His work involves assisting clients in navigating complex regulatory frameworks, managing disputes, and ensuring compliance across digital and commercial domains.
Aayush Sengupta
Associate
Aayush is a legal professional with a strong foundation in technology law, data protection, intellectual property rights and dispute resolution. He holds a BBA LL.B. (Hons.) in Intellectual Property Rights from KIIT School of Law. He is also a DSCI Certified Privacy Lead Assessor (DCPLA) and has completed a professional course in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from IIM Bhubaneswar.
Aayush has experience assisting on matters before High Courts and district courts and has also worked with law firms and startups across diverse legal and corporate environments. At Fountainhead Legal, he contributes to the firm’s practice in technology law, data protection and intellectual property, with a focus on legal risk management and regulatory compliance across digital and commercial matters.
Sagar Chaturvedi
Associate
Sagar is a graduate of NMIMS School of Law with a strong foundation in technology law, data privacy and regulatory compliance. Sagar has experience assisting on matters relating to banking and finance, commercial contracts, corporate law, regulatory advisory and data protection. He has worked with law firms and corporate legal teams across different legal and business environments, gaining exposure to both advisory and transactional matters.
At Fountainhead Legal, Sagar contributes to the firm’s work in technology law, data privacy, regulatory compliance and commercial advisory, with a focus on practical and business-oriented legal solutions.
Onkar Gurav
Litigation Counsel
Onkar Gurav is a legal professional with a strong foundation in criminal law and litigation, with experience in proceedings before the Metropolitan Magistrate Courts, Sessions Courts and the Bombay High Court. He completed his B.A. LL.B. from Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai, with a focus on Corporate Law, and his LL.M. specialising in Corporate and Commercial Law from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata. He is also a qualified Company Secretary.
Onkar practices criminal law and has successfully secured Anticipatory Bails and Regular Bails for clients facing charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the Negotiable Instruments Act, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act. At Fountainhead Legal, he assists the Firm in litigation and dispute resolution, with a particular focus on criminal litigation.
Work Highlights

Advisory

Advocacy

General Corporate

Litigation
Media & Insights
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