Ashok Dhingra Associates (ADA) is a professional services firm offering a wide range of services under Goods and Service Tax; erstwhile Indirect Taxes; Customs and Trade & Regulatory Laws. ADA also provides advisory, training, and investigation services under Anti-Corruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes to corporates. It provides advisory, compliance and litigation support services upto Supreme Court to clients in the following practice areas:
- Customs & Trade
- Goods & Service Tax and erstwhile indirect tax laws, and
- White Collar Crimes, Investigations and Regulatory Laws
Additionally, ADA provides assistance to clients during and after raid or investigations by Customs and Regulatory authorities like Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, etc. to take a view on key issues and options to deal with high risk positions, briefing and debriefing of employees and discussions with authorities to close the case.
ADA is on a mission to enhance value for clients by focusing on solutions that are innovative, yet practical that can be implemented. With a pool of highly qualified and trained professionals, it caters the needs of the clients without losing the focus on delivering premium-quality services.
Early Days of ADA
While all the partners were well-settled in their own professional lives and could have easily opted to have a life full of ease and comfort. However, all three partners had one common characteristic that made the difference – to walk the unknown path and the determination to win against all odds!
As destiny had planned something different, Ashok, Smita, and Sonia created Ashok Dhingra Associates in 2014 with an objective to design an institution that serves its clientele on the ethics of being trustworthy, and transparent. Irrespective of the initial hiccups and obstacles, ADA sailed against the tides and today it takes pride while looking back at the promising carved-out-path. Within a short span of three years, brand ADA is looked upon as a matured player in the industry. It has created a benchmark in the market as an ‘ethical boutique firm’ and enjoys the reputation of being the most preferred choice of the clients who were earlier associated with other firms.
The Team
The core team of ADA consists of Ashok Dhingra – Founder, Smita Singh – Co-founder, and Sonia Gupta – Co-founder are the three personas who have been immensely successful in creating the ADA platform. Together, this proficient team of Attorney’s has conquered countless milestones and continue to raise the bar of delivering innovative services enriched with quality and precision of knowledge.
Ashok Dhingra:
Practice Group Leader: White-Collar Crimes | Investigations | Regulatory Group
Ashok is undoubtedly one of the most epistemophilic professionals who have reached the pinnacle of success by having a perfect blend of professionalism and business acumen. With a career sprawling over four glorious decades, he has been associated with the biggest consulting and law firms including Arthur Andersen, KPMG, Khaitan & Co, and J. Sagar Associates (JSA) in the past. His prior stint with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has given him an added advantage of working on both sides of the table.
As the Founder of Ashok Dhingra Associates (ADA), Ashok has been phenomenal in advising clients on Export/ Import Policy of restricted goods and technologies and Sanctions under Foreign Trade Policy. For cases pertaining to Tax and Trade matters, he has regularly appeared before departmental adjudication and appellate authorities; Appellate Tribunals; High Courts and Supreme Court as an arguing council.
Smita Singh:
Practice Group Leader: Goods | Services Tax Group
Having an unmatched acumen related to Goods and Services Tax (GST) and erstwhile Indirect Taxes, she provides advisory, litigation and compliance services under the entire spectrum of GST. Alongside, she also advises Indian & Multinational Companies on Customs, Foreign Trade Policy and Regulatory laws like Telegraph Act, Telecom Policy, Environment (Protection) Act, etc. in relation to export or import of goods and services. Smita has also written various articles on key Indirect Tax and GST issues which have been well appreciated.
Sonia Gupta:
Practice Group Leader: Custom | Trade Group
As a qualified CA, she contributes majorly in the areas pertaining to Customs and Trade laws, the Foreign Trade Policy, Export/ Import Controls & Sanctions including Encryption Controls, Trade Remedies providing both advisory and litigation assistance in Customs and trade matters. She has been the torchbearer for managing investigations for Multinational Companies and assisted clients in conducting audits under FCPA, UK Bribery Act and Prevention of Corruption Act; investigations of wrongdoing or fraud or ethical violations by management or employees & whistleblower issues.
Promising Future
Even after having amassed years of expertize, ADA considers itself as a learner in this domain and still refers to the basics for every assignment and that’s what differentiates it from the other players. Its ability to generate ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas and innovative solutions has earned respect and admiration for ADA over the years.
ADA identifies client confidence, recognition of quality work, and the growing dominance of India as a global powerhouse to be the key elements that would be driving ADA in the future. The recent reforms and stringent policies laid by the Government have unlocked new vistas of opportunities for the industry.
