A host of lawyers were last week named among the 100 most influential Asian people in Britain.

The Asian Power 100, published by the Institute of Asian Professionals, included high-profile London human rights solicitor Imran Khan, best known for acting for the family of Stephen Lawrence, and barrister Shami Chakrabati, director of human rights group Liberty.


Two in-house lawyers make it into the line-up: solicitor Joyti Munsiff, who is corporate general counsel and company secretary at oil giant Shell, where she has worked for 34 years and is now the highest-ranking woman at the company worldwide; and barrister Raj Joshi, the vice-chairman (and former chairman) of the Society of Black Lawyers, and the assistant director, policy - international affairs at the Crown Prosecution Service, who is described by the institute as being 'in the front line in the fight against terrorism'.


Also on the list are Farmida Bi, a structured finance partner at City firm Denton Wilde Sapte; Shailesh Vara, formerly a solicitor at City firm CMS Cameron McKenna, now a Conservative MP; and London commercial solicitor Sarosh Zaiwalla, senior partner of Zaiwalla & Co.


Non-lawyer Zahida Manzoor, who holds the posts of Legal Services Ombudsman and Legal Services Complaints Commissioner, was also listed.


Institute chairman Khaild Darr said: 'The Asian Power 100 shows that Asian men and women have been taking their rightful place among the most powerful people in our country.'