Samheeta Rao is a Senior Partner at GameChanger Law Advisors (GLA). At GLA, she has been instrumental in honing the firm’s practices in the spheres of General Corporate Advisory, Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Social Enterprises. Samheeta’s international acumen shines through her active involvement with clients and deals in the Indo-US business corridor, advising on the India leg of global acquisition transactions and pioneering efforts in cross-border impact investing and social enterprise transactions. Renowned for her problem-solving skills and legal expertise, Samheeta is also the go-to expert for enterprise risk assessments, sensitive investigations, and regulatory inquiries. 

Samheeta has spearheaded several sensitive projects for marquee clients such as Sattva Consulting, Catalyst Group, iManage, eGovernments Foundation, and PropShare. Her journey in the legal profession has also been marked by publications and contributions to the fields of employment law and social enterprise law. Notably, she led GLA’s advisory team for the Life Skills Collaborative, an impactful initiative uniting 18 esteemed organizations to integrate life skills into India’s public education system, demonstrating her commitment to societal change.

Before her tenure at GLA, Samheeta co-led the legal department at Goldman Sachs’ Bengaluru office, uniquely positioned as the sole employment counsel across its India offices. This role underscored her capacity to navigate complex employment laws and business strategies, and cementing her reputation as a trusted advisor.  She started her career at erstwhile Amarchand Mangaldas, where she advised clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and initial public offerings.

Samheeta read law at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, from where she graduated with a B.A. LLB (Hons.) degree in 2006.