Tanisha Palvia’s Shining Star Continues to Rise in Charlotte and Beyond
Tanisha Palvia
“The sky’s the limit” typically implies that an individual has unlimited potential to succeed in whatever field or endeavor they choose to pursue. For Tanisha Palvia, however, the familiar saying may well be a gross understatement.
She’s reaching for the stars.
The Moore & Van Allen litigation team member from Charlotte was honored last summer as a recipient of the South Asian Bar Association North America (SABA-NA) Rising Star Award, and rightfully so. The award recognizes attorneys under 40 or those practicing for less than 10 years for their “high achievement in practice, innovation, leadership, legal and community service, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
Palvia has demonstrated all of these attributes and more in the years following her graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2008) and Emory University School of Law in 2011.
But that’s just the beginning for Palvia as both an attorney and an emerging leader within the South Asian bar at the state and national level.
Attending gala at the SABA NA Annual Conference in Toronto, from left: Rohun Shah, Anup Iyer, Tanisha Palvia, and Anil Makhija.
“I couldn’t be more honored to receive the award, along with numerous other deserving individuals, at SABA’s Annual Conference in Toronto,” said Palvia, who represents individuals and corporations facing white collar criminal prosecutions and governmental enforcement actions. She also manages and conducts internal investigations for various organizations, including financial institutions, private and public universities and schools, and health care providers, on a variety of highly sensitive and complex issues, including financial fraud and labor and employment concerns.
Palvia is more than just a member of SABA, which has dozens of chapters spread across the United States and Canada. She is also a driving force behind the establishment of the SABA North Carolina Chapter (NC SABA) and currently serves as its founding president.
It has been an interesting journey for this second-generation immigrant, whose parents were born and raised in India but moved to America in the 1970s, settling in Greensboro in 2000, where Palvia went to high school and later joined Brooks Pierce after clerking at the North Carolina Court of Appeals after law school. Settling in North Carolina was always Palvia’s plan, albeit one that included a most memorable detour.
In 2014, Palvia joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted and tried a variety of criminal cases, ranging from financial to violent crimes.
“I got the courtroom experience that I wanted and got to serve the community as well. It was such a rewarding experience.”
advertisement
Five years and two children later, Palvia and her husband returned to North Carolina – “where all the grandparents are” – and settled in Charlotte. But even before she joined Moore & Van Allen last year, Palvia sensed there was something missing for attorneys with South Asian roots.
“When I came down from New York,” Palvia explains, “I had seen a few South Asian lawyers here and there, but I did not know if there were more, even though I knew there is a significant South Asian population in the state. I joined SABA-NA, but I longed for a local organization that fostered a sense of community amongst fellow South Asian attorneys.
“When I was selected for SABA-NA’s Leadership Institute (SLI), I was fortunate to connect with South Asian lawyers across North America,” Palvia said. “I had never before had the opportunity to exchange ideas about business development, leadership skills, and career paths forward with people who look like me and come from where I’ve come from. I was blown away by the experience, and I thought, well, why can’t we have that here in North Carolina?”
Attending welcome reception at the SABA NA Annual Conference in Toronto, from left: J. Ravi Fernando, Anup Iyer, Tanisha Palvia, Rohun Shah, and Nader Raja.
No sooner than Palvia asked the question, representatives from the national organization asked if she would start the local chapter.
“I was excited to launch the Chapter, but with North Carolina being so expansive, I wanted to make sure I’d reach potential members across the entire state, not just in Charlotte.
“Through SLI, I was connected to another person who also wanted to start a chapter. His name is Anil Makhija, and he’s in-house counsel with Cisco in Raleigh. He is our vice president and is the main point of contact in the Triangle area while I’m leading efforts in Charlotte. We were initially nervous about participation, but word of NC SABA has gotten around and we’ve grown to about 70 members. We were officially recognized as the 31st Chapter of SABA-NA at the Annual Conference last summer, and we continue to grow in membership. Awanti Damle, Ogletree Deakins, is our secretary; NCBA member Rohun Shah, Poyner Spruill, is our treasurer; and NCBA member Anup Iyer, Moore & Van Allen, is on our board and handles our social media.
According to multiple references, eight countries comprise South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Attorneys with ties to India followed by Pakistan represent the largest percentage of SABA members in North Carolina.
“We’re also inclusive of anyone who supports South Asian lawyers,” Palvia added, noting that members often bring their spouses and children to events. “In addition to helping South Asian legal professionals feel a sense of community, we aim to share our culture and experiences beyond just ourselves.
“I know some of my Moore & Van Allen colleagues have attended events to show support, and we really appreciate that and encourage it. We’re also grateful to Moore & Van Allen, Poyner Spruill, and Ogletree Deakins for sponsoring events and helping us get off the ground.
“A lot of us, I think, didn’t realize we were missing a sense of community until we started having regular gatherings with NC SABA, and that is likely because we have never had it any other way.
But now? The sky’s the limit!
NC SABA holds regular, alternating in-person and virtual events every month. The next in-person events are Holi celebrations in Charlotte and Raleigh on April 6. The next virtual meeting is on March 19 at noon. To learn more about these events and the South Asian Bar Association of North Carolina, visit the website or email [email protected].
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.