Stuti is an attorney in Cheng Cohen’s transactional practice group. She advises a broad array of clients within the franchise and distribution industry on matters related to franchise laws, general corporate laws, and other commercial matters. She assists franchisors in structuring domestic and international franchise programs, drafting franchise disclosure documents and franchise agreements, and negotiating franchise sales and settlement deals on their behalf.
Stuti also helps franchisors in purchasing and selling franchise systems through mergers and acquisitions. Her services extend to advising clients on general corporate and commercial matters such as business organization, corporate governance, and drafting and negotiating vendor agreements.
Prior to joining Cheng Cohen, Stuti worked at another law firm in Chicago and two large law firms in Mumbai, India where her practice focused on immigration laws, SEC regulations, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and commercial dispute resolution.
Did you know
Stuti can hold a conversation in five Indian languages, which makes her group chats particularly entertaining.Stuti doesn’t drink coffee, tea, or energy drinks. Stuti doesn’t need caffeine but her enthusiasm for franchise law is powered by desserts.Stuti believes every problem (legal or otherwise) can be solved with a strong outline, a good laugh, and a better snack.Stuti can identify Bollywood movie songs from the 90s within the first five seconds of playback.Stuti is the first woman and the first lawyer in her extended family, and she is also the first U.S.-licensed attorney from her hometown in India.Stuti’s ideal weekend includes a long walk, Pilates, and a new recipe that somehow ends up feeding twice as many people as planned.Stuti admits driving isn’t her forte but her parallel parking precision in downtown Chicago is truly a work of art.Stuti’s evenings often turn into live demonstrations of advanced negotiation strategy: one toddler, one bedtime, zero chance of early resolution.Growing up, Stuti wanted to become a chef and open her own restaurant and she still hopes to realize that dream someday.Stuti still occasionally wakes up from nightmares about her high school math exams (law was the right choice).
Stuti can hold a conversation in five Indian languages, which makes her group chats particularly entertaining.Stuti doesn’t drink coffee, tea, or energy drinks. Stuti doesn’t need caffeine but her enthusiasm for franchise law is powered by desserts.Stuti believes every problem (legal or otherwise) can be solved with a strong outline, a good laugh, and a better snack.Stuti can identify Bollywood movie songs from the 90s within the first five seconds of playback.Stuti is the first woman and the first lawyer in her extended family, and she is also the first U.S.-licensed attorney from her hometown in India.Stuti’s ideal weekend includes a long walk, Pilates, and a new recipe that somehow ends up feeding twice as many people as planned.Stuti admits driving isn’t her forte but her parallel parking precision in downtown Chicago is truly a work of art.Stuti’s evenings often turn into live demonstrations of advanced negotiation strategy: one toddler, one bedtime, zero chance of early resolution.Growing up, Stuti wanted to become a chef and open her own restaurant and she still hopes to realize that dream someday.Stuti still occasionally wakes up from nightmares about her high school math exams (law was the right choice).
Credentials & Contributions
Education
Master of Laws, Honors, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Chicago, USA
Bachelor of Laws, First Class, (equivalent to J.D.), University of Pune, India
Bar Admissions
State of Illinois
Bar Council of India, Maharashtra and Goa
Associations
International Franchise Association
IFA Women’s Franchise Network – Chicago Chapter, Co-Chair (2022 - 2025)
American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
South Asian Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
Speaking & Publications
Speaker and Program Chair “Beyond Borders: Navigating International Contracts in the Tech Era,” 2025 ABA International Law Society Annual Conference (April 2025)
Co-Author, “International Contracts Legal Developments Year In Review: 2024,” 59 ABA/ILS YIR (2024)
Co-Author and Speaker, "A Paradigm Shift in the Making: Transfers involving Private Equity and Other Complex Arrangements and Circumstances," ABA Annual Forum on Franchising (October 2021)
Co-Author, "International Legal Developments - Year in Review 2020: International Contracts," 55 ABA/ILS YIR (2021)
Author, "Item 19 During COVID-19," The Franchise Lawyer (Summer 2020)
Speaker, “Hot Topics in Franchise Registration and Disclosure 2020,” ABA Forum on Franchising Webinar (February 2020)
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