Melli Darsa
BORN: Bogor, 1966
EDUCATION:
• Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA Law School
> LL.M/Master of Law, Class of 1994
• University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Faculty of Law
> Basic Degree in Law (SH – Sarjana Hukum), 1985-1989
• Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
> Edmund G. Walsh School of Foreign Service.1983-1984 (Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service Candidate – 3 semesters)
WORK EXPERIENCE
• PwC Legal Indonesia formerly Melli Darsa & Co., Advocates & Consultants (MDC), November 2002 – September 2023
> Founding and Managing Partner since 2002, and Senior Partner (Legal) and Leader of Legal Line of Service of PwC Indonesia
(since July 2017 until 30 June 2023), MDC has become an independent member of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) global network)
• Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners (HHP)/Baker&McKenzie, Jakarta
> April 2000- October 2002: International Partner of HHP/Baker & McKenzie
> April 1997- April 2000: Local Partner
> April 1995 – April 1997: Associate
• Wilmer Cutler Pickering (now Wilmer Hale), Washington, DC, July 1994-March 1995: Foreign Associate
• Makarim & Taira S, Jakarta, February 1990 – August 1993: Associate
• Amir Syamsuddin & Associates Law Firm, Jakarta, 1988-1989: Intern-Associate
• Yayasan LBH Indonesia/YLBHI (Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation), 1985-1988: Editor of “Human Rights Forum” joint publication between
YLBHI and LBH, and volunteer of LBH Jakarta for 985 political trials
PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
• Member of Supervisory Board of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia) 2021 – 2026
• President of Harvard Club of Indonesia for the period of 2022-2024
• President of Harvard Club of Indonesia for the period of 2019-2022
• Harvard Alumni Association Board of Directors of Harvard University as a Club and Shared Interest
Group Director from July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022
• Teaching Faculty at Law Practicing Institute (LPI) since 2015, an institution based in New York, that
also provides Continuing Legal Education credits for US state admitted lawyers living outside of the US
• Vice Chairperson of HKHPM or the Capital Markets Legal Consultants Association (2018 – 2021) in
charge of External Affairs; and since 2002, Melli has held various positions at HKHPM including as Disciplinary Board (Dewan Kehormatan)
(2012-2018) and Vice Chair in charge of Basic and Continuing Legal Education (2009-2012) and member since 2000;
• Vice Chairperson of Expert Council of PERADI or the Indonesian Bar Association
• Vice Chairperson of Law and Regulations of KADIN or the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2015 – 2021);
• President of Iluni FHUI or the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law of the University of Indonesia (2012 – 2015);
• Treasurer of Eisenhower Fellowship Indonesia (2011-2018);
• Founder of Yayasan Alumni FHUI (2015);
• Board of Senior Advisers of Jurnal Perempuan (2012-2016, 2019- now);
• Board member of TIFA Foundation (Open Society Foundation – funded by George Soros) (2012-2016);
• Member of Indonesian Stock Exchange or IDX, Disciplinary Committee (2014 – 2015) and IDX Listing Committee (2012 – 2013);
• Member of PERADI (since 2003)
• Member of HKHPM (since 2000)
• Member of New York Bar (since 1996)
• Member of American Bar Association (since 1996)
RECOGNITIONS
• IFLR1000 Woman Leaders 2022
• Asia Business Law Journal The A list 2022 Indonesia
• Asia Business Law Journal Top 100 Lawyer Indonesia 2021
• Asia Business Law Journal Indonesia Top 100 Lawyers The A List 2020
• Asia Business Law Journal’s 2020 Indonesia Law Firm Awards - Capital Markets
• Asia Business Law Journal Indonesia’s top 100 lawyers 2018
• Ranked in top 50 of Globe Asia’s 99 Most Powerful Women since 2016 - 2019
• Warta Ekonomi 2017 – ranked in top 5 of Indonesian Powerful Women
• Winner of 2012 and 2013 Euromoney Asian Women in Business Law Awards
• Top Three Finalist Candidate for Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK-Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi) in 2010 (with M. Busyro Muqoddas and Bambang Widjojanto)
• Eisenhower Fellow, Inaugural Women Leadership Program (2010)
• Visiting Scholar, East Asian Legal Studies Program, 2009
SPEAKING EXPERIENCE
Over the years, Melli has frequently spoken on many law related topics in and outside of Indonesia, most particularly in the last 15 years follows:
• Moderator of The Hard Talk #1 “Protect, Don’t neglect!: How Personal Data Protection supports the Development of Digital Economy and
Finance pada The 4th Indonesia Fintech Summit 2022: The Role of Digital Finance & Fintech in Promoting Resilient Economic Growth and
Financial Stability, 10 November 2022
• PILnet: 2016 Asia Pro Bono Forum –Plenary Session: “Is there a Business Case for Pro Bono in Asia” Bali, 29 August 2016
• Eisenhower Fellowship Unconference : East Asia Regional Eisenhower Fellowship Unconference on “Revisiting Asian Values: The Indonesian Story”, Bangkok, October 2015
• PLI Annual Corporate & Securities Conference, Hong Kong (2015-present)
• Morrison Foerster Tokyo Seminar on The Changing Legal Landscape in SEAsia, 20 October 2015
• HKHPM Seminar on Cross Border Jurisdiction and Equivalent Jurisdiction, Jakarta 28 April 2015
• International Bar Association (IBA) Conference on “Borderless Asia”, Singapore, March 2015
Perspective, Singapore, 2-5 May 2010
• Euromoney 4th Annual Asset Management Asia – Legal, regulatory and Compliance Issues, Singapore, 3 September 2009
• Seminar - The Urgency of Settlement of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs): Legal Issues and SPV Formation, Jakarta, 8 May 2006
