Having obtained her LLB in London University, she was admitted after a two year traineeship with a London law firm as an English Solicitor in April 1981 and as an Advocate and Solicitor in Singapore in November 1981.She has practiced with reputable firms in Singapore including Rodyk & Davidson, (for 10 years including her years as a partner), and as the Managing Director of ASG Law Corporation (for 14years). In 2006, she founded Global Law Alliance LLC, a Singapore boutique corporate law firm which works closely in alliance with law firms in Singapore and overseas including the Middle East. Sharmila has held various positions in the international legal scene including Vice Chairperson of the Pacific Rim Advisory Council (PRAC), an international network of 21 major law firms in the Pacific Rim region and Chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Legal Advisory Network. Active in the funds management industry, Sharmila is the immediate Past President to the Financial Planning Association of Singapore (“FPAS”), which has over 5,000 members from the financial services sector, having been elected and having served as its President for two years.

Sharmila’s international practice includes the Middle East where she is actively engaged. She is a founding member of the Middle East Expert Panel, an appointment conferred by the Singapore Government’s trade arm, International Enterprise, Singapore. She acts for Singapore companies and financial institutions entering the Middle East and is now increasingly being retained by financial institutions and major corporations from the Middle East entering Singapore. Sharmila has been cited consistently as a leading individual in the Singapore legal fraternity by Asia Pacific Legal 500, an international rating publication of law firms.