Super Lawyer

Author: Aashish Ahuja

  • Sonia Saini, An independent practitioner, on choosing family matters, consumer matters, co-operative society matters and SS Global Law Firm

    Sonia Saini, An independent practitioner, on choosing family matters, consumer matters, co-operative society matters and SS Global Law Firm

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    Sonia Saini is a graduate of Amity Law school, 2010 batch, an independent legal practitioner running her office in Dwarka, New Delhi in the name and Style of SS Global Law Firm for the last 3 years. As a litigation lawyer, she takes up family law matters, consumer matters, focusing on disputes against builders and Co-operative Society matters. She is also an empaneled lawyer with two nationalized banks and also handles corporate compliance for start-ups.

    In this interview, Sonia talks about:

    • Her life in Law School and what inclined her towards legal education
    • Practicing independently
    • Challenges she faced due to not having a legal background
    • SS Global Law Firms and its motives

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    I would introduce myself as a litigation lawyer and a learner, striving hard to learn as much as I can to be a better and a knowledgeable person.

    Tell us about your Pre Law school years. What inclined you towards legal education?

    I did my schooling from St. Francis De Sales School and joined Amity Law School in 2005. I was a medical aspirant till the time. suddenly one day, during my medical preparation days I realized that I was not made for it. Soon after my 12th boards, I kept all my medical books in the cupboard and locked it. I did not know what I wanted to be then, but I knew what I did not want. After this, I went online to find out the options I had after 12th standard and after thorough research, I found law as an attractive option. So, I  decided to follow my heart and started preparing for law entrance soon after my board exams and got through Amity Law School. Though initially my parents did not approve of my decision but later I convinced them.

    As a law student which activities did you participate in and how did it help you?

    As a law student, I participated in moot courts conducted by the college and some inter college moot court competitions. I represented my college in International Arbitration moot at IICLAM and National Law School and bagged Runners Up and best Memorial Prize. Participating in moot courts helps you develop confidence as a lawyer and inculcates the habit of researching and putting forward your views and prepares you to handle the initial fear that you face as a junior in court.

    What were your areas of interest while you were in law school? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these regions?picture superlawyer 2

    My areas in Law School were mainly Arbitration as I participated in many Arbitration Moots and Criminal Law because I found it fascinating. We used to read a lot of books and commentaries on these subjects and always tried to understand the concept rather than just memorizing it for the sake of exams.

    There is a notion that one should work at least a few years under a Senior Advocate to understand the intricacies and practical aspects of Law. You started your practice independently after working for 3 years. How did you overcome your initial jitters in a courtroom full of experienced lawyers and judges?

    Yes, the notion is somewhat correct, but I would rather say that it is tough for any lawyer to find a good senior these days and, therefore, the sooner you get independent better it is for you. I always prepare well before going to any court. Even when I started whenever I did not know what to do the next day in court, I often went to attend a hearing on similar matters to understand the procedure. I always and till date read my files thoroughly and research well in advance to understand the case. I remember, once a senior told me during my internship days that a lawyer should never think he is too inexperienced to handle anything. if he knows what’s there in his brief, he is as good as other senior lawyers. The key is focusing and working hard each single day of your life.

    What all challenges did you face while starting up given that you do not have any legal background? What were your challenges and how did you face them

    Though I did not have a legal background as my dad is a business man and my siblings are doctors still after working with a district lawyer and a law firm initially I decided to go independent as this is what I always wanted. The feeling of being independent and living life on your terms always fascinated me. therefore, as soon as I felt I could take the risk life I left everything on God and Destiny and made the leap. Initially, being a female lawyer and till date, sometimes, you face bias by your fellow lawyers in court. I have always taken everything as a learning experience which makes me a stronger and a better litigator each day.

    Describe your experience when you appeared in the court for the first time.

    It was a thrilling experience. It was during my first month of practice with an advocate at the District Court that my senior handed over his file to me as he had to attend some other matter in Delhi High Court. The matter which I was supposed to handle was Interim Injunction application to stop a builder from further construction as the construction was hampering the right of my client. Initially, I was a bit scared but later I read the file thoroughly and delivered my best! and we got the injunction.

    Did you ever have any other plans other than litigation? What are your views on LL.M.? Do you think Indian Legal Education needs to improve?

    I  wanted to be a judge when I finished law school and as a matter of fact I cleared some judicial service exams up to certain level, but when I could not get the desired results in 1.5 years, I decided to focus on litigation and eventually started my practice. I think LLM is not essential but practically getting an LLM from some good foreign university does help in getting jobs in good firms. Yes, I feel Legal Education requires upgradations not only at the student level but also at the professional level. Legal education is not treated seriously as other professions which are not only degrading the standards of the bar but injuring the reputation of the whole legal fraternity.

    Why did you choose family matters, consumer matters, and co-operative society matters? What motivated you to choose that?

    I am an excellent listener. Therefore, clients always approached me for their family matters for they require a lot of patience. As I started taking more and more family law matters, I developed a liking for such them. Consumer Matter against builders came to me initially through contacts but later I developed an interest in it and the feeling you get when you fight for your clients right against big corporations thrills me. My client’s appreciation towards my work and their trust in me even though I am still a young lawyer and not as experienced as others motivates me more.

    Please tell us something about “SS Global Law Firm”. What does the day at work looks like? What is the most challenging or stressful part of being a litigation lawyer? 

    SS Global Law Firm is a law office providing services in Litigation, Arbitration and Intellectual Property. The firm is handled by me and four other partners who are my senior and friends. Each partner handles matters according to their expertise. The day starts at 6:30 every day reading files at home for the days hearing, attending court hearing till 4:00 pm, returning to the office by 5:00, attending client meetings and then preparing papers and case files for the next day and leaving home by 7:00 pm.

    What would be your advice to young law students? Whether they should join a firm or practice at bar? How should they approach the legal career?

    My advice to law students would be to follow your heart because your heart knows what you truly want in life. Both firm and practice at bar are equally good but what is important is at the end of the day is that you should be a happy and a satisfied person. No amount of money can buy happiness and professional satisfaction for you. Therefore, it is best to understand yourself and to make the best choice for yourself.The law as a career is superb because whatever field you are in be it a litigation lawyer, a corporate lawyer, a legal advisor, a professor of law you always get an opportunity to learn something new every day which is not the case with most professions. As a lawyer, you don’t have to invest in equipment and machinery or other things you just have to invest in yourself, and eventually, you get lucrative returns for this investment.

  • Sonal Mattoo, Lawyer, on practicing as an independent litigator and dedicating her career for women’s welfare

    Sonal Mattoo, Lawyer, on practicing as an independent litigator and dedicating her career for women’s welfare

    SONAL

    Sonal Mattoo graduated from National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in 1996. Since then, she has been practicing as a Criminal Litigator. She founded Helping Hands, in 1996, which helps implement policies against Sexual Harassment/ gender sensitization and other forms of harassment and discrimination at the workplace, besides carrying out training and investigation on complaints filed with the organization.

    She is also a founder and principal consultant of Mantran Consultants, a firm specializing in CSR activities, Counselling, Diversity policies, and workshops. She supports various clients as an independent Ombudsperson, handling employee complaints.

    Sonal is a Non-Executive Independent Director of Ashiana Housing Limited (a listed company) where she is the Chairperson of Investors Grievance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee of the directors. Sonal is also a Non-Executive Independent Director of Vatika Marketing Limited and V-Mart.

    Sonal’s initiatives in these areas and notably on sexual harassment workshops have been covered twice by ‘Femina’, ‘Around Town’ and ‘again twice’ by Cosmopolitan and Readers Digest ‘Joy’. She has also been invited by E-TV to develop and present 12 TV episodes on ‘Legal and General Issues Specific to Women’ for their program, `Nari’.

    A keen reader, Sonal has written articles on Sexual Harassment for Human Capital (India’s premier journal on HR), newspapers, seminars, and contributed a chapter on `Sexual Harassment’ for `Empowerment of Women in India, 2003,’ published by Law Publishers, Allahabad.

    In this interview she talks about:

    • Choosing law as a career and her experience at NLSIU, Bangalore
    • Her experience as a founder director of “Helping Hands”, Its motive and the activities it indulges in
    • Sexual Harassment at a workplace
    • Choosing to become an Ombudsman and her programme “Nari”

    What prompted you to think of law as a career? If not law, what other options would you have considered for your career?

    I always wanted to be part of a justice process. I didn’t have a plan B, so had to make my plan A work.

    Describe your experience at National Law School of India University as an undergraduate student.

    I was initially intimidated with the level of intellectual competency every student and faculty member possessed. The curriculum was designed to make you think, work hard, understand rather than memorize. An awesome 5 years, difficult to describe, but left a mark on everyone, NLSIU contributed to my personal and professional growth more than any other experience. There was outstanding, dedicated faculty and friends for life were the added bonus.

    How did you become a founder director at “Helping Hands”? What were the challenges that you faced?

    As a litigating lawyer, I found most people completely unaware of their basic legal rights and options. Moreover, 20 years ago the parallel Redressal mechanism was not as refined as it is now. We saw a gap in these two areas and set up Helping Hands to primarily support and educate people about their legal rights and provide a platform for counseling/conciliation/settlement of disputes.

    Helping Hands is a self-funded NGO. Funding was a challenge, so I decided to dedicate a portion of my earnings towards funding the NGO.

     12247020_10153702727915833_1187854441058432058_nWhat are the activities Helping Hands indulges in?

    At a corporate level:

    • Redressal, inquiry into complaints of workplace harassment,
    • Awareness sessions, training of ICC members and employees,
    • Support organizations as an ombudsman.

    At a non-corporate level:

    • Counseling
    • Education and awareness on legal rights and options
    • Resolving and negotiating family disputes.
    • Supporting senior citizens with preparing wills etc.

    What were the initial missions of the organization and what kept you motivated?

    The initial years were focused on supporting women and children who were victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse. The missions also included creating education and awareness around sexual harassment at the workplace.

    What do you think about the current situation of sexual harassment at a workplace? How do you think the situation can be improved?

    I’m fortunate to support organizations that have a zero tolerance policy and go beyond the letter and spirit of the law to ensure they are fair and provide a safe and conducive work environment to all employees.

    However, from the many independent clients, I advise the lack of sensitivity towards victims, corporate failure to take these matters seriously, protecting star performers and senior management, retaliation towards the Complainant are grim realities.

    Mandatory education and awareness are the only way out.

    If I want to become a founder director of an NGO how should I go about it?

    Find like-minded people to join your cause. Passion and commitment are the only requirements. Leave the rest, like registration, etc. to your lawyer and CA!

    How did you become an ombudsman? Is an ombudsman same as a mediator?

    As a member of the ICC, my email address and contact details was often circulated to the employees. Several would write requesting for help to resolve workplace issues, not necessarily related to sexual harassment. They were more comfortable speaking with a neutral third party. Hence, I started to support various clients as an independent Ombudsperson. While the primary effort is to resolve the concerns raised and mediate, often concerns raised call for an inquiry and stringent action basis on findings.

    Why should the leader(s) of an organization listen to an Ombudsman?

    The Office of the Ombudsperson is independent and works in the best interest of the parties involved. A third person’s perspective is always valuable and brings another dimension into the conversation.

    Describe your experience as an independent director of Ashiana Housing Ltd, Vatika Marketing Ltd, and V-Mart.

    Being the only woman on both boards, it’s driven home the point that both sexes must be represented in decision-making processes. The learning has been great for me. My colleagues on the board are incredibly intelligent and competent individuals, we bring our unique experiences on board and learning and listening to them encourages you to strive harder. I have finally learned to read a balance sheet!

    What were the issues you covered in the programme “Nari”?

    The programme covered legal issues pertaining to women, dowry, maintenance, legal rights as a victim, etc.

    How exactly would you define social entrepreneurship?

    The intention to help and bring about a positive change in the lives of people if given a formal structure and direction can have a wider reach with greater impact. The ROI is making a difference in people’s life.

    Do you think having family members or mentors with a legal background help in this profession?

    I’m sure it does, but it’s not a requirement. Anyone with passion, drive the ability to work hard and committed to the cause, irrespective of their support structures will be a success in the legal profession.

    What would be your advice to our readers?

    Do what you love and enjoy, the long hours and hard work won’t tire or bore you.