Super Lawyer

Category: Interviews

  • Hormaz Daruwalla, Equity Partner, Khaitan and Co., on a career in taxation law

    Hormaz Daruwalla, Equity Partner, Khaitan and Co., on a career in taxation law

    Hormaz Daruwalla graduated from University of Bombay in 1987. He started his career as an Advocate with Crawford Bayley& Company, handling cases pertaining to indirect tax under Mr Dadi Engineer.

    In the year 1992, Hormaz started his practice as a Counsel at the Bombay High Court and joined the Chambers of Senior Advocate Mr Atul Setalvad.

    Hormaz is well respected and is a specialist in the fields of customs, central excise, service tax, foreign trade policy, special economic zones, anti-dumping, VAT and other local levies. He is particularly sought for his opinions generally on law and on the subjects he specialises in. His experience in advising clients on issues pertaining to indirect tax litigation, structuring, planning and other related issues makes him a popular lawyer among corporates. What makes him special is his ability in arguing cases before different fora including the High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.

    In this interview, he talks to us about:

    • Importance of Indirect taxation as a subject for law students.
    • Is specialisation a good thing in today’s professional world.
    • What does it take to be a good indirect tax lawyer.
    • Steps to prepare for a difficult case.

    Most of our readers are young lawyers and law students. How will you introduce yourself to them?

    I am just one of them but only have been around a bit longer. The challenges they face today, I face too. The excitement and energy they feel, I experience too. Over the years the choices I’ve made based on my thinking has determined who and where I am in my personal life as well as my professional career today. I don’t regret the choices I made but will always say I could’ve done better though.

    Were you always clear about your career plans considering you pursued commerce and went on to graduate in law from University of Bombay?

    I started with the LLB course at the Government Law College, Mumbai in 1984. At the same time, I also enrolled for the Company Secretaries course of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. In 1987, I completed the LLB course, enrolled for the LLM course and was in my final group of the Company Secretaries course. During this period there was only one thing that I was certain about, which is that I wanted to become a Counsel. I had no clue of what subject of Law I would, if at all, specialise in. In those days we never had an opportunity to test, check, see and feel the subject you would make a career of. There were no internships as we have them today, but all I had was an open mind and the determination to work hard to become a Counsel. Those were the days when one had to appear in matters in Court and one needed a certain basic understanding of the working of the system. Working in a Law Firm would be the best training ground to get that basic understanding.  My batch mate and good friend Rohan Shah, now Senior Partner at Economic Law Practices, who had articled at Crawford Bayley & Company told me about a vacancy there. Their Senior Partner, Mr Dadi Engineer was a leading expert in Central Excise and Customs Law and needed the services of an Advocate Assistant. So I joined Crawford Bayley & Co and I remember the monthly remuneration used to be Rs 1,680/- (and this was before ‘tax deduction at source’ days).Indirect Tax was something new to me as the LLB course did not teach us even a word about it. I didn’t know if I’d like it or have the affinity for it or be able to cope with it or had the aptitude for it. But, as I said, nothing else mattered other than getting an opportunity to get on my race track to become a Counsel.

    What responsibilities you were entrusted with in Crawford Bayley & Company?

    My three years in that Crawford Bayley & Company was perhaps one of the most important periods in my professional career. It is here that I learnt a lot of what I know today. Those were the basics and the fundamentals. The systems, organisational skills, planning processes and most importantly my thinking process on issues of Law, were all formed at this stage. Under Mr Engineer I learnt to draft replies to notices and appeals. I soon started appearing before Departmental Officers and even the Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal as it then was. Mr Engineer gave me a free hand at appearing and drafting. During this time I also got a great deal of experience in giving legal opinions on issues pertaining to Indirect Tax, as also structuring of businesses. But I must mention one thing that I practiced then which I am very glad I did and from which I have abundantly benefited, i.e. I have never said no to any kind of work given to me. This is something that I would always advise students and lawyers at least in the early years of their career.

    Please share your experience with Senior Advocate Mr Atul Setalvad.

    At the end of three years, I started as a Counsel in the Chamber of Senior Advocate Atul M Setalvad, as Junior to Senior Advocate Darius B Shroff. Atul Setalvad was a father figure to all of us. Atul (he insisted we all call him by his first name) was known for his crisp, concise, lucid and extremely effective drafting. He had the ability of breaking down extremely detailed and confusing issues into short, crisp and simple issues and he would get to the heart of the matter within no time.“Get your facts right first” he would say. Then study what the Law is, then apply the Law to the set of facts and only then look for authorities and precedents. He would be critical of people, who had such an obsession for precedents, that no sooner than you state a problem they rush off to look for a precedent. He also taught us never to argue the unarguable. This and much more is what I learnt in that Chamber. More importantly, it was a great place to learn lessons in honesty, integrity and humility. The skills and abilities that I acquired at Crawford Bayley & Company got honed, polished and further refined in this Chamber. I continued as a Counsel until October 2014 and during this period I appeared with the same enthusiasm and preparation before the junior most officer of the Excise and Customs Department as I would when I appeared before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.

    What was it that moved you to join Khaitan & Co after many years of being a Counsel?

    Khaitan & Co has an Indirect Tax Team of over 15 people spread over Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.  The Firm wanted the benefit of my experience of appearing before the Supreme Court and the High Courts in high-value matters.  As I had this expertise, it was a good choice for me. Over the last one and a half years I have enjoyed working with the team and appeared in matters before the Supreme Court, various High Courts and the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal.  I am thoroughly enjoying every moment with people more wonderful than I can imagine and having the best of both, Court work as well as Chamber practice.

    At Khaitan & Co we have the best of cultures and I needn’t stress more but only say that it’s a respectable law firm based on values of fairness, integrity, diligence and responsibility and part of its ambition statement is “Earn we should but with dignity and pleasure.” Wow!

    How important is Indirect Taxation as a subject for law students?

    Sixty percent of all Government revenues at the Centre are from Indirect Taxation. That will give you an indication of how important the subject of Indirect Tax is in today’s environment. Every business, profession or calling today experience challenges and problems with taxation and in particular Indirect Taxation. Indirect Tax is becoming the biggest single cost for most businesses and if they can save a couple of percentages on that, that’ll mean a lot of money to add to their profits.  With the negative list regime under Service Tax, there is hardly any activity that does not involve taxation. Corporates are constantly seeking advice and assistance on issues of taxation, which issues are getting more complicated by the day. Every amendment, even if for the purpose of simplification, poses further issues. As I see it, whichever subject of law that a young lawyer may pursue as a career, a basic understanding of Indirect Taxation is an absolute must.

    Which field of law will you advise law students to pursue?

    Over the years I have met many law students and young lawyers who find the subject of taxation per se boring. To them I say, “It’s all in your head”, which is a fact. Students today have such good opportunities to test what they would be best at and internships are fantastic opportunities to get over these mental blocks. Very often a student may have a special liking towards a certain subject and may have the aptitude and affinity for that subject. The student may also be indifferent or have a dislike towards another subject. This indifference or dislike is mostly due to ignorance and lack of exposure in the right manner to that subject of law. I would say to such a student to not waste his internship opportunity on the subject he knows, he has a liking, aptitude and / or affinity for, but instead use the opportunity to actually intern in a subject that he is wary about. This way he can get a more accurate and correct picture of the subject and can then make a learned decision about his career choice. The different subjects in this field of law are vast and varied. It is only the person himself who needs to decide his choice of subject. It would be rather foolish for anyone else to make this choice for him. I would advise the student, in making this choice, to necessarily have an open mind free from blocks and prejudices caused mainly by lack of knowledge about a subject. His decision will ofcourse be guided by his own likes, dislikes and which will be in line with his character and attitude. And I say that he will be successful in anything he does so long as he has the right mental attitude and is prepared to work diligently an thirdly of course he must enjoy what he does.

    Do you think specialisation is a good thing in today’s professional world?

    It does not matter really whether one specialises or has a general all round practice. What is important though is that you can equally excel in any subject of law that you may choose. I would say that ofcourse today is the age of specialisation whether it is in the medical profession or in our legal profession.  At Khaitan & Co too, which is the best full-service law firm, each area of practice is handled and headed by specialists in that particular area of law.

    I feel that very often, like it happened to me, a young lawyer may not specialise out of choice but may find himself guided into a particular subject and before he knows it, he is branded as  a specialist in that subject. It is that branding that ensures that he gets work only relating to that particular subject of law which further confirms his specialisation.

    How can one gain expertise in Indirect Tax? What does it take to be a good Indirect Tax lawyer?

    Indirect Tax is a subject that is very volatile as well as dynamic. This requires the practitioner to constantly be appraised of the changes happening almost every day. A lazy attitude in this regard will only mean instant death, so to speak. Only his constant updating of knowledge and information and ofcourse repetition can ensure expertise in this field. This I would say will also be true for any other practice area, but it’s more so true for Indirect Tax. The student or young lawyer desiring to take up Indirect Tax as his area of practice must necessarily be prepared to read a lot of material whether it is the constant changes or Government policies or Court decisions.  And remember, there are no free lunches!

    What has been your strategy to deal with errors and mistakes?

    The first step I believe one needs to take to deal with errors and mistakes is to admit and acknowledge them. Unless this happens, one can never go any further.  Once acknowledged, the next step is to understand how and why the mistake happened. This will enable the person to eliminate the cause and consequently future mistakes. Mistakes are a very vital part of the learning process, one must understand that the day you stop making mistakes you stop learning and you stagnate.

    What steps do you take to prepare for a difficult case?

    Preparing for a difficult case is something that I have learnt to enjoy and believe me in this profession and in the subject of Indirect Tax one can get ample opportunities for such enjoyment. To start with one needs to meet the client and listen to him carefully and attentively while he tells you all about his case. This is something where many people lack. Make copious notes and perfectly understand the facts. The next stage would be to study the various provisions of law that are applicable to the facts and then understand and set out precisely what issues arise in the matter. The wheat needs to be separated from the chaff, so to speak. It is only then, after breaking up the entire case into bits and getting to the heart of the issue, that one can start figuring out a solution or answer to the issue. The answer could be either a practical one or found in interpreting the law in a particular manner by application of well-founded principles or a mix of both. The last stage would be to support the submissions by authoritative references or Case Law as applicable.

    What are the preferred legal issues you like to work on? Do you have any hobbies that help you unwind after a long day at work?

    As I said I stopped having any preference for any particular kind of legal issues. What interests me though are issues that have an impact on public at large. I have always said to the tax collector “Tax if you must, but only with the authority that you may have and with the dignity that is expected of you”. In the same breath, I also say to the tax payer “Pay your taxes honestly and avoid if you pay your taxes only within limits a decent citizen would”. There is a fine line between tax avoidance and tax evasion and many a tax avoidance schemes can very well fall within the category of tax evasion. My advice to clients has always been to keep litigation to the minimum.

    All said and done, I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing now at Khaitan & Co, but do really miss what I used to do many years ago in often appearing for NGOs in environmental matters. I do try to pursue my passion for the outdoors with an occasional trek or hike and I always look forward to a long walk in the evenings to help me unwind.

    What are your views about the upcoming GST regime?

    The GST regime is something that has attracted a lot of speculation. I wouldn’t want to add to this. Though I will say that it is a brilliant move in the right direction made by the previous Government and we all eagerly await it’s coming into effect, I don’t see it happen in the near future.  When it does come into effect, it will have many advantages to businesses. However, in the initial years all prices will shoot up considerably and will take considerable time to stabilise. Although there might be provisions for rationalisation of the tax, as I said earlier any change in the law substantive or procedural will bring up a new series of litigation which will continue for several years until settled finally. This may be good news for young lawyers.

    What would be your parting message for your readers?

    Start getting lucky and courageous in your career.

    You might wonder what I am talking about but I do not subscribe to the conventional dictionary meaning of “luck” which is “Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.”  I would think this is an apt definition of “gambling” but not of “luck”.  But I do subscribe to what the great Roman Philosopher Seneca had to say.  He said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Opportunities come by every person in equal amounts but it’s only the one who is prepared and ready for it, who can actually see them and make good use of them. It is he who is “lucky”.  The truth is, we make our own luck and the difference between lucky and unlucky people is their level of preparedness; not only of everything else but most importantly prepared with the right mental attitude.

    Everything is constantly changing; that’s inevitable.  Change will happen whether you like it or not.  Don’t be afraid to make choices.  The wiser thing to do is to model your choices around the change to your advantage or else the change may not be to your liking.

    As far as getting lucky is concerned, start preparing for it by developing the right mental attitude.

    Get up, Get going and Good luck!

     

  • Avaantika Kakkar, Partner, Competition Law, Khaitan & Co., on challenges and landmarks of a career in corporate law

    Avaantika Kakkar, Partner, Competition Law, Khaitan & Co., on challenges and landmarks of a career in corporate law

    Avaantika Kakkar, a 2003 graduate of Indian Law Society’s Law College, Pune, is currently a Partner at Khaitan and CO., heading its Competition and Antitrust Law practice. Soon after graduating, she published her book, “A Perspective on Product Liability Law and Consumer Safety”, and she continues to take active interest in academia, especially if it is linked to Competition Law. In this interview, she tells us about:

    • The passion for indulging in research and how it helps build character;
    • Getting one’s work published;
    • The challenging path to success in a niche area like Competition law;
    • The nature of a corporate job; and
    • The importance of balancing personal and private life (with some great musical recommendations to help students find the crucial balance).

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    Simply, I am Avaantika.

     

    What would you like to share with our readers about your time spent at ILS Pune, both within and beyond the classroom? How did the city itself play a part in your legal education?

    ILS Pune has a fantastic library – that was my favourite hang-out. It’s a college that allows you to be what you want to be and in my time, at least, we had a very supportive and encouraging faculty. We had visiting professors who were practicing lawyers with superb independent reputations, and they allowed us glimpses into what it would be like to practice law.

    One may miss the perpetual ‘internships’  that colleges in other cities offer, but at ILS, the good part is that you have all that time for a real, college life, and you use your vacations for internships and practical exposure.

    About Pune – what can I say? I love the city and keep going back! It accommodates my beautiful Alma Mater, in the heart of the city, with its own scenic hill-side (which students and teachers of the college along with the residents of Pune have to defend against the occasional threats of flyovers and by-pass roads!).

    I lived on what constituted both sides of the city back then – ILS and CAMP area (the cantonment). The city has expanded, and too much has changed, however there is always FTII, MG Road, East Street, Marz-O-Rin and THoaks (Thousand Oaks, for the uninitiated)!

     

    During your time spent there, what, if any, extra-curricular or co-curricular activities did you take up? How did the same affect your learning experience and prepare you for the legal sector?

    Moot courts and debates, of course. But what I enjoyed most was writing – I finished my book on product liability in India while I was in college. Of course, I felt it was ahead of its time and was never the bestseller that I had intended it to be but, yes – writing it, editing it, and finally, getting it published was a great learning curve. This has helped in moulding the writer in me, and I remain deeply involved with the publication initiatives at Khaitan & Co, and I type really fast!

     

    Did you always have a passion for research or was it an acquired taste? What specific experiences or circumstances lead you to write your book on product liability and consumer safety?

    I always had a passion for research – still do.

    I guess I wrote on the subject because, in my naïve-student-mind, I felt that this was a subject on which very little had been written, and I was inspired with all that sparkle in the law of torts.

     

    What advice would you give our readers looking to enter academia and publish their own work?

    It really depends on what you are looking to publish. There are many opportunities now, with online publications for short essays and articles that make it easier than it was. I had managed some publications in international law journals that solicited legal writing by students. There is also self-publishing, whether through e-books or traditional methods (but I would use that after exhausting all other options). Law book publishers are always on the look-out for more subjects and good writing. In fact, they still receive, read and respond to unsolicited manuscripts. Then, there is the Big 6 (or whatever the number is now) and the option of publishing great reference texts or non-fiction through them, but these would have to be extremely meaningful and insightful works that interest the publisher commercially.

     

    How would you say research publications impact one’s understanding of the law and the legal system? Further, how does the same impact one’s employability or desirability to prospective employers?

    Research publications help one dive deep into the subject – you become alert to nuances and learn to articulate your thoughts. I think that ours is a field that will always value clear-thinking individuals who are able to get to the depth of a problem (and also out of it!). Quality publications (or writing) are often an ask of almost every practice, including Khaitan & Co. and Nishith Desai Associates (where I worked for a brief period).

     

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    Given your extensive work with Competition Law in India, what would you like to share with our readers about the same as a relatively newer area of law in India?

    Competition Law is exciting because it’s a developing law in India. We are a nascent jurisdiction and it is great to be so deeply involved in the creation of precedent. The really challenging (and thrilling) aspect of competition law is that it puts you in direct touch with the conduct of, and incentive for, businesses across sectors. It’s a great practice area for lawyers who like research – one aspect of this law is that both the regulator and the practitioners look for precedent from jurisdictions that have been around much longer.

     

    About antitrust and competition law in general, what experiences, internships, or other activates would you say are essential to anyone looking to specialise in this field, during or after law school?

    It helps to have studied the subject extensively (this is true for most practice areas, actually). The challenge is that the subject is not always formally taught in Law Schools so one has to look for online courses or specialised short courses, which are a good start.

    I also think that a background in M&A, general corporate and commercial laws, or litigation experience, goes a long way in making a comfortable transition into this super-specialised field.

     

    How do you see the future of competition law in India as, and what would you advise those looking to enter the same field? To what extent do you see it as a niche area within the general sphere of corporate practise?

    Yes, competition law could be a niche practice, but I think that the general sphere constitutes an overlap of corporate practice (of course) as well as litigation, commercial laws, data protection, and intellectual property laws, at the very least. I actually see the practice of competition law as rather a melting pot of all of these practice areas. Also, it is already becoming a standalone practice across the firms that were first movers in this area and in the future, I see it as a very important constituent of full service law firms. I also see a future for boutique competition law firms – in the more distant future.

     

    When and how did you identify competition and antitrust law as your specialization? How did your career path or trajectory change after that?

    (Avaantika worked earlier at Udwadia & Udeshi in their general corporate advisory, and later moved on to broader corporate and commercial matters at Nishith Desai Associates)

    My varied background and diverse experience with complex corporate structuring, advisory work on the commercial side, transactions on the secondary market, my exposure to listing work as well as going private (delisting transactions) and the time that I spent on structured finance and the contentious matters that I was involved with, have all helped me work as a competition lawyer who has some value add.

    I know that today, there is a strong emphasis on specialisation from the day that students graduate – I think this is an unfortunate development of our times, and I was lucky that I had mentors, great guidance and the opportunity to choose specialisation when I had had at least 6 years of varied experience across practices.

    My career path is largely in line with what one may expect. Competition law allows for intellectual satisfaction and deep academic fulfilment.

     

    What would you like to share with our readers about the general work environment and the demanding nature of a corporate sector job?

    (As a partner at Khaitan & Co Avaantika has led multiple mergers and acquisitions, and acted as an advisor on many transactions and joint ventures, etc.)

    It’s the same everywhere, really. I don’t know of any job that does not demand a deep mental and physical commitment from you. It helps if you let this great profession define who you are. At some level, it impacts who you are as a person, which is not always a bad thing.

    Take some time off, read, get some exercise (or, watch a movie!), spend time with your family, but be equally focussed and committed to your profession.

    I haven’t really found the answer to how one copes with the demanding nature of a job – the truth is, you just have to find balance whenever you can, and it isn’t a very precise scale that you weigh your experiences on!

    It is obviously great to cultivate hobbies and have interests outside of work but there will be days, in fact, weeks and sometimes a few months, when it will be maddening! This is also where the organisation that you work with comes into play – do they care?

     

    What would you like to say about the trade off, if any, between a personal life outside the office and effort required to make it as an advocate?

    Law is a bad wife. But, she makes a good mistress, right? You have to be there for her!

    The law, the practice of medicine and at least a few other jobs (rather professions), do require us to be on our toes, work hard, work smart and do what it takes to stay relevant. This is a constant, unending process (I am sure most senior, successful doctors and lawyers would vouch for this).

    It helps to surround yourself with family (and friends) that support your passion and your ambition – this is often tougher than finding balance at work (because we don’t always get to choose our families!).

    Having said this – prioritise your work. Prioritise your life. I don’t think that we can lead a life without regrets, but regret is an avoidable circumstance! Some things are pretty obvious – I, for instance, would take no pride in describing how I missed out on important moments in my life or with my family. But, at the same time I take great pride in my work and am unapologetic about its excruciating demands – my work defines who I am – this is who I hold myself out to be – there is therefore, no scope for any misrepresentations!

     

    Finally, what would be your parting message for our readers, most of whom are law students and young lawyers?

    Work hard, work smart – most of all, enjoy what you do. Give in to the effort that it requires, don’t feel sorry for yourself and try not to take yourself too seriously.

    I love advising students to read (possibly listen to) Baz Lurhmann’s words. Also, listen to The Gambler by Kenny Rogers – let it play in your head and guide you as you make the choices that will come to define you, as an individual and as a professional.

  • Aditya Shamlal, Partner, GameChanger Law Advisors, on career experience in Sports Law

    Aditya Shamlal, Partner, GameChanger Law Advisors, on career experience in Sports Law

    Aditya Shamlal graduated from the National Law School India University in 2008. He has worked as an Associate at Amarchand Mangaldas and thereafter at the Chambers of Raj Panwani. He is at present a Senior Consultant at GameChanger Sports Ventures, a Partner at GameChanger Law Advisors and Managing Editor at gamechangerindia.com. In this interview he shares his insights on:

    • Choosing law as a profession
    • His time at NLSIU
    • Working at GameChanger, India
    • Experience in Sports Law

     

    How would you like introduce yourself to our readers who are mostly law aspirants, law students and young lawyers?

    I am a graduate of NLSIU, Bangalore, Batch of 2008. I have, during my 7 plus years since graduation, gained experience and worked in various practice areas within the legal industry, such as corporate and commercial law, environmental law, technology law, sports law and dispute resolution. I am an avid sports enthusiast and do regular research and writing within the sports law domain.

     

    Did you always want to be a lawyer? Did you have lawyers in your family or among relatives who motivated you to pursue law?

    As a child or even till I was 14-15 I never really thought much about a career and I don’t think I was particularly ambitious either. I was quite content with playing sports with my friends, playing video games and studying when required to. The first profession I seriously thought of was law.

    However, I did not have any lawyers in my family or even among distant relatives. No one in my family really knew what being a lawyer meant. I first discussed this with my family in 2001-2002 and their only idea of a lawyer (and consequently mine) was an advocate who practiced in the courts.

     

    What inclined you towards the field of legal education? Can you recall any specific incident that made you choose law as a career?

    My favourite subjects in school were English and Social Studies. Our civics course had chapters on the Constitution of India and that first got me interested in the ‘law’. By the time I was 14-15 years old, I had displayed a higher aptitude for English, History, Political Science and Economics over Math and Science. My school at that point of time did not offer arts courses as an option for the 12th Board examination. I was left only with the options of commerce or science and chose science to ‘keep my options open’.

    Sometime in 2002, my English teacher, who herself was an LLB graduate from Delhi University, suggested I consider law as a possible career option, as she felt I had an aptitude for it. This got me thinking about law seriously, and after doing a bit of research on the options available and the exams to be written, I decided to go ahead and write the legal entrance exams.

     

    How would you describe your experience as a student at NLSIU? How instrumental was NLSIU in shaping up your legal career?

    NLSIU was a great place to study law. While NLSIU, like every other institution in India, has its own problems and issues, those 5 years completely changed the direction of my life.

    I believe NLSIU has been extremely instrumental in shaping the legal career of almost all its graduates and the NLSIU alumni community is now understanding that, and consequently are more invested in the institution than before. NLSIU has churned out leaders in advocacy, law firms, companies, public policy institutions, academia, social work and quite recently in entrepreneurship as well. This would not have been possible without the institution providing a conducive atmosphere for learning. In addition, the institution has also provided us with other building blocks (such as exposure to so many different situations, the ability to build powerful networks, development of communication skills etc.) that have stood us in good stead way after our graduation. Therefore, there is much reason to be grateful to NLSIU!

     

    What were your areas of interest during your graduation? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas?

    Economics, Company Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Law were the courses I enjoyed the most during college, I would be lying if I said I went around developing any sort of expertise in these areas during my college days, apart from during internships, which necessitated doing reasonably in-depth research with respect to real world circumstances and scenarios.

    Most of my extra-curricular activities were centred around sports whether it organisationally or in the form of participation. I played basketball briefly for the university team, and otherwise participated yearly in inter-batch sports activities like basketball, football, tennis and table tennis. I was also on the sports committee for a year.

     

    Tell us about the internships you pursued when at law school. What kind of work did you get to do during internships? Did law school equip you enough for internships?

    I did mostly litigation internships with NLSIU Alums in the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court for my first 3 years in law school. In my 4th and 5th years I did more corporate internships by interning at law firms and at banks. The education at law school, whether relevant or not specifically with respect to subject matter, in general armed me with the tools I needed to tackle any legal problem thrown at me during my internships.

     

    Right after graduation you joined as an Associate in the New Delhi offices of Amarchand Mangaldas. Tell our readers what was your work profile at this Law firm? What did an average day of work look like?

    I joined the erstwhile AMSS, Delhi in 2008 and worked there for a period of 2 years. As a fresh graduate in a large law firm it is sometimes tough to hit the ground running. Often you were put in a practice area you did not understand and it can be quite a challenge coming to grips with the major legal issues and nuances of a particular practice area.

    As a junior resource you work profile includes doing all of the ground work in the form of research; preparing first drafts of opinions, legal memos and agreements; conducting due diligence exercises; maintaining files, taking minutes at meetings, assisting your immediate reporting senior associate or your partner in whatever way possible. An average day in Amarchand is quite hectic, you are almost always occupied with most of the tasks I have already mentioned.

     

    Please tell our readers what was the procedure you followed for your applications to the big law firms?

    We had a robust recruitment committee during my years in law school, and the big law firms, both Indian and from the UK, were recruiting actively from NLSIU. We routed our job applications through our recruitment committee and some students had already landed jobs through pre-placement offers on the basis of internships.

     

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    You have further worked in litigation for about 2 years. Kindly in brief share these experiences with our readers.

    After walking into NLSIU in 2003, joining a litigation practice in 2010, was my biggest eye opener. During my time at AMSS, I had the opportunity to work on all kinds of projects, but due to the way large corporate firms are structured, my client or ‘real world’ exposure was fairly limited and junior resources in large firms are generally sheltered and insulated from the big bad world.

    Juniors in Litigation, especially outside of the larger firms, have no such protection afforded to them. You are quite literally thrown into the deep end, whether it is drafting, or filing a suit or petition, sitting in client meetings and gleaning facts from your clients, sitting with senior lawyers and briefing them. In litigation, every one of your skills is tested thoroughly. Whether it is the hard legal skills of drafting or research or soft skills in managing client expectations and dealing with the registry, all your work and life experience will come into play when working in litigation and therefore, to me at least, it was one of the more challenging experiences of my life.

     

    Take our readers through this wonderful transition and journey you have experienced and kindly share your legal insights in sports issues.

    (Thereafter Aditya joined GameChanger Law Advisors as a Senior Consultant and as the Managing Editor of gamechangerindia.com and finally became Partner of GameChanger Law Advisors.)

    GameChanger Law Advisors (a legal advisory practice) and GameChanger Sports Ventures (a consultancy and online web magazine on the business of sport) was founded by Amrut Joshi (NLSIU, Batch of 2003) in the year 2011. I was always interested in sports law and sports businesses and most of my friends knew of that interest. I was put in touch with Amrut through a common friend and I wound up joining both the law firm and the consultancy in 2012. Initially, it was just the two of us in the law practice.

    GameChanger Sports Ventures was conceptualized as a sports business consulting firm to provide niche consulting services to the sports industry (such as sponsorship consulting, social media marketing, and other advisory services). While Amrut and I were responsible for shaping the content platform i.e. gamechangerindia.com, Prantik Mazumdar (who is a reputed digital marketing consultant in Singapore) was leading the execution of all consulting assignments.

    The idea was to bootstrap the sports consulting venture with revenues earned from a pure play law practice (i.e. from GameChanger Law Advisors) and from a social media consulting practice (in Prantik’s case). We straddled our corporate and commercial law practice with GameChanger Sports Ventures’ work for the first few years. However, due to Amrut’s and my legal experience, the law practice continued to get stronger (as a result of a strong startup ecosystem in both Bangalore and New Delhi), and we eventually pivoted to a model where we were exclusively focusing on pure-play legal services, which included assisting clients on Angel/VC investment transactions, technology licensing transactions, commercial contracting, sports law and employment law advisory All the while, we have continued to retain our focus on servicing clients in the startup and sports industries.

     

    Please tell our readers about GameChanger Law Advisors, its area of operations, services offered. What was the thought process behind joining GameChanger Law Advisors?

    GameChanger Law Advisors, is a boutique commercial law practice that is focused on servicing clients in the Startup, Sports and SME ecosystem. We currently have full-fledged offices in Bangalore and New Delhi. Our core areas of practice are:

    • Corporate and Commercial Law Advisory;
    • Employment Law Advisory;
    • Angel and Venture Capital Investments;
    • Mergers and Acquisitions;
    • A specialised practice supporting the Technology and Media industries; and
    • A specialised practice supporting the Sports Industry.

    The thought process behind joining GameChanger Law Advisors was that I wanted to work in industry areas in which I am interested. In addition, I had a unique opportunity to build a law practice that is modern, contextual and meritocratic in its outlook. The decision was borne out of that interest, it was an instinctive decision taken after weighing all the pros and cons of leaving an established practice area and attempting to develop and carve out a niche for ourselves.

    Company Law applies equally to any company irrespective of the industry it does business in. Our value addition as corporate and commercial legal counsel stems from the fact that we strive to obtain a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses and their commercial considerations and pinpoints, while rendering our services. The fact that Amrut and I were able to obtain a substantial amount of first-hand non-legal business experience also helps us when we share our experiences with Founders of startups now. As much as it is a cliché, we believe that we will only be successful and relevant to our clients if we provide advice that is practical and not merely by reading to them the plain letter of the law. .

     

    How did your interest grow towards sports law as this an area less travelled by corporate lawyers?

    I used to watch and play quite a few sports growing up. Watching and reading about sports like Football and Basketball got me thinking about how sports are a reasonably structured business in the West. Sports as a business in India was only unlocked in the early 90’s with lucrative TV deals for cricket broadcast and sky high endorsements for Sachin Tendulkar. Even as recently as the early part of the last decade, sports business in India was equated with just cricket. Since then however, the business of sport in India has evolved gradually. The last few years has seen the advent of leagues in sports such as Football, Kabaddi, Hockey, Badminton and Tennis. These leagues are now spawning a professional ecosystem, which comprises not just the players but also other stakeholders such as sponsors, franchise owners, broadcasters, infrastructure providers, coaches, medical staff, player agents etc.

    The growth of this ecosystem has also gradually increased the demand for specialised legal services to support different stakeholders in the sports industry. Sports Law, in our view, is “applied law”, and is a discipline that requires a good working knowledge of several other bodies of law such as contract law, constitutional law, administrative law, intellectual property law and company law. You cannot be a good sports lawyer unless you are a good lawyer!

     

    How is the work life at GameChanger Law Advisors and how do you maintain the work and family life balance?

    We strive hard to maintain a work-life balance at GameChanger. However being a young firm, with a growing client base, work-life balance is sometimes a luxury that we cannot afford. Those situations notwithstanding, we try to make sure that we don’t unnecessarily keep long hours. We try and make sure that the entire team gets a complete break on Saturdays and Sundays so that we are fresh and ready to deal with new challenges at the beginning of every week! Being a small team, we are also flexible with leave and holiday requests- the team tries its best to cover up for any person who is on leave/vacation, so that the vacation/leave can be used for its actually intended purpose! Having said that, if there are unavoidable situations at work, which require us to be available for clients at late hours or on weekends, our team members are game to accept such challenges too!

     

    You have various publications on sports law to your credit. Kindly share your experience with young readers and how your interest was drawn to this field.

    Publications are something which I didn’t really take to seriously in Law School. I didn’t attach to much importance to it at that point of time as I viewed it as an exercise which requires too much effort for no tangible result. Only once I started working did I realise the value in writing. Legal writing truly hones your theoretical skill and grasp over the subject at hand. In addition, it helps you to express your views, strive towards paying attention to detail and reach a target audience that is relevant to your practice. As a firm, GameChanger Law Advisors puts a lot of emphasis on legal writing, not just in the field of sports law, but also other areas of law such as corporate law, administrative law, employment law and contract law.

    If I have any advice for a young law student, it would be to use the opportunities during college life to get published as much as possible. If a subject interests you, write about various topics that are current and relevant to the legal debates of the day. It is an extremely handy skill-set to have and something which in my view will never go to waste.

     

    Do you have any plans to pursue higher education in the future specially in sports laws?

    No current plans to pursue higher education, in sports law or otherwise, though I would love to do a sports law related LL.M so I would not rule that out for the future if the opportunity ever presents itself.

     

  • Abhijit Joshi, Founding Partner, Veritas Legal, Ex-AZB Senior Partner on starting up with Veritas

    Abhijit Joshi, Founding Partner, Veritas Legal, Ex-AZB Senior Partner on starting up with Veritas

    Abhijit Joshi is a founding partner of Veritas Legal, Advocates and Solicitors, and is also a qualified member of the Law Society of England and Wales. Abhijit graduated in Commerce and qualified in law from Mumbai University. Over the course of his career he has worked at Amarchand Mangaldas, Dua Associates and AZB Partners. In this interview he talks to us about:

    • How he selected law and his early career.
    • Criteria for selection of associates while recruiting.
    • His formative years as a lawyer and his time at Amarchand and AZB.
    • Veritas Legal and its rapid expansion as well as advice for our readers.

     

    How did you decide to pursue law as a career option? Were there other lawyers in your family?

    My father passed away very young and what is not untypical of Indian families all our properties went into disputes. As a result at a very young age (school days) unfortunately I had to interact with lawyers along with my mother. It probably had a counter effect, i.e. me not wanting to take up law! So while I studied law, I never intended to become a lawyer. After trying my hand at a few things, I realized that the unplanned training I got during my childhood, had probably made me more attuned towards the profession and ultimately I decided to pursue it as a career. There is no one in my family who was ever a lawyer and I was told that this might be a serious impediment. Needless to say, I realized that if you have merit and are willing to work hard, there are no real impediments.

     

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    Tell us about your schooling and college life before you graduated. Any fond memories or anecdotes that spring to mind that you would like to share with us?

    School days were great, but at the age of nine I lost one of my parents. It had an effect, but I coped well. I then went to Sydenham College for Commerce which was then a premier institution. There are lots of fond memories. I excelled at academics, I excelled at extra-curricular activities, I became the youngest chairperson of the Students Union. I found the love of my life, my wife. I probably learnt my early lessons on the importance of networking at the college.

     

    Were you always interested in corporate work? Did you have other areas of law that interested you? How did you ultimately choose your field of work?

    Corporate work has a buzz and I guess a lot of young minds would like to be associated with it. Even today, I see the same trend. I had planned nothing. I had applied to Mr. R. A. Shah at Crawford Bayley as he was the pioneer of international corporate work in those days. I was not accepted. I applied at AmarchandMangaldas and they were kind enough to take a risk on me. There were 5 to 6 lawyers in their Mumbai office in those days other than the family. I quickly realized that destiny had made the right choice for me.Amarchand was at the cutting edge of India’s economic evolution and I got to work on many of the firsts. For example, the first Euro issue, the first Cola war , etc. The firm’s orientation was towards corporate law and I eventually got interested in it and continue even today.

     

    How important is CGPA for a law student? While hiring, are you primarily looking at the academic record of the candidate or other areas like extra-curricular activities too?

    This is a good question. When you are judging a candidate by her resume, academics is going to form a lopsided part of consideration. However, I believe that in addition to academics other aspects of the personality of the candidate is what will give him/her the winning edge. I would assume that everyone is going to be hardworking, but it is important to know who has the “spark”. Personal interviews go a long way in getting a “gut” on the candidate. After having recruited for many, many years, it somehow comes to you within the first 5 minutes of the interview whether there is potential or not. But often this has not been fair to the candidate and this has to be validated by more scrutiny. For example, when you see extra-curricular activities, you see whether the candidate has all-round development. I would typically see what games the candidate has played. Is he a cricketer or is he a tennis player? In other words has he/she excelled at team games or individual games, is he/she a team player or a solo player.These are only aides, but I would admit that in a situation where there is not much to judge from, academics will have a very heavy weightage.

     

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    You started your career at Amarchand Mangaldas and moved on to Dua before joining AZB. How did your initial years in practice shape your outlook?

    My initial years shaped me. My senior Mr. Cyril Shroff has left a deep impression on my work and my style of work as that is what I observed very keenly and closely during my formative years.I remember he once told me to never close the right side of a chart when you are developing options because mentally when you close it, you will feel there are no other options and you will start thinking within the box. He taught me how sound knowledge of law needs to be applied with innovation in thinking. The initial years have left an imprint on me.

     

    You have been associated with AZB for a number of years – you started as one of their first partners before being made CEO of AZB. How do you look back on your time at AZB?

    AZB holds a special place in my life and career. I got to observe another giant, Zia Mody. Both at Amarchand and AZB , I was around in their initial days of evolution and therefore I had the privilege of working very closely with both Mr. Cyril Shroff and Ms. Zia Mody. We were around 11 to 15 people when I joined AZB (then known as CZM) and the sheer joy of growth and the adrenaline was unparalleled. Working with Zia and Bahram was delightful as not onlywere they good lawyers, but also great human beings. I look at AZB very fondly. It has shaped me.

     

    Less than a year ago, you left a comfortable job to start out on your own at Veritas Legal. What prompted this move and what role do you envisage for yourself at Veritas Legal?

    I can only quote Robert Frost as an answer to this question. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.” I guess I enjoy the growth phase. I enjoy constructing. Both at Amarchand and AZB, I really enjoyed that portion of the journey. In the last decade of my career I guess I wanted to venture out and feel the excitement once again. My decision has nothing to do with any grievances about the past.It was all about the possibilities of the future. My role at Veritas Legal is dynamic at this stage. However, I do not intend to be around forever. Keeping this in mind, I did not use my name or surname in the firm name.This should never be an issue for senior talent aggregation. We have got very experienced resources. In time, I am sure they will step up and I will ease out. But before that, I would like to implement a lot of what I have learnt- what should be done and equally what should not be done. There are a lot of ideas that float in my mind. A lot of initiatives that I could not take up earlier. I intend to live each one of them. I see cultural integrity as a core part of the value system. I see value systems as the only cohesion at work place. I see that only these values will allow resources to flourish and bring excellence at their work. I hope that these will stay central to our growth and we will make all endeavors to see that these are not compromised at the altar of growth or success.

     

    How did large corporate deals come your way and what do you feel for your firm’s success?

    (In its relatively short period in existence, Veritas Legal has already completed around 27 transactions in the field of M&A and private equity. These include transactions for Recipharm in the acquisition of Nitin Lifesciences which is the second largest deal in India in the injectable space and Evonik acquisition of Monarch Catalyst.)

    We have more than 200 filings in various judicial fora. These have come from various sources and from all directions. I am more than pleased at the firm’s performance in the first year. But I take cognizance that the 2nd year will be more challenging than the first. We are determined to work hard and stay focused on our beliefs and hopefully better times will follow.

     

    Do you think the firm might perhaps be growing too fast or is hiring based on the amount of work you have to handle?

    (From having started with just two members, the firm has grown in strength to over 35 people with 25 lawyers in such a short period of time.)

    Yes, I think we have grown faster than we would have liked. However, we have not gone out and recruited anyone. The resources have been referred to us and we have recruited selectively. As matters kept coming, we kept increasing our strength to ensure that there is no burn in the system. Therefore, the growth is more a reflection of the thrust of the economy as opposed to a planned one. In fact, we have no numbers in mind. We have only quality in mind and whatever number is necessary to support the quality will be achieved.

     

    What do you expect from first year associates or interns from law school who wish to work for your firm?

    I do not have any eligibility criteria for interns. How do I put criteria on a student who is himself/herself discovering life? There are only basic attributes of hard work and inquisition. I love working with curious minds. I guess this is inherent and if the resource has it, it will show.

     

    Where do you see yourself and your firm ten years from now?

    Ten years is a long time. However, I hope that we are known for the job we do. We do not necessarily need to do everything, we do not necessarily have to be a size, but we necessarily have to be a happy place to work in and we necessarily have to be excellent at our work. I have a journey in mind with these values. The destination will reveal itself in good time.

     

    You are a member of the Law Society of England & Wales and qualified as a solicitor in England. How does one qualify as a solicitor in England and what advantages do you think it poses?

    Degree as such has a limited value. The knowledge you derive in gaining the degree is invaluable. Having a solicitor’s degree from England to my mind has limited value if you are practicing in India. It is not a “must have”, it is “good to have”.

     

    Finally, what is your parting advice for our readers?

    When I started my career, someone gave me a quote which went as under “Don’t learn the tricks of the trade – learn the trade”.I do not think that I can summarize my advice any better.

  • Yashasvi Nain, Hans Wilsdorf Scholar at Geneva Academy, on working in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

    Yashasvi Nain, Hans Wilsdorf Scholar at Geneva Academy, on working in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

    Yashasvi Nain graduated from the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab in 2013 and went on to do an LL.M from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law & Human Rights. He is also a recipient of the Hans Wilsdorf scholarship and has worked extensively with the UN on various projects and in different capacities. Currently he is working on a UNHCR project to do with statelessness and a few other projects still in their developing stages. In this interview he talks to us about:

    • Choosing Human Rights as an area of specialization
    • His various internships and experiences ranging from working at the Supreme Court to AALCO to the UN
    • His time at the Geneva Academy and how he received the Hans Wilsdorf scholarship
    • Working at the Universal Centre of Human Rights (London), the UNHCR and the UNHRC
    • Advice for readers contemplating commencing a career in the UN

     

    Please introduce yourself to our readers. Which factors do you believe shaped your decision to pursue law?

    I belong to Jaipur, Rajasthan. I am a lawyer, specializing in the field of public international law.

    Like any other city in India, in Jaipur, one can start early on their chosen field, which is mostly medicine or engineering. So, I started preparing for medico entrance examinations. I agree I was doing that half-heartedly, but then, my father who is an advocate told me about CLAT and related avenues. Out of all of them, I found that Human Rights requires much work to be done by a lawyer. I have always wanted to spread awareness about these basic rights in society and this was the prime reason why I chose law.

    Eventually, I did my B.A., LL. B (Hons.) from Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab. That was followed by LL.M from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law & Human Rights which is a joint center of the Graduate Institute and University of Geneva.

    Currently I am working on a UNHCR project which deals with the issue of statelessness.

     

    You have had some very unconventional internships through your law school years with prestigious organizations. Could you share your experiences there?

    Well, after doing internship with law firms in the first two years of law school, I realized that this is not the kind of work I would like to do in long run. In fact, I enjoyed working in my dad’s office during vacations, more. It is about what you find challenging as a budding lawyer and pursuing that when you intern. That’s why I opted for options other than a law firm.

    I worked as a law trainee to a Supreme Court judge. I got this traineeship though my university. It was the first time I got to learn from the other side of the bar i.e. from the bench. The work was good – mostly attending court proceedings, preparing the briefs for the Hon’ble Judge. It was nice sometimes to have discussions with the Judge and to get to know his point of view.

    I also worked with ICRC and it was a great experience. This was the place where I actually got the first taste of working in an international organization. Especially with a multinational and a multi-cultural team. It was really fun, and I learned a lot, and it influenced my career. I was given independence to do my assigned work and was even appreciated by the supervisor at every good task. The feedback at such organizations is prompt and you learn so much. As an intern, I realized how positive you feel when you get appreciated and acknowledged for your work. It encourages you at the right stage of your life and you get the confidence to take on bigger tasks.

    I also interned with AALCO, which was also an International organization. Here, I got the chance to attend various international seminars and conferences organized by AALCO. It was very useful from the knowledge point of view and I actually got to know various national and international law issues in depth. After that I researched with various scholars, Embassies and International organizations.

    All these internships and work experiences helped me stay comfortable while working with OHCHR at Geneva. Though I was impressed by the work culture there. From juniors, to the most senior person there, all work like a team if they are working on a project. It has a very wide variety of work like declaration drafting, followed by negotiations and being a part of the working groups.

     

    When did you decide to create for yourself a career in Human Rights law?

    As I said, my father was the first person to counsel me about the role law can play in realizing the most basic rights in society.  And during college as well, I was always fascinated by Public International Law and not just Human Rights specifically. My friends Rishab and Arnab shared this view. I remember we asked the authorities so much to start an international law specialization group in my University, because we didn’t get a sufficient number of students to start the specialization.

    During my 4th year of law school I chose to intern with ICRC. I loved the work and that motivated me more, to work in International Humanitarian Law. After that I got chances to work on International Criminal Law, Peacekeeping Operations, International Refugee Law, Internally Displaced Persons, migration in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law, in various capacities.

    My future internships were directed towards specializing in international law thereon. During my final year of law I got an offer letter for an LLM course from Geneva Academy (known for its LLM in IHL & Human Rights) and MIDS (known for its LLM in dispute settlement). It was a tough call but I ended up accepting Geneva Academy’s offer. All my experiences during my internships, whether they were related to work culture or the kind of work, helped me make up my mind to pursue international law.

    At this stage as well as earlier, I do what I like doing the most and am not swayed by any other factors whether economic returns or what others are doing. This is the sole motto that gives me work satisfaction.

     

    Can you tell us about Human Dignity International?

    I give the entire credit to Late Prof. (Dr.) S.R.S. Bedi. Under his guidance RGNUL started a specialization in international law. Unfortunately he passed away some time before my graduation, but in order to continue his vision and idea of human dignity, I started this organization. It mainly focuses on research in the field of international law and on letting students know about the importance of international law. This is done by giving them opportunities through various research projects. I also got good inputs on this one, by many professors and international law experts around the world, who agreed to be part of it in various capacities.

     

    What shaped your decision to create a career in Human Rights? How did you go about the application process?

    (Yashasvi went on to pursue an LL.M in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights from the prestigious Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law & Human Rights, Geneva.)

    As I mentioned earlier, I interned in various capacities in order to find out where my actual interest lay.  I was not quite attracted to the work in law firms. I wanted a multi- faceted work front which dealt with international law.

    I started working on my application almost a year before graduation. It is very crucial that you write a good application and get recommendations from persons who know you and your work potential. I appreciate my friends who reviewed my SOPs and helped me replicate what I actually felt. Both these factors go into any good application. In general the application process for Geneva Academy is not very technical. There is no application fee. You have to do everything online. You need your transcripts, recommendation letters, SOP and a motivation letter. Another thing which, makes the application process strict is that you need to choose if you want to apply with a scholarship or without a scholarship. If you chose the former then you will not be eligible for the latter. So you really have to make up your mind.

     

    Please enlighten us on how to get a full scholarship like you did from the Hans- Wilsdorf foundation.

    Well that was something I never expected in my life. I got the offer letter on the night of my farewell when I returned to the hostel. When I saw the email, I couldn’t believe it. I asked my friends who were standing next to me to confirm so that I could actually believe it was true. For the Hans-Wilsdorf scholarship, applications are considered in their entirety, including transcripts, extracurricular and voluntary activities, work experience, personal background, letters of recommendation, the personal statement and language skills. Through individual considerations, the Admission Committee seeks not only to identify individual characteristics that are important to academic success in the programme, but also other qualities that promote diversity and excellence in the student body.

    I personally think there are three things which play an important role in getting a scholarship offer. First, academics and your efforts (through internships, publications) to pursue your interest, that is in the area where you are planning to apply for your LL.M. Second, your statement of purpose (SOP) that shows what is the real motivation behind your application. Third, extracurricular activities, that is you have to show that you are not just good in academics but do have an overall personality, you can highlight your leadership qualities, sports achievements, or if you have achieved something while pursuing your hobbies.

     

    What are the ways your year at the Geneva Academy has helped you?

    I would say Geneva Academy as well as the city of Geneva itself helped me a lot in developing professionalism. Let me first tell you about the Academy. The first year at the Academy was extremely stressful though it helped me to understand the basics of various international law subjects not just in theory but also in practice. The Academy prepares you to work in all international organizations, and international courts and tribunals …etc. (for instance, in exams they give you a role of prosecutor or defense lawyer and ask you to give legal arguments). Practical and professionalizing activities in leading international agencies make the course more intense. The faculty at the Academy is the best in their field. It was a good experience to be taught by  professors whose books I used to refer to during moot courts.

    On the other hand Geneva also helped me a lot to improve my interpersonal skills. It’s an amazing city with the UN and international organizations, with easy access to them. Year round there are seminars, talks and conferences organized by various UN Missions or Organizations. This also helped me to stay up to date with contemporary issues.

     

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    You are also a Fellow at the Universal Centre of Human Rights (London). Please describe your role there and how the experience is for you.

    It’s more academic but I like it because it helps me to stay connected to the contemporary issues of international law around the world. Fellows are supposed to be reviewing existing literature and prepare a monograph discussing the major problems and possible solutions to the problem.

     

    You worked at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva. Please describe to us your role there. How did you get placed?

    I would say Geneva Academy played a major role by equipping me with a strong master and by providing a platform to meet people. I was guided by my professor to work with OHCHR. OHCHR gave me so many opportunities to learn and work on various issues ranging from migrant smuggling and health and Human Rights to early warning indicators. It also gave me an opportunity to work as a member of the Secretariat responsible for organizing open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) transnational corporations, business and Human Rights. Also members of the Secretariat organized the2nd OEWG on the draft declaration on the rights of peasants. Other tasks ranged from preparing the final note of the panel on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Human Rights Council 28thSession; preparing background papers for various initiatives and mandates of OHCHR and preparing the report to be submitted to the General Assembly on cultural diversity.

     

    It is considered extremely difficult to get into the UN. What are the ways to ensure one stands out and gets noticed?

    Definitely! It is crazy competition out there. Especially for us Indians in the sense that I have observed that Indian students have a great CV but it’s very difficult to break the ice because of the lack of approach.

    I think the easier way is to get close to the system, usually by way of doing an LLM or PhD or by doing an internship with them. Once you get in touch with some employees there, then at least you might get exact advice on where to search for openings and gather requisite skills for those. They are very forthcoming in guiding their internees.

    I would like to highlight that since Geneva or New York are expensive cities and most of the UN internships are unpaid, students are not motivated to apply for those internships. But I am telling you there are many positions which are paid, just need to do little bit of research on what suits you best.

    Another hurdle for us is the language barrier. If I talk about Geneva they prefer French along with the English language. So I suggest learning French or Spanish – you need not be proficient, but it will be a deciding factor in cracking the entry to the UN.

     

    How was your experience with the field research on UNHCR’s project? How is it different than the work at headquarters?

    I was always told by my mentors as well supervisors at the UN that you should never work at headquarters at the beginning stage, it’s always better to get field experience which will actually help in the future and with growth in your career.

    I personally felt the difference during UN conferences and discussions, where opinions or points raised by officers present in the field are so much more practical. So when I got a chance to work on field work, I was quite excited about it.

    It’s a totally different experience, where you go and do ground work and talk to grass root level organizations and with the stateless refugees themselves. It gives you a feeling that you are actually doing something meaningful. It was a great learning experience of how day to day bureaucracy and government works. At the same time it’s challenging also because many a times people don’t want to share their views and information.

     

    What do you have planned in the future?

    International law is a vast field with infinite opportunities but at the same time you can’t plan it. However, research projects are my constant engagement. I have some enterprises that are in the pipeline, on which we have been working for quite a time now. I can only talk about them once they are floated.

     

    How has Human Rights law evolved over the past few decades? Where do you see its significance in the future?

    Human rights were always the most basic rights. But in terms of decadal growth, there has been progress on giving them a legal form and building up mechanisms for better enforcement. We have witnessed in the last few years that the judiciary world over has widened the scope and ambit of Human Rights protection. LGBT rights, right to privacy, limitation to the use of force against civilians, right to land, housing, education etc. are now a reality.

    Unlike old times Human Rights are no more just soft laws. Human rights treaties and customary law are as ‘hard’ as any other law.  Though there is an evolution of challenges at the same time in societies going through transition phases. We see, the right to life being viciously violated in Syria. And even now, the right to food, education, health care and adequate housing are yet to be safeguarded.

     

    What would you say to some of our readers who contemplate making a career in the field of Human Rights?

    I would say that it is an adventure in itself. You know where you start but you don’t know where you will end. You meet a lot of interesting people, and get opportunities to travel around the world. But you need to have a deep conviction that what you are doing is the right thing. On my journey till now I have met some amazing people who work for humanity and are passionate about their work.

    The downside is, you might not get a high salary in the beginning (you might end up doing an unpaid internship while your mates are getting paid internships in law firms. I am sure that will demotivate you at times!!) You also might get short missions, so if you want to settle down in a place you like, it is a bit difficult.

    I would say just write to people who are in the field. Write a random email – you have nothing to lose. Ask them for guidance. Clear your doubts and march forward.  I believe in the inspiring words of one of my mentors who is in the foreign services – “Just dream, the rest will come at its own pace; you are a movie observer and your job is to enjoy the show”.

  • Akshay Saxena, Associate, Seth Associates and Legal Consultants, on law school experience at IMS Noida

    Akshay Saxena, Associate, Seth Associates and Legal Consultants, on law school experience at IMS Noida

    Akshay Saxena graduated from IMS Law College, Noida in 2015. Presently, he is an Associate at Seth Associates & Legal Consultants, Noida.

     In this interview he talks to us about:

    • His experience at IMS Law College.
    • His remarkable experiences during the internships.
    • A few tips on managing high grades.
    • Status of cyber crime in present scenario.

    Given that most of our readers belong to legal fraternity, how would you introduce yourself to them?

    Hello to all the readers & viewers, I am Akshay Saxena.  I graduated from IMS Law college, Noida in 2015 and I am an Associate at Seth Associates & Legal Consultants, Noida.

    What motivated you to choose law as a career?

    My Father is a lawyer and he is my Idol from the very first day. He did not put pressure on me to pursue anything. He set me free to choose whatever I wanted to do.  I used to admire my father and his work, his skills and secondly I had no other plans after my 12th in my mind. I wanted to make my career in law so I started preparing for CLAT but eventually I couldn’t score much and as I did not want to waste my year so I took admission in IMS Law College.

    How was your experience at IMS Law College? What were your hobbies during your tenure in law school?

    First of all being a Non- NLU student it is very difficult to survive in the legal fraternity. I was a Non – NLU student and it was difficult for me to stabilize myself in this field. But I was aware from the fact that if I work hard and if I keep going without losing hope I will definitely achieve what I want. And coming back to the experience in my College, I used to be the student who was full of energy and was very active and quite known among the faculty. I started participating in debates, seminars, workshops etc. My hobbies were playing cricket and Pool/Snooker. I had a huge friend circle in my college and I used to spend my time with my friends.

    What were your areas of interest during your graduation? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas?

    During my graduation I was very much fond of studying Arbitration & Conciliation, Indian Penal Code, Contract, Intellectual Property Rights. I started studying more and more about the core law subjects like Crpc, CPC, Evidence and IPR. When I started reading Arbitration & conciliation somehow I started developing interest in that area and used to study articles related to that. And then in the next semester I had the subject IPR after which I decided to focus on IPR and build my career as an IP lawyer preferably. I used to read books and articles on IPR and started gathering knowledge about this area. Talking about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas came when I realized that it is high time now for me get serious about my career and when I had to choose one area I chose IPR and Cyber.

    What are your thoughts on activities like mooting and debating? What skills do law students acquire by engaging themselves in such activities?

    Mooting and debating are the best platform for a young talent to show their skills in front of many people. Mooting is an experience of a lifetime. One gets immense exposure and experience about the court proceedings. I remember the day when I first started preparing for my first Moot which was “XI All Delhi-NCR Moot Court Competition 2013” in Delhi University, I was very much tensed as I had to research on various issues/Judgments and making memorial and compiling all the relevant things together and one has to prepare for & against as well because you never know on what stance you will be asked to argue in front of High Court Judges. As I was the Researcher in my first moot competition which doubled my worries but my mentor Ms. Surabhi Guleria who gave us confidence and self belief because of which my team ended up winning the Competition. That win gave me ample amount of confidence and then I participated in “1st National Moot Court Competition held in Sharda University 2014”and later my team was declared as winner. I was the speaker in that Moot competition. Mooting & debating gives a person a great confidence to brush up their skills and to acknowledge their positive points and negative points. Mooting and debating is an extra-curricular opportunity for a law student to practice their legal advocacy skills. Mooting and Debating develops group work skills, the skill of argument, the skill of making reasoned judgments and self confidence.

    Any remarkable experiences during your internships that shaped your career?

    First of all let me tell to all the readers and law students that internship plays a very vital role in gathering professional ethics, court proceedings, and the work environment in a law office/chamber. I remember the day when I got the opportunity to meet Mr. Salman Khurshid and I gave a brief to him about the case, plus during Internships every law student gets to see the lifestyle of a lawyer. I witnessed Mr. Harish Salve arguing in the Supreme Court on my first visit to the Supreme Court of India during my internship. During internship I got the opportunity to draft some PIL’s and legal notices which was very interesting and gave me a lot of knowledge and enhanced my research skills altogether. Internships gave me a slight insight of the working environment of a law firm & chambers, which eventually helped me after I joined the current firm as an Associate.

    Share with our readers a few actionable tips on managing high grades.

    Practically law is entirely different from what we learn or read in our college. Whereas to score high marks and good grades one must acquire good knowledge of Sections/Articles/Case laws and everything becomes easy when you read a case related to a particular section. It is difficult to score high marks but not an impossible task. A law student should learn the basic concept rather than mugging up the whole Bare-Act. It becomes easy when a student knows the basics of the subject and if a student has doubts regarding anything he/she should consult his faculty. Read as much as you can, be aware of the latest amendments and pay attention in your class when your faculty teaches you something, well that helps a lot.

    Please share your experience with Advocate Karnika Seth.

    Well it is my pleasure to work with Adv. Karnika Seth. She is a well known cyber lawyer and a cyber expert. It has not been much time since I joined her office but in such a less time I have worked on various cases related to cyber crime and got to learn the basics. She is a great mentor and whenever she assigns some work to me she always make sure that I put my efforts in right direction and always keeps backing her associates which inspires and motivates us to work hard. She never scold or raise her voice if the work she assigned is not upto the mark, she would rather show the right direction and right way to deal with the problem.  Working with the top cyber lawyer gave me an exposure and enhanced my skills. Since she has published numerous books on Cyber crimes/ child pornography etc, it becomes easy for us to consult anything and everything from her regarding any problem related to cyber law and a lot more she is very well versed of the fact that how to get quality work from her associates. She keeps sharing her experience with us and keeps encouraging the young/budding lawyers. So far my experience of working with Advocate Seth is tremendous and full of knowledge. As she also deals with IPR matters, she assigned me some Trademark cases and set me free to handle the case  on my own and gave me the opportunity to appear in TMR hearings which drew my interest towards IPR and I am very much satisfied with the kind of work I am doing with her.

    How did your appointment at Seth Associate and Legal Consultants take place?

    Well Adv. Seth used to speak and give knowledge on the Cyber-laws at various different forums. So she was invited once in my college to give us some knowledge about the cyber laws and cyber crimes, so I knew her since then. It was my last semester and as my final year result came I sent across my CV to her email id and within three days I got the reply and she asked to present a synopsis on any legal topic of my choice and eventually I chose “Cyber crimes” and sent that synopsis to her and then she called me for personal interview and this is how my appointment at Seth Associates and Legal Consultants took place.

    Many law students aspire to secure a job. What do you think most are doing wrong, from your observation?

    As far as my observation is concerned the thing which many law students do wrong during their academics is not doing internships. I would suggest every aspiring law student to do as much internships as they can, in the same area in which they wish to start their career, because internships gives a very deep knowledge and experience to a law student. It becomes easy for a recruiter to appoint you in their firm if you had done internships in the same area as it won’t be difficult for the law students to start working in a firm. During college days every law student must choose their preferred area in which they wish to get expertise and then scrutinize the firm and start applying in the same. The law students should keep this in mind that failures and rejections are the part of a life, for a student rejections are basically the hurdles which makes or breaks the confidence, it is upto you whether you make it or break it. Do not lose hope keep trying and never give up.

    And when you are interning somewhere keep asking for work from the concerned person as it will bring you in notice of the people working with the firm and try to intern with a same firm twice it will make you familiar with the associates and partners, it will help you get a PPO(May be).

    Keep your resume short, simple and up to the mark. Mention your work experience; mention your qualities and your achievements.

    What is the status of cyber crime in present scenario?

    In present scenario the cyber crimes are increasing day by day. The world of Internet today has become a parallel form of life and living. Public are now capable of doing things which were not imaginable few years ago. The Internet is fast becoming a way of life for millions of people and also a way of living because of growing dependence on these machines. Cyber crimes have been reported across the world. It is now amongst the most important revenue sectors for global organized crime.  After introducing the cyber law in our country the cyber crimes are becoming less but still some of the cases are their which changes the public mind about the people of our country. Through cyber law many people got arrested and they are now also behind the bar. After seeing so much safety the people are not creating much violence about this. Because of cyber crime many people had suffered and mainly the rich people and the girls. Therefore Cyber crime system requirements in India are being increasing day by day as per the crimes are increasing. At present there are so many cases of cyber crimes pending in the court and the people are waiting because of the lack of lawyers for cyber crime. So there is a need of cyber lawyers who can support the people and provide them a good assistance and status in the society. There are many cases of hacking other’s account, spreading virus in others system through email, etc. and through this many people are suffering from cyber crime. We as a lawyer need to take up the challenge against cyber crimes and help the people who have been suffering from such crimes. I am sure that our country will definitely come up with some more strict laws in accordance to stop the cyber crimes.

    What should be your advice to our readers?

    I would say keep up the good work, keep reading articles, keep learning and never lose hope. Everyone should believe in themselves and wait for the right moment.

    “BE A LEARNER”

     

  • Nitika Marya, Vahura, on recruiting junior lawyers

    Nitika Marya, Vahura, on recruiting junior lawyers

    Nitika Marya graduated from University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh in 2013. She did her internships with D.P. Ahuja & Co ( Patents & Coprights Attorney) in Kolkata, Lenovo- legal department, Gurgaon, SPS Bhullar, Punjab & Haryana High Court and also assisted Sivana with their contracts- a Recruitment Company in Muscat.

    At Vahura, Nitika is specifically responsible for recruiting junior lawyers with an experience of 0 to 3 years in the Delhi-NCR region and also looking into Candidate engagement and Assesment. 

    In this interview, she talks to us about:

    • Her experience at University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University.
    • Primary professional ethics she follows.
    • Unconventional start to her legal profession.
    • Other fields a corporate lawyer can try apart from joining law firms.

    Most of our readers are young lawyers and law students. How will you introduce yourself to them?

    I am a consultant at Vahura, a specialized legal talent search partner and a People’s person. I love networking and learning more about people from different backgrounds and have always been a sports person and a health freak. I have learnt from the experiences and situations in life and focused on developing myself into a better person with every passing day. I like to focus on being positive and healthy and working hard in the areas of my interest. I always want to be curious in my life.

    Please tell a bit of what motivated you to pursue law as a career.

    I was always interested in exploring the nexus between law and the Government Services. I always wanted a career in the Defense Services and an opportunity to work with the JAG Department had always been the reason behind my choosing a legal education and career. I had an opportunity to witness the value of a strong legal education and the impact it could have on an individual and societal level. Thanks to my uncle who was a Sessions Judge in the Panjab and Haryana High Court – someone who influenced me greatly and has been a role model to me in my entire life.

    Tell us about your college life at University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University.

    I really immersed myself fully into the college experience. I was chosen to be the Class representative and was genuinely interested in my education and believed in the need for practical. I was always a volunteer for field work on a number of projects that included issues like drug abuse and rehabilitation. I was not a keen orator however but never shied away from expressing my opinions. I always participated in all the extracurricular activities and as is the case with most college students, I travelled extensively with my friends.

    Did you find that your law school education had prepared you sufficiently for the many tasks you were required to execute during your internships and later at your job?

    There was very little assistance with respect to recruitments in its own way though it made me very independent. The pressure of seeking my own opportunities helped me refine my research skills and organizing abilities, which is something I have carried into my career. In a sense, law school made me very self sufficient.

    What is your take on working at a smaller law firm in early years of career rather than working at a very big law firm?

    If you’re looking for greater professional exposure and independent experiences, it’s always good to work in a smaller law firm. A smaller firm provides its employees a more diversified profile of work and encourages an attitude that is increasingly less dependent on external guidance. Spending time in a smaller law firm invariably leads to greater confidence, post which is good for someone to explore other opportunities.

    What are the primary professional ethics you follow while at work?

    I try to reflect the clients and the candidates I interact with, ensuring that I am well prepared for all discussions and negotiations. Etiquette is important and I always like to ensure that I have a complete understanding of what works where. I like to think that I should strike a balance between confidentiality and transparency wherein I never over sell or attempt to make an opportunity or a profile seem like something it is not. I like to call a spade a spade and by doing so, I earn the trust of whoever I am working with – something which is very valuable to me.

    Why is there an unconventional start to your legal profession (joining Vahura)?

    As I mentioned earlier, I always wanted to get into law because of my interest in Defense. As I continued to research opportunities in the law, I realized that there were very few resources and people who could offer guidance to young law students, particularly those interested in a more holistic perspective that looked beyond the already existing, conventional choices. I wanted to act as a bridge between students and the system and my work at Vahura allows me to do just that. You could say that it’s a way of reinterpreting the age that if you want to change the system, you have to be a part of the system and with Vahura, I interact closely with legal professionals and the industry, gaining insights into its working every day.

    What gets you to wake up every day?

    I’m excited about my work. Vahura offers me the opportunity to meet people who are interesting. I love my colleagues and the time I spend with them at work is precious. I feel like I’m getting closer to bridge the gap between professionals and students– a purpose that initially led me to Vahura.

    What is the best thing about your present job?

    I love meeting people. Vahura has given me opportunities to organize and speak at various platforms like IDIA where I have the chance to interact with young law students who are seeking answers to questions regarding their career and educations. I also look forward to meet my colleagues everyday. I also love organizing events and Vahura allows me to be in the forefront of interesting, curated experiences such as the Private Commercial Mediation Conclave – a conference co-hosted by the Centre for Advanced Mediation and Practices. I have some great memories from the Vahura – IDIA football tournament held every year where members of law firms from across the country meet up to play against each other, in the name of a good cause. I have spoken to SSB Army aspirants about my experiences taking the entrance exams and recently spoke to the IDIA scholars about preparing for the civil services exams.

    I feel like I’ve evolved as a professional and as a person I’ve become more confident and less shy of my abilities. I am always curious and feel like Vahura pushes me to learn more and more about myself.

    What are the other related fields where a corporate lawyer can try their hand apart from joining law firms and corporate houses?

    Government services and the Defense offer a range of options – there are always opportunities in JAG and the Civil Services. In addition, there are a number of Start Ups and smaller firms that are constantly looking for enthusiastic, young lawyers who are hungry to learn more and work hard on the job. Big law firms and corporate houses needn’t always be the answer and if anyone is interested, I would always be happy to speak to them one on one to discuss their concerns and answer their queries.

    What would be the one misconception you’d say you’d always held about real life legal work till the time you were an intern but changed once you started working as a lawyer?

    At an internship I always assisted the Senior. I have now understood that I need to make my own decisions with respect to my career and my life.

    What would be your parting message to law students who want to be successful in law?

    I might be repeating myself however it is very important to always stay faithful to what you want to do. Even if what you want is not a majority opinion, that’s fine and this could still mean that you have opportunities ahead. You do not always have to go to a big law firm or corporate but you can always join a startup etc. and find yourself the way Vahura helped me find myself.

     

  • Kavya Nagaraj, Associate, Tatva Legal, on drafting legal due diligence report

    Kavya Nagaraj, Associate, Tatva Legal, on drafting legal due diligence report

    Kavya Nagaraj graduated from National Law University, Jodhpur in 2013. During college, she was on research work and has penned down a number of paper for various seminars. She also has an excellent series of internships with a mix and match of law firms and corporations. Soon after graduation, she joined Tatva Legal and at the time of this interview worked as an Associate there.

    In this interview she talks to us about:

    • Legal due diligence report and drafting of the same.
    • Drafting skills one must acquire.
    • Challenges faced while drafting an agreement.
    • How can one learn to draft a legal opinion.

    Tell us about a legal due diligence report and drafting of the same.

    Due Diligence is a broad spectrum of investigative procedures in relation to an acquisition of a company’s shares or of assets in a commercial context, a joint venture project, a debt transaction, a financing transaction, the issue of securities or other general pre-contractual inquiries.

    The legal due diligence report is a standard, detailed / brief (depending on the client preference) report comprising of particular sections relating to a detailed review of the target company and its business.

    Every Law Firm has a unique style of drafting, be it agreements or reports. In my experience of drafting one, the legal due diligence report consists of particular sections detailing the target company’s mechanism. To name a few sections, the report will include: general corporate, borrowings / lending, agreements, licenses, real estate, insurance, personnel, intellectual property etc.

    The main agenda is to get a clear picture of the activities of the target company, relating to the transaction and how it affects the client.

    What complexities are faced while preparing a due diligence report?

    During the process of conducting a due diligence of a target company, the lawyers representing the company and the client will have series of discussions in which the complexities, be it minor or major can be resolved amicably. If any such complexity is not resolved, the parties may decide to drop the transaction.

    Sometimes a transaction drops solely because a company would not have complied with all the rules and regulations which are necessary for a transaction. For that reason, Due Diligence is now finding deserved place in Indian Statues. Mandatory provisions have been introduced for conducting due diligence. This definitely makes it easier to both the parties in conducting a due diligence and completion of a transaction.

     How can one acquire drafting skills?

    One can be good at drafting only by experience. In my opinion, everybody has a unique style of drafting because of the language used, way of expression etc. So, one should be able to give the reader a clear picture of what they want to express or convey in an agreement. Being a lawyer, you tend to read a lot of agreements / contracts / opinions etc., which are involved in a transaction. Gradually, one will have an idea about what an agreement will consist of, which would help in drafting one on their own.

    What is the difference between corporate due diligence and due diligence relating to property?

    Corporate due diligence is related to a Company, LLP, Partnership Firm, a Promoter etc. whereas, the due diligence relating to a property is an investigation regarding the marketable title of such property, which is being dealt in a transaction. Property due diligence involves tracing of title from the beginning, examination of the revenue records and the permissions obtained by the concerned authority in relation to the property. The conclusions will be given accordingly.

     What is the difference between corporate legal team and litigation?

    There is definitely a big difference between the two. Corporate legal team will mostly focus on the corporate transactions like due diligence, drafting, review of agreements, providing legal opinion etc., whereas, a litigation team focuses on the process involved in a lawsuit, like the trial, hearing, legal action etc.,.

    In my opinion, both the teams work in a totally different manner. I have had a wonderful experience with the litigation teams during my internships. Right now, I am working with a corporate team. The work and the effort involved in both the teams are enthusiastic in their own way.

     What challenges are faced while drafting an agreement?

    Lawyers draft numerous agreements. The kinds of agreements we draft can vary from a simple two page agreement to an incredibly complex hundred-page tome.Of course, the complexity of an agreement depends on the type of the transaction.

    The main thing to keep in mind while drafting is ‘clarity’. A poorly drafted agreement increases the likelihood of litigation, and makes it a liability to all the parties involved.

    Lawyers who draft agreements should develop a drafting system, one that ensures that all key provisions are actually included. They also need to know how the key provisions should be crafted.

    One should be up-to-date on the current law and best practices regarding the transaction and should be aware of the range of strategic and tactical options so that he/she can advise the clients on the pros and cons of each.

    It is important to manage the clients’ expectations, i.e., what the client wants to see in an agreement; and should avoid unnecessary provisions which are out of context; and should ensure that the agreements achieve the clients’ purposes and are enforceable under the law.

     What are the common agreements you often draft?

    Sale Deed, Agreement to Sell, Lease Deed, Mortgage Deed, Development Agreement, Power of Attorney, Termination Agreement, any other agreement, as per the requirement of the client.

    How can one learn to draft a legal opinion? What challenges are faced while drafting?

    Legal opinions are used in a variety of situations. It is basically an opinion from the Lawyers expressing the legal conclusions or legal analysis of a particular transaction or a matter which is relied on by the addressee of the opinion.

    A legal opinion solely depends on the preference of a client. It may be needed for some transactions and for some it may not be necessary. The client specifically mentions about a particular area in which they need clarity on; the opinion given by the lawyers will depend on that.

    A legal opinion consists of an outlook on whether certain transaction documentation is valid and enforceable in a particular jurisdiction and complies with the local law of that jurisdiction. It may also be regarding satisfaction of certain conditions precedents in the transaction documents and will usually be required by the lenders to give them reassurance that the legal effect of lending in the transaction concerned is what they expect it to be.

    Drafting of a legal opinion, again, differs from firm to firm. A draft of a legal opinion might include particular sections namely: the background, documents examined, scope of the opinion, the opinion, assumptions and qualifications.

    The addressee of a legal opinion will be expected to and will actually rely on the accuracy of the opinion for the purposes of evaluating the legal risks of the transaction or the project. If the opinion subsequently turns out to be inaccurate or misleading in any way, the addressee of the opinion may be entitled to bring an action against the law firm issuing the opinion. A firm’s liability will depend on the wording of the opinion, however, it is for this reason that opinion will only be given after appropriate procedures have been completed by the firm in question and will usually expressly include certain assumptions and reservations upon which the opinion is made.

    What to keep in mind while drafting a legal opinion? Can you give some high top tips to draft a legal opinion?

    It is important to keep certain factors while drafting a legal opinion.

    The basic factor is the applicable law. One should have a clear cut idea about the law which is applicable to the particular transaction and should be able to identify the issues in compliance of the same.

    Identification of legal risks is also equally important so that the addressee would consider further and evaluate.

    Nowadays, because of advancement in technology, the clients would have already done a research on the basic issues and the law before offering the transaction to a law firm. So, it is inevitable for the lawyers to make an extra effort in giving flawless opinion regarding the transaction.

     

     

     

     

  • Aahna Mehrotra, Head, Sports Law, TMT Law Practice, on LL.M in sports law from UCLA & ISDE and experience as a sports lawyer

    Aahna Mehrotra, Head, Sports Law, TMT Law Practice, on LL.M in sports law from UCLA & ISDE and experience as a sports lawyer

    Aahna Mehrotra, the head of Sports Law at TMT Law Practice, is a member of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, International Association of Sports Law, and the ASSOCHAM Sports Council.

    After graduating from ILS, Pune in 2011, she has attended various prestigious institutions for varying academic laurels from an LL.M in Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Sports Law from UCLA School of Law to a Master’s Degree in Sports Law from ISDE (Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia), where she received the Economist & Jurist Scholarship for her practical experience and academic qualifications.

    Her many distinguished achievements include having been chosen / selected to represent the country as a part of the National Women’s Under 19 Cricket team and her involvement in multiple sports at the state level.

    Academically, she has also co-authored “Law and Sports in India”, the second edition. A work dealing with the position of sports within the constitutional framework and recent events such as the IPL probe report, doping controversies, etc.

    In this interview, Aahna talks about;

    • What influences led her to pursue law as a career
    • Her interests beyond the legal sphere and the impact they had
    • The value addition of higher studies in niche areas of the Law
    • The charm of quotes and simple expression

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    Lawyer by choice…Writer by chance… Sports enthusiast… Stricken by wanderlust.

     

    Tell us about your life before you joined law school. What made you gravitate towards law?

    When I was young, my grandfather quoted John Lennon to me: “When I was five years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

    Seeking happiness and fulfilment in every moment I live is amongst the greatest lessons I learnt from my grandfather. He held a law degree but started his career as a sports journalist, going on to become the director of the National Herald. He then moved into the arena of politics and social causes. Wearing the mantle of a trade union leader, he sought happiness in devoting himself to the cause of improving worker benefits. I particularly remember watching him return home on the shoulders of a jubilant crowd after his success in obtaining a favourable judgment in a case involving illegal termination of employment of 300 men. Young as I was, I realised how empowering it is to know the law.

    Perhaps that’s what drew me, at school, to his dual interests: sports and journalism. I was the editor of the School Annual Magazine – resurrecting it from a two-year oblivion and also pioneered the first School Newsletter, that then became a regular feature. I was appointed Captain of the School Cricket team at a time when the school coach had gone on leave. Coaching taught me patience. I learnt that people grow with praise, that critique works only in an environment of trust and emotional security, and that the joy of seeing others grow and score through the training I had given them was a victory sweeter than my own achievements at the wicket. Not only did I lead my school team to victory, but I was also appointed as the captain of the first ever All India Girls’ School Cricket Team and went on to being selected to play for the India Under-19 Cricket Team. My time at school culminated in a very special moment when I was awarded the trophy for ‘Selfless Service and Helpfulness’.

    Having completed high school, while cricket and writing seemed worthy allies, I made a choice to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer.

     

    How was your ILS Law College, Pune experience?

    Having lived in a boarding school for 6 years, I was tired of living the hostel life. Therefore it was a personal choice to go to ILS over a National Law School and I have no regrets over my decision to date.

    At ILS, unlike national law schools, there wasn’t a routine time table that lasted from 9 to 5 or a road map to the kind of internships one must pursue. We were done at school by 11 a.m. on most days and had the choice to then plan our day in whatever manner we pleased, also our holidays which were fairly longer compared to national law schools. Several chose to do internships both during college days and in holidays, others spent time perfecting their skills at Moot Court competitions, I on the other hand spent my time learning about Sports Law, pursuing summer school programs and doing internships both in India and abroad.

    At ILS, no two students at the end of their 5 years, turn out to be exactly the same, which I feel is the case with National Law Schools, where most students do the same kind of internships, and therefore the competition on day zero is much harder. Studying at a National Law School has its own brand value and pros, while studying at ILS makes you more independent and responsible in terms of your choices.

     

    What were your areas of interest in the law? Did you engage in extra-curricular activities while in college?

    My areas of interest had always been intellectual property, entertainment, media and sports laws which sprung from the kind of activities I was involved in back in school.

    In the first year of law school, I remember walking up to my college university representative responsible for organizing the ‘Legalease’, the annual ILS Festival, and requesting for a spot in our ‘class’ (section rather) cricket team. “I hope you know they would be playing with a leather ball!”, he exclaimed. My immediate response “I was chosen to play on the India under-19 cricket team” amused him a little further. He didn’t give me a chance to play on the boys’ team but he did, in all fairness, organize a cricket match for the girls as a part of Legalease, 2006. I also played a little bit of throw ball and volley ball as and when the opportunity arose.

    Apart from playing sport, I participated in the Harvard Model United Nations and pursued a couple of diploma courses.

     

    What internships and voluntary practical training did you take while in law school and during your LL.M years? What value addition did they provide?

    Like all other law school students, I experimented with a whole bunch of internships. I worked at an NGO, at the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, with Mr. Mukul Rohatgi at the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, with a barrister specializing in criminal law in London and also at a law firm in Delhi during my first 3 years of law school.

    I learnt a lot during my law firm internship, as I was given the opportunity to interact with some clients, prepare my first cease and desist notice for a trademark infringement, work on matters involving sports persons, and realised that it was what I enjoyed most and not litigation. It also helped to further develop my interest in intellectual property and related areas. I then just stuck with law firm internships and interned at TMT Law Practice twice, after which they made me a pre-placement offer. It always helps to get a job offer, if you go back to an office for a second time to intern, as they are able to gauge your ability and progress better. Also, I chose to intern at a boutique law firm so that I could make a more marked and personal contribution during my internships, instead of being lost at a large law firm.

     

     

    You pursued an LL.M from UCLA in entertainment, IP and Sports Law. Tell us about the LL.M course you took, how did you apply for it and what was life at UCLA like?

    An LL.M application is all about your Statement of Purpose (SOP) and they give little weightage to your grades or C.V., is what I learnt from personal experience.

    I applied for an LL.M while in law school to about 8 law schools in the States. It was a decision taken overnight and I did not think the SOPs through. Having been a creative writer in school, I took it all for granted and drafted my SOPs in one night and sent in my applications in December 2010. I was rejected by all 8 law schools.

    I pondered over the rejection, re-read my SOPs, and realised that they made no sense as they were a bunch of disconnected paras put together to comply with the word limit. I took the same drafts, and re-worked the structuring and choice of words and then re-applied in October, 2011. By the summer of 2012, I was spoilt for choice with an admission to all 8 law schools, some even willing to offer me scholarships.

    I had an admission to Duke University, a T-14 law school, and had even paid up the advance to block a seat and done my visa formalities when I heard from UCLA. It was the toughest decision to make, a ‘T-14 Law School’ versus the top school for entertainment law. I tried to choose the best of both worlds. While I chose to disregard the overall rankings and went with the rankings for subjects of my interest and gave importance to professors like Nimmer in picking UCLA for an LL.M., I pursued a summer school course with Duke Law School, a program run by them at the University of Geneva which gives you the opportunity to do up to 6 credits of course work. I studied sports law at the summer school offered by Duke, and then joined UCLA for my LL.M.

    UCLA gives you the opportunity to do 4 credits worth of practical training as a part of their LL.M. This, in my opinion, is what sets UCLA apart from other law schools and gives its students an edge over the others. Once made aware of this opportunity, I sat for campus placements and secured an internship at Warner Bros. Intellectual Property Dept. If there was the slightest doubt in my head about having left Duke for UCLA, I knew at that point for sure, that UCLA had been the best decision I made.

    As far as leisure activities go, all law schools in the States have a concept called the ‘Bar Review’. It has nothing to do with the American Bar Association, it is a concept wherein on every Thursday night you go review / check out a bar / club in town for drinks. Los Angeles being famous for its night life, I don’t remember ever having to repeat a bar.

     

    How did your interest in these fields develop?

    I constantly missed playing regular cricket through my years at law school. There weren’t too many opportunities available in Pune for women. In fact, I momentarily contemplated moving to GLC as Mumbai had a lot more to offer in terms of women’s cricket. In fact, women’s cricket only came under the auspices of BCCI in 2006, the year I had left playing cricket and started law school. My juniors from school often called and narrated stories of their experiences at Ranji, from a time when we would fund our own travel to them finally being paid Rs. 5000/- for a match. I felt really happy for them and I knew then that true happiness for me lay in uniting both my vocation (law) and passion (sports and writing). While I had lost my touch on the field due to lack of practice, I made a conscious decision to specialize in Intellectual Property and related fields like Entertainment, Media and Sports Law and in some way remain connected to Sport.

    As a writer, of course, you must always be well-versed with copyright law. I always enjoyed music, it was my only other stress buster apart from sport, so I studied Music Laws at UCLA, apart from entertainment, intellectual property and sports laws. I learnt about the dying music industry and the effects of piracy. In fact, the Intellectual Property heads at Warner Bros. even gave me the opportunity to work at the Anti-Piracy dept. for a few days, which has led to me not downloading a single song or movie illegally in the last 3 years.

    So my interest in the kind of law I practice has pretty much sprung from my hobbies and that’s why I love what I do for a living.

     

    Could you explain to our readers the interrelation between entertainment, IP and Sports Law?

    What is sports law? It, apart from sports specific laws like anti-doping laws and sport specific regulations, involves all laws that effect a sports person or sports league – be it contract law, labour law or intellectual property for that matter. You cannot take away from sports leagues and sports persons trademark rights, brand value, broadcasting rights and other rights like that of privacy and publicity. For any sports league to be a success, you must get into a broadcasting rights deal with the right network provider, have some good sponsorships on board, have the player assign their image rights to the league and team owners and prevent any form of trademark infringement to protect the brand from getting diluted. Players today are filing for trademarks like the ‘eleven of hearts’ by Gareth Bale or the ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose by Usain Bolt. So sports, intellectual property and entertainment are entwined fields and there exists a constant overlap.

     

    aahna-mehrotra-3

    What is an executive LL.M and what motivated the decision to pursue one on Sports Law Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia? Tell us about the experience and what you learnt from it.

    An executive LL.M. is a Master’s program which is pursued as a distance learning course by professionals and does not require you to be present in the same city through the year.

    While I gained a fair amount in areas related to intellectual property from my year at UCLA, unfortunately I did not learn as much about Sports that are relevant to the Indian market. Therefore, I decided to pursue a second LL.M from a school in Europe.

    ISDE gave me the opportunity to interact with some of the best sports lawyers in the world in the form of professors as well as network with sports lawyers from all over the globe in the form of classmates. Sports being an international activity and with the advent of so many leagues in India, more often than not, one lands up with matters that involve athletes from other countries, so it is always advantageous to have a rapport with attorneys in other countries.

     

    You have taken your interest in the field to the next level by assisting Justice Mukul Mudgal in jointly writing the second edition of the book ‘Law and Sports in India’. Tell us about your experience of working with him on the book.

    Justice Mudgal is by far one of the kindest human beings I have come in contact with in the legal profession. He is forever happy to see those working under him grow and provides constant support in any endeavour you choose to pursue.

    aahna-mehrotra-2Since I did not work on the first edition, it wasn’t easy to immediately start drafting or adopt someone else’s style of writing but Justice Mudgal was patient through the process. At the same time, as most of the developments in Sports law in India have only taken place in the last 5 years, it was as good as writing a new book.

    I worked with him on drafting 8 chapters of the book. These were (i) an overview of the sports scenario today, (ii) gender discrimination, (iii) anti-doping, (iv) sports as a business, (v) labour laws, (vi) violence in sports, (vii) sports dispute resolution and (viii) grey areas. I had a huge support system in the interns who researched untiringly on some of the most unheard of issues related to the sporting scenario in India. I learnt so much from them as well, like I didn’t know there was a concept called flip-throw that existed or that a suggestion to bring an orange card into play was being made in the football arena. I learnt so much about the intricacies of sports law as we drafted chapter after chapter.

    With an LL.M in progress, pressure from the publisher to adhere to the timeline and sometimes technology betraying me with an entire chapter getting wiped out just when I was done drafting it, I often did 5 a.m. mornings and eagerly looked forward to the day we would be done drafting. The end result was worth it all. It has been a privilege to work with Justice Mudgal, who feels so strongly about eradicating the malpractices in the sports industry in India, and a great honour to have worked on what has been termed as a ‘monumental work’ and an ‘encyclopaedia’ by Mr. Soli Sorabjee.

     

    Which new areas can one expect to explore in Sports Law, apart from player contracts, anti-doping or sponsorship related work? Why is this an area of law more people can choose to specialize in?

    With the advent of several leagues, many international athletes are now looking at the Indian market as an avenue so there is a lot of player transfer related work, especially in football. Apart from that, with image rights becoming a popular concept world-wide, a lot of Indian players are looking to protect their rights relating to both privacy and publicity. Scandals like match-fixing give you the opportunity to work on matters that may fall under criminal law. Things like gender-discrimination and the increase in punishment under the new anti-doping code have given rise to human rights and constitutional issues in sports. A lot of broadcasters are looking to either terminate existing contracts due to the leagues not doing well or vice versa – league owners that feel that they have not made the right choice in terms of broadcasters are looking to terminate their contracts and sign new agreements. Taxation issues and labour laws too are areas that have growing issues related to sports. More and more sports management companies seem to want to hire specialists in sports law to form an integral part of their team. As the sports industry in India continues to grow, so do the issues relating to the field, and so does the legal work.

     

    A lot of sports leagues are mushrooming in India at the moment. What legal challenges do they face and how viable are these leagues in the long run?

    (Aahna was involved in the Player Transfer Transactions of the Indian Super League and have also been involved at various levels with the Indian Badminton League and the Indian Table Tennis League.)

    Along with Mr. Kaushik Moitra, (Partner, TMT Law Practice) the Indian Badminton League in 2013, was the first sports league I worked on. The league failed due to several reasons like mismanagement at venues, lack of staff, the appointed media agency not being proactive, VIPs demanding free tickets and special treatment, state associations not cooperating with the national associations, travel and accommodation being impractical, no itemised budget and being unprofessionalism on the whole. These are some of the most common challenges that are faced at the time of running a league, especially the first season, so all league owners must learn from the IBL 2013 and not make similar mistakes.

    As for viability, it is something that can only be determined in due course of time. The Masters Champions League held in Dubai recently failed to pick up numbers in its first season even though the concept looks very promising. The MCL organizers are hoping that the current cricketers will look at it as an avenue post retirement, so when a Dhoni joins the league on retirement, automatically the numbers will go up, however this again is mere speculation and the question is whether or not they can sustain the league until a Dhoni joins. The Kabaddi League on the other hand did unexpectedly well in the very first season, the ISL picked up a lot of momentum in the second season, so there is no fixed formula for the success of a league.

     

    You were an integral part of Ludus Legal, one half of which has now been absorbed by TMT Law Practice. What does the shift mean for you and how does such a shift impact the clients?

    It has always been a very enriching experience to be working under Mr. Abhishek Malhotra (Managing Partner, TMT Law Practice). He is someone who has constantly encouraged me to pursue my academic interests apart from doing just legal work for my clients. In fact I remember when I started out with TMT Law Practice, immediately after law school, we had a concept of internal presentation of papers. Every alternate Saturday, an associate would present a paper on a new topic and we would then sit and discuss the issue. It always helped in learning something, increasing our industry knowledge and growing as a lawyer and that is why I was more than willing to join them back, when the opportunity arose.

    Like I said above, it is very hard for sports to survive without intellectual property and related areas. TMT Law Practice is a boutique Technology, Media and Telecommunication law firm which can better cater to the needs of a client. The clients only benefit from this shift, as they now have a full service law firm that caters not only to their sports law needs but also offers to them specialists in the intellectual property and media industry. At Ludus, we would often use the services of TMT Law Practice, to file Trademarks for our clients and use Mr. Anish Dayal and Mr. Nitin Mishra as counsels to argue our litigation matters. Now it can all be done hassle free under one roof.

     

    Tell us about the kind of work profile you handle every day. What are the challenges you face and what do you like most about the job.

    On a daily basis, I handle a whole lot of agreements covering different aspects of sports law. I often participate in negotiations between league owners and sports bodies or players and league owners.

    However, what is really challenging is when an athlete comes to me for help in a doping case. On most occasions, the consumption of the banned substance is inadvertent, as the athletes come from humble backgrounds and have not been educated about how a banned substance may enter their body. They start training at an extremely young age hoping to make it to the commonwealth games or Olympics one day and maybe win that one medal, which will not only make the entire country proud but also give them a source of livelihood but just when they are about to make it, they get caught for a doping charge against them. With the new code having increased the punishment to four years, which is as good as resulting in the end of an athlete’s career, there is a lot of pressure to have the punishment of an athlete reduced. You sometimes succeed and you feel on top of the world but there are occasions you fail to get a reduction in the punishment which then tends to take a toll on you as you feel responsible for a sports person’s career coming to an end.

     

    Finally, what would be your parting advice to our readers?

    “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”- Mark Twain

    Trust your gut, don’t be a part of the rat-race and its okay to sometimes not go by the book.

  • Rajesh Sharma, Founder Director of LetsComply.com, on why legal knowledge is necessary for a CFO

    Rajesh Sharma, Founder Director of LetsComply.com, on why legal knowledge is necessary for a CFO

    Rajesh Sharma passed out as a Bachelor of Commerce from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, the University of Delhi in 1990. After that, he pursued LLB from the University of Delhi and graduated by 1993. Besides LLB, he also pursued Company Secretary from Institute of Company Secretary of India (ICSI) and Cost & Management Accountants from Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) and finished these professional courses in 1993.

    With his qualifications in the realm of law, finance and accounting, he started his versatile work life full of enviable achievements. He started his professional career as Manager – Merchant Banking with Category-1 Merchant Banker, collaborated with the manufacturing company and IT companies before joined as the Founder Members of Singhania and Partners LLP. Afterwards, he was the Head of Finance, Accounts & Legal Department of Global Healthline Private Limited – 98.4, one of the best retail pharmacy chains in North India. He played major role at Barista Coffee Company Limited during his long tenure from 2006 to 2012 as a Chief Finance Officer, wherein he was instrumental not only in setting up all systems and processes for nationwide coffee chain, implemented SAP for retail but he was also key member to get Barista acquired by LAVAZZA, Italian Coffee player. Later, he served as a Group CFO at Carnation Auto India Private Limited; wherein he was instrumental for equity and debt fund raising for setting up multi-brand automobile workshops and used car business. He was Partner with Rajani Singhania & Partners, an international Law Firm. Presently he is Director, Fashion TV Hospitality. He founded Juris NextGen LLP and Affari Consulting, Inc. in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

    Finally, being an emerging entrepreneur, he founded LetsComply.com, which is a technology driven platform in India to provide world-class, affordable and convenient professional services relating to legal, finance & taxation at one click under the guidance of an experienced team of professionals, whose knowledge & credentials are proven.

    An independent entrepreneur with a string of achievements at a very young age, Rajesh Sharma talks about his thoughts, ideas, experiences and advice to young entrepreneurs and students of law and CA.

    In this interview, we cover his academic and professional journey, while focusing on:

    • The combination of his qualification in B.Com, LL.B, C.S. and CMA.
    • Varied work experience as a CFO, Founder Members and Director of various companies.
    • Part of Startups, provided Legal, Finance & Taxation support to create systems and processes and helped them to raise funds and now providing mentorship to various startups directly as well as through various incubation centres.

    How would you introduce yourself to our readers? Please tell us about your pre-college days.

    I belong to a very middle class & humble family. In spite of not been able to get the education from Big B-Schools, it is the learning by experience and connectivity with grass-roots for work with qualitative education; I could able to achieve this position.

    What plans did you have for your future? What inspired you to embark on this entrepreneurial journey?

    I feel blessed and fortunate that in spite of limited resources, I find myself at the pinnacle of my career by achieving and delivering good as a Legal & Finance professional. Now, I think this is the time to give back what I have achieved throughout my entire life and career. I got myself associated with a couple of incubation centres, NGOs and other bodies wherein I provide my services as Mentor to the new entrepreneur for their entrepreneurship journey. India is providing an excellent environment for startups, enormous options and opportunities available to the young entrepreneurs, and hence, I am also contributing to my best.

    How important is it for a law firm partner to be good at business development, or are great lawyering skills enough to become a partner? What skills or qualities distinguish the people who become partner from those who don’t?

    Being an entrepreneur, it is not necessary to be a good worker, he/she has to be a good leader at the same point in time. While he/she should be able to understand and manage with expertise, but should be able to manage a good team as well.

    Having done B.Com, what motivated you to choose law along with CS and CMA as a career?

    Though it is obvious, if you want any professional degree beyond graduation. Since I had interest both in Legal & Finance domain, therefore I opted for both courses (also since not having proper guidance, I chose two courses to have backup, if I could not make one☺)

    What challenges did you face while serving as a CFO at several companies? How did you overcome those challenges?

    Challenges are of multiple kinds, being cost controller and always pushing for implementation of system & process; CFO faces challenges from external as well as internal members of your own organization. No one like to listen no for the money and everybody realizes in the last working hour, therefore, to push your own team members to go to the system and processes, you actually develop negative relationship with your peer group but once you explain and help them to implement these methods, they like and start implementing these processes.

    You’re the Founder Director of LetsComply.com. Please tell us about LetsComply.com.

    LetsComply is the only technology driven platform in India to provide world-class, convenient and affordable professional services relating to legal, finance & taxation at one click.  LetsComply provides services under the guidance of an experienced team of professionals, whose unimpeachable expertise, backed by proven credentials, needs no emphasis.

    In pursuance of our humble resolve to serve, we have always looked for the ways and means to make it easier for the entrepreneurs and corporate establishments to function better, and we realized that since the world is progressing and taking online route to grow and expand, it would go a long way if we could provide Legal, Financial & Taxation services in a structured fashion with the assistance of a team of experts without making it too expensive or inconvenient. That’s how the idea of LetsComply germinated.

    We, at LetsComply, are committed to help entrepreneurs and business owners to start, manage and grow their businesses by taking care of the legal, financial & taxation side of the business so as to allow them to focus on innovation and expansion without having to fret over compliance issues, which certainly matter a great deal and can’t be left unattended.

    We aim to be a partner in the entire business lifecycle at all stages of the entrepreneurship — Startup, Growth, Acceleration & Progression Stage — to make sure that the businesses do not fall back on compliances and grow manifold. In today’s Digital world, we bring you the concept of Virtual Intelligence by way of Virtual CFO (vCFO) and Virtual General Counsel services to enable accelerated growth to your business. We are a team of experienced Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, Cost Accountants, Corporate Lawyers, Management Graduates, IP Attorneys and Technologists ready to assist you at all times.

    I believe that today when the world is moving towards a higher technological and economic order, allowing oneself to be bogged down by various mandatory compliances is a waste of precious time and energy. It cannot be ignored that the statutory compliances have a very significant role to play in sustaining the business environment conducive to fair competition and commercial growth. Therefore, it is essential to be cautious about the compliance of various statutes at the initial stage itself to not only avoid later complications and harassment but also to contribute to the sustenance of a healthy business ecosystem. And to keep you comfortable with all the compliances, the professionals at LetsComply are always ready to extend any and every assistance that you might require in this regard.

    How do you plan to expand LetsComply.com regarding operations, infrastructure, as well as attracting more investments? Can we expect a mobile app in forthcoming time?

    We have just started and thrilled with the response we are getting from our users. Therefore, we have preponed our plans for expansion. Operationally, our offerings are quite wide, but we need to create the infrastructure to execute and deliver that. We are working not only to create and set up additional office space but also developing technology team as well. Though for operations, we may not need investments but to expand rapidly and to bring technology and marketing we would need investments. We are not aggressively losing for funding unless we get right partner. Yes, you can certainly expect mobile app.   

    You have a vital role in several companies by providing them a tremendous boost in their business. What are the key areas a Startup needs to focus on?

    The major need for any startup is to focus on execution and have the right partner in place. They should focus on their core activities without losing any attention.

    As you have recently addressed a conference on ESOP in Amity Innovation Incubator, please tell us how does ESOP work as a good tool for startups?

    ESOP is genuinely a very tool to attract & retain the right talent. You can attract talent with entrepreneurship mindset to grow fast.

    How important would you say are business development skills at such higher roles in a corporate law firm?

    Growth is never ending. One should always be hungry for growth so as Business Development skills are. The leader has to lead by examples, and he should always be upfront about facing challenges. Unless the Leader fights from the front, he cannot ask his army to step forward on the battle ground.

    Lastly, what would be your advice to students and young entrepreneurs reading this interview?

    Life moves forward like a “Business Cycle”, wherein phases such as ‘Peak’ and ‘Trough’ are ubiquitous. One needs to establish one’s stand at those stages. If he/she is tangled in the Trough Phase, there is nothing to blame upon. Be focused, there is no shortcut to success. Efforts never go waste. If everything seems to be on his/her side during the Peak Phase, there is nothing to claim upon. Keep your thirst for growth alive and continue to move forward with the same.