Super Lawyer

Tag: Corporate Law

  • “If you pursue the field of litigation over the time span of 15-20 years, the odds of your success are more provided you remain honest, hardworking and dedicated” – Akshat Gupta, Managing Partner at Law Green.

    “If you pursue the field of litigation over the time span of 15-20 years, the odds of your success are more provided you remain honest, hardworking and dedicated” – Akshat Gupta, Managing Partner at Law Green.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    Sir, you have extensive experience in civil and criminal disputes, arbitration and various other areas. What initially drew you to law, and how did you develop your specialization in dispute resolution and corporate advisory?

    If I reflect back on my journey as an advocate, I think the initial seeds were sown during my school days at Salwan Public School. Although I come from a science background, I was greatly influenced by my teachers at Salwan Public School who taught me social science and environmental studies during the initial days. At a very young age, I had developed strong views on critical topics such as caste reservation, women emancipation, global warming etc. Later on, Amity Law School propelled me further on my path towards social awakening where law was taught not only as a discipline but as a tool for bringing social change. I was greatly influenced by my professors who taught us subjects like Political Science, Law, Poverty & Justice and Jurisprudence which added fuel to the fire of my curiosity about this fascinating field. The turning point in my life was my internship experience with veteran leader of the Bar, Mr. R.N.Vats, Advocate, and time that I have spent in his chambers just kept sucking me into the field of law like a black hole even though initially I started my career in the corporate field as a management professional but eventually since my calling was always law so I went back to his chambers to master the essentials, understand the rudiments and get a solid foundation. As far as developing specialization in dispute resolution and corporate advisory is concerned, destiny has a role to play in it. It is a rule that if a lawyer’s diary permits, he must not say no to any brief which calls upon him. Following this principle and given my prior corporate experience and extensive network owing to my IIM roots, I started getting a lot of work initially in corporate advisory through my colleagues and friends. I was also lucky to get support from like-minded, hardworking, accomplished and brilliant colleagues from the Bar like Dr.Amit George & Mr. Sushant Singh, Advocate, who recognized and acknowledged my talent at an early stage of my life and entrusted me with complex briefs which required meticulous preparation and attention to detail which helped me develop my specialisation in dispute resolution over the time.

    After completing your law degree, you transitioned into management and HR leadership with prominent organizations before returning to law. What motivated these career shifts, and how have these experiences complemented your legal practice?

    Although, I always had a strong inclination towards the field of law but my curiosity and desire to explore other walks of life, while I was still young, led me to pursue the field of business management, when the life presented me with an opportunity to specialise in human resources from the Indian Institute of Management Ranchi. My experience at IIM Ranchi was a game changer for me, giving me much needed corporate and international exposure.  

    Interdisciplinary studies and holistic view about different areas of human knowledge is essential in shaping world view as law is a field which requires an open mind not having a myopic view. Very often the written code and precedents may blind us and seemingly show a dead end, but creative interpretation is necessary to do justice while at the same time respecting the code. This is why law is such a dynamic field and poses intricate challenges before jurists and lawyers all the time. The underlying motivation for me was to keep learning and growing my perspective and widen the lens through which I see the world. My experience in leadership roles with prominent organizations has led me to understand and appreciate the bottom-line pressures and regulatory challenges which businesses face while achieving corporate objectives in an ethical and legal way which has in-turn helped me to think more practically about law and regulations rather than focus on theory. My corporate experience and exposure has helped me to find innovative solutions for my clients to resolve business disputes often by way of mediated settlements in a faster way not requiring prolonged litigation. 

    Your practice spans dealing in sectors like FMCG, automobile, construction, and more. What are the major regulatory challenges you encounter today, particularly in the automobile sector, and how do you advise companies to navigate them?

    The automobile sector is one sector which has a strong lobbying with the government when it comes to aligning national policies with domestic interests. Unfortunately, the entire ecosystem and infrastructure, roads etc. are still lacking and not conducive to pave the way for future technologies and international players to enter the market. If we have to provide high class mobility for a billion and a half Indians, our automobile sector needs to buckle up. The world is miles ahead and our automobile sector is lagging behind facing immense pressure from environmentalists and lawmakers. Another aspect is safety concerns on Indian roads and fast changing regulations, emission standards which constantly require upgrading technology to meet the changing demands. There are several sectors aligning closely with automobile sector and dependant on automobiles for survival including spare parts industry, oil and lubricants (where counterfeiting and trademark infringement is rampant), tyres, auto-insurance & loans (our courts are filled with accident claims and cases of loan defaults), e-taxi/cabs services etc. which pose unique legal challenges of their own. The second hand automobile market has its own qualms and now there are new big players in automobile rentals and second-hand sales who have entered the market and disrupted the scene. Second hand sale of luxury/ultra-premium vehicles is on the rise and inter State pricing differential helps in cost arbitrage and savings for the customers due to lower regulatory life of diesel vehicles in certain states. We have seen a rise in the number of consumer disputes against automobile companies. Very often, the contracts with dealers and distributors, service providers etc. are loosely worded without delineating properly the liabilities which arise out of “deficiency in service” beyond standard warranties. Moreover, there are emerging service aggregators who are going to dominate the auto-service sector in the near future and they are likely to plead intermediary immunity in cyber space. From the legal and regulatory standpoint, it is important to have proper demarcation between different business verticals providing connected services, revisit standard warranties and business contracts and implement a robust 100% compliance approach. Litigation is unavoidable in this sector, however, when it dawns it is important to pursue the cases diligently with coherent strategy keeping in mind long term implications in such a dynamic environment. The electric two-wheeler space is buzzing with emerging players and keeping litigation costs low early on is a challenge especially when India is a vast country and finding adequate legal representation in remote areas still remains a challenge as proceedings are dominated sometimes by local language which is a barrier in itself. 

    Balancing a wide-ranging practice that includes litigation, arbitration, advisory work, and pro-bono work, how do you manage competing professional demands while maintaining personal balance?

    Although we lawyers have the liberty to work from home, from what I have seen in the legal industry, balancing competing professional demands and maintaining personal balance is the biggest challenge in life of all accomplished lawyers and even the senior-most lawyers in the fraternity struggle with this. A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body so maintaining physical health must take priority for anyone who wants to pursue this field with passion. Over the time, I have realised the importance of maintaining balance and spending time with family and pursuing hobbies which although initially is difficult to maintain in this profession but over the time with experience and clever self-management hacks coupled with prioritizing techniques can help solve this problem to a large extent. Having a schedule and following a routine is thus important which helps divide time between competing demands. From what I have learnt from senior members of the Bar, being a lawyer is all about staying in balance which is a constant struggle.

    For young lawyers and professionals aspiring to specialize in litigation and corporate advisory, what key skills, experiences, or interdisciplinary knowledge would you recommend prioritizing early in their careers?

    It is important to develop the skill to question everything and think critically but patience and tenacity are key virtues required in this profession which can be acquired early on by following a spiritual path from the very beginning. Further, reading religious scriptures (without becoming a fundamentalist) also helps in developing virtues of patience and diligence. I recommend reading literature in human psychology and how our understanding of the functioning of the human brain, habits and behaviours is used in modern business landscapes as a marketing and business strategy to advance corporate interests. This coupled with critical thinking is useful in separating truth from lies in this modern world of instant broadcast. Besides, it is absolutely essential to have good command over the English language and develop computer skills which can enhance your productivity and speed in a firm environment. Legal research and drafting are two pillars of litigation that go hand in hand and one complements the other. These are the basics which will give you impetus to start with confidence in your journey.  

    Reflecting on your multifaceted career spanning legal practice, HR leadership, and advisory roles, what guiding principles or lessons have shaped your success, and how would you advise the next generation to approach complex legal and organizational challenges?

    There are certain guiding propositions which I strongly believe in which have helped me carry on and prosper in this profession. The most important is that when I took the decision to enter litigation, I strongly believed and I still do, that there is no Plan “B”. I will not turn back at all and I will die as a lawyer. This approach has helped me stay firm to my resolve to pursue litigation even amidst personal adversity. 

    The second principle which I strongly believe in is that if you pursue the field of litigation over the time span of 15-20 years, the odds of your success are more than the odds of failure provided you remain honest, hardworking and dedicated to learning from mistakes. I have seen lawyers struggling with even basic English language in the beginning but over the time span of 5-6 years they have mastered the ability to navigate court systems and procedures with ease and that’s only because they kept on going. 

    The third most important principle is to remain content with steady progress and growth. Very high ambitions can soon turn into disappointment. As they say Courts are not meant for unjust enrichment but only compensation for loss, similarly litigation being the profession which commands highest standards and respect can help you earn a decent livelihood but if you want to become rich then go do some business or take up some other career path. With time though, sincere and dedicated lawyers do become rich but their motivation is not to earn money which is rather a natural consequence which flows from being a trusted advisor. 

    As far as approaching complex legal and organizational challenges is concerned, my advice would be to sit, live and breathe with files as long as you can and just keep going at it till the complexity dissolves. In the early stages of my legal career amidst the hustle, I specifically made time to read and analyse case files in silos which helped me in understanding the facts properly and then apply legal principles to a given set of facts. It is important to take charge and lead the brief from the front. 

    There is nothing which you can’t do or understand. If others can do it, you can also do it, you just need to believe in yourself and keep your confidence high. When you are genuinely stuck just reach out and seek help from your mentors and seniors at the Bar. Bar is a very resourceful asset and my experience has been that members of the Bar are not competitive rather co-operative. I have learnt how to tackle complexity extensively from fellow colleagues and senior advocates over morning walks, informal discussions etc. but most importantly from court room experiences. There’s a saying in courts that if you absent yourself from courts for more than three consecutive days, then a lawyer is considered dead. So, make it a habit to visit courts daily and interact with members of the Bar where the maximum learning happens.  

    Get in touch with Akshat Gupta –

  • “Today, businesses operate in an environment where regulatory frameworks and expectations are rising faster than internal systems can adapt.” – Anandini Purohit, Founder & Partner at Simpli Counsel.

    “Today, businesses operate in an environment where regulatory frameworks and expectations are rising faster than internal systems can adapt.” – Anandini Purohit, Founder & Partner at Simpli Counsel.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    With over 14 years of experience in corporate and banking litigation, what initially motivated you to pursue law as a career, and what early experiences strengthened that decision?

    My interest in law was sparked quite early, I was drawn to the way legal frameworks shape real-world outcomes. I found the intersection of reasoning, language, and impact particularly compelling. What truly cemented my decision, however, were my early internships and court visits during law school. Watching senior advocates argue complex matters and observing how legal strategy could influence the course of businesses and individuals made me realize that this was a profession where intellectual rigor meets tangible change.

    In your early years with law firms, what experiences shaped your understanding of banking laws and guided you toward this specialization?

    In my formative years at leading law firms, I had the opportunity to work closely on recovery actions and regulatory compliance matters for major banks. My involvement with corporate recovery teams gave me a ground-level understanding of how financial institutions operate, where the friction points arise, and how legal intervention can create both risk mitigation and strategic advantage. These experiences naturally drew me toward banking, corporate and financial litigation,  a field that demands precision, meticulous research, commercial awareness, and long-term perspective.

    Having worked extensively with banks, corporates, and financial institutions, what do you see as the most pressing challenges businesses face today in managing disputes and compliance?

    Today, businesses operate in an environment where regulatory frameworks and expectations are rising faster than internal systems can adapt. Disputes often arise not just from contractual breaches but from operational gaps, inadequate documentation, and ever-evolving regulatory landscapes. The most pressing challenge I see is the lack of proactive legal risk mitigation & management. Many entities still view legal strategy as a reactive tool rather than an integrated business function, which leads to avoidable disputes, compliance lapses, and reputational risks. As the saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure’.

    You’ve also advised on digital and social media laws, as well as data privacy. How do you see these evolving areas influencing the future of corporate legal practice in India?

    Digital regulations and data privacy are no longer niche concerns, they’re becoming central to corporate strategy. With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and increasing regulatory oversight, companies must build data governance and responsible handling into their core structures. Social media presence, influencer marketing, and tech platforms are creating entirely new legal questions around liability, consent, intellectual property and reputation. I believe corporate legal practice in India is at an inflection point where traditional commercial law will increasingly overlap with technology, media and communication laws, and lawyers will need to re-equip and upgrade constantly.

    What inspired you to establish Simpli-Counsel, and how does your approach to advising startups, Gen Z entrepreneurs, and corporates distinguish your consultancy?

    Simpli-Counsel was born out of a simple observation: many startups, Gen Z founders, and even established businesses need practical, clear, and commercially aligned legal advice — not just legalese. After years of working with large institutions, I wanted to build a consultancy that bridges structured legal strategy with the agility that modern businesses require. Our approach is deliberately collaborative and solutions-oriented. We focus on simplifying complex legal frameworks so that founders and business teams can make informed decisions swiftly, without feeling overwhelmed by jargon or legal process.

    Looking back, what has been one of the most complex or high-stakes matters you’ve handled, and what were your key learnings from it?

    One of the most challenging matters I’ve handled involved a multi-jurisdictional recovery action for a consortium of banks against a large corporate borrower. The case involved layered security structures, parallel insolvency proceedings, and regulatory sensitivities. Navigating this required not only deep legal analysis but also constant coordination between stakeholders across jurisdictions. My key takeaway was the importance of strategic clarity and communication — aligning diverse teams behind a coherent legal roadmap can often make the decisive difference in complex disputes.

    In your transition from working with established law firms to building your own consultancy, what have been the biggest challenges and most rewarding aspects?

    The transition from structured law firm environments to building my own practice has been both demanding and deeply fulfilling. The biggest challenge has been stepping out of established institutional systems and creating operational, branding, and business development structures from the ground up. But the reward has been immense: the freedom to shape a practice aligned with my values, the ability to work closely with clients as strategic partners, and the joy of seeing the building something authentic and future-oriented.

    Data privacy is becoming increasingly critical. What practical advice would you give startups and entrepreneurs on mitigating legal risks early, especially in this domain?

    Startups often underestimate data protection until they face a regulatory hurdle or breach. My advice is: embed privacy-by-design early on. Map what data you collect, define clear consent processes, implement basic security hygiene, and assign responsibility for compliance. Even simple steps like robust terms of service, privacy notices, and access protocols can dramatically reduce risk. More importantly, build a culture of respect for data & privacy — because in today’s world, trust is currency.

    What vision do you hold for the future of your practice, and what guidance would you offer younger professionals aspiring to build careers in data privacy and banking law?

    My vision for Simpli-Counsel is to build a modern, agile legal advisory practice that combines deep subject expertise with empathy for how businesses actually function and not how they should. I see tremendous opportunities at the intersection of corporate, technology, and regulation, and want to help clients navigate this evolving landscape with clarity and confidence.

    For young professionals, my advice is twofold: develop strong foundational legal skills, and stay curious about emerging areas like fintech, data privacy, and digital laws. The future belongs to lawyers who can blend legal acumen with strategic foresight and adaptability.

    Beyond your legal career, you are passionate about heritage crafts, travel, and fitness. How do these interests help you maintain balance and perspective in your professional journey?

    Law can be an intense profession, and for me, travel, heritage crafts, and fitness offer grounding and perspective. Exploring crafts connects me to India’s rich cultural fabric, travel fuels my curiosity and adaptability, and fitness keeps me focused and energized. These interests remind me that while our work is serious, our growth is richer when we remain open, balanced, and inspired by the world beyond our desks.

    Get in touch with Anandini Purohit –

  • “Courtroom practice teaches you quickly that law is not just about theory but about how you apply it in real, practical situations.” – Shubhnit Hans, Founder & Managing Partner at Hans Law Associates.

    “Courtroom practice teaches you quickly that law is not just about theory but about how you apply it in real, practical situations.” – Shubhnit Hans, Founder & Managing Partner at Hans Law Associates.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    Having over a decade of experience now, what were the initial years of your practice like? What inspired you to choose law as a career, and how did law school help shape the foundation of your professional journey?

    It’s been 10 years in this profession, yet the early days feel like just yesterday, when I was practicing in Delhi and learning to navigate the world of black and white. It didn’t take long to realize that this profession is far more about practicality than pure theory. Knowing the law and mastering your case file is essential, but equally important is understanding the judge, not personally, but in terms of their courtroom approach: their patterns, reactions, and preferences. From the very beginning, I developed the habit of sitting in court and observing judges closely. That practice, simple as it may seem, has proven invaluable throughout my journey as an advocate. 

    I come from a small town in Haryana called Karnal, where I completed my schooling. After that, I pursued my law degree at Amity University, Noida. My legal journey began with a litigation office in New Delhi, where I practiced for almost four years. In 2018, I moved to Chandigarh to start my own practice. As a first-generation lawyer, it was important for me to establish my name in my hometown, where I felt more connected and grounded. It wasn’t easy, there were no set plans, and no one in my family had a legal background. It all started when a cousin suggested corporate law while I was preparing for my 12th boards in 2010. I gave the entrance exams, got selected at Amity, and the rest unfolded from there.

    You began your career as an associate, handling a wide range of civil litigation and domestic arbitration matters. How did this early exposure influence your approach to complex disputes, and what key skills proved most valuable in the formative years of your practice?

    In the initial years of my practice as an associate, I was fortunate to be exposed to a wide range of civil litigation and domestic arbitration matters. This diversity of work taught me very early on that no two disputes are ever alike. Each case requires a tailored approach in terms of a legal strategy. What shaped me the most was learning how to balance theory with practicality. The law may be uniform, but its application depends on the facts, the forum, and often the perspective of the judge or tribunal. Observing court proceedings, understanding patterns of arguments, and seeing how small details could shift the direction of a case gave me a very grounded view of dispute resolution.

    As a first-generation lawyer, what motivated you to establish your independent practice? What vision did you have when you started, and how has it evolved over time?

    As a first-generation lawyer, what motivated me most to establish my own practice was the desire to build something independent, driven purely by merit, hard work, and client trust. Starting out, I had no legacy to rely upon and that became my greatest strength. It pushed me to focus on credibility, consistency, and results from the very beginning. My initial vision was quite simple: to create a practice that delivered practical, solution-oriented advice rather than just theoretical legal opinions and dragging each and every client to Court even if it could be settled outside the court. That was when Hans Law Associates was established. Over time, that vision has evolved into building a full-service firm where teamwork, innovation, and long-term client relationships are at the core.

    You have represented clients before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, consumer forums, RERA, and various tribunals. How has this diverse litigation experience enhanced your understanding of dispute resolution across different legal platforms?

    Representing clients before the Punjab & Haryana High Court, consumer forums, RERA, and various tribunals has given me a broad perspective on how dispute resolution functions across different platforms. Each forum has its own procedure, pace, and expectations, for instance, the High Court demands sharp legal reasoning and precedent-based arguments, while consumer forums and RERA focus more on quick, pragmatic relief to aggrieved parties. Ultimately, this cross-forum exposure has made me a more versatile advocate, able to approach disputes not just from a legal standpoint, but from a strategic, client-centric perspective.

    You have handled matters before the Haryana Real Estate Appellate Tribunal, the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority, and several other tribunals. What unique challenges have you encountered in this specialized field, and how do you navigate them effectively?

    Handling matters before the HREAT, HRERA, Pkl, and other tribunals has been both challenging and rewarding. Real estate law, especially under the RERA framework, is indeed a booming area of practice. With rapid urbanization and increasing consumer awareness, disputes in this sector are growing both in volume and complexity. The unique challenges I’ve faced include balancing the interests of buyers and developers, staying updated on any recent precedents as it is a very new law and most importantly, ensuring enforcement of orders. While RERA was designed to be consumer-friendly, practical hurdles often arise in execution. I’ve found that navigating this space requires not only sound legal knowledge but also adaptability and persistence. This blend of legal precision and pragmatic follow-through has allowed me to add real value to clients in this fast-growing field.

    As a mediator at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, how do you see ADR evolving in India? In your experience, what advantages does mediation or arbitration offer compared to traditional litigation?

    As a mediator at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, I have witnessed how Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is rapidly evolving in India. With rising pendency in courts, ADR is no longer an alternative but an essential tool for timely and effective justice.

    The recent “Mediation for the Nation” drive initiated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court reflects this growing recognition. By encouraging parties to resolve disputes amicably, the judiciary has underlined mediation’s role in reducing litigation, promoting harmony, and ensuring quicker resolutions. I myself have seen a rise in settlements after the said initiative.

    In my experience, mediation preserves relationships and empowers parties to design their own solutions, while arbitration offers efficiency, confidentiality, and subject-matter expertise. Both provide speed, practicality, and satisfaction compared to traditional litigation that may take years. With institutional support and initiatives like Mediation for the Nation, ADR in India is poised to become a truly transformative mechanism for access to justice.

    You have drafted agreements for a variety of clients, including music and production companies as well as professionals like psychologists. What key challenges do you see in the entertainment sector, and how can these be addressed proactively through careful contract drafting?

    Drafting agreements in the entertainment sector brings its own set of unique challenges. Unlike traditional contracts, these often deal with creative rights, intellectual property, royalties, confidentiality, and moral rights, all of which can be highly sensitive and prone to disputes if not defined clearly. One of the biggest challenges is the ambiguity around ownership of content, whether it lies with the creator, the producer, or the platform. Another is the lack of awareness among artists and professionals about the long-term implications of exclusivity clauses, revenue-sharing models, and termination rights. Proactive solutions lie in clear, precise, and balanced drafting. 

    What advice would you give students aspiring to enter the legal profession, and what resources would you recommend to help them stay ahead in a constantly evolving field?

    My advice to students aspiring to enter the legal profession is to focus on fundamentals and be patient enough to adapt. Courtroom practice teaches you quickly that law is not just about theory but about how you apply it in real, practical situations. Developing habits like observing proceedings, reading judgments daily, and sharpening communication skills goes a long way. It’s a never ending learning process. I see a lot of individuals backing out from the profession as it may not satisfy you monetarily but once you understand the responsibilities that come with it, I am sure we are ready to go a long way. I’d also recommend building a mentor network and learning from senior advocates and peers. In a constantly evolving field, the ability to keep learning, unlearning, and relearning is the best resource you can carry with you.

    Balancing a demanding legal career with personal life can be challenging. How do you manage stress, maintain focus during high-stakes matters, and create balance between your professional and personal responsibilities?

    Balancing a demanding legal career with personal life is indeed challenging, but I’ve learned that discipline and perspective makes the difference. During high-stakes matters, I manage stress by preparing thoroughly as confidence in your case reduces anxiety. I also practice detachment after court hours, giving time to family, fitness, and spirituality, which keeps me grounded. For me, balance isn’t about strict separation but about ensuring that both professional duties and personal responsibilities get the attention they deserve. This balance not only helps me stay focused but also makes me more effective in my practice.

    Get in touch with Shubhnit Hans –

  • Navigating Complexity From Corporate Law to White Collar Investigations with Trust and Insight – Varij Sharma, Founder and Partner at Gravitas Legal.

    Navigating Complexity From Corporate Law to White Collar Investigations with Trust and Insight – Varij Sharma, Founder and Partner at Gravitas Legal.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    You have worked with a Fortune 50 company and have over 17 years of experience across sectors like corporate and commercial law, white-collar crime, and investment fund-related issues. What has been your motivation behind pursuing these sought-after niche fields, and how do you make them simpler for people who are often uncomfortable discussing them? How did you build your name in this niche of the niche, and what continues to drive you?

    Initially, when I started off as a lawyer, my concentration in fact was that whatever I do, I must do it in the best manner possible. As a young lawyer, that was my motivation. And while growing up, every day, it was almost as if going to a warfront, if I can put it that way, facing new challenges.

    And as a corporate lawyer facing new queries, dealing with different and new expectations every day. But one thing that remained constant was that I used to set my own milestones and my only motivation was that I wanted to be the best at what I could be and first test myself.

    I used to set those expectations for myself. As far as trying to be a general corporate lawyer or a decent enough general corporate lawyer, since the very beginning, I never thought of compartmentalizing myself or restricting myself to a particular field. I think that was also because of my upbringing at Dua Associates and I must take the name of my first mentor, Mr. Salil Gulati, who himself was a general corporate lawyer and I used to report to him. The way he nurtured and mentored me, and made me understand the concepts of law in terms of how they are supposed to be applied, was invaluable, because typically what we do in colleges is much different from what you actually end up applying, or rather how you end up applying.

    Of course, academic education or being good at academics is very important, but at the same time, one should know how to apply it. So since day one, I feel that I had a great mentor and he was the one who inculcated this fact, or rather this idea in my mind, that we don’t need to be specifically focused on a particular practice area.

    As a general corporate lawyer, we are capable enough of advising on all aspects of a company, of a business generally. Progressing from that, when I started Gravitas, beyond simply following the general corporate trajectory, we started two new spaces for ourselves, litigation and corporate strategy. Over a period of time, what had also happened and what I also started realizing was that when you advise companies, when you advise businesses, as a lawyer, you hold a position of great trust and confidence. And when anyone actually approaches you, they don’t approach you with a specific task, at least an Indian client doesn’t. They don’t approach you for a specific task.

    It always tends to evolve into something more. So my concentration always was that I should hold that position of trust and confidence so that people would be able to talk to me about all of their issues, not just a specific project or a particular transaction, but whatever other troubles or problems they are facing.

    So over a period of time I also tried to develop a conversationalist in myself. And today, when I speak to my interns or juniors, I try to make them understand the value of conversations and how, by having those conversations, you can develop trust, and how other people may also see what sort of knowledge you carry and the different aspects you can actually advise people on. Slowly, taking from there, when I deal with our foreign clients or institutions, it so happens that ultimately all of these clients also tend to look for something more than just legal advice from their lawyers. They would want that if there is a project, then there should be something more that a lawyer actually brings to the table, be it project knowledge, financial knowledge, and so on and so forth.

    So I kept on, and I still am, looking at avenues to learn more and develop my knowledge—more holistic knowledge, touching upon not just legal aspects of a deal or a business, but also all other aspects which would otherwise impact a particular scenario.

    Be it a transaction, a project, or generally just a legal query. That perspective also actually helps you in providing the right answer to a problem from the perspective of your client. Because sometimes what happens is we lawyers tend to go into too much detail of legal aspects and ultimately we just sort of go around in circles and probably don’t answer a query that requires a practical solution. So yes, that also enabled me to understand, answer, and respond to queries in a much more effective manner, I would say.

    In India, lawyers often focus only on legal aspects, but clients frequently trust us with personal or even psychological concerns. How have you managed this balance while maintaining professionalism and ethics, especially with international clients who often rely heavily on their lawyers? Additionally, how do you guide your juniors in handling such situations, and what strategies have you found effective?

    Sure. Thank you. So, see, like I said, it was also a drive. I mean, when I started realizing the true meaning of becoming a lawyer, that it is not just hidden in a particular opinion that we give or in a document.

    Regardless of whether you are talking to institutions, there is always a human behind that institution also. I always try and spend time on that human aspect. I give people time. I try to understand where the people are coming from. Sometimes, I would say not just sometimes, most of the time, things are not how they appear to be. I always had the zeal to constantly look behind the curtains. Let me just put it that way. I always wanted to understand where this aspect was coming from, rather than just treating a query or a requirement that our clients would send to us, treating it just on the face of whatever was being sought.

    I would always spend time on that query, and I would just think, you know, okay, fine, if someone is asking me a particular question, where is this coming from? Why is this question being asked? I would spend time on that aspect, and when I would try and answer that query—and of course, this happened much later in my life because initially, the concentration, or rather the focus, always used to be just to be a lawyer.

    You know, one would just be overwhelmed with the fact that this is a job and ultimately I have to do well at it and all of that. But over a period of time and later in my career, and especially this transition actually happened when we started Gravitas Legal.

    We wanted the firm to have a structure. We had thought about what we want, how we want our clients and other people to see us, people who approach us for any sort of assistance. How do we want them to see us? So, it was the drive, I would say it was the drive. And I constantly kept on looking for those behind-the-curtains or behind-the-scenes reasons of why and what was emanating. At the same time, I realized that position of trust and confidence that I was just talking about—everybody seeks that. I don’t think it matters whether it is an Indian client or a foreign client, an individual client, or a small, medium, or large business. They would always want their counsel, their lawyer, to gain that position of trust and confidence.

    And that position of trust and confidence, no matter how sound we are as a firm ethically, or what sort of name we have, generally how people know us, that position of trust and confidence is always reserved for the individual you are interacting with. For our clients, that position of trust and confidence will always be with the individuals they are actually interacting with. So when I interact with my juniors, my ex-juniors also, whenever I have interacted with them on these aspects, on these lighter or rather subtler aspects of relationships, I have always tried to tell them that when your client is actually approaching you, there is always something more. Try and strike friendships.

    Try and strike deeper relationships with them so that they can open up to you—deeper professional relationships, of course—where they are able to speak and open up to you to give you a more holistic picture of where the problem actually lies. It has happened so many times that people who have been representatives of my corporate clients have also ended up approaching me for their personal issues, and I have been more than happy to assist them, of course subject to there being no conflict. But at the same time, I think my ultimate win has always been that people are able to give me that position where they think they can actually rely on me and come and discuss those aspects with me.

    The last thing I would like to add is that I have been a very open communicator with my clients. If I have not felt—and look, a general corporate practice is actually quite different from other corporate practices because we are exposed to many more dimensions of a corporate than other, I would say, focused practices—so with general corporate practice, what tends to happen is that when you get that sort of exposure, you also inevitably get into those wider aspects.

    You get that exposure and you try to make the best out of it. And also when you are getting that exposure, I feel we should not hold ourselves back. We should be able to communicate very clearly what we as trusted counsels believe that a client is exposed to. Sometimes I have seen that people shy away from it—that if someone has asked me a question on the Companies Act, I will just answer that query. But I have never been that. Frankly, I can say one thing that I am very happy about myself as a professional, as a lawyer, is that I have never stopped myself from advising my client and being that voice in their ears saying this is right and this is wrong. And when something is wrong, I would never shy away from saying this is wrong.

    So, yes, that is again something that I have worked on and tried to focus more on.

    When handling internal investigations or whistleblower matters, how do you strike a balance between transparency, compliance, and protecting the reputation of the organization, while also managing sensitive internal information? Additionally, how do you maintain your own mental well-being during this process?

    I will give you some sort of an insight on how investigations, rather whistleblower investigations and white collar crime actually proceed and what tends to go into the process. I mean, everybody knows exactly what it means, but what tends to happen in the process, right?

    See, what happens is that when complaints such as this come through, we are supposed to act independently of the complainant as well as the organization and also probably the group of people who may be the potential accused.

    What tends to happen is that when you enter that arena, no matter who may have appointed you, everybody is just looking at you with a lot of anxiety, let me put it that way: what exactly are they going to find and what are they going to do with that knowledge?

    So you have to develop a very, very focused approach with very clear objectives in mind: what are you exactly here for? It’s very easy in such a situation, and let me tell you, when people actually start in such sensitive situations, when people start talking to you, there will be people ranging from the lower managerial positions right up to the top of the organization whom you have to interview and speak to. You may be required to go through thousands of documents to decipher and understand what exactly has happened, and whether ultimately what is being complained of has actually occurred or not.

    So in such situations, when you sit down and start talking to these people, and again they could be 25, 50, or 100 people that you’re talking to over a very short span of time, once again people open up, and your best case scenario, I mean, if you want to decipher something, it is all about whether these people are going to actually trust you and open up to you.

    Because that’s what you’re relying on. These are people who are actually working for an organization and they know that organization much better than you. It’s very easy to conduct an investigation which is absolutely objective, based on documents and policies, et cetera.

    But at the same time, whenever there is a human angle, you need to understand what is happening behind the scenes. So whenever we are in such a situation where we have to conduct an internal investigation, apart from going through the policies and documents, et cetera, we also need to go into the depths of what people perceive is wrong when a complainant is making a complaint. You have to understand from their perspective what exactly they are saying has happened in a wrong fashion, or the policies that have not been adhered to.

    There’s non-compliance, right?

    And they will not be able to write down that as per this particular policy this is wrong and therefore I’m complaining. It’s never that simple; it’s always gray. The practice of law itself, at least in India, most of the time deals with the gray.

    So as far as this process is concerned, one has to have a deeper understanding and should be able to create a very, very thorough process for themselves which can be followed in order to conduct an impartial investigation as an independent investigator, because most of the time these reports are actually submitted to either the board or the shareholders, and they should be able to communicate very, very clearly what the risk aspects are and what exactly has happened, what steps to take next as per the policy, and what steps are required to be taken as well. So, I would say a very clear and thorough process has to be devised. Most organizations have a very clear internal investigations or whistleblower policy, but of course they don’t prescribe a process, because processes are developed and created by the independent investigator, which comes through.

    And of course, you should be able to communicate very thoroughly and very clearly who the individuals are that you want to interview and what documents you need to look at. There is always resistance. I would say there is always resistance, but at the same time you should be able to get past that and thereafter conduct a meaningful and result oriented investigation.

    When investigating or working with a company, it’s difficult to build immediate trust, and the same applies to team members. You started Gravitas Legal about a decade ago, how did you find the right team members who share mutual trust and understanding with you? With the global presence you are now building, how has that been possible, and what strategies did you follow to develop and sustain that trust within your team?

    See, legal practice has changed a lot in the past decade or so. When we established Gravitas Legal back in 2015, I think that was around the same time there was this spurt of new generation law firms. I think that was the time around 2014, 2015 when there were a lot of breakaway firms that started coming through.

    The idea at that point in time, our main motivation rather, to start Gravitas Legal, was that we wanted to create something new and something better than what we had seen and what we had experienced. There were things that we wanted to do differently and probably advise differently, probably conduct the business differently, probably administratively we wanted to set up something new and different, probably partnership structure-wise, we wanted to create something new and different. So primary motivations were these. I am extremely thankful for all the people who have, in the past 10 years, worked with us, because each one of them has not only been instrumental in our growth but also has always ended up teaching us something new.

    I think the number of people or the newer people that we have worked with, they have kept us grounded in our upbringing also as a firm. Because like I said, in the past 10 years, the practice of law, the practice of law firms, has changed drastically.

    The market has changed drastically. There are opportunities like there have never been before. If you are a hardworking, focused person, there are opportunities galore for youngsters. At the same time, there is freedom. And I would also say that the perspective of clients has also changed.

    Clients have become very result-oriented, and they also allow the freedom that is required by lawyers and law firms to operate. The advent of so many newer firms actually shows that there is enough institutional work.

    There is enough corporate work in the market, and that actually shows the maturity that the Indian clientele is also achieving slowly. Of course, there are foreign clients also, but the Indian client has also matured in that they don’t want to go to the same old lawyers or the same old law firms. So the entire ecosystem has matured quite a bit. As far as my younger colleagues are concerned, younger colleagues or colleagues, my contemporaries are concerned, like I was saying, we are extremely thankful to them that they have spent the time they have spent with us and helped us grow immensely. There are a lot of our ex-colleagues who have now probably moved on and taken new roles in either different law firms or in-house. And actually, when I look back and remember where we all had started from and when I see that time has run so fast and people have grown so much and the growth has been mutual, frankly, that actually shows that perhaps we were doing something right and probably, somehow, slightly, we also contributed to their growth. I would say in that case, more than that position of trust and confidence, I think it was mutual confidence. Like I said, in the past 10 years, there are opportunities galore in the market, and still people trusted us, worked with us, and have been participating in our journey. I’m very thankful for that.

    Growing together not only feels good but also helps a law firm grow exponentially. Over the past 10 years, you and your firm have mutually grown, and along the way, you’ve worked on cross-border transactions, joint ventures, corporate law, and M&A, areas very different from what a general counsel usually handles. In today’s environment, where businesses are moving toward sustainable models, how do you see Gravitas Legal progressing in the next 5–10 years, and what plans have you made? While working in such niche fields, how do you identify which strategies work, which don’t, and how do you explain complex issues in simple language for clients who, though corporate, are still human? How do you train your team to do the same, keep everyone grounded despite pressures like money or mental strain, and ensure work is done beautifully, as you have been doing?

    Sure. Just concentrating on the first part of your question, considering the various areas of my practice or the firm’s practice, the firm actually practices general corporate, M&A, private equity, venture capital. We have a great and flourishing insolvency and restructuring practice, project finance, and we also do corporate litigation, indirect tax, criminal law. And they have developed, and let me just tell you this, we had started off with in the first instance.

    We started off as a boutique project finance law firm at that point in time. And then thereafter, we picked up. I was only 6 or 7 years into the profession when we had started, and I was responsible for building the general corporate and ancillary practices, as I call them. So, general corporate and M&A and PE VC funds, insolvency, restructuring, corporate and litigation strategy, everything came later. We were first a boutique project finance law firm.

    When starting off as a project finance law firm and when we saw that this is the only practice area that we are starting off with, our first concentration was on doing what we do best, which was project finance. Soon, when people also realized that now we are independent of any other tag and this is the ship that we are running, people would approach us, clients would approach us with different requirements.

    As from a young lawyer’s perspective, yes, you have to learn, you have to study while practicing also, you have to study. I have, despite having started Gravitas, while today it seems that time has flown like anything, it has been a journey which has required a lot of hard work. When you look at building new practice areas constantly, there are also things that you are dealing with for the first time. And practice areas which you have probably earlier not touched upon. There has to be an approach that you have to develop.

    It’s like how it goes for any lawyer who is just passing out from a law school and entering this business when they are a complete clean slate. When you start a practice area as a partner also, or rather as a leader at a law firm, the idea is that you should develop first a deeper understanding at your end of what you are dealing with or what you are approaching.

    What is that practice area that you want to master? Or rather, you should be able to go out there and say that we can do a major value add to whoever we are supporting in a new practice area. And then building credibility. Yes, organizations and institutions just don’t line up outside your door to give you work.

    You have to show them that you can actually perform, and there are a lot of smaller things that you would start with, things that make them gain confidence in you, and they should also be able to give you those opportunities.

    So from a young lawyer’s perspective, I would say that yes, these are not the times when you can be completely oblivious to whatever is happening around you. And you can just, you know, like this, you can just go enter your office, do your work, get up and go and live your lives.

    But one should be actually looking constantly at developing themselves as a professional. Keep on adding value into your own personality also. And that is what we try to do as a law firm as well. Probably, I would say the trajectories may be different, but the paths are the same ultimately.

    So, as far as our clients are concerned, yes, you are right. People are trying to create sustainable business models, and there is a huge concentration now on whether people are able to see you as an ethical business with sound governance models, sustainability models. So institutions, organizations, even smaller startups are also very conscious about this nowadays. And that is the way to go. I think the awareness that is now there, generally in the market regarding certain issues, especially environmental issues, there is a huge push towards creating sustainable models.

    When it comes to strategies, I’d like to ask about the base strategy you follow to take care of your own health, mental well-being, and also that of your team. Running a successful law firm obviously comes with pressure and challenges, so how do you overcome those? What kind of practices, trainings, or interactions do you use to ensure that everyone’s mental and physical health is taken care of, with the support and trust you’ve built within the team?

    Since the very beginning of my Gravitas Legal journey, or rather since the very beginning of my career, I’ve been very clear that I don’t carry my work home. By that I don’t for a moment mean that I don’t end up working at home sometimes, but I try to not discuss work at home, because if my family tends to get entangled in my work and if I carry my workplace stress home, then the office hours just keep on elongating. So I’ve tried to do that since the very beginning. I try to keep my Saturdays and Sundays very sacrosanct. It’s an effort, it’s an ongoing effort, but I try to ensure that I’m able to find clear me time or my family time on a very regular basis. My rules with my team are very clear that I will only ask you to work if I am working myself. So if I’m not working beyond 6 or 7 in the evening, they can also head home, enjoy life, enjoy whatever time that we can get.

    From an organization’s perspective, we try to set up a town hall every month or so, where we can just discuss things. It’s a great way to interact among different offices, and we try to discuss other things generally.

    In our town halls, we get to know so much about individuals that we are working with, rather than just the professionals. We found that one of us is a national-level athlete, for example. One of us was a great singer and an instrument player.

    So, in order to break the monotony of work, we try and make these efforts. Then we also try that, on a very regular basis, we do one or two youngster-type holidays, where we drive to the mountains and go to very difficult places where there is a lot of adventure and where everybody’s an equal. These are the kinds of things, at least stress busters, that we try to implement at the office. Generally also, we try to keep a very calm and casual environment in the office where people don’t feel over-pressurized. There is always pressure, there is always stress in the practice of law.

    There is no doubt about it, but at the same time these are the efforts that we try to make, and it’s a constant effort again, because times keep changing. There are a few months when there is no breathing space at all and there is constant struggle, there is no clock.

    Things like those happen, but then we try to manage our work well, and we try and find as much time as individuals also in our own lives.

    Get in touch with Varij Sharma –

  • Bridging Borders: Making Law Accessible for Startups Worldwide – Priyanka Mandhani, Corporate lawyer, Company Secretary and Founder of Juris Summit.

    Bridging Borders: Making Law Accessible for Startups Worldwide – Priyanka Mandhani, Corporate lawyer, Company Secretary and Founder of Juris Summit.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    I will start backwards. I’ll not start with the very first question, why you chose law, but I would request you to answer first why and when you decided to start Juris Summit, what was the reason that you started it so soon? What are your plans? How are you going to work on the cross border business laws, and what do you see and where do you see yourself and Juris Summit in next, let’s say five years and a decade?

    I’m so thankful and grateful for all of the SuperLawyer team for bringing this opportunity to me. And yes, I’m looking forward to collaborating with you people and also to giving guidance to all the newcomers who are wishing and willing to start their career on an international platform.

    So, yeah, you know, there are some things, like we said, we get it out of WhatsApp chat.

    So me and my partner Sohan, we met in a WhatsApp group, like in a freelancer group, and at that time, back after two years, we had started our individual freelancing journey. So, we individually found that startups, they struggle, particularly startups, they struggle a lot because there are two things.

    First thing is, particularly I’m talking about the US startups. The United States law firms charge a lot. I would say 800 dollars per hour, and even beyond that. So I was like, what is this? Why are they charging this much?

    Of course, they provide services and they do everything that needs to be done, but we also are authorized to do that, and we can also do it at a lesser price. So that was the first point. And the second point, startups, they want everything fast. They approach any lawyer or somewhere that gives us a template, we will do it ourselves. And in that template, the alignment of business, the clauses, they’re not properly as per their business. They’re not aligned with their business.

    So these are the two things which I felt that I needed to bridge a gap between this thing. So at that time, I had a talk with Sohan. Sohan, this is the problem, we need to fill it out. So he said, so let’s go, let’s build an agency. Then let’s work together.

    And I said, yeah, let’s do it. Why not? And then without a second thought, it was just like bam! Out of a WhatsApp chat. We set up an agency.

    Amazing journey. Amazing start. So let’s now get back to the basics. How did you become convinced that you have to do law as well as company secretaryship?

    And with this kind of dual qualification, how did you pave your way towards not only being an Indian lawyer, but also a lawyer who’s internationally acclaimed and who has moved to Germany and is working from there?

    So, the thing is, I wanted to become a chartered accountant firstly, so I started my journey back then. I’ve cleared my CPT, and after that I could not understand what was happening, but suddenly in that period of time, my interest was very much into law. Then I thought of the professional course of company secretary, and without second thought, again, I enrolled myself into company secretary and successfully I’ve completed everything in the first attempt. And side by side, as this is a law field, I also enrolled myself for an LLB course, a three years course. So I’ve also completed my LLB, and fortunately in the last year of LLB I topped the university, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University.

    So, this is how I wanted to prepare myself fully, and after all these things were done, still I felt like something was missing. Then I found courses like US corporate laws, then diploma in international business laws.

    And that thing fascinated me. I said I want to do this. I want to set up a remote practice for myself. I wanted to do this thing. So without a second thought, I enrolled myself. And today I’m here so that I can work from Germany with US law firms, and not only US, all over the world, I can work with every country’s client.

    So, with all these things, which you decide on a first go, what kind of experience do you have of the transition that you have done from traditional legal practice to starting, founding and running a specialized legal agency, which is right now catering mostly to international clients, particularly in US, like you already have explained about startups. How is your experience about the agency and how does it work for you and your partner and the kind of challenges that you see in having Indian laws, having international laws and their comparison? How does that work for you?

    I would start with the traditional law firms in India or wherever we can say. So, at the law firm I had access to a predictable environment, and consistent staff support was there. Then we had a particular library where we can read and where we can update ourselves. But mostly there were domestic clients, and there were Indian timelines, as you must be aware of, then billing expectations. And so all these things were somewhere I feel they’re keeping me down, they’re setting up boundaries for me.

    So, when I started a legal agency, these were not the things. There were, obviously, challenges because time zone and communication are the biggest challenges when we start an agency that is hundred percent remote and which deals with international clients.

    So, we have staff, obviously we have staff, and what we do is someone between us is always awake at US time zone so that we can grab all the opportunities, so that we can reply to all the clients. And even if he’s not there, what do we do, because we use technology, right?

    We have to use technology. We set auto replies to that particular person. In that way, we don’t push the client, we can’t talk right now, and it’s not our time zone. This is how we work.

    So even if there is any urgent matter or something  because we see clients that want something within 24 hours, within a few hours we actually do that. We don’t say we can’t do this. This is not a timeline to deliver everything, nothing like that. We’ll do everything.

    Someone from us will have to do that. And we have set our agency like that only. So these are the challenges: timeline and communication.

    So, talking about communication, recently we had a client from Saudi Arabia, and I personally had to deal with him.

    So, the first time I didn’t understand what he’s talking about, his accent was so difficult to understand. But thanks to the notes we take, whenever we start a meeting, on the other end we start taking notes. So thanks to all these things, thanks to technology, we understand these things.

    So these are the challenges we overcome, and that’s how it works.

     This shows that the kind of work that you are doing is getting more and more  reach, and that is something which is the value addition to your work at Juris Summit.  So the kind of driving force that you, your partners and the people who work with you have, what kind of gaps or insufficiencies or legal issues you have seen in US business laws as compared to Indian business laws? And the kind of observation that has helped you overcome those challenges and help US companies or businesses have their legal work done with you.

    Okay, so, I mentioned this before, that for billing, the US firms charge a lot. So this is the first thing that we wanted to fill the gap  to provide services at a lower price than the US law firms.

    The second thing, obviously, about the DIY route you know, templates from online platforms and Reddit forums they get. So these are the gaps Juris Summit set out to fill. We offer a third party responsive, startup-savvy legal support delivered by us. Like we are experienced, we have an experienced team and at a cost that makes sense for early-stage companies.

    I’m talking particularly here about the early stage because businesses which are already set, normally, they don’t hesitate or they don’t struggle this much. So, we focus on flat fees. Not an hourly basis. There’s no surprising billings and nothing like that. Scope-defined engagements and what we call it legal sprints.

    So, founders know exactly what they are paying for. So for example, what if there is a review document with us, we have to review that document, we make sure we provide another document  that we just don’t review it and tell him that these are the findings and these are the loopholes that we need to fill.

    And these are the liability clauses and everything. Not like that. What we suggest from the very first clause, to try to make him understand in a simple language. We make a document and we write it in a simple language, clause to clause, that you should know what you are signing. So this is our approach  to make him understand everything.

    We speak their language in short, I can say we speak their language. We don’t just recite, deliver code or GDPR clauses, we explain what it means for their product, their fundraising, or any contractor agreement. So this is how we work.

    And Juris Summit is all about delivering clarity, speed, strategy at the point where founders need it most. We don’t just drop documents, we help build legally sound businesses one decision at a time. And that’s the gap we saw and the reason we are here.

     So on that note, how do you guys keep yourself updated with the new changes in laws in different jurisdictions. Not only the US, like you just now said that you dealt with a client from Saudi Arabia, then other jurisdictions also. So what is your way of keeping yourself updated and keeping your team updated as well?

     So, what happens is normally when we start our day, normally, we start our day at 9:00 AM. 

    So for the first half hour, particularly of mine, I look for all the US jurisdictions, the updates and everything.  There are many newsletters which I have subscribed to.  Then I also have many attorneys. Like we have a group with US attorneys to get the updates. Hey, what’s going on? What’s new? We talk normally like that. So  I get updates from them. And on the other hand, Sohan, he handles Indian jurisdiction, all the Indian and Asian. So basically our first hour or half an hour is only to update ourselves with all the knowledge.

    And apart from this, what we do is set a meeting every 15 days or weekly, biweekly. And, we exchange each other’s knowledge. Hey, what’s new? What did you see? What did you see in the last 15 days? Please share with us what’s up? And everything is online, so we keep a very friendly manner, very relaxed atmosphere, everyone shares his or her thoughts. So like that we exchange our thoughts and we keep updated.

     Are there any specific reading materials or any channel which you especially look out for? Because there are so many of them. If you could name a few, it would be very helpful for the learners as well.

    There are many channels, newsletters. See, it depends upon the learner, how they find it, how easy it is to get the knowledge from that particular newsletter or particular journal or everything.

    So it depends upon the learner, there are many. If you Google it, you will find it. And there are many AIs. Research tools or even if you go to LexisNexis or Westlaw websites. These are the websites where you get all the knowledge.

    Even if you type, what’s the update here tonight? If you even Google it, you’ll get an idea. You will get a list thoroughly. So not a particular channel or anything I follow, but it depends upon, what exactly I want to see on that particular day, that’s how I Google it. And there are a number of websites and journals and everything.

     So let’s move ahead and understand how you help the startups and SMEs, especially those that are led by non-US founders,  but they are being navigated by US federal laws or state laws. How do you make sure that you explain those things, especially tax compliance and other overwhelming aspects of law to your client and make sure that it has been taken care while you help their startup being established in us from scratch until the time they need your help.

     Yeah, as you mentioned that US Federal and tax compliance may be overwhelming and to simplify this is our job, so we simplify US federal and state tax compliances for non-US founders by removing the overwhelm and breaking everything into clear and actionable steps. So for example, we begin with a founder friendly roadmap.  We draft a simple PDF, a simple agreement or like an information document and that outlines all the key tax obligations across federal or state levels.  So this includes important filings like the EIN, then form 5472 then franchise tax and sales tax registration with its timeline and responsible parties that is clearly indicated in that particular document. So since we don’t use a client portal, we ensure accessibility and clarity by sharing checklists and guides over email and tools like Google Drive, we use that. So, you know, founders can track their progress step by step.

     We provide all necessary templates where it’s 83 B, election letter or a sales tax exemption certificate with instruction return in plain English. This is how we manage it. And for ongoing compliances as well, we partner with experienced CPAs.

    Like we have many CPAs in our touch and bookkeepers who specialize in cross-border entities. So this is how we provide all the information to them.  And once introduced, we stay in loop to ensure filings are accurate, then deadlines are met. And the startup stays in solid ground.

    So, as I mentioned earlier, our goal is very simple. Remove all the complexities, bring structure to compliances and let non-US founders focus on building and remove that overwhelmingness.

    How do you manage your physical and mental health while you are doing all of this in different timelines?

    Because obviously sitting in one timeline and working. But managing different timelines, having that presence all the time, that all 24 hours we are available for clients. How do you manage that particular aspect of your life where you have to take care of your physical health as well as your mental health?

    Yeah, start your day with meditation. And hitting a gym, that thing keeps me going all day because, as you have also already mentioned, I have to keep aligned with every time zone and everything. So obviously, this is hectic, this is not easy. But if you manage things properly, it’s all about time management.

    We can’t say we don’t have time, we can’t say that. We have to manage the time, and then we’ll have time automatically. And for my mental health, I walk a lot. It gives me clarity when I walk. It clears my mind. Take a walk in nature for, let’s say, 15 to 20, even 20 minutes, just one round or something.

    It’ll help you boost your thinking and give clarity on what you are doing. And after every two hours, take a break of 10 minutes. It’ll boost your productivity, we would say. So we have to manage. I don’t say no to anything.

    I say I can do it. So there is nothing that you can’t do, I feel. You have to do it. If you decide, there will be a way. You will have to find a way and you can do it.

     You can do everything with an amazing understanding and the way you are doing it, may you have all the success that you have planned for yourself. It’s an amazing experience to understand how you have gone so far, just by the sheer willpower of being able to do anything and everything under the sun.

     It’s an overwhelming thought as well that you carry forward yourself with the thought of being able to do it.

     One more thing. It’s not easy to keep motivated and to stay positive all the time. Because there were times in my life as well where  I started this freelancing journey, there were times where I didn’t get clients. I had to struggle. But the thing is we have to keep going without giving up.

    This is the mantra. Don’t give up. Stand back. There will be your time.  You can’t give up. That’s it. You can’t give up. You have to keep putting in the hard work.

    Get in touch with Priyanka Mandhani –

  • “An international legal career is not just about crossing borders it’s about bridging legal systems, people, and perspectives.” – Sandip Bhosale, Senior Legal Manager at Maatrum Technologies.

    “An international legal career is not just about crossing borders it’s about bridging legal systems, people, and perspectives.” – Sandip Bhosale, Senior Legal Manager at Maatrum Technologies.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    You’ve advised on major infrastructure, real estate, and cross-border commercial transactions across India and Southeast Asia. How has this international exposure influenced your approach to corporate legal practice?

    Advising on major cross-border transactions in Southeast Asian Countries including Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar has significantly shaped my approach to corporate legal practice in three key ways: adaptability, cultural intelligence, and risk sensitivity.

    Working across jurisdictions each with its own regulatory landscape, commercial norms, and legal frameworks requires a flexible, solution-oriented mindset. I have learned to quickly assess unfamiliar legal systems and align them with international best practices, ensuring seamless integration for clients operating in multiple markets. Cross-border deals are not just about laws they are about people, relationships, and negotiation styles that vary widely across Southeast Asia. Understanding these nuances has allowed me to anticipate counterparties’ priorities and negotiate more effectively, often bridging gaps that go beyond legal language. 

    I remember, in the beginning of my career, I was a part of foreign lawyers team, where we used to discuss best practices in various jurisdictions. We use to work collaboratively with local counsel to structure transactions that are both legally sound and commercially viable. Overall, this international experience has reinforced a pragmatic, forward-thinking approach to corporate law balancing legal precision with commercial acumen, always with a view toward helping clients achieve cross-border growth sustainably.

    Having worked on joint ventures, franchise agreements, and market entry strategies in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, what legal or regulatory challenges do you think foreign investors often underestimate in these markets?

    In my experience advising on joint ventures, franchise agreements, and market entry strategies in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, foreign investors often underestimate several legal and regulatory challenges, particularly in three areas: regulatory opacity, local partner risks, and enforcement/judicial system. Investors often assume that laws, especially investment and company laws are fully codified and consistently applied. In reality, many regulations in these markets are underdeveloped, ambiguously worded, or enforced unevenly. 
    In joint ventures and franchise models, investors may overlook the importance of deep local due diligence. Investors sometimes don’t appreciate how vital it is to assess a partner’s political exposure, informal influence networks, or track record of compliance, not just their balance sheet. I have also done due diligence of local entities for JV transactions. 
    While contracts might be drafted to international standards, enforcement is a different story. Judicial systems in these markets may lack independence, speed, or the capacity to handle commercial disputes efficiently. Arbitration clauses are increasingly used, but enforcing foreign arbitral awards still comes with practical and procedural hurdles.

    From securing mining permissions to resolving land litigation and facilitating tribal land sales, your work requires extensive coordination with government authorities. What strategies have proven most effective for you in managing complex regulatory and compliance issues?

    Managing complex regulatory and compliance issues especially in areas like mining permissions, land litigation, and tribal land transactions requires a combination of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and proactive communication.  initiating dialogue early in the process. Building trust and rapport helps in reducing delays and misunderstandings later. Collaborating with local consultants or retired officials who understand the ground realities and bureaucratic procedures helps in navigating procedural bottlenecks effectively.

    With your diverse experience across jurisdictions and sectors, how do you stay abreast of rapidly evolving legal landscapes, particularly when advising on cross-border transactions?

    I stay updated through leading international legal databases, newsletters from top law firms, and updates from regulatory bodies like SEBI, RBI, and international organizations. 

    For cross-border matters, I work closely with reputed local law firms in the relevant jurisdictions such as Lao Law and Consultancy. Their insights help ensure that advice is aligned with both local practice and international best standards.

    Beyond black-letter law, I track economic policies, sanctions regimes, and trade developments that influence cross-border deal structuring and risk allocation. This enables more holistic legal advisory.

    You’ve worked closely with operations and tech teams to streamline legal workflows. In your view, what role should technology play in modern legal practice, especially in areas like due diligence and contract lifecycle management?

    Technology is no longer a support function, it’s becoming a core enabler of modern legal practice. Especially in areas like due diligence and contract lifecycle management (CLM), its role is transformative.

    CLM platforms provide insights into contract performance, risk patterns, and renewal cycles. This allows legal teams to move from reactive to proactive governance and to offer business-aligned advice. Tech solutions can flag non-standard clauses, track obligations, etc. By offloading routine work to tech tools, legal teams can focus on higher-value tasks such as negotiation, risk strategy, etc.

    What inspired you to pursue a career in law, and how did your time at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, including your Master’s specialization in Business Law, shape your legal perspective?

    Coming from a family with no legal background, I often saw people around me struggle with legal issues due to a lack of awareness and access to proper legal guidance. I realized there was a gap and I felt a strong desire to bridge it. The idea of becoming the first in my family to step into the legal field gave me both a sense of responsibility and purpose. It inspired me to be a source of support not just for my family, but for others in similar situations. I wanted to break new ground and prove that even without a legal legacy, one can make a meaningful impact through dedication, learning, and service.”

    My time at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) was pivotal in shaping this vision. The university’s strong academic rigor, coupled with exposure to national-level moot courts, legal aid work, and policy discussions, grounded my understanding of the law not just as theory, but as a practical force. RGNUL also offered a diverse peer network and faculty mentorship that encouraged critical thinking, debate, and an ethical approach to legal practice. 

    You began your career with an international legal consultancy which is a significant early achievement. What steps did you take to secure this opportunity, and what foundational lessons from that phase still guide your practice today?

    Securing an opportunity with Lao Law & Consultancy (LLC) early in my career was the result of deliberate planning, consistent effort, and a focus on aligning my skills with global standards. During law school, I prioritized building a strong foundation in commercial and corporate law while simultaneously engaging in internships, seminars and research etc. 

    Foundational lessons from that early phase continue to guide my practice today. Understanding that legal advice must be commercially viable and actionable. Recognizing the importance of jurisdictional nuances and the need for precision in cross-border matters. Operating in a fast-paced international setting taught me to stay agile, culturally sensitive, and committed to lifelong learning.

    In your current role, where you oversee land-related legal compliance and litigation for mining operations, what are the industry specific legal challenges you face?

    Mining projects often span large, fragmented parcels of land, including private, government, forest, and tribal lands. Ensuring clear title, verifying ownership history, and addressing legacy encumbrances or informal claims requires intensive due diligence and strategic legal structuring. I was fortunate to advice and clear more than 600 Acres acquisition in Maharashtra for mining activities. Having previous experience in dealing with land acquisition and due diligence for renewable energy projects helped me a lot in mining projects as well. 

    A significant challenge lies in obtaining approvals for tribal land transfer, conversion of land from Class-II to Class-I. Obtaining approvals from Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Forest Departments etc. These processes are time-consuming, community-sensitive, and legally intricate. I was also witness to the Public Hearing for a mining project in Maharashtra. 

    Mining projects frequently face PILs, NGO-led litigation on grounds of environmental impact, displacement, or procedural lapses, litigation for land compensation enhancement. I have seen and studied more than 70 petition filed by local persons for land acquisition compensation enhancement. 

    The involvement of multiple authorities revenue, forest, tribal welfare, mining, Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and environment often leads to conflicting interpretations or procedural overlaps.

    What advice would you give to students aiming to build an international legal career? Are there any resources or habits that have helped you stay ahead of evolving global legal trends?

    Solid grounding in contract law, corporate law, and dispute resolution is essential. Prioritize analytical thinking and precision in legal writing skills that are universally respected across jurisdictions. Don’t limit your reading to national statutes. Study international treaties, arbitral awards, and cross-border case law to understand legal reasoning across systems. Intern with firms that handle cross-border work.Learn a foreign language if possible it can be a major advantage.

    Lastly, stay curious and open to different legal cultures. An international legal career is not just about crossing borders it’s about bridging legal systems, people, and perspectives.

    Get in touch with Sandip Bhosale –

  • “Reflecting on my journey, from a wide-eyed intern in Mr. Jethmalani’s chambers to leading Asal Legal Solution LLP, my greatest takeaway is that advocacy is a blend of conviction and compassion.” – Akash Kakade, Advocate Supreme Court of India.

    “Reflecting on my journey, from a wide-eyed intern in Mr. Jethmalani’s chambers to leading Asal Legal Solution LLP, my greatest takeaway is that advocacy is a blend of conviction and compassion.” – Akash Kakade, Advocate Supreme Court of India.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    Early in your career, you had the opportunity to work with various big names in the legal field. What were some of the most enriching experiences from those formative years that deepened your passion for the legal profession?

    The privilege of working under legal titans like Mr. Ram Jethmalani and Mr. Fali S. Nariman during my early years was akin to stepping into a masterclass in advocacy. In 2007, while interning with Mr. Jethmalani, I was thrust into the frenetic pace of a high-profile criminal case at the Supreme Court. I vividly recall his electrifying presence in court, where he dismantled a prosecution’s argument with razor-sharp logic and an almost theatrical flair. One evening, as we prepared for a hearing in the high-profile Jessica Lall murder case, he shared a gem: “The law is not just about statutes; it’s about storytelling that moves hearts and minds.” This perspective transformed my understanding of advocacy, igniting a passion for crafting compelling narratives grounded in legal rigor.

    Similarly, in 2009, assisting Mr. Nariman on a constitutional matter was a revelation. His meticulous analysis of Article 14 during a late-night briefing session taught me the art of weaving constitutional principles into practical arguments. Watching him argue before a Constitution Bench, I saw how his calm demeanour and scholarly depth commanded respect, reinforcing my belief that advocacy is as much about integrity as it is about intellect. These experiences cemented my love for the courtroom, where law becomes a living instrument of justice. I also remember an incidence where he asked me to draft something several times thereafter just near my breakpoint, asked me to get all the drafts and approved the 1st draft which I had shared saying it was the best one and I ought to have shown it to him. I didn’t understand the meaning of it then, however over a period of time I realised he taught me several valuable professional and life lessons through it.

    Your academic and professional background is both impressive and diverse. Could you take us back to the initial experiences that sparked your interest in the field of law?

    My fascination with law was born when our family friend Mr Jethmalani visited our home at Nagpur and there were tons of people there to visit him. I belong to a freedom fighters family and a family which has always been into social work, i was used to people visiting home. However people visiting Mr Jethmalani had a different approach and the respect commanded by him simply left an everlasting and permanent impression on me. He asked me “what I want to become when I grow up?”, I naively asked him, “what do you do?”, to which he said “I am a lawyer son”, so I promptly replied that I want to become a lawyer as well. That is the 1st time I said that and it was etched in my mind since then, as a teenager in 2001. That moment was electric, it showed me the law’s power to uplift the voiceless and the respect one commands with being true to one’s profession. My school debates on issues like caste discrimination and women’s rights further fueled this spark, as I realized advocacy could bridge ideals and action.

    This conviction led me to pursue a B.A. LL.B. at RTM Nagpur University, where I immersed myself in moot courts and legal aid clinics. A particularly memorable experience was organizing a legal awareness camp for rural farmers and downtrodden on the occasion of Dusshera Festival in Nagpur under the aegis of our political science professor , where I explained various faucets of laws in Marathi, my mother tongue. Seeing their faces light up with newfound understanding solidified my resolve to make law accessible and impactful, setting the course for my career.

    Your educational journey from RTM Nagpur University to Queen Mary University of London is inspiring. What motivated you to pursue an LL.M. in Commercial and Corporate Law abroad, and in what ways has that international exposure shaped your current practice before the Supreme Court of India?

    The decision to pursue an LL.M. at Queen Mary University of London was driven by a realization that India’s legal landscape was becoming increasingly globalized. By 2010, I had seen how multinational corporations and cross-border disputes were reshaping commercial litigation in India. I chose Queen Mary for its reputation in international commercial law and arbitration, aiming to master the nuances of global legal frameworks. The program’s modules, International Commercial Arbitration, Commercial Conflict of Laws, and Intellectual Property in Creative Industries, were intellectually exhilarating, challenging me to think beyond Indian jurisprudence.

    A defining moment was my dissertation on pre-arbitral interim relief, which required analysing cases from multiple jurisdictions. This global perspective proved invaluable when I returned to India. For instance, in the ABG Shipyard Swiss Challenge Process case at the Supreme Court, my understanding of international insolvency frameworks allowed me to craft arguments that aligned Indian law with global best practices. My London experience also honed my ability to navigate cultural and legal diversity, enabling me to represent clients like PT. Bara Daya Energi etc. with confidence. Today, this international lens informs my Supreme Court practice, blending global insights with constitutional rigor.

    You’ve appeared in several high-profile Constitution Bench matters, including the EWS Reservation and PMLA Validity cases. How have such landmark litigations influenced your legal philosophy and approach to constitutional interpretation?

    Appearing in Constitution Bench matters like the EWS Reservation and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Validity cases has been a humbling and transformative journey. The EWS case, which upheld reservations for economically weaker sections, taught me the importance of purposive interpretation to advance social justice. I recall a heated courtroom exchange where we debated the balance between equality and affirmative action, moments that underscored the Constitution’s role as a living document adapting to societal needs.

    The PMLA case, challenging the validity of stringent anti-money laundering provisions, was equally profound. It highlighted the delicate interplay between state power and individual liberties, shaping my belief in proportionality as a cornerstone of constitutional interpretation. These cases have instilled a legal philosophy that views the Constitution as a dynamic framework, requiring advocates to harmonize fundamental rights with directive principles. My approach now emphasizes rigorous research, contextual analysis, and a commitment to ensuring that constitutional interpretations serve both justice and the public good.

    As the Founding Managing Partner of Asal Legal Solution LLP, how do you navigate the demands of leadership while actively engaging in high-stakes litigation before the Supreme Court? What motivated you to establish your own practice in the first place?

    Leading Asal Legal Solution LLP while litigating before the Supreme Court demands a delicate balance of vision, discipline, and teamwork. As Founding Managing Partner since, I’ve built a firm that thrives on collaboration and innovation. I delegate research and drafting to a talented team of associates, empowering them to take ownership while I focus on courtroom advocacy and strategy. We use case management software (Libra) to streamline workflows, ensuring I can prepare for high-stakes cases like the Maratha Reservation matter without compromising firm operations. Evening team meetings foster open communication, allowing us to tackle complex cases with agility.

    My motivation to establish Asal Legal stemmed from a desire to create a practice that blends ethical advocacy with client-centric innovation. After years at Desai & Associates, I saw an opportunity to address gaps in legal services, particularly for clients navigating both Indian and international jurisdictions. Founding my own firm allowed me to take on diverse cases, from constitutional benches to international arbitrations, while mentoring the next generation of advocates. This independence has been liberating, enabling me to shape a legacy of impactful litigation.

    Your consistent involvement in social initiatives, particularly through the Maratha Sewa Sangh, reflects a strong commitment to public service. How do you strike a balance between your legal practice and social responsibilities?

    My involvement with Maratha Sewa Sangh and other initiatives is a natural extension of my belief that law must serve society and as a member of society one must give back to the society. As President of its Legal Cell since 2023, I’ve spearheaded legal aid camps and policy advocacy for marginalized communities, often working late evenings after court hours. For instance, organizing the first All India Conference for Rashtriya Maratha Seva Sangh was a logistical challenge, but my team’s support at Asal Legal ensured seamless coordination. I allocate specific days for social initiatives, using weekends for community outreach while reserving weekdays for litigation.

    This balance is fuelled by my conviction that legal expertise carries a responsibility to uplift. My team handles routine legal tasks, freeing me to draft policy recommendations or write columns for Organiser and Kashmir Canvas. These activities recharge me, as the gratitude of a farmer understanding his land rights or a student inspired by a legal talk mirrors the fulfilment I find in courtroom victories. This synergy ensures that my legal practice and social commitments reinforce each other.

    For law students aspiring to build a litigation practice like yours, what advice would you offer? What skills, mindset, or resources do you believe are essential for excelling in this demanding field?

    To law students dreaming of a litigation career, my advice is to embrace the grind with passion and purpose. Litigation is a marathon, not a sprint, so cultivate resilience to navigate setbacks like losing a case or facing a tough bench. Key skills include:

    • Legal Research: Be well versed with law and for that master platforms like SCC Online in order to build airtight arguments.
    • Drafting: Hone the art of concise, persuasive pleadings, every word matters in court.
    • Oral Advocacy: Practice clarity and confidence through moot courts and mock trials.
    • Networking: Seek mentorship from senior advocates; my internships with Mr. Jethmalani and others were game-changers.

    Adopt a growth mindset, view challenges as opportunities to learn as was taught to be by Mr Nariman. Early in my career, a dismissed petition taught me to anticipate judicial perspectives, sharpening my strategy. Resources like legal journals, bar association seminars, and internships in litigation chambers are invaluable. Above all, uphold integrity and empathy; clients trust advocates who fight for their cause with heart. Stay curious, stay ethical, and let your passion for justice drive you.

    Litigation can be incredibly intense and high-pressure. How do you manage the stress that comes with maintaining a rigorous legal practice, and what do you do to safeguard your mental well-being?

    The intensity of Supreme Court litigation, where deadlines loom and stakes soar, demands a robust approach to stress management. I start each day with 30 minutes of yoga and meditation, a ritual that grounds me and sharpens focus. A particularly vivid memory is meditating before arguing the auction case, which calmed my nerves and clarified my arguments. Regular runs in Talkatora Gardens and a disciplined diet keep me physically resilient, countering the sedentary demands of legal work.

    Professionally, I rely on my team at Asal Legal to share the load, delegating research and filings to avoid burnout. I set boundaries, reserving evenings for family or reading historical biographies, which offer perspective on life’s pressures. My social initiatives, like blood donation camps with Maratha Sewa Sangh, are surprisingly rejuvenating, helping others reminds me of the law’s broader purpose. These practices, combined with a supportive network of peers, ensure I thrive in the high-pressure world of litigation.

    Looking back at your journey so far from internships with iconic legal figures to leading your own firm, what has been your biggest takeaway or guiding principle as a legal professional?

    Reflecting on my journey, from a wide-eyed intern in Mr. Jethmalani’s chambers to leading Asal Legal Solution LLP, my greatest takeaway is that advocacy is a blend of conviction and compassion. Whether arguing a marathon case or advising a small business like ILA Naturals, I’ve learned that the law’s true power lies in its ability to humanize disputes. My guiding principle is to approach every case with unwavering integrity and a deep understanding of the client’s story. This means not just winning arguments but ensuring justice resonates, whether for a corporation or a community. This ethos, forged through years of mentorship and practice, drives me to leave a lasting impact on both law and lives.

    Get in touch with Akash Kakade –

  • “I was drawn to law after witnessing how legal complexities often overwhelmed individuals and businesses, creating unnecessary barriers to their goals.” – Purvi Mathur, Managing & Co-Founding Partner at KP Associates, Advocates & Consultants.

    “I was drawn to law after witnessing how legal complexities often overwhelmed individuals and businesses, creating unnecessary barriers to their goals.” – Purvi Mathur, Managing & Co-Founding Partner at KP Associates, Advocates & Consultants.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    Looking back at your career and the successful practice you’ve built today, what were the key experiences that initially led you toward pursuing law? What moments or influences made you choose law as a career? Additionally, how did your time at NLU Gujarat shape and deepen your passion for the field?

    I was drawn to law after witnessing how legal complexities often overwhelmed individuals and businesses, creating unnecessary barriers to their goals. A defining moment came during my undergraduate years when I saw a family dispute escalate simply due to lack of proper legal guidance. This showed me that law isn’t just about statutes, but about people and relationships.

    NLU Gujarat was transformative. The practical learning approach, diverse legal exposure through moot courts and internships, and exceptional faculty mentorship developed the critical thinking skills that guide my practice today. The institution’s emphasis on real-world application deepened my understanding of law’s potential to create positive change.

    In the early years of your practice, what experiences helped you build a stronger understanding of the law and laid the foundation for your career? Could you share some key lessons from that period that would benefit our young readers?

    Working across different practice areas initially provided invaluable insights into how various legal disciplines intersect. A pivotal experience was advising a struggling startup on restructuring, which required understanding corporate law, employment regulations, and tax implications simultaneously teaching me that modern legal practice demands interdisciplinary expertise.

    Key lessons for young practitioners: embrace every learning opportunity regardless of how mundane it seems; develop strong communication skills to translate complex legal concepts into actionable business advice; build relationships based on trust and transparency; and stay curious; the law evolves constantly, and successful practitioners evolve with it.

    What inspired you to establish your own practice? What were some of the challenges you faced in the beginning, and how did you navigate those obstacles?

    I wanted to create a practice that delivered personalized, innovative legal solutions while maintaining the highest ethical standards combining the expertise of larger firms with the agility and client focus of boutique practices.

    Initial challenges included building credibility, establishing a client base, and managing financial constraints while maintaining service quality. 

    I navigated these through strategic relationship building, delivering exceptional results on smaller matters to build credibility, and focusing on becoming specialists in chosen practice areas rather than trying to be everything to everyone. We never compromised on quality to win business – a principle that ultimately distinguished us in the market.

    Cross-border transactions often involve navigating multiple legal frameworks and jurisdictions. How do you manage the complexities of these deals? What are the critical legal considerations businesses must keep in mind when engaging in cross-border transactions, and how do you ensure compliance with international legal standards while advising clients?

    We manage complexity through systematic due diligence across all relevant jurisdictions, collaborating with trusted local counsel worldwide. Our framework maps regulatory requirements, tax implications, and compliance obligations for each jurisdiction involved.

    Critical considerations include foreign investment regulations, tax treaty implications, currency exchange controls, sector-specific restrictions, dispute resolution mechanisms, and enforcement challenges across different legal systems.

    We ensure compliance through jurisdiction-specific checklists, regular regulatory updates, and maintaining relationships with qualified local counsel. Our approach emphasizes early identification of potential conflicts between legal systems and structuring transactions to minimize regulatory friction while ensuring comprehensive documentation that anticipates cross-jurisdictional enforcement challenges.

    With the evolving landscape of CSR compliance, what trends do you foresee emerging in the near future? Additionally, could you share how you guide clients in aligning their CSR strategies with both domestic and international laws?

    Emerging trends include mandatory climate disclosures, supply chain responsibility requirements, and stakeholder-centric reporting. We’re seeing convergence between ESG standards and domestic CSR requirements, with increased focus on measurable impact assessment and integration with business strategy.

    We guide clients by conducting comprehensive assessments of applicable domestic and international obligations, then developing CSR strategies that exceed minimum compliance while creating genuine business value. Our approach emphasizes robust documentation, impact measurement systems, regular compliance audits, and integration of CSR considerations into business decision-making processes.

    Start-ups face several challenges when it comes to establishing their legal foundations. What are the most common legal hurdles that start-ups should address early on? How do you assist them with crucial aspects like intellectual property rights, employee agreements, and business structuring?

    Common hurdles include inadequate business structuring, insufficient IP protection, poorly drafted founder and employee agreements, and underestimating regulatory compliance requirements.

    Our approach begins with comprehensive business structure analysis considering investment plans, tax efficiency, and regulatory requirements. For IP, we conduct thorough audits and establish protection strategies including trademark registrations and robust confidentiality frameworks. Employee agreements require balancing company protection with talent attraction—we draft comprehensive contracts and establish equity participation frameworks.

    We emphasize establishing good governance practices early, including board structures, decision-making processes, and compliance systems that become crucial as startups scale.

    Given your expertise in handling family estate disputes, what aspects of family law do you feel need more focus or reform? How do you approach succession planning for high-net-worth families, especially when dealing with complex cross-border elements?

    Family law needs greater focus on alternative dispute resolution and preventive legal structures. The current system often exacerbates conflicts rather than resolving them constructively.

    For high-net-worth succession planning, we begin with comprehensive family and asset mapping, then develop flexible structures adaptable to changing circumstances. Cross-border elements require careful jurisdiction selection, appropriate trust structures, and documentation that anticipates enforcement issues across different legal systems.

    Our methodology emphasizes family governance frameworks including family constitutions, communication protocols, and dispute resolution mechanisms, with regular plan updates to reflect changing family circumstances and regulatory environments.

    Trust formation is often a delicate issue, especially for business families. Could you elaborate on your approach to setting up trusts and advising clients on succession planning? What are some common misconceptions businesses or individuals might have about trust formation, and how do you address these?

    Our approach begins with thorough understanding of family dynamics, business structures, and long-term goals, then designing flexible trust structures that serve multiple purposes while maintaining adaptability.

    Common misconceptions include believing trusts provide absolute asset protection, assuming trust formation means loss of control, and underestimating ongoing compliance requirements. Many don’t understand differences between trust types and their specific applications.

    We address these through comprehensive education about trust mechanics, clear explanation of rights and obligations, and realistic assessment of benefits and limitations. For business families, we focus on structures facilitating business continuity while providing appropriate family financial security, often involving multiple trust vehicles and governance frameworks for family participation in business decisions.

    Your commitment to fostering diversity in the legal profession is commendable. How do you ensure aspiring lawyers have the mentorship and opportunities they need within your firm? What qualities do you look for when mentoring young lawyers, and what advice do you offer them as they navigate the legal profession?

    We ensure opportunities through inclusive hiring practices, structured mentorship programs pairing senior and junior lawyers across practice areas, meaningful work assignments, and regular professional development workshops.

    In mentoring, I look for intellectual curiosity, ethical grounding, strong communication skills, and resilience. Technical skills can be taught, but these fundamental qualities determine long-term success.

    My advice focuses on building strong foundational skills, maintaining ethical standards regardless of pressure, developing business acumen alongside legal expertise, and understanding that successful careers are built on relationships and reputation. Most importantly, find meaning in your work – legal practice provides unique opportunities to make positive differences in people’s lives.

    With your demanding career and leadership role, how do you personally manage work-life balance? Additionally, how do you encourage your team to maintain a healthy balance while excelling in their roles?

    I maintain balance through disciplined time management, prioritizing high-impact activities, delegating effectively, and protecting family time. Sustainable success comes from managing energy, not just time.

    For the team, we’ve implemented realistic project timelines, adequate staffing, flexible work arrangements where possible, and measure success by results and client satisfaction, not hours worked. We encourage time off and maintain open communication about workload concerns.

    Most importantly, I model healthy balance myself. Teams take cues from leadership, so demonstrating that it’s possible to excel professionally while maintaining personal well-being encourages others to do the same. We celebrate achievements and recognize that sustainable careers require attention to both professional and personal development.

    Get in touch with Purvi Mathur –

  • “In data privacy one should have a clear understanding of GDPR and DPDP 2023, also one must keep in mind data privacy is not just theory its operational.” – Subham Sikdar, Principal Associate at U.S. & Co (Advocates & Solicitors)

    “In data privacy one should have a clear understanding of GDPR and DPDP 2023, also one must keep in mind data privacy is not just theory its operational.” – Subham Sikdar, Principal Associate at U.S. & Co (Advocates & Solicitors)

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    What initially drew you to the field of law? Was there a defining moment or experience that solidified your decision to pursue it as a career?                                                                                                

    They say ‘Blood is thicker than water’, well this proved true in my case and there were significant circumstances and events in my life that had drawn me towards the field of law. Later on, as a child as I grew up, I came to know my grandfather was also an advocate and somehow his stories and the cases he advocated motivated me to seek logic and reason in everything and life at large therefore making me question ‘Why?’ 

    My grandfather Late Nirad Behari Sikdar who passed law in 1942 from Calcutta University had a great influence on me but I didn’t have the good fortune to see him but I had heard his stories which made me realise and achieve my destiny later in life and pursue a career in law. I think not seeing him was something I wish I had but then I realised by carrying forward this noble profession, this way I could be a part of him and yet pave the legacy he had made. 

    As an advocate, he was a senior counsel who had done some impressive landmark cases of that era like against the North Frontier Railways in the year of 1966; as he was a hardcore civil practitioner. I slowly developed a passion and love for law as I tread on my journey, as each day I consider myself to be an apprentice learning and improving the craft of practising law.

    What motivated you to pursue an LL.M. in Corporate and Financial Law, and what drew you specifically to this area of specialization?

    Well, my internships and clerkships were all aligned towards general corporate practice in Corporate Teams of law firms and organisations because from the onset of my law school, I was much interested in commercial laws and corporate laws. Slowly, I developed a sweet spot for this niche area of law. 

    I think it is very important to discover and understand your path at an early stage because then you can focus and decide your stream line in the field of law and hence carve your practice area. As a law student and even till now I was always focused on academia and research because better research means better practice and vice -versa. My main objective to do an LLM was to focus on research and academia pertaining to my practice area that would enhance my analytical reasoning and articulation on general corporate and commercial laws. This is a myth that masters are done to have a hike on your payslip or promotion in your organisation. NO, it doesn’t work that way, masters are done simply to have a niche area of intellectual understanding and to develop an expertise of knowledge in a certain specific practice area for those who like to pursue it. 

    Once I had asked my law school senior in my final year, “Should we do a masters”, his blunt reply was “Yes if you are rich”, well both my masters programs, I had been offered scholarships for the tuition fees because of my precedent academic credentials and entrance exam score also for the second one I didn’t take it because I was working(had taken a sabbatical from the firm), also so that a student who really needed the financial support would get it, hence higher education is not always necessarily only for the rich I suppose. 

    This area of specialisation is very dynamic as the regulatory, compliance part of the practice keeps on evoluting throughout the world and the best part is that the application is not necessarily bounded by the jurisdiction and surpasses borders and becomes universal for the application part of the law at most times.

    In the early stages of your career working both in corporate roles and later with a law firm what key experiences helped hone your legal skills, and how did they contribute to building a strong foundation for your current practice?                                                                                                         

    Well, during my early years I remember that I was very curious, I wanted to solve problems, I asked ‘why’ till I was satisfied with the answer given. I always did my homework. I did more than what was asked for not because of my senior’s satisfaction but for the fact that I wanted to deliver. I remember asking myself “What can I give? ” and what I am bringing to the table. 

    I was punctual and I had an eagerness to learn. I think discipline played a strong foundation in building myself for the lawyer I am today but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun and a good time. Balance is the key and with the right momentum and a little bit of luck the world is your oyster. Just like a lot of lawyers when I worked at law firms, clients were my main focus. Also when I worked in-house, stakeholders were my primary focus. 

    There is a saying that if a good in-house counsel takes care of the stakeholders, then the stakeholders would take care of you. As a lawyer I think it is very important to build relationships and that’s exactly what I have done in most places I have worked till now.

    What prompted your transition from working in the corporate sector to practicing with U.S. & Co (Advocates & Solicitors)? How would you compare the roles and working environments of both settings, and what unique insights did each offer?

    After a certain point of time, I think change is inevitable, I took the jump trusting my instinct being the right time to do so. I think the best way to cater as an in-house lawyer is to understand the business because the organisation is your one client and your sole purpose is to make every effort to retain legal sanctity and regulatory legal compliance for the organization also to defend when necessary. Over here you dawn many hats but touch upon almost every available practice area but in a limited spectrum for your day-day work also you have to learn to efficiently manage your stakeholder and have good stakeholder management skills because they are not necessarily lawyers or have studied law but can be people from different verticals in the organisation. You have to be patient, diligent and research-oriented practitioner catering to your stakeholders.

     Whereas, in private practice every client possesses a new challenge and there is a need that you got to have the client’s best interest at all times and do what is possible in offering the best possible legal service. Now, it becomes challenging when stepping towards the senior roles in a law firm because you are not only supposed to cater to clients but also bring in business and have a book as a partner which would be mostly about business development in the firm. 

    Each role has its own appeal and sets of unique challenges as the seniority increases, the complexity increases and the role becomes proactively engaging in different ways for both in-house and law firm lawyers.

    As a Principal Associate handling a diverse portfolio of corporate clients across sectors such as IT, pharma, and infrastructure, you’ve led several high-value transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and investor rounds. Could you share insights into a particularly complex or high-impact deal you’ve worked on and how you navigated them?

    One of the most challenging high value transactions was a cross-border acquisition in the technology space. The deal was a high value deal and our client was a mid-sized Indian technology company acquiring a European database company.

    Now there were some key challenges we needed to focus on the deal:

    • Regulatory Issues across Jurisdictions- We had to navigate both Indian regulatory requirements of FEMA, SEBI and RBI Approvals and EU compliances including GDPR. 
    • There was a heavy due diligence on the IP Risks done by the team.
    • We had to do Investor coordination, the transaction had multiple investors including PE funds and strategic investors with varying expectations. Aligning all the stakeholders required careful drafting of the SPA and waterfall structures.
    • For the cultural and operational integration, we closely worked with the client’s internal team and foreign external team for minimum disruption and retainment of key talent in the organisation. The deal closed after six months successfully resulting in a significant boost in our client’s global footprint.

    While dealing with matters relating to data privacy compliance under the DPDP Act, 2023, how do you balance legal innovation with compliance in today’s fast-evolving corporate regulatory landscape?

    Having an equilibrium in legal innovation with compliance under the DPDP Act, 2023 in India’s vigorously changing fast paced corporate regulatory environment requires a proactive strategic and multi-disciplinary approach. 

    It is very important to understand the spirit as well as the Letter of the Law. The DPDP Act emphasizes consent, purpose, limitation, data minimization, and accountability. It is very important to interpret the law holistically. To designate individual rights while enabling business innovation. Design should be made on the onset of privacy by design principles into products, services, and internal systems. 

    For better judicial interpretation regulatory landscapes e.g. India’s DPDP, EU GDPR, etc are mostly dynamic. It is very important in having a practical governance framework in place as a centralized privacy governance model. To conclude it should be understood that innovation and compliance are not mutually exclusive. In accordance with the DPDP Act, organisations should have a momentum towards an ethical innovation, to have solutions futuristic but privacy oriented. Thus, developing frameworks that are transparent, adaptable, user centric that supports the business which can promote in this evolving legal environment.

     What are some common legal pitfalls startups often encounter during early-stage funding rounds, and how did you proactively address or mitigate these while managing the legal aspects of a technology startup?

    Navigating startup early-stage funding rounds can be quite tricky and this may lead to derail progress or damage in the long run.

    Some common pitfalls for startups (Early-stage funding) are:

    • Wrong entity in corporate formation and structure
    • Incapability in protecting and securing IP Intellectual Property
    • Chaos on Cap Table
    • Non-compliance with Securities Laws
    • Improper Due Diligence
    • Ambiguous Drafted Founder’s Agreement
    • Violation of Employment Laws

    To manage these legal aspects, it is required to have an active startup focused mindset to set up the company properly and duly advise fundraising. There should be a clean obligation of IP, use safe templates and investor friendly terms, do equity management from issued founder stock. Commit to a structured well planned due diligence flagging risks. Also, last but not least there should be proper scrutiny for supportive compliance with corporate governance and employment law.

    What advice would you offer to law students and young professionals aiming to explore corporate law, particularly in areas like M&A, data privacy, and legal compliance? Are there any specific resources or approaches you’d recommend to help them stay ahead of the curve?

    I think for law students and young professionals it is very important to have sound knowledge because there needs to be a marriage between theory and practice, that’s where excellence happens. General awareness of recent deal structuring in the market and the tactics followed is always helpful; it helps us understand the latest trends in deal structuring M&A. Also, it’s very important to stay updated with the latest regulations and the statutory norms. 

    In data privacy one should have a clear understanding of GDPR and DPDP 2023 also one must keep in mind data privacy is not just theory its operational. It is cardinal to understand privacy and compliance are implemented in practice. One can get certified through CIPP/US, CIPP/E these are law focussed privacy certificates from IAPP.

    Legal Compliance goes beyond because it acts like a bridge between legal, operations and ethics. Nowadays, businesses try to build a strong legal and regulatory foundation by developing practical, business – facing skills in Anti-Corruption laws: FCPA, UK Bribery Act, AML/KYC in Banking and finance, Anti -Trust Laws (Competition), Environmental & Labor regulations, corporate governance & SEC rules also sometimes there are industry specific compliance. For law students and young law professionals it is also important to make tailor made internship choices from an early stage and take special attention to corporate law classes, white-collar crime, regulatory law or ethics.

    • For M&A some recommended reads are: Mergers & Acquisitions and Other Restructuring Activities by Donald DePamphilis, The Art of M&A by Stanley Foster Reed, Alexandra Lajoux and H. Peter Nesvold. It also is important to read industry reports Like the Financial Times, Bloomberg M&A News, Reuter Deals etc.
    • For Data Privacy I recommend EU Data Protection and the GDPR by Christopher Kuner, Privacy Law and Society by Anita Allen & Marc Rotenberg, comprehensive research can be done through Westlaw, LexisNexis and Bloomberg Law.
    • It is advisable to do some certificate courses as well on these practice areas which helps to stay ahead of the curve and also equips with the latest trends and focus of the industry at large.
    • Legal Compliance is something where one needs to keep abreast with the latest regulatory laws and focus on the industry trends that provide valuable market insights to delve much further to understand the concepts and safeguarding it. It is recommendable to take one or two internships in an in-house legal department of any good organization to gain a much more mature practical understanding.

    Balancing the demands of a legal career with personal life can be challenging. How do you maintain this balance, and what are your go-to ways to unwind or recharge outside of work?

    Yes, indeed it is challenging and always has been and would be. Well, maintaining a balance is difficult as it is all about managing workflow and if there is work then it has to be done with maintaining a certain standard, that’s all. I try not to work on a Sunday most times because Sundays, I try to keep for my family and myself.

    I try to rejuvenate from work by listening to all kinds of music under the sun and I myself play the piano since childhood for the last 24 years. Since my seventh grade I had been interested in Equestrian activities so I did learn In India and UK now also occasionally I go for pursuing this hobby at the Polo Club when I have the time.  I like to travel when I have the time and also, I do love driving, I take out time for going on long drives. Off late, I don’t get to read much outside law these days but I do like to read novels and autobiographies.

    Get in touch with Subham Sikdar –

  • “I have always had an inquisitive nature and a strong desire to view situations from multiple perspectives. These qualities naturally drew me toward a career in law.” – Shashi Priyadarshini, Lead Attorney (Commercial Counsel) at WNS.

    “I have always had an inquisitive nature and a strong desire to view situations from multiple perspectives. These qualities naturally drew me toward a career in law.” – Shashi Priyadarshini, Lead Attorney (Commercial Counsel) at WNS.

    This interview has been published by Anshi Mudgal and The SuperLawyer Team

    What initially drew you to a career in law, and how did your time at Chanakya National Law University, Patna, equip you to meet the practical challenges of contract management and corporate legal practice?

    My interest in law was sparked during my early school days. I have always had an inquisitive nature and a strong desire to view situations from multiple perspectives and ensure fairness in every interaction. These qualities naturally drew me toward a career in law. My legal education at Chanakya National Law University has provided me with a strong foundation in various laws and regulations, including a solid understanding of contracts. It has also equipped me with practical knowledge essential for working as a lawyer.

    In your early years, you worked extensively on contract review and litigation. What were the most significant lessons from that experience, and how did it shape your approach to legal analysis and risk assessment?

    Working on contract review and litigation has taught me several significant lessons. One of the most important is the need to approach legal negotiations not only from a legal perspective but also with a commercial mindset—thinking like a business lawyer. Contracts often contain complex legal clauses that can lead to prolonged negotiations. However, it is essential to remember that the ultimate goal is to close a commercial deal. Therefore, as lawyers, it is crucial to collaborate closely with business and commercial teams, assess legal and commercial risks effectively, and help facilitate a balanced, workable agreement. 

    Transitioning into in-house legal roles at the Taj Group and Brinks India marked a shift in your career path. How did these roles differ from your earlier legal service positions, and what changes did you notice in terms of responsibilities and expectations?

    My earlier roles were more focused on outsourcing, where I worked alongside legal counsels, but without being directly invested in the company. This experience allowed me to collaborate with in-house lawyers and interact with Fortune 500 companies, but it involved relatively lower levels of risk assessment. In contrast, in-house roles are far more complex and come with higher risks. As an in-house lawyer, it is essential to approach cases from the company’s perspective, thoroughly understanding its business operations, and then making informed, commercial decisions that align with the company’s goals and risk appetite.

    You’ve handled complex contracts involving Intellectual Property, especially in technology and AI domains. What are the key contractual safeguards you prioritize during negotiations to protect IP assets?

    Protecting intellectual property (IP) involves safeguarding both the customer’s and the company’s rights. This includes ensuring the protection of the customer’s IP, any pre-existing IP, and the company’s rights against potential third-party IP breaches. It is also crucial to protect the customer from liabilities arising from modifications under the indemnity clause. IP breach liabilities should never be left open-ended—it’s important to negotiate and include a super cap on such breaches. Additionally, contracts must include precise language to clearly define IP rights and obligations, ensuring the legal interests of the company are thoroughly protected.

    In your experience managing the contract lifecycle and engaging in vendor negotiations, particularly in global settings, how have you handled situations where contractual obligations conflicted with local legal regulations?

    It is essential to ensure compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations when entering into commercial agreements. As a commercial legal counsel, one must not only address the legal obligations arising from customer contracts but also ensure that similar obligations and compliance requirements are appropriately flowed down to any third-party vendors involved in the service delivery.

    For example, when your company provides services to a customer and relies on a third-party vendor to deliver part of those services, it is critical to ensure that:

    1. All legal rights and obligations are clearly defined and back-to-back between the customer contract and the vendor agreement.
    2. The third-party vendor is fully compliant with the local laws and regulations applicable to the services they are performing.
    3. All necessary legal, regulatory, and contractual compliance requirements are properly captured in the vendor agreement to avoid any downstream risks or liabilities.

    This approach mitigates legal and operational risks and ensures a seamless and legally sound service delivery framework. 

    In your current role as Lead Attorney for the America region, where compliance requirements can vary widely across U.S. states and other jurisdictions, how do you ensure your legal guidance remains locally compliant while upholding global consistency in standards and practices?

    As a lead attorney operating in U.S. jurisdictions, it is critical to have a thorough understanding of the applicable federal, state, and local laws and industry-specific regulations. This legal insight ensures that contracts are drafted in a way that aligns with regulatory requirements, mitigates risk, and protects the interests of the company. Tailoring contracts to reflect relevant legal obligations also supports enforceability and compliance throughout the lifecycle of the agreement. 

    Reflecting on your diverse legal journey, what advice would you give to young legal professionals aspiring to move into in-house roles? Which subjects or skills should they prioritize, and how can they position themselves effectively early in their careers?

    Advice for Young Legal Professionals:

    1. Understand the Law and Contractual Framework:
      Develop a strong foundation in legal principles and contractual positions. Know the legal implications of various clauses and how they align with applicable laws.
    2. Understand the Business and Commercial Context:
      Go beyond legal text—grasp the company’s business model, commercial goals, and industry dynamics. Legal advice is only effective when grounded in business reality.
    3. Apply the “5Ws and How” Approach:
      Ask: What is being contracted? Why is it necessary? Where is it applicable? Who are the parties involved? When is it effective? How will it be executed? This approach helps in thorough contract analysis and effective negotiation, especially from an in-house counsel’s perspective.
    4. Collaborate with Business Teams:
      Engage with internal stakeholders to understand their objectives. Review the contract from a commercial standpoint, not just a legal one, to ensure it serves the broader business strategy.
    5. Be Agile and Prepared for Last-Minute Changes:
      Flexibility is key. Legal work often involves addressing urgent issues or last-minute gaps—adaptability ensures timely and practical solutions.
    6. Conduct Risk Analysis Based on Business Appetite:
      Assess legal and commercial risks pragmatically. Identify “must-haves” versus “nice-to-haves,” and evaluate which contractual risks are acceptable based on your company’s risk appetite.

    Outside of your professional legal work, what personal interests or activities do you pursue? How have these helped you maintain mental balance, resilience, and long-term effectiveness in such a demanding field?

    Outside of work, I’m a proud dog mom to two wonderful dogs whose unconditional love brings me immense joy and comfort. In my free time, I enjoy painting, traveling, and cooking—activities that allow me to express creativity, explore new cultures, and unwind.

    Get in touch with Shashi Priyadarshini –