Super Lawyer

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  • Manav Gecil Thomas, Partner at Thomas George and Associates Shares his Thoughts on Networking Strategies in Litigation and Role of Tech and AI in Legal Operations

    Manav Gecil Thomas, Partner at Thomas George and Associates Shares his Thoughts on Networking Strategies in Litigation and Role of Tech and AI in Legal Operations

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    What motivated you to take law as a career and how has been the decision so far?

    As all students, I was also confused during my school days as to which profession I should choose. Thereafter, my mom suggested me to take up law in lines of the profession of my father as he has already established a base. I did not qualify CLAT, however, I qualified for UPES, LAWCET and ILS Law College, Pune.

    Keeping the long standing reputation and I decided to join ILS Law College, Pune. All throughout my college life, I enjoyed participating in Moot Court competitions. After completing my law, I immediately joined my father’s law firm i.e., THOMAS GEORGE & ASSOCIATES. Thereafter, my mom was instrumental in insisting me to complete my LL.M.

    I did LL.M in Constitutional Law from O.U.P.G. College, Basheerbagh and secured a Gold Medal which was a lifetime dream come true. My father has been an amazing mentor as he not only trained me in drafting, filing procedures, clerical works but he also gave me the freedom to take up matters and handle them independently from day one …!

    My first appearance itself was arguing a final hearing before the then united Hon’ble Andhra Pradesh High Court of a Criminal Revision Case pertaining to 2008. Ever since then, I have never stopped and I hope to argue many more important cases in the years ahead of my life.

    Arguing the law and interpreting the law are two important facets of my litigation life which I will always cherish. So, though law happened by accident, I am happy to go the way it carries me. There is a unique unexplained sense of happiness that, I feel while arguing cases before different judicial and non-judicial fora throughout the country. With all the tremendous pressures that we as advocates undergo, it is only, that joy that I get, after arguing different kinds of matters that keeps me going ahead…!

    Your internship experiences are filled with reputed Advocates and Judges, was there any roadmap for the same or all did was in flow? How would you guide students in choosing internships?

    As a law student after participating in few moot court competitions, I was inclined towards litigation. My first internship was with my father and mentor who taught me the basic art of advocacy, that includes drafting, filing procedures etc.

    Thereafter, I went on to intern with Designated Senior Counsel Late Padmanabha Reddy where I was mesmerised to see sir argue different kinds of matters at length on his legs from 10:30 AM to 04:30 PM…! I would observe, sir argue most complex matters with utmost patience and he was always calm and composed, the most essential art I learnt. Subsequently, I interned with Adv. S. Niranjan Reddy now Designated Senior Counsel/ Member of Parliament, at whose offices I learnt corporate litigation and its nuances.

    Thereafter, I had the unique opportunity of working with Honourable Justice Kurian Joseph (Retired), Former Judge Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and while interning with his Lordship, I was able to understand what all goes in the minds of the judges post arguments since, I was also involved in the legal research that would assist judges in arriving at their decisions. I was able to see the judicial process closly that goes on after the arguments and before the judgement is pronounced.

    This experience has channelised my arguments in a slightly different manner and I am dedicated His Lordship for imparting this knowledge in me. Thereafter, I had a short stint with late Advocate Lily Thomas who had shown me no matter whatever hurdles and challenges life throws at us one must keep moving. Lastly, in my final year, I interned with Designated Senior Counsel & Hon’ble R. Basant sir Former Kerala High Court Judge. During this internship I received unique lessons of life & law, wherein I learnt how a mentor can treat his associates, juniors and interns with patience & care and at the same time learnt how hard work and dedication plays an important role in the life of an advocate. Students are not always sure as to what kind of an advocate they want to become after graduating, so it is always beneficial to intern at different places where there are variety of matters.

    Students should always start their internships with advocates who have a variety of trial court matters. In trial courts, students can learn about procedural laws, they can observe Cross Examinations and trial advocacy skills.

    Thereafter, students must intern with advocates practising in the High Courts and then the Supreme Court if possible. After this I would suggest students to intern with different corporate law firms. By the end of their internships, I would say with utmost surety, that, the students will be able to decide their career paths…!

    Manav, any specific reason for choosing litigation over corporate, what created your interest in that?

    I hope my answer to this question does not create any controversy amongst corporate law practitioners. I do not feel that I am made up for only drafting contracts or due diligence as I like to see the law in motion and that, only happens in the courts of law. In litigation, one see and meets different types of clients with different issues and in pursuing those issues one has to appear before different judicial and non-judicial fora and convince the Honourable Judges on unique points of laws and facts. Litigation requires a unique skill of being able to put forth your points with absolute clarity and conviction.

    For the same, one has to be well versed and well abreast with the laws and case laws. In corporate law, there are different nuances of law which are being explored on a day-to-day basis but none of the corporate lawyers are able to see their documents being interpreted in the courts of law. That is why, I choose litigation over corporate law.

    However, one must understand that even though I am a litigating lawyer, on a day-to-day basis, I am dealing with various aspects of corporate law which we cannot avoid being a lawyer. Thus, I believe that the so-called difference between a corporate lawyer and a litigating professional is a grey area which cannot be compartmentalised. So, I fix no label to myself….I leave it to the readers to categorise me as any lawyer they feel based on the work I execute.

    As lawyers, society depends on us in a lot of situations and pro-bono matters is one of them. How far do you resonate with this?

    Society depends on a number of aspects that keeps evolving and law is an important part of this evolving society. The changing needs of the society requires dynamic changes by the practitioners of law. In today’s world where everyone is in the rat race to earn, a lot of poor litigants suffer with inefficient representation as the fees that they can pay is less. I completely believe that in the background of the unique requirements of the society as of today, pro bono matters would definitely assist and help the people in need in a unique and effective manner.

    Many a times, I come across poor litigants who are not guided in the right direction due to which they faced unpleasant consequences. In this background all the us at THOMAS GEORGE AND ASSOCIATES believe in helping the really needy clients and when the situation demands we do take up pro bono matters. In criminal matters I observed that the people arrayed as accused in many matters do not have the necessary sources to finance their litigation expenses and tend to seek help from legal aid.

    Many a times, legal aid is not providing effective and efficient representation thereby rendering the whole purpose futile. Thus, professionals with experience taking up pro bono matters really helps the litigants in need.

    According to you, what networking strategies should be adopted by the first-generation lawyers specifically in litigation?

    The struggles of first-generation lawyers are untold in today’s world. There is no secret mantra that can be told as to the strategies that can be adopted, however, these are a few tools which may come handy in the years to come. Networking is a very important part of litigation which one will understand as they progress in their profession. One must always bear in mind that every person one meets in any walk of life can be one’s prospective client and thus one should interact with people and make them know that one is a practising lawyer.

    There is an apt example for the aforementioned statement of mine; once while I was in a club and while I was on the way to the washroom, I met an acquaintance of mine and in a casual conversation made him know that I am practising in Hyderabad. After a year I received a call by this acquaintance who had referred a very big company for coming on board as their retainer. So, one can land up with a client in any place.

    Keeping in touch with your alma mater and alumni will also help you in being referred matters from different states pertaining to your jurisdiction. Being active on social media can also help to a certain extent. Giving internships to students, is a way of giving back to the society and in return over the years to come, one will see the benefit from the same. Also, one must always remember that hard work pays off and the reason I say so, is your work must speak for yourself and that in turn would result in receiving the due benefits of networking.

    Please elaborate for us your current role

    I am currently the Name Partner at THOMAS GEORGE & ASSOCIATES, Hyderabad. The Managing and Founding Partner of the firm is my father, Advocate Thomas George and the Senior Partner is my mother. This being the background of my firm, the positions that we hold really does not matter for us internally. That being said, on a day-to-day basis I appear on various matters before various Judicial and Non-judicial fora throughout India with my base practice in Hyderabad.

    My entire day goes in arguing matters before different courts of law and in the evening, I spend my time in preparing for matters listed either on the immediate next day or for the days to come and also meet my clients. I supervise the administrative matters of the firm.

    I delegate matters to the juniors/associates at the firm, teach/assign work/cross check the drafts assigned to the Associates/Virtual/Non-virtual interns. I brief the Managing and Founding Partner and Senior Partner of the firm on matters that needs to be argued. I also help my Associates in practising their presentations before the courts scheduled for the next day, so that, they do not face any difficulty.

    So far we’ve seen employees being harassed at workplace wrt different situations, how well do you consider the role of employment laws in the same?

    It is always beneficial for employees to research about the firm where they seek employment before scheduling any interview. I also think it will be beneficial if one can speak to people who worked in the said place prior to joining. The role of employment laws is not very effective as, the internal committee for any kind of harassment consist of members of the same firm.

    Furthermore, if any employee raises a complaint and leaves the organisation the next organisation will always look at this employee with a speck in their eyes and thus there is a fear in employees from making any complaints whatsoever.

    How does AI play a significant role in helping lawyers and what are the consequences for the same?

    AI is already playing a significant role in lives of lawyers. As on today we can see AI’s tremendous use in research while comparing to our senior generation lawyers. The search engines have been extremely helpful in researching for case laws as well as to know overruled decisions, landmark decisions et cetera. Case management has become very simple with the help of various digital applications that provides the statuses of all the matters of the firm with the click of a button. Dictation and drafting have become 10 times easier than what it was with the usage of the software that types out whatever we dictate with almost 90% perfection.

    Another application that I have come across in the recent times is a scanner pen which can be used to copy paste contents from various hard copy of agreements/drafts into the word document. AI will always remain a tool in the hands of a lawyer but can never replace mankind especially lawyers, because, the brain used to interpret law in a unique manner is not AI but it is that unique skill of that lawyer. Furthermore, convincing a judge is done by advocates who present their matters in ways they deem fit which again cannot be substituted by AI. For people who disagree then mankind itself will be overtaken by AI.

    There are also applications that are being developed for taking queries from clients through chat boxes and these apps help in consolidating the client consultations to a certain extent. Such client consultations would in a way save the precious time of lawyers. However, how much ever technology advances, if it lacks  human touch in the works of a lawyer then I believe there will not be effective representation in those cases.

    Manav, we’ve been witnessing students shifting from litigation to corporate or most of the times they dont even take litigation as an option, what can be the reasons for the same?

    Personally, I would like to disagree. In the recent years I have seen many students in fact choosing litigation over corporate law firms. The ground reality is that, as on date, there are no vacancies in many chambers as they are already flooded with young students who have just graduated. However, students do prefer a comfortable and stable life with heavy packages which corporate law firms provide and that can be the only reason that students would prefer corporate law firms over litigation.

    Once litigating lawyers start paying their juniors at least the amounts that are required for the basic survival in the cities they practice, students will definitely choose litigation. What I have observed in corporate law firms is that due to tremendous burn outs over the period of time people shift back to litigation thereby losing their initial precious years of the experience. Students must understand that litigation is like an investment which grows manifolds.

    The life of a corporate lawyer or a judicial officer or a lecturer usually ends upon attaining the age of superannuation, however, the life of an advocate has no age limit and in a lighter note; when all your fellow colleagues are retiring, the practising lawyers start earning even more…!

    Lastly, any piece of advice for our young lawyers

    Repeating what you would have already heard from various stalwarts in the profession, I would like to say that there are no shortcuts to success.

    Hard work, dedication, diligence, perseverance, patience are the keystones to success. We must always remember that success cannot be achieved overnight but it requires tremendous hard work.

    Whenever, we see successful professionals, we only tend to see their achievements without knowing the amount of pain, sacrifices, compromise that they had to undergo to reach the place that they are at today.

    Having patience will definitely play a great role in reaching those heights of success that are channelled for you. One must always remember to maintain a work – life balance which everyone has been talking about in the recent times. One must take time off work, spend time with family and friends as well, which are very important.

    I always tell my hardworking interns not to forget to chill in life. All the best!!!

    Get in touch with Manav Gecil Thomas-

  • In Conversation with: Bambi Bhalla, Corporate Lawyer and Emissary Counsel at Cornellia Chambers

    In Conversation with: Bambi Bhalla, Corporate Lawyer and Emissary Counsel at Cornellia Chambers

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    What was your motivation behind choosing law as a career?

    I decided to take up law as a career after my 10th boards. After interning with a fashion designer and at a couple of NGO’s and speaking to people who were working in various other fields, taking up law was a clear decision for me because I had decided that I wanted to help people by finding solutions to their legal problems. I wanted to contribute to society in a way I thought would be more effective.

    I have always had a passion for writing and I have always had strong opinions and so choosing law as a career was a means to work towards achieving everything I was setting out to do including the person I wanted to become.

    What were the challenges that you faced in the beginning of your career?

    Like every other first generation lawyer, I felt I had been thrown into the deep end of the ocean at the beginning of my career. Although, one learns to read the law and apply oneself in different scenarios in a classroom setup, when you join practice, you are immediately transformed into a professional and are expected to apply your skills and assist your seniors with all aspects of a transaction, whether it is research, contract reviewing and drafting or speaking to clients and managing them.

    The first year of practice can be a daunting experience for most lawyers, however, the initial years will also set the course for what is to come so I believe that hard work, passion, determination and the ability to push oneself and grow through the discomfort are key to ensuring a successful and meaningful career.   

    You started out as an intellectual property lawyer and then moved to corporate law. Can you tell us more about your role as an IP lawyer and how is it different from being a corporate lawyer?

    My role as an IP lawyer involved advising clients across the globe on trademark and copyright-related laws in India. I handled IP portfolios of some of the leading FMCG companies in the world and handled all aspects of trade mark and copyright prosecution. My work involved conducting clearance searches, drafting replies to examination report, strategic development and management of trade mark and copyright portfolios and appearing before the trademarks registry. I switched to corporate law after almost two years in IP.

    As a corporate lawyer I handle all aspects of general corporate advisory, commercial contracting, employment law advisory and contracting and investment transactions. I also regularly advise cloud communication companies on regulatory, policy and compliance’s issues. I believe my unique experience of intellectual property law and corporate law has helped me understand the legal requirements of a company when it comes to its business model in a holistic manner.

    As someone who is passionate about writing on various topics, how important do you think legal writing is and what are the skills that one needs to have in order?

    I have always had a flair for writing essays, poetry and screenplays throughout my school days. As lawyers, we are essentially thinkers and writers. As a young girl, I found that the best way for me to express my feelings was through writing. In law school, I had the opportunity to hone my writing skills and move up to writing articles on various legal topics that were of my interest. Research and writing was a way for me to delve deeper into subjects that interested me and to stay abreast with the latest developments in the legal field.

    I had found the way for me, as a lawyer, to express my thoughts and opinions and this helped me find my confidence professionally.

    According to you, briefly what is the right approach to drafting tech contracts and other critical documents?

    As a lawyer working in the telecommunications and technology space, we have to learn and adapt to changing technologies and bridge the gap between legal and tech to provide solutions to our clients and help them mitigate their business risks.

    From a contract drafting perspective, it is important to firstly understand the clients product and services and to ensure the clients compliance with the legal and regulatory framework surrounding its business model. It is important to have a strong understanding of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules including the data protections laws.

    Having a strong grasp on the industry specific regulations is also a must. For example, for clients in the digital communications space, it is crucial to understand the implications of TRAI regulations such as  the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR), 2018 on their business. It is important to incorporate appropriate clauses in the clients customer/user agreements to help mitigate any risks due to non-compliance with the such regulations. Having a good understanding of the clients licensing framework and business model is also necessary when advising in this space.

    With content writing they say your drafting improves a lot, if you agree, would you suggest only writing on legal topics or any other niche as well?

    I feel that one should write only if they are passionate about it. What started out as a personal outlet became a professional skill for me. That being said, being able to express your thoughts in a clear and concise manner is a skill which ultimately helps in professional pursuits in this industry.

    As technology related startups including legal technology are evolving at a rapid pace, how must lawyers and law firms prepare themselves for doing different types of legal work?

    This is an interesting time to be a lawyer and through our work at Cornellia Chambers we hope to disrupt the legal services industry through innovation under the guidance of our founder and mentor Ms. Pritika Kumar. Ever since the pandemic and offices becoming virtual and with the evolution of technology, everything and everyone has moved to the cloud and traditional law firms and systems are being challenged every day.

    Such innovation in the industry will not only help organizations and the community of lawyers to become more efficient but will also help in improving the issue of lack of access to justice in our country through technological means.    

    Any few important tips for young law professionals?

    Always be eager to learn, diligent and passionate about your work and never be afraid to fail.

    Get in touch with Bambi Bhalla-

  • In Conversation with: Somdutta Bhattacharyya, Partner at Argus Partners (Solicitors & Advocates)

    In Conversation with: Somdutta Bhattacharyya, Partner at Argus Partners (Solicitors & Advocates)

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    Tell us what inclined you to pursue law as a profession?

    Well there is no inspiring story here unfortunately. I did choose science as my study stream for my plus two boards, but that was because my parents initially wanted me to become a doctor. Law happened pretty accidentally actually! It was more like law chose me. My uncle, who is a lawyer at the Calcutta High Court, told me at that time of the emergence of the national law schools across the country and the bright, young graduates these institutions were producing and suggested I should try taking the exams for these law schools.

    I only took the exam for WBNUJS, Kolkata (ours was the last batch who took individual law school exams instead of the CLAT) after preparing for about a month. The results came out about two weeks before the boards and I was very happy to find that I had gotten through. I decided that this was what I was going to pursue and make a career out of. And that is how it happened.  

    Do you have any mentors so far that helped you so far in this journey, and how far do you consider the role of mentors crucial in the industry?

    Yes of course. You cannot grow as a professional in the legal industry (or for that matter any industry) without the help of your mentors. A good mentor will teach you so much especially as a litigating lawyer – the art of a good draft, how much to say and what not to say in Court, how to strategize a matter etc. Whatever little I am today I am because of some excellent mentors I have had in the industry.

    Why does Corporate law attract so much attention? What makes it so unique?

    Well it would be easy to say that it attracts the attention of young graduates because of the money on offer, but that would be a shallow perspective. If you do not like and enjoy what you do on a daily basis, you will not stick around or grow, no matter the money on offer. This is why you see attrition rates are so high in the bigger law firms. However, if you like what you do, then the sky is the limit. Speaking personally, as a Disputes lawyer, I love the challenges of my job day in and day out.

    I have to keep our clients happy and they must feel comfortable to repose their trust in their high stakes, valuable matters in me. I have to advise them correctly, guide them down the right path, put every ounce of research and knowledge into these matters so that their chances of success are enhanced and they know that they are in safe hands – it is a challenge I am up for every day of the week.

    How do you manage your time schedule on a daily basis and what drives you to be consistent?

    I would not lie, law firm life can be pretty demanding – whether you are an A-1 level associate or a partner, every day brings its own challenges which consume most of your time. I have varied interests apart from law – I love reading fiction, watching sports especially football, spending time with my family and my dog. While most of my time is taken up by my work, I ensure that at the end of the day (no matter how late it is) I am taking an hour or two out to do these things I love – read a bit, maybe watch a film or a game of football, take the dog out for a walk, maybe go for a run or a long drive sometimes. It rejuvenates me and helps me face the next day with the same enthusiasm again.

    What differences have you noticed in international arbitration and national arbitration, I mean what’s more challenging amongst both?

    Both bring their own challenges to be honest. In an international arbitration, you are bound by the procedure of the institution under whose aegis the arbitration is happening – SIAC, ICC, LCIA etc. and the procedure is much more streamlined as opposed to domestic ad hoc arbitrations.

    Also, in international arbitration’s you often have to work in close collaboration with foreign lawyers or law firms, and therefore seamless execution of the work can be a challenge as well as a learning experience at the same time. On the other hand, in domestic arbitration, especially ad hoc ones, arbitrators adopt their own procedures and therefore the same may be different from one arbitration to another, and you are constantly adapting as a lawyer to make the best case for your client.

    However, arbitration in India has been developing at a fast rate, and amendments to the statute in 2015 and 2019 have ensured shortening of timelines and streamlining of overall procedure, and I believe the future of arbitration in India is very bright.

    Do you believe that AI will lead to data breach and violation of privacy, if yes, how can it be mitigated?

    I am not a data privacy lawyer and therefore I am ill-equipped to answer this question. My opinions on AI and data breach are based on what I have read in popular media, and I do not want to adopt a conspiratorial tone for your readers without in-depth familiarity with the issue myself.

    Few tips for our readers that helped you as well in this journey?

    First of all, you must decide what you want to do. Law firms are not be all and end all for a law graduate – there are a lot of career choices you can adopt – you can be a corporate lawyer, a litigating lawyer, an independent practitioner, an academic or venture into public policy.

    Do not follow the herd- look into your heart and see what you really want. As I said before, if you are not finding what you are doing everyday exciting or challenging, there is no point doing it. Also, no matter which path you choose, there is only one mantra of success for all of them – read.

    You have to read constantly as a lawyer, you have to keep updating yourself. Law evolves constantly, you can never be a good lawyer if you are not evolving with the law as well. That would be my two pennies for your readers.

    Get in touch with Somdutta Bhattacharyya-

  • In Conversation with: Samuel Ngwu, Co-Founder at Privacy Hub Africa, Co-Founder at APLA, Legal Associate at Alliance Law Firm and Member,Policy and Regulation at SIBAN

    In Conversation with: Samuel Ngwu, Co-Founder at Privacy Hub Africa, Co-Founder at APLA, Legal Associate at Alliance Law Firm and Member,Policy and Regulation at SIBAN

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    Let’s start from the beginning – What prompted you to choose law? Was choosing law came naturally or it felt easy to adapt?

    I was fascinated by the unique oratory prowess of lawyers and prestige and nobility they enjoy in the society.

    What was your Law School journey like? Was Law School where you first tried a hand at writing?

    Nigerian Law School is one of the most difficult law schools in the world. There are lot of materials to cover within a very short period of time. I started writing after my law school

    Kindly brief us about your initial struggles in the beginning of your professional career.

    It was difficult adapting to the practice aspect of the profession. I noticed a big gap in what we were taught and what is obtainable in practice. It was more like unlearning and re-learning. For instance, Faculties of law in Nigeria do not have any tech law related courses on the curricula, including law school. Anyone aspiring a career in Tech Law would either travel oversee or leverage online course platform to learn about it. I started off by taking courses on Coursera, Udemy, Future learn and the likes..

    Tell us about your current role and how do you plan your day?

    I practice as a Barrister and Solicitor. In my firm, I am a member of the litigation as well as commercial law team.  In the transaction team, I advise on Capital Market, Mergers and Acquisitions, Data Protection, Financial Technology/ Blockchain, Intellectual Property and Start-ups Generally. I also do the litigation aspect of these areas. However, I am very intentional about building my career around Technology Law.

    Why do you choose Technology Law over other sectors? What made you interested in that domain?

    There is a paradigm shift towards digital economy. I once read a report that stated that 20% of the world economy is digital whereas the remaining 80% runs on digital platform. What this tells is that tech law is the present and the future and this is what prompted my interest in the area.

    Do you think Technology sector and the opportunities in its legal side will continue to grow in the coming years? If yes, please explain it to us.

    Yes, there is because there is a paradigm shift towards digital economy. I once read a report that stated that 20% of the world economy is digital whereas the remaining 80% runs on digital platform. Thus, many opportunities are expected to be created. Lawyers will have to advice on the Mergers and Acquisitions of Startups, Data protection issues, Digital taxation, Intellectual property, financial technology amongst others.

    According to your experience, what specific observations one has to make while reviewing the commercial agreements and contracts that too according to the GDPR compliance?

    It depends on the nature of the transaction and agreement. If it the transaction involves the procurement of the services of a data processor, then one should look out for clauses contained in Article 28(3) of GDPR that should guide the relationship between data controller and data processor.

    What is “Data Colonisation”, please elaborate for our audience!

    It is the appropriation users or customers data by either organisations, institutions or government bodies.

    Any 6 best tips for our readers that worked well for you in legal?

    • Be intentional about your career
    • Be Open minded or flexible in learning new things
    • Find a mentor
    • Create contents
    • Network
    • Leverage professional platforms like LinkedIn

    Get in touch with Samuel Ngwu-

  • In Conversation with: Mirza Aslam Beg, Senior Partner at Mirza & Associates Law Firm & Senior Counsel Central Government

    In Conversation with: Mirza Aslam Beg, Senior Partner at Mirza & Associates Law Firm & Senior Counsel Central Government

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    Let’s start from the beginning – What prompted you to choose law? Was choosing law came naturally or it felt easy to adapt?

    Actually, law was in my blood as my father was also from a legal background. When I opened my eyes, I started realizing the rules of justifying the difference between right and wrong and perhaps with the passing of time I started using it to justify my stand during childhood discussions. However, I was never willing to adopt legal practice as my profession because at point of time the legal profession was in very bad shape, especially in small cities. Since I was from science and mathematics background in my study, I always believed to identify and focus on the root cause and key points of any situation.

    This was the time when new computer courses were being designed and attracting science graduates to search for their carrier in computer line which also attracted me. Thereafter when my father was about to retire from legal practice, he advised me to adopt the family profession and keeping in mind my interest in science, mathematics and computer he suggested me to add the skill of my interest in the legal field which will stand me at a different level of legal practice.

    I think even my father has realized that the legal domain is about to knock on the doors of a new era, which will be very fascinating for me. Finally, I started working on legal procedures of hardcore legal practice during my law graduation and also started to do specialization courses in corporate and cyber laws.

    How has been your experience dealing with International Clients on corporate matters, on what grounds do you differentiate between national and international clients? Are there any particular parameters? Also which one’s are easy to get?

    My experience dealing with International Clients is really good and satisfactory. The expectations of international clients are always higher side which makes the work more challenging and interesting. It is always fascinating for me to work in a no-scope-of-error environment. Sometimes your International Clients are not much aware of Indian Laws, especially procedural law and explaining to them the step-by-step strategy and plan of action was really a new experience. The basic difference between a national and international client is their expectations, their thoughts towards existing laws, level of accuracy and perfection in work.

    A national client understands the timeline of each step of litigation and on-ground difficulties whereas an international client does not have any idea about it and only expects a quick resolution. I personally believe that a strong strategy, through practical knowledge and preparation is necessary for handling the work of either a national or international client.

    Do you think that participating in National MUN, National Parliamentary Debate or National Moot Court Competition helps in the legal field?

    Yes, It is correct that participation in Moot Courts, legal debates Competition for law students is very important. I would suggest Law Students not run behind their senior advocates and feel satisfied by only marking their appearance in the Court’s order sheets. Young law graduates should not keep themselves limited to only getting adjournments and Passovers in Court proceedings. They should first try to understand and focus on procedural law.

    Since most of the Law Firms and big offices of Advocates are handling a good number of cases and these law firms and advocates have their own mechanisms for such a big volume cases therefore the Fresher candidates should also understand such mechanisms.

    The actual difficulty is such Law Firms and advocate offices are paying a handsome salary even to the freshers, therefore, all such law firms and advocates expect from a fresher law candidate to start working for them from day one which is not possible. Therefore, it is always advisable for Law Students to actively participate in Moot Court Competitions as much as they can.

    Any special preparations that you suggest for lawyers looking to grow in the Banking & Finance sector as well as for corporate recoveries?

    As we know the Banking and Finance sector is the backbone of any developing country and plays a remarkable role in the growth of the economy. The banking and finance sector has also grown remarkably in the last 20-25 years and supporting Indian Industries. There is a variety of work for advocates from the Banking and Finance industry like, Due to Diligence Report for issuing loans to individuals, Corporate Houses, Hotels, automobiles etc. Similarly, there is a variety of litigation for the recoveries, commercial disputes, interpretation of legal contracts, dishonour of cheques, litigation before DRTs & DRAT for recovery of loans etc.

    I would suggest the young generation of legal professionals to have a good command over the new laws and regulations which are being introduced and good practical knowledge. There is a requirement of focusing on the Banking & Finance laws which are slightly different from other streams of Laws.

    Similarly, if a law graduate wishes to be a specialized legal professional for corporate & commercial recoveries of Companies, firms etc then he/she must start focusing on the latest laws, Codes, regulations, case laws, interpretation of laws and procedures law of such recovery proceedings i.e. Insolvency Petitions, Domestic & International Arbitrations, recoveries under Commercial Court Act.

    We assume that such expanded work requires smart people in the room. So are you a team player or is it a “one-man show”?

    I strongly believe that this is a time of specialized professionals all over and there is a high demand for specialized legal professionals too. Since we regularly meet the General Counsels, Legal Heads and other legal professionals representing big corporate houses, multinational companies, PSUs etc and sometimes they have no hesitation to express their views that they are in contact with many legal professionals, partners of the law firms and renowned advocates offices and they are good to handle the routine work being assigned to them.

    But when we have any legal issue which is either critical or high stack involve these legal professionals having a good communications skills and impressive way of discussion.

    I personally feel that most of the legal professionals are investing their time & energy only in showing off, scheduling meetings and they are moving away from the very basic knowledge of the law which should ideally be their primary concern and because of this kind of approach clients are suffering even when they are ready to pay a handsome professional fee.

    I personally believe and also follow that I must be updated with the latest laws, and trends which are being changed almost every next day. The old traditional laws are not capable to resolve the issues which are coming in the way of this third-largest economy of the world and these all laws are being replaced with the latest laws and regulations. Similarly, legal professionals must be enough smart, quick learners, well-updated, well-equipped with the latest tools & technology and specialized in corporate and commercial laws.

    I remember there was a time when an MBBS doctor treated all kinds of patients but now the time has changed and now there is a specialized doctor for every kind of medical complication. In the same manner, there is a high demand for specialized legal professionals.

    However, nobody can ignore the strength and importance of teamwork. I personally believe that with the help of teamwork we complete the work in a systematic and time bound manner as well as we provide an opportunity for our junior colleagues to learn under the supervision of specialized legal professionals. The pattern of teamwork also provides a high level of accuracy and perfection in the work as it is being checked at multilevel and finally by specialized legal professionals.

    We all know you have dealt with a plethora of cases in your career, is there any special case that has affected you deeply as a person or which has changed your mindset towards the Corporate world?

    Although there are many cases which are in my mind because of something special associated with them but still I remember in one of the cases our foreign client was facing two civil cases for directing them to supply the goods to their dealer where the dealership agreement had already expired and our client was being harassed to keep supply the goods even when there was no such agreement existed between them.

    On top of it, a huge amount of money was due to the dealer and they were not ready to clear the long pending invoices of our client. Finally, on the one end, we vehemently contested the civil cases filed against our client and for the recovery of the amount we decided to approach the NCLT under The Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code. Finally, after great effort and with a quick and result-oriented approach, we got a favorable order from NCLT and Hon’ble Tribunal allowed our Insolvency Petition filed under section 9 of the Code.

    Thereafter, we recovered the entire amount of pending invoices, withdrawal of false civil cases and 50% of the litigation expenses as settlement. From these cases, I understand that it is quite necessary for a Company to have a strong back of legal resources for doing business in a better environment.

    Appearing before various law tribunals and forums needs extra effort, how do you plan your work to be super-efficient?

    Since we also have a high volume of corporate & commercial litigation including, consumer litigation, civil recoveries, Domestic & International Arbitration, Recoveries under the Insolvency & Bankruptcy and the Commercial Court Act, Labour disputes and litigation across India therefore we have developed an automation system for performing the responsibility as per the seniority of the advocates of the firm.

    Whenever a new advocate joins the firm first we identify his capability and level of experience and thereafter fit him in the system at the right place accordingly and give clear visibility about his/her current responsibilities as well as his future plan of action and goal so that the advocate keep performing his current responsibilities with keeping in mind in future goal and achievement in the firm.

    We have a clear automation system of work therefore by investing less effort and time we all give our best and maximum output. Our work environment is unique which encourages each associate, senior associate, partner etc to work with a team spirit. Any matter is not being handled by a single either associate or partner of the Firm and a mutual team works on each matter.

    There is clear demarcation on the roles of the firm members that’s why I myself look after a number of the high stack, profile and higher judicial form matters. As I discussed earlier, we have a very strong and automated system of communication which keep the concerned advocate updated and also reminds the right person for his actionable which turns ultimately into a maximum output even from my end.

    Any advice for young legal professionals?

    Actually, there was a time when advocates had very limited resources and society was not much developed and hardly there were two basic streams for legal practice: Civil and Criminal. But in the last 20-25 years India has opened its doors to foreign investors, traders & companies and there is a remarkable improvement in the Indian corporate society therefore a variety of new legal streams have been opened for lawyers. The new generation of advocates can not keep themselves limited to either one or two streams. 

    But at the same time, advocates can not achieve the specialisation in a day or two and the same will take its own time. Therefore every time when a new client comes with an issue of a new stream the advocate can not seek time for the examination of the issue and its related laws etc.

    In order to counter such a situation, the young generation of advocates needs to develop legal reasoning and analytical skills according to the existing legal mechanism and framework.

    The new generation of advocates also needs to start thinking like lawmakers so that they can understand and predict the redressal of the challenges which are arising in every new and developing sector of India. At the same time, I would also suggest that the young generation of advocates to have a specialisation in the field of their choice and do not hesitate to equip themselves with the latest technologies and tools [hardware/software] supported with artificial intelligence.

    Where do you find the Indian Legal industry in the next 10 years?

    The growth rate of Indian legal Industry is remarkable and the same is going towards a more consolidated format in the next 10 years. Many established industries like E-commerce, Banking & Finance, automobiles, Telecommunications & Internet etc and some new and developing industries like Electric Vehicles, renewable sources of energy, Energy storage devices and Virtual platform for the exchange of money is attracting foreign and internal investment which increases the chances of work for the legal industry.

    Similarly, the enactment of new consumer laws, Data Protection Bills, and Capital regulatory Rules are going to widen the scope of legal support for the Companies and also create work for legal professionals.

    The enactment of new laws is speeding up the disposal of corporate & commercial litigation which earlier used to be pending for a long and the same is encouraging foreign and internal investment in India. I believe in the coming decade specialized legal professionals will help to create an environment for the Companies, Banking & Financial Sector, MNC to work in an environment which is the basic requirement of any developing and under-developing industry and economy of the Country.

    I am sure there will be a requirement of such legal professionals, law firms and legal offices which are well-equipped with the latest technology, Artificial intelligence, and Strong communications storage platforms. I would suggest to the young generation to keep themselves ready to work in a virtual environment and decrease their dependency on paper and physical meetings, seminars, workshops and court appearances.

    I am sure we are going into an era when every associate of a Law Firm or big advocate office must have their own cloud-based mobile application for case management and these applications will reduce the role and assistance of clerks and artificial Intelligence shall perform said responsibilities in a very accurate and effective manner.

    Get in touch with Mirza Aslam Beg-

  • In Conversation with: Prerna Bhushan, Privacy Specialist at Tietoevry | Young Privacy Professional, IAPP, Helsinki, Knowledge-net chapter

    In Conversation with: Prerna Bhushan, Privacy Specialist at Tietoevry | Young Privacy Professional, IAPP, Helsinki, Knowledge-net chapter

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    Is law something you were inclined to pursue, and why did you decide to pursue it?

    While growing up, I aspired to become a couple of things, but law never crossed my mind. Pursuing law was never part of my plan. While pursuing Commerce in senior secondary I had Business Studies as a subject wherein for the first time I came across partnership law. I found it quite interesting. After that, I went on to pursue B. Com where I had Company Law, tax laws, partnership laws as some of subjects.

    My interest in law increased but it was limited only to commercial aspects of law. After that I decided to pursue Bachelors in Law (LL.B).

    What was your Law School journey like?

    I pursued my LL.B from Campus Law centre, Faculty of law, (Law Fac) University of Delhi. It was a whole different world. There were students from all walks of life.

    From struggling to attend morning classes to exploring nearby food joints, from having most crucial legal discussions over tea to attending fests across DU, my college life at law faculty is very integral to what I am today.

    After my LL.B I pursued my LL.M from the Indian Law Institute. The culture at ILI was completely different from Law Fac. Multiple assignments, presentations, Wednesday seminars and daily class work kept me on my toes. It required a lot of hard work and smart work.

    I can proudly say that ILI has prepared to be calm in most stressful situations. I remember one of our professors would send a 100-150 pages article at 5:00 in the evening and we had to read it, analyse, and make comments for the early his morning classes.

    Little did I know how important a life skill he was teaching us. Today, when I have stressful work situations, I stay calm, and I have the confidence that I can do it within the limited time frame.

    I pursued my second master’s degree in International Business Law (IBL) from University of Helsinki (UH). The college culture was nothing like my previous educational institutions. However, when I got admission, it was the COVID period, and all my classes were held online. I had a 9-month-old when I started my LL.M at UH.

    It was a challenging phase, not getting enough sleep at night, waking up preparing meals and attending early morning classes. There were times when

    I would switch of Zoom camera during the lectures, feed my daughter during the class holding her head from one hand and making class notes from another. But the study culture in at DU and ILI had prepared me well enough to cover maximum syllabus in a short span, filter through huge study material and find important points and trained me well in writing answers. I participated in multiple events organised by the University and the Student Wing of Lawyer’s Union.

    Kindly brief us about your initial struggles in the beginning of your professional career.

    My career struggles are two folds, the first one was in India and the second in Finland. I am the first lawyer in my family. My parents were unsure of the choice of my career but have always been supportive even when they had practical doubts.

    The struggles for the pioneers of legal profession in a family are quite real, especially when you are a woman. However, I was fortunate that there were online platforms where job advertisements for junior positions were posted. I got the opportunity work with and learn from Supreme Court Lawyer Adv(DR.) A.K Gautam. Once you gain a bit of experience, learn your craft then the legal fraternity is open, and you can explore your professional options.

    When I moved to Finland, my Indian experience and education was not of much use while looking for a job. I could not even get a trainee position. It was a difficult and that made me take the decision of pursuing my second LL.M.

    While pursuing LL.M I realized that knowing the language was quintessential to legal roles. I saw Data Privacy as an area where I believed and assumed that most work would be done in English as Data flow is transnational. I developed an interest in the area as well.

    I found a trainee position after being rejected by almost 20 places. Good things take time; I found a trainee position in one of the biggest MNC in Finland and that experience helped my professional journey. However, it’s not that easy, I still feel the need to learn Finnish language as without it I am restricted in my career growth.

    If a contract is in local language, my merits are of limited use there. I also understood that as an immigrant I need to work way more than a local. Since I had charted my way into privacy, I decided to be part of International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and applied to be part of IAPP Helsinki Knowledge Net Chapter.

    I am a Young Privacy Professional (YPP) with the Helsinki Chapter. There is a lot more to be done and miles before I go to sleep.

    Tell us about your current role and how do you plan your day?

     I am a Privacy Specialist working with Tietoevry Finland. My job involves ensuring privacy and GDPR compliance withing the workstream I work. It involves reviewing commercial contracts, analysing the need for Data Processing Agreements, making impact assessments, and negotiating with clients in matter related to privacy. In short, I deal with the aftermath of Schrems 2 judgement.

    I am very structured in my approach. I like to have a clear idea of things I am supposed to do, and I prioritize my cases depending on deadlines, the billing from client etc. I have developed a system to do my work and I like documenting things for future review. My calendars are well maintained and are up to date. I reserve around 15 hours weekly for working alone, around 12 hours go into meetings and rest is for contingencies and writing mails. However, there is no rigid rule, and each day looks different depending upon the need of the hour.

    I like to maintain a balanced approach in my work life and personal life. My work hours begin around 7:30 in the morning and I like to end my day by 15-15:30 in the afternoon. I start early so that I can have the whole of evening to spend with my daughter. I reserve 1 hour after dinner to read about new legislations or cases coming in the privacy arena or anything that interests me.

    What’s your take on privacy regulations in India? We have seen many industries violating the rules during covid specifically in India, what improvements do you suggest?

    In India, Right to Privacy is an integral part of Right to Life and personal liberty under Art. 21 of the Constitution. It includes rights to erasure, right to be forgotten etc.

    However, a law strictly dealing with protection of personal data, ensuring proper compliance by companies processing personal data, and tackling the issues in modern digital world. is much needed. The Personal Data Bill 2019 has been withdrawn and as many as 80 changes were suggested in the Bill. Protecting personal data should be the prioritized specially when Data is the new Oil.

    The Bill has many lacunas, there were criticism from many well versed in the area. My suggestion would be to have a Bill that focuses on protecting Individual’s personal data with a balanced approach towards the controllers and processors.

    Do you think AI and Legal Tech can pose some challenges as well with a bunch of benefits in the legal industry? If yes, please share the same with our audience.

    Legal tech and AI are in their growing field, there is much that is unknown. There are developments in AI every day. Witnessing formation of a new law can be challenging and full of opportunities. There has been a surge in demand for tech lawyers, legal professionals specialized in privacy laws and cyber security. I believe professionally growth in AI and Legal tech offers an opportunity of employment and growth.

    Were there any specific roadmap or strategies that led you to success in law, or it was all unplanned right from the beginning.

    During my LL.M in IBL I opted for Information Law as a subject and that is when I decided to take more optional courses in the area of privacy. I also figured that in the privacy sphere most work will be done in English and not Finnish. And after I was sure about my career path, I planned my growth parameters, being part of IAPP was one of them.

    I felt that being an immigrant with no or little professional network, networking is what was needed, IAPP events provided an opportunity to network with other privacy professionals and their bulletin kept me aware of latest developments.

    I stepped out of comfort zone and reached out to alums of IBL course asked for their advice on how and where to apply, attended multiple mentorship programs, CV and cover letter writing sessions held by top consulting firms, lawyers working as in house legal counsel, privacy counsels and privacy specialists.

    I had to start from scratch all over again and this time it was more difficult as I was not in my country, I did not speak or understand the language spoken in the country I am residing.

    According to your experience, what specific observations one must make while reviewing the commercial agreements and contracts that too according to the GDPR compliance?

    The first thing you must see are the signing parties, if both are in EU, then check if the client has entities outside EU/EEA, what are the sub processors being used by the client to process your organisation’s personal data, what kind of data is being processed, why is the data being processed, what is the category of data subjects, is sensitive data being processed, are global cloud service providers involved, where are the data centres, what are the additional security measures listed.

    Once you have answer to these questions, see if there is transfer outside EU/EEA, then an SCC would be required except for adequate countries. Once it has been reviewed legally, ensure to collaborate with your privacy manger to check the privacy measures taken by the client.

    Lastly, as a woman in law, what would your advice be for the upcoming female legal professionals?

    There is nothing women cannot do; they might be restricted because of their circumstances but they surely can achieve anything the set their eyes on.

    Hard work pays off and from one woman to another, if I can do it, so can you!

    Ask for help and advice when needed and empowered women around you will guide and empower you!

    Get in touch with Prerna Bhushan-

  • In Conversation with: Savitha Kesav Jagadeesan, Senior Resident Partner at Kochhar & Co, Forbes India Legal Powerlist-Top 100 Lawyers ,Future Legal Leaders IBLJ ,Labour IP TMT Legal 500 ,Asia IP Leading IP Expert and WIPF Powerful Women in IP

    In Conversation with: Savitha Kesav Jagadeesan, Senior Resident Partner at Kochhar & Co, Forbes India Legal Powerlist-Top 100 Lawyers ,Future Legal Leaders IBLJ ,Labour IP TMT Legal 500 ,Asia IP Leading IP Expert and WIPF Powerful Women in IP

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    Let us begin with the most important question, did you always dream of becoming a lawyer or, did it  happen by chance?

    This is a proverbial question, I am a first generation lawyer and it was purely by chance. I guess destiny played a larger role than my desires. I had already thought my path through, I would complete my economic honors and would thereafter do my Masters in Business Administration, but fate had other ideas. My best friend was writing the entrance for national law school of India university and dragged me to write it with her.

    My idea to write it was purely to support her. I got in and thereafter my father pushed me to attend the interview as he had heard great things about the university and felt doing a professional course would hold me in better stead.

    Therefore I landed in Bangalore fell in love with the city. I passed my interview and was offered a place. It was at that time I looked at the curriculum which is trimester based with multiple subjects and all I could think was I definitely was not going to be bored. Plus the adventure of living on my own and all such factors pushed me to say yes. SO as you can see all the wrong reasons but it led me to the right direction and my calling and I can safely say I love the law, I love what I do, I did find my calling.

    Do you feel it is necessary to have a mentor/ guide to handhold a young lawyer in the beginning years of the profession? 

    Its not a necessity but it is definitely a bonus. Any form of mentorship and guidance in our earlier years does build perspective. When we pass out of our various universities what awaits a new way of life and of course a journey we must chart. However many of us feel quite lost and wonder if decisions made by us are the right ones and sometimes certain decisions does make us wonder “what if”….however when one has a mentor or a guide, the discussion or even somebody as a sounding board enables us to explore our ideas as well as provides us with new perspectives which gives a sense of direction.

    When I was co-leading the mentorship vertical of CII-IWN I saw the number of women professionals, entrepreneurs who derived great help from the program, mind you these ladies are all senior professionals, so if they can find the positive for having a mentor and guide think of how much help such a program would do for a budding lawyer.

    You have a great experience in labor law matters and IPR issues, what drew you to these fields?

    Interestingly IPR chose me rather than the other way round. Which started as a challenging task to clear some historical issues of a department led to me understanding picking up the law and the nuances surrounding it and thereafter I continued to pursue it.

    Labor was something I was naturally drawn to due to the complexity and vast nature of law. I enjoyed the thrashing out contractual issues to working around nuances of employer-employee litigation. Labor is an area that has all facets of law in action- compliance, contractual, specific legislation and litigation with a dollop of mediation and settlement. Therefore all these interesting facets kept me engaged and my interest in labor law grew,

    Is there any roadmap that a legal professional should follow in order to master it completely?

    Never think you have mastered the law….our profession is such we need to constantly learn, the day your desire to learn dies that day you can be assured your tryst with your professional growth also stops. Constant updating, readying, picking up new practices, learning from your peers makes one a better professional. Never fear to ask, we are human we have to accept that our mental capabilities are limited therefore whenever you advice always check before providing the advice and if you do not know learn to accept look it up and then respond with the correct advice.

    Even during the times when there was a complete lock down and there was Work from Home, there were still cases being discovered where sexual harassment was observed, what are the main reasons of these acts? And how can it be further improved?

    Sexual Harassment reached some of its highest rates because of use of the digital technology at work. The use of phones and laptops, and communication through whats app, telegram and social media enabled many to shed their inner inhibitions and routine demean-ours and exploit the ubiquitous nature of the virtual world and commit acts which the person might not do if in the physical world.

    This led many to cross lines and to use their virtual self to commit the very acts they might have desired to commit in the physical world but never attempted due to certain fears. Any manner of bringing down sexual violation of another individual can only happen at grassroots level, sensitization needs to take place at school levels and we need to bring up our children to respect one another then there might be some change…

    Other than that if we are to speak legally I would say greater enforcement of our laws.

    While we take proactive steps of bringing new laws and policies equally important is the need to see that the same has an eco- system that enables its implementation, an implementation, which will make the majority to think thirty times before attempting any act.

    How do you see the IT industry creating more developments in future and to what extent it can help the legal fraternity?

    AI and ML is the next big thing. Digitization is the new era, therefore legal fraternity will require to jump on board this new digital wave and such new technologies will definitely reduce time in execution of tasks, whether it is in research, contract or litigation.

    I thin even the present hybrid mode has enabled more time, flexibility and ability among our legal fraternity and this is just the beginning.

    Innovation will very soon bring on versatility and time to be juxtaposed enabling lawyers to actually do more than the present structure of advisory and litigation, am waiting for that change.

    How do you maintain a work-life balance in your profession and would you mind sharing an example of a typical working day?

    Time management and prioritization are my key tool. There are 24 hours in a day. I am not much of a sleeper, 5 hours is good number of hours for me to be refreshed therefore I work in cycles. My early morning 6 am goes towards reading my newspapers. 6-8 am thereafter is to get my boys to school . 8-9.30 am is more for breakfast and catching up on whats in store for the day.

    Mornings I mainly do meetings and networking, my legal work depending on the load I accomplish it through the day .

    Between 6-9 I am usually again with my families and depending upon my work load I tackle the work at night. I try to read or watch TV at least for 1 hur to unwind.

    Typically I try not to keep things for the next day except for transactions as it has its own course, but I also learn to listen to my body and if I cant do something I start fresh the next day. For me the aspect of balancing comes in because I don’t compartmentalize my time and I use every bit of my day to achieve both work and life.

    You’ve accomplished so much in your profession in such a short amount of time; however, given the nature of the legal profession, are you able to carve out time for your other interests or hobbies? 

    I love cooking and reading, travelling is another personal favorite and of course eating somehow I do try and find some time not as much as I would like to, but a Sunday I do try my hands at new things, something about baking calms my stress levels. In fact earlier on in my career every Sunday was dedicated to baking now its difficult, but once in a while do indulge in it.

    I think one must take some time out in order to avoid burn out, it can be something small or a specific week, but something for oneself if we try and do resentment towards extra work as well as situations are far less.

    What would be your parting message to our readers and the young budding lawyers?

    There is no substitute for hard work, but more importantly always remember that if we are good to others then life has a strange way for that all to come back and good things to happen. Therefore respect your peers, respect your juniors as much your seniors, always look towards new avenues and never fear from challenges. Entire life is about choices and our choices define our journey, therefore never regret your choices go with them appreciate them the good from the bad whatever it might be, you will then find things always have a way to work its upside to you. Wishing each one of your unique abundant journey.

    Get in touch with Savitha Kesav Jagadeesan-

  • In Conversation with: Ankita Srivastava, Founder at Gavel Speaks Inc and Head of Legal Department at Practice Party

    In Conversation with: Ankita Srivastava, Founder at Gavel Speaks Inc and Head of Legal Department at Practice Party

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    Is law something you are inclined to pursue, and why did you decide to pursue it?

    I was always interested in two subjects, law and psychology. It was always either of the two that I wanted to pursue but I had no interest in mathematics or theoretical science as much as I was interested in law. I decided to pursue law because I have always been inclined towards giving to people, have always been an active listener and loved reading since childhood. Just being in the library and going through different books gave me the most special and unique feeling. In those moments I knew that I didn’t want to be anything else but a lawyer. 

    Taking into consideration that you are a third generation lawyer, did you overcome any difficulties or was it a completely easy sail for you?

    It is a huge misconception that if you are a second or third generation lawyer then it’s easier for you. It’s definitely not because I still had to understand and figure out why I was doing law and how I wanted to make it in this cut throat profession.

    My father and grandfather have been into litigation but I never saw myself doing litigation. I started my internship journey with the National Commission for Women and my interest was initially in legal writing and research which led me to join the law chambers of an AOR at the Supreme Court of India. It’s an interesting story that I landed up at his office because of the quality of my work and networking in my first job. I never asked my family for any professional support.

    My choices have been very different from previous two generations and I have been building a network of my own which is now growing beyond Asia. I still don’t know any of my dad’s lawyer friends, never went out for meetings with him or had mutual connections. Seeing my previous generations being respected as a lawyer might have sparked the passion to be a lawyer, but I worked very hard on cultivating the discipline and vision to expand beyond what was already done. It is surprising that most of my dad’s professional network don’t even know that I am a lawyer even today. 

    What importance does legal writing hold in the industry right now and how can one excel in it? Please describe that for our audience

    I think legal writing is the backbone of the legal profession. Top lawyers around the world are known for their legal writing skills. These skills should be continuously developed through continuous reading and writing. Legal writing should be three things in my experience which is clear, concise and conscious. 

    Mentoring professionals in the industry is not an easy task for sure, how critical is that for anyone in the legal field specifically?

    I started mentoring students after I cleared the UGC NET exam and suddenly the pandemic happened. At that time I wanted to discover my hand at teaching and somehow mentoring happening by accident. While I was teaching students I saw that most students are highly capable to be great lawyers but they lack the right mentorship. I used to end up mentoring them more than teaching.

    This made me realize the gap that exists between getting into law school to getting your career established. Currently, I am mentoring a student based in Dubai who is in 2nd year of law school. She didn’t know why she was doing law and if she really wanted to be a lawyer or was just getting a degree. As her mentoring is going, she has discovered the subjects she likes, and has understood the path she wants to take in the legal career. I think we as a society, do undermine the value of expert guidance and how much time and energy it can save. 

    Emotional Intelligence is still a considerable soft skill to have in life, but the question here is, how can one implement that in a short span like you did?

    One just needs to have a humanistic approach towards practicing law. Whenever a client approaches me I make sure I make them feel understood and listen to their problem actively. The key is not to just show legal skills to clients but to walk a mile in their shoes and provide a legal resolution. My journey of working with clients from different continents have shown that despite different nationalities, each one is human and we as lawyers need to embrace the humanistic side of law. A little act of empathy towards the client goes a long way in building a strong professional relationship. 

    How did Lawsikho courses help you in the legal journey that too in the US and UAE?

    The consistent support from the LawSikho freelance team has been a treasure in my international legal career. I developed my Contract Drafting skills with the US Contract Drafting and Paralegal Course with LawSikho during the pandemic when I was emotionally exhausted given the covid outbreak like everyone else and I didn’t know how to further my legal career despite coming from top universities and clearing UGC NET exam. With classes at LawSikho and freelancing sessions each week, I dedicated myself to the process. Slowly I started gaining confidence in myself again which led me to work with clients across the USA, UK, UAE, Europe, Australia, Taiwan, among many other nations. 

    Struggles of corporate often go unsaid, kindly describe the initial hard moments you had and how one can overcome them significantly?

    Corporate world is highly competitive and fast-paced and it is not easy to stand out, especially if you want to work internationally.  I found myself working tirelessly among lawyers who were more and still are more experienced in their legal journey but the key has been to find out my unique skill set and hold my ground. You have to be your own friend in this process, have immense trust in yourself.

    I kept working on my contract drafting skills in different areas of law, I still do and it’s continuous work. I have spent sleepless nights just researching new areas of laws and made sure that each time any new client comes to me I raise my bar of providing the best services. It involves a lot of attention to detail, developing excellent communication with clients, and sometimes even making yourself available at odd hours and holidays. 

    Please tell us the idea behind Gavel Speaks?

    Gavel Speaks is a boutique law firm driven by emotional intelligence and empathy towards clients. It involves cross-border and intra-border transactional work among other areas of law including employment law, entertainment law, handling USA pro se cases, pre-litigation support, case management among other services. The aim is to  be that one legal friend for our client which they want to have in their circle to go to for advice simply because they can trust that advice. We want to change the way the world looks at lawyers and legal systems by humanizing the legal services. 

    Finally, with so many experiences that you have gathered so early on in your career, what would your advice be for the up and coming legal professionals?

    One major advice I give all my mentees and juniors is that choose law only because you want to and not because it sounds good or to earn a degree. It is one of the most noble professions and it demands honesty and immense hard work. Currently, the opportunities are opening up like never before in the legal profession with arenas like NFTs, Metaverse, Web 3.0 etc, it is time to explore your options.

    Don’t choose a path within law just because of its power or position, choose what you can devote life to and feel passionate about. To end with a quote here, “The law is a jealous mistress and requires long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage.”

    Get in touch with Ankita Srivastava-

  • In Conversation with: Kaainat Pundir, Associate at Shardul Amarchand Managaldas & Co and Co-Founder at Sankalp (The Dispute Resolution Organisation)

    In Conversation with: Kaainat Pundir, Associate at Shardul Amarchand Managaldas & Co and Co-Founder at Sankalp (The Dispute Resolution Organisation)

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    It is said that the best moments happen when they are unplanned. How true do you find this axiom? Do you anyhow relate to it considering that you were a Science student and had never intended to take law as a career?

    Absolutely, I think my professional journey stands testimony to it – whether it be competing in my first moot competition (Alfred Deakin International Commercial Arbitration Moot) in my final year or bagging the Herbert Smith Freehills vacation scheme prior to that.

    My journey from Sanskriti School to Jindal Global Law School was similar. Having been brought up in a family, surrounded by professionals from the armed forces, engineering and medical background, law was never on my radar.

    After preparing for engineering entrances for three years, I realized I was not passionate towards the field, although I had secured multiple admissions in the field of engineering, commerce and mathematics.

    The decision to enroll into law school was guided by, first, taking a deep look within, and then being mentored by my educationist and career counsellor mother.

    The legacy of my grandfather, a practicing lawyer (alumni of CLC) prior to joining army under the emergency commission, and great grandfather, a leading criminal lawyer/magistrate turned politician (alumni of Law College, Lahore) were definite motivators. In hindsight, studying science until college helped me imbibe a scientific temperament to which I owe my analytical skills, attention to detail and general problem-solving approach.

    The curiosity of a science student drives my interest in the sociological and jurisprudential study of law and understanding the ‘why’ behind concepts.

    You happen to specialize in Mergers & Acquisitions, Investments, and Private Equity Transactions. Can you tell us a bit as to what prompted you towards this field of law? When did you realise that you wanted to specialize in M&A?

    It might surprise you to know that I undertook 16 internships during law school (which allowed me to understand almost all practice areas and work undertaken by corporate lawyers), apart from 2 TAships, 3 RAships and auditing specialized courses (taught by legal doyens like Prof. MP Singh, Sr Adv Ravi Sikri, Ms. Aparna Mehra). Further, being the editor for an interdisciplinary research blog and journal and being part of the college placement team throughout exposed me to a mix of work experience, course work and undertaking research in the field.

    What definitely interested me was the internship at CAM, where I assisted with due diligence and research for the mergers of public sector banks.

    My interest in corporate law grew while studying the Securities & Regulation elective course wherein we drafted a DRHP and I further found my area of specialization during the course on venture capital transactions, taught by Mr. Siddharth Nair, partner at SAM.

    Apart from this, I have actively participated in international mediation competitions which mostly have commercial and cross-jurisdictional disputes case studies – these have trained me to understand the interests of different parties and prepared me for client-facing work.

    Additionally, connecting and discussing with corporate lawyers from Europe and USA, regarding their work/transactions fueled my interest, and mentally prepared me for the hours which come with the job. 

    You also happen to have dealt with some high-profile transactions as well. Not many lawyers can achieve this feat so early on in their career, let alone women lawyers. What was the story behind your success? Did you have to face any kind of stereotypical struggles and if you did, how did you overcome them? 

    In my opinion true gender equity in the Indian scenario is still a long way off – whether it be the higher judiciary, appointment of senior advocates or partnerships at law firms. Having strong leaders who support women’s careers and provide equal opportunity to them contributes a lot to bringing more women into the profession. I feel I am truly blessed to have been mentored by brilliant lawyers, wherein AOR Manisha Karia offered me my first internship and placed her trust in a first-year law student, while Sr Adv Aishwarya Bhati, ASG of India, took special interest in building a strong conceptual foundation for me during my internship, they have been a huge guiding force in my career.

    As compared to litigation, law firms see a much higher female workforce participation. In most part, this is attributable to the strong leadership at law firms which have nurtured an equitable work environment for women to succeed. At SAM, it is Shardul Shroff Sir and Pallavi Shroff Ma’am. My own team, led by Ms. Puja Sondhi, is female-dominated across the echelons.

    The team provides exceptional exposure in terms of venture capital transactions to its associates, having advised on numerous investments into unicorns in the past years. This has allowed me to learn a great deal through various transactions and through the commitment of my seniors to pay particular attention to their juniors’ growth and learning through continuous training and feedback.

    You have made a name in the international ADR circuit for yourself which is quite a distinguished honor so early on and you are also a founder of a dispute resolution organization, Sankalp. Can you tell us about your journey and your organization?

    I trained as a civil and commercial mediator in my first year itself with ADR ODR International. The next year I took it upon myself to learn and improve my skills further by working with Dr. Claudia Winkler at The Negotiation Academy, Vienna for 2 years. During this time, I also participated in multiple national and international competitions including CDRC Vienna and ICC Paris. Over the years I have continued to mentor and still regularly train Indian and International teams both for national and international competitions. I feel privileged to have been invited to judge at international competitions (even as a young law student among a distinguished panel of judges at INADR Georgia and Transatlantic Negotiation Competition by Syracuse University and as a mentor for the maiden mediation training program in Sri Lanka).

    Through such opportunities and having participated in Global Negotiation Conference, I have built a network of friends and colleagues across borders who work in various capacities as political negotiators, corporate lawyers, mediators, et al. The positive support I received from the international community in my endeavors inspired me to expand this community to include more law students and young professionals from across borders to facilitate mentorship relationships with experienced professionals.

    Hence, Thomas John and I founded Sankalp – The Dispute Resolution Organization, which has already garnered support of many professionals and students alike across continents. We are earnestly working towards its growth and collaborating with businesses, institutions and organizations. Our aim is to make business processes more efficient and cost-effective through increased utilization of negotiation and third-party neutrals.

    You worked in Kailash Satyarthi’s organisation and accompanied in their training and child labour raids as well. What was your experience like during such work? And does pro bono work add value to a professional’s life?

    I interned with Bachpan Bachao Andolan in my second year wherein I closely worked with the team on the month-long training prior to the Bharat Yatra (a 35-day long march across the country to build unprecedented awareness on combating child sexual abuse and trafficking). It was truly enlightening to learn from the activists working on-ground across India and to understand the challenges they faced every day to bring about real change and thus secure a safe childhood for children. I also accompanied the team on a raid on sweatshops employing child labour.

    That experience of observing the actions of BBA’s raid team, the accompanying police officials, magistrate, the employers and the children, exposed me to a lot of life’s harsh realities and re-enforced in me the importance of easy access to education and opportunities for children. On days when I was highly tired after my work commitments taking out time to tutor children from lower-income backgrounds or spent weekends volunteering at the nearby children’s home, felt very much worth it.

    Over the years I have stayed connected with the work of the foundation. During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation – working on their campaign against child sexual abuse and subsequently, assisted the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights to conduct research relating to the status of children’s well-being and the access to learning resources and activities during the Covid-19 pandemic in government and municipal schools.

    This was utilized as policy inputs for designing effective interventions once schools reopened post the lockdowns.

    It is absolutely essential to do pro bono work – it keeps you motivated, gives one immense satisfaction of helping a person in need and keeps one engaged in the long run. This is also the advice that I have received from multiple senior lawyers and businesspersons. For me, apart from hobbies, education has been an important cause – may that be tutoring school children or coaching and mentoring college students or training professionals in negotiation skills.

    Was it a tough call for you to choose between LLM and job? What points one needs to consider while taking a call between these two options?

    I had first planned to apply for an LLM after receiving my HSF vacation scheme offer since they hire two years in advance as compared to Indian law firms. However, the HSF offer did not pan out as expected in light of the pandemic. Hence, at the time of my graduation, I was presented with the dilemma of moving to London to pursue my Masters or to start work with one of the best transactional law teams in the country.

    I had received offers from University College London and Queen Mary University, and also had the PPO from SAM. Upon weighing the pros and cons, gaining work experience at a tier-1 law firm with a team dealing with VC and PE transactions with exposure to a very active investment market as valuations skyrocketed, was the obvious answer.

    My work with the team has proven my choice to be correct. In college, I lacked sufficient clarity to choose a Masters specialization, and my main motivations to pursue a Masters were intellectual growth and access to a new jurisdiction. However, while working with the best corporate lawyers across jurisdictions, advising on upcoming yet niche areas of law and being part of numerous high-value deals has helped me streamline my professional interests and goals.  

    Our readers will be very much interested in knowing more about Vacation Schemes, the eligibility criteria and more crucial details about it.

    Vacation Scheme is equivalent to securing an assessment internship at a tier-1 law firm in India. UK based law firms have the vacation scheme route to land training contracts with them (which is required to gain qualifying work experience to qualify as a solicitor, however, that is changing with the new SQE regime). Certain top international law firms like Herbert Smith Freehills, Allen and Overy, Linklaters, etc. have India Internship programs wherein each year they invite applications from penultimate year Indian law students and offer vacation schemes to a handful of them selected through a highly competitive multi-stage shortlisting process.

    The process involves an online application and online test which qualifies candidates for a competency interview followed by an assessment centre. The specifics of the process may differ for each firm but are largely similar. There is no one size fits all approach to securing a vacation scheme offer. However, performing well academically, having a good CV including diverse experiences will certainly enhance your chances to succeed.

    There are also a lot of resources available online to prepare you for the process. Reaching out to candidates who have succeeded in the past is always a good idea (I would be happy to help out anyone who reaches that stage). Research well if you are planning to apply. Apart from that, the graduate recruitment teams at the firms are very responsive and helpful throughout the process, so feel free to contact them.

    What would be your parting message to our readers and the young budding lawyers? How can they mark their presence in the niche of venture capital transactions and cross-border M&A?

    Give yourself the time and space to explore your interests to find the area that truly excites you. The legal career is a long one and you should be pursuing what makes you excited to get out of bed each morning. More importantly, be unafraid to put in the hard work to make a name for yourself. The more you persevere in the initial years, the better your learning will be and you will be a better lawyer for it. One has to learn the art of networking both in India and abroad. It is absolutely essential and if you are doing it right, you will realise that most people in this profession are willing and happy to mentor juniors. A great example of such a person is my role model at Jindal, Professor C Raj Kumar despite his multifarious endeavors always finds time to motivate and mentor students.

    There are very few teams working in the niche area of VC. Speak to people, intern and find a team that does the kind of work you want to do, and also, provides a healthy work environment where your seniors motivate you to learn each day and to gain more exposure.

    It is a blessing to be doing the work you love and with the people who inspire you. Further, build mentorship relationships with your seniors to learn from their expertise and experience. For me having a mentor like Mr. Siddharth Nair and learning from my partners, Ms. Puja Sondhi, Mr. Aayush Kapoor and Ms. Manita Doshi, who have each built a name for themselves in the industry and go out of their way to teach me on a daily basis – has made all the difference.

    Get in touch with Kaainat Pundir-

  • In Conversation with: Ankita Shaw, Associate Solution Advisor at Deloitte

    In Conversation with: Ankita Shaw, Associate Solution Advisor at Deloitte

    This interview has been published by Prabhjot Singh, Priyanka Karwa and The SuperLawyer Team

    What was your motivation behind choosing law as a career?

    Having the knack since the early years to eliminate options I always knew what I never wanted to pursue rather than being crystal clear about what I wanted to pursue.  Law happened to me by chance and for me, it was never the means to achieve my goals. And honestly, I do not remember one specific isolated incident that motivated me to pursue law until I left political science honors after pursuing it for one year.

    In this one year, I participated in MUNs and studied different philosophers which led me to realize my interest in Constitution and International Relations and hence law happened.

    How important is it to get yourself into legal writing in this profession according to you, what other areas should one explore?

    Well, in my opinion, it is indeed very important to get oneself who is involved in the legal profession to indulge in legal writing. In the first place tell me, what is an article all about – is it merely a combination of words or a compilation of the already existing literature? The answer to this would be a big NO. Over time, as I have understood an article is your way to contribute to legal academia by using your own interpretational and analytical thoughts based on the grey area in the existing literature – something beyond what exists on google or for that matter of fact any other legal database.

    As a law student, one is engaged in writing right since the first year – the primary purpose for which is to inculcate the research aptitude and execute it in writing considering that this aptitude is one of the basic requirements even post the undergraduate years.

    Additionally, having publications in your name in esteemed and reputed journals surely makes a remarkable impact on your CV undoubtedly showcasing the extensive knowledge one has in a specific domain. However, at the end of the day, it is one’s sole discretion to either quote what already exists in the databases or make a significant contribution to legal academia by one’s name.

    Furthermore, other areas that one should explore during law school without an iota of doubt are mooting, internships, debates, paper presentations and attending conferences, and actively participating in societies and volunteering for events. I consider all of these activities to inculcate confidence in an individual while also building skills at the same time.

    The more one gets involved in these activities, the more skills and knowledge the person has and no other place is better to give it a shot if not law school. While I believe interest area surely lies in specific domains, without exploring each domain how does one get to conclude respective interest areas?

    Tell us about your journey in this profession in a nutshell!

    The five years that I spent at KIIT Law School, Bhubaneswar has in all been an amazing experience. I knew right from the first day of college that the journey for a first-generation lawyer is not a cakewalk and that to succeed in any area of law would require hard work and patience at the same time.

    Hence, during law school, I kept myself involved in balancing my academics with both extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. I have had the opportunity to represent my college in Moot Court Competitions winning laurels for the college.

    Additionally, I have participated in several conferences and have several decent publications in my name. Apart from academics, I also was quite an active member of different societies in college which led me to become the Convener of the Moot Court Society.

    I also was fortunate to share excellent relations with some of the professors at KIIT Law School who taught me valuable lessons for life beyond the black-and-white letters of the law. In retrospect, I think I made the best decision to join KIIT Law School which gave me ample opportunities to grow into the person I am today.

    On the personal front, I think my personality went through a massive change during the journey. Made a lot of friends, committed endless mistakes both at the professional and personal level – learned from them, failed ten times more than I succeeded – learned to get up again and again.

    Like we always say, hard work does not go to waste, each and everyone gets paid on time! but what were your strategies for achieving the goals you planned?

    I would first like to share a small anecdote before I answer this question. Right from Day 1 of my five-years law school, I started dedicating myself to writing research papers. However, it would not be until my third-year end that my first paper got published. Three years of rejections from endless places and I could not figure out the reasons for it not being accepted for publication. Between the journey of failing time and again and getting up an equal number of times, my first paper after years of hard work got published. To answer the question, I have learned it hard way that a CV of failures is ten times more than the two-page original successful CV.

    Hence, I never had planned any particular thing to achieve a certain goal, instead, I picked up things impromptu and would never give up on the said until it was done and achieved. The only strategy that I followed throughout my law school was to maintain hard work, and consistency and never say die even when the going gets tough! Additionally, I also believe that read, read and read no matter the upward or downward phase of life – because the knowledge and the experience that comes with reading are irreplaceable.

    You’ve written on the role of Artificial Intelligence in the Healthcare Sector, how do you think AI can change the way we deal with different industries, and what necessary dangers it can impose for us as well?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has penetrated almost every sphere of an individual’s life. Albeit, AI has the potential to transform every sector in an efficacious manner yet the ramifications it poses cannot be denied. Some of the ramifications in my limited knowledge are ethical issues, regulatory and compliance issues, legal issues, environmental and sustainability issues, and economic and socio-political issues only to mention a few.

    Given that each sub-topic has the potential of being expounded into a research paper or an article I limit myself to merely mentioning the categorical issues. In my opinion, before the implementation of AI at the core of each sector, the artificial literacy of the nation and the economic status of the nation is ought to be considered to prevent any sort of exacerbation of the gap between the two extreme ends of the economic status and hierarchy.

    Please tell us in brief about your current role!

    Usually, we are expected to start by 9.30 – 10 am wherein the first hours of the day generally go into attending meetings, responding to emails, and updating oneself on the task for the day. Primarily, the task involves reviewing documents and contracts for the clients, reading the case, and the judgments related to the task.

    What is your life mantra to work stress-free?

    Some of the mantras that I follow at a personal level to work stress-free is maintaining a balance between work life and personal life. I believe being with your family is equally important as your career. In this context, I more often than not take shelter in some close friends and family to calm down on any aspect of life.

    At the professional level, I tend not to compare myself with either friends or colleagues and not attach myself to the outcome of the work. At the same time, I also believe strongly in my hard work and ability to accomplish the goals I have set my eyes on.

    Any last piece of advice that you would like to give to the upcoming generation of professionals?

    My constant endeavor throughout this interview has been to share my own experiences with extreme frankness. And since I have just started, my limited knowledge and inexperience shall make the pieces of advice narratively limited and premature, nonetheless, some of my learnings that I would like to share are

    In the first place, in this journey that entails endless creativity and options to be explored, do not limit yourself and explore every kind of opportunity that one may have at hand. Secondly, as cliché as it may sound there is no substitute for hard work and I will not be either the last or first person to emphasize this. Along with Hard work, patience, sincerity, and perseverance are the basic requirement of an individual in any profession.

    Thirdly, never hesitate to ‘ask’ either for any sort of help or internships or recommendations, or any other thing that comes up to your mind. I’ve learned that ‘asking’ does not allow you to lose anything because you do not have a thing to lose instead it might as well work in your favor. Fourthly, read, read and read because this will help you eventually in your career.

    Lastly, being an avid follower of Swami Vivekananda, I suggest one have a ‘never say die’ attitude. This essentially helps in recuperating the failures and rising once again considering at times you will inevitably feel like giving up on everything because things failed to work on your chartered timelines but then don’t!

    Get in touch with Ankita Shaw-