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LADY JUSTICE TRANSFORMING THE JUDICIARY
W
henever we think about the justice system, the most astonishing and recognizable symbol is the statue of the Lady Justice with three distinct features: a blindfold covering her eyes, the scale of justice in her left hand, and a sword in her right hand. The blindfold conveys that the Lady Justice is impartial and fair. The scale of justice weighs the evidence put forth and judges everything based on facts. And the sword represents the authoritative power that Lady Justice holds to pass on her quick and wisdom-full judgements. The statue of the Lady Justice represents the justice system as equal, fair, unbiased, unwavering, impartial, and full of the law of the homeland. The story behind her could be traced back to ancient Egypt. Where goddess Ma'at idealizes qualities like balance, harmony, law, order and justice; Greece, where Greek goddess Themis represents traits of law, order, and fairness; and goddess Dice (or Dike) embodies moral order and fair judgement.
Abhishek Joshi Deputy Editor
abhishek.joshi@insightssuccess.com
These three goddesses, Ma'at, Themis and Dice, were looked upon by all the ancient philosophers, including Socrates, Plato, and Phaedo and all the mortals with divine love, respect, and compassion to bless the humans with their wisest and fairest judgment. The moral of the story is why ancient civilizational wisdom chose goddesses and not gods as the highest symbol of the law, order and justice system. Because of all the abovementioned qualities these goddesses or ladies in general possess. All these qualities are also carried by 2,55,000 Indian women lawyers fighting for the legal rights of their clients and then gradually becoming judges or even chief justice. And after the Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana's assertion that now it is time to reserve 50% of the seats for women in the judiciary, this number will surely increase exponentially. So, soon we will witness the number rising to eight-nine lakh or even a million by 2025.
Simply, the future is of ladies behind and before the statue of Lady Justice, entirely transforming the country's legal profession and justice system. Insights Success's latest edition, 'Outstanding Women Lawyers 2022,' also celebrates these legal professionals' achievements, success stories, and triumphant tales. Hats off to all the lady lawyers on the path of future lady justices. Also included in this edition are two crafty articles written by our in-house editorial team for you to have some novel perspectives and food for your legal thoughts. Have a fantastic read!
CON C o v e r
S t o r y
08 08 S p e c i a l
p r o f i l e
Amrita Tonk An Expert Corporate Litigator
14
P r o f i l e s
24
Ms Rashi Anand Suri
32
Sahiba Ahluwalia
A Prominent Lawyer of the 21st Century
Benchmarking Legal Excellence
A r t i c l e s
18
28
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Deputy Editor Abhishek Joshi Managing Editor Gaurav PR Wankhade
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Management
Company Name
Brief
Amrita Tonk, Partner
L&L Partners Law Offices
L&L Partners is a leading full-service law firm, with a team of over 300 counsels including 70 partners, with offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Madhvi Datta, Principal Associate
J Sagar Associates
JSA is a leading law firm in India providing strategic and innovative legal solutions to corporates, businesses and institutions.
Rashi Anand Suri, Managing Partner
Upscale Legal
Upscale Legal is a multi-service law firm catering to the needs and interests of various Corporate houses, Financial institutions, Government agencies and departments.
Sahiba Ahluwalia, Litigating Counsel
Singh & Associates
Singh and Associates is a progressive legal Consultancy and Solutions with offices in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
Sunila Awasthi, Senior Partner
AZB & Partners
AZB & Partners is a corporate law firm in India, with offices spread across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Pune.
Be clear on what you want! Don’t get attracted by external paraphernalia! Focus is very important. There is no harm in wanting more, or less, if there is clarity.
C O V E R
S T O R Y
W
omen have played an important part in the development of the legal profession. Female lawyers continue to battle for justice and pave the way for women in the field, whether it's defending clients in court, representing companies, or delivering significant judgements. Several female lawyers have made significant contributions to the legal profession. These outstanding female lawyers not only do an excellent job, but they also make a difference in people's lives. Sunila Awasthi is one of the most wellknown of these. She is a Senior Partner at India's top law firm, AZB & Partners. She is passionate about the rapidly growing field of gender-related workplace challenges. Her firm, AZB & Partners, was formed in 2004 with the goal of providing clients with credible, practical, and fullservice advice across all industries. It has offices in Mumbai, Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, and Pune. Sunila’s experience includes advising on a wide range of commercial contracts as well as general advisory, with a focus on e-commerce, information technology, data privacy, and employment laws. Journey so far After qualifying as a lawyer from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University, in 1992, Sunila joined Ajay Bahl & Co. This was the time of economic liberalization and the advent of foreign investment in India. There were many firsts for Sunila in the firm – filing the first FIPB application and obtaining approval; working on the first transaction under the SEBI takeover code in 1997; creating contracts from scratch since there were no precedents! The multiple joint ventures, technology license arrangements, and technical collaborations were across diverse sectors like automotive components, pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, food industry, software, etc. Despite not having computers or the internet, they were exciting times with so much to learn and create! Physical books were the only option with no online resources to help with research. After working for seven years, Sunila took a break to do LLM from the University of Queensland, Brisbane,
AZB is one of the most prominent full-service law firms in India with offices in Mumbai, Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, and Pune.
Australia in 2000. After returning to India, she briefly joined J. Sagar & Associates. However, by 2003, she returned to Ajay Bahl & Co. which became AZB & Partners in 2004. Why AZB & Partners? AZB & Partners was a result of merger between Delhibased Ajay Bahl & Co. and Mumbai-based CZB & Partners. AZB is one of India's most prominent full-service law firms, with offices in Mumbai, Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, and Pune. It is well-known for its corporate advisory, M&A, dispute resolution, including tax litigation practices, and also reputed for its specialized advisory services in the areas of employment laws, fintech, technology laws, data privacy, tax – both direct and indirect, competition law, capital markets, intellectual property, private equity and venture capital, funds, private client practice, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, compliance and investigation including white collar crime, regulatory and securities. The firm has a wide variety of international and domestic clients across sectors and industries with deep and long relationships. While talking about the inspiration to venture into the legal space, Sunila said, “While studying political science honors at Lady Shriram College for Women, I wanted to do a course that would ensure a profession for me. Financial independence was a priority.” “With no interest in science or commerce, many professions were ruled out for me! I had been exposed to law and the courts from a young age due to family litigations. I would end up reading a lot of legal documents and provisions. Being articulate, argumentative, and curious by nature, Law seemed like a natural fit,” she added.
utstanding
Women Lawyers | 2022
Sunila summarizes the reasons for being in the same firm for so long as “the excellent work culture, ample opportunities to prove yourself, freedom to handle client relationships, work delivery and team management, but above everything else, the leadership of Ajay Bahl.” Overcoming the Adversities When we asked Sunila about the challenges she had to surmount while entering the legal space, she stated, “Because of my witnessing first-hand the delays and loopholes in the justice system, it was clear no court practice for me. The infrastructure of the courts was still very poor; lawyers, judges, court staff had apathetic approach and statutes were disregarded rampantly.” “This scenario reaffirmed my passionate opposition to becoming a litigator. In 1992, my biggest challenge was to find a non-litigation role as ‘corporate law’ was unheard of! It was serendipity that got me placed at Ajay Bahl & Co, as it was looking for lawyers who didn’t want to go to court!” When Sunila joined, the firm had 6 lawyers and today, she heads a team of 20 plus lawyers consisting of partners, counsels, senior associates, and associates. “It has been like growing up with the firm, like a second family!”
About the current challenges, Sunila shared, “Having entered the profession three decades ago, today I may not know them. But I believe there is too much focus on the external façade of the legal profession. Most get blinded by ‘brand’ names of law schools and firms - maybe law firms are to be blamed for this emphasis – it is misplaced and unnecessary.” It depends entirely on the individual – do they have what it takes to become a good lawyer? No law school teaches you that. Money is the other aspect that gives a rose-colored view of the profession - high retainer ships paid to lawyers seem to have a magnetic pull!
Today, my area of expertise is employment laws; however, I lead a team that provides general corporate advisory services which could mean opinions and advice related to almost any law.
answers that seriously impact real learning.”
Past few years my focus has been on gender and HR issues with an emphasis on advisory, investigations & training related to sexual harassment of women in the workplace.
The instant gratification era almost demands instant money and fame as an entitlement. Youngsters need to understand the sheer hard work, focus, commitment required, the daily grind that goes into achieving what is looking glamourous today - the absence of awareness of ground reality can pose a real challenge. Dynamic offerings When we asked Sunila about the specialized legal offerings, that she provides to her client, she said, “Today, my area of expertise is employment laws. However, I lead a team that provides general corporate advisory services, which could mean opinions and advice related to almost any law – whether it is data protection, e-commerce, legal metrology, drones, or even cryptocurrency!” Three major practice areas covered specifically by Sunila’s team are: • Employment laws which are in the limelight due to proposed labor codes • Technology-related laws in areas of IT, e-commerce, fintech, cryptocurrency • Privacy and data protection. “Thirty years later, I am again at the forefront of those areas of legal practice which reflect a whole new world – in India and globally!” Impact of advanced technology When we asked Sunila about the impact of technological advancement in the law space, she answered, “Unbelievable! I come from an era when today’s tools were unavailable, so it changed the world drastically. Technology's convenience and time efficiency to the legal profession is great. But it also brings access to ready-made
Another major consequence has been pressure on turnaround time due to 24x7 connectivity – the expectation that the email or call will be responded to instantly adds to the stress. The Covid-induced work-from-home situation of the past two years has not helped. An influential personality Sunila’s extensive experience in advising clients on all kinds of problematic employee issues, including critical investigations in sensitive areas like workplace sexual harassment or misconduct by employees or tricky senior employee exits, while retaining objectivity and knowing the latest legal position, gives her an edge in her field. Sunila’s pragmatic approach and feasible solutions within the legal parameters are recognized and appreciated by clients who want to be compliant as well as practical. Opinion that matters While advising the aspiring legal enthusiasts who are willing to step into the legal space today, Sunila says, “Be clear on what you want! Don’t get attracted by external paraphernalia! Focus is very important. There is no harm in wanting more, or less, if there is clarity.” “Hard-work and dedication are essential for every profession, not only law, so that is a given. Personal growth is as important as professional. Being updated with what’s going on in the world gives one a different perspective, so it’s important for a holistic personality,” she further stated. Indian Legal Space at present Sunila also talked about the current scenario of the Indian legal space and said, “Potential for continued phenomenal growth. The great trend of boutique, or specialized firms is doing extremely well. There is space for much more, including foreign law firms!”
Amrita Tonk An Expert Corporate Litigator
I
n India, white-collar crimes originated from the earlier well-established framework of corruption and anti-bribery laws. This framework includes accounting and corporate frauds, data privacy, insider trading, security and protection, money laundering, corporate compliance, and FCPA and UKBA, which are the global statutes. Add to it rising prosecutions in white-collar crimes, dispute resolutions, and increasing complexity of criminal laws in the areas of technology and cybercrime, the framework is ever-complicating the business running risks.
As I grow into this profession, every day is a new day, and each case comes with different sets of challenges and interpretations, which propels me into a deeper study of this wonderful profession.
Most such businesses find solace in one name, Amrita Tonk, an expert corporate litigator and Partner at L&L Partners Law Offices, a fullservice firm. The firm has a team of around 380 lawyers and 79 Partners across four offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The Firm is a ‘one-stop solution’ for its clients and includes 15+ core practice areas, thus having the ability to cross-staff experts in multiple practice areas. Making of the Magistrate Amrita Tonk graduated in 2010 and joined L&L Partners (formerly known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices) as an Associate with the Real Estate Team. Thereafter, she shifted to a secondment position at Accenture, wherein she closely worked with the legal team from March 2012 to March 2013. In 2013, Amrita secured the seventh rank in the prestigious Delhi Judicial Services Examination and served as a Metropolitan Magistrate in Delhi. During her tenure in the Judicial Service, she presided over criminal courts in Patiala House and Tis Hazari Courts. She resigned from the Delhi Judicial Service in January 2018 and focused on her independent practice. In 2021, she was offered a position as a Partner in the Disputes Resolution Team at L&L Partners Law offices. As a Partner, Amrita is primarily involved in advising and representing clients in disputes pertaining to White Collar Crimes, including 14 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Women Lawyer Making a Difference
Amrita Tonk, Partner 15 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
I learned that Law is a powerful instrument to govern our society and comes to the aid of people without a voice.
corporate frauds, offences under the Indian Penal Code and anticipatory/regular bail applications, Banking and Finance, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, Arbitration, Suits for Recovery, Property Disputes, Consumer Laws, matters related to Negotiable Instruments, matters related to Intellectual Property and matters under Writ/Public Interest Litigation. Voice of the Voiceless Amrita shares, “The legal profession has always kindled my interest in many ways, though I was a science student.” She appeared for competitive exams in medical and law colleges and was fortunate to secure a good rank at the Army Institute of Law at Mohali. Amrita says, “I ultimately chose law. As I had already joined the law school and was enjoying the subjects, I decided to continue pursuing law. As I grow into this profession, every day is a new day, and each case comes with different sets of challenges and interpretations, which propels me into a deeper study of this wonderful profession.” Amrita feels, “I learned during my internships that Law is a powerful instrument to govern our society and comes to the aid of people without a voice. When applied without bias or prejudice, it treats all strata of society on an equal pedestal.” This was also one of the reasons why she ventured into public service by joining the prestigious Delhi Judicial Services.
An Advocate of Inclusive Legal Environment As far as challenges faced by women in the legal profession, Amrita says that law as a profession has majorly been dominated by men, especially when it comes to areas like criminal law. During her time at law school and her internships, she realised that there were not many avenues for women when it came to litigation and advocacy. Although they had some amazing legal luminaries when it came to chamber practice, however, when it came to law firms, women were mostly part of the corporate law practice. Fortunately, things are gradually changing for the better. She states, “It was a heartening experience and inspiring to see that women lawyers made up almost 80% of my batch in the Judicial Service, and they were all exceptionally good.” There is no dearth of women at top-level positions in the dispute resolution practice of law firms, which definitely gives an impetus to women lawyers who have chosen to make a career in litigation and advocacy. It is important to have strong women mentors in the organisation who are approachable and help create an inclusive work environment. Amrita expresses, “I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of an organisation that advocates this, which has helped me build on my career and develop my practice as a litigator.” Advantage Amrita About the various specialised legal offerings, solutions, or services that she provides to her clientele, Amrita conveys, “As a Metropolitan Magistrate, I held a criminal court for my entire tenure in the Delhi Judicial Service and presided over criminal trials. So, it is only natural that my expertise would be in Criminal Law and cases pertaining to defence against prosecution under laws pertaining to PMLA, GST, POCA etc.” And because she is a partner of L&L, Amrita thinks, “Being a full-service law firm with the
16 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
client as the sole focus, we can sustain the vast needs of our clients across multiple legal practice areas, all under one roof.” A particular case may often require expertise from different fields of law, which is readily available to the client. This, in turn, increases productivity and results in better chances of success for the clients. Tech-enabled Access to Justice System Sharing her opinions on the impact of technological advancements in the Law space, Amrita expressed that the legal profession has been revolutionized by the advent of technology. The availability of online material, including judgments passed by courts of law, commissions and tribunals and publications, has helped the professionals and society at large. She further says that it is encouraging to see our Courts starting to embrace technology as part and parcel of our legal system. Though a lot needs to be done, the environment created by the pandemic necessitated adapting to new practices. The benefits of virtual hearings and how they facilitate access to the justice system at the touch of a button result from technology. Equality in Legal Representation When asked what the specialities/factors that make her stand out as an influential personality in the legal profession are, Amrita says very modestly, “At the outset, I am humbled that you consider me to be an influential personality, despite being fairly young in the profession.” “To answer your question, what makes me stand out is that I do not differentiate in my efforts for a client or a matter. So even if I am working on a pro-bono matter or a matter having high stakes, I ensure that my team and I give the same importance to both the cases. From my experience as a judicial officer, I have learnt that all cases must be treated equally.”
Regardless of their financial capacity, a litigant has knocked on the doors of justice with expectations, which is why Amrita thinks that it is the legal professionals’ duty as lawyers and officers of the court to ensure that person gets the best legal representation. A Judicial Advise Amrita’s advice to aspiring legal enthusiasts who are willing to step into the legal space today is thoughtful. She says that, • There is no shortcut to success. • It is essential to be thorough with your brief. • Be a patient listener and stick to your brief. • Read, read and read as much as possible. There’s no end to learning. • Grab every opportunity you get and make the best of it. Future’s Lady of Justice Speaking about the current scenario of the Indian Legal Space, Amrita thinks that the legal profession has evolved to be one of the most sought-after professions. Like the 1990s, when there was a boom in the field of corporate law, which saw the rise of corporate law firms, now we are witnessing exponential growth in various areas and their legal implications, such as information and technology, artificial intelligence, data privacy, cryptocurrency, to name a few. It is also interesting to see the opportunities that have opened up in niche practice areas, which earlier were unheard of. However, it is important to note that such opportunities are restricted primarily to metropolitan cities. Amrita concludes with a hope and a suggestion, “For such opportunities to extend to the nonmetropolitan areas, technology, I feel, will have an important role to play and how quickly we embrace such change holds the answer to the future.”
17 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
How to Improve
Women's Participation
in the
Legal
Profession? W
omen have proved themselves in the professional sectors effectively and are counted as equal to men, by their natural qualities of discipline, dedication, focused execution, smart communication, able managerial, and entrepreneurial skills.
Women have made phenomenal progress in almost every professional sphere of art, science, technology, medicine, entertainment, media, sports, education, business, politics etc. Adding to the list, the legal system, too, has seen a gradual rise in the number of women taking up the profession.
However, the ratio of women practising in the legal profession is far lower than satisfactory. According to Drishtiias.com, presently, a meagre 11.5% of judges are women. That means out of 33 sitting Supreme Court judges, only four are women. The scenario for women lawyers is hardly better, with only 15% or 2.55 Lakh of the total 1.7 million advocates being women. This is a case of worrying numbers. How could it be countered or improved?
The situation can change provided certain steps are taken that can motivate more women to take up the profession and create their mark in the profession.
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L
a
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y
J
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· Spread Awareness About the Legal Profession: Encourage young ladies to visit the courtrooms to observe the proceedings and understand the basic functioning of the courts. Public orientation programs are to be conducted periodically to spread awareness about the courts and basic legal processes. · Special Entrance Exams: Most competitive courses like MPSC, UPSC, MBA, Engineering and IIT have special entrance tests with their critical selection criteria. Similarly, Legal education should also have common entrance tests scheduled for the admission criteria. This will increase the importance of the profession and can increase the number of women to aspire to this profession. · Dedicated Women's Law Colleges: The education ministry and the legal system should open dedicated law colleges for women to encourage more women to join the legal profession. · Media Contribution: The press, radio, TV and social media should have an impetus on reporting various legal cases solved with their decisions. As the media will highlight the legal industry, people will know more about the judicial system and young people, especially women can look forward to choosing this as a profession. Regular interviews of eminent women lawyers are to be conducted throughout various media platforms. · Promote Gender Equality: Women choosing the legal profession have faced disparities in certain areas of issues in work-life balance, discrimination in payment models, sexual harassment, and similar challenges. All these issues should be taken up with certain open work culture and clear communication. An
impartial approach with rational treatment to all, promote healthy and cooperative work culture and equal opportunity participation is encouraged. Social groups, clubs and open forums to be initiated for encouraging dialogues between the people of all teams. Group discussions with debates on different past case studies to be practised regularly. The group should encourage and support the women lawyers to take up new cases and tackle them in the court towards successful results. · Create an Encouraging Work Environment: Legal entrepreneurs should aim in creating a healthy workplace culture. There should be systems of proper work assignment, and timely allocation with individual task distribution. The business should be people-oriented, equal opportunity employers. Cases should be discussed, and senior lawyers should engage the younger lawyers to study, research and participate in the case proceedings. · Garner Knowledge sharing programs: The legal firms should be more sensitive towards their team members to understand their issues, and make provisions for good training with sufficient mentors. Enhance a homogenous space to encourage the learning process and practice basics of law practices. · Integration of Modern Technologies: Technologies have transformed every industry sector including the law. Numerous allied platforms are available that are wellequipped with the basic legal knowledge and reference data. It also includes certain tips and tricks to function effectively. Women lawyers can benefit from such technologies to
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strike the crucial work-life balance, increase their involvement and work effectively. Numerous software and applications have been exclusively developed by technology experts for legal industry professionals. Women have proved to be able to be task managers, organizers and planners. They can effectively formulate an advance preparation for cases to be taken up in the initial stages as good preparation early can increase the chances of victory through confident appealing and case put up. Judicious Support towards a Jubilant Future Women have made their mark in numerous industrial sectors however they need to go a long way in the legal industry. Cornelia Sorabjee, Violet Alva, Rebecca John, Indira Jaisingh, Karuna Nundy and many more are some of the role models who have been inspired through their contributions are noteworthy due to their focus, dedication and perseverance. The government body, legal system and society need to create a welcoming ground to nurture their skills and capabilities to bring in a visible change soon. - Kedar Borgaonkar
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Ms Rashi
Anand Suri
A Prominent Lawyer of the 21st Century
I
ndian women's history abounds with the pioneers’ legacy who broke down gender barriers and stereotypes. They succeeded in every field with their passion and courage, whether related to arts, politics, space, or business. Amongst this, the law is one of the most powerful platforms where women play vital roles in legal practices. Whether it be representing companies, defending clients in court, or making significant rulings, female attorneys continue to fight for justice and set new milestones for women in the field. One such personality is Ms Rashi Anand Suri, Managing Partner, Upscale Legal. She has been an integral part of various leading law firms in the country and business houses. Ms Suri has over 20 years of experience and has also assisted the Planning Commission as a Legal Consultant to the Secretariat of Infrastructure.
Ms Rashi Anand Suri, Managing Partner 24 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Excelling in the legal industry, Upscale Legal is a multi-service law business that handles the legal challenges and concerns of numerous corporate houses, financial departments, government entities, and independent
Outstanding Women Lawyers | 2022
individuals. It is a solution-driven law firm committed to providing high-quality legal services. In an exclusive interview with Insights Success India, Ms Rashi Anand Suri sheds light on the company’s journey, highlighting the current industrial scenario of the legal space and her opinions on the future of Upscale Legal. Rashi, please brief us about yourself and shed some light on your professional journey. I have assisted several offshore companies in setting up their businesses in India which includes advice on registration and licensing as well as operational and business matters. During my association as a legal consultant to the National Highways Authority of India on several projects, I have advised in the preparation of bidding documents for highway projects as well as Model concession agreements.
I have advised several banking/ financial institutions on financing projects and their documentation and developers, focusing on public-private projects, reviewing project documentation for energy, highways, power, and water, and conducting due diligence reviews. Please tell us about Upscale Legal in detail. Upscale Legal is a legal firm that has members who are highly qualified lawyers committed to providing quality and effective services to its clients. The members possess skills for drafting and vetting all kinds of agreements, deeds, and documents. The attribute which has primarily added to the success of assignments undertaken by the firm is that the members consider no assignment as small and thrive to go to the root analysis of all assignments. The firm specialises in start-up advisory and provides new business houses with the requisite legal assistance. What made you venture into the legal space?
One of my prestigious clients is a major transport company engaged in urban transport and infrastructure development company responsible for building and delivering quality infrastructure in the transportation sector, urban transport planning, project management, engineering design, etc. Several such companies and organizations are associated with us.
The firm provides a blend of legal and commercial solutions to the clients when addressing such concerns and issues. The Firm is equipped to handing legal issues on business transactions, commercial contracts, and documents.
I had humanities as my stream of choice during my senior secondary and graduated in philosophy. I was always inclined to observe the sociological thread closely, and during my tryst with Greek philosophy, I came across how the legalities are interwoven in our society. I was always extremely interested in the democratic form of government, and the better way to study that will be through legal eyes. I was intrigued by law also because of my love and interest in human rights, which I have wanted to practice for the longest time. However, liberalisation and a spurt of foreign investments got me interested in the corporate and documentation side, which I enjoyed a lot, and that is how my journey started. What kind of services do you provide to your clients? The firm has expertise in handling various issues and concerns faced by corporates in day-to-day business transactions and functions. The firm provides a blend of legal and commercial solutions to the clients when addressing such concerns and issues. The Firm is equipped to handing legal issues on business transactions, commercial contracts, and documents. We provide services relating to: • Start-up advisory • Contract management • Corporate leasing • Corporate, commercial and M&A • Tender participation • Banking and finance • Real estate and hospitality industry
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• • •
Employment and POSH ADR and Litigation Fintech
have developed in-house expertise on regulations under the drugs and cosmetics act, labelling requirements and food licensing. We also have a strong startup advisory and investment practice with robust team for due diligence and operations audit.
Our area of specialisation includes: • Blockchain and Digital Assets • Loans and Finance • Electronic Financial Services What kind of challenges have you faced while entering the legal space? While I have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of my journey as a legal practitioner, the challenging part is to adhere to the timelines as a team in cases of multiple investments and financial transactions where every assignment is meant to be time-sensitive and highly complicated. Coupled with that is the issue of ensuring that no law is violated and no compliance ignored, whether in the crossborder or domestic transaction, as the clients look to you as custodians of all compliances. This becomes extremely critical in investments from foreign parties. Given the vast array of legal compliances for different businesses in the country, I have mostly come across the fact that most businesses tend to operate without regard to the respective laws. Thus, it is challenging to convince such companies regarding the benefits of incorporating and ensuring all legal compliances in their businesses. What would you like to advise the young generation of legal enthusiasts?
We have also developed a significant practise area in government tendering and tender management, a specialised field that few law firms work on. Last year Upscale Legal had the opportunity to work with various start-ups and fintech companies as well as sports and gaming technologies. What is the current industrial scenario of the legal space? From employment laws to data protection and foreign investment, the dynamic and fast-evolving Indian legal market reacts to our day's global economic and social problems. On the industrial front, transactions in healthcare and technology, particularly in e-commerce, are continuing rapidly. There is a lot of investment going into and out of India. Private equity and venture capital firms and organisations with money to spend are looking for opportunities in India, partly as there are opportunities where Indian businesses are failing. In addition, several multinational corporations have been restructuring their activities across the world, especially their Indian subsidiaries. Work in infrastructure and energy, including renewables, creates jobs, particularly in the legal industry.
Multitasking and seeing beyond the problem is what I would advise. It is important to be a problem solver and an enabler on the documentation side. Clients look up to you for solutions, not just for identifying issues and laws. We need to look for and curate innovative solutions to maximise commercial gains while complying with laws. Where do you envision Upscale Legal to be in the long run, and what are your future goals? In a short period, Upscale Legal has developed a niche area of hemp, ayurvedic and alternative medicines, and all licensing and compliance-related work in this field. We
26 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Significance of
Women Lawyers in Modern Indian
Justice System H
ave you ever noticed the steady rise of women in the modern world?
Indeed. Women have displayed qualities of leadership, discipline, resilience, intelligence and business decision-making. They have played pivotal roles in the developments, improvements and progress of the nation. Women have surged higher through their notable work in various fields. Be it education, IT, Science, Engineering, Arts, Culture, Medicine, Social Work, Politics, Judiciary, and many more. Over the past five decades, women's participation has steadily increased from their domestic schedules to adorning the Black coat in the judiciary. Women are seen making their impression in various legal specializations in solicitation, consultation, services and legal representation.
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Legal Acu-Women
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Women who entered the legal industry learnt the basics quickly and worked passionately on the purpose of providing justice to the people. They learned the process of filing a case, preparing for the case, and gathering the evidence, proofs and details about witnesses. Putting up the case in a proper authentic manner to create an appealing and convincing background of the case. Connecting the cases logically with the suitable laws under the Indian Penal Code, made them successful in taking the cases towards rightful legal results.
discipline, focus and committed-to-justice pattern of working. They have been very eager, demanding and focused on their work. They take every client seriously to represent the case on behalf of the client. Their dedication to the profession and systematic approach have increased their prospects of successful closing of the cases.
With their passion, ambition and dedication, certain women lawyers have chosen a different innovative routes to achieve their objectives. They have broken the paradigms of the industry by their acute research, pin-pointed detailing and building strong case platforms ensuring their successful achievement in case victories.
· Remarkable Consistency Once decided, then ensure the work is brought to the desired end. Women lawyers have learnt in every way possible to get closer and put up the case to its expected closure. They are ready to do everything that is required in the case including the research, collection, data management, scheduling, follow-ups, and many other procedures. They are honest in their work and build such a foundation of necessary elements that they prepare the case for a sure-shot win.
· Higher Empathy Women lawyers have been very good in social skills of listening, understanding and communicating with their subtle approach. They are excellent in their professional relationship with office co-workers, patient and polite with demanding clients.
· Ethical Working Practices Female lawyers have known to be ethical and professional in their work. They have a firm belief in the moral rules of life and the Indian law system. Adherence to the rules and protocols with systematic work methods has earned them high respect in the legal fraternity and the public as well.
· Multi-tasking Abilities This is one of the prominent qualities observed in the women lawyers where they plan, organize and schedule the tasks properly with their timelines. Readiness to get the things done with tracking other things at the same time with absolute ease and simplicity is indeed remarkable.
· High Work Efficacy Traditionally women have been brought up with domestic responsibilities, which has made them capable and agile. They are very active, quick thinkers, and smart managers themselves. A good degree of patience and sound temperament makes them effective legal professionals. Clean working, focused case documentation and organized team management have made them efficient lawyers.
· Loyal Associates Women lawyers have been loyal with their professional careers with a proven track record of consistent association with the same legal enterprise for a long time period. They have been dedicated to their work profiles and consider their work as their identity and prime duty. · Passionate Learners Every new requirement coming from the client is looked up to very eagerly and enthusiastically. They are ready to go the extra mile in learning the entire process of the case proceedings. Enthusiasm in gathering the required details, and searching for the evidence and important aspects in the case, has been the virtue of women lawyers.
Flagbearers of Justice Like their successful presence in various industry domains, women have created an important niche for themselves in the Indian legal system. They have proved to be very resourceful team members, dynamic lawyers and dedicated customer-centric consultants. We can smile with confidence that our legal system is going to be even better in various dimensions of offering solutions.
· High Reliability Women lawyers who practice independently have heard of being more reliable than their male counterparts due to their
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- Kedar Borgaonkar
Outstanding Women Lawyers | 2022
Benchmarking Legal Excellence
W
omen have played vital roles in the growth of practice of law. Whether it be defending clients in court, representing companies, or making consequential rulings, female lawyers continue to fight for justice and pave the way for women in the field. Certain female attorneys have left remarkable imprints in the field of law. Their willpower and perseverance in the face of adversity have led to new legislations and more equitable policies and have continued the fight against injustice in distinct aspects of life. Their contributions to the field are worthy of emulation and celebration. This is where Adv Sahiba Ahluwalia excels in the legal industry. Sahiba Ahluwalia is a Litigating Counsel, currently working at S&A Law Offices, New Delhi, as a Senior Associate in their Dispute Resolution team. She has previously worked with L&L Partners and MSA Partners as an Associate in the Dispute Resolution team. Sahiba's work experience spans a broad range of commercial arbitrations, particularly arbitrations arising out of EPC (infrastructure) contracts. She has had the opportunity to explore various dispute resolution mechanisms thoroughly. As far as her educational qualifications are concerned, Sahiba holds a degree in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Subsequently, she has also completed her Masters in International Commercial Laws with Distinction (AY 2017-2018) from University College, London. An Alluring Cruise While growing up, Sahiba was always inclined towards understanding human logic and analysing life situations, which was the main driving force behind her pursuit of law as a career option. With time, there came a slow realization that being involved in the legal field would suit her aptitude. Sahiba believes that one of the enticing factors was also that, unlike other professions, the profession of law involves complex and diverse legislation, vast body of case laws and varying legal systems, which create an
intellectually stimulating environment as opposed to the dull and drab routine followed in other professional fields. The whole thought of single-handedly being able to bring a positive change in society instilled the zeal to work hard and attempt to bring about the changes that she wants to see in our society. The staggering growth experienced by the legal industry, be it in terms of prestige or prosperity, was another primary motivator for her to tread on this path. This field allows one to be involved with all parts of society, be it the merger of two multi-national companies or the release of the salary due to an engineer or the release of a new film or even common issues affecting society at large. Thus, there is immense potential and no dearth of opportunities. Overcoming the Challenges Sharing the facts on the challenges in the legal industry, Sahiba said, "Life in law school is like always running on a treadmill. One is expected to maintain a fine balance between academics, internships, extra-curricular activities, and other allied interests that one wishes to pursue." "However, things are different when you enter the legal fraternity as a law practitioner. You are constantly faced with various challenges, be it professional or personal and most importantly, the law being dynamic in nature, the learning never ends. Therefore, it is important to understand and embrace the situation at hand and be a quick learner who can grasp legal as well as non-legal concepts with ease." "Having said so, in my opinion, the biggest challenge in our profession these days is to maintain a work-life balance," she added. An advocate of the Comprehensive Legal Environment Sahiba's work starts by providing legal advice to clients concerning the assorted options available to them prior to the onset of litigation and providing a composite legal strategy for achieving the desired result. Her work experience spans a broad range of commercial arbitrations and related litigation, particularly in EPC (Infrastructure) disputes.
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Adv. Sahiba Ahluwalia Li ga ng Counsel and Senior Associate
Adv Sahiba Ahluwalia's work spans a broad range of commercial arbitrations and related litigation, particularly in EPC (Infrastructure) disputes.
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She has had an opportunity to advise and assist leading construction companies involved in constructing Roads, Airports, Railways, etc., concerning disputes arising out of multi-million contracts between private parties, conglomerates, and statutory authorities. She has represented clients at various stages of arbitration, from entering reference to the execution of the Award and other related litigation.
her specialization, and ensure efficiency over the course of years.
Adding to this scenario, Sahiba shared, "While the center of my work has mostly been commercial arbitration, I have also been fortunate enough to get a multitude of opportunities to appear and represent clients before various other legal forums as well, which has greatly shaped my career as a law practitioner.”
Pearls of Wisdom As a piece of advice for aspiring legal enthusiasts who are willing to step into the legal space, Sahiba shared that the youth of this generation have a lot to offer, and she believes that the legal industry can often seem overwhelming.
Evolving around the Technology There is no doubt that technological advancement has deeply impacted every industry and practice area, the legal industry being no exception to the same. Technology has definitely increased efficiency, ensured business continuity during the global pandemic and improved the quality of services, including enabling the flow of real-time information for early action. At present, e-filing, video conferencing, e-courts, virtual hearings etc., are all possible due to the adoption of technology in the legal industry.
It wouldn't be out of place to say that having worked under stalwarts of the legal industry has greatly shaped her approach to handling subject matters and obtaining a clientdriven approach for ensuring desired results within the desired time.
"I believe that we should not forget that the next generation of lawyers will pave the way for the legal industry with their technological prowess, fresh perspective, and zeal for learning the law. I think, since every day in the legal fraternity is a learning opportunity, I would like to impart what I have always followed in my professional career and observed in my mentors i.e. leaders in the legal fraternity are keen learners and life-long students of law. So long as the young aspirants make consistent efforts towards enhancing their knowledge, their toil will come to fruition."
It has significantly reduced the time required to process and share data, streamlined communications and most importantly, has enabled lawyers to find relevant information, statutes, and case laws using online legal databases. These advancements have helped lawyers focus more on their clients and give them more of their time and efforts.
"For me, consistency is the key, and a holistic development of both physical and mental health is a necessity. Therefore, one must try to achieve a balance in their life between life goals and career goals so that at the end of the day, you are satisfied with your work and not burnt out due to the demands of the profession," she added.
Revolutionizing the Legal Industry Sahiba believes that the next generation of young lawyers bring a fresh perspective, a more client-centric approach, and a higher standard of professional service with the help of technology.
Industry Sagacity In Sahiba's opinion, the last two years have certainly reshaped the Indian legal landscape. With social distancing obligations and frequent lockdowns, the legal fraternity has faced multiple challenges in the practice of law.
She also believes that having had the opportunity to work in pioneering law firms of India, specializing largely in commercial arbitrations, including, in particular, the field of EPC (Infrastructure) disputes, has allowed her the opportunity to obtain an in-depth knowledge within the field of arbitration.
However, rising to the challenges, the legal industry has adopted technology to ensure continuity of legal proceedings and a fluid work model to ensure that clients do not face hindrances.
Sahiba is privileged to say that she has assisted and been allowed the opportunity to play an instrumental role in landmark judgements in the field of arbitration. She believes that working under a high-pressure environment and high-value cases for eminent companies has enabled her to hone her skills, become proficient with
It is commendable and noteworthy that the Indian courts, despite the staggering volume of cases, successfully and smoothly brought the transition in court proceedings and introduced virtual courtrooms to ensure that the administration of justice is uninterrupted. The situation is unpredictable; however, the past has been a testament that even the legal industry can adapt to radical changes and bring a complete transformation by introducing digital era.
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