5 minute read
Adv. Anirudha Sinai Borkar
Advocate Anirudha Sinai Borkar, has been making a significant impact in the legal profession for the past 20 years. Borkar is the founder of AB & Co. Legal, a prominent law practice in the region, which focuses on civil law, especially property law, family law, tech contracts and consultancy for businesses. His innovative spirit led him to establish 'Legal Made Simple,' Goa's 1st legal service portal, aimed at providing free legal assistance online.
Career Arc
Anirudha Borkar graduated in LLB (Honours) from VM Salgaocar College of Law and completed his LLM in International Business Law from the University of Aberdeen, UK, with specialisation in Corporate Governance and Property Development. Having started his career in the chambers of Sr. Adv. Sudin Usgaonkar, Borkar gained valuable experience and guidance from esteemed legal professionals. Sr. Adv. Sudin and his father, late Sr. Adv. M. S. Usgaonkar had a great impact on Borkar’s attitude to legal practice and work ethic. Borkar has also worked with other senior advocates like Sr. Adv. Shirish Gupte and Sr. Adv. Shekhar Naphade in various cases.
In 2013, he established AB & Co. Legal and expanded his presence across Goa with a dedicated team. The firm's philosophy centres around taking up cases that are legally as well as morally right, and ensuring that every client receives the best possible legal representation.
With 20 years of experience in the field, Borkar feels that seeking legal counsel is essential in all manner of transactions, whether it is property transactions or setting up businesses. He strongly believes that proper legal representation can help combat fraudulent practices that are plaguing property transactions in Goa today. Borkar has successfully represented several clients from India and abroad who have been cheated in property transactions by unscrupulous actors and is pained by the negative publicity that Goa gets due to such incidents.
Another aspect that is central to the practice at AB & Co. Legal is continued dialogue, especially in family or matrimonial matters, which helps to resolve many issues amicably rather than through acrimony. Even if the client desperately wants to file for a divorce, Borkar counsels them to hold off and assists in reaching an amicable settlement. Once that is done, the divorce can be wrapped up in a matter of months.
Apart from this, AB & Co. Legal has also developed expertise in commercial and tech contracts, contributing immensely to the emerging IT and industrial landscape in Goa. One of the agreements Borkar takes special pride in is an agreement for clinical trials of a surgical robot, which is a trailblazer in its own right. He has also done several agreements for the manufacturing and technology transfer of advanced medical devices.
Emblematic Pursuits
Borkar’s commitment to the community extends beyond his legal expertise; he actively seeks innovative opportunities for giving back to the community. Born to parents committed to social and environmental causes, Anirudha was exposed to community service from a young age. Inspired by his paediatrician father late Dr. A. G. Borkar who offered free vaccinations to children in the village long before the government started its immunisation programme, Anirudha is passionate about bridging the ‘Access to Justice’ (A2J) gap. Intending to leverage technology to provide legal services online, Borkar founded 'Legal Made Simple,' Goa’s first online legal services portal. Borkar is now reimagining its scope to provide solutions in the A2J space by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Contrary to popular belief, Borkar believes that the justice system in Goa can be improved not by putting more pressure on the judiciary but by reducing their workload. He feels that if hearings that don’t require the application of judicial mind are taken up before registrars or superintendents, up to 1/3rd of court time could be better utilised. He suggests that a judge should preside over a court for only half-day, freeing up the rest of their day for reading and writing judgments. This will double the number of judges within the same infrastructure and radically bring down pendency.
His Advice To Young Lawyers
Aspiring lawyers and law students can learn valuable lessons from Borkar's work ethic, zeal for learning and empathy towards clients. He encourages youngsters to explore various fields before honing their expertise in areas that resonate with their passions. He feels that lawyers should take pride in their work, as it makes them want to improve continuously. He believes that a healthy work-life balance is very important and that lawyers, especially young lawyers, while working hard in the profession, should not neglect their physical and mental wellbeing and their family.
