WWW.THEENTERPRISEWORLD.COM | APAC EDITION | MAY 2021
Anubhav Sinha
INDIA’S BEST LAW FIRMS &
LAWYERS TO WATCH IN
2021
SS Law The leading and the most admired law firm in India
Sudhindra Bhat Advocate
Represents a new generation of commercial litigators
Poorvi Chothani A leading name in the eld of immigration law
Sonia Gupta A passion for justice, the experience for the win
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Digitization made the world closer, the law makes it happier.
The law keeps harmony among poor and rich, strong and powerless, etc. A genuine structure in a general sense gives a framework to people to live in an obliged way. It holds individuals back from doing things they ought to do. Also, it will moreover ask an individual to achieve something he wouldn’t care to do. While digitization is occurring in practically every one of the areas, the requirement for the law is expanding step by step. Innovation took the world closer and with the rising industry opportunities, the number of conflicts also increased. A thought isn’t yours until it gets protected. The record makes your proprietor climate it very well might be a property, business, or whatever else. In this situation, we generally need an attorney who makes a lawfully gotten route for your fate. The area of law and prosecution was previously a men’s restraining infrastructure. The present time is extraordinary. Today, there is nothing of the sort a lady can’t do. In the law area as well, Women legal counselors are driving the mission to make the world a serene spot to live by furnishing diverse law and case administrations with a comprehensive methodology. In this issue of The Enterprise World, India’s Best Law firms & Lawyers to watch in 2021, we feel the delight to feature such law firms and lawyers that have established themselves as a niche in the law and litigation sector. Featuring for the cover story is Mr. Sudhindra Bhat’s SS Law. SS Law is a leading law firm empowering businesses and individuals with all professional law services with a personal touch under one roof. The firm specializes in criminal law, family/divorce, civil, IPR, personal injury, property, corporate law, arbitration, and mediation. SS Law also provides advisory, training, and investigation services under Anti-Corruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes to corporates. It provides advisory, compliance, and litigation support services Trial Court, High court, and Supreme Court. Read out the story of Mr. Anubhav Sinha who is catering to all law and litigation needs of businesses and empowering their future. At barely 38, he has already established himself as a distinguished commercial disputes lawyer with a considerable consultation practice. Anubhav Sinha is heavily briefed by various law firms across India and his chamber deals with many international and domestic clients. Obesity and malnutrition appear simultaneously and often in the same person as man moves away from nature as he develops. Archaeologist Bill Sandler is showing through his life that the sustainable way to a healthy, environmentally friendly diet is in the food processing system of his ancestors. Readout Sandler’s story in our special editorial feature. There is much more inside! Have a good read!
Rushikesh Deshpande
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Leaders in Spotlight
This issue of The Enterprise World magazine, India’s Best Law Firms & Lawyers to Watch in 2021 features, Featuring for the cover story is Mr. Sudhindra Bhat’s SS Law. SS Law is a leading law firm empowering businesses and individuals with all professional law services with a personal touch under one roof. The firm specializes in criminal law, family/divorce, civil, IPR, personal injury, property, corporate law, arbitration, and mediation. SS Law also provides advisory, training, and investigation services under Anti-Corruption Laws and WhiteCollar Crimes to corporates. It provides advisory, compliance, and litigation support services Trial Court, High court, and Supreme Court. Readout a conversation with Ms. Poorvi Chothani of
LawQuest. LawQuest is a leading immigration law firm headquartered in Mumbai with offices in New York and Florida, LawQuest consists of multiple team members who are licensed to practice law in India, New York (including US Federal Law), England, and Wales. It is also one of the first woman-owned Indian law firms to have offices at two locations in the United States. LawQuest operates through The Law Office of Ms. Poorvi Chothani, PLLC for all US immigration matters. Poorvi is the sole owner of both entities. Read out the story of Mr. Anubhav Sinha who is catering to all law and litigation needs of businesses and empowering their future. At barely 38, he has already established himself as a distinguished commercial disputes lawyer with a considerable consultation practice. Anubhav
Sinha is heavily briefed by various law firms across India and his chamber deals with many international and domestic clients. Ashok Dhingra Associates (ADA), is one of the leading law firm incepted in 2014. The firm offers a wide range of services under Customs and Trade including Export Controls and Sanctions; Goods and Services Tax (GST); erstwhile Indirect Taxes; and Regulatory Laws. ADA also provides advisory, training, and investigation services under AntiCorruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes to corporates. Read an interview with Ms. Sonia Gupta, Managing Partner at Ashok Dhingra Associates, in which we talked about the current law and litigation scenario across the country and how ADA is empowering its clients.
CONTENTS
08 18 22 24 28 32 34 38
Sudhindra Bhat’s SS Law The leading and the most admired law rm in India
Anubhav Sinha Represents a new generation of commercial litigators
Live Life Greener Bill Sandler – An Archaeologist striving to give the world a healthier diet and more environmentally friendly options.
Poorvi Chothani A leading name in the eld of immigration law
Komal Solomon A Super Lawyer Committed to Expertise
Good Read The quotes from Nikhil Deshpande
Sonia Gupta A passion for justice, the experience for the win
Key Life Skills Attitude Vs. Intelligence
SUDHINDRA BHAT’S SS LAW THE LEADING AND THE MOST ADMIRED LAW FIRM IN INDIA
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law fundamentally gives a system to people, to live respectively in an obliged way. It keeps people disciplined in things they should do. And it will likewise urge a person to accomplish something he wouldn’t like to do. While digitization is taking place in all sectors, the need for law is increasing day by day. Technology took the world closer and with the rising opportunities, the number of disputes also increased. Every aspect of any business has benefited immensely from the rapid upgrades in the field of law and litigation. The digital economic boost has created a vast demand for law and litigation services in all business landscapes. Today, it is a need for businesses to get the perfect legal solutions at one stop. In this context, Mr. Sudhindra Bhat’s SS Law, a leading law firm is empowering businesses and individuals with all professional law services with a personal touch under one roof. The firm specializes in criminal law, family/divorce, civil, IPR, personal injury, property, corporate law, arbitration, and mediation. SS Law also provides advisory, training, and investigation services under Anti-Corruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes to corporates. It provides advisory, compliance, and litigation support services Trial Court, High court, and Supreme Court. Additionally, SS Law firm assists clients in Immigration, during and after raid or investigations by Customs and Regulatory authorities like Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement 10 | May 2021
Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, etc. to take a view on key issues and options to deal with high-risk positions, briefing and debriefing of employees and discussions with authorities to close the case.
struggling to adapt. Unfortunately for them, consumers are only going to demand more specialization over the coming years. Thanks largely to the internet, consumers have more power than ever, which means they’re making more demands than ever.
Winning through the hurdles To chisel a beautiful statue, you first need to hit the rock, which is what counts! Similarly, when starting a venture, you face challenges, which make up for the successful times of your organization. And tackling them with innovation and efficiency sails your boat! Mr. Sudhindra Bhat and his firm SS Law also faced some initial hurdles, which they tackled well and became leading and admiring lawyers in India. Increased Competition/Difficulty Acquiring New Clients and Pressure to Become More Specialized was the initial year’s challenge SS Law faced.
This brings SS Law to their next challenge, Clients Expecting More Services at A Lower Rate- There are many reasons why this challenge exists. One of the most important factors is the introduction of cheap, DIY legal services that are driving potential clients’ cost expectations and the perceived value of legal expertise down. Another aspect is that more firms are presenting transparent pricing online and in person, forcing practices to compete on price for the first time. Coupled with the fact that legal services demand has been flat, law firms are undercutting each other more than ever and consumers are aware. Unlike some of the previously mentioned challenges, we’re starting to see firms solve this problem. Instead of turning to increased revenue as a driver of business growth, they’re finding new ways to increase margin on existing revenue streams. How are they doing so? Two of the key methods are outlined in the final two challenges.
Mr. Sudhindra says, “As I stated because potential clients are digitally showrooming, firms have to stand out from the crowd. Additionally, across all industries, consumers are demanding subject matter experts rather than a jack of all trades service provider. In the legal space, that means both personal and corporate consumers would rather spread their legal needs across multiple specialized firms on a need-by-need basis than partner with one firm who can ostensibly do everything.”
After tackling well with the hurdles, SS law experienced a much deserved rising growth graph.
While younger firms and young solo attorneys are creating specialized firms from the get-go, older firms who have not need to specialize for decades are
They witnessed fast-paced growth when the firm acquired a lot of talent through lateral joinees of partners from different practices and practice areas. The firm grew
The rising growth graph
ntains T h e l a w m a ib e t w e e n a b a l a n c ed r i c h , poor an weak! strong and tremendously fast and since 2018 the firm has never looked back. Started with humble three clients now SS Law has grown to 250+ new corporate clients and in the retail litigation, area contributed 70% growth compared to previous years. The team of passionate professionals at SS Law serves their clients with utmost dedication. They don’t believe in presets and so they design personalized services for every client. Their Technical Excellence combined with commercial insight empowers them to lead. It’s the ability to take the most complex questions and provide clear answers to their corporate as well as individual clients.
opportunity for the industry. Their offerings SS Law focuses on Litigation (Criminal & Civil) & Corporate Law. The firm delivers a world-class Legal service – providing the highest quality support, as efficiently and effectively as possible every time with a pool of highly qualified and trained professionals with a pool of highly qualified and trained professionals at SS Law a world-class client experience right at the heart of what they do. Legal Services
Despite many years of practice, SS Law considers itself a learner in this domain and still refers to the basics of each assignment and is different from the other players. Over the years, SS Law has received respect and admiration for the law. SS Law recognizes India's growing dominance as a global powerhouse, client trust, quality work recognition as key elements driving the future of SS Law. Recent reforms and tougher policies of the government have opened up new avenues of
SS Law Firm has a specialized team of lawyers for handling cases in the following areas: ♦ Drafting of deeds and agreement services ♦ Family/divorce ♦ Legal notice ♦ Auto accident/ traffic/ personal injury ♦ Property and real estate ♦ Human resources & employment law ♦ Corporate and commercial law
♦ Incorporation of entities ♦ Banking & finance ♦ Capital markets and securities law ♦ Corporate/m&a ♦ Competition/antitrust law ♦ IPR- trademarks domain names, copyrights, industrial designs, and patents ♦ Education ♦ Family dispute counseling ♦ Arbitration ♦ Taxation ♦ Litigation criminal and civil SS Law stretches its limits to make sure the services they provide are consistent and timely. they follow protocols which allow them to manage their clients and new area of services. Emigration and Family Law services are the latest addition to their diversified plethora of law services. The firm also intends to be the number one go-to firm for insolvency matters which has seen a huge number of cases being filed since the IBC has come into effect. They also aim to further expand knowledge and practice areas in international arbitration, data privacy, competition, consolidated labor codes, etc.
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| Cover Story
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Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen and Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
12 | May 2021
Sudhindra Bhat Advocate SS Law Firm
Mr. Sudhindra Bhat A visionary leader in a black robe! A Multi-talented, multi-skilled with knowledge of Law, Business, and Finance with a rich experience of 2.5 decades of experience in the corporate, education industry, and Law profession. With the qualification of LLB, LLM, MBA, CFA, MFM, M.Phil, PhD. PGIRPM, PGSMI practicing Lawyer and corporate consultant with extensive experience in dispute resolution as well as non-dispute-resolution verticals across diverse facets – handling high-stake High Court & Arbitration matters, Services with a Personal Touch Specializing in Family/Divorce, Criminal, Civil, IPR, Personal Injury, Property, Corporate Law, contract drafting & negotiation, statute drafting, general legal consultancy, delivers rapid results via broad and deep analysis. Strongly focused on solutions that create the stakeholder profitable in the face of difficult complex cases. As a due diligence specialist, brings bottom-line expertise as well as a refreshing and energetic approach to corporate law and Maintains relationships with manufacturing concerns in Asia, Africa Europe, and private equity companies, universities, and venture capital firms in Africa Europe. He says, “I am a lawyer with extensive experience in dispute resolution as well as non-dispute-resolution verticals across diverse facets – handling high-stake Supreme Court & Arbitration matters, contract drafting & negotiation, statute drafting, general legal consultancy apart. Since law school, I have believed that it is my responsibility and obligation to be a strong advocate for my clients; to protect and assert their interests. This belief has resulted in me being an aggressive and forceful litigator. I do whatever is required, with integrity, to achieve my client’s goals. I also believe in loyalty. If you’re not loyal, you’re not somebody I want anywhere around me.” Mr. Ram Jethmalani has been a true source of motivation for him since a long and Mr. Sudhindra admires him the most.
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Mr. Sudhindra’s bag full of achievements include • He has handled high-stake corporate clients and HNI’s cases, every year he makes a point to do free of cost some cases which needy legal help. • He has been awarded more than Five-time for different achievements • Mr. Sudhindra has solved unsolved tough cases through Arbitration and mediation. • He is an author of five books and a corporate award winner. • He has a top both academic and Industry experience with rich knowledge of Law, Finance and Business
14 | May 2021
The Driving Force The workforce is a true treasure for any organization as it drives growth. At SS Law, they Recognize employees progress, team building exercises unrelated to work, make their team a part of the master plan, celebrate both individual and group achievements, empower breaks, give advantages (without burning up available resources), firm give apparatuses to progress, they permit workplace adaptability and the firm is consistently conveying thanks! to the team.
The ‘SDC’ at SS Law makes the team unique!
Mr. Sudhindra’s Words for nextgen advocates and litigators
♦ SPECIALIZATION - Each person on SSL’s team brings unique abilities to the table. ♦ DIVERSITY -Team Member’s experience & knowledge of different geographic areas & locales. ♦ COLLABORATION - As they say – two heads are better than one. In SSL’s case, FIVE heads are better than one! By using the collaborative approach, we can pick each other’s brains and learn from one another.
While the legal world of lawyers and law firms continues to evolve, the pace of change remains slow. Preparation for a newer generation of lawyers as well as a newer generation of the client will be tantamount to the law firm’s survival. While the legal world of lawyers and law firms continues to evolve, the pace of change remains slow. Preparation for a newer generation of lawyers as well as a newer generation of the client will be tantamount to the law firm’s
survival. For quite some time, there have been calls from within the legal profession for lawyers and law firms to advance their archaic manners of business. And yet, regardless of any positive outcomes that have come from a law firm adapting to more modern times, there remains a majority of legal establishments that simply poo-poo any sort of advancement in how they operate. Truth is, this “revolt” as some within the legal world have chosen to describe it, cannot be stopped, leaving senior partners and established law firms in a quandary as to what will become of www.theenterpriseworld.com | 15
Ms. Poli Borgohain 16 | May 2021
their future. Well, the future is set, and it is now. The future has spurred an increasing number of young attorneys (as well as young clients) to put pressure on the old men and women of law whose Luddite attitude toward change has been met with slow, doubting shakes of their graying heads. These people are referred to as dinosaurs. At the same time within other law firms – particularly younger law firms, there is strong resistance among these similar dinosaurs that effectively ward off any sort of wholesale changes to their law firm. After all, in many cases, these older lawyers have been around for many years, and change or advancement simply does not appear in their playbook. Well, these older lawyers couldn’t be more wrong, and their law firms, more in peril of permanently shutting down. What are the implications of law firms not changing? Law firms that remain hesitant to change from who they are traditional to a legal service that represents a changing demographic may soon find themselves losing clients as well as market share. As to new clients, forget about it; there can be no chance these archaic firms will pick up the new type of client, any of whom could be: While laws in and of themselves are for the most part static, an increasing amount of lawyers and law firms find they need to be less static. They need to diversify. They need to change. With each passing generation, today’s attorneys seem to practice less and less within one area of law. Maybe it’s social media or loud boisterous news anchors that have sparked an interest within this new type of attorney who imagines something more satisfying in representing human
rights. Of course, this type of practice isn’t for everyone just in the same way that litigation isn’t for everyone. Regardless, from here on in the future, litigators will be no less needed than they are now, just in the same way human rights lawyers will continually be needed. No, the law is nothing other than static. It’s the lawyer and the law firm that need to be fluid. They must be the adjustable portions of this profession (and puzzle) to assist virtually anyone who needs legal representation. Future advocates and litigators must remain up-to-date on changes in case law, legislation, regulations, and the industry. They must apply their critical thinking and evaluate how these changes will impact their client and relevant industries, and creatively offer the best and most appropriate solutions and advice for them. qualities every good lawyer should have 1) Good communication skills 2) Judgement, 3) Analytical skills, 4) Research skills, 5) People skills, 6) Perseverance, 7) Creativity. The Future advocate and litigators need to have empathy and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence subsumes many soft skills – particularly in the area of self-awareness, communication, relationship management, and conflict management. About the change over the years in the legal sector Talking about the change in the legal sector throughout the year Mr. Sudhindra stated,
Diversity is important in law because it creates a better reflection of society as a whole, enabling firms and legal departments to better serve their clients. For lawyers and their organizations, a diverse workplace also creates new opportunities and leads to better employee engagement and retention.
A diverse workforce promotes diverse perspectives, which leads to innovation. When clients walk into a law firm, for example, working with individuals from similar backgrounds can put them at ease. This familiarity creates trust because members of the firm will better understand where clients are from, what shaped them, how they prefer to be spoken to, and who they are in a way that less-diverse offices cannot. Corporate clients are increasingly demanding that the teams that do their work be diverse. At SS Law by promoting diversity within an organization, particularly at the management level, we change the culture within the organization and create a workplace with an emphasis on inclusion. The positive impacts for doing so on perception, retention, and the bottom line are extremely practical as well as the right thing to do. SS Law’s Values • Excellence • Integrity • Respect • Performance • One Firm
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| Business Story
Anubhav Sinha
Represents a new generation of commercial litigators. “A robust but exible legal system is one of the essential pillars of a strong economy.”
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n an era of digital economy, while businesses are spreading their wings and accelerating their growth, the number of disputes, conflicts are also increasing. A good dispute resolution lawyer provides an impermeable shield to tide business entities through contentious disputes and helps them to be in the proper legal frame to reduce future risks. Giving an end to this continuous search of businesses, Anubhav Sinha is catering to all law and litigation needs of businesses and empowering their future. At barely 38, he has already established himself as a distinguished commercial disputes lawyer with a considerable consultation practice. Anubhav Sinha is heavily briefed by various law firms across India and his chamber deals with many international and domestic clients.
18 | May 2021
His primary work revolves around Courts and Tribunals in Kolkata as also in High Courts in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Telengana, Andhra. He also represents Clients in various international and domestic commercial arbitrations as well as in statutory arbitral forums like MSME facilitation council. The Journey Anubhav Sinha obtained his law degree from from prestigious National Law School, of India University Bangalore in 2006 and thereafter, joined L&L Partners and worked under Late Sameen Vyas. He shifted to Kolkata in late 2007 to start his journey in commercial litigation. He had no family backing and the initial years were extremely tough both
remuneratively as well as to establish his name in the bar. Years of hard work and sacrifices in all fronts of life secured a gradual passage in establishing a name for himself. Anubhav Sinha says, “I must add that all that I achieved is a tribute to my senior in practice Mr. Tilak Kumar Bose, Bar at Law, who allowed me to learn from him and provided the much-needed encouragement during those tenuous initial years of practice. He embedded in me the values of hard work and detailed legal scrutiny with regard to all matters. He remains a source of inspiration and guidance till this date.” The Growth He distinguished himself as an arbitration and admiralty lawyer. Fame as a company law
Anubhav Sinha
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| Business Story
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The A B C of the law is generally not questioned before your Lordships, just because it is the A B C. - Lord Dunedin, 1911
practitioner was also fully recognized. He was recognized for his role and advocacy in various legal disputes before courts of law or in arbitrations; Many of the judgements changed and/or influenced the law significantly. His practice has continued to grow, thereafter, earning him the admiration and respect of his peers and clients alike. Today he represents some of the biggest MNCs and public sector companies and acts as advisor to many foreign entities. The pillars of success The key ingredients in having a successful legal practice lie in ethical and diligent work with strands of innovation. He says, “I cannot stress more on being ethical. A strong sense of ethics allows a counsel to form a sense of trust with the judiciary and I have found, during my practice, that truthful representation, without misleading the court, helps to develop a strong appreciation from the judiciary and peers.”
20 | May 2021
The practice areas Anubhav Sinha’s major practice areas include international and domestic arbitrations, shipping law, insolvency and bankruptcy, trademark disputes and debt recovery proceedings. He also has a pro bono practice and he tries to follow an ideal that nobody will be denied legal representation due to lack of funds. He represents companies, as also individuals, who are bankrupt and/or financially strained. Such companies/ individuals, would otherwise not be able to obtain proper legal representation to reinstate their market position. Anubhav Sinha’s chamber excels in providing innovative solutions and he has successfully represented various clients across the country. Looking ahead The advent of hybrid court systems allows Anubhav Sinha and his team to represent their clients in various fora. He says, “A gradual increase
in the team strength in my chamber and focusing on key areas like infrastructural laws, foreign investment arbitrations as well as space laws will be the key to expand my practice.” On the current legal sector scenario India is seeing a drastic change in its legal landscape. Digitization of the legal processes in the way forward. It will allow lawyers from across the country to have ready access to the supreme court, different high courts, tribunals etc. It will reduce travel, expenses and will allow for a much more efficient system. The digital infrastructure has to be improved and a new age of digital litigation beckons. Online dispute resolution is the future. He also believes that legislative change is required to profit the domestic arbitration scenario in the country as the highly unregulated framework of ad-hoc domestic arbitrations remains an area of extreme concern.
ENABLING TRUST IN A DIGITAL WORLD
| Live Life Greener
Bill Sandler An Archaeologist striving to give the world a healthier diet and more environmentally friendly op ons.
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besity and malnutrition appear simultaneously and often in the same person as man moves away from nature as he develops. Archaeologist Bill Sandler is showing through his life that the sustainable way to a healthy, environmentally friendly diet is in the food processing system of his ancestors. Archaeologist Bill Sandler explores how food is prepared in regions and cultures around the world. He lives a stone-age lifestyle to prove his research through hunter-gatherer tribes, traditional farming communities, modern chefs, etc., which still survive today. It is rare for a scientist to associate diverse traditions. However, he believes that this will give the world a healthier diet and more environmentally friendly options.
Sandler, who struggled with a good diet as a child, initially struggled as an obese boy and later with poor digestion while becoming a wrestler in college. Meanwhile, he had to stay away from the main city for treatment as he was almost blinded by a strange disease. Then they adopted the lifestyle of Native American hunters two thousand years ago. It inspired him to become an experimental archaeologist. After receiving his Ph.D. from Temple University in Pennsylvania, he began studying psychology and anthropology.
But what is the use of ancient food processing systems for modern-day 21st-century urban dwellers? In searching for the answer to this question, he came to know the process discovered by every ancient human society. Getting food, cooking it, and sustaining it. About three million years ago, ancient humans made all this possible with the help of stone tools. So he focused his attention on food processing from an archeological point of view. According to him, humans are the weakest living thing on earth. One hundred percent of human beings trapped in unknown territory without any means are doomed. He came to know about this five years ago during his life philosophy of 2.4 million years ago in the project of National Geographic on the subject of ‘How did man grow up’. In such a situation, it was also revealed that human beings are fed by food processing. This phenomenon has a very big hand in shaping human evolution. Because that is why he was able to get a healthy diet. Foods made by processing raw materials have all the secrets. Whether plant, animal, or aloe Vera; The process of soaking, cutting, and cooking is important. Today diet is advised according to the anatomy of man. It does not have sharp teeth like carnivores; Plants like narwhals do not have large intestines to digest.
Therefore, it is said that a person should not eat meat or grains. According to Schindler, the mechanisms invented by his ancestors made it easier to eat any type of food. For more than a million years, man has digested food based on mechanisms that made his teeth and intestines smaller and his body and brain larger. That is, food processing accelerated the evolution of human beings. That's why we should look to our ancestors for a healthy diet, says Schindler. It doesn’t matter if you are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, what you eat is important. To do this, they explored how human ancestors in the last twenty-seven million years obtained food, processed it, and obtained saccharine. Anthropologists continue to debate when our ancestors became hunters and when they became cooks. Schindler’s view is that scientists believe that these two things started at the same time. Two million years ago, when the human ancestor began to change in shape with teeth, body, and brain, he achieved the process of processing all parts and organs of animals for saccharin and obtaining the whole essence from it. In short, it is not a matter of whether or not to eat bread, it is a matter of how it is made, what processes are followed. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 23
| In A Talk With...
Poorvi Chothani
Founder & MD LawQuest
24 | May 2021
Ms. Poorvi Chothani A leading name in the field of Immigration Law
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awQuest is a leading immigration law firm headquartered in Mumbai with offices in New York and Florida, LawQuest consists of multiple team members who are licensed to practice law in India, New York (including US Federal Law), England, and Wales. It is also one of the first woman-owned Indian law firms to have offices at two locations in the United States. LawQuest operates through The Law Office of Ms. Poorvi Chothani, PLLC for all US immigration matters. Poorvi is the sole owner of both entities. The firm’s professionals, who are educated at top institutes including Ivy League Universities, have a cumulative experience of over 70 years with more than 30 years focussed on immigration law. LawQuest works with its international network to support global immigration needs in other jurisdictions. In a conversation with Ms. Poorvi Chothani, she shared the story of her journey till now, and how LawQuest is transforming the immigration law sector. • Tell us about the firm The firm believes in partnering with clients in their global growth while placing a particular emphasis
on delivering highly personalized service. The firm invests time and resources in building relationships to truly understand clients’ business objectives and model its services to meet their evolving needs. LawQuest provides essential Indian employment law and global immigration services, both integral and crucial components of any global business. The firm’s domestic and international clients benefit from its full range of Indian employment law services – from recruitment to termination and all matters in between. It also assists companies in setting up operations in India, guiding them through Foreign Direct Investment and state regulations to ensure a high level of compliance before they recruit foreign nationals. The firm’s practice areas, in addition to the US, global, and Indian immigration law, include Indian employment and labor law, alternate or permanent residence and citizenship planning as well as document and legalization services. LawQuest is a regulated entity; answerable to the regulators in India, the USA, and England and Wales. This requires the firm to adhere to high standards of ethics and professional responsibility. Members of the firm hold senior leadership positions in international
www.theenterpriseworld.com | 25
| In A Talk With...
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SOCIETY CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT LAW. LAW IS THE BOND OF SOCIETY: THAT WHICH MAKES IT, THAT WHICH PRESERVES IT AND KEEPS IT TOGETHER. IT IS, IN FACT, THE ESSENCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY. JOSEPH P. BRADLEY
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26 | May 2021
bodies including the International Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, IndoAmerican Chamber of Commerce, and Indian Merchants Chamber. Aside from the jurisdictions the firm is licensed in, it also has a vetted network of partners in over 90 countries, many of whom have been met in person and/or the firm works with regularly. The firm’s team prolifically publishes articles and blogs on immigration matters. Members of LawQuest are often quoted in and contribute to leading publications. Members frequently get a chance to put their views in front of the nation and concerned international audiences, through interviews from various media houses. LawQuest’s members are very well connected with the consular communities at diplomatic posts of many countries. They are included in the list of attorneys/ solicitors published by the US and British Consulates. We frequently work with high-net-worth individuals on EB-5 green cards as well as other global residence and citizenship options. Though LawQuest works for clients for a fee, at any given point of time the firm is involved in at least one pro bono legal project, generally in association with TrustLaw, a Thomson Reuters Foundation initiative, which provides a platform for law firms to assist NGOs and social enterprises which need legal assistance. LawQuest is the recipient of several awards for its pro bono work and continues to contribute to society with ongoing projects.
• What were the initial challenges you faced? LawQuest has gained global recognition and it has been described as ‘the best of the best in India’, by leading global law firms, an accolade that it is proud of. When LawQuest was launched as an immigration law firm in 2003 it was a very rare practice in India and it took a lot of perseverance and tenacity to establish the firm. • Which was that point that triggered the growth of the firm? It was a sudden shift in awareness about the firm in international markets. We began getting work from large organizations and law firms in Europe, the UK, the USA, and Canada. This was a result of attending 2 to 4 international legal conferences each year in locales reaching from Australia to the Americas and many nations in between. Our contributions to the international legal communities at the American Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, iTech-Law, and many others also resulted in brand recognition of LawQuest and acclaim for the founder, Poorvi Chothani. • How have the firm graphs changed since the foundation? Can you share a few statistics?
receives keeps the team at LawQuest motivated, ensuring productivity because we usually do not track “billable hours,” and maintaining client relationships. Managing the firm’s growth without losing out on quality and prompt services requires ongoing efforts. Also, as we go along we strive to gain peace and work with equanimity. • What are the services the firm focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market? For a long time, the firm was an ‘all women’ law firm and this was not by design but by pure chance. A large part of this was because the firm offers its staff flexibility and it provides a work environment that allows parent-teacher meetings to trump client meetings. This ethos resulted in the Vahura Award for ‘Best Law Firm in Work-Life Balance’. The firm has worked with multiple A-list, Bollywood celebrities to help them traverse the uncertain Indian immigration procedures and systems, resolving complex issues so that they can achieve their career and travel goals. Acquisition of clients like global leaders in the aerospace and defence sectors, both large American conglomerates, were the key milestones in the firm’s growth.
The firm almost doubled its income each year from 2012 to 2018. Since then it has continued to grow and had only a slight dip in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
• How do you decide to take the firm a step further in terms of your services?
• What is the reason behind your firm’s long-standing success?
We continue to extend our global reach and will be networked in over 100 countries within the next two years.
The myriad opportunities the firm
• How have you seen diversity change over the years in the legal sector? The legal field has seen a great shift in gender diversity. The majority of students enrolled in law colleges are women by some estimates. This was not the case in the 1980s. Women are joining the legal workforce also in droves. However, they continue to grapple with age-old family issues and need to take sabbaticals or choose different career paths. But there are more women lawyers as partners and in leadership roles at 100s of law firms. Women are also taking an active part in the operations of the various Bar Associations. For example, in this year’s election at the Bombay Bar Association, there were more women candidates than ever before. One of the candidates for the post of secretary was a woman. Many law firms are led by their women founders. • Whose business story do you find the most inspiring? Whitney Wolfe Herd, an American entrepreneur’s story is most inspiring at present. She is the founder and CEO of Bumble, a social and dating app, launched in 2014. She was also an early executive at Tinder. In 2021, Herd became the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire after taking Bumble public. • It’s a rat-race out there. How do you cope with that? You don’t join the race. You find a path that no one or only a few people are pursuing and walk that path. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 27
| Business Story
28 | May 2021
Komal Solomon Partner Solomon & Co.
S
olomon & Co. was founded in 1909 and is amongst India’s oldest law firms. The Firm has 3 offices, 2 in Mumbai and 1 in Pune. The Firm provides legal services across the Republic of India. Solomon & Co. is a fullservice firm and is qualified and competent to provide legal service on all areas of Indian law. The Firm advises Indian and international companies and high net-worth individuals on all aspects of Indian law. The Firm’s broad range of practice enables them to provide comprehensive solutions for each specific client matter, based upon a thorough understanding of all relevant legal issues. Ms. Komal Solomon has been in the legal practice for about 25 years and has been with the Firm since 2006. She graduated from Jai Hind College and thereafter read law at
the Government Law College in Mumbai. She is a Senior Partner for the Media and Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law Practice. Komal has advised leading production houses, television channels, signers/ writers/artists on various media and entertainment law assignments including filing, prosecution, registration of a trademark, copyright, and related intellectual property rights. A Journey to Prominence One of the key challenges they faced was the transformation of a traditional real estate and litigation law firm into a full-service law firm. There have been several factors amongst which focused approaches; a dedicated team has been the key element that contributed to the growth of the
firm. The growth story has been gradual yet consistent; they started off with one associate, one office, and now have a staff of over 85 people spread across 3 offices in two major cities, Mumbai and Pune. Solomon & Co. celebrates completion of 111 years. The blend of traditional knowledge and expertise melded with modernized technology and cost-competitive billing structures have been vital factors of the firm long-standing success. Their quality offerings Solomon & Co. is a full-service law firm, offering services in a broad range of practice areas including Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Business and Trade, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, India entry, Private Equity, Dispute Resolution, Real
www.theenterpriseworld.com | 29
| Business Story
Estate and Construction, Insurance and Intellectual Property. Firm’s presence across Mumbai and in Pune at strategic locations as well as their network and partnership with lawyers in over 40 cities within the country and across the globe enables the team to provide solution-oriented advice within a short timeframe thus making them different. The firm taking a step further with The firm aims to grow beyond 100 professionals within the next year. The firm’s focus would be to continue developing the legal practice within the Mumbai and Pune regions while exploring growth to other one or two cities whilst keeping the standards and quality of legal advice always on top priority. Diversity change over the years in the legal sector The legal fraternity across India has seen an emergence from a malecentric space to one with rising gender neutrality and increasing inclusiveness in the intake of female employees. The industry is sensitizing towards gender parity and is becoming more inclusive.
30 | May 2021
The Workforce
liaison offices in India.
People at Solomon & Co. think of themselves as one big family. They treat all staff equally irrespective of their positions within the Firm. Firms’ uniqueness lies in the fact that they have a team of energetic, well qualified, young, and dynamic lawyers open to face challenges and handle complicated matters across a spectrum of practice areas where teams seamlessly coordinate with each other internally and provide comprehensive solutions to clients.
Ms. Komal says, “Businesses are expanding in multiple directions, clients prefer out of court settlements rather than litigate endlessly in courts. Having a diversified practice helps identify risk and addresses issues holistically by structuring and offering solutions to prevent disputes at the inception of the discussion rather than on the occurrence of a default or delay or dispute.“
Ms. Komal Solomon - A lawyer with the evolutionary vision Ms. Komal Solomon is a partner at Solomon & Co. and has been in practice for 25 years’. Komal graduated from Jai Hind College and thereafter read law at the Government Law College in Mumbai. She specializes in matters relating to corporate and regulatory compliance, regulatory communications, immigration laws, entertainment, and media law, India entry strategies, and intellectual property law. She has assisted several multinationals in establishing their subsidiaries, branch offices, and
According to her, Mr. Bijesh Thakkar and Mr. Navin Parekh have been a true source of motivation for her since long. Unconventional business stories have intrigued her; Ace Seafood Bazaar Private Limited and Kommune Arts Private Limited are some of the businesses that have struck as profoundly interesting to her. “Staying true to yourself, keeping your values and traditions intact, helps you to stand out from the crowd. My seniors always said, which I strongly believe in – “Ensure you shine in whatever you do. That will only happen when you put in your 100%”. Ms. Komal added.
| Good Read
The Quotes Improvement and change is always due.
Recessions are caused every few years due to bad intentions, greed and unsustainable wrong practices of a majority.
Many people in the world tend to be ignorant by nature. Ignorance leads to stupidity. Stupidity is always expensive.
32 | May 2021
One should always advance in their life and career and keep their needs low
ation When educ iness, us becomes b s a a the society to s il whole fa become able. knowledge
Success is achieved by taking risks, innovation, hard work, patience, perseverance and following practices which are sustainable in the long term.
n you The directio ur yo take in life, that e k life will ta k in h direction. T any g before takin action.
A copy paste type of mentality results in underutilisation of one’s own potential.
is Whatever sustainable es k always ma se. en business s
If you spend time for something which is not important then you will always get something in life which is not important. Utilise your time well.
Ignorant and impatient people have an inverse relationship with knowledge and rational behaviour.
All the business activities ideally fall within three parameters. i.e. whether they are legal, ethical and sustainable? For eg.: business model, innovation, marketing, operations etc.
By Nikhil Deshpande | Founder | Falcoy Financial www.falcoyfinancial.com
Stability does not bring success and happiness every time but if you do what you like as well as you are passionate about it and become successful, it surely brings happiness and stability.
Entrepreneurship is all about serving and giving.
It’s the responsibility of a ship to sail the seas and not remain docked ashore.
People who are curious are the ones who have a hunger and willingness to learn.
ing and Benchmark n both o differentiati tory ic d a are contr vation is while inno ed in v never achie f o w o the shad g. in rk benchma
One should ideally seek to be remembered as a student and the one who has contributed to the good of the society.
One can sell a business but one cannot sell a job.
Power should ideally be granted to good people with the right intentions. It also becomes imperative to understand nowadays what is right?
r goal of The aim o may be two people e th same, but ach e f o journey to achieve l a individu er life is it in his / h rent. e always diff
While doing business, never try to fool yourself, shareholders and the customers.
Investing should be based on requirements, not trends.
What is good for creating shareholder value in the long term is always good for the business. Having said that, it is essential for companies to understand what creates shareholder value in the long term rather than following practices which are short term in nature.
www.theenterpriseworld.com | 33
| In A Talk With...
MS SONIA GUPTA A PASSION FOR JUSTICE, THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE WIN.
A
business cannot run without law. Law protects businesses from having products copied (patent), protects employers and customers (from deception) without law, business organizations could not achieve desired results. Many major business activities are restrained and dependent on law such as, Establishing the organization, Acquiring resources, Business operations, Selling output, Taxation, resolving disputes if occurs, etc. Ashok Dhingra Associates (ADA), is one of the leading law firm incepted in 2014. The firm offers a wide range of services under Customs and Trade including Export Controls and Sanctions; Goods and Services Tax (GST); erstwhile Indirect Taxes; and Regulatory Laws. ADA also provides advisory, training, and investigation services under AntiCorruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes to corporates. In a conversation with Ms. Sonia 34 | May 2021
Gupta, Managing Partner at Ashok Dhingra Associates, we talked about the current law and litigation scenario across the country and how ADA is empowering its clients. • Tell us about the firm Ashok Dhingra Associates (ADA) has been founded by myself with Ashok Dhingra in 2014 when we moved out of J. Sagar Associates (JSA). ADA’s objective is to enhance value for clients by focusing on solutions that are innovative, yet practical when it comes to implementation. ADA aims to deliver services through highly qualified and trained professionals to meet the objectives of clients and maintains an uncompromising focus on quality services ethically. ADA follows no relative policy to • How were the first few years of the firm? Just like any new start-up, we did face challenges at the beginning.
However, we welcomed every challenge with open arms and overcome the same with determination. We rolled up sleeves and started assisting clients while at the same time adding resources and building a team. Over some time, hard work and determination started paying off, and here we are today with a good team and decent client base. • What are the services the firm focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market? ADA provides a full spectrum of advisory, compliance, and litigation support services under Customs and Trade Laws including Export Controls and Sanctions; GST and erstwhile Indirect Taxes; Regulatory & Anti-Corruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes, which are divided into three practice groups. I lead Customs and Trade Group and GST Group and Ashok leads White Collar Crimes,
Ms. Sonia Gupta Managing Partner | Ashok Dhingra Associates
‘‘
Winners are not people who never fail but people who never quit.
‘‘
| In A Talk With...
Investigations, and Regulatory Laws. I am a Chartered Accountant and Lawyer with an overall experience of around 19 years. Having worked during the initial stages of my career in consulting and financial institutions, I have a deeper knowledge of working in industry and banks which comes in handy while working on investigative assignments. Being a Chartered Accountant, I understand numbers very well which helps in trade remedies investigations. Further, Ashok has worked with Indian Customs for more than 22 years, 7 years with Big4 Consulting firms, and 16 years with law firms. Hence, we both bring on the table the unique experience of having inside knowledge of working of tax and regulatory administrations, accounting, consulting, and legal acumen to provide the best business solutions to clients. • How do you decide to take the firm a step further in terms of your services? We want to focus more on adding services to our existing practice areas rather than adding new practices. On account of global events and trade wars, Tariff Barriers and Non-Tariff Barriers; Export Controls and Sanctions; Money Laundering and Black Money; and Data Privacy have opened immense opportunities within existing practice areas. Hence, we want to leverage our knowledge, experience, and client base to provide these specialized services. • Is there any new addition to the list of services? Anything exciting 36 | May 2021
you would like to share? As mentioned earlier, we are focussing on expanding service offerings horizontally than vertically, we will focus on newer opportunities in our domain. While we are not averse to adding a new service line by taking onboard domain experts to lead such a new practice area, we continue to remain focused on assisting clients in expanding business challenges in our domain. • What factors influenced you to choose a career in Law, Litigation, and IP field and start a law firm? I was introduced to the legal field by JSA, where within a short span of under 4 years, I was elevated as a Partner. Before joining JSA I had worked with consulting firms and banks. On being part of the legal fraternity, I completely got hooked to it. How a legal provision can have a different interpretation depending upon the perspective of the reader fascinated me. While I prefer advisory work, on clients’ insistence, I have handled many litigation matters as well which has honed my litigation skills. • Can you please brief us about your professional experience? I regularly assist clients on issues such as classification and rate of Duty under Customs Tariff; applicability of exemption notifications; Country of Origin Rules; investigation by Special Valuation Branch of Customs to determine arms’ length price in case of transaction with Associated Enterprises; etc. I also advise clients on Export/ Import Policy
and Sanctions under Foreign Trade Policy, and compliances required to be undertaken at the time of import or export of goods. I work extensively on controls on the export of dual-use items, restricted software, and technologies (SCOMET List) in compliance with Multilateral Agreements and regularly assists the client in conducting training on export controls laws of India and drafting Internal Compliance Programmes. I am advising clients on issues arising out of inadvertent export of restricted goods and technologies and investigations by Regulatory authorities to close non-compliance causing the least disruption to operations. I regularly assist clients on trade remedial measures initiated by Directorate General of Trade Remedies such as investigations for levy of Anti-Dumping Duty, Safeguard Duty, and Countervailing Duty and in case of adverse order assistance and appearance before Appellate Tribunal at the first stage and Supreme Court at the final stage. I also assist clients in raid and investigations by Tax and Regulatory authorities like Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Directorate General Goods and Service Tax Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, and other Tax and Regulatory authorities to review Customs Duty/ Tax positions and regulatory compliances, opening discussions with authorities, options to close issues, briefing, and debriefing of employees, etc. • How do you look after your
employees? What makes your team unique? We work seamlessly as a team and as an extended family. There are no watertight compartments in ADA which hold people in one group or team which allows everyone to work on different and unique assignments.
Tax practice in a country like India which has a complicated tax regime (though the Government is now focusing on ease of doing business). Thus, Tax and Regulatory practices are very important to any law firm, without which service offerings are incomplete. • How do you evaluate success?
Since we follow the policy of no relatives in ADA, any professional joining us showing the right potential has a path to partnership. This provides unique career progression to team members and clients are benefited most by committed professionals assisting them. • How have you seen diversity change over the years in the legal sector? Initially, Direct Tax was considered the domain of the Chartered Accountants and Indirect Tax that of Lawyers. However, over the years, lines of practices in accounting and legal services firms have blurred and everyone wants a piece of the cake. Further, many boutique law firms have come up providing specialized services that are also preferred by clients. Legal services are now considered by businesses as an essential element to ensure compliance with laws and tools to ensure the growth of the organization. • Except for IP Law, how are the other law practices important to run a law firm? Any transaction will have tax and regular issues. The famous quote ‘Death and Taxes are certain’ very well highlights the importance of
A successful, happy, and contented client is our definition of success. • What do you think is your greatest strength? Ability to deal with issues dispassionately, providing business solutions instead of legal advice which is implementable. • How would you go about developing your team? We have a mix of Chartered Accountants and Attorneys in our team having experience of working in law firms, industry, and Big4 Consulting firms. This gives us the ability to choose the best-suited person for the job. Additionally, we lay greater emphasis on training of the team and free flow of thoughts, making everyone a battle-hardened professional. • What is your take-away from the entire process, and how are you implementing it on the new projects? We identify the best team members for every assignment, provide them with complete information, have open discussions and brainstorming sessions before responding to clients. This helps in bringing our collective wisdom to the fore to
best serve the clients. • According to you what nextgeneration advocates and law practitioners should focus on? There is no substitute for hard work and learning – which may come from working on assignments, observing seniors, and reading past precedents. Legal professional requires being updated with ‘What New’ daily. Not to forget, communication is the key to success. • According to you, how does the future of Indian law and litigation look like? Indian tax authorities are the biggest litigators coupled with complex legislations, which will keep our Courts and Tribunals always overwhelmed with new cases. Hence, the future of Indian Law and Litigation is warming sunshine, and bright. • Is there any special experience with your clients you would like to highlight? In one of the trade remedies matter I was handling in the early years of my career as a lawyer, the client had filed an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal. Our arguments were recorded in verbatim by the Appellate Tribunal in its order and the final findings of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies were set aside. This experience was one of its kind and very close to my heart even today. Another unique experience that I fondly remember is working on a multijurisdictional anti-corruption investigation where I lead the India chapter.
www.theenterpriseworld.com | 37
| Key Life Skills
Attitude Vs. Intelligence P
eople whose intelligence quotient is more, always get appreciation. After common sense, intelligence is the most vital thing. But, most people believe that if you do not have the right attitude i.e. your behavioral skills, then your intelligence does not work. Therefore, when success is standing in front of you, then your attitude is more important than your intelligence. Based on research, there are two types of the mindset of humans – 1. Fixed Attitude 2. Growth Attitude The attitude of people with a predetermined mindset keeps them tied to one thing. They are sure about their ability, efficiency, identity, purpose, and stability to perform any task. They do not challenge you. In contrast, other types of people have a developing mindset. These are often opportunistic. It is seen that people with relatively low IQ (IQ) perform well due to their correct Attitude. Such Attitude becomes a reason for success, open mind, and cashing in on the opportunity. It is believed that some people are born winners, but if you look at the reality, then you will know that it is their Attitude that takes them forward on the path of success. There is no guarantee that more intelligent people can succeed; In the same way, those with less intelligence will fail, who can say that? Success depends on how you look at the goal and how much you strive for it? No one is born with a wrong or right attitude. All in this world become efficient in their behavior according to their environment. If Attitude is good, it does not take long to get success and if you are not tactful then nothing comes apart from failure. So do work on these points – 1. Learn from your failures. 2. Be positive and cheerful. 3. Even after getting success, keep learning. 4. Compete but also appreciate others. 5. Encourage others and inspire yourself. 6. Make a strategy and use that as well. 7. Do not underestimate yourself. 8. Self-confidence is necessary but not over-confident Intelligence comes when you have the opportunity to use the knowledge learned and the right Attitude that shapes your beliefs and beliefs, influenced by internal and external factors. For the fulfillment of an objective, there should be a balance between the two things in you. 38 | May 2021
Fix A t
xed tude
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Success can be ensured by making the right Attitude the instrument.
Growth A tude www.theenterpriseworld.com | 39
www.atempo.com
preserving data ecosystems