"The present issue, “The 10 Powerful Women Lawyers in 2018”, brings you the stories of some of the most influential women in the legal profession. These leading ladies have tackled the challenges with resilience and zeal to outshine above others in this vertical."

1. www.insightssuccess.in
November 2018

4. Editorial
Breaking the
Shackles of Society
Sayali Rane
popular leader, Malala Yousafzai, once said, “Do not wait
Afor someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who
you can serve the world.”
The First World War marked the transformation in the attitude of
the society towards women taking up Law as a profession. The
major blockade, towards women becoming lawyers was removed,
with the passing of the first Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act, in
1919 in the UK; the first step was taken to reduce the biasness at the
international level. Women have struggled and fought resiliently to
make a place for themselves. Globally, women encompass almost
sixty percent of the people admitted to the legal profession at the
moment; with more than two-thirds of law students are female.
In the Indian legal vertical these numbers are even lower. Women,
in India, had to fight an unyielding battle for their liberation from
the age-old bonds. The number of educated women in India was
very few in that decade. Women did assert their right of impartiality
in the forensic field to compete with men, but law did not permit the
entry of women in the judicial system.
However, the advancement and modern economic growth today has
provided women with employment opportunities in potentially
countless sectors, including Law. Women today are competing with
their male counterparts in almost all spheres, and have made
considerable progress in the legal sector. The women holding
leadership roles have started encouraging the new entrants in the
sector to achieve outstanding goals. As women empowerment and
equality in the judiciary can only be completely attained if the
women speak and stand up for themselves.
The number of women lawyers in India has now shot up to
remarkable levels. This is the result of the increase in the demand
of all kinds of legal services, particularly from the business
community.
Although we as a society we have come half a mile, we have a long
way to go!

5. Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Database Management Prashant Chevale
Technology Consultant Swapnil Patil
Circulation Manager Vivek Bangade
Research Analyst David
Business Development Executives
Tejaswini,Ashwini,Sapna
Priyanka rajageArt Editor
Business Development Manager Akansha Garewal
Visualiser Sapana Shinde
Marketing Manager Dhruv Apte
Picture Editor Alex Noel
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Co-designer Shweta Ambilwade
Managing Editor Rajarshi Chatterjee
Senior Editor Shraddha Deshpande
Executive Editor Sayali Rane
Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or
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November 2018
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Co-Editors Crescent, Rahul, Anmol

6. CONT
Archana Khosla
An Epistemophilic Lawyer with a
Revolutionary Vision
Article
New-age law
Tracking the Standards
for Being a Successful
New Age Lawyer
Female Leadership
Woman Leaders:
Marching Forward
on High Heels with
Exceptional Qualities
Interview with insights success
Zia Mody
An Iconic Woman
Winning her Way
through Law & Life
Urgent Need for
Innovation and
Advancement with
Technology in Law
Innovation in Law
CXO
08
18
34
Cover Story
22
40

7. TENTS Kavitha Vijay
A Pioneer Committed to Help
Clients in Succeeding
Manjula Chawla
The Brilliance in Corporate Law
with an Unstoppable Zeal
Mitali Yadav
Resolving and Suggesting
Practical Solutions for
Legal Issues
Ritu Goyal
An Epitome of Women
Empowerment in Legal Arena
26
28
32
38
44
46
26
28
32
38
Vineetha MG
A Fervent Enthusiast Treasuring
Her Dreams
46
44
Sundari R. Pisupati
Committed and Experienced
Leader with a Vision for Brilliance

8. raditionally, men dominated legal profession in India for a long time. A woman’s entry in this vertical not
Tjust required a resilient battle on a personal level, but also a long and protracted legal battle. In spite of this
struggle, presence of women in the courts remained inconsequential until the end of twentieth century.
However, the policy of globalization, women empowerment, and equality in the twenty-first century has delivered
added opportunities to Indian women in legal education and training. The incursion of modernism has not only
watered-down the court environment, but has also put an end to the old-fashioned male machismo in this line of
work.
The present issue, “The 10 Powerful Women Lawyers in 2018”, brings you the stories of some of the most
influential women in the legal profession. These leading ladies have tackled the challenges with resilience and zeal to
outshine above others in this vertical.
On the cover we have Archana Khosla, the Founder& Partner of Vertices Partners. It offers comprehensive legal
services across the entire gamut of transactional, advisory, litigation, and regulatory matters. She is a dynamic lawyer
turning good will into good work.
We present you with tales of Mitali yadav, Founder of Alba Law Offices - a full service law firm offering high
quality legal services to the clients; Vineetha Mg, Co-Founder of Samvad: Partners, which is a full-service
multidisciplinary Indian law firm and a leading advisor in various complex corporate and financial transactions;
Kavitha Vijay, Senior Partner, IC Universal Legal, Advocates & Solicitors - a dynamic full-service Indian law
firm; Ms. Sundari R Pisupati, Founder Partner, of Tempus Law Associates that is a multi-service law firm
dedicated to provide the finest legal solutions in a comprehensive yet commercially viable approach; Manjula
Chawla, Founding Partner, of Phoenix Legal, a full service Indian law firm offering transactional, regulatory,
advisory, dispute resolution and tax services; Ritu Goyal, Partner at Naks & Partners (Advocates & Solicitors),
which is a firm having presence in 320 cities of India and having a robust pool of proficient Advocates & Solicitors
who have proven expertise in delivering justice in range of legal domains. Other than this, we have also
acknowledged the outstanding personalities - Payal Kakra, Managing Partner, K&T Law Offices; Niloufer Lam,
Partner, ZBA; and Poorvi Chothani, Partner, LawQuest.
We are glad to bring to you an exclusive interview with Zia Mody, Founding Partner of AZB & Partners a leading
Indian law firm.
Another expert opinion has been includes in the form of an article, on the innovation that has been brought about in
the legal arena.
Also, we have included a couple of articles that have been scripted by our in-house editors.
So, flip through the pages of our magazine and treat yourself to inspiring and spirited tales of leadership and triumph
of these ladies!
The Tale of Indian Judiciary
POWERFUL
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11. POWERFUL
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12. n investment in knowledge
Apays the best interest.”-
Benjamin Franklin
Knowledge and learning is a
continuous process, and these when
integrated with passion can create
marvels. Passion and yearning for
knowledge is something that makes
incredible leaders. One such
outstanding leader is Archana Khosla,
who is the Founder Partner of
Vertices Partners. Her expertise lies
in corporate commercial, venture
capital and private equity practice. Her
work spans across these sectors as well
as other diverse spaces like mergers
and acquisitions, joint ventures and
strategic acquisitions.
As a woman, a lawyer and an
entrepreneur, her passion, aim and goal
are intertwined into a powerful
emotion to not just the work, but to
create an impact while doing the work.
Be it directly in terms of the advice or
indirectly in terms of the intangibles of
commercial advice or the ability to
mentor a colleague or to learn further
than just text book approach towards
providing solutions.
Inspiring Journey
Belonging to a family of armed forces
and given the peripatetic nature of
military life, her life felt nothing short
of being nomadic. Shifting cities,
attending new schools, starting over,
made her life dynamic, which is so
clearly evident from her personality
and stature today.
Speaking of her idols and heroes, she
quotes, “our heroes were not the
Marvel comics and DC universe
characters but rather the real-life
soldiers, whose names we grew up
hearing. In fact, in our schools the
names of our houses reflected the
names of various Generals and Field
Marshals.” This, at a very early stage
in her life, made her mind-set more
inclined towards pragmatism over
theory, which today has become her
motto in her professional journey, as
well.
Since childhood, Archana was always a
fan of analyzing and interpreting
issues, breaking them down into
logical components and then
articulating the same. In the final years
of her schooling, she started realizing
that being a lawyer means a great
amount of power- the power to help
people, using nothing but your mind.
Her exposure to the socio-economic
and cultural plurality of the country has
contributed to the holistic development
of her mind and thought process. As a
result of that, she became independent
and proactive from an early stage
itself. She was quite certain that one
aspect of why the legal profession, is
called the noble profession is also
because of the impact that it can create
within the society, as well as in an
individual’s life,“the inclination
towards being a lawyer was, therefore,
almost a natural progression,” she
says.
Archana's journey as a first-generation
lawyer started off in the genre of
litigation in the High Court of Delhi
and Supreme Court of India. She
gradually moved on to leadership roles
in corporate law in some of the
prestigious law firms of the country,
which was rather interesting for her.
Well, every stage of career comes with
its own set of challenges, which at that
stage seems to be a major challenge.
“Building my career from scratch has
been a challenge in itself, as I hadn’t
Cover Story
“

13. inherited any legacy. Also, competing with some
eminent law firms demanded the best from me,” she
says. Specializing in these fields provided Archana with
the opportunity to not only advise various investors, but
also several entrepreneurs.
Being an entrepreneur at heart, Archana always appreciated
the effort that goes into building traction and establishing a
business plan into reality.“Being an entrepreneur brings
with it, its own set of challenges. Be it cash-flow
management or expectation management one needs to be
attentive to both,” she asserts. “The ability to manage egos
and align aspirations brings its own set of issues along.
Hiring the right talent and retaining the same talent post
training, needs to be treated with equal reverence,” she
added further. While this list is long, it is pertinent to accept
that each challenge brings with it valuable tutelage, which
no formal institution or course can offer.
Shattering Stereotypes and Heading On
She was always aware that choosing a career in a traditional
male bastion would be seen as a violation of stereotypical
expectations of women. Cultural ethos tag men with
leadership qualities and women with nurturing qualities, in
spite of these barriers Archana with her determination to
make difference she moved ahead these. “While these
negative projections made me look at the profession with
certain amount of fear and skepticism, but my passion for
the profession, coupled with the encouragement from family
made me take the plunge into being an entrepreneur”,
asserts Archana.
Having been on both sides of the table, she says, “I can tell
you that it definitely is more challenging to be a woman and
create a career within this profession and it does accelerate
when the same is associated with one running one's own
organization.” However, it is a fact that the world is
changing and there is a gradual but significant change in the
mindset of the society. The key to success for a woman is
not only the support system that she can build around her
through professional help but also the emotional support
system that the family can provide.
Seamlessly Balancing Personal and Professional Life
Maintaining a balance between career and home is about
setting the priority right. “Thankfully, my family is my
greatest strength in this case and understands the demand
of the
profession,
” she says.
“Further, given
that my husband and
I belong to the same
profession and business, it
makes it that much more easier
for me to create the equilibrium to
manage work, home and my three
month old son, all seamlessly” she says.
Eternally Motivated Leader
The one thing that keeps her motivated at all points of
time is “the personal value add that this profession offers
me at all points of time”, says Archana. Given the strong
commercial nuances of the practice she specializes in, the
multiple sectors and the key learnings therefrom, especially
when she is representing other entrepreneurs, keep her
perpetually motivated. Every entrepreneur teaches you
something and every business has a story with multiple
emotions, believes Archana.
Establishing Vertices Partners
Since the early phase in her career, Archana has been
nurturing the urge of doing something on her own. “As a
professional, I got opportunities to work with some of the
eminent law firms in India. I also closely worked with some
entrepreneurs, offering legal solutions,” she says. Those
stints triggered her entrepreneurial spirit and fueled the
enthusiasm to quickly jump into her own venture. This is
how VERTICES PARTNERS was established along with
her other co-founding partners, in the year 2016.
Vertices Partners specialises in the practice areas including
private equity and venture capital along with corporate
commercial advisory services, joint ventures, acquisitions,
buy-outs, M&A, dispute resolution, arbitration, white collar
crime, economic offences, insolvency and bankruptcy.
Project financing, corporate financing, structured financing,
corporate debt transactions, corporate debt restructuring
including cross-border portfolios, distressed assets,

14. insolvency, special situations advisory and transactional
assistance, are some of the extraordinary services that the
firm offers.
Achieving Milestones in a Short Time-span
Being an entrepreneur and growing from a four member team
to a thirty member team in a span of less than two and a half
years has been an ever-fulfilling journey for Vertices Partners
under the guidance of Archana.“The idea when I started out
was to tread the path carefully and have a very small set up
but as they say, life sometimes has other, probably better
plans,” she says. In a short span of time, the firm is fortunate
to be ranked within the leading league tables such as Venture
Intelligence, VC Circle, IBLJ, and RSG in the Top Law
Firms of India for PE and VC Practice. Vertices Partners was
also bestowed with the Debutant Law Firm of the Year
Award.
Snapshots of the Most Memorable Moments
There are several moments that could be coupled into
extremely memorable and remarkable moments in one’s life
if one had to look at it from the professional and personal
lens and there wouldn’t actually be a cookie cutter approach
to this. Speaking of her fond memories, Archana reiterates,
“If I had to consider a blend of an emotion, which could be
considered common in these two facets of my life, I would
link it to the moment of setting up the firm and giving birth to
my son. In its truest sense, both these give me the semblance
of creation and both makes me feel complete and yet
responsible towards both.”

15. “Lawyers Spend a Great Deal of Their Time Shoveling Smoke”
“The key to success is humility. One needs to be humble as that helps one learn. One needs to be grateful for being
taught,” says Archana. During her formative years, a lot of things needed to be self-taught and she would actually
yearn for seniors to teach her the ropes on various aspects of the law as theory and practice operate on different
planets, especially when it comes to transactional laws. For the millennials, Archana advises them to inculcate
humility, gratitude, and patience; which in her mind are the key ingredients for the magic potion of being a great
professional.
“I remember during my formative years, a lot of things needed to be self-taught and I would actually yearn for that
senior to teach me the ropes on various aspects of the law as theory and practice operate on different planets,
especially when it comes to transactional laws. For the millennials, my advice would be to inculcate humility,
gratitude and patience, which in my mind are the key ingredients for the magic portion of being a great
professional. While Oliver Wendell James Jr's quote has a certain amount of stereotype observation and it could
well have in my opinion originated from the olden days of overt nuances, in today’s world the clients appreciate
advice driven through the vacuum cleaner approach which does not allow time to be wasted and hence is to the
point and bespoke. Thus, the shovel needs to be kept in the stand as there is no time for smoke in the way the
service needs to be provided nowadays” says Archana.

16. Read it FirstRead it First
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17. Management BriefCompany Name
Phoenix Legal
phoenixlegal.in
Manjula Chawla
Founding Partner
Phoenix Legal is a full service Indian law firm offering
transactional, regulatory, advisory, dispute resolution and tax
services.
IC Universal Legal,
Advocates & Solicitors
icul.in
IC Universal Legal is a dynamic full-service Indian law firm.
Alba Law Offices is a full service law firm offering high quality
legal services to the clients.
ZBA
zba.co.in
ZBA is a specialist law firm headquartered in Mumbai, India
providing international quality legal services to Indian and
overseas clients.
Vineetha Mg
Co-founder
Samvad: Partners is a full-service multidisciplinary Indian law
firm and a leading advisor in various complex corporate and
financial transactions.
Samvad: Partners
Management Ltd
samvadpartners.com
Niloufer Lam
Partner
K&T Law Offices
kntlawoffices.com
K&T Law Offices delivers comprehensive legal solutions and
high quality legal services to cooperate houses and individual
clients.
Naks & Partners
(Advocates & Solicitors)
nakslaw.com
Ritu Goyal
Partner
Delhi-based Naks & Partners, having presence in 320 cities of
India and having a robust pool of proficient Advocates &
Solicitors who have proven expertise in delivering justice in
range of legal domains.
Payal Kakra
Managing Partner
Kavitha Vijay
Senior Partner
Mitali yadav
Founder
Alba Law Offices
albalawoffices.com
LawQuest
lawquestinternational.com
Poorvi Chothani
Partner
LawQuest is an employment and immigration law firm, offering
client centric legal and business solutions.
Vertices Partners offers comprehensive legal services across the
entire gamut of transactional, advisory, litigation and regulatory
matters.
Vertices Partners
verticespartners.com
Archana Khosla
Founder Partner
Tempus Law Associates (TLA) is a multi-service law firm
dedicated to provide the finest legal solutions in a comprehensive
yet commercially viable approach.
Tempus Law Associates
tempuslaw.co.in
Sundari R. Pisupati
Founder Partner
POWERFUL
WOMEN
LAWYERSIN 2018
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20. November 2018|18

21. popular writer, William Arthur Ward, once said, “If you can dream, you can achieve it.” Let us
Ahear the story of a renowned lawyer who has turned these words into reality. Let us hear the story
of Zia Mody, a prominent personality redefining justice. Following the footsteps of her father,
Mr. Soli Sorabjee, she is setting benchmarks in the world of law. Zia is very passionate about her work and
believes in never giving up. Being a hard-worker and an enthusiast, she is, today, recognized as one of the
top-most lawyers in the country as well as internationally. Zia is the founding partner of AZB & Partners,
a leading Indian law firm.
To highlight the story of this brilliant leader, we are glad to feature her in this issue of ours. To know more
about her absorbing journey and drive inspiration from her thoughts, we bring to you an exclusive
interview with Zia Mody.
1. Brief us about you and your journey since the beginning of your career.
I did my law at Cambridge and thereafter my Masters in Law at Harvard. I came back and began
appearing as a Junior Counsel and practiced at the Bar for about 10 years. I then started my own
boutique law firm called the ‘Chambers of Zia Mody’. It was a joyous journey. We debated non-stop
about legal propositions at the time when India was rising, which became the wind beneath our seals. I
think my own skill was in running the firm to be fair, transparent and communicate as much as I could. I
Interview With Insights Success
November 2018| 19

22. think the goal is to have a moral leadership, which is imperative to be a leader. Now, we are a PAN India law firm
– AZB & Partners, a law firm of over 430 lawyers.
2. Could you name a person/mentor/book that has had a tremendous impact on your journey? When did you
decide to become a lawyer? Why?
My entrepreneurial journey continues. I still take a lot of joy in new practices, new talent coming to AZB and
lifting us to even higher levels. My father is one person who has had great impact on ensuring my value system
in the profession. I decided to follow my father’s professional footsteps from a very young age. He has had a
significant impact on my choice of the legal career. My husband is the one who has ensured the success of my
entrepreneurial journey.
3. What did you expect from a career in the law?
A fascinating future where every day presents a new issue, which needs a new nuanced solution.
4. Is it more challenging being a woman in the legal market? How do you maintain a balance within your
career and home, so seamlessly?
Yes, it is surely more challenging. The inherent bias in favour of men to argue a client's case in court still persists.
Not much has improved. However, when it comes to non-contentious work, women are far more recognised and
visible, especially in general corporate practice.
As for maintaining a balance between career and home, it is almost impossible.
5. What is the one thing that keeps you motivated? To what do you attribute your success?
My curious passion.
I attribute my success to my hard work, my ability to see and remember hundred things at a time, my intensity to
want to be perfect and in the quality of advice I have to give several times a day, in the role of my trusted advisor
to my key clients.
6. Tell us about your passions, aims, and goals. Tell us about your major achievements.
My passion is to continue to raise my own bar. My goal is to institutionalise the firm and create a clear gap
between AZB and other law firms.
Some of my major achievements are:
• Growing a 12 lawyer boutique to a top tier law firm of over 400 lawyers;
• Developing a reputation that puts us at the top of the legal landscape; and
• Expanding the litigation practice to a new level.
7. What is the biggest risk you have ever taken? What have been some of your failures, and what have you
learned from them?
The biggest career risk I have ever taken is to leave my job as a corporate associate in New York and come back to
November 2018|20

23. India to get married, not knowing whether I will succeed in this profession, which was at that time clearly male
dominated.
Some of my failures have been the inability to think long term, to react negatively to situations, which were partly
caused by myself and to not listen enough to some people who gave me advice for my own good. What I have
learnt is to listen to people who genuinely have my interest at their heart.
8. What differences do you see in today’s legal market compared to when you started?
A far more sophisticated practice, intense regulatory intervention and interaction.
9. Kindly tell us about the major challenges you have faced while building up your career.
Too much work, too little quiet time.
10. What led you to start AZB & Partners?
A combination of the happy coincidence of India opening up its investment shores and we returning to India to
see it grow. The journey of AZB & Partners started almost 25 years ago as a small boutique consisting of about
12 people, which was called the Chambers of Zia Mody. Much has happened since then and we are now a PAN
India Law Firm with over 400 lawyers. The bedrock behind starting a boutique law firm and its journey was to
create a value proposition and provide services of a uniquely responsive and thoughtful nature.
11. What are the services your organisation provides, describe in detail?
We are a law firm with offices across India and about 430 lawyers. We are considered an M&A powerhouse and
one-stop shop which provides our clients services across all major practice areas such Private Equity, Banking &
Finance, Capital Markets, Investment Funds, Financial Services and Fintech, Forensic, etc. Our Firm is
considered one of the top 2 law firms in India.
12. What law would you change, abolish or create?
Archaic laws, which have outlined their utility.
13. Tell us about the most memorable and remarkable moments of your life.
When I was a junior counsel, fighting away in various courts, learning how to dance in court and develop a quick
presence of mind.
14. How do you describe yourself in one-word or one-sentence?
Intensely passionate and eternally curious.
15. What would you advise to the budding lawyers?
My advice to the budding lawyers is stay honest to your core, work hard, be persistent and never give up.
November 2018| 21

24. rom the past few years, the legal sector has seen drastic transformation. The consistent and
Fsignificant growth in the number of lawyers has resulted in the legal authorities’ focusing
on the legal entrepreneurship. On the other hand, the young layers are gradually working
hard, forming a status for themselves and even developing their own firms. But, these emerging
lawyers face acute challenges to maintain the norms of the profession and altering the way it
functions. Due to the changing economic times, the young lawyers are continuously making
efforts bridging the gap between traditional and new methods of litigation.
Exploring the Clients
Getting the basic knowledge of law is not the only aspect of being a lawyer. One must have the
quality to attract the clients. Besides, being a hard working lawyer without your own clients is the
biggest concern of the young lawyers. This debility makes their present compromised in the
private practice. Finding and retaining the clients would be an easy task when they belong to the
November 2018|22

25. smaller communities where there is the shortage of
lawyers. But this would be a major challenge for a
young lawyer when he belongs to the large urban
centers. This can be encountered with the help of
proper networking and referrals. Also, public speaking
and the online strategies will play a vital role in
attracting the clients respectively.
Practicing Law with the Business Point of View
The litigation is strongly integrated with the business
world. The young lawyers need to perform the legal
processes keeping in mind the economic over-head.
Also, they virtually do not hold the knowledge about
how to run a business and to apply good business
practices. They can successfully maintain the norms of
the law by implementing sound planning and
budgeting procedures. They should practice law in
association to the realistic pricing of the services. Also,
they can enhance their business side by learning the
billing and collection practices. Practicing the legal
processes to attain stability in the business world is a
major challenge for a newly establishing lawyer which
can be conquered by keeping expenses in line,
understanding the cost of account receivables and a
host of other business decisions.
The Introverted Behavior
The newly established lawyers are academically
oriented and do well in their respective exams. They
can read copious amount of materials and analyze
them. But these young attorneys remain reluctant in
joining the community groups. They are unable to
express their point of view at a social event. To
overcome and to face such possibilities they need to
develop their skills. Practice and hard work expose
their ability of speaking at public gathering . Hard
tasks like marketing and making cold calls can be
encountered with professional interactions that
definitively will lead to professional success. The
young lawyers need to work on the traits that set
themselves apart from their dukes. Long hours of
solitary and focused work will help a new generation
lawyer to overcome his/her introverted behavior.
Support from the Senior Lawyers
The established lawyers frequently safeguard their
New-age law
November 2018| 23

26. hard-worn clients meticulously. Therefore, there is no room for the young lawyers to acquire the clients and get a support
from the senior lawyers. But they are the only one who can play a vital role in engaging the young lawyers to the client
meetings and interactions. The senior lawyers can properly guide them to epitomize the legal processes. Their advice and
mentoring can help the new generation attorneys to develop an individual relationship with the clients. They can provide
them with guidelines necessary for practicing in a billable time. Senior lawyers should clear the doubts of the young
lawyers and make them aware of the legal processes ongoing in the private as well as the government sector.
Withstand the Competition
After entering into the legal system and business world, the new generation lawyers have to handle various impediments
and the cause of these impediments is due to the growing competition. The younger lawyers need to pursue the qualities
that would make them different from other lawyers. Building self-confidence and practicing cognitive restructuring can
mold them into an expert legal advisor. Believing in the hard work and forgetting about the outcome is the best and easiest
way to face the setbacks and failures and being on the top. Besides, the good and the bad experiences both will make the
new age lawyers more resilient to beat the traditional and arising competition. Competing with themselves will create the
high-grounds for their self-growth and development.
With the growing opportunities in the litigation, jobs will be very specialized in critical thinking and decision making
which will increase the average level of young lawyers in the near future. The young lawyers would meet greater
prospects in their respective fields with the advancements in the technology. These technology giants in association with
the law firms are taking the initiative of hiring the new generation lawyers and are planning to provide them with the
machinery which enables reading long legal documents and having the background information relevant to a particular
case.
November 2018|24

28. Kavitha Vijay
There is no passion to be found
playing small—in settling for a
life that is less than the one you
are capable of living.” —Nelson
Mandela
The above quote is even truer for
Kavitha Vijay, Senior Partner at IC
Universal Legal (ICUL) as she was
more interested in work that required
direct interaction with people and
assisting them. Graduating in
Chemistry, she realized that she was
not interested in work that solely
depends upon a research-based course
of study. And at that time, she decided
to become a lawyer.
Kavitha’s law career began when she
joined Dr. Ambedkar Government Law
College, Chennai to do a three-year
degree in law. After passing out of Law
College, she wanted to work in
corporate law and therefore joined
Crawford Bayley and Co in Mumbai.
Her work there was an amazing
experience for her and she could not
have asked for a better foray into the
world of corporate law.
Later, she returned to Chennai and was
instrumental in establishing the IC
Universal Legal office in Chennai, then
set up under the banner Universal
Legal. She has been working there for
over a decade. She recognizes it as an
unforgettable journey for her as she has
witnessed the growth of the office,
starting with a two-member team,
which is now a twenty-five member
team. Her experience at ICUL and
being the part of the growth of the
office has been one of the major events
in her life.
Leading IC Universal Legal
For Kavitha, the opportunity to head
the Chennai office of IC Universal
Legal was one of the most crucial and
exciting moments in her life. She
remembers it as an extremely daunting
thought at that time, but now when she
looks back, she realizes that this was
the turning point in her life and career
along with a revelation that she has the
capability to take the firm to higher
levels.
At ICUL, she primarily works on
mergers, acquisitions, private equity
investments, and joint ventures. Her
other practice areas involve
infrastructure, general corporate law,
and advisory services. She is
immensely delighted to see the growth
of the firm. It is also a matter of
personal pride for her that the firm’s
team is primarily comprised of women,
thereby playing a small part in the
women empowerment of the society
today.
The spirit of
our work is
dictated by
our vision to
provide
timely yet
practical
business
solutions
A Pioneer Committed to Help Clients
in Succeeding
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POWERFUL
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29. The Dynamic Law firm
IC Universal Legal is a full-service Indian Law firm with
over a hundred members, including eighteen partners across
all its offices in India. It advises on day-to-day legal issues,
diverse corporate legal affairs, the formation of legal
entities in India and overseas, corporate transactional
matters, intellectual property rights, commercial contracts,
and real estate.
The firm has set up offices across key locations such as
Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and
Ahmedabad. Further, the firm is also affiliated to Chugh
LLP, a full-service law firm in various states of the United
States of America and Brazil. Through this association, the
firm leverages its cross-border expertise to develop an
experienced and qualitative legal delivery service to
facilitate the business requirements of all the clients.
Kavitha’s Success Mantra
One thing that drives Kavitha is the need to keep expanding
her mind in order to provide a satisfactory solution to her
clients. She strongly believes that being a corporate lawyer
is not solely about advising on legal provisions but rather
providing business solutions to the clients that are legal.
Understanding the clients, she asserts, “It is about
understanding the client, their ideologies, their business
and then to always, always ensure that we provide not only
the best legal advice but rather a full, detailed and in-depth
business solution to our Clients”.
Recognizing the Industry Challenges
According to her, one of the major challenges is the idea
defined as “the big 5”, the 5 being the more well-known
names in the industry. Hence, there is a constant need to
break away from that mindset and to prove to the clients
that the quality of the firm’s work is not dictated by the
‘name of the firm’ but by the caliber of people who deliver
the work. However, she has observed that in the recent
years, considering the number of breakaway firms in the
market, the overall mindset is definitely undergoing a shift.
In terms of the working environment, the biggest challenge
she recognizes is to set up a team environment where the
organization belongs to the employees. Therefore, they
must conduct themselves in a manner as if they were
handling their own practice rather than viewing a position
merely as a job. This poses a larger responsibility on the
firm to provide a challenging growth and diverse
opportunities to enable professional growth within the same
organization rather than having to shift to achieve growth.
Guiding the Future Lawyers
Kavitha’s advice to the law students would be to explore a
variety of practice areas, especially to have some litigation
experience before foraying into corporate law. She also
guides them to embrace different assignments and view
them as opportunities rather than difficulties and to never
stop educating themselves.
Vision for Future
Kavitha’s passion is all about ensuring that the firm
provides solutions to all the clients. With that in mind, the
goal of ICUL is to have people know that IC Universal
Legal will be a firm that provides both qualitative and
business-oriented solutions to the clients. Another goal of
the firm is to make the firm a nationally and internationally
recognized law firm.
Kavitha Vijay
Senior Partner
November 2018| 27

30. Manjula Chawla
What we have done for
ourselves remains with us;
what we have done for
others and the world remains
immortal”, as mentioned by the
American writer, Albert Pike, speaks
volumes about the purpose of one’s
life. Manjula Chawla, Founding
Partner at Phoenix Legal is one
such lawyer who was inspired by
many greats while studying for law.
It was the result of this inspiration
that enthused with energy within her
to change the world by ensuring
justice for the less privileged. A
woman of substance, Manjula is
breaking all the stereotypes.
The Voyage of Triumph
The unmatched reputation that
Manjula enjoys today is the result of
constant hard work and the undying
dedication. As we say, “Nothing
worth having comes easily”, the
celebrated journey of success began
on a rough patch. She asserts, “The
profession of law is demanding and
requires hard work and dedication.
There is no substitute for hard work.”
Alike any law graduate at her time,
Manjula started her career as a
litigator after which she started
practicing in Delhi High Court.
Later, the economic liberalisation of
1991 paved the way for Manjula to
pursue an entirely new practice of
law. Recalling those days, she says
that the transition from court practice
to a corporate law practice in 1993
changed her not only her professional
journey but also her life. The change
was however not smooth. There were
very few lawyers who had ventured
into this area. There was lack of
conventional briefs or cases and
working with foreign companies
investing in to India necessitated an
entirely new way of working.
Learning all the essentials by herself,
Manjula’s knack for corporate law
has placed her on the top and paved
for many others to follow.
Stepping into corporate law, Manjula
had started advising large
multinational corporations (including
many Fortune 500 companies) from
the USA, Europe and Japan on cross
border transactions and helping them
set up their presence in India. She
recalls saying that the demands of the
foreign companies were new to her.
While she was excited about being a
part of the new changing economic
We invest
time in
understanding
our clients’
business
enabling us to
provide
commercially
oriented and
innovative
legal solutions
The Brilliance in Corporate Law with an
Unstoppable Zeal
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31. climate and working for the world famous companies,
entering the Indian market for the first time, she also says
that it was challenging and required an entirely new
approach towards work. Along with legal advisory, the
clients also needed business oriented solutions; Manjula
had to keep up with different time zones over fax and
telephone calls. Every day was a new experience.
She further adds, even though this profession is
dominated by male, she had not felt any particular
discrimination as a woman. She feels that maintaining a
balance between work and personal life is equally
difficult for both men and women. Manjula too had her
share of ups and downs. Yet, her determination and also
the solid support from her parents helped her to
overcome all difficulties.
Passion and Determination: Catalysts of Success
Unlike many, the success story of Manjula is authored by
herself. The zeal that she has towards this profession has
helped her to soar higher. Transferring from court
practise to corporate law was a difficult choice at that
time but Manjula says that she found her right place in
the transition.
A passionate lawyer with a felicity to justice, Manjula is
also an astute mentor. As corporate law practise is not
individual centric, she had to build up teams of young
lawyers and ensure that they are also able to provide
quality advice and communicate it with clarity. Even
though Manjula finds a great sense of satisfaction in
being appreciated by clients, she feels great pride when
juniors whom she has trained achieve great heights and
acknowledge her as their mentor.
About Phoenix Legal
One of the leading and finest full-service law firms,
Phoenix Legal offers an extensive range of
transactional, regulatory, advisory, dispute resolution,
and tax services. The firm advises a diverse clientele
including domestic and international companies, banks
and financial institutions, funds, promoter groups, and
Public Sector Undertakings.
Established in the year 2008, this firm enjoys an
unmatched client satisfaction. The RSG consulting had
th
ranked this firm amongst the Top 20 Law Firms in 2013
Indian Law Firm Ranking. Under Manjula’s guidance,
the firm has been able to maintain its position amongst
the Top 20 until today. Having its presence in major
cities like; New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, the firm
today has 15 Partners and 70 lawyers.
Being one of the fastest growing law firms, Phoenix
Legal boasts about its high degree of partner
involvement and availability and the top quality
commercially oriented legal advice. Attention to detail
and the responsive and flexible billing are the other
attributes that differentiates this firm from others.
Wise Words for the New Entrants
Aiding Phoenix Legal towards the walkway of success
and maintaining a celebrated reputation, Manjula clearly
shows that, nothing but only hard work can bring
success. Her advice to the aspiring law students is,
“Imbibe principles of honesty, ethics and good values if
you want to be admired and respected. Be willing to
learn each day”.
Manjula Chawla
Founding Partner
November 2018| 29

34. Mitali Yadav
Lawyers have the power to
inspire and serve the world
with their potential. But, the
courage to be yourself is what makes a
lawyer distinctive. This legal
profession demands the power linked
with a curated memory with an essence
of creativity to make more effective
decisions and transform the world for
better.
Mitali Yadav has come a long way in
overcoming the barriers of the legal
profession through her novel ideas.
After graduating from the law school,
Mitali joined a prestigious firm Luthra
& Luthra Law Offices, New Delhi, as
an associate with the real estate team.
Working for almost three years gave
her a vast exposure and opportunity to
learn and understand the fine nuances
of law and client dealing. This also laid
the foundation for the future
achievements and success.
In 2014, she joined Spice Group's New
Delhi Offices as the Manager Legal.
Combining substantial thoughts and
unified efforts, Mitali established her
own law firm Alba Law Offices in
2015. Today, her sheer dedication and
prominent moves have transformed a
rented room of two people into a team
of ten expert lawyers with an office at
Firozshah road.
Meet the Influential Forerunner
Mitali is the Founder of Alba Law
Offices. Since childhood, Mitali was
motivated by her father to gain basic
understanding and knowledge of law.
He was the first teacher and the pillar
of strength, who taught her that
achievements and disappointments
both play significant roles in shaping
up one’s life. This drove her to choose
law as a career and be at its forefront.
Mitali is an ambitious person who is
hungry for the growth and success.
She says, “I believe that appreciation
and understanding of law helps a
person on a daily basis, and one is
able to rationalize and process things
in a far better manner.” She further
adds, “Law, to me, is one of those
professions wherein the learning never
ends.” Mitali believes that being a
lawyer empowers her to provide
satisfaction regarding contribution
towards the society, along with
recognition and acknowledgment for
the same.
Apart from work, Mitali's passion for
travelling, adventure sports, and
working-out has helped her in bonding
with the team at Alba. She also
consistently promotes work-life
balance at the firm.
We
strive
not to be
a success,
but
rather
to be of
value.
Resolving and Suggesting Practical
Solutions for Legal Issues
‘‘
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35. About Alba Law Offices
Alba Law Offices (‘Alba’), a boutique law firm, based out
of Delhi, has been constituted by a team of young lawyers
drawn together with the aspiration of providing high quality
legal services to the clients with a strong emphasis on
ethics. Under the leadership of Mitali, Alba believes in
building trusted relationships by developing a deep
understanding of the clients’ legal needs in the overall
context of their commercial operations. The firm
emphasizes in investing time in understanding the clients'
business operations to provide most appropriate and
innovative legal solutions to the issues at hand.
Mitali has been the driving force for Alba Law Offices by
which it offers wide-ranging services to its clients
including:
• Arbitration and Alternate Dispute Resolution
• Civil and Criminal Litigation
• Employment and Industrial & Labor Laws
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Real Estate (including RERA issues)
• Corporate & Transactional Documentation
Some Speed Breakers on the Way
Everything related to this profession was new for Mitali in
the initial years. Becoming a professional lawyer was not an
easy task as it comes with its own set of challenges. She
had to strive hard for what she is today.
The first and major challenge was to decide whether to
work as a corporate lawyer or litigation. Mitali outshined
this thought by interning under senior advocates as well as
law firms like Fox Mandal, AZB & Partners, Amarchand &
Mangaldas and Luthra & Luthra. This experience helped
her to face a bunch of challenges including client
engagements, building up and managing a team, affording
an appropriate office and so on.
Another significant challenge that Mitali faced was
handling the age factor. “The profession of law, much like
doctors, demands a person to look a certain age for the
clients to gain confidence to give the first opportunity. I
have been trying to tackle the same by working harder on
every matter and opportunity that comes my way,” she
asserts.
Holding the reins of Alba Law Offices by converting every
challenge into opportunity, Mitali further added “I believe
that as time passes by, new challenges will come up, but
that's the thrill of it.”
Guiding the Path Seekers
Mitali believes that the most important aspect of an
internship is that it gives a glimpse of the work to be
performed in the future. It also helps in getting clarity
whether to continue with the same or shift to something
else. Addressing the students who want to become a lawyer,
Mitali states, “I would advise that along with academics
and learning theory, one should also intern as much as
possible in different areas of law. This helps you learn the
basics from ground level, which makes it much easier to
work when you finally enter the field as a professional.”
Further, she advices the path seekers to combine hard work
and smart work in order to unlock the success doors.
Futuristic Approach
Mitali not only aims to see Alba grow beyond the success
horizons, but also to see such growth along with a healthy
and conducive work environment at the firm. She takes
pride in saying that soon the firm will have its offices in
different parts of the country with an efficient work force
and good work. Her ultimate goal is to make Alba stand out
of the crowd of law firms with respect to the personal
growth, and discipline.
Mitali Yadav
Founder
November 2018| 33

36. URGENT NEED
For Innovation And With Advancement
TECHNOLOGY IN LAW
Advocates are at the heart of every community, working tirelessly to help and
support their clients, be it to facilitate businesses or provide valuable personal
advice –we Advocates are here to help. The essential role of a lawyer is to assist
our clients to the best of our abilities and uphold the rule of law; this has not changed, but
the way we do our jobs has progressed simultaneously with the world we live in. Across
our society we are at present going through unmatched rates of economic and
technological transformations. As our clients work hard to respond to these changes, we
as professionals will have to rise to the challenge, and technology offers huge
opportunities for lawyers to innovate in ways, which benefit their clients and them, as
well as the technology innovators that assist them.
It’s just kind of embedded in our core that we’re constantly looking at the quality of our
work and how to improve it. And if one doesn’t have that ethos, they just rapidly fall
behind because of the competition. It is about improvement of value to our clients and
also liberation of lawyers to do the things they do really well, for which we can recover,
and that our clients would really value. So nothing about innovation changes our
stratagem. Innovation, we are going to use to augment what we presently offer and
improve our client proposition. That’s a very important part of it.
Technology is becoming an ever more central part of our social and commercial
interactions, enabling businesses to study us as much as we engage with them. This
greater wealth of data may raise privacy and security concerns for some, but it also brings
a newfound utility to the customer experience and a shift towards a seamless means of
transacting that, for many far supersedes any privacy fears. Law firms that invest in
technology and other means to better understand their clients and their needs will be able
November 2018|34

37. Innovation in Law
November 2018| 35

38. to design more tailored solutions. Agile resourcing of solutions will assist firms in better
understanding their margins and set pricing strategies accordingly. Those deploying sophisticated
pricing engines that make relevant and insightful solutions more affordable to clients are those
most likely to retain a competitive edge for their business.
Admission to justice is understood as the aptitude for people to address their routine legal
problems, either through recourses to courts or other forums. It is estimated that globally, around
4 billion people live outside the reach of the law, and do not have the security, opportunity or
protection to redress their grievances and injustices. Challenges of right of entry to justice can be
manifested in multiple ways; these include where courts and legal institutions are out of reach of
plaintiffs for reasons of costs, reserve or even a absence of knowledge of rights and prerogatives.
It can also be triggered because numerous judicial associations are under-funded and as a result,
there is deprived infrastructure, scarcity of staff and limited resources to cater to the needs and
demands of litigants who require such services. In various occasions the text of law itself is
riddled with complications and that makes it problematic to understand and used efficiently.
Access to justice can thus be an expensive perception that has symbolic, financial, informational,
and structural implications for battles against poverty, inequality, violence, and a lack of progress.
Technological advancement in the legal profession that sees access to justice as a key driver for
building peaceful and inclusive societies is the need of the hour.
I, for instance, have been using the technological advancements like instant messaging to keep
my clients updated with their case status and sending them documents and petitions for reading
prior to them coming to my office for finalization, thereby reducing the time required to finalize
the draft of the petition or whatever document there might be. The High Court of Bombay, where
I regularly take up cases, have also adopted the technological advancements with open heart as
almost everything in the High Court has been digitized and accessible to Lawyers as well as
litigants.
There is a saying that, if one does’t change course with the changing winds, they will be broken
apart by the sheer force of nature. The new innovations that we keep seeing every day in our day
to day lives fits the above saying perfectly. The new generation of lawyers, e.g. my brother
Advocate Saif Mobhani, are even better at adapting to technological advancements that are
offered on the platter, which the old crop such as us are not able to comprehend at such
breathtaking speed.
The legal proverb of the process established by the law is changing every minute as the courts
embrace technology, be it serving of summons through instant messaging apps or marking the
presence of the litigating party sitting 1000 miles away through video conferencing, it is either
we adept or we perish.
November 2018|36

40. Ritu Goyal
Legal profession is one of the
noble professions amongst all.
It plays a pivotal role in
strengthening our society and Lawyers
act as a carrier for providing justices to
the victims. However, to deliver justice
requires adept legal acumen, passion to
fight for injustice and humane heart to
deal every case with utmost sensitivity.
One such top notch lawyer is Ritu
Goyal. She is a Partner of a
flourishing law-firm Naks & Partners
(Advocates & Solicitors).
It was her diligent efforts and utmost
integrity towards her work that led Ritu
to make strides in legal industry which
earlier was considered as a male-
centric profession. Ritu has added
many feathers in her cap that too in a
very shorter span of time. At the young
age of 26, she got selected as a
prominent member of the think-tank of
one reputed organization.
She started her career at a very young
age and subsequently got involved in
taking responsible and key decisions at
large organizations. “The challenge
then was to deliver my best and live up
to the expectations of my
Organisation,” asserts Ritu. “Besides I
think that trying to carve a niche as a
career woman in a Patriarchal set-up
and in a profession like Law that has
been for ages believed to be ‘male-
dominated’ is quite an uphill task so
kudos to all women who have been
successfully exploring the same.”
Recently her firm Naks & Partners has
earned “Promising Law Firm of the
Year” award in the presence of
eminent personalities of the country.
An Impressive and Flourishing
Career so Far
As a professional, she had started her
Journey as an intern and soon joined as
Company Secretary & Legal Manager
in one of the fastest growing North
Indian Real Estate Company =.
Throughout these years she was
responsible for Corporate Legal,
Compliances, Corporate Governance,
Restructuring, finance and IPR of the
entire Group. At the time she resigned,
Ritu had already climbed the ladder to
the position of GM (Legal & Company
Secretary). After serving Corporates
for 9 years, Ritu started to expand her
wings and joined Naks & Partners as a
Partner.
At Naks, she manages PAN India
Business & Commercial Litigation
including Civil, Consumer and
Corporate Litigation. Moreover, she
also leads the secretarial Consultancy
division at Naks. She is also involved
in providing advisory on IPR Portfolio
and other business and commercial
dealings. Throughout her professional
journey she has established herself in
A day
without
any
value
addition
is a
day
wasted
An Epitome of Women Empowerment in Legal Arena
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41. Public Speaking and Branding activities of the
Organization.
She is an eloquent orator who gives lectures in Law
collages, prestigious Institutes including ICSI (Institute of
Company Secretaries of India), Business houses, Charitable
organizations like hospitals, schools etc. on topics ranging
from Litigation management, Contract Management,
Compliances, Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH)
and social awareness.
Ritu is acting as an Independent Women Director on the
board of various Big Corporate Houses of India. Currently,
she is associated with Optiemus Electronics Limited (OEL),
where she is accredited for her active involvement in
decision making activities of the business.
Ritu believes that passion about your work and continuous
improvement are the key to unlock the hidden potential.
Her mantra of life is- “A day without any value addition is
a day wasted.” This value addition can be in any form, be it
practical exposure, intellectual enhancement or learning
lessons of life. She keeps on learning new things, new
concepts, and amendments in provisions of law to update
her on the current events.
She is a strong believer of working for social causes and
has been playing an instrumental role in, effectively
implementing the policies for prevention of sexual
harassment against women at workplace. To achieve her
objective she has been an active part of various business
and Non-profit organizations. Apart from big corporates
like Axa Assurance, Rohde & Schwarz, Uniparts,
Healthkart.com, A2Z Group; she has also worked with
various Hospitals like Dharamshila Hospital, for the
education and empowerment of poor and uneducated
women, while securing rights for themselves and their
children.
About Naks & Partners
Delhi-based Naks & Partners has a robust pool of proficient
Advocates & Solicitors who have proven expertise in
providing effective and cost conscious solutions to
problems of its Clients. This firm has its presence in 320
districts across the length and breadth of the country and is
aiming to expand its outreach into all districts in India.
Many blue-chip companies from varied sectors (E-
commerce, Airlines, Agriculture Company, Real Estate,
Technology and more) are the clients that have witnessed a
positive outcome after taking its services.
“In a very short span, I have witnessed the exponential
growth of my firm Naks & Partners. Client satisfaction, in a
rapidly changing and challenging work environment
coupled with exemplary results keep me motivated in my
work,” asserts Ritu. “Seeing my Organization take the
shape and recognition that I have always wanted keeps me
motivated to work harder and with more enthusiasm.”
Naks gives special emphasis on pragmatic and quick
approach towards understanding the legal issues ailing its
clients. It offers services for Writs, SLPs, Public Interest
Litigation, Business & Commercial Laws, Corporate Laws,
Consumer Litigation; Civil Litigation; Contract
Management; Compliance Management, and Intellectual
Property Rights besides working in the arena of Licensing,
Arbitration, Legal Metrology etc. Naks & Partners has also
established a conspicuous presence in e- commerce
Industry, Real Estate, Consumer & Durable Products,
Health & Medicare, Infrastructure, Finance, Precious
Metals, Logistics, Agriculture, and Information Technology.
Naks & Partners has recurrently been recognized for its
exemplary performance and unparalleled services and has
grown exponentially within a very short span. “Every time I
saw the satisfaction and happiness on my Clients face
whenever I get them justice, I find it a big achievement,”
concludes Ritu. “Therefore, I believe that success is the
cumulative effect of every big and small achievement and I
am grateful for everything I am bestowed with.”
Ritu Goyal
Partner, Naks & Partners (Advocates & Solicitors)
November 2018| 39

42. W
omen view work more holistically,
as a component of their overall life
plan, in contrast to men, who tend
to be career-centric and want to maximize their
financial return from work. Therefore, women are
more likely to approach their careers in a self-
reflective way and value factors such as meaning,
purpose, and connection with co-workers and
work-life integration.
Women’s inclination toward a whole, self-
reflective attitude could explain why female
employees define leadership differently than
some men do. When women bring this attitude
into managerial roles, it may actually make them
stronger, more effective leaders. Women may not
always realize how poised for success they are in
leadership roles, but their potential and abilities
are undeniable.
Female Leadership
November 2018|40

43. Signicance of Work-life Balance
Caring about the team and their well-being, this helps develop their
performance at work and their work-life balance. Women are great leaders
because they are able to balance professional and personal leadership skills.
It’s easier to approach a women leader with a personal request, or a
sensitive question. A woman is more proactive in becoming a mentor and it is
communicative relationship that the transition to become a mentor is stress-
free.
Empathy in their Genes
Most women are naturally empathetic and value relationships. This enables
them to have a resilient understanding of what drives and motivates people,
and how to acknowledge different people for their performance.
They Are Nurturing
One of the key aspects of leadership is the ability to help your team members
develop their own skills and strengths. Women are naturally nurturing, which
in the best scenarios can translate to helping those around you succeed.
Focus On Teamwork
The women consistently demonstrate passion, enthusiasm, and an immense
capacity to serve and be served by others. Women make bold and wise
decisions as leaders while relying on others to be part of their team. The
environment is less authoritarian and more cooperative and family-like, but
with solid leadership.
Good at Multitasking
Women make great leaders as they have a natural ability to multitask. The
ability to decisively and quickly respond to simultaneous and different tasks or
problems at a time is a critical component to successful leadership.
November 2018| 41

44. Motivated by Challenges
We are creative problem solvers motivated by obstacles. The desire to
overcome a challenge fuels us to get things accomplished. Leaders don’t take
a ‘no’ for an answer.
Strong Communicators
Communication is said to be among a woman’s strongest skill — and female
leaders know how to use it! Whether communicating with employers, co-
workers, or partners, an open communication stream allows for clarity in
executing roles and responsibilities. Female business leaders are able to
communicate regularly, clearly, and openly.
Dare to Dream Big
Women make great leaders because they have an innate ability to dream
big, challenge assumptions, and inspire teams — and they know how to
translate big ideas into concrete action and results.
Handle Crisis Situations Well
Many women, especially moms, are trained caretakers and know how to deal
with crisis situations at home with compassion and patience. These attributes
become very relevant when a woman leader is dealing with crisis situations
whether this is related to HR or clients.
Women Can Wear Many Hats
Wearing many hats is often a regular occurrence in a women’s life. They
often balance careers, households and even aging parents, among other
things. Women pivot, adjust, and focus on solutions. Resting in the doom and
gloom can be time-consuming, so many shift to nd positive solutions to life
and work problems.
November 2018|42

45. Check their Egos
Ego so often gets in the way of good decision-making in the C-suite. Women
exhibit ego differently and they are good at decision-making with the ego in
check. This is a key advantage in working with boards of directors, partners,
and customers.
Women have a High Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence — the ability to recognize emotions in yourself and
others and relate to those — is something that has recently gained
momentum as an essential leadership behavior. This is something that comes
more naturally to women than men. To actually create a great place to work
and to get the best out of our employees, demonstrating emotional
intelligence as a leader is critical.
Leading by Example
Women lead by example, and in so many cases, women have climbed the
ladder and so they have experienced a variety of roles before they get to the
leadership ones. Experience is the key.
Make Their Jobs Look Effortless
Women make phenomenal leaders because they are experts at making the
impossible seem possible. And sometimes on a good day they even make it
look effortless. Women are pragmatic, resilient, and usually able to
maneuver tricky situations with grace. Their perspectives are borne out of a
mix of trial by re and sheer fortitude. They look at the world with bravery
and are able to piece together the world around them like a complex puzzle.
Defy the Odds
Women make great leaders because the odds are against us to lead. When
you’re the underdog, it takes an extra push to get to the top. That’s why the
women who emerge on top are extraordinarily strong and capable, as they
had to ght to get there.
November 2018| 43

46. Sundari R. Pisupati
Being a lawyer requires a
strong hold over
communication, judgment,
intellect, and most importantly
courage to fight for your standpoint.
The legal market has been a male
driven one for a longtime. It has now
shifted focus and more and more
women are opting for a career in law.
Being a women and a lawyer is no
easy task, it requires mettle and
steadfastness, the qualities that are
very well evident in Ms. Sundari R.
Pisupati, who is the Founder
Partner of Tempus Law Associates.
She is a licensed attorney in New
York and India with over twenty five
years of experience as a lawyer both
in India and the U.S. Sundari has
completed her B.A., L.L.B. (Hons.),
from the National Law School of
India University, in1993; and her
L.L.M., from Columbia Law School,
New York, in1998. She has handled a
variety of large corporate and
commercial transactions involving
domestic and International clients
representing companies of all sizes in
various industry verticals such as
information technology, financial
services, domestic and international
funds, infrastructure, bio-technology,
outsourcing and pharmaceutical
companies, among others.
Journey since the Beginning of Her
Career
The decision to pursue a career in
law was well thought out. During her
schooling days, she was very good in
debates, elocutions, public speaking,
and extracurricular activities. “My
grandfather was a lawyer and so my
father thought law will be a good
career option for me.” says Sundari.
So, becoming a lawyer came
naturally. Establishing a good
practice and taking the legacy
forward has helped her keep the
excellent practice and focus towards
her goals.
After graduating as the University
topper from the National Law School
of India University, Bangalore in
1993, she started practicing in the
High Court of Andhra Pradesh with a
Senior Lawyer, where she practiced
and argued cases from 1993-97.
Then, after completing her Masters
in law at Columbia University New
York in 1998, Sundari worked at
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood in
New York for several years in the
corporate and securities group. At
Sidley, her experience included
corporate transactions; cross-border
M&A and public offerings. Speaking
of her time in the U.S., she says, “My
experience of practicing law in the
Aspiring
to be
Trusted
counsel
for our
clients
Committed and Experienced Leader with a Vision for Brilliance
POWERFUL
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47. US in a top-notch law firm truly changed my career. It
taught me global best practices which we have been able
to adopt in our work in India and offer excellent services
to our clients based in Hyderabad.”
Having practiced law for a couple of decades, she has
colossal experience, and is regularly invited to national
and international events to speak on various topics of
current legal interest.
Post her stint in New York, she decided to return to India
in 2003 and resume practice. Here, she, together with her
life partner Mr. Raviprasad, set up Tempus Law
Associates in 2008. Started as a two lawyer firm, it has
now grown to a full-fledged 25 resources office in
Hyderabad. With her dedication laying on the corporate
and commercial matters, she has built the firm’s
expertise around the same.
Unique Solution Tempus Law Offers
The firm is well recognized and has earned a name for
specialization in cross-border matters. Focus areas of the
firm are corporate, commercial, M&A, venture capital,
private equity, IP, real estate, litigation, and arbitration
matters. Tempus Law has grown from strength to
strength and has become one of the well-established law
firms in Hyderabad. Ms. Sundari specializes in
corporate, commercial, M&A, and corporate litigation
matters. Speaking of the exceptional work the firm is
doing and her motivation to work hard she asserts,
“Good work keeps me motivated. Good quality work and
good quality clients and striving towards excellence
keeps me motivated.”
The Major Challenges
“There are challenges as a professional and as a woman
professional.” she quotes. “As a lawyer there are several
challenges one faces. It takes time to make a name and
earn a reputation, which is important to build good
clients.” As a woman, the challenges are to balance
family and career, and in spite of having two children,
Ms. Sundari has been managing her professional and
family life seamlessly. She says, “I try to spend quality
time with my family, guiding my children in their
education and career pursuits and mentor them on many
aspects and we do many things together and regularly
travel. Those moments are truly cherished and
remarkable in many ways.” She has successfully built an
excellent practice and a top-notch firm, while balancing
her personal life. Bringing clients, retaining clients,
networking, and hiring and retaining talent are all the
challenges she has faced and overcome in building a
good and strong firm. “I am quite passionate about law
and remain so even after 25 years. We aim to build a top
law firm which is known for quality and integrity in its
services and expand to International markets.” asserts
Sundari.
A Passionate Lawyer’s Advice
“Legal profession has been historically and continues to
be a male dominated profession. Women are written off
or not taken seriously in the profession. It requires
extraordinary dedication, commitment, passion and
integrity for success in this profession for women.” states
Sundari. “This is not a business, but a profession.
Students should not look at this profession for money
making alone; learning is very important at the early
stages of the career; learn and make the foundation
strong and earn a good reputation and money will
automatically follow.”
Ms. Sundari R. Pisupati
Founder Partner
November 2018| 45

48. Vineetha MG
The legal profession in India is
continually changing and
evolving, bringing new
challenges and rewards. Legal
professionals are required to be
“problem-solvers” and “innovators”,
willing to tackle new challenges, and
navigate an ever-evolving legal system.
One such diversely seasoned pioneer in
the legal sector is Vineetha MG. The
dynamic legal landscape has made her
each day unique and fostered an
enjoyable and fulfilling work
experience.
Beginning her career at ICICI Bank
Limited, Mumbai in 1998, she later
joined AZB & Partners in 2001. At
AZB, she was part of the initial 12
member team and was there for over a
decade, and handled their private
equity, infrastructure, banking &
finance, and funds’ practice. Then in
2012, Vineetha, together with her
partners, Co-founded Samvad:
Partners, which has grown to become
a leading law firm specializing in
various complex corporate and
financial transactions.
The Dart that Landed on Law
By the time Vineetha had finished high
school, she wanted to become an IAS
Officer. She felt the need to understand
all the rules of law before she could be
an effective IAS officer, as law affects
every aspect of a person’s life.
Concluding that law seemed a good fit,
she took a leap of faith and went to a
law school- NLSIU. This turned out to
be a great choice. The co-operative and
interactive teaching method followed
at NLSIU made the study of law even
more interesting for her. Vineetha says,
“I am grateful to all my teachers in
NLSIU who played a significant role in
molding me.”
Challenges on the Way
When Vineetha joined the profession,
women had already made a place for
themselves in it, and most of her
mentors have been women. Hence she
has always worked in a very conducive
environment, However, in her view, the
problem of gender bias is still
pervasive in the legal system. Women
are still subject to special scrutiny and
female lawyers do not receive the same
presumption of competence or
commitment as their male colleagues.
Tackling this was a huge challenge for
Vineetha. Fortunately, she was lucky
enough to have strong role models to
help her find her feet. Talking about,
her struggle, she says “so little time
and so much to do” and sometimes the
challenge for her is to maintain a
The
thoroughness
with which
a lawyer
should
approach
any matter
while keeping
in my mind
the practical
aspects, makes
practice of
law very
exciting and
each day
motivating!
A Fervent Enthusiast Treasuring Her Dreams
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49. balance between work and other aspects of her life. “But
there is no substitute for hard work,” she says.
Her Passions and Motivation
Vineetha wants to remain a good lawyer and a trusted
advisor. She aims to be abreast with all the legal changes
and retain relevance. “There are still so many more avenues
to pursue, so many more contributions that I can make to
the society. Miles to go before I sleep, as it goes,” she
asserts.
Beyond law, education, specifically at school level, is close
to her heart. Her family runs a school in a village in
Tumkur, which provides subsidized education to 250 kids
of farmers located in the nearby 25 villages. Vineetha is
also passionate about the study of public policy. She finds
the subject very fascinating and would want to contribute to
the evolution of public policy in India.
The idea of helping people resolve their legal problems has
been motivation for Vineetha. She has always believed that
law is a powerful tool for social change. She thinks that
with her career she can facilitate this process and is
enthusiastic about being a part of the system. In her legal
career, Vineetha has primarily represented several diverse
companies. For this she had to also learn a lot about
different businesses and industries, as well as the diverse
areas of law that impacted her clients. This, for her, keeps
the routine interesting.
Achievements and Remarkable Milestones of Her Life
To Vineetha, handling complex corporate or financing
transaction is a great experience and offers a sense of
accomplishment. For her, although the job is very stressful,
it is totally exhilarating at the same time.
About the milestones in the journey of her life, getting into
NLSIU was a life defining moment for Vineetha. Other than
that, being passionate about public policy, when she got
into the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University, for an Executive Education Programme on
public policy development, it was her “dream come true”
moment. Coming together with her partners to form
Samvad was one of the most fulfilling and defining
moments of her career. Also, for her winning the Global
Excellence Award as the Most Influential Woman in Private
Equity Investments 2018, India, is a proud memory.
About the Company
Samvad: Partners is a full-service multidisciplinary Indian
law firm with offices in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad,
Mumbai, and New Delhi. It was formed from a merger of
smaller regional practices in 2013 and ever since then, the
firm has grown steadily in size over the past five years to its
present headcount of 100 members. It is a leading adviser
for a diverse array of subjects, ranging across private equity
investments, cross-border and domestic M&A, insolvency
and restructuring, banking and financing, general corporate
and commercial matters, dispute resolution, technology,
media and intellectual property. Samvad’s clientele also
varies in sector and scale.
Advising the budding lawyers of the future, Vineetha says,
“There is no substitute for hard work, integrity, and
passion. If someone tells you that there are glass ceilings
then just go ahead and break them.”
Vineetha MG
Co-founder
November 2018| 47