The Most Recognized Law Firm of the Year, 2023.pdf
1. S
A
M
P
L
E
Sharma
&
On a Noble Mission of Fostering
Positive Legal Impact
Adv. Sidhartha Sharma
Founder and
Managing Partner,
Sharma & Sharma Advocates
and Legal Consultants
Overcoming
Legal Adversities
The Vital Role of Law Firms in
Handling Legal Challenges
www.theknowledgereview.com
Vol. 06 | Issue 07 | 2023
Vol. 06 | Issue 07 | 2023
Vol. 06 | Issue 07 | 2023
India
The Most
Recognized
Firm
of the
Year,
2.
3.
4. aw firms are the backbone of
Lthe legal profession, serving as
pillars of legal expertise and
guardians of the rule of law. These
institutions, both large and small, play
a vital role in providing legal services,
representing clients, and advocating for
justice in a wide range of practice
areas.
Moreover, law firms have a broader
impact beyond their immediate clients.
They play a significant role in shaping
legal precedents, influencing public
policy, and advocating for societal
change. Many law firms actively
engage in pro bono work, providing
legal services to individuals and
communities in need.
By championing causes, promoting
equality, and fighting for justice, these
firms exemplify the noble pursuit of a
fair and equitable society.
In this latest edition, 'The Most
Recognized Law Firm of the Year,
2023,' The Knowledge Review shines a
spotlight on the most recognized law
firm of the year, with a particular focus
on the trailblazing accomplishments of
Sharma & Sharma Legal. This
distinguished law firm has garnered
widespread acclaim for its unwavering
commitment to legal expertise, client
satisfaction, and its transformative
impact on the legal landscape.
As we celebrate the achievements of
Sharma & Sharma Legal, we commend
their relentless pursuit of excellence
and their tireless efforts in serving
clients and the community. Their
dedication to legal expertise, client
satisfaction, and social responsibility
sets a remarkable example for the legal
industry as a whole.
Flip the pages and delve into the
inspiring story of Sharma & Sharma
Legal, the impact they have made in
the legal sphere, and their unwavering
commitment to upholding the
principles of justice and fairness.
Together, let us celebrate their
remarkable accomplishments and the
profound influence they have had on
the legal landscape of the year 2023.
Have an enticing read!
- Riya Chatterjee
Riya ajee
Landscape
Illining
Legal
5. is recognized as
for demonstrating exceptional legal
expertise, unwavering commitment to
client service, and a profound impact on
the legal profession.
Sharma & SharmaAdvocates
and Legal Consultants
The Most
Recognized
Firm
of the Year,
Pooja M. Bansal
Editor-in-Chief
6. A r t i c l e
22
The Vital Role of Law Firms
in Handling Legal Challenges
06
C O V E R
S t o r y
On a Noble Mission
of Fostering Positive
Legal Impact
Sharma
&
Overcoming
Legal Advers ies
7. June, 2023
Editor-in-Chief Pooja Bansal
Managing Editor
Art & Design Head
Co-designers
Rahul Shinde
Paul, Rashmi
Sr. BDE
Assist. Vice President
Marketing Manager
Sachin Bajad
Swapnali Vasaikar
Ashwini Pahurkar
Technical Specialist
Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni
SME-SMO Executive
Circulation Manager Tanaji Fartade
Ravindra Kadam
Contributing Writer
Riya Chatterjee
Gopal Ingole
Survey No.133/134, Brand Square, Office
No. 512, Kunjir Chowk, Pimple Saudagar,
Pune, Maharashtra 411027
sales@theknowledgereview.com
CORPORATE OFFICE
Rajeshwari Avhad
We are also available on
8. On a Noble Mission
of Fostering Positive
Legal Impact
Sharma
In his of professional
22 years
experience, Sidhartha has successfully
handled various and
notable cases
regularly appeared before various
courts, including the hon’ble supreme
court of india.
&
9. S. N. Sharma
Labour Law and
Service Law Consultant
Adv. Anand Sharma
Senior Partner
Adv. Sidhartha
Sharma
Founder and
Managing
Partner
10. T insolvency matters, particularly related
to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code, 2016, company matters, and
numerous litigation and arbitration
matters. This network of partnerships
benefits clients of a single-window
service provider by allowing them to
deal with a variety of issues across the
country under one roof. The firm's
headquarters are in Kolkata,
conveniently close to the Calcutta High
Court.
Inspirational Principles
The principled vocation of law inspires
ardent talents due to its challenging
nature. Sharing his own, Sidhartha says
that being a second-generation lawyer
working in the courts, looking at
voluminous documents and spending
long hours in the library was not new
to him. He reminisces, "Since the
formative years of my education, I was
always inclined towards the legal
profession and court craft. My father,
Mr. Satyanarayan Sharma, is a reputed
labour law practitioner in Kolkata and
has authored numerous books on the
subject. My elder brother, Mr. Anand
Sharma, also a Senior Partner at
Sharma & Sharma Advocates and
Legal Consultants, further inspired me
to take up the noble profession, which
has the potential to impact society
positively."
Sidhartha started his practice in the
year 2001 and was Chamber Junior of
one of the foremost practitioners of
Hon'ble High Court, Calcutta, who was
awarded as the BEST EMERGING
LAWYER OF HON'BLE CALCUTTA
HIGH COURT, Late Hon'ble Mr.
Justice Protik Prakash Banerjee,
Judge of Hon'ble Calcutta High
Court. "In 2006, I laid the foundation
for Sharma & Sharma Advocates and
Legal Consultants, which has acquired
immense recognition in the legal
fraternity since then as well as
expanded from its
head office in
Kolkata to New
Delhi, Chandigarh,
and Bhubaneswar," he
informs.
A Journey of Excellence
The firm was started in a small
chamber near the High Court at
Calcutta in 2006, majorly dealing in
labour and industrial laws and related
fields of master-servant relationship,
followed by appearing in different
courts, tribunals like Provident Fund
Appellate Tribunal, and other forums
created to adjudicate master-servant
disputes, and also handling various
matters pertaining to labour
laws/service law.
Sidhartha furthers, "As my existing
Clientele started reposing their faith
and trust on my abilities and acumen, I
started practicing in corporate and
commercial disputes, property law,
company law, restructuring and
bankruptcy matters, and other
corporate advisories in addition to the
major practice in labour and industrial
relations and insurance laws."
Soon thereafter, as Mrs. Priyanka
Sharma Tibrewal joined the firm, the
firm's practice expanded from the
company, commercial and corporate
laws to criminal law, family law, and
constitutional matters.
he key distinction between
Tcivilised and uncivilised
societies is the administration
of law. Individuals, groups, urbane,
rural, socio-cultural-economic-
political, and professional entities,
private and governmental institutions,
and industrial and corporate
organisations dispersed across local
and worldwide demographics are all
able to benefit from the rule of law. In
actuality, the rule of law facilitated the
transition from men to humankind.
Over decades, the legal domain, like
many other human concerns, got
increasingly complex, branching into
specialised sectors such as labour,
service, industry, company, and
corporation law governing businesses,
enterprises, trade, economy, finance,
banking, and so on. All ambitious
individuals/groups/entities find it
nearly difficult to avoid disputes,
problems, and controversies resulting
from the contradictory nature of human
activity while going about their
everyday business.
When these issues intersect in the legal
realm, businesses must either confront
them or hire an adept, pragmatic,
trustworthy, and credible legal counsel
like Sharma and Sharma Advocates
and Legal Consultants-a boutique, a
full-service law firm on a noble
mission of bringing in a positive socio-
legal impact and furthering the
civilizational character.
In 2006, Advocate Sidhartha Sharma,
Founder and Managing Partner,
founded the firm. Currently, the firm
has offices in Kolkata, New Delhi, and
Mumbai, with associate lawyers,
chartered accountants, and company
secretaries in most major Indian cities,
and significant representations in
employment (Labour Law and Service
Law), transactional, real estate,
The Most Recognized Law Firm of the Year, 2023
11. Adv. Sidhartha Sharma
Founder and
Managing Partner,
Sharma & Sharma Advocates
and Legal Consultants
Our network of alliances
benefits the clients of a single
window service provider to deal with
all kinds of matters across the
country under one umbrella.
12.
13. Adv. Priyanka
Sharma Tibrewal
Managing Partner,
Sharma & Sharma
Advocates and Legal
Consultants
In his 22 years of professional
experience, Sidhartha has
successfully handled various notable
cases and regularly appear before
the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India,
Hon'ble High Court at Calcutta,
Hon'ble High Court at Delhi,
Hon'ble High Court at Bilaspur,
Hon'ble High Court at Guwahati,
Hon'ble National Company Law
Appellate Tribunal, Hon'ble National
Company Law Tribunal (Principal
Bench, Bengaluru, Guwahati,
Mumbai, Allahabad, Indore,
Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad,
and Cuttack Bench). "Moreover, I
have also handled cases at various
fora created under the SICA Act,
1985, like BIFR and AAIFR at
Delhi, the Employee State Insurance
Court, Employees Provident Fund
Tribunal, and others," he shares.
In 2017, the firm established its
offices in Chandigarh and
Bhubaneswar, with the addition of
new partners in the firm, thereby
further expanding its practice areas
in mining laws and electricity laws,
amongst others. In 2018, the firm set
up its New Delhi office, centrally
located near the Hon'ble Supreme
Court of India, the Hon'ble High
Court, and the NCLT/ NCLAT.
The firm’s innovative and pragmatic
solutions extend beyond practices and
borders to suit all the client’s business needs.
The team of professionals understands issues
across a broad spectrum of business and
legal practices to deliver commercially
pragmatic advice.
14. “
Over the years, the firm has
expanded its practice areas and
services from dispute resolution and
arbitration to corporate advisory,
mergers and acquisitions, and
regulatory work. With a clear-cut vision
and an intense mission, Sidhartha puts
that they have achieved all their
milestones in their journey.
Arjun Asthana
Partner
15. Preeti Sharma
Senior Consultant
which are predominant in choosing the
firm by the clients and considering the
long standing and continuous
professional services offered by the
firm to corporates and industries,
Sharma & Sharma Advocates and
Legal Consultants was awarded as the
'Top 10 Legal Consultants of 2020 by
CEO Insights Magazine' in 2020.
Over the years, the firm has expanded
its practice areas and services from
dispute resolution and arbitration to
corporate advisory, mergers and
acquisitions, and regulatory work.
The firm's specialized proficiency
coupled with effective, prompt and
practical solutions are the factors
16. “
Sharma & Sharma Advocates and Legal
Consultants has grown to an incredible extent
where clients acknowledge them for their array
of services being offered under one umbrella
within a time frame.
17. credence to the same," he mentions.
He explains, "Sharma & Sharma
Advocates and Legal Consultants has
dedicated team of professionals
ranging from advocates to chartered
accountants, company secretaries and
also professionals with specialization
in management of business and
engineers to understand and
appreciate the operational and
commercial aspirations and
expectations of our Clients."
Tech-know Evolution
Law evolves as it is subjected to
amendments continuously. Speaking
about the same, Sidhartha believes that
law is never static; it is always
changing, being interpreted or
redefined, as regulators and judges
strive, with varying degrees of success,
to ensure that the law constantly
reflects changes in society itself. They,
as lawyers, have always adapted to the
change due to the evolving law and
shall continue to do so.
Their firm deals with various aspects of
law; however, they have certain niche
practices, which include the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code, 2016,
Electricity laws, etc. Significant
amendments have taken place in their
niche practices, and they believe there
are more to come. They at Sharma &
Sharma have specialized teams for
such practices, especially when it
comes to corporate laws. They have a
team that comprises Chartered
Accountants and Company Secretaries
along with lawyers who are specialized
in the field of corporate law and
therefore assist the firm in not only
interpreting the laws but also making
sure that all the members of the firm,
including the partners and the
associates, are always up-to-date and
well-versed with any amendment that
takes place regarding corporate law.
Ensuring Legal Innovations
According to Sidhartha, keeping pace
with the evolving times and needs of
the industry and corporates, the firm
specializes in various areas. It is
proficient in providing effective,
prompt, and practical solutions,
making the firm a favoured choice by
domestic and international clients. The
firm aims to provide clear, concise, and
practical advice with time-bound
deliverables to support its clients and
achieve business objectives in the long
run. The firm's innovative and
pragmatic solutions extend beyond
practices and borders to suit all the
client's business needs.
The team of professionals understands
issues across a broad spectrum of
business and legal practices to deliver
commercially pragmatic advice.
The firm specializes in various practice
areas such as corporate restructuring
and insolvency, banking and finance,
capital markets and securities,
corporate advisory, cross-border
transactions, real estate laws, mining,
energy, dispute resolution and
arbitration, employment, environment,
FDI, governance risk and compliance,
intellectual property rights, joint
ventures, M&A and private equity.
Standing tall amidst the league of
eminent legal consultants in Sharma &
Sharma Advocates and Legal
Consultants has grown to an
incredible extent where clients
acknowledge them for their
array of services being
offered under one umbrella
within a time frame.
"The firm comprises of
advocates, chartered
accountants, company
secretaries,
professionals with
specialization in
management of business and engineers
to understand both the legal and
commercial aspirations and
expectations of our Clients, which has
set apart the law firm from its
contemporaries," states Sidhartha.
Pragmatic Vision
With a clear-cut vision and an intense
mission, Sidhartha puts that they have
achieved all their milestones in their
journey. The firm's vision is to provide
a prompt, feasible, and pragmatic
solution to the client for an overall
increase in productivity and ease in
carrying out trade and commerce.
Stating the core values and
philosophies, Sidhartha says, "We
believe in the importance of the
partners' involvement and accessibility
to its client. We also ensure that the
clients are kept well informed about
industrial development on a regular
basis." The firm's mission is to provide
dedicated, efficient, commercially
sound, and result-oriented solutions to
its clients.
Regarding the challenges they faced
and the most difficult obstacles they
surmounted, Sidhartha says that
litigation is a profession that thrives in
challenges. Every day in the court, you
will encounter some challenges or the
other. Every brief given to a practicing
advocate brings with it a challenge.
Every matter is as challenging as the
next, and you cannot distinguish any
one case as the most challenging.
"However, one key challenge I
particularly noticed in my professional
career was appreciating the
commercial and operational
practicalities while running an
organization. I had observed that
advocates often underplayed the
commercial and operational
practicalities and failed to give
18. "In addition, the firm is equipped with
professionals with specialization in
management of business and engineers
to understand and appreciate the
operational and commercial
aspirations and expectations of our
Clients," he states.
Being a major law firm, there are many
special services provided by Sharma &
Sharma Advocates and Legal
Consultants to its clients. In the fast-
developing revolutionary world of the
internet, people and their services are
accessible just a click away. Sidhartha
conveys, "We at Sharma & Sharma are
in line with the latest technological
development and have a strong and
distinctive presence on the internet,
having a reserved domain name and
website by the style of
www.sharmaandsharmalegal.com." In
addition to the above, they have a
strong and responsive social media
presence on LinkedIn, Google, and
other professional social media
platforms.
"We at Sharma & Sharma have evolved
a unique reporting system, styled as the
Record of Proceedings (ROP), wherein
the reporting of the hearing before a
court/tribunal is explained in detail to
our clients to make it easier for them to
understand and comprehend the main
issues involved in their disputes which
in turn makes our services and
expertise accessible to our clients. It
has been observed over a while that
the ROP has proven to be of great
assistance to our clients for being
completely up to date about their legal
matters," mentions Sidhartha.
They at Sharma & Sharma Advocates
and Legal Consultants also issue
periodic newsletters to their
connections and clientele to keep them
aware of the latest legal developments
and judicial precedents on numerous
law subjects. "We recommend any
person or entity who wishes to receive
the newsletters may communicate to us
at
contact@sharmaandsharmalegal.com,
and we shall duly circulate the
newsletters," he says.
A Flourishing Professional Family
Regarding Employee Welfare,
opportunities, and facilities provided to
them, Sidhartha reveals that Sharma &
Sharma Advocates and Legal
Consultants invest in its people.
"We treat our associates and staff
members as one family and ensure they
can maintain work-life balance. We
have an environment that supports
both personal and professional growth.
Anand Sharma
Senior Partner
19. “
The firm's vision is
to provide a prompt,
feasible, and pragmatic
solution to the client for an
overall increase in
productivity and ease in
carrying out trade and
commerce.
20.
21. We also believe in creating
opportunities for young minds and
constantly strive to support and
provide them with a platform to enable
themselves to flourish professionally
and otherwise."
They at Sharma & Sharma strongly
emphasize continuous learning of the
professionals. In this regard, Sharma &
Sharma publishes a monthly newsletter
to keep its members in line and up to
date with the latest judicial
pronouncements and amendments in
law. The firm also promotes and
encourages its associates to participate
in numerous seminars, workshops,
conferences alike, etc., with the object
of exchange of ideas and knowledge
development. "We offer internship
programs to final year law students,
select candidates based on their
potential/merits, and accordingly offer
them pre-placement offers. Our
employees can attend in-house training
programs to inculcate work-life
discipline as well as stay abreast," he
adds. They also regularly attend
conferences and workshops as speakers
and moderators.
Legal Social Contributions
As a law firm, a huge responsibility is
placed upon the institution. When
probed about how it fulfils its social
responsibilities and contributes to
society, Sidhartha says, "Advocacy in
itself is a very rewarding profession,
but at Sharma & Sharma, we always
believe that the greatest reward lies in
the pleasure of giving back to the
society. Not only does the firm,
particularly our Managing Partner,
Ms. Priyanka Sharma Tibrewal, invest
in pro bono matters, but it also makes
an effort to contribute to society in
many ways. We believe that individuals
and professionals should be aware of
their rights and duties and any other
such laws/statutes that may affect their
day-to-day functioning and assist them
in conducting their businesses
smoothly without any hindrance.
Keeping the same in mind, we organize
seminars for trade associates,
stakeholders' associations, individuals,
etc., to enlighten them regarding all the
relevant laws that may affect such
individuals or professionals."
They have also been successfully
executing specialized virtual legal aid
clinics from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM every
Saturday, where they deliver a free
legal opinion to individuals or entities
who cannot afford quality legal
assistance. Other than that, they also
publish newsletters on several virtual
platforms which contain details of all
the recent developments in law and
summaries of the latest landmark
judgments.
In his advice to the young generation
trying to create change or achieve
something through the law, Sidhartha
says that every individual who is a
practicing lawyer may have a very
different prospective when it comes to
achieving success in this profession.
"But I believe that every experienced
successful lawyer will agree that
perseverance, diligence, and hard work
has no alternative in this profession,"
he feels, adding that often, such young
lawyers will have to burn the midnight
oil, and many times they may feel
dejected. However, it is only at this
moment that their passion and
determination will lead them in the
right direction.
Speaking about their future strategies
and plans, Sidhartha shares that
growing in the field of law is what
every lawyer wants.
They at Sharma & Sharma believe that
the same can only be achieved through
team effort and productive output by
all members of the firm. To attain and
maintain the same, they shall adopt
such software that keeps track of the
deliverables by the professionals,
thereby keeping track of productivity.
By implementing such software, they
shall target to maximize productivity
but shall also keep a check on the
health of the professionals. "It has
come to our knowledge that several
unfortunate incidents had taken place
due to work pressure, and we at
Sharma & Sharma want to invest more
in healthcare for our professionals," he
concludes.
We at Sharma & Sharma
are in line with the latest technological
development and have a strong and distinctive
presence on the internet, having a reserved
domain name and website by the style of
www.sharmaandsharmalegal.com.
22.
23. CONTACT US
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24. June 2023 | 22 | www.theknowledgereview.com
Firms
Vital
Role LAW
The
Handling Legal
Challenges
in
of
T
he phenomenal progress made by
Ttechnology is making our businesses
and personal lives efficient and
comfortable. However, there arise certain
occasions of disagreements that need to be
resolved through professional legal experts
who can represent their case in court or
support in resolving the disputed matter
25. Overcoming Legal
Adversities
June 2023 | 23 | www.theknowledgereview.com
through a mutual settlement. The
importance of law firms has always
been underlined in numerous ways,
including representing cases in the
court, preparing the legal
documentation, initiating actions
towards building the case, delivering
justice, etc.
Law firms face an increasingly
competitive market as large accounting
firms, which withdrew their legal
practices from the market, are now
reestablishing their legal practices and
leveraging the intelligence gathered by
their auditing teams.
26. Organisations are also increasingly
appointing in-house counsel, thereby
reducing the amount of work available
to the market and increasing pressure
on firms to demonstrate value.
The legal industry is also experiencing
increased numbers of mergers and
acquisitions as a result of the amplified
competition, which results in
emotional, practical and time burdens
as different cultures are merged into
one.
Technological Challenges
The increasing competition has pushed
law firms to equip themselves with
modern ways of working. Several law
firms are implementing modern
software applications and tools to
increase their efficiency, expedite
communication and make this simple
and in control. Customers of this tech-
savvy generation are obtaining the
required knowledge using the
technologies and are prepared with
their requirements, what needs to be
done and even how to do it. Most of
the questions are easily answered
through technological tools and
applications like Google, Artificial
Intelligence (AI) ChatGPT and virtual
assistants.
Variable Fee Structure
As a result, clients of legal firms are
getting more intelligent and pickier.
Law companies are under increased
pressure to abandon the conventional
pricing model, where time is invoiced
in six-minute increments. With the
development of various charge
arrangements, including blended rates,
capped fees, set prices, value pricing,
staged costing, event costing, and
success fees, pricing models are
therefore changing. To manage
alternative fee structures and other
complex invoicing systems efficiently,
law firms must offer accurate,
dependable, and scalable data.
The Challenge of Information
Management
The so-called information overload has
led to a profusion of legal information
assets, making it difficult for law firms
even to identify and manage them.
Law companies are embracing social
media, information management
systems, and other technologies as a
result of technological advancements.
New working practices are made
possible by new technologies. For
instance, the cloud's storage capacity
enables the centralisation of customer,
case, and other company information,
enabling cost-effective remote access
from the office or home. Businesses
understand that BYOD initiatives can
boost employee productivity by
fostering a more adaptable work
environment, and device mobility
enables solicitors to access digital
documents in court.
Intranets, expert systems, online
dispute resolution platforms, and
knowledge management tools like
document management, decision
support, and artificial intelligence are
all used by law firms. Law companies
can search, manage, and retrieve
material that is held both internally and
externally, thanks to content
management systems. Due to potential
security concerns to client information
and problems with intellectual
property, few law firms have yet to
adopt social media.
Shift in Balance
The clientele of legal companies is
evolving. The distribution of age and
gender has changed, according to
experts. The average age of solicitors is
falling, while the percentage of female
solicitors is rising. Law businesses are
being forced to develop flexible
working arrangements like part-time
work and telework due to the rise in
female and younger legal professionals
and graduates. The issue for legal
firms, they highlight, is to offer flexible
working circumstances without the
'stigma of affirmative action' efforts
that benefit and 'accommodate' women,
as this deters employees from making
use of the opportunity.
Hindrances in Knowledge
Management
Putting knowledge management
practises into practice is one of the
biggest issues facing legal firms. Since
law firms are 'in the knowledge
business,' they must collaborate to
foster innovation, create adaptable,
agile organisations, build institutional
memory, and enhance both internal and
external effectiveness. There are few
financial or other incentives for
lawyers to teach their peers, however.
Since the time spent dealing with
clients is the main source of a lawyer's
revenue, those who use the billable
hour system don't want to spend time
on corporate knowledge management
tasks that can't be charged.
The new era has emerged with both
opportunities as well as challenges.
Similar to other business sectors, law
firms too need to develop a resilient
approach focusing on addressing client
concerns, using innovative ideas and
implementing the latest technological
applications. In a fast-evolving market
of high competition, it becomes
essential for law firms to adopt a
pragmatic and holistic approach with a
flexible and scalable mindset. The
bottom line remains the same, survival
of the adaptable.
June 2023 | 24 | www.theknowledgereview.com