The 10 Powerful Women Lawyers in 2018

1. www.insightssuccess.in November 2018

4. Editorial A 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. popular leader, Malala Yousafzai, once said, “Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who you can serve the world.” 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. Breaking the Shackles of Society 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! Sayali Rane

5. Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Senior Editor Shraddha Deshpande Managing Editor Rajarshi Chatterjee Executive Editor Sayali Rane Co-Editors Crescent, Rahul, Anmol Art & Design Director Amol Kamble Co-designer Shweta Ambilwade Picture Editor Alex Noel Priyanka rajage Art Editor Visualiser Sapana Shinde Business Development Manager Akansha Garewal Marketing Manager Dhruv Apte Business Development Executives Tejaswini,Ashwini,Sapna Research Analyst David Circulation Manager Vivek Bangade Database Management Prashant Chevale Technology Consultant Swapnil Patil sales@insightssuccess.com November 2018 Corporate Ofces: Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Off. No. 513 & 510, 5 Flr., Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017 Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85 Email: info@insightssuccess.in For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com th Cover Price : RS. 150/- https://twitter.com/insightssuccess Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ We are also available on : Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Printed and Published by Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd.

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

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

8. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL The Tale of Indian Judiciary T 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. raditionally, men dominated legal profession in India for a long time. A woman’s entry in this vertical not just 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. 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!

11. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL

12. Cover Story A 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. “ n investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”- Benjamin Franklin 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. 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. 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 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

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. 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. 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. Eternally Motivated Leader Shattering Stereotypes and Heading On 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. 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. 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, 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. SeamlesslyBalancing 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

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.

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17. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Management Company Name Brief Alba Law Offices is a full service law firm offering high quality legal services to the clients. Alba Law Offices albalawoffices.com Mitali yadav Founder IC Universal Legal, Advocates & Solicitors icul.in Kavitha Vijay Senior Partner IC Universal Legal is a dynamic full-service Indian law firm. K&T Law Offices delivers comprehensive legal solutions and high quality legal services to cooperate houses and individual clients. Payal Kakra Managing Partner K&T Law Offices kntlawoffices.com LawQuest LawQuest is an employment and immigration law firm, offering client centric legal and business solutions. Poorvi Chothani Partner lawquestinternational.com 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. Naks & Partners (Advocates & Solicitors) nakslaw.com Ritu Goyal Partner Phoenix Legal is a full service Indian law firm offering transactional, regulatory, advisory, dispute resolution and tax services. Phoenix Legal phoenixlegal.in Manjula Chawla Founding Partner Samvad: Partners Management Ltd samvadpartners.com Samvad: Partners is a full-service multidisciplinary Indian law firm and a leading advisor in various complex corporate and financial transactions. Vineetha Mg Co-founder 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 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 ZBA is a specialist law firm headquartered in Mumbai, India providing international quality legal services to Indian and overseas clients. ZBA zba.co.in Niloufer Lam Partner

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21. Interview With Insights Success A popular writer, William Arthur Ward, once said, “If you can dream, you can achieve it.” Let us hear 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 19 November 2018|

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 20 November 2018|

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. 21 November 2018|

24. rom the past few years, the legal sector has seen drastic transformation. The consistent and F 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. significant 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 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 22 November 2018|

25. New-age law 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 23 November 2018|

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. 24 November 2018|

28. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Kavitha Vijay in Succeeding ‘‘ A Pioneer Committed to Help Clients T are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela “ 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. here is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you 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. The spirit of our work is dictated by our vision to provide timely yet practical business solutions ‘‘ 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. 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. 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. 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 26 November 2018|

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. Senior Partner Kavitha Vijay 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. 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”. 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. Recognizing the Industry Challenges Vision for Future 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. 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. In terms of the working environment, the biggest challenge she recognizes is to set up a team environment where the 27 November 2018|

30. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Manjula Chawla Unstoppable Zeal ‘‘ The Brilliance in Corporate Law with an W 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. “ 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. hat we have done for ourselves remains with us; what we have done for We invest time in understanding our clients’ business enabling us to provide commercially oriented and innovative legal solutions ‘‘ 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.” 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 Alike any law graduate at her time, Manjula started her career as a 28 November 2018|

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. Founding Partner Manjula Chawla and financial institutions, funds, promoter groups, and Public Sector Undertakings. Passion and Determination: Catalysts of Success Established in the year 2008, this firm enjoys an unmatched client satisfaction. The RSG consulting had 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. 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. th 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. 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”. 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 29 November 2018|

34. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Mitali Yadav Solutions for Legal Issues ‘‘ Resolving and Suggesting Practical L 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. Meet the Influential Forerunner awyers have the power to inspire and serve the world with their potential. But, the 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. We strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. ‘‘ 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. 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. 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. 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. 32 November 2018|

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. Founder Mitali Yadav 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 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.” 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. 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. 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. 33 November 2018|

36. URGENT NEED For Innovation And With Advancement TECHNOLOGY IN LAW A 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. dvocates 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 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 34 November 2018|

37. Innovation in Law 35 November 2018|

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. 36 November 2018|

40. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Ritu Goyal ‘‘‘‘ An Epitome of Women Empowerment in Legal Arena L 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). egal profession is one of the noble professions amongst all. It plays a pivotal role in 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. A day without any value addition is a day wasted 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 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 38 November 2018|

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. Partner, Naks & Partners (Advocates & Solicitors) Ritu Goyal Technology and more) are the clients that have witnessed a positive outcome after taking its services. 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. “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.” 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. 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. 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, 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.” 39 November 2018|

42. Female Leadership W 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. omen view work more holistically, as a component of their overall life plan, in contrast to men, who tend 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. 40 November 2018|

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. 41 November 2018|

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. 42 November 2018|

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. 43 November 2018|

46. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Sundari R. Pisupati ‘‘‘‘ Committed and Experienced Leader with a Vision for Brilliance B 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. Journey since the Beginning of Her Career eing a lawyer requires a strong hold over communication, judgment, 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. Aspiring to be Trusted counsel for our clients 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. 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 44 November 2018|

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. Founder Partner Ms. Sundari R. Pisupati 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. 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.” 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.” 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 45 November 2018|

48. E 10 T H WOMEN LAWYERS IN 2018 POWERFUL Vineetha MG ‘‘ A Fervent Enthusiast Treasuring Her Dreams T 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. 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.” he legal profession in India is continually changing and evolving, bringing new 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! ‘‘ Challenges on the Way 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. 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 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 46 November 2018|

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. Co-founder Vineetha MG 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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.” 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 47 November 2018|