The 10 Rising Law Firm Startups To Watch In 2019

ISSUE - 2

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal 

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Executive Editor 

Sneha Sinha 

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Co-designer 

Shweta Ambilwade 

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Amar Sawant 

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Tanaji 

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June, 2019 

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RNI NUMBER: MAHENG/2018/75953

From the 

Editor 

The Rise of 

Corporate Law 

ith the rise in corporate companies 

Wand jobs in India, the role of a 

Corporate Lawyer has become 

eminent. Corporate Law, also known as 

Company Law or Corporations Law is fast 

becoming a sought after career option. The law 

defines and describes how various entities in a 

corporate environment like shareholders, 

directors, employees, etc. interact with each 

other and with the community. 

Over the ages, various laws and amendments 

have been introduced by the Government to 

ensure fair practices across corporates. It also 

takes care of various factors like competition, 

foreign investment, partnerships, sales, buyer 

protection and many more. A dedicated or 

in-house corporate lawyer in a company is 

responsible for taking care of business 

decisions in a legal way. It is his/her 

responsibility to make sure that the company 

does not get embroiled in a law violating 

decision, help it with tax issues, employee 

relations and also legal charges that come in 

the way of the company. 

Companies now agree to the requirement of a 

dedicated corporate lawyer, instead of the 

previously prevalent method of asking the CA or 

the CS for legal advice, they are now 

recognising the value of a thorough professional 

who is trained to do such tasks. Lawyers too are 

rising to the occasion and providing solutions 

that are effective and contemporary. They have 

taken to technology in doing so and are utilizing 

it with a penchant. The legal infrastructure is up 

for a facelift as it mingles around with the 

corporate culture and this blend is sure to 

benefit both in due course. 

Sneha Sinha

CONTENTS 

08 

COVER 

STORY 

INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS SUCCESS 

Vandana Shah 

and Associates 

Exceptional and Personalised 

Legal Services 

26 

Veritas Legal 

Empowering Corporates with 

Reformative Legal Expertise 

32 

For the People 

BRINGING JUSTICE SWIFTLY 

ARTICLE

16 

20 

Rajeshwari & Associates 

Providing Insightful Advice 

and Seamless Services 

Rishabh Gandhi And Advocates 

A Name Synonymous for 

Comprehensive Legal Solutions 

34 

CXO Standpoint 

Ease of Doing Business 

– Banking and Insurance Industry 

24 

Atlas Law Partners 

A Rising Star in 

the Legal Firmament 

36 

Corp Comm Legal 

Providing Sincere and 

Professional Legal Solutions 

40 

42 

JusContractus 

Providing Efficacious 

Solutions to Challenging 

Legal Issues 

Samisti Legal 

Leveraging Expertise to 

Provide Quality Legal 

Services

1The 

Rising 

LAW FIRM 

To Watch In 2019 

Keeping Corporates Bound by Law 

company, apart from keeping an eye on profits, must also take care of the legal aspects. Different 

Acountries have different laws governing the functioning of companies that must be followed at all 

cost. These laws outline and highlight what is expected of a company and how it should go about its 

daily business. As such, it makes total sense to have a separate and dedicated legal department like other 

department. 

Corporate Lawyers today have stepped up to the task of handling the legal matters of various companies. They 

might be working in-house with the company or a separate law firm which caters to multiple clients and offers 

end-to-end solutions. In this issue of Insights Success, we are glad to enlist “The 10 Rising Law Firm to 

Watch In 2019”. 

These firm advice and take care of the legal matters of corporate clients with utmost sincerity and 

professionalism while they take care of their profits and targets. 

The Cover Story of this issue features Veritas Legal, a legal firm that is empowering corporates with 

reformative legal expertise. 

Rajeshwari & Associates, a full-service law firm, with expertise extending across a wide spectrum of areas 

amongst diverse industries and sectors is our Outstanding Law Firm. 

Featuring as the Prominent Law Firm in this issue is Rishabh Gandhi and Advocates, a multidisciplinary Law 

Firm based in Pune having reputation for its expertise and excellence in a bouquet of diversified legal services. 

Also featuring in this issue are Atlas Law Partners, a boutique corporate and transactional advisory firm, Corp 

Comm Legal, a corporate/commercial laws focused firm, JUSCONTRACTUS, a full-service law firm, and 

Samisti Legal LLP, an emerging Law Firm in Hyderabad specializing in niche areas of Corporate Laws. 

Companies who also made it to the enlisting are Aureus Law Partners, Dhaval Vussonji & Associates and 

Ezy Laws. 

The issue also highlights the viewpoint of Ashok Dhingra and Sonia Gupta, Partners at Ashok Dhingra 

Associates, who share their insight about Ease of Doing Business – Banking and Insurance Industry. The 

insightful interview of Vandana Shah, Founder, Vandana Shah and Associates showcases her strength and 

resolve. Read about various schemes aimed at speeding up the courts in our in-house article Bringing Justice 

Swiftly from For the People. 

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did while creating it!!



LAW FIRM 


“Our success is driven by our core values which form 

the very foundation in defining our cohesive culture 

and what we stand for as a team.”

The current developments in the 

Indian business eco-system, 

marked by the ever-evolving 

startup culture, have instigated a 

necessity in being au fait with the 

requisites of these developments, and 

the prominent of them being the sphere 

of Business or Commercial Law. For a 

fact, the discipline of Law, or much 

precisely, the science and art of justice, 

in its essence is complex for the 

common multitude to comprehend 

efficiently. This fact, in turn, leads us to 

the justification, as to why professional 

advocates play a significant role when 

it comes to legal conjectures within all 

spheres under the umbrella. Now, 

evidently, these notions of significance 

and the quest for unparalleled expertise 

have cleared the path for us at Insights 

Success in our endeavor to seek and 

unveil the 10 rising law firms in India, 

and brought us to the gates of Veritas 

Legal, Mumbai. 

Established in 2015, Veritas Legal is a 

boutique business law firm comprising 

of experienced professionals who have 

worked in leading law firms in the 

country. The firm has extensively 

emphasized upon mergers and 

acquisitions, corporate commercial 

advisory, transactions and dispute 

resolution and has successfully carved 

a niche for itself in the highly 

competitive legal market in India. The 

firm’s congregation of experienced, 

motivated and dedicated lawyers 

thrives on energy and complexity. Its 

clients benefit tremendously from the 

team’s unparalleled skills blended with 

Veritas Legal’s culture, personal 

attention and streamlined advice that it 

provides. The firm’s success is driven 

by its core values which form the very 

foundation in defining its cohesive 

culture, and what it stands for as a 

team. The key practice areas of the 

Firm include Mergers & Acquisitions, 

Private Equity, Dispute Resolution, 

Real Estate, Retail & Franchising, 

Competition law, Banking & Finance, 

Private Client practice, Restructuring 

“We have a 

sense of 

direction and we 

believe in our 

values, hard 

work, quality 

and solid 

implementation, 

and beyond that 

time will tell the 

story, if we are 

deserving of it” 

& Insolvency and Data Protection and 

Privacy. 

In its initial stages, the firm was only a 

team of five lawyers. Through the 

course of time, it has grown 

exponentially, and in less than four 

years, the firm’s strength accounts to 

approximately 60 people including 40 

lawyers. As is the case, with the initial 

journey, there were a fair number of 

challenges, however, the client 

confidence in the firm and its people 

has been unwavering, thereby making 

the firm’s journey an exhilarating one. 

Recently, Veritas Legal was ranked in 

the Top 10 Law Firms by Deal Value 

and Deal Count for India in the 

Mergermarket Global & Regional 

M&A Report Q1 2019; and ranked #6 

by Deal Volume and #7 by Deal Count 

for the India Announced Deals in the 

Bloomberg Global M&A Market 

Review Q1 Legal Rankings 2019. The 

firm has been consistently ranked in 

the Mergermarket, Bloomberg, 

Thomson Reuters and Venture 

Intelligence league tables for India and 

other global rankings. The firm and its 

members have also been recognized in 

the RSG India Report 2017 in the top 

40 India ranking, Chambers and 

Partners (Asia-Pacific and Global 

Guides), IFLR1000, IBLJ, Benchmark 

Litigation, Asian Legal Business and 

Asialaw Profiles. (Source: LinkedIn, 

veritaslegal.in, mergermarket.com) 

The Torch of Leadership 

Veritas Legal has been consistently 

ascending the stairs of unmatched 

excellence under the leadership of 

Abhijit Joshi, the firm’s Founder and 

Managing Partner. From the flames 

of his inquisitive nature, his inclination 

towards logic-based solutions acting as 

a catalyst, and being apathetic towards 

math and science, conceived Abhijit’s 

decision of choosing law as a 

profession. With a prominent career 

spanning across 25 years, Abhijit is a 

qualified Solicitor in India and England 

and one of India’s leading Corporate 

and M&A lawyers. 

Abhijit has been recognized in The 

A-List: India’s top 100 lawyers by 

India Business Law Journal and ranked 

in Band-1 for Corporate/M&A by the 

prestigious Chambers & Partners Asia 

Pacific Guide for a few years now. In 

addition, he has received many 

accolades including ‘Highly Regarded’ 

lawyer by IFLR1000. He has in the 

past received the Financial Times 

Innovation Award (Asia Pacific) for a 

complex merger transaction. 

Addressing Contemporary 

Challenges 

Abhijit strongly believes that the legal 

profession in the last two decades has 

changed dramatically, trying to keep 

pace with the economic evolution of 

the country and consequently, many 

new laws have evolved. Pertaining to 

the same landscape, the legal 

profession is away from 

institutionalization considering it is

“Cumulation of jobs small and big done well, aggregates 

into goodwill and that’s what we are busy working towards” 

presently devoid of competition from foreign law 

firms. Growth on one side and lack of 

institutionalization on the other, sometimes creates 

an unhealthy tension for the evolution of the legal 

profession and developing a centre of excellence 

within the country. This also sometimes results in a 

lack of consolidation and over fragmentation in the 

market, which is not necessarily good for the legal 

industry at large. 

Upholding Culture, Achieving Distinction 

Veritas Legal has established a Pro Bono Program 

to ensure access to justice, promote the rule of law, 

provide legal services to those unable to afford a 

lawyer, and to assist clients to achieve their 

Corporate Social Responsibility objectives. The Pro 

bono service has been an integral part of the firm’s 

culture and is the backbone of the value system, 

which is clearly demonstrated from the firm’s and 

its lawyers’ involvement in several cases, one of 

which includes, being appointed as an Amicus Curie 

by the Bombay High Court in a Public Interest 

Litigation to assist the Division Bench of the High 

Court in regard to the issue regarding the right of 

inmates to practice their own religion during the 

tenure of their sentences in prisons all over India. 

The firm has recently announced a 40% average 

increase of fixed remuneration across all associate 

levels for the Financial Year 2019-20(Source: IBLJ). 

This is a substantial increase and puts a 4-year old 

Firm significantly in line with the Tier-I law Firms 

in India as far as remuneration is concerned. The 

firm expects to attract even better talent with the 

above announcement and has also embarked on 

structured internship programs with various law 

schools. 

“Culture continues to be the cornerstone of our 

philosophy, but the remuneration in line with the top 

tier of the industry is essential for any platform, 

which intends to deliver high quality services to 

clients. It has taken us a little time given that we are 

only 4 years old, but this move has been on our 

mind for a while,” Abhijit expresses. 

Exhibiting Prominence 

Ÿ RSG India Top 40 Law Firm 2017 

Clients praised Veritas Legal for a number of 

reasons, namely, lawyers’ ’exceptional knowledge 

of all legal issues’ and ability to provide a 

’personalised service’. Some clients commented 

on attitudes and culture at the firm, highlighting 

trust in its lawyers, their integrity and willingness 

to help. Clients also noted the efficiency with 

which the firm delivered legal services and 

praised its ‘phenomenal work’' 

Ÿ Asialaw Profiles 2019 

“The firm consists of a young team of 

professionals who are extremely dedicated to 

their clients and have in depth knowledge of the 

law as well as the facts. The firm is able to 

understand the client’s requirements, give 

practical advice and adapt to the situation at hand. 

Extremely nimble and always on hand, thereby 

instilling a great level of confidence in the client.” 

– Corporate and M&A, Dispute resolution, 

Regulatory 

Ÿ Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2018 

“Veritas Legal provides strategic advice and has 

business acumen. Further, it is able to deliver 

within stringent timelines with high quality advice 

and drafting. It also has strong negotiation skills. 

The firm is very responsive, has strong bench 

strength and well-seasoned professionals. Access 

to partner time and attention on matters 

strengthens clients’ confidence in working with 

the firm.” – Commercial and transactions 

Ÿ Chambers and Partners 2019 

Commentators highlight the team as “an 

emerging firm in the M&A space.”

Photo Courtesy - Mr. Kunal Bhende (Partner & Creative Director at Nomsans Creative) 

Bequeathing Success, Beholding the Future 

In his advice to the budding entrepreneurs and startups, Abhijit 

says, “the first lesson for any entrepreneur, in my view, would 

be for them to know their own business. Often there is haste or 

allure to many success stories without much concentration on 

the substance. The second aspect is that every entrepreneur 

should look into is scalability of their business. Great ideas are 

worth little if they cannot be implemented and even if 

implemented, are not scaled to its potential. Therefore, 

sustained implementation plays a huge role in the success of 

any organization.” 

Commenting upon the future prospects of Veritas Legal, Abhijit 

says, “We see India poised to grow and along with it, the legal 

industry will also grow exponentially.” The firm plans to grow 

deeper into specialization and has added senior resources in 

Bankruptcy and Real Estate practice. “We will grow, but in a 

calibrated fashion, deeper as opposed to wider whilst 

continuing to remain true to our values. The rest will follow,” 

he concludes. 

“Pro Bono service 

has been an integral 

part of the Firm’s 

culture and is the 

backbone of the 

value system”

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in

JUNE 2019 16

17 JUNE 2019



With each passing day, the corporate world is 

witnessing transformations like never before. In 

this new-age of tech-enabled discoveries and 

rapid advancements, it is necessary for an organization to 

place its best foot forward in staying aware about its rights, 

responsibilities, legal risks and various legal solutions for 

creating a niche in its sector. 

Rishabh Gandhi And Advocates (RGAA) is an Indian 

multidisciplinary Law Firm striving with a vision to roll out 

comprehensive legal solutions to the client organizations. 

Holding the reins of ethical and quality Law practice, 

commitment, mutual trust, and client contentment, RGAA is 

truly breaking the traditional legal shackles and 

benchmarking its presence in India and overseas. With a 

decade of concrete endeavors, RGAA now stands at the 

forefront of expertise and excellence. Its curated set of 

services is the evidence to its legal knacks. 

“ 

We believe in giving back to 

the society and strive for it 

continuously 

“ 

Being an ISO 9001:2015 certified full-service law Firm; its 

services define the true essence of ethical standards and 

quality management to the core. In 2018, it has been 

bestowed with the ‘Most Promising Corporate Legal 

Consultant’ award by Silicon India. Currently, the Firm 

provides legal solutions to a diversified client base that 

includes multinational companies, start-ups, corporate 

entities, commercial, real estate enterprises, and banks & 

financial institutions. It keeps no stone unturned to quench 

the needs of Government bodies and public sector 

undertakings, educational and charitable trusts, and other 

associations as well as individuals. 

Treading an Extra Mile 

Over the years, the Firm has resolutely spread its wings 

across different areas including Alternative Dispute 

Resolution, Consumer Law, Corporate and Commercial 

Law, Capital Market, Compliances, and Drafting & 

Conveyance. It provides services related to Insolvency and 

Bankruptcy, Private Equity Information Technology and 

Cyber Law, Intellectual Property Law, Civil and 

Commercial Litigation, Real Estate and Construction, 

Environment Law, and Family Law & Estate Advisory. 

Besides, Formation of Trusts, Apartment, Condominium 

and Societies, Insurance and Banking Law, Criminal Law 

are some of the other practice areas that RGAA focuses on. 

Under Rishabh’s aegis, the Firm conducts weekly 

brainstorming sessions for its employees to keep them 

updated regarding the recent judgments, laws, amendments, 

etc. Motivating employees to participate and represent the 

Firm at various seminars and workshops in order to develop 

their overall knowledge and skillsets has played a pivotal 

role in RGAA’s success. The employees represent RGAA in 

acting as judges at various national and international moot 

court competitions conducted by various Law Colleges in 

Pune. 

The Firm is on a mission to craft out Pro bono and free 

legal services for the marginalized communities and 

underserved populations. It is making assiduous moves to 

change the complete scenario for the masses that seek 

justice and lack economic resources with its able solutions. 

The Firm strongly believes in ‘Giving back to the Society’. 

Team RGAA is inclined with charity and community work, 

thereby treading an extra mile to quench the societal duties 

and responsibilities. Apart from all this, it is also a member 

of the District Legal Services Authority. 

An Advisory Note 

The recent times is seeing a surge of ideas, innovations, and 

startups which have the potential to disrupt the business 

world with its full pace. However, laying the foundation of 

a startup in an ecosystem without being aware of the laws 

governing them is not an easy task for a neophyte. 

At present, the AI-based online legal portals and software 

are thinning down the human touch from the legal space. 

The new-age digital world is successfully driving the startup 

community and other cost-conscious clients towards the 


Prominent Law Firm 

“ 

Holding the reins of 

ethical & quality Law 

practice, commitment, 

mutual trust, & client 

contentment 

“ 

MEET THE MULTIFACETED PERSONA 

Rishabh Gandhi 

Founder 

An Advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of 

Maharashtra & Goa, a former Trial Court Judge and 

academician at heart, Rishabh Gandhi is the 

Managing Partner at RGAA. He is an Arbitrator and a 

Mediator associated with Mediation and Conciliation 

Project Committee of the Supreme Court of India. He 

has completed his Master’s degree in Law from Pune 

University, wherein he efficaciously bagged a Gold 

Medal and a Fellowship from Maharashtra State 

Education Board. Further, pursuing a Diploma in 

Cyber Laws and a Post Graduate Diploma in IPR Laws 

has added an extra plus to his legal proficiency. His 

extraordinary academic and extracurricular 

performance was appreciated and felicitated by 

Hon’ble Vilasrao Deshmukh – former Chief Minister 

of Maharashtra. 

He read Law at the chambers of Hon’ble Dr. D. Y. 

Chandrachud – former Bombay High Court Judge 

and Fox Mandal Little and Co., Mumbai. Initially, he 

was a Junior Advocate at the Law Chambers of Karnik 

and Karnik Advocates, Pune and Associate Advocate 

at the J. S. Wad and Co. He has been visiting professor 

of law at ILS Law College, and D.E.S. (Fergusson) Law 

College and Department of Law – Savitribai Phule 

Pune University, in Pune, to ignite the young minds 

with his legal expertise and wide-ranging 

experience. 

Rishabh has presented and published research 

papers and articles on multifarious legal issues at 

various national and international Journals and 

Seminars. He is a member and associate of Pune Bar 

Association, Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce 

Industries and Agriculture, Bhandarkar Institute of 

Oriental Research, Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya and 

Young International Council for Commercial 

Arbitration. Being a Panelist Judge for Jan-lok Adalat 

at National Commission for Women’s Rights plays a 

vital role in his success journey. He has been a Legal 

Advisor for companies belonging to diversified 

industries alongside advising venture capitalists on 

complex Private Equity transactions, led Mergers 

and Acquisitions, and conducted Corporate 

Restructuring of several companies. 

Today, his exemplary knowledge in the fields of 

Arbitration and Civil & Commercial Litigation, along 

with the wide-ranging experience has given him an 

extra edge to evolve as a multifaceted persona. 


“ 

Rendering continuum of legal services across the globe 

“ 

tech-enabled online legal portals. For the existing and 

emerging lawyers, keeping up with times and changing the 

way of doing business is becoming the need of the hour. 

On the other hand, an individual should take into account 

the seriousness of the legal principle ‘ignorance of the law 

can never be an excuse’ emphasizing that one may not 

escape liability for violating a law due to unawareness of its 

content. Acknowledging this scenario, the Firm advices the 

novices to build legally compliant and ethical organizations, 

that would withstand the complexities of the legitimate 

world in the long run. 

Bringing in ‘Change’ that Matters! 

RGAA believes that ‘Court Infrastructure’ plays a key role 

in instilling laws and rendering Justice effectively. There are 

voluminous pending cases and vacancies for Judges in 

Indian Courts that is hampering the speedy disposal of 

cases, whereas the public at large is not proactive, and fails 

to use and enforce their rights due to lack of awareness. 

Keeping this in mind, the Firm is intends to revolutionize 

the legal landscape by launching its branches in metro cities 

and broadening its catena of services. It is planning to attain 

healthy associations with the Law Firms in Singapore and 

London. It aims to establish its own Arbitration and 

Mediation Centre in the near future. It is also taking crucial 

steps to creating its own Educational Videos and a Journal 

intending to pass on a better world for the Gen Z. 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

LAWS TO KNOW 

Before any Judicial or Quasi-Judicial authority, 

everyone has a right to be represented 

through a Lawyer. 

A Complaint can be made against deficiency 

and defect in goods and services, under the 

Consumer Protection Act, 1956. 

Irrespective of the date of birth, women are 

entitled to equal share in ancestral property as 

coparceners, as per the Amendment in 2005 

to Hindu Succession Act of 1956. 

Ÿ Under Section 185 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, 

if a police officer finds 100 ml. of alcohol in a 

person’s blood while driving then he or she 

can be arrested for drunken driving. 

Ÿ 

According to Indian Sarais Act, 1867 any 

individual can ask for water free of charge 

from any hotel at any time for themselves and 

their pets. Furthermore, he or she can use the 

washroom for free. 




LAW FIRM 


Atlas Law Partners 

In a dynamic economy such as 

India, one needs more than just 

business acumen to run a business 

successfully. Apart from financial and 

human resource experts, it is important 

to have the right legal experts. The 

common thought-process is ‘one needs 

a lawyer only when there’s a major 

legal issue’. However, in today’s 

business world a lawyer is not merely a 

legal advisor but also a strategic and 

commercial counsellor to the clients. 

Liaising with corporate houses and 

businesses to provide them with timely 

corporate and transactional advisory 

are Harry Chawla and Niti Paul, 

Founders of Atlas Law Partners 

(ALP). The boutique corporate and 

transactional advisory firm specializes 

in corporate commercial laws, mergers 

& acquisitions, real estate, banking & 

finance, private client practice matters, 

regulatory matters, antitrust / 

competition laws, insolvency & 

bankruptcy and litigation & dispute 

resolution. It started as a two-member 

team in 2016 and is now represented 

by sixteen lawyers and four partners. 

Experienced Founders 

Harry joined the law practice in 1990 

and has been a part of several leading 

Indian law firms, including the 

erstwhile Amarchand Mangaldas, 

CAM, L & L Law Offices. He started 

his independent firm Chawla & Co. in 

2001 which later merged with the 

erstwhile Amarchand Mangaldas in 

2007. 

“The Founders 

have brought 

recognition to 

the firm through 

their established 

names and 

rankings in the 

legal market in 

India and 

outside” 

Niti was admitted to the bar in 1999 

and started her career as in-house 

counsel for Rolls Royce India. She has 

also worked with leading Indian law 

firms such as erstwhile Amarchand 

Mangaldas and CAM. 

Both the Founding Partners regard the 

practice of Law as not just a noble 

profession, but also as catalyst for 

development and evolution of the 

society and growth of businesses. The 

practice is intellectually stimulating 

and challenging, which makes work 

every day all more interesting. The role 

of lawyers has evolved from firefighters 

and problem solvers to 

strategic and commercial advisors who 

are involved in board room decision 

making as well. 

Areas of Practice 

Atlas Law Partners has expertise in 

· Corporate Commercial Laws 

· Mergers & Acquisitions 

· Private Equity 

· Real Estate 

· Banking & Finance 

· Private Client Practice 

Matters 

· Regulatory Matters 

· Antitrust / Competition Laws 

· Insolvency & Bankruptcy 

· Litigation & Dispute 

Resolution 

The Founders are well-renowned in the 

Indian corporate commercial legal 

market and have often received 

accolades that boost their presence in 


Niti Paul 

Co-founder 

Harry Chawla 

Co-founder 

the market like the “Banking & 

Finance Law Firm of The Year - India 

by ACQ5 Global Awards 2019”. 

The Legal System and its Challenges 

Like any other profession, the legal 

one is also hounded by many issues. 

Some of the key challenges faced by 

Indian law firms as per the ALP team 

are: 

a) Reigning in costs by moving from 

a traditional hourly billable format 

to fixed fee matters. 

b) Achieving super specialization to 

face intense competition heads on. 

c) Threat from accounting / 

consulting firms who have been 

investing heavily in their legal 

services arm. 

d) Selection, grooming and retention 

of talent with thousands of lawyers 

entering the legal market on a 

regular basis. 

Apart from these what also bothers the 

Legal Fraternity is the gap between 

Law Formulation and Law 

Enforcement. The founders believe that 

laws exist to fill in the various gaps 

created by society and the actions of 

men. However, the enforcement of 

these laws is far from satisfactory. To 

explain their view, they give the 

example of the recently formulated 

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. 

They feel, “It is a comprehensive 

statute that seeks to cover all plausible 

situations involved in the insolvency 

resolution of a company. However, in 

terms of implementation, the road to 

success is slow and ever-changing. The 

fine-tuning of the law continues to 

date.” 

But the founders are also positive 

about the future as they see the 

younger generation take up law more 

seriously. They feel that start-ups and 

entrepreneurs in the law firm space 

need to identify their niche practice 

areas and work with a focus towards 

developing these. In this day and age 

of super specialization, it is important, 

especially for start-up law firms to 

identify their practice areas and hire 

the right talent for these practice areas 

and industry sectors. 

Looking Ahead 

As its future prospect, Atlas Law 

Partners endeavours to grow from 

strength to strength. The founders say, 

“We see our prospects increasing in 

leaps and bounds in our areas of 

specializations including banking & 

finance, mergers and acquisitions and 

real estate. We also see ourselves 

growing in the startup space, 

representing investors and startups 

alike from an early stage seed 

investment to a 6th / 7th round of 

funding. Our competition law practice, 

particularly in regards to merger 

control filing, is recent and has 

received successful approvals one after 

another.” The ALP team is a small but 

effective one, and it hopes to grow in 

numbers and transactions size and 

volume year on year. 


Vandana Shah 

Founder 

The Indian Society, however 

progressive, still considers 

Divorce as a taboo. There are 

various myths and prejudices attached 

to the whole process of divorce. Life 

becomes even more complicated for 

women who are just out of wedlock. 

With a steely resolve, Vandana Shah 

along with her support group is trying 

to change this outlook, one divorce 

case at a time. 

In the following Interview with 

Insights Success, she shares her story 

of fighting for herself and more like 

her. 

1. Brief us about yourself and your 

company 

Vandana Shah, the award winning 


Interview with Insights Success 

Divorce Lawyer, Author and Columnist, who has been 

fighting to get justice to numerous women across the social 

demographic has now been empanelled by the prestigious 

National Commission for Women to represent cases filed by 

women or against them in the state of Maharashtra - which 

are specifically referred by National Commission for 

Women. 

Renowned lawyer and columnist, Vandana has a thriving 

law practice, and specializes in Divorce cases. BBC has 

made a documentary, ‘Invisible Women of India, about her 

work’. She is also the author of ‘Ex-Files-The Story of my 

divorce’ published by Penguin under the Shobhaa De 

imprint. Ex-Files is now part of the Judicial College 

syllabus. Vandana has been involved with the family court 

since 2001 in varying roles as a litigant then a counsellor in 

running India’s first support group – “360 degrees back to 

life”, has been lauded by Gloria Steinem, the world’s 

foremost feminist who has endorsed her previous book. 

She has also translated a book written by the Jain Saints. 

Her work has been lauded both by the National as well as 

the International media. She has been a panellist frequently 

on BBC, NDTV amongst others and at various Literary 

Festivals. 

She is also Divorce Law Consultant for Priyanka Chopra’s 

new film Firebrand, directed by Arunaraje Patil, currently 

trending on Netflix and nominated for several Mahrati film 

awards. 

2. Kindly brief us about the initial journey and your 

contribution towards the upliftment of the of the 

company? 

With a paltry sum of Rs. 750, I was the Daughter in Law of 

a respectable family out on the streets at about 2 am in the 

night with nothing but tears in my eyes, bewilderment at the 

cruelty of my new found family of my husbands, yet When 

I walked out, I had dreams in my heart and the grit and 

determination to survive. I said to myself, “I must amount 

to something in life. No one will ever trample upon me 

again because I will be a ‘somebody’, and the ‘something’ 

that this ‘somebody’ eventually did was to not only turn my 

own life around full 360 degree!) but also helped thousands 

of other women, in similar predicaments seeking a new 

identity and meaning to life. 

My own divorce took 10 long years, but instead of sitting 

and moping around looking for sympathy or being a victim, 

I decided to be a ‘Victor’. I set up India’s first nonjudgmental 

divorce support group for those going through a 

divorce, which challenges the mores of a patriarchal 

middle-class society that obviously has different rules and 

expectations for women and then, wrote a book ‘360 

degrees back to life - a litigant humorous perspective on 

divorce’ based on the experiences of the support group. 

Each time, a new obstacle came I just learned to either jump 

over it or sidestep it. My father who was a fighter pilot with 

the Indian Air taught me how to shoot down problems as 

though they are the enemy and my mum taught me how to 

be a risk taker. So essentially, I would think that the path to 

be extremely empowered and successful in life is to let go 

of negativity and only focus on positivity. 

3. What are the distinct areas of practice of the 

company? 

The primary focus of Vandana Shah and Associates is 

Family Law. We have experience of cases in Mumbai and 

other parts of India. 

As I have recently been empanelled by the National 

Commission for Women to handle sexual assault cases for 

them my firm has also begun to handle sexual assault cases 

referred to us by the NCW. These cases are handled 

pro-bono by myself and my associates. 

I have also recently branched out into consumer law. This is 

still an underdeveloped area of Indian law as not many 

Indians are aware of their rights in this area. I feel they 

would benefit greatly from the experience I can In addition 

to litigation offered by Vandana Shah and Associates we 

also have an application called Divorcekart, India’s first 

legal app that focuses on answering legal queries regarding 


“Ignorantia juris non excusat”- 

Ignorance of Law is no excuse. 

Since ignorance of the law is no excuse and I am practicing in 

the Family Court I would like to focus on laws relating to divorce 

that men and women should be aware of. Men and women 

should be aware of maintenance, alimony, child access and 

child custody. 

Laws women need be aware of while filing for a divorce - 

Hence women should be aware of Section 24 of the Hindu 

Maintenance Act, 1955 which discusses interim maintenance. 

Women should also be aware of Section 25 of the Hindu 

Marriage Act, 1955 which discusses permanent alimony after a 

divorce. 

Laws men need be aware of while filing a divorce - 

Similarly, men should be aware of Section 26 of the Hindu 

Marriage Act which focuses on child custody. 

divorce instantly. The App is available free on both IOS and 

Android platform. It serves as an online help platform for 

those couples, who may feel that the marriage is over, and 

is unsure of their legal rights and process if and when they 

file the divorce. The app is only being a help platform to 

understand one’s legal rights and would not recommend or 

advise any person to end a marriage or continue with it. 

Divorcekart is currently manned by a 

team of legal experts vetted and trained 

by myself. There is always a lawyer 

available around the clock 24/7 even in 

the night shift. The advocates at 

Divorcekart also carry out legal research 

related to Divorcekart ensuring they are 

up to date with all the latest legal 

matters. 

4. Share with us challenges faced by 

law firms in India? 

i) The judicial system being clogged up 

means cases take too long to resolve. 

ii) Since cases take long to resolve 

clients become impatient and frustrated 

often losing faith in the legal system. 

5. Please share with us the firm’s view 

on the gap between Law Formulation 

and Law Enforcement 

They should also be aware a complaint under section 498-A 

does not lead to an immediate arrest. 

As we put on our best face forward for 

India’s Independence Day celebrations, 

I experienced a chest-thumping kind of 

pride for our values reflected in the 

Constitution and Fundamental Rights guaranteed to every 

citizen of Free India. Several brave judgements by the 

judiciary—ranging from the 12 June 1975 verdict of the 

Allahabad High Court convicting then Prime Minister 

Indira Gandhi of electoral malpractices and debarring her 


from holding any elected post, to the Supreme Court in 

March 2015 striking down Section 66A of the IT Act which 

allowed unjustified arrests for “objectionable” content 

online—have been hailed as reflecting the kind of freedoms 

that only a mature society would allow an individual. A free 

and progressive judiciary determines whether a country’s 

fabric is healthy and robust or if it’s a combustible country 

like North Korea and certain nations in Africa and the 

Middle East which have little or no judicial system to speak 

of. 

Did you know we are entitled to free drinking water even in 

coffee shops? Or that there is recourse to being refused a 

ride by an auto driver? 

The judiciary in India can’t be bought, contrary to what 

some may have felt in the cases of powerful stars such as 

Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. After all, for every one of 

these there is a Subrata Roy who despite being one of the 

wealthiest industrialists in the country has spent time in jail 

(of course writing books from there), or a Chhagan Bhujbal 

who in spite of being the Deputy Chief Minister of 

Maharashtra in cooling his heels in prison. 

However, what dilutes the impact of these path-breaking 

judicial decisions is the complete ignorance displayed by a 

majority of people when it comes to law. And if and when 

they do become entangled in legal matters they are at a 

complete loss. How can we not build awareness of the 

law when it is one of the strongest pillars of society and 

a country? It’s like living in a swanky high rise without 

knowing whether there is a safe and strong foundation. Our 

role has to go beyond uninterested and cynical to involved 

and pro-active to form well-informed opinions. Perhaps 

then it won’t be as easy to be dismissive of the law and 

believe and act on what is rightfully granted to us. The law 

is not a lofty ideal encased in a gilded vault with the keys 

with only a fortunate few—rather, it is enmeshed in our 

daily lives. Did you know we are entitled to free drinking 

water even in coffee shops, which often force us to buy 

overpriced bottled water, claiming that the regular stuff is 

not available? Or that there is recourse to being refused a 

ride by an auto driver (I am sure that everyone, especially 

those in Delhi, are jumping to find out what that is!)? 

Perhaps it’s time to pull out our phones and start googling 

“Fundamental Rights in India”, rather than going through 

the rest of our lives blindly. Also remember this, 

ignorance of law is not an excuse for having committed 

a crime and you’ll have to serve time. So if in doubt it’s 

better to check to see if you’re running afoul or not! 

Now that our nation has been free for seven decades, let us 

also free ourselves from ignorance of the law to rightfully 

claim our place in the sunrise of India. 

6. What should be your advice for budding start-ups 

and entrepreneurs in the industry? 

The most important thing is to have a clear business plan 

before setting out. I had a very clear idea for Divorcekart 

which was to democratise legal solutions and give the 

power back to the litigant by shedding light and 

transparency on a hidden area of law. You must chalk out a 

plan to get to your desired destination and along the way 

keep customizing it to achieve your goal. 

Secondly be prepared to learn constantly. As my start up is 

in the I.T sphere I am constantly adapting and learning 

concerning that industry. Not adapting to the circumstances 

just leads to futile hard work instead of productive smart 

work. 

Thirdly remember there’s no failure but changed 

opportunities is what our mindset should be. No guts, no 

glory. Remember if you never take a risk you will never 

prosper. 

7. Brief us about your company’s future prospects 

Divorcekart and Vandana Shah and Associates will become 

a global one stop solution for all legal issues. We are 

creative, original and hardworking so to be leaders in the 

noble profession of law is our destiny. 


BRINGING 

JUSTICE 

SWIFTLY 

t is said, “Justice delayed is Justice Denied”. An efficient judiciary is characterised by how quickly and 

Icorrectly it brings justice to the needy. To reduce the number of pending cases and the turn—around time 

for general cases, the Indian Judiciary has taken some very effective measures. Fast-track Courts, Nyaya 

Mitra Scheme, and Gram Nyayalaya are three such steps taken for the welfare of the general public. Here’s 

how these schemes are working out: 

Fast-track Courts – Creation of Fast Track Courts (FTCs) was recommended by the Eleventh Finance 

Commission in the year 2000. It aimed at creating 1734 FTCs across the country with an aim to dispose of 

long pending cases in the Sessions courts and under trial prisoners. To put up the mechanism in place, the 

central Finance Ministry released funds to the State Governments directly. The term of the scheme ended in 

2005 but looking at the effectiveness of it, the scheme was granted continuity. 


For the People 

FTCs are established by the State Government in consultation 

with the respective High Court. Initially, the scheme 

recommended establishing an average of five FTC in each 

district of India. The judges are appointed on an ad-hoc basis 

by the respective High Courts. In 2011, the Central 

Government decided to stop the funding for FTCs and the 

onus shifted on State Governments if they wanted to continue 

with them. While most of the State Governments continued 

with FTCs, few chose to shun them. 

Nyaya Mitra Scheme – The Nyaya Mitra Scheme was 

launched in April 2017. The scheme is again aimed at 

reducing the bulk of pending cases across select districts with 

special focus on those clocking more than 10 years. The 

initiative has been launched in 227 districts to start with. This 

scheme utilizes the services of retired judicial or executive 

officers who are experienced and are designated as Nyaya 

Mitra. The responsibilities, among others, include: 

• assistance to litigants facing delay in a trial; 

• identifying delayed cases through the National Judicial 

Data Grid; 

• providing legal advice and connecting litigants to District 

Legal Service Authority; 

• refer marginalized applicants to Lok Adalats; 

• and render assistance for prison reforms. 

Gram Nyayalaya – The Gram Nyayalaya Act was brought 

and passed by the Indian Parliament in 2008. This Act looks 

for the establishment of Gram Nyayalayas or Village Courts 

to provide access to justice at the grass-root level i.e. the 

villages. Presided over by a Nyayadhikari, the court is 

generally established at headquarter of a gram panchayat. 

Their area of jurisdiction is marked by the State Government 

and includes both criminal and civil offences. They are also 

given the power to accept certain pieces of evidence which 

are in general not acceptable under the Indian Evidence Act. 

The objective of such courts is that no citizen should be 

denied justice due to social, economic or other disabilities. 

The above are just a few steps 

that the Government and the 

Judiciary are taking to bring 

justice to all the citizens of 

India. The participating 

authorities, as well as the 

general public, should now 

make the most of these 

schemes and help in 

establishing a just society. 


Ease of Doing Business 

– Banking and Insurance Industry 

Ease of doing business is one of the key initiatives of 

Modi administration. It is not one wing of 

Government and industry or sector regulator which 

has to work in sync but entire set up and contributors to 

economy have to work as well-oiled machinery. In case 

some sectors or departments are not aligned then entire 

initiative suffers. 

Here we are looking at how banking and insurance sector 

has fared in this regard. 

Banks are backbone of our economy and contribute to 

sustained growth of entire business environment. An 

advanced and industry friendly banking industry becomes 

engine of growth of any economy. Banks have to provide 

necessary support and liquidity to business and make sure 

that cost of transactions does not go up. Introduction of the 

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code with an aim to promote 

entrepreneurship and protect interests of investors has eased 

the process of resolving insolvencies, which was earlier a 

long-drawn process and is a welcome step in promoting 

ease of doing business. 

Hence, banks have a larger role to play for success of ease 

of doing business initiative. 

Likewise, Insurance Sector also plays a pivotal role in 

sustained development of economy. Just like banking it 

helps in mobilising domestic savings, mitigating losses, 

provides financial stability and security, promotes trade and 

commerce which collectively help in economic growth. 

Federal government also encouraged investment in 

insurance sector by increasing foreign direct investment to 

49%, which led to many large players set up joint ventures 

in India. 

However, many Indian banks are facing number of 

challenges. Non-performing assets (NPA) sitting in books 

of many banks are biggest dampeners. To show better 

performance and compliance with regulatory laws some 

banks have not reported true status of NPAs but painted 

rosy pictures after window dressing leading to false sense 

of security among investors and regulators. However, when 

caught by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or by auditors, 

such banks have suffered heavily causing a loss of investors 

wealth and erosion of faith of public. Some citizen groups 

and individuals have filed many applications under the 

Right to Information Act (RTI) or pubic interest litigation in 

courts seeking information of true status of financial health 

of banks and financial institutions. In a very recent ruling 

Supreme Court has come down heavily on RBI for not 

sharing inspection report of banks under RTI to applicants. 

Few years back many banks were also facing liquidity 

crunch. However, with de-monetisation of INR 500 and 

INR 1000 currency bills, large amount of cash have been 

deposited in banks providing much needed liquidity to 

banks and denting parallel economy. However, on account 

NPAs and fear of losing money in funding high risk or long 

gestation projects, banks are treading very carefully and 

slow in approving projects. While on one hand government 

is pushing for faster growth of economy and easing 

regulatory environments on the other hand banks and 

financial institutions are treading carefully and slowly. 

Similarly insurance sector provides necessary security to 

individuals and industry and contribute to growth of 

economy. On account of intense competition insurance 

companies are aggressively chasing growth. However, to 

achieve higher profitability while at the time of issuing 

insurance cover false promises are made to insured but in 

an unfortunate situation giving rise to claims, same insurers 

take shelter in fine print in insurance cover and adopt all 

kinds of tactics to reject or delay sanction of claims. This 

has contributed negatively to ease of doing business. 

Another trend is being noticed where many banks have also 

set up subsidiaries and group companies in related sectors 

like insurance, non-banking financial institutions and asset 

management companies. This has led to the vice of cross 

selling services and products of group companies. Most of 

these banks and their group companies are following 


CXO Standpoint 

policies of giving cross selling 

targets to junior and mid-level 

managers and their increments 

and bonuses are decided on 

basis of achieving cross selling 

targets, which is major cause of 

frauds committed on their 

customers. 

A live case of one non-resident 

Indian who is an American 

citizen suffering at the hands of 

one of the largest private sector 

banks having group companies 

in insurance, etc., is the best 

example. And he is not alone in 

this category. This person has 

opened account with bank 

during one of his visits to India. 

On the insistence of branch 

manager of bank during 

subsequent visit to India, this 

person has agreed to open fixed 

deposit. However, he was made 

to sign blank documents and 

provide large number of details 

of his family and tax in the USA 

on the pretext of making his 

minor daughter nominee. 

Subsequently he got to know 

that his account has been 

debited by two entries of the 

same amount – one for fixed 

deposit and another for buying 

insurance policy from another 

group life insurance company 

for whom such bank is acting as 

insurance agent. On persistent 

follow up and initially holding 

up of no mis-sale bank and 

insurance companies agreed to 

cancel policy and reverse funds 

but insisted upon filing a claim 

to be decided by them. On a 

complaint to senior management 

and board of directors of both 

entities nothing has been done. 

Further, on a complaint to 

Insurance Regulatory Authority 

(IRDA) and bringing all facts 

with evidence to its notice with 

the request to initiate investigations of wrong doing and violation of Insurance Act and 

other legislations and cancellation of insurance license to insurance company and agent 

license of bank, IRDA refused to do any thing on the ground that it does not adjudicate 

customer complaints. This is unfortunate response from IRDA, being regulator of 

insurance industry. Further, RBI and Insurance division of Finance Ministry is also not 

alive to cheating of customers by such rogue elements. It is high time both RBI and 

IRDA investigates following of such predatory HR policies of cross selling by banks and 

insurance companies. Further, authorities under the Companies Act and Securities and 

Exchange Boards of India Act should also provide for mandatory compliance with such 

matters under corporate governance policies enforced by regulators under these 

legislations. 

In case proper governance policies are implemented and strictly monitored by regulatory 

authorities, banks and insurance industry will become once again engine of growth and 

major contributor to success of ease of doing business initiative. All that needed is 

concerned efforts by banking and insurance industry and strict enforcement by 

government and regulators. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

Sonia Gupta, Partner at Ashok Dhingra 

Associates is Chartered Account and 

Attorney. She primarily focuses on Customs 

and Trade Laws including Export/ Import 

Controls and Sanctions; Foreign Trade 

Policy and Regulatory Laws, providing both 

advisory and litigation services to clients. 

Ashok Dhingra , Founder and Managing 

Partner, Ashok Dhingra Associates, is an 

Attorney having more than 42 years of 

experience. He is ranked among the best 

GST; erstwhile Indirect Taxes; Customs and 

Trade Laws including Export Controls and 

Sanctions Attorneys in India. He is also 

considered an authority on Supply Chain; 

Prevention of Money Laundering; Anti- 

Corruption Laws and White-Collar Crimes. 

Ashok Dhingra, Founder & Managing Partner 

Sonia Gupta, Partner 




LAW FIRM 


Corp Comm Legal 

Adynamic economy and 

commercial environment in 

India are keeping the 

corporates on their toes. They must be 

adaptive to the changing laws which 

are influenced by various 

Governmental, economic and 

competitive needs. As such, they need 

a law firm that understands their 

business needs and provides legal 

advisory that is relevant, solutiondriven 

and value for money. Focusing 

on these needs of domestic and 

international corporates is Corp 

Comm Legal. It provides legal advice 

inter alia on M&A, Joint Ventures, 

Technology Transfers, Private Equity, 

Venture Capital, Commercial 

Litigation, IPR registration and 

protection, compliances, due diligence 

and more. 

Treading a Different Path 

While there is no dearth of corporate 

law firms, what sets Corp Comm 

Legal apart is the assurance that it 

offers to clients. The clients who ask 

for its services are assured of the 

timing, quality and pricing of the 

services. Each one of these three 

elements is very necessary and has to 

work in tandem. Even if one is 

missing, the other two are of no use. 

Corp Comm Legal offers virtually all 

legal services which big law firms 

provide – however, at a fraction of the 

cost associated with the big firms. 

Clients get to actually work with the 

“Our vision 

is to be the 

law firm of 

the first 

choice for 

our clients” 

professionals they want to work with 

and don’t have to pay the price for the 

brand name, old age of the firm, 

marketing costs, etc. 

But being different is never easy and 

comes with challenges. A firm like 

Corp Comm often has to compromise 

in terms of manpower as Big firms 

have the clout, financial resources and 

may indulge in predatory pricing to 

capture most of the big business. But 

in a booming economy like India, 

there is space for all sizes of 

organisations. This works for law 

firms as well and many boutique law 

firms are doing very well. 

To counter these challenges, Corp 

Comm is engaging with other small 

and midsize firms within India and 

globally for better coordination and 

level playing field. Global Business 

Lawyers’ League has been its first 

endeavor in this regard and it is trying 

to replicate the same model in India 

too. 

An Experienced Learner 

Corp Comm Founder Bhumesh 

Verma likes to describe himself as “A 

law student with some experience- 25 

years to be precise.” A corporate 

lawyer of International repute, 

Bhumesh has had the privilege of 

working with some of the best law 

firms for about 23 years. 2 years back, 

he took a leap of faith and started 


Bhumesh Verma 

Founder 

Corp Comm Legal with an idea to 

provide world class services with a 

more personal approach. 

He has mostly been associated with 

corporate and commercial transactions 

involving clients from different 

countries providing him an 

opportunity to work with the world’s 

best lawyers and other professionals 

and also cultivate his business 

development skills. His global 

network encompasses a large number 

of MNCs and foreign lawyers which 

came handy when he decided to 

venture out on his own. 

For Matters Close to the Heart 

Apart from running the law firm, 

Bhumesh is deeply involved in writing 

and teaching as he believes that it is 

important to share one’s learning. He 

says, “I am passionate about sharing 

my experiences and expertise with the 

fraternity. Writing and teaching 

provide me with the avenues to 

channelize my thoughts - so far it has 

resulted in 3 books and 350 plus 

articles on various platforms. I’ve 

also conducted workshops/seminars 

on various topics and have trained 

thousands of students and 

professionals.” 

He has been approached by 

institutions of great repute and 

publishers. He is also a guest faculty 

with leading law institutes. Conveying 

his insights to future lawyers by way 

of practical training in different 

aspects gives him immense pleasure 

and pride and a sense of being useful 

to the society. 

Advising the Start-ups 

Bhumesh believes that the Indian 

economy is one of the most happening 

and growing economies in the world 

with too much-untapped potential for 

economic growth. However, from a 

legal perspective, start-ups and 

entrepreneurs must be very careful 

about stressing on compliance from 

day one. In the garb of informality, 

there should be no scope for laxity. He 

suggests, “We have seen so many 

start-ups faltering in this aspect and 

entrepreneurs fighting among 

themselves if due care hasn’t been 

taken in the initial stage regarding 

watertight contractual relations, 

affixing rights and liabilities or taking 

care of statutory compliances.” 

Defining Future 

Corp Comm Legal is very optimistic 

about the future. With so much FDI, 

industrialization in India and 

international trade picking up, it 

expects stupendous amount of 

business flows in near future. It is also 

strengthening its local and global 

networks to be more effective to tap 

business. It believes that its efforts 

should start fetching visible results in 

the not-too-distant future. 


JUSCONTRACTUS 



LAW FIRM 


omen Empowerment might 

Wbe the talk of the decade, 

but just talks don’t bring 

change. They need to be backed by 

efforts and action. Carrying forward 

the idiom ‘actions speak louder than 

words’ is JUSCONTRACTUS - that 

India’s first and only all-women-law 

firm was established. It is a corporate 

transactions and dispute resolution 

law-firm based out of New Delhi 

which began with a vision for women 

to be ‘rain-makers’. The firm’s idea is 

to be an example for the creation of 

women businesses run by woman that 

are able to provide superlative services 

to the community as a whole. 

An Ignited Mind 

Bearing the torch of change at the 

forefront is JUSCONTRACTUS’ 

Founder – Payal Chawla who has a 

distinguished legal career. The legal 

industry wasn’t exactly her first choice 

of a career as she recalls, “Going to 

law-school was driven by advice from 

my father rather than choice. But once 

at law-school, I knew, from the get-go, 

I had found my calling.” Now 

considered as a premier corporate 

lawyer across the country, Payal 

specializes in the areas of Arbitration, 

Commercial Courts and Insolvency. 

She has served as a legal counsel for 

some very prominent corporate 

companies and is known in the 

industry for drawing up robust 

litigation strategies. 

Impressive Services 

JUSCONTRACTUS is a full-services 

“We believe 

in providing 

the highest 

quality legal 

services” 

law firm that provides clients with 

comprehensive and efficacious solutions 

in a creative, innovative and resultoriented 

manner and in accordance with 

the clients’ business and/or litigation 

objectives. Primarily focused on 

disputes, it has an equally strong 

Corporate Law practice. They recently 

were involved in buy-out of Innov8 by 

OYO and have previously represented 

two selling shareholders in the 

Interglobe IPO. 

The firm takes its corporate social 

responsibilities very seriously. It does a 

lot of pro-bono work for the poor and for 

the women. Payal is also the director of 

the Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre, 

a non-profit organization institutional 

arbitration body. 

Accolades 

Law is a difficult profession. It requires 

tireless hours and a gestation of 15 to 20 

years before gaining credibility – 

amongst judges, peers, and clients. With 

Payal’s expertise gained over years and 

the team with a fire within to prove their 

worth, JUSCONTRACTUS’ journey has 

been an amazing one. Since inception, 

the firm has been recognised and 

facilitated by several awards: 

l 

l 

l 

Rising Star of the Legal 

Profession 2018 - IBLJ 

Arbitration Law Firm of the 

Year India, 2018 - Corporate 

Live Wire Legal Awards 

Rising Star of the Legal 

Profession 2017 - IBLJ 


Payal Chawla 

Founder 

Amongst the Best firms to work with 2017 - IDEX 

l 

Corporate Lawyer of the Year India for 2016 - Corporate Live Wire Legal Awards 

Roadmap Ahead 

Being an industry professional, Payal advises the neophytes, “To familiarize themselves with Intellectual Property laws, 

Shareholder Agreements and Share Subscriptions Agreements with particular regard to their rights and pitfalls – such as 

Drag/Tag rights, Call/Put options, reserved matters etc.” 

As for the Firm’s future roadmap, she shares, “Our future aim is to continue to build on the trajectory we started – quality 

over quantity. We aim to provide the best in class service and to be India’s top corporate disputes firm.” 

Payal advises citizens to be aware of : 

l 

l 

l 

l 

The Constitution - one must endeavor to educate oneself on their fundamental rights, 

Directive Principles of State Policy and the constitutional scheme of the separation of powers. 

Familiarize yourself with the difference between an Agreement to Sell and Sale Deed for 

immovable property; 

Know about the basics on law of contracts and, benefits of alternative disputes resolution 

mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration 

Company/Firms should familiarize themselves on basics of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy 

law. 


Samisti Legal 



LAW FIRM 


Starting a venture is an uphill task 

which must be conquered in a 

step-by-step manner. The first 

step in establishing a successful 

venture, entrepreneurs suggest, is 

recognising the need of the clients and 

capturing the requirement as an 

opportunity. While practising in a 

corporate set up in Hyderabad, Raghu 

Babu Gunturu and Prashant Jain 

noticed that a lot of clients in 

Hyderabad were being serviced by the 

firms from Mumbai. This arrangement 

of working remotely had its own 

limitation in accessibility and pricing 

exposing a clear gap in the market. It 

opened an avenue for mid-segment law 

firms to come up where corporates 

could get good professional legal 

advice. This realisation led the duo to 

come up with their legal firm 

christened ‘Samisti’. The literal 

meaning of Samisti is United or 

together. Justifying the name, Raghu 

says, “Whatever we do would like to 

keep our interest aligned with that of 

other stakeholders could be a client or 

an employee who are our biggest 

stakeholders.” 

The Founders 

Raghu has over two decades of 

experience in corporate secretarial and 

legal services. He brings in strategic 

direction to the firm, mentors the team, 

challenges the status quo to better it, 

introduces new practice areas etc., 

Prashant Jain, an Advocate and a 

qualified CS, has over a decade of legal 

experience in niche areas of Corporate 

laws. He is a dynamic young 

professional, out-of-the-box thinker 

“Samisti 

continues to 

track and learn 

about evolving 

business models, 

best practices, 

and global trends 

in technology and 

changes in the 

legal landscape 

for business” 

with vivid and thorough knowledge on 

the subject. He has extensively worked 

on matters relating to Corporate and 

commercial laws, Forex, start-up/angel 

funding, Private Equity/VC 

Transactions, acquisitions, structure 

debts, Joint ventures, mergers, 

de-mergers, representations in NCLTs 

for IBC matters, M&A and O&M 

matters, and all kinds of business 

re-structuring, cross border 

investments, and capital markets. He 

has been sharing knowledge and 

insights on his core practice areas 

through the numerous speaking 

engagements for which he is invited 

from time to time. He is supported by a 

team which consists of 

interdisciplinary professionals like 

advocates and company secretaries 

who together leverage their 

knowledge, expertise and experience in 

providing quality legal services. 

Services across Sectors 

The initial years were tough and were 

more towards laying a foundation. The 

subsequent years saw an exponential 

growth due to the good word 

recognised by clients and word of 

mouth publicity. The firm now renders 

its services not only to clients spread 

all over India but also to international 

clients engaged in diverse businesses. 

Samisti has a great client base of wellestablished 

companies, institutional 

funded emerging businesses and has 

also been servicing start-ups and 

incubation. It has been doing decent 

work in transaction advisory for capital 

raising, M&A, Insolvency 

&Bankruptcy, and General Corporate 

Advisory. 

A few characteristics which set it apart 

are a hands-on approach, deep 

involvement with the clients to 

understand their commercial intent, 

thereby adding value to the transaction. 

Samisti also closely works with 

various overseas clients and has 

informal affiliations with overseas law 

and accounting firms. This has helped 

it to garner valuable insight into 

various legal and commercial needs of 

those clients. 

Prepping for Challenges 

The firm believes that the legal 

industry is quite fragmented with 


Prashant Jain 

Co-founder & Partner 

millions of firms and individuals 

practising and is facing many 

challenges. To sum them up: 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

The democratisation of professional 

services and technology are 

disrupting corporate law firms. 

The traction gained by Artificial 

Intelligence (AI) is going to impact 

the paralegal area and can be a big 

differentiator. 

The pressure to rein in legal costs 

has forced law firms to diverge from 

the traditional billable-hours 

model. 

Onboarding talented lawyers with 

the right skill set and the right 

attitude to work is quite often a 

challenge. 

Given the overlap between 

accounting and law services, 

accounting firms are investing 

heavily in their legal service arms 

leading to increased competition. 

Words of Wisdom 

Samisti regularly works with start-ups, 

incubators and accelerators and 

charges very nominal costs. Prashant 

advises them to ensure that while 

focussing on their core business, they 

must give equal importance to the 

Legal and compliance needs. He says, 

“They must ensure that they avail 

Legal advice since the inception, make 

the right moves, have the legal 

documents in place in order to avoid 

any unforeseen complexities that may 

arise in future.” 

Gearing Up! 

In the coming years, increasingly 

sophisticated legal technology will 

become a baseline expectation for the 

clients, with automated due diligence 

already making an impact on deals. 

Samisti would be focusing on and 

investing more on this. It is prepared 

for radical changes in staffing profiles, 

recruitment, retention, graduate 

education and continuous 

development. The reality calls for a 

systematic approach to scan for 

potential developments and identify, 

embrace and pre-empt new entrants 

through collaboration and competition. 

The firm is all set to go a long way 

with a clear vision and a futuristic 

approach. 

Firm’s view on the gap between 

Law Formulation and Law 

Enforcement 

We have fantastic laws, but 

poor enforcement continues to 

be cause of concern. The 

justice delayed is denied. 

Particularly for businesses all 

decisions weaved around 

strategic and commercial 

considerations, the delay can 

have impact on profits. 

Enforcement agencies need to 

think like a person who does 

the offence / crime, but act 

within the law. To make this all 

work, it is essential that a robust 

legal framework exists that 

allows law enforcement officials 

to work effectively and 

efficiently. This requires strong 

political will and it is the role of 

government to enact the laws. 

Additionally, there needs to be 

careful investment in capacity 

building, data collection, 

investigative techniques, 

intelligence training and judicial 

training.

The 10 Rising Law Firm Startups To Watch In 2019

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