As one of the most fundamental principles of human civilization, the law of the land has the tenacity on which humanity has been founded. The force of law has enormous power to shape our lives in the past, present, and future. A progressive legal profession is at the heart of a constantly advanced society with a positive forward momentum.
Now, the global legal community recognizes that gender equality in the legal profession is the first and foremost barometer of genuine progress. Only when the legal profession and society fully embrace this factor will legal professionals be able to shape the social future for the better.
According to Advocate Neha Naik, the Associate Partner at Phoenix Legal, the firm has a healthy gender ratio and age diversity, making the team extremely vibrant and bursting with energy to collaborate and deliver outstanding quality. She says, “Though we believe in excellence and delivering high-quality advice, the firm’s ethos is extremely warm and appreciative, making it an ideal workplace.”
Pragmatic Legal Perspectives
Phoenix Legal is a full-service law firm founded in 2008, with offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. The firm services an extremely diverse clientele, Indian as well as international. Neha adds, “We are known in the industry to give research-backed, practical, and commercially viable legal advice with a high degree of partner involvement.”
Neha, who has been practising law for the last ten years, passed in 2012 from Government Law College after completing her LLB, before which she held a B.Sc. (Biotechnology). She also did her LLM – Intellectual Property Law from the University of Mumbai (2012-2014). Her work spans commercial litigation, arbitrations, and a fair bit of advisory. She reflects, “I started my career in the field of Intellectual property litigation and then diversified into general commercial litigation.”
Currently, Neha is focused on Insolvency and restructuring-related disputes and complex advisory. Her first brush with the law was in the final year of B.SC Biotechnology when they (the students) briefly studied intellectual property laws. It interested her and drove her to the extent that she decided to pursue law after graduation. She found it extremely intellectually stimulating and relevant to society in general compared to other professions, which are not so directly involved in shaping society. “As time passed, I have realized that it is a continuous learning process with no boundaries on the kind of problems that you are required to solve,” She states.
However, her entry into the legal profession was full of challenges. She recalls that as a young lawyer, the main challenge was to fit into the legal fraternity and find an apt place for herself that would allow her to grow intellectually. “This is initially the most challenging part when you are bound to choose what kind of firm or practice you wish to join. As a law practitioner, you face different challenges, which could sometimes require you to think on your feet and sometimes deep dive into facts, mull over them and then come up with unique arguments and solutions. Maintaining a positive and peaceful attitude is especially important, as the competitiveness and stakes at hand may cause you to become anxious at times. Lastly, maintaining a work-life balance is challenging and needs a cautious effort,” she explains.
An Unprecedented Shift
Briefing about the various specialized legal offerings, solutions, or services she provides to her clientele, Neha shares that her legal offering is extremely diverse and sector agnostic. Her work ranges from pre-litigation, litigation strategies, and dispute resolution to detailed and comprehensive legal advice/opinions to clients.
She has managed various high-stakes commercial and civil disputes across all sectors. Lately, after the introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, a large portion of her practice shifted to advisory and disputes in this sector. As the law was developing, she had the opportunity to witness the change very closely, advise on some of the most complex matters in India, and represent and work with stalwarts in this field. This is accompanied by other mandates covering other law sectors such as intellectual property, contractual, employment, entertainment, medico-legal, etc., which bring in the variety and keeps her encouraged as a law practitioner.
Regarding technological advancements’ impact, Neha says that the effect of tech on every aspect of a law practitioner’s functioning is huge and a game changer. “Technology has changed the methods of not only research but also drafting and briefing.”
With the commencement of virtual courts due to the pandemic, the method of maintaining briefs and arguing also underwent a huge change. The ease with which one can now brief a counsel, attend hearings, or even argue virtually was never thought of, even a few years back. Nevertheless, the depth and accuracy that are required to be maintained when presenting arguments remain the same.
She adds, “However, I would say that there has been an unprecedented shift in how things have leaned on technology in the past two years.” This has certainly ushered in a new era that is more time and cost-efficient.
In the Zone of Serenity and Sensibility
Many specialties/factors make her stand out as an influential personality in the legal field. She perfectly represents the thought process of lawyers of her generation, which has undergone a shift in terms of the way they approach their work. Bringing in quality legal advice which is practical and commercially viable is a skill that is extremely necessary for today’s day and age when companies and individuals are looking at sensible outcomes to their disputes, keeping in mind the long-term impact.
Having the ability to remain unfazed in high-pressure situations to achieve a desired outcome is something Neha has worked on over the last few years. She realized that the best results are obtained by keeping a strong, calm mind rather than being affected by stress, which almost always is expected to be a major factor involved in high stake matters. Apart from that meticulous planning, reading your documents from cover to cover is of utmost necessity to achieve efficiency and can never be compromised. She says that she has been fortunate enough to work with the best in the industry, which has greatly shaped her approach and work ethic.
In her professional advice to aspiring legal enthusiasts willing to step into the legal space today, Neha believes that the coming generation of lawyers will have an edge in terms of being technologically savvy rights from the start of their careers.
The Wisdom Suits
As long as aspiring lawyers are ready to work hard and put their hearts and minds into delivering sound legal advice, this will prove extremely satisfying. ‘Last but not least, taking care of oneself and prioritizing your health and family should never be compromised.’
According to her, the Indian legal space has been through some turbulent or rather dynamic times like everything else these past two years. The onset of the virus changed the game, especially for the judicial proceedings and worked culture in the legal industry. This compelled the legal sector and the judiciary to adapt, which gave birth to virtual proceedings and a work-from-home (WFH) culture.
So, the current working culture is leaning towards a digital approach instead of the earlier paper-heavy approach, which is a welcome change. “Needless to say, digitization comes with its sets of issues, which can be improved over time for speedy disposals and more productivity,” She feels.
Apart from this, the Indian Legal Space is dynamic and is evolving rapidly. “Given the sheer population of India and the caseload of filed cases, yes, there is a lag in the judicial system which needs to be tightened.” However, the scenario is changing like never before.
India is an upcoming superpower and a rapidly growing economy; coupled with the globalization of work, the exposure that Indian lawyers are now getting in terms of international work and collaborations is amazing.
