Corporate law refers to law identities that deal with issues like corporate elements and investor understandings, etc.
Commercial law has grown quickly in modern years, providing many opportunities for contract law in the twenty-first century. Globalization brought a revolution in international trades with enhancing participation and engagement of countries and greater access to domestic economies while the pace of the legal industry continues to climb. On the other hand, technology use has increased, and alternative business models have jumped up.
The client’s demand for better value for money and contained prices is also increasing. The demand for lawyers especially in the full-service law firms which offer sustainable advice and services have grown eventually. This is where Ayana Legal comes into the picture.
Ayana Legal offers a wide range of services in the corporate sector with a wholehearted approach towards helping their clients to find the perfect solution to help them achieve their goals.
In an exclusive interview with Insights Success, Dr Rama Iyer, Founder and Managing Partner of Ayana Legal shed light on the company’s journey, the current industry scenario, and her opinions on the future of the company.
Dr Rama, please describe Ayana Legal to our audience.
Ayana Legal is a full-service law firm located in Bengaluru. Ayana Legal was conceptualized to provide legal services to businesses with the consolidation of more than eight decades of legal expertise of senior lawyers.
Upholding the meaning of the name ‘Ayana,’ the firm’s inception reiterated the definite intent of delivering seamless legal services in “Corporate Advisory, Commercial Transactions, Dispute Resolution and Arbitration, Real Estate, Intellectual Property Rights, Insurance, Consumer laws and Banking, Start-up Advisory, HR, Employment and Labor Laws, and Media and Entertainment” to a diverse clientele and sustains their success by the manifestation of quality legal advice.
Derived from Sanskrit, Hebrew, and Arabic, ‘Ayana’ means direction, progress, development, the aestheticism of mystical flower, path to success, eye for perfection, ‘well-spring of goodwill’, and subtly, implies the sanctuary of refuge and dependability.
Over a period, the firm has diversified to include in its areas of practise family law, criminal law, constitutional law, etc. Our team of expert lawyers endeavour to provide the services to their clientele to reach new heights of success. Equipped with varied experience across diverse sectors and focused practice areas, the core team of lawyers renders cohesive legal services focusing on timelines and effectiveness.
Ayana Legal delivers legal strategies that directly sustain the client’s business objectives, compliant with the best practices across the world and the highest level of professional ethics.
The firm is fully equipped to offer immaculate legal advice that derives ideal solutions and complement realities. The firm also has eminent advisors and consultants from various fields who complement and strengthen the firm in its endeavour to provide quality service.
What kind of offerings does Ayana Legal provide to its clients?
We offer a wide range of services in the corporate sector with a wholehearted approach towards helping our clients to find the perfect solution to help them achieve their goals. Our resolute corporate team is equipped with a realistic and pragmatic view of the various specifics of the corporate sphere, approach each case with a unique blueprint tailor-made for the requirements of the client.
The solutions we provide include but are not limited to structuring transactions, advisory on issues faced in the capital market, initial public offerings and subsequent offerings, international trade, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, finance-related transactions, corporate governance, contracts, corporate regulatory compliances, trade regulations, and so forth.
We are also actively involved in corresponding with government agencies and regulatory bodies, to ensure that all areas are properly covered. Our diverse knowledge and expertise in the corporate sphere help us anticipate and thoroughly navigate the otherwise unforeseen pitfalls which plague the clients. The same is shaped due to the dedication and innovative approach ingrained in our corporate team through years of experience and a multi-faceted approach.
What made you venture into the corporate and commercial law sector?
The specialization and Master’s in law studies was focused on corporate and commercial laws, it became quite natural for our firm to focus on these areas. Though we do practice in other areas of law, corporate and commercial law is a major area of our practice
How much your Ayana Legal was affected in these pandemic times and what were the steps taken by you to curb the damages all the while helping your clients and maintaining the safety of your employees?
As with the rest of the world, we too had to adapt to the changing times. We shifted to working through data on the cloud in the COVID-19 imposed lockdown. It was a blessing as we were all able to work remotely. We did not face much of a struggle at that time though some clients who were used to meeting in person had to be coaxed to virtual meetings.
During the lockdown, we were constantly in touch with our colleagues and our clients as well. Communicating and getting work done remotely was not much of a challenge as we used the essential tools to communicate and work.
We ensured that we continued to keep up with all our commitments and keep our clients abreast with any latest developments. Litigation did suffer during the lockdown with the courts functioning skeletally and taking up only urgent matters and not accepting fewer pressing matters.
Safety was a priority; we followed all government and safety protocols and took all necessary precautions while returning to normal office life. Our employees/staff took preventive measures by getting themselves fully vaccinated, sanitizing themselves when returning from outside and prioritizing wearing masks all the time.
What would you like to advise the young generation of legal enthusiasts?
Law is an amazing field. The more you delve into it, the more wonderful it gets. There are many areas that one can specialize in. It is necessary to understand one’s strengths, interests, and passion before choosing one’s line.
One should be initiative-taking and willing to learn, unlearn, and re-learn. Get a mentor under whom you can work and learn. Do not be hesitant to realign your efforts to reach your goal. Decide and work towards it. Be positive, dedicated and work hard. Have a hobby which gives you pleasure and enjoy your personal time.
Be innovative and adapt to embrace the changes that you will experience.
Where do you envision your Ayana Legal to be eventually and what are your future goals? How do you plan to embrace the changes happening in the corporate and commercial law sector?
Core Values at Ayana Legal
Each professional at Ayana Legal inculcates the values of the firm and encourages a culture of independent responsibility with team participation. Leadership qualities are developed along with the onus of matchless performance.
- Ensuring seamless delivery of legal services
- Imbibing leadership qualities in individuals
- Motivating innovation
- Accomplishing firm’s vision with unwavering dedication
- Upholding consistency in performance
Our future goal is to create an impact with our vision of creating a difference in society with our legal solutions. We would also like to continuously keep the legal professionals in our firm abreast with the happenings in the industry and be future-ready by upgrading the skill set that is necessary for the industry.
What is the current industrial scenario of the corporate and commercial law sector?
The major industries in India, by share of GDP, are construction, automobile manufacturing, IT and ITeS, telecommunication services, financial services, and manufacturing. 2020-2021 saw industries that were contact-based being affected due to the pandemic.
Many changes were brought in by the government which meant that though the industry was affected, it did not translate to a kind of blood bath as was expected. Moratorium announced by the government at the beginning of the lockdown and extended for up to two years which was announced in September 2020 is a great relief for distressed corporates which may look at M&A.
Insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 being suspended brought great relief to the financial creditors. Force majeure disputes. especially in infrastructure, is one area where litigation has increased.
White-collar crime litigation has also increased.
Fintech products and services like cryptocurrency platforms are beginning to be recognized by the government with the requirement for these fintech companies requiring to be registered with RBI as NBFCs.
Restructuring and retrenchment has posed a lot of challenges in the labour and employment sector and also the Code of Wages which protects some unprotected sector of labour.
Ardent Advocate
Rama Ayer ‘Advocate’ is the Managing Partner of Ayana Legal which is based in Bengaluru with offices in other metro cities. She has specialized in corporate and commercial transactions.
Equipped with thirty years of experience Rama Iyer has represented leading organizations, individuals, financial institutions, hospitals, business establishments, trusts, associations etc. in various fora including the Supreme Court of India, Trial Courts, Tribunals, and Commissions to name a few. She was a partner with Legal Solutions from which branched off Ayana Legal with its core thrust on corporate and commercial law practice.
She is the director of the International Council of Jurists based in London. She heads their women’s division. She has a passion for helping women entrepreneurs in start-up companies. She also advises many companies in their business as well as policy-related issues.
She has formulated the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy of many organizations in addition to training the employees, the ICC etc. and being in the ICC of various organizations including Private Limited Companies, Banks, educational institutions as an external member.
She has been bestowed with prestigious accolades and highly acclaimed by the legal fraternity. Over the years, she has been invited to share her knowledge in various significant forums both nationally and internationally as a thought leader.
She was invited by the President of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands for consultation on International Laws regarding women in the corporate space in February 2014.
Passionately believing in empowering lives, Ms Iyer regularly conducts training programs of various organizations and devotes time to assist a few NGOs, mostly pro bono, in matters of civic importance.
