A Profile in Professionalism:
Law in the Family
The Anand Family
Tarush R. Anand, a member in McGlinchey’s Litigation practice group, represents business clients from various industries in trials and appeals. He is the current president and chairman of the IndoAmerican Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston and a board member of the National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association. Nehal S. Anand, a board-certified labor and employment lawyer, is a shareholder at Littler Mendelson who advises and represents employers in a wide range of employment law matters. She is the vice chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Houston Bar Association.
The Houston Lawyer
with a baby, but I knew I could make it work because I saw a long trail of successful female partners who were role models and mentors.” The couple’s daughters, Arya (6) and Mia (4), may well become the family’s second generation of lawyers. As parents, and especially as lawyers, Tarush and Nehal understand the value of effective communication and regularly teach their girls how to clearly articulate their opinions and emotions. “Kids speak a lot of nonsense, and we try to test them,” said Tarush. “I’ll question their logic or poke a hole in their argument. Our oldest daughter now has well-thought-out explanations and reasoning. Sometimes I have to say, ‘I guess that’s right.’” “We have healthy family debates and sometimes Tarush jokingly responds with, ‘objection, non-responsive.’ Our daughters don’t fully understand what we do yet, but if we come home after court, our oldest daughter immediately asks if I won. I always tell her I did, even if it is just a scheduling conference,” Nehal joked. Tarush and Nehal Anand with their
Tarush and Nehal: The beginning of Tarush and Nehal’s love story is familiar to many busy lawyers. Set up by a colleague, they had their first date after they both returned from outof-town hearings. As Nehal shared her disappointment with the outcome of her hearing, Tarush understood the issues and empathized by sharing his own experience. While most people avoid discussing work on a first date, this became a natural ice breaker for them. “I daughters Arya and Mia. was comforted by the fact that I could have a challenging day and could come home to someone who underA team effort—inside the house and the legal profession—durstood exactly why,” Nehal said. ing the pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic changed daily life Tarush and Nehal are Indian Americans and first-generation for the couple. They leaned on “tag-team” parenting. They impleattorneys. Coincidently, during a period of their childhood, they mented childcare shifts and recruited assistance from grandparboth lived only one mile apart in Bombay, India. Nehal moved to ents. the U.S. at the age of four. From middle school through college, “Having flexible law firm employers and colleagues was inNehal participated in nationally competitive cross-examination valuable during the pandemic,” said Nehal. “It also helped that debate. She took her love for research, analysis, and argument to our opposing counsel and clients were in similar situations. We law school and graduated summa cum laude from South Texas each empathized when we heard screaming children in the backCollege of Law Houston in 2009. Tarush moved to the U.S. after ground of calls. In many ways, the pandemic was a team effort, high school. He graduated magna cum laude from the Univernot only at home, but also across the legal profession, because sity of Houston at the early age of 19. The combined forces of a everyone was going through it.” hospitality law course and a devoted professor prompted Tarush “Looking back at the beginning of the pandemic, we were not to apply to law school. Tarush graduated from the University of sure how it would all come together, but it worked,” said Tarush. Houston Law Center in 2006 at the age of 22. “And we gained quality time with the kids.” They soon settled into a routine, each working from home Their family: Nehal and Tarush had their first daughter when down the hall from one other. “We talk all the time and share Nehal was an associate. Tarush handled the mornings with her, ideas and strategies,” said Tarush. “It’s great to get an honest, imwhich allowed Nehal to be in the office before sunrise and leave mediate answer from someone you trust.” early to handle things after school. When Nehal was 9-months The pandemic will hopefully soon be behind us, but Nehal and pregnant with their second daughter, she had a federal court jury Tarush’s partnership continues. They work two buildings away trial—delivering their daughter just days after the verdict. “Some from each other in downtown, and you’ll find them carpooling to days were harder than others. I vividly recall cranking the radio work a few days a week—sharing war stories, ideas, or just planup during my morning commute because I was up most of night ning dinner options. 42
March/April 2022
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