The Most Recommended Law Firms to watch in 2021

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The Most Recommended Law Firms to Watch in 2021 The law and the lawyers have been a part of our society for centuries, to restore order and bring peace. Today, a er year of evolu on, it s ll remains one of the most respected fields. With globaliza on, there has been a rapid development in every country, and with it there have been numerous changes in the laws. There have evolved new branches of law like the business law, Intellectual Property law and many such more.

This issue of The Business Fame of The Most Recommended Law Firms to Watch in 2021 features some of the best law firms, those with their services have built on a respectable reputa on.

Featuring for the Cover Story is AKM, a firm that provides businesses with comprehensive legal solu ons.

A.K.Mylsamy & Associates is a Leading Law firm providing comprehensive, business-specific legal solu ons since 1964. With core value systems as quality, competency, commitment, and ethics, their team of experts, who have enviable experience in their related fields, provides efficient and prompt delivery of legal solu ons that work best for your business.

Concept Legal Interna onal is a Delhi based full service commercial law firm with specializa on in real estate laws, corporate laws, general li ga ons and intellectual property along with aligned services.

The three basic pillars of their services- the professionalism, effec veness and the complexity of solu ons for their clients are the fundamental s that any legal advisory firm goes by. Concept legal Interna onal specializes in several diversified areas of prac ce which

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include but are not limited to Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolu on, Technology, Media and Telecommunica ons, Informa on Technology, Banking & Finance, Li ga on, Advisory, Regulatory Compliance, Corporate and Real Estate laws.

In Candid Conversa ons with The Business Fame read interviews ofMs. Kru Desai, Partner of ALMT Legal speaks about the influences made by her business law firm that has carved a special niche in the Indian legal market by the highquality of its legal service. ALMT Legal is a dynamic and progressive full-service Indian law firm that provides high quality exper se with approximately 70 lawyers and 20 partners across offices in strategic commercial centers like Mumbai and Bangalore.

A new era law firm, LawQuest is a dedicated to provide pioneering solu ons to its clients. In Candid Conversa on with TBF, Poorvi Chothani is the Founder and Managing Partner of LawQuest have shared some insigh ul views and highlighted the influences made by their company to be the most recommended law solu on provider.

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COVER STORY

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AKM Comprehensive Business Law Solutions

BEST OF LAWFIRM

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Concept Legal International

A Revolutionary in Legal Works

ALMT Legal Experts in Labour, Employment, Tax & Patents Services

LawQuest A Dynamic Global Immigration Law Firm

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Staying Ahead of Time

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The Significance of a Law Firm

AKM

Comprehensive Business Law Solutions

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AKM's star gazing is supported by honesty, integrity, discipline, professionalism and research.

Mr. A.K Mylsamy Managing Partner

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Cover Story

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Cover Story

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usiness laws, also known as the commercial laws are laws that deal with the issues faced by the public or an individual. These help to organize business exchange practices like terms and conditions, affiliate understandings, permits and many more in regards with the businesses. The commercial laws help businesses to have an effective trade between the organization and its customers. They signify the legal services implemented to support the business economy.

Featuring for the Cover Story of The Business Fame's issue of The Most Recommended Law Firms to Watch in 2021 is AKM, a firm that provides businesses with comprehensive legal solutions.

The FirmA.K.Mylsamy & Associates is a Leading Law firm providing comprehensive, business-specific legal solutions since 1964. With core value systems as quality, competency, commitment, and ethics, their team of experts, who have enviable experience in their related fields, provides efficient and prompt delivery of legal solutions that work best for your business. They strive to seek long-term relationships with clients and provide the best comprehensive solutions.

“We set very high standards of professionalism for ourselves and achieve the same with a meticulous approach and a high degree of professional integrity.”

Their Products and ServicesAKM LLP specializes in Corporate, Commercial, and Civil law with full focus on mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, recoveries, insolvency and bankruptcy, litigation, arbitration and contracts and real estate.

“We believe that we are unique and different from others as we combine innovation with serious law(s).”

The innovative spirit of the firm is showcased through “one of its kind” online monthly Newsletter “The Law Tree”, where legal knowledge is shared with the public in a simple yet interesting manner.

AKM Research and Analytics Private Limited (AKMRA) was an early bird earliest in launching the

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At the firm, we ensure an amicable work environment. knowledge portal “ibccases.com”- a one stop shop repository for laws, rules, regulations, amendments, precedents and analysis of all provisions related to insolvency and bankruptcy code. The site contains exhaustive content of brief incisive summaries of judgments delivered by various courts related to the interpretation of this law.

In all their endeavors, the firm is indeed fortunate to be guided by an Advisory Board consisting of luminaries from the Legal and Corporate World.

The Changing LandscapeThere is a sea of change in the legal scenario especially in the last decade or so. There is a paradigm shift in the perception of law. It has moved away from litigation and moved towards conciliation, arbitration and settlement. Just like laws and legal practices are customized to be in sync with changing economic, political and social times, lawyers / law firms have to keep pace as well. It is this ability to keep pace with the changing times that makes a law firm a cut above the rest.

With foreign entities making headway into India, the Indian companies may face disruption in growth as there is a need to customize to Indian and foreign laws and compliance. AKM law firm is the sounding board that provides lasting legal solutions and ensures sustainable growth to such companies.

Like the rest of the world, India was affected by the economic challenges due to the onslaught of the covid 19 pandemic. The firm quickly realigned its working to ensure minimal inconvenience to clients while ensuring maximum safety of staff. The firm rolled out its business continuity plan by using technology – virtual

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Cover Story court hearings, video conferences with clients, organizing webinars and leveraging artificial intelligence, AI to complete regular documentation and contracts. This proactive nature enabled providing continued value-added services to clients including the online monthly newsletter and the IBC web portal.

A Dynamic TeamAKM is constantly on the lookout for talented youngsters. They always make sure to select good lawyers who are handpicked, trained and groomed to face the Courts and Clients alike. The younger generation of lawyers is exposed to work in close quarters with the Partners and the senior advisory board.

“At the firm, we ensure an amicable work environment.”

A place sans rigidity when it comes to sharing ideas.

The team is always open to ideas. Their interns / young lawyers and partners are bustling with ideas. Their experienced advisory board members mull over the viability of these ideas. Once approved by them, the partners take the final call to foray into new / varied areas of practice to the best of their capability.

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We set very high standards of professionalism for ourselves and achieve the same with a meticulous approach and a high degree of professional integrity. ™

A transparent and inclusive work environment increases individual responsibility and accountability.

The firm believes in giving back to the legal fraternity and hence plans to initiate training programs for young lawyers in the future by going beyond the theory of law and inculcating values, ethics and professionalism which will make them a cut above the rest.

At work place, AKM on boards and retains young talented professionals. Their interns / young lawyers, partners and their experienced advisory board collectively brain storm to provide effective foolproof solutions which are customized to each client. The energy of the young coupled with the experience of the senior members ensures that the law firm offers quality legal solutions.

The team has access to good resource of legal literature – physical and online subscriptions to enrich their knowledge and help them to put forth the best at work.

“We give lawyers a holistic approach to enhance their professional and personal life.”

Besides, constant updation of knowledge/ practices of law and thinking differently while staying within the legal realm has helped practice in different areas. The ability to be on the learning curve forms the core of any professional career, especially a career in law.

Collective brainstorming and constant updation of law keeps them going as individuals and a team.

“We believe motivated individuals can collectively contribute to the growth of the firm.”

The Road AheadAt AKM LLP they are always on the lookout for new avenues and opportunities. The firm is a corporate law firm and has begun foraying into niche areas such as taxation, customs, immigration, aviation and labor laws.

They have a systematic approach in making their presence. With the headquarters in Chennai and offices in Delhi, Bangalore and Coimbatore, they plan to make their presence felt pan India and internationally.

“AKM's star gazing is supported by honesty, integrity, discipline, professionalism and research.”

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KNOW THE LEADER MR. A.K MYLSAMY LEADING THE WAY

Mr. A.K Mylsamy or “AKM” as he is popularly known is a lawyer par excellence with a stellar career of over five decades and counting. Having completed his schooling in Coimbatore, he pursued his graduation and legal education in Chennai. On completion, he immediately commenced his practice with Mr. T. Raghavan, a legal stalwart and pioneer in corporate law practice.

Early on in his practice, AKM envisioned that corporate law would be the future and ventured into the niche area in

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the early 60's when not many did. Over time, he moved from strength to strength. Having started his practice as a sole proprietorship, brand AKM slowly transitioned into partnership firm and is presently a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). An early riser, AKM is a firm believer that patience, perseverance, continuously reading and staying updated with current laws are the founding steps to long lasting success. Quality, consistency, competence and professional ethics are founding pillars of his legal journey.

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Cover Story Mr. Ashok Anantram, (former) Vice President of the ITC Hotels Limited who augments his experience in the hospitality sector to help us provide sound legal advice to niche hospitality fraternity.

A Few Milestones in the Company's Journey-

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The growth of AKM has been organic. Originally founded as a sole proprietorship by Mr. A.K Mylsamy, it became a partnership firm with the joining of Subathra Mylsamy. In 2010, the Firm formally became a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) with Mr. P.S Suman coming onboard. The firm is powered by an advisory board constituting the former Judge of the Madras High Court, Company Law Board, former IRS officer, senior tax, finance and hospitality experts is our guiding force of light.

Mr. A.K Mylsamy's Advice to the Budding Entrepreneurs-

Their illustrious Advisory Board: Ÿ

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(Former) Justice M. Jaichandren, former Judge of the Madras High Court with stellar experience in a range of cases – civil, criminal, labor, administrative and debt recovery. He is specialist in writs and Public interest litigations.

Mr. S. Balasubramaniam, (former) Chairman CLB, a luminary in the field of corporate law and arbitration besides writing and editing books on corporate law which create professionals.

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Mr. K K Balu, (former) Vice Chairman of the CLB, a storehouse of experience and our think tank on corporate laws, arbitration, banking, conciliation and mediation.

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Mr. P.Muthusamy (IRS) An Indian Revenue Office who has an outstanding career spanning over 30 years in the area of Revenue. He has experience\ expertise in Indirect tax, Customs, GATT, Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). He heads the Indirect tax & Foregin Trade practice at AKM.

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Mr. S. Ramanujam, (former) Executive VicePresident, Group Taxation of the UB Group, senior tax expert, an authority on mergers, de-mergers and restructuring.

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Mr. R S Mani, (former) group CEO of M.R Kodandaram group (member of MS Ramaiah group), expert in banking, finance and insolvency matters.

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“The professional mantras of practice, patience, and perseverance, problem solving and personal relations are universal.

In the legal genre, staying updated with current laws is mandatory for a successful long standing career.

Maintaining good interpersonal relations with clients is a must for individual and collective growth.

Putting the heart and mind to work is crucial as intellect and dedication in any activity is a winning combination.

The quality of work will speak for itself then. Proactive identification of opportunity(s) is the key to a good and smart lawyer.

In any entrepreneurial venture, the quality of work done will speak for itself. Money and fame will follow suit.

Being open to continuous learning is another key to success especially in the legal field. Personal grooming is as vital as professional development. Grooming with communication and interpersonal skills coupled with sound knowledge ensures success.”

Working hard to strengthen the firm and build practice is a continuous process. We endeavour to bring the best customised solutions for the clients. Pandemic or no pandemic, the firm is poised to be a one stop shop law firm for all corporate law solutions.

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“We have great manpower to provide our clients with best possible legal aid.”

Raghvendra P Singh CEO Concept Legal International

CONCEPT LEGAL INTERNATIONAL

A Revolutionary in Legal Works 16 | MARCH 2021

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aw is important in the society as it provides the citizens with a general and a safe way of conduct.

Law is important as it leads the society towards a social change by indirectly impacting it. With the rise in globalization, the importance of law is much more advanced. As the businesses have expanded their operations overseas, the importance of the different aspects of the law like Property Law, Intellectual Property Law, Immigration Law has increased.

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negotiating and drafting contracts in connection with procurement and delivery of IT systems and services, outsourcing projects and managed services, software development and distribution, dispute resolution, joint ventures and other strategic alliances, e-commerce and Internet-based businesses, data protection, privacy and security, project finance and other funding arrangements, intellectual property management, enforcement and commercialization and regulatory compliance.

Providing a wide range of services that give their customers a competitive edge and a safe space to practice their businesses is Concept Legal International.

In the area of Electronic Commerce, law and practice, the firm's services include advising on strategic alliances in the e-commerce field, establishment of e-procurement exchanges and multi-party trading arrangements, establishment and operation of web sites, design, hosting and maintenance agreements, online terms of trade, data protection and privacy issues, copyright protection and brand strategies, linking agreements, strategic partnerships, collaboration agreements and joint ventures.

The Firm Concept Legal International is a Delhi based full service commercial law firm with specialization in real estate laws, corporate laws, general litigations and intellectual property along with aligned services.

The three basic pillars of their services- the professionalism, effectiveness and the complexity of solutions for their clients are the fundamental s that any legal advisory firm goes by. Concept legal International specializes in several diversified areas of practice which include but are not limited to Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Information Technology, Banking & Finance, Litigation, Advisory, Regulatory Compliance, Corporate and Real Estate laws.

It has a dedicated team of specialists who specialize in handling matters related to Real Estate Laws and Due Diligence. The firm is totally responsible for handling the entire trademark portfolio of several leading companies from different parts of the world and they handle the patent portfolio of various multinational companies and the patent team is well equipped to handle a diverse range of patent applications in various fields including computer sciences and biotechnology.

Key Features of The Firm Concept Legal International specializes in advising and undertaking IT protocols for E-banking, payment systems for on-line transactions and compliance with financial services legislation.

They undertake litigation, mainly civil and criminal litigations of general nature in District courts, High Court of Delhi, High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital, High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh, Supreme Court of India, Debt Recovery Tribunals, National Company Law Tribunal, Consumer Forums, Labour Tribunals etc.

The firm also provides advisory services to government, companies and individuals on issues relating to intellectual property rights, legal compliance and strategy to handle regular legal issues.

The Services

They regularly review the law and regulations emerging on national and international level in the field of World Trade Organizations, investment regime of India, real estate, energy infrastructure, aerospace, highways and seaways, road transport, biotechnology and emerging issues in Companies Laws and Capital markets and advises the clients in order to cope with the changing legal atmosphere swiftly and with cost-effectiveness. The firm also advises and resolves issues arising in labour law regime and updates clients on the changing scenarios of labour legislation and regulations.

It is submitted that the firm's key services in the Information Technology sector include advising,

Concept Legal International provides effective and solution oriented guidance on issues relating to corporate

In earlier stages the firm faced so many problems as there was a great competition in the field but then they overpowered them by their strategies and providing effective work at reasonable fees. But with their dedication and passion they took care of all the cases that came to them and provided the best possible advice. It took a lot of handwork for the firm to reach the position that they are in today.

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compliance scattered over a wide range of legislations and rule/regulation framed under them in order to enable their clients to operate in hassle free atmosphere so far the legal issues are concerned.

law is his area of expertise which includes diligence reports for premises acquisition on lease and/or outright basis especially covering the area of Delhi, NCR, Punjab, Haryana, UP, Gujarat areas.

The firm mainly operates in real estate, banking and finance institutions, capital markets, energy, foreign trade, hospitals & diagnostic centers, oil and gas sector, FMCGs,. The firm provides complete legal structuring to company/firm/LLP, essential assistance and advice in obtaining approval FIPB/RBI/FTPB.

Mr. Raghvendra P. Singh has also been featured on several leading news channels and newspapers for his insights on real estate laws and regulations in the country, which are his core area of expertise. He is featured on the news channel CNBC Awaaz.

Concept Legal International also provides regular imputes to doctors & diagnostic centres and hospitals on emerging law and provides advice and compliance related services in area of surrogacy, PNDT, medical negligence, professional indemnity and regulatory interface with government departments and litigation arising out of these issues.

There are 17 partners of this firm who are stationed at various locations such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Dubai and London “We have great manpower to provide our clients with best possible legal aid.”

The Team Concept International Legal is a firm regulated by Mr. Raghvendra P. Singh who is the leading practicing lawyer. He is enrolled as a member of a Chartered Institute of Arbitrators-London. He is also a member of Association of International Arbitration,Brussels. He has a diverse experience in several fields of law, real estate

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Ms. Kruti Desai Partner

ALMT LEGAL

Experts in Labour, Employment, Tax & Patents Services 22 | MARCH 2021

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n Candid conversation with TBF, Ms. Kruti Desai, Partner of ALMT Legal gave some insightful answers highlighting the influences made by her business law firm that has carved a special niche in the Indian legal market by the high-quality of its legal service.

Q. Briefly tell us about the Partners/Founder of the Lawfirm: ALMT Legal is a dynamic and progressive full-service Indian law firm that provides high quality expertise with approximately 70 lawyers and 20 partners across offices in strategic commercial centers like Mumbai and Bangalore.

Our practice areas encompass all aspects of Indian law ranging from corporate, commercial to tax, employment, dispute resolution, shipping, aviation and even immigration laws.

We have consistently received accolades across practice areas by global legal publications like Legal500, Asia Law Profiles, Chambers and Partners, IFLR 1000 amongst others and are recognized as one of the top bracket law firms in India.

Asialaw Profiles 2021 Edition recommends ALMT Legal for banking and finance, capital markets, construction, corporate and M&A, energy, infrastructure, dispute resolution, labour and employment, private equity, real estate, tax and technology and telecommunications.

Asia Pacific Legal 500 2021 Edition has recommended several of our partners and designated some as leading lawyers in various practice areas such as banking and finance, capital markets, corporate & M&A, data protection, dispute resolution, private equity and investment funds, labour and employment, real estate & construction, technology, media & telecommunications (TMT) and tax.

Corporate Intl Magazine has named us the 'Employment Law Firm of the Year (India) 2021' and the 'Cross Border Tax Law Firm of the Year (India) 2021'.

M&A Global Award 2021 has awarded ALMT Legal for Employment law in India.

Global Law Experts Awards has awarded ALMT Legal as 'Employment Law Firm of the Year in India' and 'Cross Border Tax Law Firm of the Year in India' in 2021 and 2020.

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Asian Legal Business 2020 has recognized ALMT Legal for Intellectual Property (Patents) and M&A. 2020 International Advisory Experts Award has awarded ALMT Legal as winner of 'Employment Law Award – India'.

Legal 100 Asia 2020 Awards has awarded ALMT Legal as 'Law Firm of the Year Employment – India'.

Lawyer International Legal 100 Awards 2020 has awarded ALMT Legal for Tax. Several of our partners are recognized as leading lawyers and experts in their field of practice by global and Indian legal publications: Our Senior Partner, Mr. Aliff Fazelbhoy is recognised as one of India's leading lawyers by India Business Law Journal (2020-21 and 2018-19) and Asian Legal Business in 2020.

Our Senior Partners; Mr. Aliff Fazelbhoy is recognised as 'Distinguished Practitioner' for Labour and Employment and Corporate M&A; and Mr. SR. Arun and Mr. Sameer Tapia are recognised as 'Notable Practitioner' for Corporate M&A and Dispute Resolution respectively and our Partner, Ms. Kruti Desai is recognised as 'Notable Practitioner' for Labour and Employment by Asia Law Profiles 2021 Edition.

Our Partners, Ms. Ryna Karani and Ms. Statira Ranina are recognised as 'Highly Regarded Lawyers' by IFLR 1000 for Banking and Finance, M&A and Tax. Several of our partners are recommended by Legal 500 2021 Edition and our Senior Partner, Mr. Aliff Fazelbhoy is also featured in the prestigious 'Hall of Fame' for Tax. The Enterprise World Magazine featured our Partner, Ms. Kruti Desai as 'The 20 Prominent Women Lawyers to Watch in 2020′.

Q. Kindly brief us about the initial journey and your contribution towards the upliftment of the Law Firm?

I was inducted in the firm in 2005 through the placement committee of Government Law College immediately after passing out of the 5 years course of BLS/LLB. Since then, there has been no looking back and in 2012, I was made a partner of the firm.

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As a Partner with ALMT Legal, I have almost 16 years of experience in advising Indian and international clients on corporate and employment laws. I specialize primarily in labour and employment laws, commercial contracts, PE investments, JVs, M&As. I am also a POSH trainer and have an expertise in dealing with POSH complaints.

Besides this, I also advise on exchange control laws, IPR, data privacy, winding up and restructuring matters. I advise extensively on labour & employment laws involving hiring and firing policies, employee handbooks and policies, regulatory compliances, payment of statutory benefits, retirement policies, dealing with sexual harassment complaints, framing POSH policy, conducting POSH training for employees and ICC members.

Happy to share that I was recently featured in The Enterprise World Magazine as one of 'The 20 Prominent Women Lawyers to Watch in 2020′. I have also been consistently recognised by global legal publications like Asia Law Profiles, Chambers and Partners amongst others.

Recognised by Asia Law Profiles as a 'Notable Practitioner' for Labour and Employment and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT)in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 Edition. Recommended by Chambers & Partners (Asia Pacific) 2019 as a 'Recognized Practitioner' for Employment and by Legal 500 2021 Edition as 'Other key lawyer' for Labour and Employment.

I have also been on the speaking panel of several conferences, webinars, and prestigious events. Recently, I was given the honour to be one of the expert panellist on the webinar “Sustainabil-Tee A Feminist Take on Fashion” hosted by Girl up Delhi Coalition, a global campaign launched by the United Nations Foundation. In view of the confusion caused in the industry on the interpretation of multiple government notifications and case law developments pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have also conducted multiple virtual Master Classes as a trainer hosted by International Business Intelligence on “Termination & Pay cuts of Employees during COVID19” and “Drafting of Employment Agreements post COVID-19” and also on “Data Protection Laws in India”.

In the past, I have also been a guest lecturer at NMIMS University, ICFAI Business School, IBS Business School and Indian School of Design & Innovation (Parsons). I have also done trainings for All India Plastics Manufacturers' Association (AIPMA) and VC Circle. I have also co-authored the Indian Chapter of 'The International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Recovery & Insolvency' 2013 edition published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London.

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Our mission To provide dedicated, e cient, commercially sound and result oriented solutions to clients. We value the trust and beliefs vested in us, by our clients and professional contacts, and provide a dedicated service with an honest and direct approach in all our dealing.

Q. Kindly share your opinion on the Law Firm?

As a mid-size firm, we give a good blend of a team of qualified expert lawyers along with providing flexible rates. We ensure that a partner/ senior lawyer having expertise in the required practice area is at all times involved in the matter and don't believe in 100% delegation of work to juniors without experience. We are a one stop-shop for all legal solutions. Clients have consistently appreciated us for our extensive knowledge, easy accessibility, friendly approach and prompt responses.

We believe in closing a deal in the interest of both parties rather than getting stuck on petty issues. We are a dynamic firm which believes in adapting to the need of the hour. We also have dedicated teams for knowledge management and keep ourselves updated and proactively inform our clients in case of any relevant legal update that may impact them especially during Covid 19 pandemic.

45% of our Partners are women and 60% of our associates across major practice areas are women. We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to being a diverse and inclusive firm. We have been one of the few firms who have consistently supported maternity benefits and have flexible working hours and work from home

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facilities for our female employees even before the pandemic. We also believe in inclusive talent practices and equal pay without any discrimination or gender bias. We also have a full time visually impaired employee who is an asset to our firm.

Q. What are the distinct areas of practice of the Law Firm?

ALMT Legal's practice areas encompass all aspects of Indian law ranging from aviation, banking and finance, capital markets, corporate/ commercial, competition/ antitrust, dispute resolution, data protection, intellectual property, infrastructure and project finance. labour and employment, mergers and acquisition, private equity, tax, technology and telecommunication, media and entertainment, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, sports law, shipping and maritime etc.

Being a full-service law firm, we have an in-house team of experts in some of the niche practice areas like labour & employment, tax, and patents. These three practice areas are highly specialized and not common for all firms, which makes us quite unique and a full-service firm in the true sense. An interesting interplay of this can be seen in some of our landmark cases which truly distinguishes us from other firms in the industry.

Our vision To excel as a leading, progressive, innovative, dynamic and unique Indian law practice acknowledged for its legal excellence and team of high caliber professionals with keen intellect and unyielding integrity, providing high quality international service to clients. ™

Our clients include entrepreneurial, medium and blue-chip companies aiming to provide business oriented legal advice and support to in-house legal counsel.

Q. Share with us challenges faced by Lawfirm?.

As a firm, our initial growth was quite rapid, though like in any business we faced challenges in matters such as price competition and poaching of trained associates by large firms as well as new entrants.

The years 2004 to 2008 were the trigger years when the firm acquired a lot of talent through lateral joinees of partners from different practice areas. We grew from a 10lawyer firm in 2004 to a close to 50 lawyer firm in 2008 and there has been no looking back since then.

With the recent Covid-19 crisis, government regulations change every other day. We ensure that we are sending regular updates to our clients and actively tracking all the plethora of latest government notifications and judgements of the Supreme Court and various high courts pertaining to COVID-19 pandemic and other labour developments.

Q. What lies ahead of the Law Firm in the future?

The legal sector has become more diverse in terms of gender, knowledge and emerging practice areas like data privacy, labour codes, IPR, etc. Law is no longer about merely filing and arguing cases before the court which used to be the case many years ago. We have also set up a dedicated team that will purely focus on emerging laws such as data privacy, competition, consolidated labour codes, etc.

We are hoping to continue our firm as the leading practitioner for labour & employment law which is growing rapidly in view of the tremendous amount of legal developments and updates in employment law. We also intend to be the number one go-to firm for insolvency matters which has seen a huge number of cases being filed since the IBC has come into effect. We also intend to further expand our knowledge and practice areas in international arbitration.

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Poorvi Chothani Founder & Managing Partner

LAWQUEST A Dynamic Global Immigration Law Firm 28 | MARCH 2021

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new era law firm, LawQuest is dedicated to provide pioneering solutions to its clients. In Candid Conversation with TBF, Poorvi Chothani, the Founder and Managing Partner of LawQuest, have shared some insightful views and highlighted the firm's achievements making it the most recommended immigration law solution provider.

Q. Briefly describe the Partners/Founder of the Law firm.

Poorvi Chothani is the Founder and Managing Partner of LawQuest, an immigration and employment law firm, headquartered in Mumbai, India. She is also the Managing Partner of The Law Office of Poorvi Chothani, PLLC, Florida.

Poorvi is a seasoned veteran who advises companies through every major immigration policy change and spearheads LawQuest's leading global immigration practice, which addresses Indian, U.S. and global immigration compliance, HR functions and mobility services. LawQuest offers its services to multinational clients in a variety of sectors, including financial services, consulting, IT, defense, consumer goods, telecommunications and multimedia. It offers a comprehensive compliance and management program driven by technology and in-depth knowledge, to help clients manage their mobile workforce.

Poorvi is a Vice Chair of the India and Immigration committees at the American Bar Association (ABA) and is an Executive Member and Secretary in the Immigration committee at the International Bar Association (IBA), a global organization.

Poorvi, a founding member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association's (AILA) Bangkok District Chapter (BDC) has served on its steering group and committees several times and organized BDC's unique Annual Conference in Chennai as Conference Chair. She currently serves on AILA'S DOS Liaison Committee and continues to be an active member of the BDC and AILA's South Florida Chapters. She is a founding member and past Chair of the AILA Global Migration Section (GMS).

Q. Kindly brief us about the initial journey and your contribution towards the upliftment of the Law firm?

Poorvi Chothani, began her legal career in 1984 as a Counsel at the Bombay High Court. Through the years her

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career took different turns, working with prominent lawyers and law firms, adding to her knowledge and experience in litigation, corporate law, business practices, intellectual property law, employment law to name a few.

In 2003, after pursuing an LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School of Business, Poorvi began LawQuest as a boutique firm focussed on immigration and employment law. Early in 2004, Poorvi was admitted to the New York Bar and then as a registered and practicing Solicitor of England and Wales. Being licensed in multiple jurisdictions proved to be a great advantage in the field of global immigration.

The firm has only grown from strength to strength and there has been no looking back.

LawQuest has grown to be a dynamic global immigration and Indian employment law firm with a cumulative experience of over 70 years. We have over 90 global network partners who enable us to provide a holistic range of services across the globe to our clients. LawQuest ensures that it clearly understands client needs and take an organized and comprehensive approach to all its legal work. LawQuest also assists companies with setting up operations in India guiding them through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and state regulations to ensure a high level of compliance.

Q. What are the distinct areas of practice of the Law firm and what makes it unique?

LawQuest provides essential Indian employment law and global immigration services, both integral and crucial components of any global business. The firm's domestic and international clients benefit from its full range of Indian employment law services – from recruitment to termination and all matters in between. LawQuest's offices are conveniently located in Mumbai, New York City and Miami.

The firm's practice areas, in addition to U.S., global and Indian immigration law, include Indian employment and labor law, advisory and assistance with alternate or permanent residence and citizenship planning and acquisition as well as document and legalization services.

LawQuest is a regulated entity; answerable to the regulators in India, USA, and England and Wales. This requires the firm to adhere to high standards of ethics and professional responsibility. Members of the firm hold senior leadership positions in international bodies

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including the International Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and Indian Merchants Chamber. Aside from the jurisdictions the firm is licensed in, it also has a vetted network of partners in over 90 countries, many of whom have been met in person and/or the firm works with regularly.

The firm's team prolifically publishes articles and blogs on immigration matters. Members of LawQuest are often quoted in and contribute to leading publications. The media frequently interviews Poorvi on complex immigration issues.

LawQuest members are very well connected with the consular communities at diplomatic posts in India of many countries. They are included in the list of attorneys/ solicitors published by the U.S. and British Consulates.

Poorvi and the LawQuest team frequently work with highnet-worth individuals on EB-5 green cards as well as other global residence and citizenship options.

Though LawQuest works for clients for a fee, at any given point of time the firm is involved in at least one pro bono legal project in association with TrustLaw, a Thomson Reuters Foundation initiative, which provides a platform for law firms to assist NGOs and social enterprises which are in need of legal assistance. LawQuest is the recipient of several awards for its pro bono work and continues to contribute to society with ongoing projects.

Areas of Practice Indian Immigration | U.S. Immigration | Global Immigration, Citizenship and Residence Programs| Indian Employment Law | Business Start Up Services Q. What are the challenges faced by the Law firm?

“Our goal is to accelerate the employment prospects for foreign nationals while ensuring that our clients maintain the highest standards of regulatory compliance.” celebrities to help them navigate the uncertain Indian immigration procedures and systems, resolving complex issues so that they can achieve their career and travel goals. For a long time, the firm was an 'all women' law firm and this was not by design but by pure chance. A large part of this was because the firm offers its staff flexibility, and it provides a work environment which allows parent teacher meetings to trump client meetings. This ethos resulted in the Vahura Award for 'Best Law Firm in WorkLife Balance'.

Q. What lies ahead of the Law firm in the future?

As the economies across the world get more global there will be a continuous and increased movement of people to meet the needs of specific skills and address demographic challenges where there are aging populations. This harbors well for global immigration and LawQuest is on an upward trajectory and the sky's the limit! The firm is expected to induct on equity partners over the next couple of years.

In 2003, when LawQuest was launched as an immigration law firm it was a very rare practice in India. It took a lot of perseverance and tenacity to establish the firm.

Key milestones in the firm's growth included the acquisition of clients like global leaders in the aerospace and defence sectors, both large American conglomerates.

The firm's reputation has gained global recognition and it has been described as 'the best of the best in India', by leading global law firms, an accolade that it is proud of.

The firm has worked with multiple A-list, Bollywood

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A LAW FIRM

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ave you ever dreamt of being a lawyer or working in a law firm? Imagining yourself in those suited-booted looks with tight collars, stepping inside a courtroom or for a fact experiencing the courtroom drama which you might have been binge-watching. Are they really the way it appears or is it perception. In this article, we explain to you how a law firm functions and its importance in the present world.

A Law firm shares the same values of a corporate, but it sets apart itself as an entity. It is an association of lawyers that come together under one company to provide services.

This is done due to the specialization they hold.

An independent lawyer may be able to provide services based on is professional specialization but when a group of lawyers come under one roof, it becomes easier to acquire a larger clientele.

Law firms can be categorized on three aspects: type of firms, functions, and services.

The type of firm may be a sole proprietorship or a partnership firm or an LLC/LLP depending on the nature of the firm. The functionality of the firm depends on the prior i.e., type of firm. There are directors, associates, and interns. Each of them functions as per their designation. The services provided depends on the sector the firm caters to.

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There are many benefits that can enjoy while working in a law firm. As it stands the center point of any business, one can gain the ocean of knowledge here. Moreover, you deal with a diverse client base and opportunities come knocking at your door. Therefore, it is important to choose the right firm to start your career with.

You can read, a detailed analysis of the best law firms in 2021 in our latest edition on The Most recommended Law firm to Watch, 2021 with AKM Mylsamy & Associates LLP in which Subratha Mylsamy, Partner of the firm highlights her experiences about working with comprehensive business law solutions and her journey so far. It is, thus, inspiring to me to see such law firms and get to know about their engagements. One can also look forward to how Raghvendra P Singh, CEO, Concept Legal international talks about ethics that drive the law firms, as he established it based on three basic pillars of their services- the professionalism, effectiveness and the complexity of solutions and carved out his own path scaling new heights. Similarly, Poorvi Chothani, Founder & Managing Partner at LawQuest has shaped a future in the legal field by providing pioneering solutions to its clients.

In this era, where we are surrounded with so many challenges, the lawyers and a law firm stand as a strong support system with concrete solutions for the betterment of the individual, firm & society.

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Founder Partner LexOrbis

Manisha Singh Staying Ahead of Time 34 | MARCH 2021

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anisha Singh, the Founder and Managing Partner of LexOrbis, is known for her deep expertise on prosecution and enforcement of all forms of IP rights and for strategizing and managing global patents, trademarks and designs portfolios of large global and domestic companies.

Started in 1997, spearheaded by Manisha Singh, LexOrbis is a comprehensive Intellectual Property law firm extending IP related legal services to global corporations, research institutions, technology driven industries and government entities in India and assisting Indian businesses to procure and protect Intellectual Property Rights across the globe.

The firm is actively involved in various national and international IP events. The prolific experience of the attorneys and their passion for IP has been expressed at various speaking engagements and through research articles on issues related to all forms of IP laws in India.

Manisha Singh overviews and supervises all practice groups at the firm. Her keen interest in using and deploying the latest technology tools and processes has immensely helped the firm to develop efficient IP service delivery models and to provide best-in-class services.

She is also known for her sharp litigation and negotiation skills. She has been involved and successfully resolved various trademarks, copyright and design infringement and passing off cases in short timeframes and the most costefficient manner, applying out-of-box strategies and thinking. She is a member of several international IP associations, such as AIPLA, AIPPI, APAA, ECTA, FICPI, INTA, LESI, MARQUES and actively participates in the committee works of these organizations.

start-ups. It is the exclusive IP service providers to India's biggest public sector oil company Indian Oil Corporation Limited and handles foreign filing and prosecution of patent applications for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India's nodal agency for public-funded innovation. The firm also represents the Defence Research and Development Organization of the Government of India, the Department of Biotechnology, the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council, the National Research Development Corporation and many more government institutions.

“When the firm started around 23 years back, the economic spectrum of the country was undergoing a paradigm shift particularly with the introduction of New Economic Policy of 1991, and the consequent opening of the economy for multinational corporations.”

In the initial days, the firm faced many challenges due to the complexities, which were there in the administrative and legislative structure. Though, abreast with the international standards and applied that in the firm, but the ecosystem in which it was operating was not geared to such a service model. Back then, it was also very difficult to motivate and inspire young engineers and scientists to take up and pursue a career in law. The only way to overcome these difficulties was consistency and perseverance.

Eventually, efforts started paying off, client sign-ups happened and today, Lexorbis, has a diverse client base of 1500+ clients that include many Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, public sector organizations, government-funded research institutes, small and mediumsized enterprises, and technology start-ups from a wide range of industries.

The Contribution of Lexorbis:

Area of Service & Offerings:

With the introduction of the new Industrial Policy in 1991, India emerged as a key player in the global economy and became a signatory to many international agreements with the World Trade Organization, affirming its commitment to liberalize trade. LexOrbis aspired to incorporate that international perspective to the Indian Intellectual Property regimen, which was under the process of being integrated with the International IP system.

LexOrbis is a highly specialized, market-leading IP boutique with a team of 9 partners and 90 attorneys.

Counted amongst the fastest growing IP firms in India, it provides practical solutions and services on IP related legal issues faced by technology companies, research institutions, universities, broadcasters, content developers and brand owners. Equipped with a dedicated department, the firm offers expert advice on patent work; covering filing, prosecution and litigation.

The firm is also equipped with a dedicated team to advise on trademark related matters including strategic advice on trademark applications and protection. Its thorough and

The firm has developed a diverse clientele that includes many Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, leading Indian companies, public sector organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and top technology

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comprehensive advice on trademark mandates is widely recognized.

Highly recommended by IP organizations and professionals around the world, LexOrbis offers high standards of technical and legal expertise with tailored services carefully adapted to meet specific needs of every client. Known for its expertise in negotiating and closing settlement agreements on behalf of its clients, it believes in avoiding prolonged and expensive litigation.

“LexOrbis offers a fine blend of technical expertise with sharp legal acumen to provide services including identification, clearances, preparation & prosecution, transactional & commercial advisory, enforcement and assertion, dispute resolution and general advisory on all forms of Intellectual Property Rights including Patents, Designs, Trademarks, Copyright, Geographical Indication, Plant Varieties and related areas such as Biodiversity laws, Information Technology, Advertising, Media & Entertainment and Legal Metrology” elaborates Manisha Singh.

The firm's key practice areas include end-to-end IP services starting from ideation to monetization including, procurement, protection, maintenance, and enforcement of all forms of

Headquarter in New Delhi, India

Founded in Year: 1997

IP rights and assets, like: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

IP assets identification Branding strategies Protecting IP assets Enforcement & assertion

The futuristic approach of Lexorbis aspires to serve the domestic and international IP community with the same vigor as it has for the last 20+ years. The need of the hour is to recognize the talent, innovation and the creativity various individuals have to offer and to streamline the process protecting their creations end to end. As it has in the past, LexOrbis will be focused on growth and expansion in the future.

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Employees Headcount: 225

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