The Most Recognized Law Firm Of The Year 2023

Advocate Sidhartha Sharma, Founder and Managing Partner Sharma and Sharma Advocates and Legal Consultants

Editor’s Note

HONORING THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF THE INDIAN LEGAL SECTOR

TThelegalindustryinIndiahaschangedoveraperiod

fromastaticstructuretoadynamicsystemof peopleempowerment.Bychangingthework processesthroughtheadditionofvalue-basedsystemsand humanelements,modernlawfirmshavebridgedthegap betweentheIndianlegalsystemandthecommonpeople.

Breathinginthelifeandenergyinthelegalindustry throughtheprofessionalaspectsofpromptcommunication, clarityofthought,offeringtherightguidance,and educatingtheclientsonthecaseproceduresand prerequisites—themodernlawfirmshavesuccessfully broughtaboutremarkabledifferencesinhandlingthecases towardstheswiftmovementoftheproceedingstowardsthe desiredoutcomes.

Evolvingfromseveralchallengesofthesystem, procedures,andseveralconditionsthatkeptthingsoutof scopeandreachofthemasses,thelawfirmshavebroken theshelloftraditionalparadigmstoextendtheirservicesto

Abhishek Joshi Deputy Editor

abhishek.joshi@insightssuccess com

thepeopleinofferingthebestlegalsolutionsandservices inboththedimensionsofseekingjusticeanddefendingthe innocent.

TheCOVID-19pandemichadbeenamajordisruptorinall dimensionsofhumanlives.Thelegalindustrytoowas transformedforthebetterandcontinuedworking,thanksto thedevelopmentsinmoderntechnologies.Remoteworking assistedbytheonlineconferencesystemsofbringing peopletogetherthrougheasyaccessibilitytoseamless communication.

Customizedwebapplicationshavestreamlinedtheentire workingstructureoflawfirmsbysegregatingthe assignments,settingpriorities,casebuilding,validating documents,gatheringshredsofevidence,andseveralother essentialaspects.Moreover,theinitiativestakenbythe ministryofjusticetoestablishseveralfast-trackcourtshave acceleratedthemomentumofcaseclearanceandrendering justicetounderprivilegedpeople.

Recognizingtheroleandimportanceofmodernlawfirms, InsightsSuccesshasinitiateditslatestedition,‘TheMost RecognizedLawFirmsOfTheYear2023,’whichunfolds severalcaptivatingdimensionsofsuccessfulandchangemakinglegalconsultingorganizations.

Enrichingyourreadingjourneyofthelegalworld,ourinhouseeditorialteamhascomplementedtheissuewitha coupleofcaptivatingandenlighteningarticles,honouring progressivelawmakers!

Haveanengagingandinterestingread. LettheLawprevail!

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal

Deputy Editor Kedar Borgaonkar

Managing Editor Abhishek Joshi

Assisting Editor Gaurav PR Wankhade

Visualizer Sandeep Tikode

Art and Design Head Rashmi singh

Associate Designer Sameen Arif

Sr. Vice President Megha Mishra

Sr. Sales Manager Tejaswini Whaval

Business Development Lead Neha Bhadane

Sr. Business Development Executive Sachin Bajad

Technical Head Prachi Mokashi

Technical Specialist Prashant Hiremath

Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni

SME-SMO Executive Nikita Khadalkar

Circulation Manager Tanaji

sales@insightssuccess com

JANAUARY, 2023

Corporate Offices:

Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Off. No. 22, Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017

Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85

Email: info@insightssuccess.in

For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in

Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States

Phone - (614)-602-1754

Email: info@insightssuccess com

For Subscription: www.insightssuccess com

Sharma and Sharma Advocates and Legal Consultants

is recognized by Insights Success as one of the

for its impeccable legal solutions and exemplary services that are enabling reliability in the Indian legal Sector.

Pooja M. Bansal Editor-in-Chief

Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd.

IN HIS 22 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, SIDHARTHA HAS SUCCESSFULLY HANDLED VARIOUS NOTABLE CASES AND REGULARLY APPEARED BEFORE VARIOUS COURTS, INCLUDING THE HON’BLE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA.

AFlourishingProfessionalFamily

S.N. Sharma Labour Law and Service Law Consulant

Anand Sharma Senior Partner

Sidhartha Sharma Founder and Managing Partner

Lawistheprimarydistinctionbetweenacivilized

anduncivilizedsociety.Lawhelpsresolveallkinds ofdisputesamongstindividuals,groups,urbane, rural,socio-cultural-economic-politicalandprofessional entities,privateandpublicinstitutions,andindustrialand corporateorganizationsspreadoverthelocalandglobal demographics. In fact, law aided our transformation from mankind into humankind.

Evolvedovergenerations,likemanyotherhumanaffairs, thelegalspherebecameincreasinglycomplex,branching intospecializedareas,includinglabour,service,industry, company,andcorporatelawgoverningthebusinesses, enterprises,trade,economy,finance,banking,etc.While conductingtheirdailymatters,allenterprisingindividuals/groups/entitiesfinditalmostimpossibletoavoidissues, problems,anddisputesarisingoutoftheconflictingnature ofhumanactivities.

Whenevertheseproblemsoverlapinthelegalareas,these businesseseithermustfacethemorhireanadept,pragmatic,trustworthy,andreliablelegalcounsellike Sharma and Sharma Advocates and Legal Consultants–aboutique, full-servicelawfirmonanoblemissionofbringingina positivesocio-legalimpactandfurtheringthecivilizational character.

ThefirmwasestablishedbyAdvocateSidharthaSharma, Founder,andManagingPartner,in2006.Presently,the firmhasofficesinKolkata,NewDelhi,andMumbaiwith associatelawyers,charteredaccountants,andcompany secretariesinmostmajorcitiesofIndia,withsubstantial representationsinemployment(LabourlawandService Law),transactional,Realestate,insolvencymatters particularlyrelatedtoInsolvency&BankruptcyCode, 2016,Companymattersandnumerouslitigationand arbitrationmatters.Thisnetworkofalliancesbenefitsthe clientsofasinglewindowserviceprovidertodealwithall kindsofmattersacrossthecountryunderoneumbrella. The Head Office of the firm is in Kolkata, conveniently located near the Calcutta High Court.

InspirationalPrinciples

Theprincipledvocationoflawinspiresardenttalentsdueto itschallengingnature.Sharinghisown,Sidharthasaysthat beingasecond-generationlawyerworkinginthecourts, lookingatvoluminousdocumentsandspendinglonghours inthelibrarywasnotnewtohim. He reminisces,“Sincethe formativeyearsofmyeducation,Iwasalwaysinclined towardsthelegalprofessionandcourtcraft.Myfather,Mr

SatyanarayanSharma,isareputedlabourlawpractitioner inKolkataandhasauthorednumerousbooksonthesubject. Myelderbrother,Mr.AnandSharma,alsoaSeniorPartner atSharma&SharmaAdvocatesandLegalConsultants, furtherinspiredmeto take up the noble profession, which has the potential to impact society positively.”

Sidharthastartedhispracticeintheyear2001andwas ChamberJuniorofoneoftheforemostpractitionersof Hon’bleHighCourt,Calcutta,whowasawardedasthe BESTEMERGINGLAWYEROFHON’BLECALCUTTA HIGHCOURT, Late Hon’ble Mr. Justice Protik Prakash Banerjee, Judge of Hon’ble Calcutta High Court.“In 2006,IlaidthefoundationforSharma&SharmaAdvocates andLegalConsultants,whichhasacquiredimmense recognitioninthelegalfraternitysincethenaswellas expandedfromitsheadofficeinKolkatatoNewDelhi, Chandigarh,andBhubaneswar,” he informs.

AJourneyofExcellence

ThefirmwasstartedinasmallchamberneartheHigh CourtatCalcuttain2006,majorlydealinginlabourand industriallawsandrelatedfieldsofmaster-servant relationship,followedbyappearingindifferentcourts, tribunalslikeProvidentFundAppellateTribunal,andother forumscreatedtoadjudicatemaster-servantdisputes,and alsohandlingvariousmatterspertainingtolabour laws/servicelaw

OUR NETWORK OF ALLIANCES BENEFITS THE CLIENTS OF A SINGLE WINDOW SERVICE

PROVIDER TO DEAL WITH ALL KINDS OF MATTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.

Advocate Sidhartha Sharma, Founder and Managing Partner Sharma and Sharma Advocates and Legal Consultants

Priyanka Sharma Tibrewal Managing Partner Sharma and Sharma Advocates and Legal Consultants

Sodharthafurthers,“As my existing Clientele started reposing their faith and trust on my abilities and acumen, I started practicing in corporate and commercial disputes, property law, company law, restructuring and bankruptcy matters, and other corporate advisories in addition to the major practice in labour and industrial relations and insurance laws.”

Soonthereafter,asMrs.PriyankaSharmaTibrewaljoined thefirm,thefirm’spracticeexpandedfromthecompany, commercialandcorporatelawstocriminallaw,familylaw, andconstitutionalmatters.

Inhis22yearsofprofessionalexperience,Sidharthahas successfullyhandledvariousnotablecasesandregularly appearbeforetheHon’bleSupremeCourtofIndia,Hon’ble HighCourtatCalcutta,Hon’bleHighCourtatDelhi, Hon’bleHighCourtatBilaspur,Hon’bleHighCourtat Guwahati,Hon’bleNationalCompanyLawAppellate Tribunal,Hon’bleNationalCompanyLawTribunal (PrincipalBench,Bengaluru,Guwahati,Mumbai, Allahabad,Indore,Ahmedabad,Chennai,Hyderabad,and CuttackBench).“Moreover, I have also handled cases at various fora created under the SICA Act, 1985, like BIFR and AAIFR at Delhi, the Employee State Insurance Court, Employees Provident Fund Tribunal, and others,”he shares.

OVER THE YEARS, THE FIRM HAS EXPANDED ITS PRACTICE AREAS AND SERVICES FROM DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND ARBITRATION TO CORPORATE ADVISORY, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS, AND REGULATORY WORK. WITH A CLEAR-CUT VISION AND AN INTENSE MISSION, SIDHARTHA PUTS THAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED ALL THEIR MILESTONES IN THEIR JOURNEY.

In2017,thefirmestablisheditsofficesinChandigarhand Bhubaneswar,withtheadditionofnewpartnersinthefirm, therebyfurtherexpandingitspracticeareasinmininglaws andelectricitylaws,amongstothers.In2018,thefirmset upitsNewDelhioffice,centrallylocatedneartheHon’ble SupremeCourtofIndia,theHon’bleHighCourt,andthe NCLT/NCLAT

Overtheyears,thefirmhasexpandeditspracticeareasand servicesfromdisputeresolutionandarbitrationtocorporate advisory,mergersandacquisitions,andregulatorywork.

Thefirm’sspecializedproficiencycoupledwitheffective, promptandpracticalsolutionsarethefactorswhichare predominantinchoosingthefirmbytheclientsand consideringthelongstandingandcontinuousprofessional servicesofferedbythefirmtocorporatesandindustries, Sharma&SharmaAdvocatesandLegalConsultantswas awardedasthe‘Top 10 Legal Consultants of 2020 by CEO Insights Magazine’in2020.

EnsuringLegalInnovations

AccordingtoSidhartha,keepingpacewiththeevolving timesandneedsoftheindustryandcorporates,thefirm specializesinvariousareas.Itisproficientinproviding effective,prompt,andpracticalsolutions,makingthefirma favouredchoicebydomesticandinternationalclients.The firmaimstoprovideclear,concise,andpracticaladvice withtime-bounddeliverablestosupportitsclientsand achievebusinessobjectivesinthelongrun.Thefirm’s innovativeandpragmaticsolutionsextendbeyondpractices andborderstosuitalltheclient’sbusinessneeds.

Theteamofprofessionalsunderstandsissuesacrossabroad spectrumofbusinessandlegalpracticestodelivercommerciallypragmaticadvice.

Thefirmspecializesinvariouspracticeareassuchas corporaterestructuringandinsolvency,bankingand finance,capitalmarketsandsecurities,corporateadvisory, cross-bordertransactions,realestatelaws,mining,energy, disputeresolutionandarbitration,employment,environment,FDI,governanceriskandcompliance,intellectual propertyrights,jointventures,M&Aandprivateequity

Standingtallamidsttheleagueofeminentlegalconsultants inSharma&SharmaAdvocatesandLegalConsultantshas growntoanincredibleextentwhereclientsacknowledge themfortheirarrayofservicesbeingofferedunderone umbrellawithinatimeframe.

THE FIRM'S VISION IS TO PROVIDE A PROMPT, FEASIBLE, AND PRAGMATIC SOLUTION TO THE CLIENT FOR AN OVERALL INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY AND EASE IN CARRYING OUT TRADE AND COMMERCE.

Arjun Asthana Partner

Sidhartha Sharma Founder & Managing partner Pree Sharma Senior Consultant

“The firm comprises of advocates, chartered accountants, company secretaries, professionals with specialization in management of business and engineers to understand both the legal and commercial aspirations and expectations of our Clients, which has set apart the law firm from its contemporaries,”statesSidhartha.

PragmaticVision

Withaclear-cutvisionandanintensemission,Sidhartha putsthattheyhaveachievedalltheirmilestonesintheir journey Thefirm’svisionistoprovideaprompt,feasible, andpragmaticsolutiontotheclientforanoverallincrease inproductivityandeaseincarryingouttradeandcommerce.

Statingthecorevaluesandphilosophies,Sidharthasays, “We believe in the importance of the partners’involvement and accessibility to its client. We also ensure that the clients are kept well informed about industrial development on a regular basis.”Thefirm’smissionistoprovidededicated, efficient,commerciallysound,andresult-orientedsolutions toitsclients.

Regardingthechallengestheyfacedandthemostdifficult obstaclestheysurmounted,Sidharthasaysthatlitigationis aprofessionthatthrivesinchallenges.Everydayinthe court,youwillencountersomechallengesortheother Everybriefgiventoapracticingadvocatebringswithita challenge.Everymatterisaschallengingasthenext,and youcannotdistinguishanyonecaseasthemostchallenging.

“However,onekeychallengeIparticularlynoticedinmy professionalcareerwasappreciatingthecommercialand operationalpracticalitieswhilerunninganorganization.I hadobservedthatadvocatesoftenunderplayedthecommercialandoperationalpracticalitiesandfailedtogive credencetothesame,” he mentions

He explains,“Sharma&SharmaAdvocatesandLegal Consultants,wehaveadedicatedteamofprofessionals rangingfromadvocatestocharteredaccountants,company secretariesandalsoprofessionalswithspecializationin managementofbusinessandengineerstounderstandand appreciatetheoperationalandcommercialaspirationsand expectationsofourClients.”

SHARMA & SHARMA ADVOCATES & LEGAL CONSULTANTS HAS GROWN TO AN INCREDIBLE EXTENT WHERE CLIENTS ACKNOWLEDGE THEM FOR THEIR ARRAY OF SERVICES BEING OFFERED UNDER ONE UMBRELLA WITHIN A TIME FRAME.

Tech-KnowEvolution

Lawevolvesasitissubjectedtoamendmentscontinuously. Speakingaboutthesame,Sidharthabelievesthatlawis neverstatic;itisalwayschanging,beinginterpretedor redefined,asregulatorsandjudgesstrive,withvarying degreesofsuccess,toensurethatthelawconstantlyreflects changesinsocietyitself.They,aslawyers,havealways adaptedtothechangeduetotheevolvinglawandshall continuetodoso.

Theirfirmdealswithvariousaspectsoflaw;however,they havecertainnichepractices,whichincludetheInsolvency andBankruptcyCode,2016,Electricitylaws,etc.Significantamendmentshavetakenplaceintheirnichepractices, andtheybelievetherearemoretocome.TheyatSharma& Sharmahavespecializedteamsforsuchpractices,especiallywhenitcomestocorporatelaws.Theyhaveateam thatcomprisesCharteredAccountantsandCompany Secretariesalongwithlawyerswhoarespecializedinthe fieldofcorporatelawandthereforeassistthefirminnot

onlyinterpretingthelawsbutalsomakingsurethatallthe membersofthefirm,includingthepartnersandthe associates,arealwaysup-to-dateandwell-versedwithany amendmentthattakesplaceregardingcorporatelaw.“In addition, the firm is equipped with professionals with specialization in management of business and engineers to understand and appreciate the operational and commercial aspirations and expectations of our Clients,”hestates.

Beingamajorlawfirm,therearemanyspecialservices providedbySharma&SharmaAdvocatesandLegal Consultantstoitsclients.Inthefast-developingrevolutionaryworldoftheinternet,peopleandtheirservicesare accessiblejustaclickaway Sidhartha conveys,“Weat Sharma&Sharmaareinlinewiththelatesttechnological developmentandhaveastronganddistinctivepresenceon theinternet,havingareserveddomainnameandwebsiteby thestyleofwww.sharmaandsharmalegal.com.”In additiontotheabove,theyhaveastrongandresponsive socialmediapresenceonLinkedIn,Google,andother professionalsocialmediaplatforms.

“WeatSharma&Sharmahaveevolvedauniquereporting system,styledastheRecordofProceedings(ROP), whereinthereportingofthehearingbeforeacourt/tribunal isexplainedindetailtoourclientstomakeiteasierfor

themtounderstandandcomprehendthemainissues involvedintheirdisputeswhichinturnmakesourservices andexpertiseaccessibletoourclients.Ithasbeenobserved overawhilethattheROPhasproventobeofgreat assistancetoourclientsforbeingcompletelyuptodate abouttheirlegalmatters,”mentionsSidhartha.

TheyatSharma&SharmaAdvocatesandLegalConsultantsalsoissueperiodicnewsletterstotheirconnectionsand clienteletokeepthemawareofthelatestlegaldevelopmentsandjudicialprecedentsonnumerouslawsubjects. “Werecommendanyperson/orentitywhowishesto receivethenewslettersmaycommunicatetousat contact@sharmaandsharmalegal.com, andweshallduly circulatethenewsletters,” he says

AFlourishingProfessionalFamily

RegardingEmployeeWelfare,opportunities,andfacilities providedtothem,SidhartharevealsthatSharma&Sharma, (AdvocatesandLegalConsultants)investsinitspeople. “Wetreatourassociatesandstaffmembersasonefamily andensuretheycanmaintainwork-lifebalance.Wehavean environmentthatsupportsbothpersonalandprofessional growth.Wealsobelieveincreatingopportunitiesforyoung mindsandconstantlystrivetosupportandprovidethem withaplatformtoenablethemselvestoflourishprofessionallyandotherwise.”

WWW.SHARMAANDSHARMALEGAL.COM.

TheyatSharma&Sharmastronglyemphasizecontinuous learningoftheprofessionals.Inthisregard,Sharma& Sharmapublishesamonthlynewslettertokeepitsmembers inlineanduptodatewiththelatestjudicialpronouncementsandamendmentsinlaw.Thefirmalsopromotesand encouragesitsassociatestoparticipateinnumerous seminars,workshops,conferencesalike,etc.,withthe objectofexchangeofideasandknowledgedevelopment. “We offer internship programs to final year law students, select candidates based on their potential/merits, and accordingly offer them pre-placement offers. Our employees can attend in-house training programs to inculcate worklife discipline as well as stay abreast,”headds.Theyalso regularlyattendconferencesandworkshopsasspeakersand moderators.

LegalSocialContributions

Asalawfirm,ahugeresponsibilityisplaceduponthe institution.Whenprobedabouthowitfulfilsitssocial responsibilitiesandcontributestosociety, Sidhartha says, “Advocacyinitselfisaveryrewardingprofession,butat

WE AT SHARMA & SHARMA ARE IN LINE WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND HAVE A STRONG AND DISTINCTIVE PRESENCE ON THE INTERNET, HAVING A RESERVED DOMAIN NAME AND WEBSITE BY THE STYLE OF

Anand Sharma Senior Partner

THE FIRM’S INNOVATIVE AND PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS EXTEND BEYOND PRACTICES AND BORDERS TO SUIT ALL THE CLIENT’S BUSINESS NEEDS. THE TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS UNDERSTANDS ISSUES ACROSS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL PRACTICES TO DELIVER COMMERCIALLY PRAGMATIC ADVICE.

Priyanka Sharma Tibrewal Managing Partner

Sharma&Sharma,wealwaysbelievethatthegreatest rewardliesinthepleasureofgivingbacktothesociety.Not onlydoesthefirm,particularlyourManagingPartner,Ms. PriyankaSharmaTibrewal,investinprobonomatters,but italsomakesanefforttocontributetosocietyinmany ways.Webelievethatindividualsandprofessionalsshould beawareoftheirrightsanddutiesandanyothersuch laws/statutesthatmayaffecttheirday-to-dayfunctioning andassisttheminconductingtheirbusinessessmoothly withoutanyhindrance.Keepingthesameinmind,we organizeseminarsfortradeassociates,stakeholders’ associations,individuals,etc.,toenlightenthemregarding alltherelevantlawsthatmayaffectsuchindividualsor professionals.”

Theyhavealsobeensuccessfullyexecutingspecialized virtuallegalaidclinicsfrom5.00PMto7:30PMevery Saturday,wheretheydeliverafreelegalopinionto individualsorentitieswhocannotaffordqualitylegal assistance.Otherthanthat,theyalsopublishnewslettersonseveralvirtualplatformswhichcontain detailsofalltherecentdevelopmentsinlaw andsummariesofthelatestlandmark judgments.

Inhisadvicetotheyounggenerationtryingtocreatechangeor achievesomethingthroughthe

law,Sidharthasaysthateveryindividualwhoisapracticing lawyermayhaveaverydifferentprospectivewhenitcomes toachievingsuccessinthisprofession.“But I believe that every experienced successful lawyer will agree that perseverance, diligence, and hard work has no alternative in this profession,”hefeels,addingthatoften,suchyoung lawyerswillhavetoburnthemidnightoil,andmanytimes theymayfeeldejected.However,itisonlyatthismoment thattheirpassionanddeterminationwillleadtheminthe rightdirection.

Speakingabouttheirfuturestrategiesandplans,Sidhartha sharesthatgrowinginthefieldoflawiswhateverylawyer wants.

TheyatSharma&Sharmabelievethatthesamecanonly beachievedthroughteameffortandproductiveoutputby allmembersofthefirm.Toattainandmaintainthesame, theyshalladoptsuchsoftwarethatkeepstrackofthe deliverablesbytheprofessionals,therebykeepingtrackof productivity.Byimplementingsuchsoftware,theyshall targettomaximizeproductivitybutshallalsokeepacheck onthehealthoftheprofessionals.“It has come to our knowledge that several unfortunate incidents had taken place due to work pressure, and we at Sharma & Sharma want to invest more in healthcare for our professionals,”he concludes.

Embracing the Significant Advancements in the Indian Law Sector

ThemostprominentaspectoftheIndianJudiciaryis

toofferjusticetothepeoplethroughimpartial, unbiased,andpatientways.Thereasonwhyitis thebestintheworldisthatitallowsbothpartiestopresent themselvesequallyandofferstherighttodefend themselves.Intheprocessofdeliveringjustice,injustice shouldnottakeplacetoanyoneduetoany misunderstanding,half-heartedefforts,andorinfluenceby somepeople.

Thelawindustryhasdevelopedsteadilyovertheyears,but prominentdevelopmentshavehappenedjustrecentlyin thesecoupleofdecades.Thecourtprocedureswhichwere saidtohavebeenlengthy,time-consuming,andriddled withuncertainty,arenowatotallychangedscenario.The recentdevelopmentsinthelegalsystemhavecontributedto thestreamliningandsimplifyingoftheprocess.Thenew amendmentsinworkingduringtheCOVID-19pandemic havebroughtaboutabigchangeintheworkingprocessof theentireindustry.Notrelyingontheprocedures,the lawyershaveprogressedaheadinaprofessionalperspective ofaddingmorevaluetotheirservices.Improved communication,fasterworkingprocedures,systematic

Industry Insights

updatingofthecasedevelopments,closeandintegrated workingwiththeclients,courts,andgovernment departmentshaveempoweredthelawyersinbecoming efficientandhighlyresult-orientedprofessionals.

EstablishmentofFastTrackCourts

Thetimetakenbythecourtstowardsclearingthecaseshas beenascertainedastheinfluencingfactortherein.Inorder toexpeditetheprocess,thejudicialauthoritieshave developedseparatecourtsthatwouldbefocusingon handlingandresolvingthecasesofseriousmatters concerningheinouscrimesandtheunderprivilegedsections ofsociety. ThesettingupofFastTrackCourts(FTCs)and theirfunctioninglieswithinthedomainofState GovernmentsinconsultationwiththerespectiveHigh Courts.

AccordingtotheofficialwebsiteoftheDepartmentof Justice(DoJ),the14thFinanceCommissionhad recommendedthesettingupof1800FTCsduring2015-20 dealingwithcasesofheinouscrimes;civilcasesrelatedto women,children,seniorcitizens,HIV/AIDSetc.,and property-relatedcasespendingformorethanfiveyears.The CommissionalsourgedStateGovernmentstoutilize enhancedfiscalspaceavailablethroughtaxdevolution (32%to42%)forthispurpose.848FTCsarefunctional acrossthecountry(December2022).Atotalofmorethan 33lakhpendingcaseshavebeendisposedofbyFTCssince 2014.

TheAdventoftheOutsourcingindustry

Theserviceindustrygrewrapidlythatwentontodevelop supportforindustryverticalslikeIT,Bankingandfinance, Healthcare,Retail,Telecom,RealEstate,Insurance,Legal, Travelandtourism,etc.Theoutsourcingindustryinlegal specialization(LegalProcessOutsourcing)LPO,was developedindatacollection,compilation,processing,and coordinatingwithvariousclientsandsources.TheLPO functionsasavaluablesupportivearmofLegalfirmsthat needtomaximizetheworkpotentialthatrequireslotsof repetitivetasksandoperations.TheLPOindustryhas enabledlawfirmswithreadydatawithverifieddetails

suitablefortheirfurtherworkpractices.Thespecially qualifiedandtechnicallytrainedLPOprofessionalshelpto addvaluetotheworkingproceduresthroughspecific objectivesthatareaimedtoachievethekeyobjectivesof thelegalprocesses.

Integrationwithtechnologies

Thelegalindustryhadbeendependentonphysicalrecords involvinghighvolumesofpaperwork,andtheinvolvement ofseparateteamsforrecordcreation,storage,maintenance, andretrieval.Overall,theprocesswasverycomplexand time-taking.Theprocessofdigitizationhelpedtoarchive thecasedatainsystematicdigitallibrariesthatwerestored andmaintainedwithlimited,hassle-free,economical,and feasiblesystems.Lawprofessionals,courtofficials,clients, policeandothergovernmentofficials,andcommonpeople areprivilegedtoaccessthecasedocumentsanytimefrom anywherebyaccessingthecloudservers.

Technologicaldevelopmentshavehelpedbringpeople togetherbyconnectingpeopleinremotelocations worldwide.Themodernsystemsofconferenceshave enabledpeoplefromdifferentlocationstobeconnectedin remoteyetreal-time,livemeetingsthatspeedupthecase processreducingtheneedtotravel,andspendconsiderable amountsoftime,money,andeffortintheprocess.

Modernsoftwareapplicationshavestreamlinedthe operationsoflawfirms,therebyaddingmorecontroland creatingaclearpictureofthecaserequirements,task assignmenttodifferentteammembers,andupdatingthe clientsondevelopmentsandresearchrelatedtocase building.TheadvancedapplicationsofArtificial Intelligence(AI)andMachineLearning(ML)haveassisted inundertakingthebasictasksthatarerepetitive,mundane, time-taking,andbasicinnature.TheAIapplications compilethedata,readtherelativedetails,andprepare inferencesandconclusions.Thereadydatahelpsthe lawyerstoproceedaheadwithdecisiveactionsthereby maximizingtheefficiencyoftheirlegalsolutions.Thelaw industryworksonlogicandjustification.Thisisfulfilled throughthemassivepotentialofAIapplications.

- KedarBorgaonkar