UKCA, A PROFICIENT SOLUTION TO ALL YOUR LEGAL NEEDS
"We at UKCA believeat adopting an approach of giving personalised attention to our clients, ensuringthe highest quality of work and on time execution."
Manisha Chaudhary.
An efficient combination of commitment and excellence, thelegal advisory and dispute resolution firm UKCA and Partners stands institutedon the skilfully designed model of client success, which is invariablyproportionate to the success of the firm.
UKCA and Partners ace the areas that includeCorporate-Commercial Litigation, Insolvency and Restructuring, Mergers andAcquisitions, Securities Law, General Corporate Advisory, Project Finance,Private Equity Transactions, etc. Theyalso have substantial experience in private equity investments, transactionsconcerning day-to-day affairs, regulatory affairs, and compliances. They handlelitigation pertaining to company affairs, proceedings concerning oppression& mismanagement, etc. before NCLT and NCLAT. The firm is involved inproceedings related to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED THE COURSE
Manisha Chaudhary,Advocate, and Managing Partner, UKCA and Partners started her career from AmityLaw School, later pursuing her Masters in Law from the prestigious Ivy LeagueCornell Law School, United States. She also has a certificate in Corporate Lawand Governance from the renowned London School of Economics and PoliticalScience, United Kingdom. Making appearance in various tribunals like NCLT,NCLAT, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Securities AppellateTribunal (SAT) and High Courts of various States and the Supreme Court of Indiaetc., her strength lies in the field of Corporate Law Litigation andConsultancy, Negotiations, Corporate Restructuring (M&A), Private Equityand Commercial Transactions.
START OF AN ERA
Manisha recollects,"I would sit in my father's office and organise his files, bare acts, and lawbooks and try to make sense out of them, check the cause lists every day justto see my father's name in it and take dictations from his juniors."
She decided to take the legacy ahead and become a lawyer.After returning from Cornell, she joined UKCA at the associate level and workedher way up. Nothing was better than leading UKCA as a Managing Partner. Todayshe oversees the finances and administrative aspect of the firm apart fromcatering to clients to the best of her abilities.
HAVING AN EDGE OVERPEERS
Right since the inception of the firm, the philosophy hasbeen to provide advice and representation that allows individuals andcorporates to achieve their goals while minimizing legal risk. Since the firm ismanaged by Manisha along with other Partners, it is easier for the firm to staytrue to its value system.
"I believe it is veryimportant for a lawyer to be organised in order to be able to meet timelinesand keep oneself abreast with the new developments in terms of changing trendsin law to be able to give sound and relevant advice to the clients", assertsManisha.
At UKCA, the team believes in quality that helps in client satisfaction.The Managing Partner involves herself in all the matters personally and keepsabreast with the information to ensure client satisfaction, which is thegoalpost of all the strategies.
THE HICCUPS ON THEWAY
Expanding the client base is a challenge that everyentrepreneur faces, regardless of whether a person is male or female. However,we still live in a society, which is largely patriarchal.
"Running anenterprise successfully is more difficult for a woman than a man because of thegeneral perceptions women have to deal with. It can be exhausting at times tomake people believe that a woman can be a good lawyer and have the ability tohandle large assignments involving complex issues and despite the fact that sheis in her early thirties" further emphasizes Manisha.
Having said that, ones who initially were a bit cynic, now reposecomplete faith in her abilities, which motivates her to keep striving forbigger ambitions.
A DAY IN MANISHA'SLIFE
It starts with meditation in the morning followed by sendingout important and urgent emails. Later the day at office begins with breakfasttable conversations where instructions for the courts or conferences are given.The court hours remain planned before time and she encourages that people workas a team and have a synchronised approach especially when working on largetransactions or matters having big value and litigations involving complexissues.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THECLIENT
"When your workspeaks for itself, don't interrupt".
Their clients include real estate giants, public sectorcorporations, steel manufactures, mining corporations, manufacturers, start-upsand India's top 100 companies at any given point of time spread over varied sectors.We do not like to disclose client names for sake of confidentiality and ourclient speak for us. Delivering work within a reasonable time and ensuring thatthe work is finished in the right manner is the key to a happy client. Theysafeguard the interest of the client even if that requires taking a differentapproach.
BATTLES TO WIN
For Manisha, upon joining the firm, the first few challengeswere to build an internal structure for the firm, hiring the right talent andimproving the client base. The targets set at the beginning stand met; theranking of the firm among the law firms in India has improved. Retaining theclients is a challenge, but expanding the client base is an even biggerchallenge.
At the same time, hiring the right people and amplifyingtheir abilities in a manner that contributes towards the success of the organisationis a challenge which most of the entrepreneurs fail to recognise and worktowards.
STRIKING A BALANCE
Manisha insists, "Toanybody who wants to opt for the legal profession, it is important tounderstand that it is a challenge you will face every day. However, if youwould choose to work towards achieving a work-life balance, it is notimpossible either".
The support of your friends, family, and colleagues to strikethe balance is imperative. Entrepreneurship takes everything in its ambit, itis not been the easiest of journeys especially as a woman for Manisha. Butrunning an enterprise of your own, taking risks for which there have been noprecedents affords you the opportunity to venture into unfamiliar territoriesevery day which helps you to have a larger appetite for success which keepsgrowing at all times.
She likes to remain true to the value system, make aconscious effort to improve the craft, keep abreast with the changing laws andenvironment and when this happens, balance, money, and work are just bound tofollow.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS ONTHE WAY
Manisha stood featured as one of India's most "TrustedCorporate Lawyers" in the first edition of a coffee-table book "The Vanguards"published by the India Corporate Counsel Association (ICCA) with support fromMinistry of Law & Justice and Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The firmhas featured in a number of business magazines and apart from that, Manisha isalso on the advisory board of India Law Journal (ILJ) and Corporate Law Journal(CLJ).
A MESSAGE FOR WHO MAYFOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS
"Start where you are,use what you have, do what you can."
She feels that making a conscious endeavour to improve yourcraft will help you ace your game. At the same time, it is important to be trueto yourself and your value system. People will make you doubt yourself or tryto put you and your achievements in a box, but, do not let the generalperceptions affect you and just 'keep going'.
Lastly, Manisha wrapsby adding, "People say that women cannot have it all, but, there is nothingwrong about wanting to have everything. It requires you to make a constanteffort towards achieving a work-life balance and the world is then yours totake."
