"We at UKCA believe in adopting an approach of giving personalized attention to our clients, ensuringthe highest quality of work and on-time execution."
An efficient combination of commitment and excellence, the legal advisory and dispute resolution firm UKCA and Partners stands institution a skilfully designed model of client success, which is invariably proportional to the success of the firm.
UKCA and Partners ace the areas that includeCorporate-Commercial Litigation, Insolvency, and Restructuring, Mergers and acquisitions, Securities Law, General Corporate Advisory, Project Finance, Private Equity Transactions, etc.
They also have substantial experience in private equity investments, transactions concerning day-to-day affairs, regulatory affairs, and compliances.
They handle litigation about company affairs, proceedings concerning oppression& mismanagement, etc. before NCLT and NCLAT. The firm is involved in proceedings related to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
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 Law and Governance from the renowned London School of Economics and PoliticalScience, United Kingdom. Making appearances 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 India, etc.
Her strength lies in the field of Corporate Law Litigation andConsultancy, Negotiations, Corporate Restructuring (M&A), Private Equity and Commercial Transactions.
"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."
Manisha recollects,
She decided to take the legacy ahead and become a lawyer. After returning from Cornell, she joined UKCA at the associate level and worked her way up. Nothing was better than leading UKCA as a Managing Partner. Today she oversees the finances and administrative aspect of the firm apart from catering to clients to the best of her abilities.
Right since the inception of the firm, the philosophy has been to provide advice and representation that allows individuals and corporates to achieve their goals while minimizing legal risk. Since the firm is managed by Manisha along with other Partners, it is easier for the firm to stay true 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 keeps abreast with the information to ensure client satisfaction, which is the goalpost of all the strategies.
Expanding the client base is a challenge that every entrepreneur 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 cynical, now repose complete faith in her abilities, which motivates her to keep striving for bigger ambitions.
It starts with meditation in the morning followed by sending out important and urgent emails. Later the day at the office begins with breakfast table conversations where instructions for the courts or conferences are given.
The court hours remain planned before time and she encourages that people work as a team and have a synchronised approach especially when working on large transactions or matters having big value and litigations involving complex issues.
"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt".
Their clients include real estate giants, public sector corporations, steel manufactures, mining corporations, manufacturers, start-ups, and India's top 100 companies at any given point in time spread over varied sectors.
We do not like to disclose client names for the sake of confidentiality and our clients speak for us.
Delivering work within a reasonable time and ensuring that the work is finished in the right manner is the key to a happy client. They safeguard the interest of the client even if that requires taking a different approach.
For Manisha, upon joining the firm, the first few challenges were to build an internal structure for the firm, hire the right talent, and improve the client base.
The targets set at the beginning stand met; the ranking of the firm among the law firms in India has improved. Retaining the clients is a challenge, but expanding the client base is an even bigger challenge.
At the same time, hiring the right people and amplifying their abilities in a manner that contributes towards the success of the organization is a challenge that most entrepreneurs fail to recognize and work toward.
"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".
Manisha insists,
The support of your friends, family, and colleagues to strike a balance is imperative. Entrepreneurship takes everything in its ambit, itis not been the easiest of journeys, especially as a woman for Manisha.
But running an enterprise of your own, taking risks for which there have been no precedents allows you to venture into unfamiliar territories every day which helps you to have a larger appetite for success that keeps growing at all times.
She likes to remain true to the value system, make a conscious effort to improve the craft, and keep abreast with the changing laws and environment and when this happens, balance, money, and work are just bound to follow.
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 from the Ministry of Law & Justice and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
The firm has been featured in several business magazines and apart from that, Manisha is also on the advisory board of India Law Journal (ILJ) and Corporate Law Journal(CLJ).
"Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can."
She feels that making a conscious endeavor to improve your craft will help you ace your game. At the same time, it is important to be true to yourself and your value system.
People will make you doubt yourself or try to put you and your achievements in a box, but, do not let the general perceptions affect you and just 'keep going'.
"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."
Lastly, Manisha wrapsby adding,
