"A lawyer is an ambassador of the justice delivery system, who owes duty towards the society and the court as an officer"—Siddharth Batra, AoR

Siddharth, would you please tell us where did this illustrious journey begin and at what age did you decide to study law. Please walk us through your early years of education and the decision of becoming a lawyer.

One of my earliest achievement was during standard 12 when I excelled in academics and emerged as a topper of my school, in Mathematics. Thereafter, I went on to pursue BA LLB, where I stood third while also being a captain of my University Lawn Tennis Team. Our team represented in Inter-University Tennis Championship for 5 years. I stayed in Rohtak with my parents until 2004.

I had made up my mind to become a lawyer when I passed 10th class. As a kid, I used to witness my father prepare for cases and argue in courts, which led me to be more passionate about pursuing law when I grew up. The electric atmosphere at the courts also pushed me to further pursue litigation. 

Who have been your guiding North Stars and the biggest inspiration in this journey?

My father has been the biggest inspiration in my journey to be who I am today. He practised law for 30 years before he was appointed Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission, then he joined politics. He has always been my best friend. 

My Dad’s stature inspired me to work hard. He always emphasized on focussing on the right value system first rather than money. His zeal for achieving excellence inspires me to take that extra mile. I realised incredibly early in life that I have big boots to fill. This realisation has made me conscious of my enhanced sense of responsibility in my professional career and conduct towards others. I am thankful to him for imbibing in me the discipline and the attitude to sail through the good and average days with smile and poise. As he always says, there are no bad days in the profession, only learnings and growth.
 
 

Would you please tell us more about the array of matters you handle at your firm?

My legal career began when I was appointed Assistant Advocate General in the year 2005. For 3 years, I handled civil and criminal matters including but not limited to arbitration, land acquisition, and public interest litigation. Thereafter, after resigning in 2008, I continued practising at the Punjab and Haryana High Court as an independent litigation counsel. I then began to handle matters relating to Haryana Urban Development Authority. In 2011, when I became Additional Advocate General, the matters became more varied and complex. Later, I decided to shift to Delhi where I handled mostly commercial matters and started practising in the Supreme Court. Later, I appeared for the AOR Exam and cleared it. 

All these events led me to establish Satram Dass B & Co, which is a boutique law firm, focusing primarily on civil litigation, situated in Delhi. Since its inception, I have appeared before different forums all over India, ranging from Consumer Forum to the Apex Court. Recently, I was involved in an arbitration matter as a lead counsel, which spanned over 3 days for final arguments, wherein the claims of both the parties exceeded 800 crores. 

My law firm Satram Dass B & Co. is a multifaceted firm offering services in Audit and tax, financial advisory, business consultation, corporate advisory, trademark, risk mitigation & government and legal advisory. We offer legal advice related to finance, operations, employment, mergers, and investments and specialize in Land Acquisition, Real Estate, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions and Banking & Finance. 

Would you please summarily tell us the current status of the sectors of the economy your work in, the roadblocks in our path and the way forward?

We deal with corporates across varied sectors including real estate, education, automobiles, manufacturing, and logistics. During the lockdown, everything had come to a halt, which had a cascading effect on every sector. Though things have picked up after the lockdown lifted, the situation on ground presently remains very tense. Real Estate has not reached the earlier levels, though the auto industry seems to be doing exceedingly well. Even in logistics, the earlier numbers have come back. 

COVID-19 has affected the working of the courts and the courts till date are not fully functional though all the courts have begun to work on virtual platforms. The Bar, as well as the Bench, is coming to terms with the virtual hearings which may become the new normal. For the underprivileged, it has become more difficult to access justice with the pandemic.

As the country is facing an unforeseen crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic, the industries across are caught up with numerous challenges related to commercial contracts and other disputes. 

There has been an exponential rise in the enquiries regarding the invocation of the Force Majeure clause. We have helped several corporates with the application of the Force Majeure clause and litigation surrounding it. 

Would you please share with our readers your expert views on ‘Litigation in COVID Times’?

Virtual hearings are the new normal. Though the justice delivery system is severely affected due to COVID-19. Court work has drastically reduced. In the Supreme Court and the High Courts, cases are being filed electronically. The registry of the courts is trying to evolve in order to put the house in order. The pandemic has changed how cases are conducted. We were anyway moving toward e-filing; this unprecedented scenario has accelerated it. It is quite unfortunate that one of the officials in the registry of the Supreme Court lost his life due to Covid as he was serving for the justice delivery system. 

I believe virtual hearings are the future of the litigation landscape all over the country. However, the feeling of arguing in the court itself remains unmatched. 

The Government has put a cap of Rs. 1 crore for initiating insolvency proceedings under the IBC Code. The issue of payment of interest during moratorium is pending before the Supreme Court. Some contracts got frustrated by the impossibility of performance. The clear picture will emerge once the situation normalises. But the percentage of defaults in every sector will increase manifold as the economy has taken a severe hit.

But the percentage of defaults in every sector will increase manifold as the economy has taken a severe hit.

What in your opinion has been the biggest change or challenge looming over the legal landscape of India amid COVID-19? 

Lawyers in smaller cities are not getting enough work that has not only caused them extreme mental distress but also contributed to their financial issues. One of the other challenges is the lack of accessibility of basic requirements needed for virtual courts i.e. internet/wi-fi and even a viable work environment at home, which makes it harder for several lawyers to argue properly in the virtual courts. The new way of litigation has brought with itself a few challenges, especially for those lawyers who are working in remote areas or do not have access to good Internet connectivity. Moreover, some lawyers might not have an adequate home environment enabling them to handle matters effectively. 

What can lawyers do today to ensure they survive in an era of disruption? How is your firm staying futuristic?

I think e-courts are the way forward. It has been proven over the past months that virtual courts are here to stay. In my office, I have been able to do client meetings while clients are scattered all around the globe. This has made it more accessible and less time‑consuming process. Moreover, virtual courts have allowed us to do e-filings and appear in courts Pan-India. My firm is on a complete virtual mode and I have been able to effectively deal with the clients virtually without any physical meetings. 

I, as a lead counsel in an arbitration matter, cross-examined a witness of the opposite party virtually who was stationed at West Bengal. The cross-examination lasted for five hours, except for the few glitches, I have no complaints. However, I did feel that it was difficult to gauge the demeanour and the behaviour of the witness. Though on the lighter side, when the witness was stuck with hard questions, his screen suddenly went off and he connected back after few minutes. I do not think this can be replicated in a criminal case. But I think with the advancement of technology, such things can be taken care of.  

Other than work, what else keeps you busy? Would you please share your other interests and hobbies with our readers?

I love keeping myself busy with work all the time and if at all I manage to squeeze in some free time, I like to spend time with my family or listen to music or play tennis. I am also passionate about writing articles, mentoring young lawyers, and connecting with other people. The pandemic has helped me in doing activities that I could not do due to lack of time such as learning a language and reading extensively. But then again, with the things easing off, the pressure at work does not allow me to have a lot of free time. The unprecedented times we are living in, have taught me to take joy in the smallest of things in life and appreciate everything more.  

Many Congratulations on joining the BW Legal World Elite 40 Under 40 Club of Achievers 2020. What to your mind has helped you get to where you are and what advice would you have for others who want to set off in a similar direction?

Thank you, it is an honour to have joined the club. Litigation is a bit of an adventure, though quite serious as you are dealing with the rights of a person. Litigation is challenging and you should be ready to take the plunge in order to succeed. No lawyer will win every case. I believe that a good lawyer may lose a case but will not lose a client. Advocacy is a service for which a lawyer is paid. A lawyer may not be able to get the desired relief, but the effort put in a case will never go unnoticed. The number of cases in the career of a lawyer will increase with time. One case and your performance in the same will bring more cases. Always be true to the client and never go overboard. 

I can say with a lot of confidence that law is the most promising career as on date. Hard work, patience, and perseverance will bring results, one must wait for the right opportunity and time. It does not matter whether the case is big or small. We, as lawyers, have a responsibility to take up cases pro bono and help those who might not have the resources and means to approach the courts and get justice. A lawyer is an ambassador of the justice delivery system, who owes duty towards the society and the court as an officer. 

A young lawyer must work hard on the list of dates prepared in a case and it should contain every small detail relevant to the case. 

I believe the leadership qualities, the ability to empathise with my clients, and my team that I acquired over the years, hard work, and dedication have helped me get to where I am right now. I would advise young people of legal fraternities to follow their passion, be compassionate, understand their clients, and practice taking up moral responsibilities too.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our lawyers of the future, any golden piece of advice from the treasure trove of your experiences in the industry?

I believe that there is no shortcut to success; this is explicitly true for legal practitioners. One must work hard and have faith in what one does. It is also equally important to build a good network of professionals, stay up to date with the latest news and technology related to law. I believe that a lawyer should be a doer, ready to do the best for the client irrespective of the fee. Eventually, hard work will bring financial stability as well. I will be happy to mentor young legal professionals remotely and help them learn the court craft until they become confident to argue matters on their own. 

As a final note, would you please recommend to our readers your favourite book or movie/series that left a lasting impression on you. 

My favourite book is Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. The book is about Morrie’s take on what matters the most when your days are numbered. Struck by ALS, Morrie teaches you that life and people should be appreciated and loved unconditionally. He teaches you that it is important to let yourself feel every emotion to the fullest. This book is an absolute gem, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. 

My favourite movie is The Godfather, for obvious reasons.

Nominations for the second edition of BW Legal World's 40Under40 are now open.

Click here to nominate: https://bit.ly/3hEdnov

For more details, please contact Gareema Ahuja, Business Lead: +91 7827590848, gareema@businessworld.in