In Conversation With Abhinav Sharma, Partner, Dentons Link Legal

Abhinav, would you please walk us through your early years of education and the decision to become a lawyer?

After finishing my schooling from St. Columba’s Delhi, I got a degree in Business Administration and thereafter pursued an MSc. Finance from Lancaster University. Though I had set out to become an investment banker, I realised that number crunching is not for me and decided to come back to India and pursue law and completed my LLB from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi. Though law was my last choice it turned out to be the correct one as it is a very rewarding profession which comes with great recognition in society. What influenced my decision to become a lawyer was the value a good lawyer commands in society and the fact that every day is a new day in litigation and no two days are the same.

Tell us about your roles and responsibilities at work, what does a day in your shoes look like as Partner, Dentons Link Legal

As a disputes partner in a firm, one is expected not just to execute work but to also develop the practice and generate revenue. An average day involves appearing before a court or tribunal, followed by ancillary work such as conferences and preparation for the next date. Evenings are generally spent in administrative tasks such as sending out updates, billing and other tasks related to servicing clients.

Can you tell us about one notable case you have been involved in during your career?

Though it is difficult to pick one case, I really had an interesting time representing a leading airline in a shareholder dispute between the present and erstwhile promoter. The arbitration and allied court hearings were extremely competitive and adversarial but brought out the best in both sides. Apart from this one case I have had the privilege of filing a first of its kind prosecution on behalf of the Reserve Bank of India for the offence of running a wallet without authorization under the Payments and Settlement Systems Act.

What is your success mantra and what advice would you give to others wanting to tread a similar path?

Apart from the usual essentials like sincerity and hard work, it is absolutely essential for a lawyer to have integrity. The journey of a lawyer in disputes is quite challenging. Since there is no substitute for experience in the profession, one must persevere and stick through the first decade of practice with great zeal. Our profession is quite demanding and has a large gestation period, but it truly rewards those who manage to go through the grind.

Abhinav Sharma, Partner, Dentons Link Legal is a BW Legal World 40u40 Winner. Submissions for this year will begin in July. Please write to us at baani@businessworld.in to share your interest in staying updated.