In Conversation with Poonam Verma, Partner, J. Sagar Associates, Advocates & Solicitors
Poonam, 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.
Thank you Ashima for having me here and giving me the opportunity to share some of my experiences. Well, being an army kid, I travelled around the country during my primary and secondary education. Had no fixed base. You may recall that about 20 years back, for a science student there were only two career choices were- doctor or engineer. I wanted to be an engineer and was fascinated with the Army Institute of Technology, Pune. In my last two years of school, my desire to join an army college and be an engineer boosted even more. However, one fine day, my father mentioned to me that a new army law college is now coming up, would you want to fill up the form? Having no idea about law, no lawyer in the family or friends, I still said- yes, why not? Those days there was no CLAT. That’s how law actually happened. In fact, my fascination to engineering continued till my first year of law college. As luck would have it, I started enjoying the law. Once I got interested in my law subjects, there was no looking back. Scored well and got to represent my law school in the most prestigious moot courts, interned as a clerk with Justice (retd) C.K. Mahajan, Delhi High Court and many other wonderful opportunities. Being a first generation lawyer, was very jittery in the final year- what will happen when I graduate, where will I work, what will I do etc. Since then I have always put my heart and soul into the profession. God has been kind!
Who have been your guiding North Stars and the biggest inspiration in this journey?
Actually, it’s difficult to name everyone who has played an extremely important role in this journey. Since my childhood, have seen my parents work extremely hard with a lot of dedication. After marriage, my husband has played an incredible role and has always supported me through thick and thin and guided me selflessly. Professionally, Ms. Parul Sharma who is currently a CEO, the Academy for Human Rights in Business is the one who led my way and gave me the confidence to face the legal world. She is a gem. I am fortunate to start my professional life with her. Observing my keen interest in litigation, she suggested to try the Delhi High Court. That’s how my second mentor- Amarjit Singh Chandhiok, Senior Advocate, Ex-ASG and the President of Delhi High Court Bar Association happened. How to prepare a brief totally on your own is the learning I got from him. You fall, get up, again fall and again get up and run- is the philosophy that one has to follow with Mr. Chandhiok. Once you demonstrate the ability to run, he helps you to run in every which way possible. Thereafter, JSA happened and I cannot thank enough my colleagues for guiding me all through. My motto is- “Never forget those who helped you on the way up”.
Would you please tell us more about the array of work you handle at your firm?
I am a Disputes lawyer. I primarily handle regulatory and policy matters in two sectors- Power and Aviation. I cover a broad spectrum of advisory, risk analysis and arguing matters before specialized Commissions, Tribunals, various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India. I have the fortune to regularly represent the country’s big corporate houses, government institutions and industry associations on several landmark and sectoral issues arising in the two sectors. I also often get to speak at nationwide conferences conducted from time to time on power and aviation sector related issues. I am thankful to my clients for continued support and reposing faith in me. I feel blessed for the opportunities that come my way.
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?
As I mentioned, I work in two sectors- Aviation and Power. Both sectors have had their share of challenges. The aviation sector is extremely turbulent. There is a huge financial strain on Indian carriers. It appears that the sector will not see any M&A action anytime soon as the airlines are in a bad state with surplus capacity and employees, shrunk net worth and fewer passengers. The airports' operators are also losing revenue. The players of the Aviation industry are suffering on account of COVID-19. We seem to have gone back 20 years at least. The Air-Bubble agreements have helped in facilitating the travel to a limited extent with the countries who have agreed to bilateral arrangements. The way forward has to be the support from the government (be it up-gradation of airports, awarding new routes under RCS, privatisation of airports etc.) to bring the sector back on its feet or shall I say back on its wings.
The Power sector has also had its share of difficulties in these times. COVID-19 has led to a reduction of electricity demand and huge financial stress. As power sector related operations have been classified as essential services, the plant operations and availability of fuel (primarily coal) have not been significantly constrained. There have been fluctuations in the renewable electricity generation pattern since July 2020. The share of coal in the electricity mix has consistently stayed under 70%, which is in sync with India's long-term ambitions to increase the share of non-fossil based electricity. Outstanding dues of discoms towards power generation companies have also been increasing which is causing difficulties for power generation companies to continue to generate power. The situation hopefully will improve with the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Power which intend to keep the cash flow going for each arm of the sector. This would provide a fillip to the industry.
What in your opinion has been the biggest change or challenge looming over the legal landscape of India amid COVID-19?
As lawyers especially litigation lawyers, the impact of COVID-19 has been unimaginable. Almost no court conducted any hearings in the first few weeks post lockdown this year. Thereafter, only urgent hearing matters are being taken up by most courts. Though the situation is totally understandable, the loss of time and the delay in justice delivery will be difficult to compensate. I must mention that the courts where I appear on a regular basis via virtual hearings, it has been extremely convenient to address the court. Most importantly, the way the judges have embraced technology is commendable. To see the whole situation optimistically, the silver lining is that the matters are being heard without any interference by other lawyers since only one lawyer speaks at a time. For lawyers, it is a boon to some extent as they can now appear in any forum across India and also save a lot of time by not having to travel. It also provides an opportunity to the younger colleagues to be a part of the hearings across all courts as during the physical hearings, not all junior colleagues are able to travel to assist in the matter.
Unlike in a courtroom, in virtual hearings lawyers are not able to consult colleagues and clients during the hearing, so lawyers have to be well prepared in the matter as there is no one to assist by the side. It is an opportunity to make a mark. Being able to use technology to its optimum use and being able to screen share the case law, relevant pages etc has been very efficient way of hearings. The only downside is that besides urgent hearings, the regular matters are not being taken up. In my view, those regular matters need to be heard since justice dispensation is required in those matters as well. Some courts have framed a protocol to start the regular hearings and should be encouraged in all courts.
What can law firms do today to ensure they survive in an era of disruption? How is your firm staying futuristic?
I would not call it an era of disruption. As an optimistic individual, I would like to see it as an era of opportunities, it is up to each one of us what we make of it. As luck would have it, my firm was already way ahead in technological advancement which has proved to be extremely useful when the lockdown was suddenly announced in March this year. With our IT support, we were able to work seamlessly across offices as also with our clients without any hindrance in our work delivery. But with time what really needed to be taken care of is to ensure that all lawyers in the firm continue to work as connected and happy group of professionals as was the case before the pandemic. In order to take care of this, all partners have regular team meetings where besides the work related conversation, there is general chit chat, catching up on hobbies at all. The Firm has always been ready to take care of its people whether within the firm or outside. With the virtual hearings being the norm for now. we have been successfully and harmoniously working with our clients, appearing in virtual hearings without any difficulty. This is an era where we need to reimagine our work-life balance in a different manner, respect each other’s time more than what we did earlier. I would like to quote Warren Buffet -“when change happens in the world, adjust to it”.
Other than work, what else keeps you busy? Would you please share your other interests and hobbies with our readers?
In my free time, I love catching up with friends. I like to travel, read general books or watch documentaries on space/universe. I listen to calm music to relax. I love to play Squash whenever the time permits.
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?
I think my hard work, sincerity, dedication and commitment to the profession and my clients helped me immensely. My advice to others would be ‘Always do your 100% and don’t finish a task for the sake of finishing it’ and ‘no short-cuts’
What’s the secret sauce to becoming a good lawyer? How can a lawyer from a non-ivy -league college tip the balance of success in his/her favour.
There is no recipe or a quick fix. To become a good lawyer, one must always be at the top of the game, work hard, be passionate, and always be ready to listen. Become a professional who defines you independent of your background or alma mater. Focus, diligence and hard work will make you look much better than anyone else who may be from an ivy-league but lacks these attributes. Enough examples in our profession to demonstrate that these qualities will take you wherever you want to be irrespective of your college.
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 would only like to say, believe in yourself, work hard and never miss opportunities. I availed of every opportunity to learn from everyone (junior or senior). Make your foundation strong. Our profession is extremely demanding so be prepared to deal with the challenges.
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 books- The Secret by Rhonda Byrne which has taught me to always be positive (still struggling to fully implement it) and Mein Kamph by Adolf Hitler gave an insight on the power of steadfast perseverance in one's beliefs and ideals.
The interview was published in October 2020.
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