Ques:  Can you tell us about the initial years of setting up ALMT Legal?

Ans: : ALMT legal was set up in London on 10thJanuary 2000. We came to be the first Indian Law Firm to be founded in the UK. We did something different in our time. The four founding partners were working for an Indian practicethen and we thought that we should create value for the European and the UK market and that’s what we did in our time. As for me, I am the only founding partner left at this firm andother co-founding partners have moved on doing different things in their life. As the firm evolved over the years, other lateral equity partners joined the firm and grew the firm from strength to strength.On 10th January 2015, we completed 15 years.

Ques:  What is the vision of your firm? Where do you see yourself personally five years hence, and where do you see the firm five years from now?

Ans: The size (of the firm)is all very relative. You can be the biggest law firm or are a sole-proprietor, it’s all about your own personal vision. We were four individuals and believed in creating a firm with value without any nepotism and I think that we are a success today with a fair amount of good work, which comes to the firm.

Ques:  Can you tell us something about the decision making process of the firm?

Ans: We are democratic in our decision making at the firm. I could have started a sole proprietorship, but I wanted it a firm and practice and given that I came from a reputed law firm where I trained for several years. I felt that one could bring out the best from a group of individuals at a practice, where otherwise one could solelymake decisions.

Ques:  Recently, the SILF headed by Dr. LalitBhasin announced that they were now open to the idea of foreign law firms coming into India with certain riders of course. What is your take on this?

Ans: The genesis of this firm has beenin a foreign country, where we were set up as an Indian practicewith open arms to set up in their country.Similarly,I see nothing wrong with foreign firms setting up in our country. Accounting firms have done it from 1984, so why no law firms.

Ques:  What is your view on advertisements being highly regulated by the Bar Council of India in the legal sector?

Ans: We have learnt a lot from the British. One of it was subtle marketing. Having a website should not be a problem since it does not mean that you are going with a banner on your face. It is for those who need a solution and adviceand where they can reach out to professionals in a particular area of practice.Advertising per se should not be done.

Ques:  One of the specializations that your firm practices is aviation law. Can you tell us more about the aviation practice of your firm?

Ans: One of the strengths with which the firm kicked off was aviation because we sat in the London market where aviation is considered an important seat of practice.Insurance companies gave a lot of work to ALMT Legal for airlines and therefore, we have this as a very strong practice area, not only in terms of airlines, but overall airline work, cargo work, dry lease, wet lease, purchasing of aircrafts, duty free chain for airports; we have done various verticals in this segment. So, aviation does play a very important role for us as a practice and so does the insurance market; and we continue to grow on that front.

Ques: What would be your advice to law students graduating all over India?

Ans: Speaking for myself, my advice to law students graduating today would be through the quote of T.E.Lawrencewhich says, “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”