KAPOOR AND COMPANY: A TRUSTED PARTNER IN RENDERING COMPETENT LEGAL SOLUTIONS
Our search for bringing in the profiles of high-end legal service providers got us to the story of Kapoor & Company. How significant legal services are for businesses or individuals to navigate through the complex legal landscape. And Kapoor & Company happened to solidify a formidable reputation in the legal industry catering high end legal services.
To explore the length and breadth of the firm, we got the chance to sit with the duo of leaders, Rishi Kapoor and Gitanjali Kapoor, who are the managing partners of the firm. In talks with them, we explored various insights into the industry while getting ‘food for thought’ to be conveyed with our global readership. Based on this exclusive conversation, here are the noteworthy excerpts that we have mentioned in this narrative:
THE OVERVIEW
Kapoor & Company is a service law firm based entirely in India and functions across a broad spectrum of legal services and advisory. The firm was established in 1998 and it boasts decades of experience and expertise. In the present scenario, Kapoor & Company has solidified an esteemed and formidable reputation. It is now supported by a team of four founding partners and backed up by 700 advocates, associates, and administrative staff nationwide.
They have been diligently serving clients everyday. At present, they are well-versed in industry knowledge and legal implications. In their persistent zeal for customer services, they have established workplaces throughout the country. The firm scales to greater heights based on a dedicated team of lawyers and never fails to maintain a widespread presence, providing timely and uninterrupted client support.
When it comes to talking of specialisations, they have expertise in mergers and acquisitions, competition assessment, compliance audits, drafting agreements, licensing arrangements, technology transfer, intellectual property rights, competition analysis, and regulatory issues for a number of well-established corporate clients.
While it may seem unconventional for a law firm, they’ve distilled their unique selling points. They emphasised on the provision of customised and thorough legal guidance and resolutions for both current and potential legal challenges.
THE CORE VALUES
Kapoor & Company is such a firm that is reckoned for rendering tailored support to each of the clients. It is all about prioritising personalised attention as a cornerstone of their service. The holistic approach to the client’s problemsolving encompasses innovative strategies and making sure that effective outcomes are there.
With seasoned legal professionals, they have become impeccable in their pledge to leveraging excellence, expertise, and extensive experience to assist the clients comprehensively. To this, the end goal is to offer clients with the reassurance and peace of mind they deserve throughout the process of litigation.
As per the duo, the mantra to their exponential growth is based on their personal ethos. Here, the three Ds: Diligence, Discipline, and Dynamism are heavily aligned to community impact and professional development. All these three aspects allow them to make a difference to the lives of their clients.
THE TENURE OF PRACTISING
Over two decades now, the firm’s managing partners still find their journey quite awe-inspiring. All of them had very humble beginnings: One of their earliest cases involved a written petition against the National Stock Exchange, which subsequently led to a referral to meet the firm Secretary of Barista Coffee Company in 2002, resulting in a monthly modest retainership.
They fondly recall celebrating this milestone, a tradition they have upheld to this day. Over time, their practice areas have expanded significantly, encompassing diverse fields such as mergers and acquisitions, corporate commercial litigation, tax, intellectual property rights (IPR), white-collar crime, competition and antitrust, exports-imports, employment and industrial relations, telecom and broadcasting, sports, automobile, banking and investments, real estate and construction, hospitality, fashion, franchising, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, and more.
Additionally, they specialise in dispute resolution, with one partner serving as a mediator at the Delhi Government Mediation & Conciliation Centre since 2012.
ABOUT THE EXPERTISE
Kapoor & Company regularly maintains a conservative approach while ensuring transparency during the interactions with the clients. They are clearly outlining the scope of their practice and the depth of expertise available. Their team is dedicated to addressing disputes comprehensively, emphasising resolution as a priority.
Past clients have experienced significant benefits from this approach, making it a key advantage for the firm. But above all, this method aims to bring disputes to a conclusive end while catering effective solutions for all the parties involved in the process.
Fostering open communication and providing personalised attention to clients is how they’ve been making a mark in their niche. They prioritise transparency by refraining from making grandiose and unrealistic promises, opting instead for honest discussions and leveraging their experience and expertise to identify optimal solutions.
This commitment to integrity fosters trust, which they recognize as fundamental to any relationship. Through this approach, they cultivate enduring client relationships built on trust, where clients not only rely on them as their primary legal advisors but also confidently refer others to their services.
FACTS AND FIGURES
The firm boasts a clientele including Fortune 200 companies. Their extensive pan-India reach is evidenced by collaborations with over 700 lawyers nationwide. They view this achievement as a testament to the significant goodwill garnered, not only through their work but also through their relationships within the legal community. Furthermore, the firm has been honoured with invitations to participate in numerous conferences and discussions, further solidifying their standing in the legal field.
Recently, I was invited to chair or be a panellist, the most recent being the panel discussion on “Making Bharat A Global Hub for Arbitration” at the 7th Annual Meet & International Summit 2023, in presence of Justice Mr. Krishna Murari, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India and Justice Talwant Singh, Former Judge, Delhi High Court. I was also appointed as Co-Chair in the Committee of Corporate Affairs by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says Rishi K Kapoor.
Last year, I was a part of the discussion on the “Decriminalisation of Legal Metrology on Pre-package Commodities” in the presence of Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Hon’ble Minister of State for Ministry of Rural Development, Shri Ranendra Pratap Swain, Hon’ble Minister, Food Supplies & Welfare Department, Odisha, and Ms Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs (GOI).
Also, I am a member of the Delhi Arbitration and Conciliation Council, Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI). All of this, we believe, has been possible because of the impact we’ve had as Kapoor & Company in the legal field, says Gitanjali Kapoor.
TECH INCLUSIVITY
AI is taking over various operations across diverse industries streamlining processes, and contributing to enhanced efficiency. While AI brings numerous benefits, its growing impact raises concerns about privacy breaches and the lack of standardised ethical guidelines. To this, the Kapoors say, “We are also learning, since you can not make any mistakes.
However, we do integrate all data centrally at the Delhi office in our cloud servers. As the same is available to each team member in real time. This helps all the members of the firm to be updated as well as incorporate the same in their area of practice.”
WORK CULTURE
This segment highlights the cultural principles being nurtured at the firm. It presently employs over 100 staff members and maintains ongoing collaborations with over 700 lawyers across India. Operating across such vast networks would take forth diversity and an array of intellectual perspectives that the firm exhibits.
Their end goal is to nurture such workforce encompassing individuals with a growth centric mindset. Indeed, with a healthy workplace culture emerging as a natural outcome, they define impact through traits such as diligence, responsibility, work ethic, discipline, and a willingness to learn. While hiring, no consideration is given to factors like educational background, prior work experiences, or any other differentiating factors such as socio-economic status, caste, religion, or gender.
Prior to hiring or engaging in collaborations, the firm evaluates individuals to ensure their effectiveness, providing opportunities to those deemed suitable. Drawing from personal experiences of facing discrimination in their early careers, the managing partners are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all. They value each team member and actively incorporate their opinions and expertise in various aspects of their operations.
GLIMPSES OF THE LAURELS
Any law firm’s most significant achievement doesn’t lie in its roster of esteemed clients. In fact, these clients usually return and refer new business to them. This ongoing support signifies the establishment of a strong sense of trust with their clientele. In addition to this, the firm has garnered attention through interviews and media coverage over the years. The senior administration attributes the individual’s successes to the firm’s accomplishments and vice versa.
THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
Rishi and Gitanjali reveal the futuristic roadmap that they are about to implement for the upcoming years, “We are aiming for a 5-fold increase in the expansion of our clientele, especially in corporate commercial litigation, and in our branched-out operations, which today already involves around 700 lawyers across the country with whom we regularly work and collaborate. In addition, we are looking forward to setting up offices in Singapore and Dubai.”
WORDS OF WISDOM BY THE LUMINARIES
“Dedication and consistency are important qualities no matter which profession, and even more so in the legal field. This doesn’t mean one shouldn’t take breaks of course, pushing yourself too hard is quite counterproductive actually.
We do advocate for a healthy work-life balance. But there is no room for procrastination either. That said, there is also the issue of legal ethics which is often missing. It is crucial to remember that while striving to earn is a good thing, as a lawyer, you should be justice-oriented and let earnings be the by-product of it.” – Gitanjali Kapoor
“Yes, discipline is key. There are going to be days you will feel drained and exhausted, but you will need to power through. For instance, working out — no one likes to get up and work out every day, but if you want results, you have to have the mindset that will allow you to hit the gym per your routine.
Another thing we’ve noticed while hiring young law graduates is that many are not able to choose between litigation or corporate jobs. We would say, your focus should be on gaining knowledge and experience. This will allow you to carve out the appropriate career path.” – Rishi Kapoor
