Living on the edge of today and tomorrow, progress is the only way forward. The advancement happens when the gold of old-world experience and expertise is combined with the new age technological innovations to create a holistic path of sustainability. In the world of the legal profession, AP Legal Chambers is renowned for creating that progressive future by offering pragmatically proactive solutions to all its diverse clientele.
Under the competent leadership of Adv Anand Kumar V and Adv Aditya Kishor Tyagi, Founder Partners, the Firm advises on the widest range of topics to businesses, industries, institutions, and individuals in varied areas of law. Adv Anand and Adv Aditya––two highbrowed and like-minded first-generation advocates––founded the Firm in 2017.
Adv Anand says, “We are delighted to introduce AP Legal Chambers, Advocates & Solicitors as a new age law firm with a tinge of old charm in it owing to the work ethics and professionalism we have imbibed from the legal lineage we come from.”
He is complemented by Adv Aditya, “Our firm is based out of Delhi-NCR, with a branch office in Chennai and associate offices in major cities of India.”
The Fulcrum of Legal Spectrum
Since then, they have provided solution-centric legal services to a wide spectrum of Indian and International Clients in specialized fields of law. Their Firm’s journey through the ebb and flow of legal practice has been nothing short of fiction.
In the days of beginning, on many occasions, they have had their piece of the pie. However, the real challenge was that of those times when they pulled off without giving up, where they had to make peace with what truly slipped between the cup and the lip. With this outlook and a great team, they were certain that AP Legal Chambers will always be prepared to face the challenges. This very perk has enabled the Firm to become one of the most reliable premier law firms in India. The journey which started with a fascination is successfully getting continued with passion and hope to sustain and even exceed the current transformation levels in future.
The primary catalysts for anyone venturing into the legal space are drive and motivation, always. The same should resonate with carefully executed thought processes as this profession allows them to test themselves daily. Adv Anand reflects, “I feel I was destined to get into the legal realm as supposedly against my own accord. The present-day of legal sodality provides an opportunity to amplify our rational views owing to the magnitude of the fast-moving world, which made me realize the motivation to pursue law was more intrinsic rather than from any external factors. I feel there is still a void for good lawyers in niche practice areas.”
The options to specialize in different facets of law and the prospect of excelling in that particular field opens a plethora of opportunities to first-generation law aspirants. “I, too, was guided by this phenomenon. Adding to it the ability to comprehend the situations and analyze pros and cons of the likely outcomes of every scenario carved to what I’m today,” adds Adv Aditya on his part.
The Law of Distinction
AP Legal Chambers, Advocates & Solicitors is one of the distinct law firms in India to have ISO certification for Quality Management Systems (9001:2015). According to Adv Anand and Adv Aditya, they are a process-driven organization with each individual independently and collectively working towards excellence and perfection. They always strive to exceed the expectations of their clients, which include corporates from all sectors, financial investment institutions, governments, trading institutions and NGOs.
They provide their clients with the highest-quality advice and legal insights, which reflects the Firm’s brand “global standards with local expertise” They have their presence in the legal industry for the past half a decade, and their primary driving forces of consistency, professionalism and transparency have yielded success and client’s confidence. Adv Anand feels, “We have been catering Corporates, LLPs, Firms, and Individual clients in different spheres of law.” While “Our technical expertise, put together with our uncompromising ethical practice, has been the secret to our success,” believes Adv Aditya.
There is a healthy partner culture in the law firm, where the partners share a common vision and purpose, possess respect towards one another, deal fairly and honestly with everyone, and lastly, believe in brainstorming to bring out a dynamic view in problem-solving discussions for dealing with varying issues and difficulties. APLC is sufficiently equipped to handle cross-border transactions while having a well-liaised arrangement with global firms to provide their clients access to a network of high-quality international solicitors.
APLC provides legal services in all major business areas, including corporate and commercial laws focussing on the overall framework of operations, compliances, disclosures, framing of rules and advising the management on special transactions, Mergers and Acquisitions, taxation, finances and intellectual property. The Firm also handles matters relating to Constitutional Laws, Property Laws, and Energy Laws.
“Clients approach us to get specialized services in foreign investment and foreign contribution regulatory compliances,” says Adv Anand. They seamlessly adapt to the changing requirements of the time and deliver under pressure situations. Adv Aditya says, “I feel in the legal profession there are many variables like changes in local and international laws, the timing of a particular decision etc. that directly determine the outcome of a matter; we ensure we categorically address to each variable to the extent possible.”
They learn, unlearn and relearn simultaneously, which is one of their unique strengths. “With utmost humility, I say that our exceptionally skilled and well-credentialed colleagues are our biggest asset and USP,” says Adv Anand.
Credibly Trumping Challenges
Speaking about challenges, they say that as they began practising, they gradually understood the societal, economic, intellectual and interpersonal impact of lawyers in the country. However, a typical first-generation lawyer’s phase has always been understated, and the effect was never voiced out. “It was always about the wisdom we possess combined with the perseverance in work that will strengthen the journey towards our objective,” says Adv Anand.
Typical of all first-generation advocates, they were also in a dilemma to choose a lucrative offer in a company versus starting their law firm. They chose the latter, and the decision was not rosy at the start and could not be vindicated as it came with its share of riders. They had occasions where they served certain clients pro bono, though this was their source of bread and butter.
However, the relationship and the credibility developed among the clients boosted their enthusiasm to learn and serve, making their firm reach among a diverged class of new clients. During their initial stages of independent practice, recovering the consideration from some clients for the services provided would make them less patient while managing the recurring overheads task. Yet, Adv Aditya reveals, “We had the patience and composure and every time we had our backs against the walls, we had the resilience to come back stronger. We maintained our equanimity throughout these initial ordeals and turned many question marks into exclamation marks!”
According to them, the technological impact on the legal industry in recent years is significantly positive, and as individuals and as a law Firm, they are embracing the change wholeheartedly.
Techno-Legal Wisdom
Adv Anand accepts, “We have come quite a distance from our old school of litigation and documentation, but in this ‘technology journey’, we haven’t even reached the halfway mark.” Advocates have a collective responsibility to use technology for their clients’ benefit and save the precious time of the courts. “What we need to understand is that at the end of the day, we can provide access to justice to a person in the remotest locations of India, and we need to be judicious and grateful to the technological developments, but at the same time we are not comprehending the overwhelming capabilities of Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning in the legal industry and the importance of data-driven litigation.”
Adv Aditya adds, “In APLC, we have adopted the complete digital work culture using cloud storage methods where we can access and manage the documents electronically anywhere and anytime.” If required, they also provide data-driven and efficient industry-proven solutions. By following these things, they can provide their clients with an enhanced user experience and empower them to make informed decisions.
In their advice to the young generation of legal enthusiasts, Adv Anand says, “I would ask the young aspirants to take a minute and think deeply about what drives their desire to practice law?” Your first year of practice may be daunting and humbling, but it’s an eye-opener. It is important to recognize where your passion lies early on to use it as fuel in the present and as a planner for the future. Some might even feel that advocacy is demanding and high-pressured, remain unfazed and aim high. You may be tempted to channel all your energy to please a client, but always be transparent and honest with them because nothing charms like the truth.
Adv Aditya supplements, “Another tip which I would like to share is grit, and determination can take you places, but self-care and mental health cements your place because we can never achieve our goals by abusing our body and mind and conveniently blame our luck to abandon the dreams in the middle.”
A Visionary League of Lawyers
On envisioning AP Legal Chambers’ future in the long run, both partners say that, as one knows, for any law firm developing foresight is one of the most important traits for sustenance. “We are a strong patron for the famous saying ‘He who starts with everything finishes nothing.’ Having said this, we started with a simple vision of becoming one of the finest Indian law firms by exceeding our own stringent benchmarks and our clients’ expectations. How we accomplish this? The answer is straightforward: practising integrity in whatever we do, believing in, respecting and elevating the people who matter the most–our team. We consider our work-life culture a strong force that augurs well with our vision to succeed,” says Adv Aditya.
As for goals, the immediate short-term goal is to venture into new horizons through networking with professionals from different domains and build a core team of like-minded people who complement them in the growth and expansion of their Firm. “We have a strategic plan which is not just set in numbers, but consists of freedom, actions, duties and collective responsibilities of all team members,” concludes Adv Anand.