The legal profession in India has undergone a strategic and substantial change over the last few decades. Nowadays, ambitious lawyers not only figure themselves in courts but mark their presence in various corporate houses, law agencies, law firms, litigation, administrative services and many more. The lawyer’s contribution to the development of the legal system has changed the meaning of ‘rule of law’ which has been much expanded and applied differently in different cases.
Manisha Singh, Founder Partner of LexOrbis, India’s premier Intellectual Property (IP) practice headquartered in New Delhi. Belonging to a service class family from Vaishali, Manisha completed her Master’s degree in Economics from Patna University and shifted to Delhi to pursue law from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. She was always fascinated by the legal profession and thought, choosing law as a profession would be a great way out to practice her communication and analytical expertise in a most promising manner. “I started my career as a lawyer with a general practice firm around 20 years back, when the economic spectrum of the country was undergoing a paradigm shift, particularly with the introduction of New Economic Policy of 1991 and consequent opening of the economy for multinational corporations”.
Experience and Expertise in All Form of IP Assets
As an IP Attorney, Manisha has the unique distinction of practicing IP at the prosecution and enforcement levels. She has extensive experience in the post lodgment prosecution of all forms of IP assets. She has also been acting as a litigating counsel both at the original and appellate side in relation to IPR cases. A Masters in Economics and an LLB, she has been a prolific writer and has authored several articles on contemporary IP related issues. And she is a member of various Indian and International IP based professional bodies.
LexOrbis offers expertise in formulating IP strategies, drafting new patent cases, filing, and prosecution of IP applications in India and globally, and strategizing and handling IP litigations across the country through a team of 65 professionals, including lawyers, patent agents, and engineers across its offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Challenges in Building the Firm
Manisha’s main objective was to assist international players who were interested in protecting and enforcing their IP assets in India. And the firm was abreast themselves with the international standards and applied that in the firm but the ecosystem in which the firm was operating was not geared to such service model. It was also very difficult for them at that stage to motivate and inspire young engineers and scientists to take up and pursue law as a professional career.
She believes that the main motivation comes from within. One cannot fight with the odds in daily life if one is not self-motivated. But to be more specific, the main motivation behind setting up an Intellectual Property law firm was the love for innovation and passion to provide the protection to intellectual property, matching with international standards.
Rapid Evolution of Intellectual Property in India
India emerged as a key player in the global economy and became the signatory of many international agreements with the WTO (World Trade Organization) affirming its commitment to liberalize trade such as TRIPs (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights), TRIMs (Trade Related Investment Measures) etc. which also resulted in rapid evolution of the IP industry and so are the business regulatory environments. Many general practice and commercial and corporate advisory law firms have also expanded their services to Intellectual property services.
Technology and social media have also played a crucial role in this advancement. Most of the law firms employing cutting-edge technology systems to extract market and customer information. Online presence has also become a need of the hour. A comprehensive overall online presence through social media, online legal directories, listing in online journals and publications etc. has become very crucial for a legal business to make easy for potential clients.
Advice to the Budding Lawyers
Manisha says “The initial phase of being a lawyer can be really challenging if you are from a non-law background, but it is something worth fighting for.” “The process from law school to court practice will bring the best in you.
One thing which every lawyer must have experienced in his or her career is to expect the unexpected. One never knows which unexpected challenge is heading towards them. Being a lawyer requires a wide range of skills, one need to always be alert and active. To be more specific, in one day, a lawyer may have to study and analyze vast amount of information and draft the arguments supporting his case in details and at the same time he needs to make sure that all the details are correct and are in order and also advise his or her client about the general legal risks of embarking on a particular business strategy.”
“Ethics and professionalism play a very important role in the life of a lawyer. Law is regarded as a learned profession where a person uses his intellectual knowledge in the interest of other person and social welfare.” Manisha articulates “Discipline, Trust, Openness are three pillars of the legal profession and is of utmost importance for a lawyer to have certain ethical standards, only the intellectual ability will not going to serve the purpose in the long run.” One must have the required moral standing to practice law. Moreover, the duty to act in the interest of the client must also go hand in hand with the public interest.
Achievements that Added Feather to the Cap
With the support of her team, Manisha has handled many cases which resulted in the grant of valuable commercial gains to their clients in India in the field of telecommunication, software, and life sciences. Some of the leading IP litigations also added feathers to the cap. Manisha states, “I am happy that we could make LexOrbis, a professional organization and one of the most sought-after IP firms for lawyers, engineers, and scientists.” Manisha has been listed as “The Top 100 IP Leaders of India”, “The A-List – India’s Top 100 Lawyers” and “Top 100 Powerful Women in Law”
Keeping in mind the level of interest and passion towards law and its various opportunities, Manisha continued her hard work and dedication with the support of her team; she has achieved few of the aforesaid goals and shall continue to be on the path of achieving further milestones in future. LexOrbis takes pride in serving IP needs of businesses of varied sizes and structures with accuracy and a swift turnaround time in offering creative solutions to most complex legal and techno-legal issues.
Manisha Singh: A Distinguished Lawyer Advising, Handling and Practicing Intellectual Property Law
