India has seen a plethora of law firms that have been built up as massive anthems of family run ethos and pathos. But here’s a 2nd gen lawyer who strongly believes in building up a firm that should be known as an organization and runs independent of the founding partners or owners. Lex Witness gets into a conversation with Amit Mohaan Meharia, Managing Partner to understand the journey from Meharia to MCO Legals LLP
MCO Legals was established back in 1969 in Kolkata. At that time, legal practice was carried out under the name of Meharia and Company. In about 40 years’ time ever since its inception, MCO Legals today has its offices in New Delhi and Mumbai as well. MCO’s integral legacy is its honesty, ethical practice, and integrity while incorporating some of the best training and development facilities to ensure that the firm is capable enough to provide a comprehensive solution to its clients. The firms is a strong and well-knit team of about 110 professionals across various function areas right from legal to accounting.
I became the Managing Partner of Meharia and Company in the year 2010-2011. After completing my education from London in 2001, I was associated with the firm for ten years. The biggest challenge or should I say an opportunity that I faced was to transform Meharia and Company into an organization is inclusive to professionals, progressive, independent, and can be seen as an entity independent of the identity of its Founder. It should not be synonymous with an individual. In process of this transformation, MCO Legals came into existence. To carve out Meharia and Company out of the image of a family run entity, I was left with no other option but, to incorporate MCO Legals, which is based on the same philosophy of ethics, transparent practices, and shoulders the legacy of Meharia and Company. It took me about 3 years to shift the goodwill of Meharia and Company into MCO Legals. Presently MCO Legals is engaged in providing non-contentious services while Meharia & Company is providing contentious services.
Other challenges, that I faced, was to implement MIS system backed with technology, change the work culture, and mindset of the staff, who were used to a system which was not in concurrence with the Client’s demand and also the society, at large. Additionally, it was a headstrong task to introduce the concept of Research and Development, which to be honest is an alien concept even today in Indian Legal Market.
I feel the opportunities facing MCO Legals today are vast. There is a huge scope and MCO is gearing up to meet up with those opportunities backed by technology which is at par if not, better than present international standards. I feel opportunities can only be created when the traditional value of legal practice is able to go hand in hand with technology.
Technology has revolutionized the way in which we used to conduct our activities. So far I feel that technology has contributed in a positive note to the legal profession but, a lot is to be done to maximize the beneficial contribution of technology. With globalization and technological advancements, technology now plays a stereotypical role in legal practice. Technology’s contribution to the legal world has been across all realms viz. legal education, government, and the practice of law.
There is a shift in how technology was thought over or looked at earlier. People have now acknowledged and appreciated the benefits of technology and are willing to accept further advancements. As law practice required the use of books and materials by lawyers, but, with technological advancements the requirement to adapt the use of computers by the lawyers has been accepted by time so is a willingness to accept other advancements too. One of the most mighty examples is recently Supreme Court of India has taken the initiative of digitalizing its entire records including filling and its intention to do the same with all the courts in India. We now have online research tools which have made research to take place in a time bound manner. Automation of legal processes has prompted lawyers, paralegals, legal secretaries, and other legal professionals to become proficient at an ever-increasing array of word processing, spreadsheet, telecommunications, database, presentation, and legal research software. Enterprise applications, mobile communications, the cloud, advanced analytics etc. are the next set of things that are being implemented in the Indian legal industry which will transform the legal industry in ways that one cannot imagine.
MCO does not believe in having only corporate or litigation practice. MCO started its journey with litigation, though to carry out litigation one has to be aware of various laws, which includes corporate practice. I feel that the term Corporate is a jargon in itself. Presently, MCO’s major practice areas are Corporate & Commercial Law, Transaction, Due Diligence, Energy Law, Real Estate, Commercial Arbitration, and Litigation. In the near future MCO shall be introducing new areas of practices, for instance statutory audits and compliances, and anti – sexual harassment expertise etc.
For a very long-time, a debate has been going on within the legal fraternity as to whether the Government of India and the Bar Council of India should allow Foreign Nationals/Law Firms to come to India and practice law. Recently, the Law Commission of India has recommended changes in the Advocates Act to allow foreign lawyers and firms to practice in India. However, the Bar Council of India has rejected the said recommendation. I feel that forgien lawyers and firms should be allowed to come to India, subject to reasonable restrictions e.g. reciprocity, i.e. Indian Law firms and lawyers should be allowed to practice in the reciprocal country. I feel that in today’s global economic market conditions, Indian law firms will not be at loss but, will gain necessary exposure, expertise and infrastructure ideas from foreign law firms, which will allow them to be at par with global legal best practices and profession standards.
Going forward, would you envision a family driven legacy or a partner driven legacy?
I am of the firm view that in the times to come the idea of a family driven legacy in legal practice will have no relevance at all. The future practice will thrive only when a law firm acts like an umbrella, where professionals can get together and work, while being fully aware of defined entitlements, rights, and obligations. The object of restructuring and running a law firm for me is to ensure that the show must go on even after the retirement of the Founder or any other principal member.
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