Manju Mohotra, the former CEO at Singhania & Partners, joined Dhir & Dhir Associates as its CEO on 1 August.
Mohotra has held managerial roles at law firms for 14 years, beginning at Singhania & Co as CEO in 1998 and working in the same position at Singhania & Partners since its inception in 1999 until March this year.
She left the firm to take a break and pursue some of her own passions. “I have had an excellent innings at Singhanias,” Mohotra told India Business Law Journal. “I have been working for the last 25 years and needed time to myself to do things that I like to do and under no pressure. Even when I was on leave, mentally I would still be at Singhania & Partners, checking my emails … responding to clients. It became very important to cut off completely. I trekked in the mountains, did some rafting, read books, listened to music and spent time with my family for four months.”
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Feeling the need for a new challenge, Mohotra subsequently joined Dhir & Dhir. As CEO she is keen to add new verticals at the firm, which is known for its strengths in corporate restructuring, project finance, infrastructure and dispute resolution. She also wants to enhance its presence nationwide and introduce new processes and systems.
Recruiting a CEO or manager to run a law firm is still unusual in India, but Mohotra believes times are changing. “In this short break of mine, quite a few firms approached me and all were looking for someone to manage their firms, bring in systems and processes, and handle human resources, practice development, corporate communications, finance, etc., supported by a professional team,” she said. Alok Dhir, the firm’s managing partner, “takes management very seriously,” she added, “and recognizes that it is difficult for lawyers who are busy in executing deals on a day-to-day basis to also manage a law firm.”
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