Promod Nair, a former partner at J Sagar Associates (JSA), has established a boutique dispute resolution firm, Arista Chambers.
Arista Chambers began operations last month with a closely knit team of five lawyers, with additional members due to join over the next few months. The firm focuses on arbitration, mediation, commercial and public law litigation and public international law and is structured along the lines of a barristers’ chambers with specialists working solo or in small teams on matters, according to Nair.
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The firm does not intend to become full service, but sees opportunities to add value in working with other firms on resolving disputes. “Indian Bar regulations permit us to accept instructions directly from clients, but we also see a role for ourselves working as part of teams along with other law firms providing strategic inputs and front-ending advocacy before Indian courts and tribunals,” Nair told India Business Law Journal.
“We plan to have a team of around 15 lawyers by the end of the year, and offices in Mumbai and New Delhi in due course,” said Nair. “We also plan to operate a pupillage scheme as part of which talented young graduates will train at [Arista] Chambers for two years and gradually develop into full-fledged members of [the firm].”
Nair began his career at Dua Associates and then worked at Herbert Smith in London for over four years as a solicitor-advocate before joining JSA.
Nair spoke fondly of JSA as an “excellent firm” and said he enjoyed his time there, but was drawn to the idea of creating his own firm because it would offer him the freedom to develop a disputes practice from the ground up, allow him to work with a wider range of instructing firms, and concentrate on advocacy in arbitration, commercial litigation and public law matters.
“We would like to be the go-to Indian set for commercial litigation and arbitration work.”
Nair said he hoped Arista (which signifies the pursuit of excellence in Greek and safety and security in Sanskrit) would attract work on the basis of good quality, user-friendliness for clients, and assistance on disputes ranging from early, strategic advice on potentially contentious matters to advocacy before Indian courts and arbitral tribunals. “Members of [Arista] Chambers will also accept appointments as arbitrators. We see this as an important service and one which will provide an alternative to the near-universal practice of retired judges being appointed to arbitral tribunals in India,” Nair added.
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