Abhilasha Bhatnagar: Addressing Clients' Legal And Regulatory Concerns With Sound, Practical & Implementable Solutions
Abhilasha Bhatnagar
Founder
The Founder of Ashraya Legal, Abhilasha Bhatnagar, is a Commercial Lawyer with experience in the Media, Sports, and Technology industries and counsels individuals and enterprises alike in the said industries, especially music, film, television, digital media, technology, gaming and sports. Abhilasha is passionate about law and is setting benchmarks in the world of Legal Advisory. Being a hard worker and an enthusiast, the World IP Forum (WIPF) named her as 'One of the most Powerful Women in IP in India'. Therefore, due to her contributions in the IP industry, India Business Law Journal (IBLJ) has recognised her as one of India’s future legal leader. In an exclusive interaction with CEOInsights, Abhilasha speaks about her journey.
Please elaborate on your professional background and experience.
I did my law at National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS). I started my career with a law firm’s corporate commercial practice in Mumbai. Thereafter, I switched to Litigation and joined a Senior Lawyer's Chambers in the Delhi High Court, representing clients before various courts and tribunals. At that time, one of my clients offered me a great role in her company’s legal team, and I joined Den Networks as an Inhouse Counsel. There after, I worked inhouse with some of the leading names in entertainment, sports, and technology, including Star Sports, Hotstar, and Sony Music. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have been an integral part of significant transactions at the companies I’ve worked for and a few of which I continue to work with as an external counsel and representative. For instance, during my tenure at Star Sports and Hotstar, I advised and worked on licensing and monetising the rights of various sports properties, such as IPL (valued at $2.55 billion), BCCI
events(worth $944 million), and many more. Furthermore, at Sony Music, I strategized and advised on break through business initiatives along with music acquisition, development, and licensing in India and the Middle East. In 2019, I started Ashraya Legal, a boutique law firm. My professional experience as an in house counsel has greatly influenced how I analyse and approach any topic at hand, which is mirrored in how I solve legal and business issues for my clients, quite promptly, now as an independent lawyer.
How would you describe Ashraya Legal as an organisation?
Ashraya' means' Protection' in Sanskrit, one of the world's oldest language and it drives us to serve with an unrelenting commitment to excellence and dedication to defend our clients'interests and produce the best results.
Ashraya Legal is committed to providing appropriate, practical, legally sound and cost effective advice, assisting individuals and corporations in identifying, creating, protecting, promoting, and commercializing their rights including IP asset portfolios. Although we are based in India, we have developed ties all over the world and regularly collaborate with attorneys and specialists worldwide to safeguard our client’s interests internationally. Along with some of the most famous individuals and entities in India, our roster also includes international clients for whom we advise on preserving and defending their rights in all areas of intellectual property law, technology law, and data privacy under Indian jurisdiction.
Is it more challenging being a woman in the legal market?
A lot has improved over the years however it is still challenging in the courtrooms. There is an inherent bias in favour of men to argue a client’s case in court. How ever, women are far more recognised and visible in general corporate practice.
How do you address the dynamic difficulties that exist across a wide range of industries?
Knowledge is power and we keep ourselves updated. Today's clients are also often aware of the legal and regulatory requirements to a certain extent and there fore demand a legal Consultant who is up-to-date
Ashraya Legal drives us to serve with an unrelenting commitment to excellence and dedication to defend our clients' interests and produce the best results
How would you describe Ashraya Legal as an organisation?
Ashraya' means' Protection' in Sanskrit, one of the world's oldest language and it drives us to serve with an unrelenting commitment to excellence and dedication to defend our clients'interests and produce the best results.
Ashraya Legal is committed to providing appropriate, practical, legally sound and cost effective advice, assisting individuals and corporations in identifying, creating, protecting, promoting, and commercializing their rights including IP asset portfolios. Although we are based in India, we have developed ties all over the world and regularly collaborate with attorneys and specialists worldwide to safeguard our client’s interests internationally. Along with some of the most famous individuals and entities in India, our roster also includes international clients for whom we advise on preserving and defending their rights in all areas of intellectual property law, technology law, and data privacy under Indian jurisdiction.
Is it more challenging being a woman in the legal market?
A lot has improved over the years however it is still challenging in the courtrooms. There is an inherent bias in favour of men to argue a client’s case in court. How ever, women are far more recognised and visible in general corporate practice.
How do you address the dynamic difficulties that exist across a wide range of industries?
Knowledge is power and we keep ourselves updated. Today's clients are also often aware of the legal and regulatory requirements to a certain extent and there fore demand a legal Consultant who is up-to-date
with trends, regulations, and relevant information to effectively assist them in navigating complicated legal and regulatory challenges. Clients seek solutions that are both legally sound and business friendly as well as practical, implementable, and cost effective. We are committed to provide creative legal services that address our clients' complicated demands in a way that they value by providing practical and implementable solutions instead of mere opinions and memos. This is reflected in transactions as well, where we emphasize on creating a win-win scenario for clients and their counterparts to forge long term good will and partnerships.
How do you give your clients a holistic experience?
As a transactional and commercial lawyer advising clients on a variety of legal, regulatory and compliance issues, being innovative and business conscious in my approach, coupled with the ability to close deals efficiently and effectively with quick turnarounds is the ultimate factor that works for me. I believe in being responsive, providing pragmatic and thorough advice which non legal persons can also easily understand. This has enabled me to effectively build a reputation as a trusted counsellor, which is what being a successful lawyer means to me. This is also a result of a decade long practice in the legal services sector stemming from my years of experience as an in-house lawyer, which enables me to explain critical legal matters to my clients and aid them in making appropriate decisions. In terms of work and lawyers, we are a steadily growing firm and since our inception two years ago, we've done some exceptional work with outstanding results. Ashraya Legal is already well renowned for our work in music, entertainment, sports, and technology laws. In 2021, the World IP Forum named me as 'One of the most Powerful Women in IP in India' for my contributions to the IP industry. In 2022, India Business Law Journal has recognised me as 'One of India’s Future Legal Leader'. It could have been possible because of the amazing team of lawyers at Ashraya Legal and also the external lawyers fraternity with whom I worked and continue to work on a number of challenging but interesting transactions both in India and abroad.
What would you advise to the budding lawyers?
My advice to the budding lawyers is stay honest to your core, work hard and be persistent.
Abhilasha Bhatnagar, Founder, Ashraya Legal Consultants
An empathetic professional, Abhilasha excels in providing clients with end-to-end transactional, consulting and litigation assistance.
How do you give your clients a holistic experience?
As a transactional and commercial lawyer advising clients on a variety of legal, regulatory and compliance issues, being innovative and business conscious in my approach, coupled with the ability to close deals efficiently and effectively with quick turnarounds is the ultimate factor that works for me. I believe in being responsive, providing pragmatic and thorough advice which non legal persons can also easily understand. This has enabled me to effectively build a reputation as a trusted counsellor, which is what being a successful lawyer means to me. This is also a result of a decade long practice in the legal services sector stemming from my years of experience as an in-house lawyer, which enables me to explain critical legal matters to my clients and aid them in making appropriate decisions. In terms of work and lawyers, we are a steadily growing firm and since our inception two years ago, we've done some exceptional work with outstanding results. Ashraya Legal is already well renowned for our work in music, entertainment, sports, and technology laws. In 2021, the World IP Forum named me as 'One of the most Powerful Women in IP in India' for my contributions to the IP industry. In 2022, India Business Law Journal has recognised me as 'One of India’s Future Legal Leader'. It could have been possible because of the amazing team of lawyers at Ashraya Legal and also the external lawyers fraternity with whom I worked and continue to work on a number of challenging but interesting transactions both in India and abroad.
What would you advise to the budding lawyers?
My advice to the budding lawyers is stay honest to your core, work hard and be persistent.
Abhilasha Bhatnagar, Founder, Ashraya Legal Consultants
An empathetic professional, Abhilasha excels in providing clients with end-to-end transactional, consulting and litigation assistance.