Rakesh Gupta : Leading The Way In Legal Innovation For Businesses
Rakesh Gupta
Partner
CEO Insights engaged in a one on one interaction with Rakesh Gupta, let’s hear more from him.
Tell us about your professional journey and what motivates you today.
I completed my studies at SRCC in 1993 and thereafter obtained my Chartered Accountancy qualification. Subsequently, I also pursued a career in law. My professional journey commenced at Luthra and Luthra in July 1997, where I spent nearly a decade before establishing our own practice in 2007 with KNM & Partners. Over the years, I have remained actively and relentlessly involved in advancing the firm's objectives. We initially started with around 11 or 12 professionals, and today our team has expanded to approximately 65 professionals, specializing in various practice areas.
How would you describe KNM & Partners’ current
standing in the legal services sector?
We are a mid-sized law firm consisting of approximately 65 professionals. Our firm is structured with specialized teams dedicated to various practice areas and sectors. These teams are led by partners, who have extensive experience within the profession, both within our firm and beyond. Since our inception, we have maintained a strong focus on our Japan practice, establishing a dedicated Japan desk to serve Japanese clients based out of Japan and based out of India. Our clients appreciate the high quality of our work and our consistent adherence to deadlines. At KNM, we believe in providing comprehensive solutions and have developed close, familial relationships with our clients. Our firm’s initial emphasis on our Japan practice has yielded positive results, with our reputation for quality work and punctuality earning praise from our clients, many of whom have become long-term partners.
Can you recount some memorable experiences from your time on SRCC campus that go beyond academics?
Besides being recognized as one of the premier colleges in Asia for commerce and economics, what stood out to me from my college experience was the invaluable lesson that success cannot be achieved through shortcuts. Instead, it requires dedication to ethical principles and hard work. Coming from a modest background, being part of SRCC was a fulfillment of a dream for me, and these values I learned outside the classroom have shaped my perspective on achievement and growth.
Could you outline some ethical practices that you ensure your team follows to uphold the firm’s integrity?
Our firm is deeply committed to ethical practices and has established stringent guidelines that every team member must adhere to when dealing with
We are a mid-sized law firm consisting of approximately 65 professionals. Our firm is structured with specialized teams dedicated to various practice areas and sectors. These teams are led by partners, who have extensive experience within the profession, both within our firm and beyond. Since our inception, we have maintained a strong focus on our Japan practice, establishing a dedicated Japan desk to serve Japanese clients based out of Japan and based out of India. Our clients appreciate the high quality of our work and our consistent adherence to deadlines. At KNM, we believe in providing comprehensive solutions and have developed close, familial relationships with our clients. Our firm’s initial emphasis on our Japan practice has yielded positive results, with our reputation for quality work and punctuality earning praise from our clients, many of whom have become long-term partners.
Our firm’s initial emphasis on our Japan practice has yielded positive results, with our reputation for quality work & punctuality earning praise from our clients, many of whom have become long-term partners
Can you recount some memorable experiences from your time on SRCC campus that go beyond academics?
Besides being recognized as one of the premier colleges in Asia for commerce and economics, what stood out to me from my college experience was the invaluable lesson that success cannot be achieved through shortcuts. Instead, it requires dedication to ethical principles and hard work. Coming from a modest background, being part of SRCC was a fulfillment of a dream for me, and these values I learned outside the classroom have shaped my perspective on achievement and growth.
Could you outline some ethical practices that you ensure your team follows to uphold the firm’s integrity?
Our firm is deeply committed to ethical practices and has established stringent guidelines that every team member must adhere to when dealing with
clients, authorities, or appearing in court. These principles are non-negotiable and are part of our internal code of conduct and policies. We conduct internal audits regularly to ensure compliance with these guidelines and also with the applicable rules and regulations in our operating region. Additionally, our engagement terms with clients include provisions related to anti corruption policies, especially considering the diverse geographical locations of our clients. This ensures that we are aligned with our clients' expectations and maintain a high standard of integrity in all our engagements.
What is the future desti-nation you look forward to?
We've maintained steady growth over the past 17 years, and we aim to continue to achieve steady growth in the upcoming years. Our focus remains on serving our clients diligently and delivering high-quality work within set timelines, which has consistently garnered positive feedback from our clients. We aspire to continue receiving such positive feedback and recognition from the industry, which I believe is the ultimate validation of our efforts and potential for further growth.
What advice would you offer to emerging leaders in the industry?
I would say that there are no shortcuts to success. My advice to younger colleagues would be to aspire to succeed in your career, the only proven formula being that one must maintain honesty with yourself, your clients, and your employer. Consistently put in hard work and adhere to ethical practices without compromise. While to uphold these principles, you may require patience and effort, your perseverance will ultimately lead to ful filling success in the long run.
Rakesh Gupta, Partner, Knm & Partners
Rakesh Gupta is a leader with a diverse background in finance and law. Graduating from SRCC in 1993, he went on to become a Chartered Accountant before qualifying as a lawyer. As a Partner at KNM & Partners. Rakesh Gupta plays a crucial role in providing strategic legal counsel to businesses, em- powering them with his extensive expertise.
What is the future desti-nation you look forward to?
We've maintained steady growth over the past 17 years, and we aim to continue to achieve steady growth in the upcoming years. Our focus remains on serving our clients diligently and delivering high-quality work within set timelines, which has consistently garnered positive feedback from our clients. We aspire to continue receiving such positive feedback and recognition from the industry, which I believe is the ultimate validation of our efforts and potential for further growth.
What advice would you offer to emerging leaders in the industry?
I would say that there are no shortcuts to success. My advice to younger colleagues would be to aspire to succeed in your career, the only proven formula being that one must maintain honesty with yourself, your clients, and your employer. Consistently put in hard work and adhere to ethical practices without compromise. While to uphold these principles, you may require patience and effort, your perseverance will ultimately lead to ful filling success in the long run.
Rakesh Gupta, Partner, Knm & Partners
Rakesh Gupta is a leader with a diverse background in finance and law. Graduating from SRCC in 1993, he went on to become a Chartered Accountant before qualifying as a lawyer. As a Partner at KNM & Partners. Rakesh Gupta plays a crucial role in providing strategic legal counsel to businesses, em- powering them with his extensive expertise.