Ramya Hariharan: An Inspiration to Numerous Other Aspiring Women Professionals in the Legal Sector
Ramya Hariharan
Founder
"Positive client feedback not only bolsters self confidence,but also provides the impetus to keep going. Every client acknowledgment has reinforced my faith in myself and helped me push the envelop. Finally, whatever I have been able to achieve so far is the result of hard work, faith reposed by the clients and the dedication and unstinting support of my team"
She is a seasoned lawyer with more than 20 years of experience. Her area of expertise includes general corporate, mergers and acquisitions
banking and finance, insolvency and restructuring, projects and dispute resolution. She has worked in several leading law firms in the country, including in Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and as a partner with Argus Partners and HSA Advocates before setting up Citadel Law Chambers.
Below is an excerpt of Ramya’s interview with CEO Insights.
What inspired you to venture into the domain of legal consultation and what drives you today?
Entry into the legal profession was by providence. After clearing my senior secondary, I was not still clear about the career path I wanted
for myself. I was toying with the idea of either being a journalist or a lawyer and then finally decided to study law. Since graduating in 2002, I have pursued a career as a lawyer and it has been a very exciting journey so far. I had also cleared the judicial services examination and was ranked among the top three. However, the bar allured me more than the bench and therefore did not take up the post of a judge.
The legal field is very dynamic and every day there is something new to learn and a new challenge to face which makes law a very exciting profession. The profession is very demanding and keeps you on your toes. The legal landscape is ever changing and constantly evolving. Therefore, it is very important to remain updated and also constantly keep innovating new solutions for the client. I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey so far and look forward to more exciting moments in the years to come.
Define Citadel Law Chambers as an organization and its position in the market? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
We are a young firm gradually paving our way into the industry. The team at Citadel comprises bright young and dynamic lawyers who are very passionate about their work. We believe in providing cutting edge legal services, which are solution oriented, at a quick turnaround time. We also strongly believe that it is important to understand the business of the client to be able to appreciate the client’s need and provide effective solution. The lawyers at Citadel due to their extensive knowledge and deep under standing are adept at finding legal solutions for complex situations.
What are the challenges you have under taken so far and how did you overcome them?
When I started my journey, unlike in today’s times, opportunities for a corporate lawyer were few and far between and law was not a coveted profession. There were very few large firms and the large firms would only recruit lawyers from the national law school, Bangalore being the only national law school in existence at that time. Thus, the number of lawyers recruited by these firms were very limited. Being a first generation lawyer and not from the national law school, I had to face a lot of struggle. However the struggle did not deter me from my path.Instead it made me more determined to succeed. Now as I look back, I can proudly state that I have worked in several well-known law firms in the country, lead size able teams as partner in some of these firms and done some inter
The legal field is very dynamic and every day there is something new to learn and a new challenge to face which makes law a very exciting profession. The profession is very demanding and keeps you on your toes. The legal landscape is ever changing and constantly evolving. Therefore, it is very important to remain updated and also constantly keep innovating new solutions for the client. I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey so far and look forward to more exciting moments in the years to come.
Keep the faith, no matter how hard the times, and success will be yours
Define Citadel Law Chambers as an organization and its position in the market? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
We are a young firm gradually paving our way into the industry. The team at Citadel comprises bright young and dynamic lawyers who are very passionate about their work. We believe in providing cutting edge legal services, which are solution oriented, at a quick turnaround time. We also strongly believe that it is important to understand the business of the client to be able to appreciate the client’s need and provide effective solution. The lawyers at Citadel due to their extensive knowledge and deep under standing are adept at finding legal solutions for complex situations.
What are the challenges you have under taken so far and how did you overcome them?
When I started my journey, unlike in today’s times, opportunities for a corporate lawyer were few and far between and law was not a coveted profession. There were very few large firms and the large firms would only recruit lawyers from the national law school, Bangalore being the only national law school in existence at that time. Thus, the number of lawyers recruited by these firms were very limited. Being a first generation lawyer and not from the national law school, I had to face a lot of struggle. However the struggle did not deter me from my path.Instead it made me more determined to succeed. Now as I look back, I can proudly state that I have worked in several well-known law firms in the country, lead size able teams as partner in some of these firms and done some inter
esting work. Based on my experience I can only say that, if you are hard working and want to excel in life, you will find your path, even though it may not always be an easy walk.
In your professional journey so far, which milestones bestowed you with utmost satisfaction?
It has been a very exciting journey so far and I have enjoyed every moment of my professional career. It has been a great learning experience and the best part of this profession is that you never stop learning, which makes law so interesting.
In terms of milestones, I think being able to re-establish my independent practice has been a significant milestone, as it was something that I have always aspired for. That apart, positive client feedback not only bolsters self confidence, but also provides the impetus to keep going. Every client acknowledgment has reinforced my faith in myself and helped me push the envelope. Finally, whatever I have been able to achieve so far is the result of hard work, faith reposed by the clients and the dedication and unstinting support of my team. I am lucky to have been blessed with a bunch of smart and dedicated team of lawyers. Being able to hone their skills and see them grow gives me a lot of professional satisfaction.
How do you keep up with the changes happening in the industry to lead your organization into the future?
The legal field is very dynamic and ever changing. Therefore, keeping abreast with the changes is very important to be able to achieve effective result for the client. Apart from this, reading judgments passed by the courts is also important as it helps in understanding how the courts would interpret a particular contractual provision/provision of law which helps improve the quality of a draft, making it more robust. Thus ability to do a good research is a very important skill set for any lawyer. With the proliferation of various digital apps, legal websites and tools, catering solely to law and legal practice, keeping oneself updated is not a challenge. These tools also help in under standing the current legal trends so as to anticipate the future requirement. The Covid pandemic has resulted in technology playing a significant role in the legal field and in the coming year’s technology will be a major disruptor.
About Citadel Law Chambers
Citadel Law Chambers is a full service law firm, whose practice area straddles across general corporate,mergers and acquisitions banking and finance insolvency and restructuring, projects and dispute resolution. The firm has a strong clientele, which includes several well known and leading corporate in the country.
In your professional journey so far, which milestones bestowed you with utmost satisfaction?
It has been a very exciting journey so far and I have enjoyed every moment of my professional career. It has been a great learning experience and the best part of this profession is that you never stop learning, which makes law so interesting.
In terms of milestones, I think being able to re-establish my independent practice has been a significant milestone, as it was something that I have always aspired for. That apart, positive client feedback not only bolsters self confidence, but also provides the impetus to keep going. Every client acknowledgment has reinforced my faith in myself and helped me push the envelope. Finally, whatever I have been able to achieve so far is the result of hard work, faith reposed by the clients and the dedication and unstinting support of my team. I am lucky to have been blessed with a bunch of smart and dedicated team of lawyers. Being able to hone their skills and see them grow gives me a lot of professional satisfaction.
How do you keep up with the changes happening in the industry to lead your organization into the future?
The legal field is very dynamic and ever changing. Therefore, keeping abreast with the changes is very important to be able to achieve effective result for the client. Apart from this, reading judgments passed by the courts is also important as it helps in understanding how the courts would interpret a particular contractual provision/provision of law which helps improve the quality of a draft, making it more robust. Thus ability to do a good research is a very important skill set for any lawyer. With the proliferation of various digital apps, legal websites and tools, catering solely to law and legal practice, keeping oneself updated is not a challenge. These tools also help in under standing the current legal trends so as to anticipate the future requirement. The Covid pandemic has resulted in technology playing a significant role in the legal field and in the coming year’s technology will be a major disruptor.
About Citadel Law Chambers
Citadel Law Chambers is a full service law firm, whose practice area straddles across general corporate,mergers and acquisitions banking and finance insolvency and restructuring, projects and dispute resolution. The firm has a strong clientele, which includes several well known and leading corporate in the country.