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Policy specialist, global business lawyer Hemant Batra joins leadership, expert team of not-for-profit Goeman Bind HTO

Goeman Bind HTO, an international not-for-profit think tank and research advisory on Thursday announced the joining of globally acclaimed policy specialist and corporate lawyer, Hemant Batra.

Hemant Batra will provide consultancy services in policy and legislation matters relating to economics, corporate governance, crisis management for corporate boards and officers, environmental regime and resources, financial institutions, politics and strategy, technology and science, communications law, investment funds, investment management, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, protection of child rights, energy, environment and climate.

Hemant Batra will also be responsible for hiring scholars from across the globe with diverse specialisations for think tank's research team. Currently, he is also undertaking an international project undertaken by the think tank pertaining to child labour migration.

Goeman Bind HTO has a team of world renowned academicians and policy experts like Prof. Alan Khee Jin Tan, Dr. Ashok Khosla, Prof. James Alan Kendrick, Dr. Johannes Flecker, Prof. Jose Alves, Dr. Nikola Perovic, Octavio B. Peralta, Dr. Rinchen Chophel, Dr. Saleh Mubarak and Stefania Lucchetti.

At least 10 more internationally acclaimed academicians are waiting for approval from their respective institutions to join the Think Tank.

"We are delighted to have Hemant on board. His vast experience and nuanced understanding of legal and policy matters will be a great asset to the advisory. His induction will also help us expedite the journey towards the stated goals of our forum in Asia and Middle East," said Octavio B. Peralta, Goeman Bind HTO and Secretary General, Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP).

"It is paramount that the world moves towards a more organised and well informed policy regime. This forum is a small step in that direction and I am looking forward to being a part of this with great hope and excitement," added Batra.

Goeman is projected to become a niche global network of highly qualified academicians, legal and policy advisers. It has joined hands with many eminent and learned personalities adding incredible value to the global academic coalition.

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/policy-specialist-global-business-lawyer-hemant-batra-joins-leadership-expert-team-of-not-for-profit-goeman-bind-hto-117062200523_1.html

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Vivek Law Hemant K Batra hired for advisory board of Pivotals

The Pivotals, India's first business worries outsourcing (BWO) firm announced that award winning veteran business journalist Vivek Law and leading business and corporate lawyer Hemant K Batra have joined its advisory board. The Pivotals is founded by strategic communications consultant Pranshu Sikka.

The firm will cater to the needs of enterprises that are looking at an efficient and holistic stakeholder engagement platform to sustain or expand their businesses.

Speaking on the occasion Pranshu Sikka, Founder and CEO, The Pivotals said, "Both of them are icons of the corporate law and media industry. Their rich experience and leadership acumen will add immense value and help us strengthen our offerings and drive growth within our target markets."

Commenting on the development, Vivek Law, senior business and finance journalist and the former editor of Bloomberg TV India, said, "We live in a global world. And with the advent of social media, communication for any business, too, has become global and multilateral. The need of the hour is to effectively communicate with all stakeholders. I am thrilled to offer guidance to the Pivotals, which seeks to disrupt the current communication eco-system."

Hemant K Batra an internationally acclaimed Corporate, Commercial and Business Strategist lawyer and founder of global law firm Kaden Boriss, said, "We have handled some of the most high profile Business Launches, M&As and Crisis Litigations. But in today's age, it is of utmost importance to look at engagement as a holistic process and cater to each stakeholder, to maximize the chances of successfully turning a business around."

Pranshu further added, "Every business has multiple stakeholders like customers, dealers, employees, bankers, media etc. In this dynamic and globally connected world, it is imperative that enterprises reach out to and connect with each of these stakeholders through the messaging and medium which specifically caters to their needs. We offer solutions that can cover the entire spectrum of engagement while enterprises focus on their core business strengths."

Pranshu Sikka, the founder of the Pivotals has over a decade of consulting experience in the areas of stakeholder management, Strategic Brand Building, Crisis Communication, Public Relations and Journalism.

Source: https://speakingthreadsthought.blogspot.com/2018/11/vivek-law-hemant-k-batra-hired-for.html

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Focus on corporate sustainability at inaugural ACES Awards

Hemant Batra - Sustainability and the impact of a company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs will be the aspects to look out for at the first ever Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards, held in Singapore on Nov. 26.

The event will be participated in by leading corporate houses and small-to-medium enterprises (SME) from across Asia, who are all vying for distinction in the fields of corporate leadership and sustainable business practices.

The awards categories include Entrepreneur of the Year, Outstanding Leaders in Asia, Top SMEs in Asia, Top Companies to Work for in Asia, Top Green Companies in Asia, Top Community Care Companies in Asia, Green Company of the Year and Most Socially Responsible Company of the Year.

Elaborating on the purpose of the awards, the ACES Awards jury panel chairman Hemant Batra explained the importance of corporate sustainability in ensuring a viable future and a better world for the next generation.

It is a multi-dimensional holistic approach expected from the corporate world to grow but not to the detriment of future generations. Any kind of growth is meaningless without excellence and sustainability,' Batra said in a statement obtained by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Similarly, chief executive officer of the award' primary organizer, MORS Group, Shanggari Balakrishnan said that the awards would see how the participating companies followed their sustainability practices by heart and passion and not just driven by obligation.

Criteria for the awards are determined by qualitative and quantitative aspects. In the leadership category, it' a straightforward criterion in looking at sales turnovers, but what is more important is looking at the capabilities and how they are contributing back,' she explained to reporters at an event press conference on Wednesday.

Indonesian companies nominated for several awards at the event, include PT XL Axiata, PT Telkomsel and PT Unilever Indonesia.

For more information visit: http://hemantbatra.com/

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Law firms find loopholes to promote their services

Lawyers can’t solicit business in India, directly or indirectly, which means they can’t advertise their services. That hasn’t stopped Indian law firms from finding ways of creating a brand and gaining the attention of prospective clients.

The firms are expanding into new territories to gain visibility by taking on pro bono work, holding conferences and lectures, and engaging in partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups, apart from using public relations (PR) companies to make sure that the message reaches the right people about their role in share sales, acquisitions and so on.

Lalit Bhasin, president of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), said such activity doesn’t conform with the Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India (BCI), which prohibits activities amounting to advertising and soliciting business. He said that instances mentioned in Rule 36 aren’t exhaustive but indicative. Any kind of promotion is a violation of the rule, according to him.

BCI is the regulatory and representative body of the India bar. Bhasin said there should either be strict implementation of the rule or a complete change in the norms.

BCI did allow lawyers limited visibility in 2008, when it allowed them to set up websites carrying minimal information, in the wake of a Supreme Court order. Bhasin feels this doesn’t address the issue.

“The order ensures bare minimum, especially when there is globalization of legal services,” he said.

Other lawyers chafe at the restrictions, which don’t even allow them to circulate brochures at international conferences.

“BCI is still in the stone age and continues to think of law as a ‘noble profession’,” which is the moral reasoning behind the prohibition, said V. Lakshmi Kumaran, managing partner, Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan (L&S).

However, given that medicine and law were once on the same footing as “noble professions” and that the corporatization of the first has been permitted, the restrictions on lawyers are unjustified, according to Hemant Batra, executive managing partner, Kaden Boriss.

Batra pointed out that Indian law firms are opening offices overseas and providing comprehensive information online about themselves—including their partners and areas of expertise—on the websites of their foreign offshoots. Experts pointed out that some of the avenues that are being used by lawyers to build up their profile can be seen as essential services to society and the legal profession, such as providing free legal aid or holding moot court competitions.

Given the nature of such activities, it’s hard to say that firms are undertaking them purely for the publicity, said Vijay Bhatt, associate managing trustee, BCI Trust, which works towards maintaining professional standards in the legal profession and effecting improvements in legal education. He said it’s hard to draw the line and that it’s up to the law firms to comply with BCI rules.

On the other hand, allowing lawyers to solicit business can result in the extreme forms of ambulance chasing seen in the US, besides the television and other advertising catering to the less savoury end of the legal universe.

Back home, Indian firms are setting up wings to handle subsidiary activities such as training workshops, conferences, lectures and legal aid camps. Enviro Legal Defence Firm has set up the Enviro Law and Development Foundation for improving the quality of research on environmental issues, policy level advocacy and training lawyers on litigation in the specialization.

The ban on advertising is a big impediment for firms like Enviro Legal Defence Firm, said Sanjay Upadhyay, honorary managing trustee of the foundation. With most clients based in rural areas, getting their attention is difficult, he said.

As part of his pro bono work, Upadhyay frequently lectures, trains and writes on environmental issues, which gives him visibility. Further, the regulations restricting advertising aren’t applicable to the other initiatives undertaken by lawyers, which, as in Upadhyay’s case, helps them build a reputation.

Moot court competitions, which are organized by firms such as Surana and Surana, Kaden Borris and L&S, are another avenue that affords publicity.

However, Kumaran of L&S sees this as “the duty of lawyers to repay the community and student community, in particular”. Batra, whose firm also sponsors moot courts, said it’s part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) endeavours.

Leading law firm Fox Mandal has a CSR section on its website that lists free legal aid. A constitutional duty of the state and a moral responsibility of lawyers, free legal aid is undertaken regularly by law firms now as pro bono work. A new trend is the advent of organizations that facilitate such work by firms and lawyers. For instance, i-Probono connects NGOs and organizations in need of legal assistance with law firms that provide pro bono services.

Some of India’s biggest firms, apart from independent lawyers and law students, have been volunteering their services, said Priyanka Dahiya, programme officer, i-Probono.

While the impulse behind such initiatives is philanthropic in nature and born of a sense of responsibility, they also get publicity. Some of the biggest law firms including Amarchand and Mangaldas and Suresh A Shroff and Co., Khaitan and Luthra and Luthra, are part of the i-Probono roster.

While some law firms have hired PR companies to build their brands, more specialized companies have evolved to handle their specific needs.

One such outfit, Legal League Consulting, helps firms in their management and to enhance growth, said Bithika Anand, founder and CEO.

“Law firms in India particularly rely on dissemination of their legal acumen to enhance their visibility in the market,” said Anand. The “visibility” comes through a range of activities covered under “branding and practice development”, a service provided by the company, she said.

This includes “brand identity development” and “media placements”. Visibility is created and maintained through knowledge sharing, besides academic contributions focused on recent statutes, particular sectors, analyses of government policy and participation in domestic and global events.

Legal aid camps, and working with the social sector and NGOs is also on offer. As for media placement—being quoted on legal issues, and featuring on the news and legal shows—Anand said, “We can’t create media opportunities but can only manage them when they arise.”

A proliferation of legal and law-based magazines also allows firms to disseminate legal knowledge and expertise. Regular contributions by law firm partners and associates, discussing contemporary or complex issues, allows the firms to “endorse their expertise and intellectual depth”, said Batra.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/Companies/vqsXsEeGYuqPli9I8TPL0O/Law-firms-find-loopholes-to-promote-their-services.html

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Hemant Batra, Founder, Kaden Boriss Global, on working at AMSS and the UN, and his diverse experience

Hemant Batra graduated in law from Panjab University, in 1991. He is a corporate, commercial, business and strategist lawyer. He is the founder and Chairman of Kaden Boriss Global, a legal and business strategist organization of global law firms and offices. Kaden Boriss was founded in 2003 by international and business laws specialist lawyers Hemant Batra and Preeti Batra. The intellectual property rights (IPR) in the trade mark and copyright of legal brand Kaden Boriss (KB) vests with Hemant Batra. As a Chairperson of Kaden Boriss, a Corporate & Commercial law firm, he is responsible for firm’s mentorship. His role in the law firm is to advise on strategy relating to any legal transaction or matter. He also steers cross-border & international legal transactions for clients. In the law firm he is also responsible for overseeing execution of selective legal consulting and services assignments for clients.

In this interview we speak to him about:

Founding his own organisation Working with the United Nations His passion for music WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE AN LLB AFTER OBTAINING A BA DEGREE? While pursuing a BA in Humanities, I started to eliminate the career path, which I was not inclined to embrace at all. In late 1980s, I saw everybody around me was interested in the professions of engineering, medicine or civil services. I eliminated the engineering and medicine fields because they appeared quite run-of-the-mill and unremarkable. Initially, civil services, especially Indian police services did attract and excite me. However, on closer analysis, I eliminated that option as well for a couple of reasons – one, I noticed that there was too much political interference in civil services; in fact, I found civil servants being at the mercy of politicians, all the time; secondly, I was not too impressed by the remunerative compensation of government employees. Hence, I decided on the legal profession. It had too many appealing features. I was an accomplished orator, it offered me an opportunity to showcase my oratory skills. I wanted to be a strategic counselor and successful entrepreneur. The legal field was the best option to be on my own. It offered independence and presented means of earning sufficient wealth through absolute lawful means. Above all, I wanted to be a proficient and acclaimed global lawyer. Thus, I chose legal field to be my career path.

I had chosen public administration, economics and political science as my subjects in BA. These subjects are/were very close to the legal system and commandments of law. These subjects literally became a bridge between BA and LLB, for me.

It is my strong belief that humanities and law subjects are the ideal combination, for a career in law; be it law practice or legal services.

HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN LAW SCHOOL? DO YOU THINK LAW SCHOOLS PRODUCE SOCIALLY RELEVANT LAWYERS? I did my LLB from the Chandigarh Law Faculty, in the campus of Punjab University. The campus was very modern in terms of building and infrastructure. It was a stand-alone dedicated campus. The size of class or batch was not more than 100–120 students, if I remember correctly. The faculty was very strong, comprising some brilliant professors and authors. Even Senior Lawyers used to visit us as visiting faculty. The student–teacher ratio was 7:1, which was quite impressive. I had an outstanding experience as a law student. The fellow students were very friendly and teachers exceedingly helpful. I carry wonderful memories of those times. Yes, the law schools do offer great opportunities to become socially relevant lawyers by becoming part of community, pro-bono and human rights driven legal programmes. Even in my times of student life, we had these programmes. We were inculcated with the values of serving the community in part-time, compulsorily or whole-time, optionally. However, at the end these become more of self-made choices. Law schools can only show you the right path and values; they can’t hand-hold you.

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MOOTS, DEBATES OR UNDERTAKE ANY INTERNSHIPS IN LAW SCHOOL? Yes, I did participate in the extracurricular activities. In fact, moots was a compulsory subject. I participated in moots in all three years. I also participated in the debates and declamation contests. Internships, in our days was meant only for the last semester i.e. sixth. This was compulsory. For other semesters, it was optional. I did use to visit the High Court as a law student to observe some key hearings. All these practical activities helped me enormously in my becoming an accomplished lawyer. In order to become a skilled lawyer, one should have multiple traits and qualities – analytical approach, patience, hardworking, articulate, clear and effective oration, humility and so on. The extracurricular activities contribute overwhelmingly in bringing out the best in you. I am of the robust view that in the legal profession practical training and experience surpasses theoretical part. Therefore, the extracurricular activities and practical training should not only be made mandatory but must be made part of day to day curriculum.

Source: https://superlawyer.in/hemant-batra-founder-kaden-boriss-global-amss-un-diverse-experience/