LegalEra, India’s No.1 Legal & Corporate Awareness Magazine published by Legal Media Group commemorated the distinguished services rendered by the corporate law firms, companies and firms of repute in the legal arena in India and globally by honouring them for their contribution to the fraternity. The Indian Legal Awards 2012-13 function was not the regular Saturday-night, big-wig, party filled social butterflies and dancing divas or jumping jacks… Rather it was an event where luminaries from the legal world congregated at one place with one vision to felicitate the people, firms and achievers within the legal fraternity.
The second edition of the LegalEra Awards 2013 was held at the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Mumbai on Saturday, February 23.
Renowned Soli Sorabjee’s attendance was marked with great respect when the gathering of about 560 lawyers, law firms and in-house counsel from both India and abroad stood up in reverence and repeated the mark of respect for Justice Deepak Kumar Verma Former Judge Supreme Court of India who walked in with Justice S.S. Parker Former Judge, Bombay High Court.
The evening took-off with Aakriti Raizada, Founding Editor & MD, LegalEra, Legal Media Group, welcoming the audience and taking them through a crisp audio visual presentation about the magazine’s achievements and future objectives. She stressed the judiciary is one of the strongest pillars in the development of the society and country, without a strong judicial system the society will neither grow nor proceed towards reaching eminent milestones. The legal fraternity plays a very vital role in the development of a country.” It is a matter to note that it is for the first time that anyone from the fraternity or publishing has created a platform or come forward to salute the contribution of lawyers and the legal fraternity it is with tremendous grace and gratitude towards the fraternity that such an endeavour is possible.
The LegalEra Awards ceremony is a step towards the Evolution of the Indian Legal system – Vision 2020. With a focus on Initiating, Integrating & Innovating, The New Generation Law; beyond thought the Legal Media Group creates a platform to sensitise the laymen – organises workshops and knowledge sharing forums – by the people, & for the people.
Speaking on the occasion Lalit Bhasin, President- Inter-Pacific Bar Association
“We have seen awards given to film stars, sports persons, literary figures, but no one has thought of the legal profession. I compliment LegalEra for introducing these much needed Awards.” “LegalEra Awards are a “befitting recognition for the legal professional. This recognition for our profession of the administration of justice demands that we honour those who deserve to be honoured!”
In his address, Former Justice Deepak Kumar Verma congratulated the “young, energetic, beautiful and versatile Aakriti Raizada for the event.”
He lamented the current state of the legal system saying: “I am a little disappointed in the gradual degradation in the judicial system.” He reasoned it was due to the lack of compatibility between the Bar and the Bench and cited an example from his early days.
He noted there are several arbitrary cases pending, stressing the backlog is one of the foremost challenges the system faces.
Referring to the story of a humming bird who tried to extinguish the forest fire by taking drops of water in its beak and pouring them over the fire while the other animals fled for their lives, he appealed to the fraternity to follow the example of the bird. “Unless we start doing whatever best we can do with commitment and sincerity, nothing will come. I hope and trust you could take my suggestions in earnest and put your heart and mind into making our fraternity the best” he concluded.
Awards were given away in five broad categories: Firm, In-House teams, Individuals, Best of the Year and LegalEra Premier League Awards for Business Excellence.
There was a sense of pride and achievement in the air as the winners took home their trophies.
The first award of the evening was presented to Bhasin & Co., Advocates for Best Aviation Law Firm. Best Private Equity Law Firm of the Year award to AZB & Partners.
CITI Bank bagged the Banking In-House Team of the Year Award; IT & Telecommunication In-House Team of the Year Award was bagged by TATA Consultancy Services.
DLA Piper received the International Capital Market Award and Norton Rose LLP the International Corporate Law Firm of the Year Award.
Naina Lal Kidwai, Group General Manager and Country Head, HSBC India was declared Corporate Personality of the Year Award for Outstanding Contribution & Excellence.
Hon’ble Former Justice Deepak Verma, Supreme Court of India and Hon’ble Former Justice S.S. Parkar, Bombay High Court gave away the Lifetime Achievement Award to the renowned Soli Sorabjee, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Hemant Kumar, Group General Counsel, Essar Group was given the General Counsel of the Year- Male Award and Debolina Partap, Associate VP & Head Legal, Wockhardt Ltd bagged the General Counsel of the Year- Female Award.
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP was declared the Best International Law Firm of the Year & Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co. bagged best Indian Law firm of the year.
Legal Icon of the Decade Award to Zia Mody, Managing Partner, AZB & Partners,
Various Awards were presented to deserving individuals, firms and corporate. Winning teams and individuals carefully thanked their teams and better-halfs. There was a sense of achievement and pride in the air. Each person was excited at the prospect of being recognised, felicitated and acknowledged for being part of the Indian Legal System.
The event was well supported by TV Partner- CNBC-TV 18, Radio Partner- Radio City 91.1, Print Partner-Business Standard and Outdoor Partner-Bright Outdoor Media Pvt. Ltd without whom; the awards could not have been the grand success. Also you can catch up the live coverage of LegalEra Awards 2013 by CNBC -TV 18 on March 16, 2013 from 4 pm onwards.
Comments from the big-wigs speak for themselves the pinnacle that the LegalEra Awards Function has already reached.
Pravin Anand, Managing Partner, Anand & Anand “I believe that the quality of this function was outstanding and I think it is excellently organised for the fact that is it only the second year. It could appear from an outsider’s perspective that they didn’t have as much experience, but it is fantastic!”
Rohit Kochhar, Managing Partner, Kochhar & Co echoed the sentiments of his friend Pravin Anand and said, “I found it really heartening that many young legal entrepreneurs got recognition today.”
Justice Deepak Verma, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India exclaimed, “I had not expected that it will be such a mega and grand event! Keep it up.”
The 3th edition of this exclusive community will return next year in 2014.
To view the photograph, please click on the link given below, http://www.legaleraawards.com/2012-09-21-06-09-17/photo-gallery
To views the full Winner list of the LegalEra Awards 2013 click here http://www.legaleraawards.com/winners-2013xt
About The Organiser :
LegalEra is India’s No.1 Legal and Corporate Awareness Magazine on a mission to proliferate legal & corporate awareness at a corporate and individualistic level. With its in-depth articles and updates which have a huge impact of the legal and the corporate fraternity with the best minds in legal business that help you devise the best strategies you can arm yourself with amidst an environment getting increasingly globalized day by day.
It is imperative to understand the intricacies of laws passed by the legislation and their effect in order to gain an edge in our day to day business affairs; with this in mind LegalEra gives an insight on the regulations passed by the legislature and implied by the judiciary in its monthly issue based on various cover stories with a comprehensive research on legal affairs of utmost concern.
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