Empowering Through Law: Asmita Nayak's Remarkable Career

“Believe in yourself & your potential – Rest is destiny!” quote by Asmita Abhijeeta Nayak, Managing Partner of SM LEGAL. She feels that “Law is the foundation of life & liberty”. Asmita faced numerous challenges, dilemmas, and lows and what she faced during her professional journey, is what shaped her into the fearless lawyer that she is today.

Introduction:

Asmita Abhijeeta Nayak comes from Odisha however, she never really stayed there since her father was in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). She traveled Pan-India and studied in Kurnool, Kolkata, Kanpur, New Delhi and Pune.

She was born into a family of high-ranking bureaucrats and lawyers and had aspired to either join the Indian Foreign Service or Law. During her 11th and 12th grade at Modern School in New Delhi, she had chosen Humanities and later having cracked the entrance exam for Symbiosis Law College, Pune, she decided to go ahead for the legal profession. 

During the 5 years of BSL LLB, there was a lot of good learning both in college and outside and as the years rolled by, she chose Taxation as her field of specialisation.

After graduating from Pune in 2005, she began her career in Chennai where her father was posted as Commissioner (Central Excise).  She began working with then a small but emerging law firm called Swamy Associates where Asmita honed her skills in drafting and got familiar with the workings of a law firm, client management, and court procedures. During one of her court hearings, she met Mr. KK Anand, who was visiting Chennai for a case, and later joined his law firm when she shifted base to Delhi. She worked with Mr. K.K. Anand for about 3 years, and this was the foundational turning point in her career since she got a chance to plead cases daily as it always gave her a high to argue on the law points and win cases. 

Thereafter, after a few years of doing the same – she moved on to another law firm i.e. Suman Khaitan & Co, where she was the sole resource for Indirect Taxation matters, and where she handled the landmark high-profile Service Tax matter of JetLite, a subsidiary of Jet Airways.

Later, in 2011, with a few independent clients, Asmita finally decided to tread the legal landscape on her own and started SM LEGAL and now two decades down, as its Managing Partner, she has over 700 cases, with over 500+ cases won and all this has helped her get recognition and establish goodwill in her profession. 

Challenges and Achievements:

Asmita feels that being a female Managing Partner of a law firm has been quite a daunting task and is a lifelong challenge. It is always tempting to fixate on the perks of success versus the journey i.e. failures, lessons, and sacrifices along the way. In reality, it is the outcome of navigating a successful journey. 

Her sole mantra to face any challenge has been to put your people first-admit your mistakes, take responsibility when things go wrong, sacrifice your agenda, and let go of people who refuse to grow so that the team can succeed. Based on this Mantra, she believes that she has shown spectacular and steady performance across two decades by meeting its central vision of aiding people in sorting out their disputes and relieving them.

As a female Managing Partner, she has always endeavoured to maintain a positive work culture in SM LEGAL and she strongly believes that it can only be created with the collective effort of everyone working in an organisation. In her Firm, hierarchy exists only in the designations and not in the work. When it comes to work, she advocates and promotes equality, trust, respect, and support for each other. She always ensured that there was diversity in the office. Also, over the years, she has laid the foundation for a sustainable business model which has aided her Firm tremendously in achieving the desired growth, expansion, and enhanced profile, despite all challenges. 

As the saying goes, “success is the sum of small efforts”, Asmita as a Managing Partner, her Law Firm has grown from just two clients back in 2011 to a massive clientele across the country and this has been achieved by establishing a firm relationship with its clients. 

Some of the significant achievements over the last two decades are encapsulated as follows. She has won over 500 cases and argued various high-profile landmark taxation cases of JetLite, Airtel, BSNL, GAIL, Honda Cars, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, National Highways Authority of India (Hyderabad & Mumbai) etc. to name a few, right from the Tribunal till the Supreme Court of India. Would be advising the Tuticorin Port Trust on various gruelling Service Tax queries. Also, she have advised Royzez.com, an E-Commerce Portal, on all possible and applicable aspects of E-Commerce laws in India and its regulatory issues and legal questions related to Domain Name, Intellectual Property concerns, Copyright, Trademark, privacy, etc. and compliance with other laws like Contract Laws, Indian Penal Code, Cyber Laws, Banking and Financial Norms applicable in India, etc. Further, she has advised Indigenous Energy Storage Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Indi Energy), an energy storage Start-up that was founded in 2019 in IIT, Roorkee in a multi-million-dollar deal through its Pre-Series A funding round, which was led by a Vietnamese Company, BIG Global Investment JSC, along with participation from other investors. 

An award recognising one’s talent is an absolute honour, and Asmita feels quite lucky to have been bestowed with the crème de la crème Awards of the legal fraternity. 

She has received a “Scroll of Honour” from the Ex-President of India, Smt. Pratibha D. Patil on the occasion of Presentation of International Jurists Awards’ 2009 & Presentation of National Law Day Awards’ 2009 organised by the International Council of Jurists, All India Bar Association, All India Senior Advocates Association & Indian Council of Jurists. 

She received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Chief Commissioner of Central Excise & Service Tax, Chennai in 2006 for giving an opinion to the Central Excise & Service Tax Department on Service Tax issues about Tuticorin Port Trust.

She has received the 6th Annual “Under 40 Rising Star Award, 2021”, organised by Legal Era Publishing Group.

She has received the “Professional of the Year Award, 2022”, issued by the Indian Achievers Forum, on the occasion of the 63rd National Summit & Awards, 2022.

She was enlisted as “Top Managing Partner” issued by the prestigious Forbes India in their Legal Powerlist consecutively for two years i.e. 2022 & 2023 and as “Top Individual Lawyer” for the year 2023.

She received the Lex Falcon Global Award 2023-24 in the category of  “Leading Lex Falcon” for Taxation, Corporate/Commercial & Litigation at the LexTalk World Conference, Dubai, organized by LexTalk World.

She got featured in the esteemed “Asian Legal Business India Super 50 Lawyers 2023 List”, under the category of Taxation Laws, issued by Asian Legal Business, September 2023 edition.

Furthermore, under her leadership, SM LEGAL has been enlisted as a “Top Law Firm” issued by the prestigious Forbes India in their Legal Powerlist consecutively for two years i.e. 2022 & 2023. Also, SM LEGAL has been featured in Asian Legal Business for “ALB India Firms to Watch, 2023”. More recently, SM LEGAL has won the “Best Taxation Law Firm, 2024 – India” in the 9th Annual APAC Legal Awards hosted by Asia-Pacific Insider, Staffordshire, UK.

Personal Insights:

Maintaining a balance between professional and personal life for her can be particularly challenging & exhausting due to the demanding nature of the profession and as a female Managing Partner. However, to battle the same daily, she has devised several strategies, which helps her to maintain balance both personally and professionally. 

On the work front, effective time management skills are crucial. She prioritises tasks, sets realistic deadlines, and makes use of calendars and task lists to keep track of both professional and personal commitments. It is also important for her to set clear boundaries between her work and personal life. This includes having set working hours and ensuring that work does not intrude on her time, she achieves this by setting specific times for checking emails and not taking work calls outside business hours unless necessary. She also collaborates with her colleagues and delegates tasks to junior associates or support staff which helps reduce her workload and make managing responsibilities more efficient. She advocates the usage of legal practice management software and other technological tools that can streamline tasks and improve efficiency. 

Moreover, on the personal front, self-care is of utmost importance to her.  Regular exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, and activities for mental relaxation, such as hobbies or meditation, are vital for maintaining her overall well-being. Also, having a supportive network, whether through family, friends, or professional colleagues, provides much-needed emotional support and practical assistance.

Thus, by applying the foregoing strategies, she has tried to create a more sustainable and fulfilling balance between her demanding professional responsibilities and personal life.

Imapct and Vision:

Asmita strongly believes that being a leader is not only about leading but also about handling responsibilities and doing the right thing at the right time. Throughout her life, she believes that she has attempted to display leadership skills as her parents have always encouraged her to be independent and shoulder responsibilities. That is why after her law degree, she decided to follow her passion of becoming a entrepreneur in legal field. As a Managing Partner, she is extremely proud of where the Law Firm stands today after 12 years. Just like all other firms, her firm has been through ups and downs but I’m proud to say that SM LEGAL is now one of the best legal firms in India when it comes to taxation, corporate and civil matters.

She aspires to build long-term, trusting relationships with clients expanding her client base outside India and building a robust portfolio of clients, including dealing with cross-border legal issues.

Asmita's future goal is to gain more recognition and respect in her field of work through successful case outcomes, publications, and participation in high-profile matters.  Also, she wishes to represent clients in significant or landmark cases that have the potential to shape the law or public policy for better service to justice and society. She also wishes to engage in more pro bono work and advocacy for social justice causes. Her aim is also to utilise more technological advancements to improve efficiency and service delivery (e.g., legal tech tools, AI, digital contracts) to stay ahead of trends in the legal industry and possibly integrate innovative practices into the work module.

Thus, to encapsulate, she wishes to achieve professional excellence, have a positive influence in her field, and find personal fulfilment in her career.

Conclusion:

Pursuing a career in law can be immensely rewarding, but it's also demanding. As a female Managing Partner, here are some pieces of advice from Asmita to the young women considering a career in law. 

Law is a diverse field with various specialisations hence, spend time researching different areas such as corporate law, criminal law, etc., to identify what interests you the most. Also, find mentors who can provide guidance, advice, support, and invaluable insights into navigating the profession. Further, it is important to gain practical experience through internships, clerkships, or part-time jobs at law firms, non-profits, governmental organisations, etc. to understand the day-to-day realities of legal work. Moreover, building a professional network is a must, and therefore, attend legal conferences, seminars, and networking events as networking can open doors to opportunities and provide support systems. Furthermore, as law is an evolving field, it is important to stay updated on new laws, legal precedents, and industry trends. 

Last but not least, an individual's journey in law is unique, so be patient and stay dedicated to your goals. Pursuing a career in law as a woman may come with specific challenges, but with determination, resilience, and support, it can also be incredibly empowering and fulfilling.