 Commencing January 1, 2016, the reins at Indian law firm J. Sagar Associates (JSA) will be jointly placed in the hands of Ms Dina Wadia and Ms Shivpriya Nanda as Joint Managing Partners. Current Managing Partner Mr Berjis Desai will subsequently retire on April 1, 2017. This comes soon after Founder Partner Mr Jyoti Sagar retired and ceded his equity on March 31, 2013 to Desai. On the shift, current Managing Partner Desai stated “My founder partner and I are happy to have walked the talk. We have completed the first phase of this experiment started 25 years ago, by both of us retiring at 60 as against the normal retirement of 65, without charging a cent for our exit to the firm. We are the only big firm in India which is owned by none. Of course, the challenge begins now whether the next generation can manage egos and aspirations in a dispassionate manner. Whatever the outcome, the journey for me has been satisfying. To disrupt hidebound ideas has always been enjoyable to me.” As one of the two future Joint Managing Partners, Wadia said “Both of us are very honoured to serve as Joint Managing Partners for the next three years of a fully professional and meritorious organisation that is based on strong values and ethics. We see ourselves further building on the legacy that was established by our founder partner, Jyoti Sagar and taken forward by our present Managing Partner, Berjis Desai. Our focus will be on the continued growth and consolidation of JSA. Shivpriya and I get on really well so we don’t see an issue in managing the firm jointly. As a practical matter we may decide to divide some of the functional aspects of the responsibilities but we will work it out internally between us. We have a great bunch of partners and colleagues at JSA and we have no doubt that the firm will continue to meet the challenges ahead and prosper.” Giving a similar message, Nanda noted “JSA has always been a very collegial firm and all key issues are debated and discussed before we arrive at a consensus. So JSA has had a pretty robust and competent system of management for a long time which has worked well. Both Dina and I have been on the Ex-Com since inception looking after HR/Talent and Finance respectively and I guess even as MPs we will continue to have some involvement with those functions. Therefore, though there is still some time before we start our role, we have a pretty good understanding of what we need to do as MPs. Broadly it will be to build consensus among the partnership, to find and implement new strategies, policies and initiatives and to co-ordinate various functions. Together with our practice and sector heads, we will continue to focus on finding different, better ways to deliver optimum high quality services to our clients, preserve and protect and build on the firm’s brand equity.” |
