My legal life: Geeta Daswani, The Daswani Law Company

My uncle had a law firm in India, and his sons, at the time, were training to become lawyers. Every summer vacation I would tag along with my cousins to the firm, thinking I would get to hang out with them. The idea of being in the office was cool. I started with admin-related work and gradually started learning the subject, progressing to legal research and drafting. Before I knew it, I enrolled in law school (to my father’s delight). In a way, I was always naturally steered towards becoming a lawyer. 

I am dual-qualified. Having pursued my Bachelors of Law in India, I first qualified as an advocate in India and was enrolled in the Bar Council of India. I then completed my master’s at King’s College, London, and decided to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. I did so under the QLTS route (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme). This entailed studying the England and Wales legal system and passing two rounds of examinations, namely the MCT (Multiple Choice Test), and the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination).

I have always enjoyed contracts and the world of business. Most of my work experience at other organisations was focused on corporate/commercial law. I knew if I were to start my own practice, it would be to provide legal support to businesses and entrepreneurs. What gave me the push to set up my own practice was my desire to make a contribution to the world around us. There is no planet B, and I believe it is the need of the hour for us to make changes that will help restore our environment, fellow beings and nature. Through my practice, I wanted to assist change-led businesses, such as cruelty-free, sustainability and impact-driven ventures. My work in pushing for an ethical approach was recognised in Clio’s Reisman Awards. This is one of the core values at The DLC: we support ethical businesses and offer a reduced fee to them as a gesture of support. The DLC was in fact born out of the aspiration to be trusted legal partners to businesses and entrepreneurs; and provide legal solutions for a kinder and more compassionate future.

'Most of my work experience was focused on corporate/commercial law. I knew if I were to start my own practice, it would be to provide legal support to entrepreneurs'

At The DLC we mainly work with business owners, who range from sole entrepreneurs to SMEs and sometimes even venture capitalists and investors. Some of our clients run change-led ventures and we are fortunate to have been chosen as their legal partners. For example, we have assisted a plant-based, fast-food company; NHS doctors who run organisations promoting a holistic and plant-based lifestyle; a sustainable translation company that is not only carbon-neutral but also plants trees and funds sustainable projects; and a marketplace for sustainable and upcycled apparel.

We do purely non-contentious commercial work. This involves helping businesses with their contracts (commercial as well as corporate), employment contracts, terms and conditions, workplace policies, compliance with data protection law, and advice on intellectual property law.

My work as a mentor stems from my experience volunteering for the ‘Teach India’ project in 2007-2008. This was an initiative run by The Times of India Group, to encourage volunteers to teach students from a less privileged background. Although it was meant to be a short-term project, I ended up volunteering for 18 months, teaching English and accountancy to students appearing for their Higher Secondary examination. I now mentor those who apply to The DLC for internships. These are more like a practical learning programme, wherein we break down the concepts of commercial law and then apply the knowledge to real-life situations. This could be researching precedents or legislative provisions applicable to a matter at the firm; reviewing agreements; or drafting basic provisions.

More and more law firms are becoming conscious of the importance of ESG and how we can all contribute to make a difference. In fact, just last month I met a lawyer from Texas whose firm is modelled along the same lines as The DLC. He said his vision was to be the ‘go to lawyer’ for all change-led businesses.