Nand Gopal Khaitan, a legal luminary & senior partner, Khaitan & Co, one of India’s top solicitor firms, has metamorphosed from a hard core legal professional to an all-round manager, which has given him a sound grounding to become an iconic people’s person. When Khaitan & Co celebrated NG’s (as he’s fondly called by his friends and associates) 50 years in the legal profession recently, over 1,200 people from all walks of life converged on Tolly Club in Kolkata to celebrate it. The coveted guest list included a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, judges, famous lawyers of the Supreme Court and High Courts, top corporate honchos, ministers, senior bureaucrats and police officers.
“Few can match NG’s commitment to the cause he is handling and his complete command both on facts and the relevant law,” said India’s famous lawyer-politician Kapil Sibal, who attended the gala event. “This has helped him to be an ideal manager. His pleasing personality and warm demeanour are add-ons.”
“I first met NG nearly 40 years ago, when he was fairly new to the profession,” recalls veteran industrialist S.K. Birla. “I found him to be pleasant and likeable, with extensive knowledge of law and arbitration. He has extensive contacts and does not shy away in speaking out frankly, while others may hesitate. I have seen him emphasising legal points even in meetings held by the chief minister.”
Khaitan was born in the family that founded Khaitan & Co in 1911. His grandfather Debi Prasad Khaitan was the first Marwari attorney, who was also a member of the Constituent Assembly and a member of the committee responsible for drafting constitution of India. Khaitan’s father Krishna Prasad was also a lawyer, and became a partner of the family firm. Being raised amongst the lawyers in the family influenced Khaitan to pursue law as his career option. After graduation in 1970, he joined Khaitan & Co as an article clerk under his father.
Big boost from a presentation
Interestingly, while he was doing his articleship, a UK citizen called Kalyan Basu wanted to take over the control of Shaw Wallace & Co. He sought Khaitan’s help to deal with FERA and insisted that Khaitan make the presentation before the finance secretary to government of India at New Delhi. “I told him that I am still a law student not yet a lawyer but he had full confidence in me. I was nervous initially but finally, after thorough research, made a good presentation before the finance secretary. It was a big boost for me as starter,” recalls Khaitan, 72, from his office at Emerald House adjacent to the Calcutta High Court.
In another incident during his articleship, Shankar Lal Saraf, a client, wanted to file a petition for an injunction for him in the Delhi High Court in connection with the purchase of Ajanta Textile, a textile unit. Khaitan succeeded in getting him a favourable order. Saraf took a shine to this young lad, following which he met Khaitan’s father to seek his consent for the marriage of Khaitan with his daughter. Both families agreed and Khaitan got married to Madhu in 1974.
Khaitan subsequently passed the attorneyship examination. He was awarded Bell Chamber’s Gold Medal for standing first in all law examinations. Soon after, he was inducted as a partner of Khaitan & Co in 1974. He was one of the youngest partners of the firm at that time.
“When I joined the firm in 1970, my father’s advice was that I should always follow the order of my seniors. Even if I ever have a disagreement with any of the partners, I should quit and not do anything to break up the firm. It is this attitude that made Khaitan & Co survive over a century,” explains Khaitan. His talent and performance had not gone unnoticed by his seniors. They engaged him with more responsibilities and soon Khaitan became a trusted lieutenant of the family team. And, he always proved his ability by dealing with several knotty issues.
While all the partners and seniors were supportive to Khaitan, he considers his real mentors to be Shripat Singhania of JK Group and B.K. Birla. “At the initial stage of my career, I was fortunate to have their backing. They had given me several legal matters of their companies to handle, which gave me recognition as a lawyer and easy access to other business houses,” says Khaitan. “I made several business trips with B.K. Birla in India and overseas. Even in his autobiography, Birla mentions me,” Khaitan remembers.
Khaitan has handled cases of diverse nature. With his experience spanning over several decades, he has advised and represented clients on numerous marque transactions in all areas of practice, including arbitration, civil and commercial litigation, competition and anti-trust law, mergers, demergers, foreign investment, infrastructure projects, intellectual property, project finance, real estate, restructuring and taxation. He regularly advised prominent industrial houses and multinational corporations on a plethora of legal matters. He has been handling one of the long drawn corporate battles in India – Birla versus Lodha. Khaitan represented the Birla family in the case.
Not many would know that Khaitan has a habit of writing important judgements in a register for reference. “Once a senior told me, if I write them, it will remain in mind. I still do it religiously,” he smiles with gratification, while flashing his fat hand-written register, in which he has been inscribing judgements since 1970. “NG has the ability to read any complex situation from different perspectives and get to the core issue easily to fix it. His integrity to the profession is unparalleled,” says H.M. Bangur, chairman, Shree Cement.
Cutting-edge advisory services
Khaitan has contributed to the progress of Khaitan & Co, along with his partners, helping it grow over the decades. The large corporates vouch for the firm for providing cutting-edge advisory services across all disciplines, giving timely and commercially viable solutions to complex business and legal issues. “Khaitan is at the helm of one of the most successful and reputable law firms in the country, and I have had the distinct pleasure of watching his rise,” says Soumendra Nath Mookherjee, former advocate general, West Bengal. “Without a doubt, it is his attention to detail, his ability to connect to clients and other professionals alike and his keen understanding of the dynamics of the workplace that has placed his firm as it stands today. It has been my pleasure and privilege to have collaborated and worked with him”.
Today, Khaitan & Co has its offices in Kolkata, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad, as also an overseas branch in Singapore, with over 1,000 lawyers, including over 200 partners. It is managed professionally and picks up the cream of talents and allows them to work freely and grow with the firm. “We never treat Khaitan & Co as a family firm. Today, there are less than 10 Khaitans in the firm, which defines our approach to the firm,” explains Khaitan. The firm is now exploring setting up its second overseas office in Dubai.
“Discipline and dedication towards work is what defines NG’s success. He is mentor to many like me,” acknowledges Shounak Mitra, partner, Khaitan & Co. “He always advises us to be good human beings and work with integrity in the profession. I will remember it throughout my life, another partner of the firm, Supratim Chakraborty says, NG Khaitan stands “N.G. Khaitan stands as a beacon of legal excellence, having illuminated the legal landscape of India for 50 years now. His foresight is legendary, guiding clients through complex legal matters with unparalleled insight and precision, setting him apart from his peers.
Apart from the legal profession, he has been actively involved with various organisations and social activities. He often helps people who have legal problems, on a pro bono basis. Khaitan is president, Indian Council of Arbitration, New Delhi, as also Bharat Chamber of Commerce. He is regularly participates in meetings, as a key speaker, on various subjects pertaining to different branches of law. Khaitan is also an independent director on the board of several large companies.
“There is no short-cut to success,” is Khaitan’s advice to the young generation in the legal profession. “Hard work, dedication, innovative thinking and integrity are the key factors for achievement,” he concludes.
SAJAL BOSE
sajal.bose@businessindia.com