Komal Solomon is a partner of Solomon & Co. with over 20 years of experience. Komal attended Jai Hind College before studying law at the Government Law College in Mumbai. She focuses on business and regulatory compliance, regulatory communications, immigration law, entertainment and media law, India entry strategy, and intellectual property law.
She has helped various global corporations establish subsidiaries, branch offices, and liaison offices in India.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Komal Solomon:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I am a self-motivated and hard-working individual. I am friendly and I love reading books, listening to music, and playing board games with my children once I am back home from work.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the Firm?
I graduated in science and thereafter read law at the Government Law College in Mumbai.
After my graduation in law, I joined my uncle, Mr. Navin Parekh, a renowned lawyer of the Bombay High Court, as a junior associate, where I practiced litigation. I was inclined to face challenges and hence I moved out of the comfort of a family firm and joined Thakker & Thakker, a leading law firm in India, where I learnt and practiced corporate law, intellectual property law, India entry and immigration law.
Tell us about the inception of the Firm. How did it all start?
Solomon & Co. was founded in 1909 and is amongst India’s oldest law firms. The firm was originally a real estate and litigation law firm and later evolved into a full-service law firm offering services in a broad range of practice areas, including corporate, mergers and acquisitions, business and trade, banking and finance, capital markets, India entry, private equity, dispute resolution, real estate and construction, insurance, media and entertainment, and intellectual property.
Solomon & Co. now celebrates the completion of 113 years. The blend of traditional knowledge and expertise melded with modernized technology and cost-competitive billing structures has been a vital factor of the firm’s long-standing success.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
Vision, focus, confidence, and the ability to get along with people are the key elements of my success.
I value friendship, honesty, and loyalty.
Which are the major services of the firm and how do they enable the firm to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the firm provide?
Solomon & Co. offers a broad range of practice areas, including Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Business and Trade, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, India Entry, Private Equity, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Construction, Insurance and Intellectual Property. Our presence across Mumbai and in Pune at strategic locations as well as our network and partnership with lawyers in over 40 cities within the country and across the globe enables the team to provide solution-oriented advice within a short timeframe, thus making us different and getting us ahead in the competition. Many of our clients value our customized billing structures.
What are the most important aspects of your firm’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
Keeping intact the values and traditions coupled with modern belief is an important aspect of our firm’s culture. Regular training and team-building offsites contribute to the firm’s culture being nurtured, promoted, maintained, and built.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the firm?
Combining technology with traditional methodology practiced for over 100 years has been one of the significant innovations of the firm.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
In my opinion, law firms or organizations should focus on team processes. Teamwork fosters cooperation, responsibility, and accountability and increases productivity.
What are your responsibilities as Senior Partner of the Firm? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As a Senior Partner, I am responsible for overseeing core operations of the firm and business development. The happiest part of my daily routine is when I interact, discuss matters, regulatory changes and exchange ideas with fellow lawyers.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Stay honest and be loyal towards yourself and in the work you do. Appreciate, motivate your team members, be responsible and take ownership of your decisions.
