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Bonum Lex: Focusing On Multidisciplinary Legal Expertise & Maintaining Impeccable Ethical Standards

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R.K. Naroola & Udayan Mukerji,Senior PartnersLegendary Greek philosopher & scientist Aristotle once said, “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” With law being celebrated as a noble profession born for the greater good, even today, Indian consumers, in their quest for justice, pin their hopes on lawyers. Boasting the planet’s second biggest population of qualified legal practitioners, India is home to numerous ethically sound lawyers who are unhesitant to lock horns with powerful interests on behalf of their clients as well as for public welfare, against all odds, with integrity so as to ensure that justice is delivered to one and all. However, legal planning being a product of legal aptitude and experience; to emerge triumphant, a lawyer must also possess legal acumen and legal expertise, aside from in-depth knowledge and adherence to the strict Indian regulatory system. Imbued with all these qualities, in ample measure is Bonum Lex, a New Delhi based commercial and criminal litigation boutique law firm, which true to its name (meaning ‘Good Law’ in Latin) provides a wide range of services to government, corporations and individuals in India and abroad.

“Our firm has provided consistent legal advice to clients in diverse matters, successfully. Moreover, we give our clients a compelling reason to take action where they could hesitate being wary of red tape and delays,” asserts R.K. Naroola,Senior Partner, Bonum Lex, who has had a distinguished career with over 40 years of experience in Indian industry with expertise in laws relating to Mining, Ports, Power, Infrastructure, Environment, Banking, Labour Laws and Industrial Relations. Its other Senior Partner, Udayan Mukerji, during his three decades long career in the Indian Police Service, functioned at various levels and garnered immense experience as well as thorough going expertise in areas dealing variously with homeland security, the security of Indian Missions abroad, internal security, communications security and investigations into security deficiencies. No wonder, this 2013-founded company has a strong grip over all aspects of criminal law and litigation and caters to matters pertaining to serious fraud investigations, prevention of money laundering, investigations in money circulation cases and other criminal complaints.

Bundling together the individual experience of its partners and the associates, Bonum Lex holds a combined experience of several decades in various practice areas such as Regulatory Framework, Foreign Exchange Management, FDI, Foreign Portfolio Investment, Environment Laws, Labour Relations, Arbitration, Contracts, Corporate, Criminal and Civil Litigation. The firm takes pride in building long term relationships with the people associated with it and taking a cohesive approach to problems of each individual/company.

Wide Spectrum of Services
Of late, most law firms have become specialized megaliths, with segregated in cubicles and some clients receive only less than optimal attention. As against them, boutique law firms are steadily gaining ground, since clients nowadays prefer one port of call for all varieties of legal assistance rather than having to knock on the doors of multiple law firms for every different kinds of specialized legal requirement. Moreover, they are more like multi-disciplinary mid-sized clinics that can diagnose and extend a more complete & better suited package of legal services, which adapt more rapidly and effectively to the dynamically evolving Indian society.

Bonum Lex is one such boutique firm catering to a broad spectrum of legal requirements apace with the societal issues including privacy & constitutional rights, Consumers Protection Act and Negotiable Instruments Act among others. It also deals with relatively green field areas such as environment laws, product & process patent issues, and the changed regulatory
framework ushered in by theCompanies Act,2013 that are assuming increasing importance. Besides having a sustained commitment to criminal law practice including, but not limited to, white collar crimes, the firm also negotiates personal law matters with empathy and discretion. “The breaking up of joint families combined with the stress and strains of urban /metropolitan existence have lent immense momentum to the practice as well as the need for a proper understanding of family and community laws,” explains Naroola.

Bundling together the individual experience of its partners and the associates, Bonum Lex holds a combined experience of several decades in various practice areas


Bonum Lex delves deep to identify various alternatives in each case, including what would be the most effective legal strategy/procedure to be adopted so as to evolve the most efficacious course of action, be it by way of the litigation to be pursued or the legal forum to be approached. In diverse matters, Bonum Lex has advised clients on several important queries such as pecuniary jurisdiction, territorial jurisdiction, quantifying the value of disputed commodity/service/property, quantifying interest and damages on account of delay and so on and advising on effective resolution of deficiency in service related matters. Bonum Lex also advises its clients on technology law, while providing practical, well-reasoned and quick advice on legal and regulatory matters relating to business operations in India. The firm advises clients on diverse intellectual property agreements and assists in conducting legal due diligence on portfolio of patents, trademarks and copyrighted works.

The firm's members are specialized in areas ranging over matters like property, tax, consumer disputes and GST issues. Bonum Lex’s expertise in arbitration helps its clients to avoid the pitfalls caused by a shallow understanding of terms like the ‘seat’ and the 'venue' of arbitration and grounds for appeal against awards by Tribunals. Noting that both the partners have been bankers for years, unsurprisingly they have vast knowledge of banking law and practice. While Udayan's quarter-century long experience in criminal investigation and an understanding of defences against prosecution & denial of personal liberty comes to the fore while proffering Criminal & Litigation consultation; Naroola's hard-earned expertise in handling labour laws and the statutory compliances under the Acts and advising on resolution of industrial disputes has been of immense use to the firm’s clients.

Exuding Sincerity & Honesty
A lawyer should assure the best possible legal defence to clients with utmost confidentiality and then leave it to the majesty of the court to decide one way or the other. However, being an officer of the court, a lawyer is duty bound to assist the court in its search for the truth by shunning any recourse to questionable tactics that subvert the machinery of the legal justice delivery system. A strong proponent of ethical practices, Bonum Lex believes that a lawyer must explain to his client the legal strengths and weakness of the matter brought to him/her, without painting an unjustly rosy or dismal picture. “A senior lawyer is meant to lead his team by precept as well as practice, setting the best of ethical standards for his team to emulate and pass on the tradition to subsequent generations of lawyers,” remarks Udayan.

Bonum Lex exudes a professional atmosphere, where prime importance is bestowed upon the maintenance of high ethical standards. The team initiates the cases with analyzing the issues/main contentions in the matter, followed by brainstorming on the effective solutions to the issues. This process is taken further with an extensive research for which reference is taken from various law books, online legal platforms and Journals. This is followed by careful drafting, which goes through various levels and is reviewed by the senior most members of the firm, to ascertain that the client receives the best possible legal service in terms of Petitions/Written Submissions made before the court. Furthermore, every hearing is attended by Bonum Lex’s team of lawyers, who make detailed arguments to make a strong case
for the client before the judge. The complete work flow is observed and carried on with the highest sincerity and honesty, ensuring that due consideration is given to each step in the process.

A Collaborative Culture
To succeed in India's challenging legal environment, a legal firm must have the ability to train its lawyers to respond quickly and effectively to a wide-ranging variety of legal issues. This should further be boosted with a dedicated research and training unit that would consistently monitor the latest developments in national and international jurisprudence, enactments & benchmark judgments to familiarize them with those developments on a real-time basis. Comprehending this, Bonum Lex motivates its lawyers to write blogs/articles on recent legal news and constantly updates the official website with current legal developments. The team conducts extensive research online using IT tools and knowledge bank, besides traditional brick and mortar methodology. This helps the firm to ensure that the team is well conversant with the current changes and amendments brought in the legal sector, regularly.

Relishing a collaborative and cohesive work culture, Bonum Lex’s astute, supportive and sophisticated lawyers assist and support clients with trusted legal advice on critical issues, while striving to provide the best possible experience to clients. Moreover, the firm is connected to the network of leading lawyers and seeks their expert professional assistance in cases linked to their special expertise.

The recently introduced Section 354D in the IPC against electronic stalking being an example, law firms must prepare themselves for the seismic technological advancements like Artificial Intelligence, e-Commerce & Big Data Analytics and the inevitable privacy intrusion issues they bring along. Bonum Lex understands the need to prepare for these changes in the jurisprudential environment regulating IT and its almost hydra-like spread into every aspect of human life. It also intends to focus keenly on economic & expeditious Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which is becoming increasingly popular with businesses (thanks to The Arbitration(Amendment) Act of 2015 that has placed a limit on the duration of an arbitration proceeding), as it anticipates that it will be the flavor of the next decade. The firm is further upgrading its technological capabilities to attain real-time global inputs on judicial pronouncements, legislation and developments. Justifying its boutique nature, Bonum Lex has charted out a road map that involves offering one multipronged dependable advice and representation across the spectrum of laws and legal requirements.

Key Management:
R.K. Naroola, Senior Partner
Holding distinction in both LLB & LLM degrees, Naroola has facilitated the smooth launch & development of several companies and Joint Ventures in India & abroad, leveraging his highly specialized experience in Collaborations, Joint Ventures, Banking, Industrial Relations, Labour Law, International Financial Institutions, Foreign Trade, Contract Law and Negotiations. He is a Certificated Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers(CAIIB), Life Member of the Indian Institute of Bankers & Indian Council of Arbitration, and Member of the SCBA & HCBA.

Udayan Mukerji, Senior Partner
A proud recipient of the prestigious Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service, Udayan has proficiently orchestrated litigation /legal counselling in diverse areas including criminal matters, torts, writ petitions under the Chapter on Fundamental Rights in the Constitution and contracts. He is a Member of the SCBA, DHCBA, Supreme Court Bar Association, Indian Council of Arbitration and the International Bar Association.

Headquarter: New Delhi
Memberships: Society of Indian Law Firms(SILF),Indo-German Chamber of Commerce(IGCC),Indo-French Chamber of Commerce(IFCC),Indian Council of Arbitration(ICA)and International Bar Association(IBA)

Practice Areas: Arbitration, Banking Law, Competition, Communication & Information Technology, Consumer Protection, Contract & Commercial, Corporate Matters,Criminal & Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, Labor & Industrial Relations, Personal Laws and Securities Law