Mr. Ranjan Narula is the Founder and Managing Partner of RNA IP Technology and IP Attorneys. With more than twenty-seven years’ post-qualification IP experience, he has worked on over 500 civil and criminal matters for clients in various industries including the IT, telecom, apparel, FMCG, confectionery, beverages, and finance industries. Here is his interview with Desi Kaanoon-
Q. Your IP law firm RNA Technology and IP Attorneys, has been working in the field of IP issues and protection for about 16 years now. As its Founder and Managing Partner, where do you see your firm in five years?
A. We have an efficient team that is passionate about service. With a client-centric approach and balancing legal and business issues, we have grown the firm in less than 16 years into a top tier IP firm. The IP and technology laws are evolving, and this continues to offer us the opportunity to expand the firm and its service offering. In 16 years our team size has quadrupled. Even today, we continue to have the start-up mindset being agile in our decision making, client service and holistic in our approach. In the next five years, we see firm growing exponentially not only in India but also in South Asia. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are exciting opportunities for IP/IT services. We continue to instil in our team a “client first” attitude; combine a solution-oriented approach with business understanding to come up with creative ideas.
Q. You have both in-house and international experience in the field of IP laws. How do you think law professionals in this field can enhance their career prospects?
A. The first few years of your career are important to put your head down and learn by reading and observing. Unfortunately, our education system is not in sync with the practical reality and demands of the profession. Thus your legal qualification is only the academic qualification that makes you think like a lawyer and help understand certain terms and principles. In today’s environment, you need to learn not only the law but also business and technology and how they converge. The legal professionals that can understand science and technology and apply legal principles to protect the emerging technologies will be in demand. AI is likely to be a game-changer for the legal profession itself in the next five years. Get ready for disruption and to reinvent yourself. The disruptive technologies will soon reduce the role of humans in the legal profession, and you will need to find ways to work with the technology.
The learning in the legal field never stops. The earlier you get into the habit of devoting time daily to read not only the legal issues and developments but also getting to know the business environment and the technical landscape, the better equipped you will be to improve your career prospects.
Finally, do remember the business world and the legal world speak a different language and have different expectations. The more closer you can get to bridging the gap for your clients, the better your career will shape.
Q. What aspect of the daily job of being a lawyer interests you the most?
A. The challenge to provide solutions to clients without having to drag them into a protracted legal process is quite interesting for me. Recently, I have worked with a number of VCs and Angel networks to support start-ups for enhancing their IP protection. It has been quite an interesting exercise. A project for a client to capture and document their IP Assets has been quite challenging and satisfying to work.
Q. To what extent do you feel is Government involved in the IP sector? How has your firm contributed to these efforts?
A. As the protection and enforcement of IP rights is an integral part of investment decisions by the MNCs, the Government is heavily involved in ensuring that IP laws are in line with the rest of the world. The Government has also devised various IP policies and framework to balance the interest of consumer and monopoly rights granted by IP laws.We are actively involved in various programs run by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion for the implementation of the IP policy objectives. Our team also works with FICCI, ASSOCHAM, CIPAM and the CII in making recommendations to the Government; besides conducting a promotional campaign for IP awareness and formulating guidelines for their implementation.
Q. How do you deal with failures?
A. Many times, even your best efforts do not lead to a positive result either in the form of winning the matter or resolving it. You got to stay focused and take failures in the right stride. This idea has helped me appreciate that failure is an integral part of success.
You must follow the ‘Karma Theory’ and keep persisting. It also makes you introspect and identify the reasons and the changes that you need to make to keep your business and yourself on track.
Q. What advice would you like to give to budding entrepreneurs?
A. I want to emphasise that winning trust is an important part of a growing business. You must hold strong ethics and take all feedback on board and look for ways to address them. Have a solution-oriented approach. Industry appreciates those who can come up with a resolution and minimise the risk. Your internal and external culture must match, and in that context, you must take your team together-treating them just like you would treat a client. In this way, you will end up creating a happy place which offers challenge and a collaborative environment.