With a father in the Bihar cabinet, a career in politics had seemed inevitable for Janmejay Rai. However, he chose to pursue law instead.
?Politics is in our blood,? he says. ?Though my father wanted me to enter the civil services, he did not object when I didn?t. But who knows? Maybe politics beckons in the future, though this is not something I am working towards consciously.?
For the time being, he seems quite content with his current position as partner at Kochhar & Company, where he largely handles cases related to mergers and acquisitions (M&As), and the media and telecom sectors. ?We have an extensive media practice. In telecom, we mostly work with value-added service players. We do a considerable amount of litigation,? he says
He admits that walking the fine line between pointing out potential pitfalls to clients and acting as a deal-breaker is challenging. ?When dealing with overseas clients in an M&A-related case, negotiating the norms governing such deals is tricky,? Rai notes. ?This is especially true in the case of established players. In India, the system is less complicated. So, the challenge arises when one has to offer the client practical advice.?
A typical workday for Rai begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m. He chalks out a rough schedule for the day before reaching his office. Thereafter, his day mainly comprises meetings both with clients and in-house associates. He carries his work home on most days. That he finds it difficult to maintain a balance between work and life is not surprising. ?Work is never-ending,? he comments. ?One has to manage one?s time better and delegate more tasks. For me, while it used to be impossible earlier, I now consciously make an effort to walk that tightrope. Luckily, my wife is a chartered accountant and her hours are equally erratic. So, she understands the pressure.?
Nevertheless, he faces each day with fresh motivation. ?I love my work. I have a good team and firmly believe that no idea is stupid. Of course, one always has to make adjustments or concessions, but luckily, everything comes together in the end.?
Future tasks before him include generating more revenues and expanding the firm?s presence both in India and abroad. ?We hope to carve a deeper niche for ourselves in the Indian market. We have several offices all over the country, except the east. So, we plan to explore the possibility of expanding our footprint to Kolkata, Raipur, Guwahati and perhaps even to Patna.?
When he does manage to take some time off, Rai enjoys reading historical fiction and watching movies. Occasionally, he is made to watch the television serials his wife enjoys.
