Thus began my year long association with Justice Lahoti. I was suddenly catapulted into the epicentre of ad hoc arbitration in the national capital. Seated next to Justice Lahoti in his Volkswagen Jetta, we used to travel across venues ranging from Neeti Bagh Club to Indian Habitat Centre to various hotels across Delhi to chair arbitration hearings from morning to evening.
On my first working day, I vividly remember the feeling of butterflies in my stomach upon entering his basement office, which stored all the case files and records. It was a moment of truth for me. I realized that a once in a lifetime opportunity had come my way and I had to make the most of it. From that moment onwards, I had only one singular goal – to learn as much as I could from one of India’s foremost legal luminaries.
I received more professional exposure, personal development and even spiritual awakening under Justice Lahoti than what I received for the rest of my entire life combined. Professionally, I became privy to complex high quantum disputes being argued by lawyers like Promod Nair, Nakul Dewan and Ritin Rai, and Senior Advocates like Dushyant Dave, Gourab Banerji and P Chimbdaram, engaged by top tier firms like Amarchand, Luthra, Trilegal, in front of luminaries like Justices AM Ahmadi, AS Anand and GB Patnaik. It is difficult to quantify and put into words the lessons and impact of being in the same room with such stalwarts. Personally, I learned to be more humble, polite, patient and committed to the society and family. Spiritually, I became aware of the concept of Infinitheism.
Source: Barandbench
