Harish Salve is wrong. Lawyers these days can be bought to do any song and dance show. Harish used to be a really good lawyer in some areas like telecom. I think the key word is “was”. His first disaster was to persuade Vijay Mallya to shift to London so that he would get some clients in London where he was then dating his future wife (now ex wife and the next one is in). I don’t think he has won one important case since he shifted to London.
Harish had good face value in Indian courts. Most lawyers who have also cleared the Ca exam make good judges. My friends and past lawyers like Rajiv Shakder and Vibhoo Bhakru make good judges. They didn’t make very good lawyers though. Good lawyers usually come from legal dynasties and would have a good arts degree and a fancy masters from a place like Cambridge or Harvard law school.
Subramaniam Swamy may have made a better lawyer for Chandrasekhar. With Harish Salve he will lose as has been the experience of many clients who have spent a fortune on him. Here the important question is who is paying Harish’s exorbitant fees. I would think it is the Tatas.
Something which doesn’t pass basic common sense cannot be legally right – no matter what case law you can come up with. Of course any smart lawyer will milk a foolish client, no matter how absurd the targets of the client. Commercially astute lawyers will milk such a client really well. Chandra has his hands on a really deep cheque book and Harish would be very good at emptying that.
Dhananjay who is Noel’s lawyer is a way superior one. He has also been a judge and was the former boss of the current Mumbai High Court judge. I have done matters where Dhananjay was the judge in Mumbai High court and Harish was the lawyer currying for favours for his law breaking clients.
In fact coming to think of it, Harish has typically only represented defendants – most those breaking the law. Those who didn’t like Vijay Mallya were advised by him to break the law. To Vijay Mallya’s huge detriment. He could have easily paid off the banks and led a happy life like he has always led. It was Harish’s advice which made him a fugitive.
Here is the media announcement claiming that he represents Chandrasekhar (but I think bill will be paid by Tatas. Noel I think will pay his own bills. This is what governance in Tatas has come down to.
https://lnkd.in/gk-gvZZB
Harish doesn’t have much of a reputation to salvage. He has all to gain to help Chandra chase his delusional goal of owning Tatas.
