A Force to Be Reckoned With
Meet Anju Jain Kumar, a trailblazer in the legal and media industry who has pushed boundaries and shattered ceilings to make her mark in the world. Born into a traditional household, Anju has always been driven to challenge limiting social and professional barriers. She began her journey by working with a public interest law firm on issues affecting women’s rights and public health, leading her to pursue a Masters Degree in Intellectual Property Studies in the US. This was the start of a very fulfilling 20+ years legal career in intellectual property law and media at Disney and onto Netflix, where she was fortunate to handle some amazing work across the Asia Pacific, living and working across high growth countries such as India and China and the regionally diverse Singapore.
Currently, Anju Jain Kumar is a partner at a leading law firm specializing in intellectual property, and media law. After a meaningful run being a legal leader and in-house counsel, she is currently pursuing endeavors to advance legal thought, one of them being authoring a book on capabilities of an impactful in-house counsel in the connected world. She is also a mentor for young lawyers and aspiring legal professionals, and frequently speaks on intellectual property and media law.
In her words, “I am passionate about my work and I have always felt that I have a duty to share my capabilities and experiences to influence growth and change.”
Anju’s unwavering commitment to her goals and discipline in execution have been her mantra to face big challenges. She was one of the early few who aspired to be a media and entertainment lawyer and took the road less traveled.
She believes that having a clear outlook on aspirations, honing in on inherent capabilities, and continuous learning is important for achieving a more prominent role in an organization. She encourages women to stop hesitating when seeking new opportunities or advocating for growth and expansion. Jain is a proponent of building meaningful relationships, rather than networking. Jain attributes her success to being an effective and trusted leader, approaching problem-solving with simplicity, making timely and bold decisions, and being a forever learner.
She views passion as the force that brings unison and alignment to the mind, body, and emotions and helps drive her goals in life. Jain believes in the mantra “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
Anju has always been keen on striking a balance between home and work. She has had to make sacrifices both personally and professionally at each stage of her career, but she believes that in our choices are hidden gems of experience and enrichment. For example, the birth of her son and her career growth came at exactly the same time, which was hugely challenging and difficult to manage expectations. However, she leaned on support structures and delegated out tasks that did not compromise the integrity of her duties. As a result, Anju has been able to progress meaningfully in both her professional and personal life.
Anju’s journey has not been without its challenges, but she has always risen to the occasion and come out victorious. She has faced challenges such as trading off on everyday priorities and doing the necessary but missing out on the fun little things, like a movie screening at work to be at home with her child or missing park playdates to attend meetings and calls. She has also had the testing experience of living in China as a split family through two years of COVID. Despite these challenges,
Anju’s determination and drive have never wavered, and she continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
In her words, “Balance is not achieved every day or every week or even every year. It is achieved in blocks of time and they do not necessarily follow a planned order.”
Anju Jain has had a successful career and has been recognized for her contributions and expertise in the industry. Some of her notable achievements include being recognised in The GC Powerlist, 2016 -The Legal 500, Awarded Best Media & Entertainment In-House Legal Team of the Year, 2014 by Legal Era Awards and recognised as an Honoree at Korn Ferry’s Most Influential South Asian Women Executives in Media and Entertainment, 2010.
Anju’s story is a true testament to the power of resilience and perseverance, and she continues to inspire and empower women to reach for their dreams and break barriers to make their mark in the world.