Somesh Tiwari

Inheritance of Justice

Among all things legal that Advocate Somesh Tiwari inherited from his ancestors, the Inheritance of Justice was the most defining. “My inspiration is my Grandfather who worked tirelessly for the people. He established his practice arguing for the side of the employee, the party wronged, and we often had clients stay over at our house for weeks if the case got adjourned. He worked on his own terms and always gave back to the society. I hope to emulate the same through my work,” says Somesh with a touch of pride.

Somesh was born and brought up in Prayagraj, UP. His grandfather was a designated Senior Advocate at the Allahabad High Court and a very revered figure at the bar, while his father was elevated as Judge of the Allahabad High Court at a very young age. 

“Since school, I always enjoyed being on stage – participating in debates and extempore competitions. Thus the decision to go into law came fairly easily to me,” recalls Somesh. This dream was only compounded by his visits to the Allahabad HC. The grandeur of the marble hall, the historical building, the portraits capturing the decades gone by – Somesh knew he had to be a part of this institution. 

When the time came, Somesh read Law at Mumbai University and after graduation, joined the chambers of Adv. Abhimanyu Bhandari who is an authority on Arbitration and PMLA in India. After 4 enriching years with him, he went independent in 2020 by establishing Vardharma Chambers as Managing Partner. The biggest setback came immediately after – two days after Somesh set up his office, hired a team, and began engaging clients, the lockdown hit. “Thanks to my team, we navigated through the difficult period and came out the other end with a fairly established practice, which has only grown since,” he says. What started out as a quaint practice with 3 people just over 2 years ago, is now a bustling office employing almost 20 people.

A LexTalk Legal Falcon Awardee 2021, Somesh’s core area of practice is civil and criminal law. Recently, the team at Vardharma Chambers appeared in a landmark NIA judgment of the Delhi High Court and got a favourable order for its clients. They have also worked on various important PMLA and white-collar crime cases before the Supreme Court. In addition, the company received the ‘Emerging Law Firm of the Year’ LexTalk Awards held in Dubai. Somesh and Senior Associate Vidula Mehrotra also received awards for contribution to the profession.

A young legal eagle, Somesh has achieved huge success in a short span. What makes him stand out are his two fundamentals: “(i) Invest in people. It is crucial to have people operating at the top of their game to ensure success, and that only happens when you allow them the freedom to have balance in their lives. (ii) Always be curious to learn. When you are a leader, ensuring that you are constantly working on yourself sets an example for everyone else to follow, which resultantly produces a well-oiled machine of an office.”

Somesh’s primary goal in life has always been to create a positive impact. This can be in people’s lives, society as a whole, or even the government and policy making. Speaking about it, he says, “The term ‘noble profession’ has seemingly lost its meaning in today’s context, but I am still enamoured by the days of my grandfather and the generous way in which he conducted himself. As lawyers, we are perfectly placed to ensure that the law is brought forth to the people in its true letter and spirit.” 

We ask Somesh his strengths and weaknesses which could be a learning ground for others. He shares: “I am always on the lookout for great people to add to my team. Any amount of work can be taught to someone who is eager and willing to learn. I also like to read and absorb as much information as I can. Pretty much the entirety of our success hinges on our ability to articulate our thoughts better than the next person. 

In terms of weakness, it is definitely my limited ability to multitask. I am very much a person who finishes one task before moving on to the next, though it is something I’m working on!”

Leaving us with a message for the youth, Somesh opines, “As cliched as it sounds, become a better human being every day. All your ambitions and aspirations will become more attainable when you concentrate on becoming better yourself. More often than not, the journey is more important than the destination, and we should not lose sight of that.”