Ratan Tata once famously said, "I don't believe in taking right decisions, I take decisions and make them right". And rightly so! In life, we are often presented with difficult choices that can alter the very course of our lives. While we spend ample time in weighing the pros and cons in order to make the right choice, at the end of the day it seldom matters. What really matters is the resolve with which we follow any path. With dedication and hard work every life choice can be turned into the `right choice'.

IP lawyer, Aamna Hasan's life is a testament to this fact. While growing up, she was inspired to follow the footsteps of her mother who was a doctor in Indian Army. But as life went on, she gradually realized that the field of medicine was not her cup of tea. Aamna then decided, if not a white coat, then it had to be a black coat for her.

She turned her focus towards the field of law and went on to do BA LLB (Hons.) from the Army Institute of Law, Mohali. Soon after graduating from college she joined Vutts & Associates LLP.  Within four years of joining, her eagerness to learn and her technical expertise helped her become the youngest partner at Vutts & Associates which is no small feat by any means. Aamna took a tough decision and worked hard to make it the `right choice' for her.

A first-generation lawyer, Aamna now has nearly ten years of experience as a trademark, copyright prosecution and litigation lawyer. In addition to prosecution and litigation, IP audits/due diligence, investigations, and domain name complaints are all part of her work. She is also involved in drafting, reviewing, advising, and negotiating contracts for clients. She is a practicing attorney and a registered advocate with Bar Council of India, as well as a member of the Delhi High Court Bar Association and the International Trade Marks Association.

"Sometimes all the client needs is just to be heard" believes Aamna Hasan, and that is exactly what she does. Often acting as a sounding board to clients and helping them flight for their rights, Aamna brings a fresh approach to the rather dreary field of IP law.

In an expansive conversation with the Women Entrepreneur team, Aamna takes us through her professional journey and narrates how she successfully became one of the youngest partners at her firm.

Give us a brief overview of vutts & associates and the underlying philosophy that drives the firm?

Vutts & Associates LLP (V&A) is an intellectual property and allied laws law firm. V&A's practice includes all aspects of intellectual property laws ranging from patent, trademark, copyright, industrial designs portfolio management, cyber laws, competition laws and trade secrets and other allied laws. We actively provide counseling, prosecution, licensing, and litigation services in relation to IP laws.

“Keep it Simple” is the philosophy on which V&A has been established. We believe in providing simple and practical solutions to diverse issues related to intellectual property laws, advising companies and individuals around the world. We, at V&A, guide, protect, advocate and help leverage our client's ideas and business. We understand the needs of our clients and provide tailor made solutions. We believe in keeping the legal costs of our clients low without compromising on our standards.

V&A is a partnership firm of three partners- Vaibhav Vutts, Prabhakar Mani Pratap and I. The firm is about 14 years old. I started with V&A and now have nearly 10 years of experience as a lawyer in the field of trademarks, copyright prosecution and litigation.

Take us through your educational and professional background. How did the journey lead you towards the realm of law?

I come from an Army background. My parents are retired Army officers (Doctors). Being an Army brat, I kept moving with my parents. As a result, I have been to many schools across India. I completed my 5 years of BA LLB (Hons.) from Army Institute of Law, Mohali (2007- 2012 batch).

Growing up I always wanted to be a doctor, but when it came to option for science as a subject in Class 11th and 12th, I realized it is not my cup of tea. But seeing my mother in uniform and dealing with 100s of patients a day, I also wanted to become a professional. So, I decided if not a white coat, then it has to be a black coat.

What is your take on the current state of the IP law advisory industry in India? How big is the market and in your opinion what opportunities does the sector hold for service providers in the near future?

As long as there are people doing business, there will be laws. As long as there are laws, there will always be IP law advisory. The market is quite big especially when the advisory is of nature that keeps the clients out of court. There is a tremendous opportunity in the sector especially for IP lawyers as practically every business has IP as a critical component. Proper advisory from the beginning is not only helpful in keeping litigation at bay but also helps in building IP portfolios that become true assets and increases the valuation of the company. This in turn has a huge impact for small companies woo investments and bigger companies to capitalize on the market capitalization.

Tell us about the various practice areas that you specialize in. What is your go-to approach while working with varied clients?

I head the Trademark & Copyright Practice Group at Vutts & Associates LLP. The work includes prosecution and enforcement of trademark, copyright and related laws, IP audits/due diligence, investigations, domain name complaints. Apart from these, my major role and responsibilities are managing and training lawyers and assistants, portfolio management, client and business development, client management, and co-managing the office.

I believe in providing simple solutions to the client. My communication and advice is clear and to the point to ensure the client understands. I give various options to the client starting from the most complex to the simplest for the client to choose from and make decisions. I feel not every battle is to be fought. If an issue can be settled/ resolved by discussions and talking to parties, I would not push a client into litigation. Understanding the mindset and need of the client, being there for the client sometimes all the client needs is just to be heard.

As a trademark and copyright lawyer, I do not discourage any client from going ahead with protecting their rights even if there are chances the client may not get the rights. I inform the client of their chances and encourage them to go ahead, sometimes most unexpected things can happen.

The legal landscape of the country is ever evolving. How do keep yourself well aligned with industry related evolutions and changes?

Apart from general reading and following interesting cases, the clients are one of the biggest sources of evolution and change. It is the client who pushes you to do the unthinkable and one starts thinking of new and different ways of approaching the same situation. Every day is a new day and by simply keeping an open mind, much is learnt. Apart from the clients, I generally keep a track on interesting cases, case laws, read law journals and commentaries.

In your opinion what has been one of the most impactful milestones achieved by you over the years? What roadmap have you set for your professional journey down the line?

I joined Vutts & Associates LLP in 2012 i.e. immediately after law college. This is my first job and I am a first generation lawyer. I had no contact or connections in any law firm or lawyers. All I knew was that I wanted to work and learn. I gave my best and my efforts paid off. I was offered equity partnership in four years. I was not expecting this and probably had no plans for something like this at that stage of my career. Being the youngest partner is my biggest milestone/ achievement.

Apart from trademarks, copyright and allied laws, I handle a fair amount of drafting, reviewing, advising and negotiating contracts (IP and non IP) for clients. Contracts and transactional work is something I enjoy and I am already building a practice group in this area.

Advice For Budding Lawyers:

It can be overwhelming at times but do not give up. If this is something you want to do, then put your head down and work to the best of your ability. Results will start showing on their own.