YOGMAYA PRADEEP, LAWYER

In response to our invite to the men to come forward with stories about their wonder women, Ajay Shankar was one of the first to do so. He recommended Yogmaya Pradeep, his partner, both, at work and on the home front.

Yogmaya, at 25, was one of the youngest female lawyers to have co-founded a Law firm (A&Y Partners) and of course, there were many raised eye-brows. “Aren’t you too young?”, “Do you have sufficient experience?” were some of the questions that she was asked by concerned well-wishers and inquisitive doubters. But, Yogmaya was determined. She went on to confidently establish her firm and felt liberated! It has been three years since that bold decision and slowly, yet surely, Yogmaya and Ajay are changing the general perception about lawyers. Yes, lawyers can be very approachable and trustworthy!

Yogmaya explained that there is nepotism that exists even in the legal fraternity, and in spite of having no god fathers in the industry, she took it up as a challenge and believed in her capabilities. She remembers the time they just started out, they were understaffed and had to play several roles – that of a lawyer, an accountant, administrator, clerk, etc. She agrees it was a great learning experience, but the days were long and hectic. Being her own boss, Yogmaya is aware that she is accountable for not only her actions but also those of all her associates.

There have been many lessons learned along the way and there were many more people who doubted her competency. Some even suggested that she change her profession because she was “too pretty to be a lawyer”. But with her fabulously supportive partner, Ajay and her very encouraging family around her – she focused on her ambitions and did not any self-doubt creep in. Now that she has been through the grind of setting up her own firm, Yogmaya has come to experience stability and a deep sense of satisfaction. She has one clear message to the women out there, she says, “Go for it, believe in yourself and remember, it is not a competition. As women, we must always look for ways to uplift one another!”