Saba Rajkotia
8th March 2020
This International Women’s Day let’s celebrate four female entrepreneurs who are making a positive difference in the legal-tech space. Through the use of technology, each of these women leaders intends to improve the Indian legal system and help bring justice to those in need. These stories were covered by YourStory.
Akshetha Ashok is the Co-founder of Sama, a Bengaluru-based legal-tech start-up that was founded in 2015. Sama helps to improve the justice system in India by offering clients an opportunity to resolve disputes without having to go to court. In addition, it aims to resolve disputes in an amicable fashion, by offering online conciliation, arbitration and mediation services.
Speaking to YourStory, Akshetha explains how Sama’s approach to dispute resolution can cut down the time it takes to settle a case from years to just months or even weeks. “Mediation… is a collaborative process that focuses on win-win solutions. Sama helps people save time, money, and relationships”, she says. Akshetha is also the Chief Coordinator of Indian Mediation Week (IMW), an initiative that champions communicating and collaboration for resolving disputes rather than going to court. IMW’s motto is “Suljhao, Magar Pyaar Se” (Resolve, But With Love), a sentiment that is echoed in the effective and impactful work that Sama does.
Meghana Srinivas is the Founder and CEO of TrustIn, a Bengaluru based legal-tech start-up offering reporting and redressal services for POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) cases. TrustIn fills a gap in the Indian workplace safety market, where there is little to no support or standardisation of platforms for complaint escalation. “We’re empowering companies to implement a culture of confidentiality and compliance… we believe everyone should feel safe and empowered to pursue their goals”, says Meghana in conversation with YourStory. In addition to TrustIn, Meghana has been involved with multiple initiatives in the social impact space, like Teach For India, and is committed to ensuring equitable access for all.
Sonam Chandwani is the Managing Partner at a Mumbai-based law firm, KS Legal & Associates. The firm provides high quality legal insight and advice in a range of areas and disciplines, with over 200 corporate clients – some of which are reputed Fortune 500 companies. “Our lawyers and support staff strive to exceed the expectations of clients… We combine global standards with in-depth local expertise”, says Sonam speaking to YourStory. In order to keep up with the ever-changing needs of its clients, this new-age firm uses modern legal and business technologies to enhance efficiency, quality and experience.
Namita Shah is the Co-founder of Presolv360, an online platform to encourage the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) based in Mumbai. Using an insurance-based model, Presolv360 encourages the resolution of contractual disputes through negotiation, mediation or arbitration, instead of litigation. “This not only saves costs, but also serves as a commitment from parties to choose alternative mechanisms over litigation, thereby making dispute resolution affordable, accessible, and convenient in the true sense”, Namita tells YourStory.
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