Bidushi Handique Lale, founder of ABR Legal, started her firm in 2015. ABR Legal is a boutique media & entertainment law firm which caters to the creative sector and provides transactional and advisory services. The firms' clientele includes production houses, studios, OTT platforms, talents, content aggregators, film distributors, celebrity management companies, advertising and marketing agencies and other professionals involved in the media and entertainment industry. Being a founder of ABR Legal, her motto is to create a win-win situation for the clients and those who engage with them to develop great creative partnerships. Women Entrepreneur India is delighted to engage in an exclusive interview with Bidushi Handique Lale.

Take Us Through Your Educational And Professional Background. How Did The Journey Lead You Towards The Media And Entertainment Legal Advisory Field?

I was born and brought up in a small town - Rupai Siding, Doom Dooma- District Tinsukia, Assam. I did my schooling till 10th standard in my hometown and then moved to Guwahati. In 1999 I joined the five-years integrated law course at Symbiosis Society’s Law College, Pune, where I obtained my BSL LL. B degree in the year 2004, thereby becoming the first lawyer in my family. In 2004, I started my career as a litigation lawyer representing clients before the High Court of Bombay and various tribunals for over three years. I was doing fairly good in litigation. However, my calling was always to pursue more niche fields of law and particularly IP. One day I got a call from a consultant regarding a vacancy in a media company, and I decided to attend the interview. I soon became part of the media sector, and my journey in media and entertainment began thereon. During my tenure with media companies, I gained substantial exposure and experience in the overall media and entertainment business from financing, structuring, development, production, distribution, acquisition, syndications, etc. I was fortunate to be part of more than 200 films in various languages (Hindi, English, Regional) and big tickets films with A+ talents and 100 crores club films.

When I was working with these media companies, I had the opportunity to interact with other producers, talents and other stakeholders for negotiations of contracts, and many times, after these negotiations, I was approached by the opposite party asking whether I would represent them in the future. Back then, being in employment, I had to turn them down. However, it dawned upon me that there is a market out there for lawyers who understand business and have experienced the other side of the table. This realization gave me the confidence to start my consultancy in 2015, and I founded the law firm ABR Legal.

Tell Us About The Various Practice Areas That ABR Legal Specializes In And Give Us A Glimpse Of Your Firm's Clientele.

We are IP lawyers providing transactional and advisory support. Our clientele includes studios, production houses, film distributors, broadcasters, content aggregators, advertising agencies, talent management companies, film financiers, OTT platforms, TV channels, talents including actors, writers, directors, music composers, sports personalities, and other professionals involved in the businesses associated with the media and entertainment industry. We represent some of the renowned production houses, actors, directors, music directors, and writers. Since the last few years, we have been providing transactional and advisory support in various web series for almost all OTT platforms.

“Balance of business and law delivers value to clients”

I have been part of the evolution of the film industry from a fragmented individual producer driven space into a more corporatized and structured one, where proper documentation protects the value of the films. I have been able to help various individual producers, studios, talents, and authors navigate the choppy waters created by the Copyright Amendment Act, 2012 which which brought in various complexities in the way business is done. I have worked towards and have been successful in creating better awareness of IP laws in my clients who are part of the media industry thereby enabling them to transact better with foreign multinational media platforms.

In Your Opinion, What Factors Set ABR Legal Apart From Its Contemporaries In The Industry? What Is The Firm's Usp?

As mentioned earlier, the firm's motto is to create a win-win scenario for the clients and those who engage with them to develop great creative partnerships. At ABR legal, we believe in quick turnarounds, closing deals efficiently and effectively. Working as an in-house counsel enables me to appreciate the legal side of the issues and business realities and offer practical solutions to complex problems. So, I can say with conviction that the USP, which we bring to the table, is an approach to the matter at hand that is business-friendly and at the same time legally sound. Also, my years of experience as an in-house lawyer enable me to explain real legal concerns to my clients and guide them in making decisions.

What Is The Roadmap Ahead For Your Professional Journey? Are You Looking To Focus On Any Specific Areas Or Niche Capabilities In The Days To Come?

My focus has always been IP laws, and the media sector has been my niche. I can say that this space is my Ikigai. So, I look forward to being part of this ever-growing, constantly evolving sector. My passion is to create more lawyers who appreciate and understands business and law at the same time. Therefore, in the days to come, my focus will be building a team that will deliver that to this sector, and I think that is the need of the day.

Bidushi Handique Lale, Founder, ABR Legal

Bidushi started her firm for the media and entertainment industry, where she works with the producers, performers, authors, studios, and digital platforms to maximize the value of their intellectual property and help them avoid pitfalls and minimize chances of disputes.