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Dr. Aparrajitha Ariyadasa, what was the motivating factor in your life that pushed you to pursue law?
I have a family reason because my role model the father was an interdisciplinary person who was a lawyer as well as a lecturer. He inspired me to be an interdisciplinary personalty if I wanted to be socially and financially stable. I saw the luxuries of my father and from the childhood, I wanted to become a law scientist. Therefore after my Advanced Level, I joined the science faculty and simultaneously, I joined law college and became a lawyer and a science graduate at the same time. Now I enjoy all the luxuries what my father wanted me to have because of my profession.
What aspect of your profession makes you beam with pride on a day-to-day basis?
By doing my profession I feel a sense of happiness and boost my ego because when you win a case to make a good argument you are highly appreciated by the judge the client and sometimes by the opposing counsel. Due to that appreciation, you get a lot of motivation about the profession. As a woman specifically in a male dominated society when you become, he spotlight, it will generate you confident and sometimes over confident., appreciation, motivation, and productivity. On top of that, when you walk in a society, a lady lawyer is highly recognised socially and politically. Being a reputed lawyer will lead you to get social invitations of different societies, social events and gain lot of respect from the society as a credible and a n honourable person.
You have touched on various areas of law in your practice, Intellectual Property, Immigration Law, Competition Law, Criminal Justice etc. Which area of practice is the most preferred by you?
I adore Intellectual Property Law and cyber law due to the very reason that both of them are inter disciplinary law subjects which involves together with Science and IT which are my other specialized subjects in my other degrees.
Can you tell us your experience of getting through your obstacles and setting up ATD legal Associates?
I TOOK MY OATHS AS A LAWYER IB 2000 AND THEN I JOINED TWO MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES AND a government organization. I ended up as a Director legal in 2008, due to the very reason my husband was pressurizing me to resign as my daughter needs to be taken to school. With this conventional attitude, I had to find my way making everyone happy. I WANTED TO BALANCE MY FAMILY and the work. I had a decent amount of capital with me and therefore, I did not want to waste my time as a housewife. No sooner had I resigned, I planned to start a law firm and rented an apartment and collected the equipment needed. I was lucky that I had only one apprentice and I took the first step to my firm. I could manage my work and the family because I was my own boss. I expanded the employees and my legal services as I had exposure to multinational companies. At last, during the covid, I could link my firm to a number of countries. My main obstacle was my conventional husband and his grumbling about a working wife who gets late home which I could manage due to my patience. Second obstacle was that the anti-feminist discourses in the country. Men did not want to retain a lady lawyer for their cases. To prevent that, I partnered a male attorney for marketing and networking, and I was in the operation. Once the first consultation was done, male clients were highly impressed and with the time, the anti-feminist attitude in males were eliminated. By now its been 21 years of my practice by now and I do not face any problem of discrimination.
How important do you think, protecting data privacy and taking appropriate actions pertaining to cyber security are for start-up companies?
Data privacy of startups safeguards information from loss through backup and recovery. Data security needs specifically to measures taken to protect the integrity of the data itself against manipulation and malware. It provides defence from internal and external threats. Data privacy refers to controlling access to the data in startups.
How in your opinion have IPR laws developed and transitioned over the years in Asia?
Yes. But the management should be streamlined. Training should be given to Patent agents. Patent drafting and registrations need more experts.
Being a full-time lawyer and also giving your valuable time as a visiting lecturer, how do you manage to achieve a perfect equilibrium when it comes to work-life balance?
I am my own boss. I manage my flexible times without disturbing kids and the family I play by the ear.
Having extensive work experience across several countries in Asia, how do you think budding law graduates can pursue an international career in Law?
They have massive opportunities if they specialize several areas such as IP, Cyber Law and data privacy.
As the Senior Partner of ATD Legal Associates can you tell our curious readers how an average work day would be at your firm?
8 hours
What are the qualities you would look for in interns and new job applicants if they should apply to work at ATD Legal Associates?
Preciseness, self-motivated, research oriented and punctuality
What would be your words of advice for young lawyers who aim to set a career in corporate law?
Know your law. Learn your law, further learn it until you die.
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