Nani Palkhivala: The Courtroom Genius

N anabhoyArdeshirPalkhivalaarguablyhad themostmeteoric rise as an advocate in living memory. Without a privileged background, without a god-tather in the legal profession, without a degree from Oxford or Cambridge or any foreign university, without being a barrister (as was fashionable at that time), handicapped by a severe stammer in his childhood, Palkhivala reached the very pinnacle of success in the legal profession in less than twenty years. What was the secret of his stupendous success at the Bar? What makes one person reach unbelievable levels of achievement in his chosen field? Are there any lessons to be learnt from suchsuccess? Is there a formula that can be replicated by anyone - Iike ingredients of a recipe of a master chef that can be merely repeated? There is a theory that success leaves clues. If a person has succeeded by doing certain things, it is possible to do the same thing and achieve similar, if not the same,success. As we came to the end of preparing the final chapters of this book, Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers - The Story ofSuccesswas published in late 2008.' Chapter lI of this remarkable book dealt with three questions: Is achievement the result of innate talent? What roles do hard work and preparation play? Does the particular working environment play an important role? The answers Gladwell gives us are truly astonishing and explain, to a great