Anand Suryadutt Bhatt In Memoriam

A year after the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, the memory of Anand Suryadutt Bhatt remains fresh in the minds of the legal community. Anand Bhatt, a Senior Partner at Wadia Ghandy, was killed in the terrorist attack in the Oberoi, just short of his 60th birthday. Bar & Bench pays tribute to one of the finest lawyers India has ever seen..A year after the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, the memory of Anand Suryadutt Bhatt remains fresh in the minds of his colleagues and the legal community. Anand Bhatt, a Senior Partner at Wadia Ghandy, was killed in the terrorist attack on the Oberoi, a week before his 60th birthday, while he was dining with clients and friends to celebrate his newly-acquired status as a grandfather. He is remembered as a smiling person who was unfazed by difficulties, a man of the highest integrity, and one of the finest lawyers in the country. Apoorv Parikh, who was dining with Anand Bhatt on that fateful night, says that Mr. Bhatt was trying to negotiate with the jehadis for the release of the innocent up to the moment he was killed..Tragically, the date of his cremation also marked the 125th anniversary of Wadia Ghandy. His funeral was attended by prominent lawyers from across the country who came to pay homage and bid farewell to this brilliant and humane lawyer..The Bombay Bar, in their eulogy, aptly summarized him, saying, “He was one of the canniest, fairest, and most formidable attorneys in practice. There are but a few who are complete masters of their craft. Anandbhai was one of them. This is a rare breed: an attorney who, like a grandmaster in a very high-stakes game, can plot the course of a matter whether in litigation or not, and deliver the result. It calls for special skills, most of all extreme discretion, an economy with words, insight, and a grasp of legal intricacies. Anandbhai had all these qualities, in abundance”..Hamid Moochhala, Senior Partner at Wadia Ghandy, who had worked with him since 1970, told Bar & Bench, “The news of his death was absolutely devastating, but as Bhatt would say, the show must go on”. Speaking of his attributes, Moochhala reminisces, “He loved challenges- he would take up a case which may be weak on facts, but would give 100 percent to it. Clients who have associated with us, some of whom have known him for the last 30 years, come back to office and still mourn Mr. Bhatt’s absence.”.Mr. Ashish Ahuja, Partner at Wadia Ghandy says “Anandbhai once told me that a law firm is like a swiss bank. People who need to know where it is, should know where it is. Marketing is meant for lawyers who don’t know the law. Lawyers who know the law would always be approached by clients for advise. Word of mouth is the best publicity that can ever happen for a lawyer. Till date we stick strictly to this policy and dont believe one bit in marketing.”.Senior Advocate Iqbal Chagla, speaking at his funeral, had remarked that one of Bhatt’s greatest qualities was his ability to nurture young talent. He was the legend behind the success of Wadia Gandhy. Ankit Majumdar, one of the youngest Partners at Wadia Gandhy, also shares his view and remembers Mr. Bhatt as a highly unselfish person, with a large heart. “He would allow his juniors to explore their full potential, and help them grow in a manner that is unprecedented amongst many seniors. A very hard working and a fun loving person, I remember once working with him from 2 at night until 9 in the morning, and he was still filled with energy and had a smile on his face. I don’t know too many lawyers on senior level who still pay the same amount of attention to detail as he did,” recalls Majumdar..Anand Bhatt is survived by his wife and two daughters. His wife, Meena Bhatt, works as the administrative head of Wadia Ghandy at the insistence of the firm. He is fondly remembered by all the people whose lives he touched, professionally and personally.