Harish Salve is best known for his spectacular success in the Vodafone matter, but there are many aspects of his personality – professional and personal – such as his sense of humility coupled with his refreshing views on personal health and personal wealth – that make him a role model for all of us.
Salve wanted to be an engineer as a child, but by the time he was ready for college, his father’s roaring practice had piqued his interest in Chartered Accountancy. His father, on the other hand, had given up accounting and focused solely on income tax, putting him in close proximity to Nani Palkhivala. Palkhivala used to work for N. K. P. Salve worked on a variety of projects, and Harish was a member of that team. Harish Salve, inspired by Palkhivala, discovered that while accountancy was tedious, he loved income tax and decided that if he were to practice income tax, he could do so as a lawyer.
Harish Salve’s career took a major turn in 1975, when he was still studying for the CA-Inter test. Harish Salve had prepared a note on a complicated point in the settlement commission’s proceedings on his father’s request, which posed some new issues for interpretation. When Nani Palkhivala saw that message, he was blown away and immediately asked Harish Salve, “So, when are you entering the profession?” With a soft smile on his face, Harish Salve says, “The die was cast that day.”
Harish Salve, was assigned to assist Nani Palkhivala in the Minerva Mills case a few years back, cementing their relationship. Harish Salve recalls, “What a chance that was.” Harish Salve was advised by Nani Palkhivala to enter the Chambers of Soli Sorabjee as a junior.
When Harish Salve was named Solicitor General in November 1999, he entered the super-major league. He was only 43 years old at the time and served in the position until 2002. Harish Salve was also active in important non-litigation work, such as leading WTO talks, drafting energy reforms, and establishing competition commission regulations, giving him a broader view of legal issues than a litigating lawyer.
Harish Salve went on record to state that he did not charge Vodafone the Rs. 1 crore that he was rumored to have paid for each day of hearing (a matter of concern to everyone), but rather “only a fraction” of that. Regrettably, he didn’t go into detail on what the “fraction” was!
Harish Salve said it well. “At some point, you begin to believe that you are important to the world. All else comes first; your body comes second“. According to him, you must change your attitude by telling your body that you love it the most and devote at least one hour of your time to it every day. He adds that if the body is balanced, the mind will be sharp, and you will be able to do even more in your professional life.
Harish Salve has some tips for those of those who work in the industry. He claims that the most important thing he learned from Palkhivala was “Churchill’s art of persuasion,” which he (Palkhivala) coined. “In order for anything to be persuasive, it must first and foremost be simple.” As a result, practitioners must concentrate on how to address complicated legal propositions with “clarity and simplicity” so that judges can understand and assimilate the arguments.
Professionals, according to Harish Salve, are all “law students” who can and should make mistakes. It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake. According to him, the most important qualities a professional can possess are dedication and honesty.
The perspective of Harish Salve on his personal wealth is also refreshing. “One thing I’ve learned is to never apologize for performance. It is something I have worked hard for. He adds, “I haven’t stood on anyone’s grave to get where I’ve been,” and that one must enjoy the fruits of one’s labor.
So there you have it, Harish Salve. Simple and humble at heart, but a consummate professional – the ideal combination.
