Published by Capital Letter
Geoff Adlam – 25 Oct 2022
Law Finity became one of New Zealand’s newest law firms on 1 October, signalling the next stage of an interesting and hard-working journey by its founder Krishneel Prasad.
Establishing his own firm has been his dream for some time and alongside studying law, entering practice and building his legal skills he has had a long career as a radio and television presenter for Indian broadcasting networks in New Zealand.
“I have always wanted to run my practice and having spent some time in private practice I decided that now is the right time to start,” he says.
“I enjoy the flexibility it offers. It allows me to make my own decisions and set my priorities. It offers greater choice in the types of matter I can deal with. It surely offers a better work/life balance.”
Prasad does acknowledge that as now he is running things, a lot more of his time is taken in managing matters such as finance, marketing and administration.
“But at the end of the day, it is going to be worth it.”
Focus on mutual respect
Auckland-based Law Finity focuses on criminal law, civil litigation and ADR. Prasad says the vision and mission are to provide a dedicated client service, offer practical legal advice and offer mutual respect.
“I want the firm to be perceived as trustworthy, reliable and meeting clients’ instructions with responsiveness and accountability. I want people to have an appreciation that the firm maintains a diverse and respectful approach to clients and colleagues.”
As with all new law firms, much time goes into deciding on a name and visual identity through its website. Prasad says he wanted a name which was modern, catchy and easy to remember. The logo associated with the name is an eye-catching circular diversity-oriented motif which groups people around the scales of justice.
“The logo has played a significant part in creating that crucial first impression,” he says.
“A lot of thought and effort went into its design. My logo signifies diversity, inclusivity and equality before the law of every individual. The firm takes pride in diversity of the backgrounds and seeks, shares and respects diverse perspectives. This aligns well with the firm’s vision, mission and values.”
The journey to Law Finity
Prasad’s journey to practice in Law Finity’s Papakura offices began in Fiji where he was born. An early ambition to become a radio presenter was finally realised after he had begun studying law at the University of the South Pacific. He auditioned for and was offered a job as a radio presenter in Fiji.
“In 2007 I came to New Zealand and a local radio station offered me a job. From then I worked as a full-time radio presenter while studying law full-time as a student. Those days were very challenging, but I am glad I made it through without affecting my focus on my academic performance.”
Fluent in Hindi, Fiji-Hindi and Urdu as well as English, and with a lively personality, Prasad was perfectly suited to work with the Apna network, which provides 24/7 radio and television for New Zealand’s Indian communities.
“The highlights include winning awards such as best presenter, best music and best public personality. I was also selected to present news and shows on television when Apna started its own television channel in 2015.
“The best highlight of this job was my ability to connect and interact with people and the community.”
A career in radio and television was obviously an option, but he kept his focus on becoming a lawyer.
While preparing for his admission to the New Zealand bar in 2016 he decided to take some time back in Fiji to visit his family. This led to a job offer from Rams Law in Nadi, which also meant he was admitted to the High Court of Fiji at the start of 2016. He was admitted in New Zealand in July 2016 and is also admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
“I had a remarkable experience as a practitioner in Fiji as my practice areas and matter types were greatly varied – from criminal and civil law to family, employment and public law.”
He crammed a lot into his time as a lawyer in Fiji, and appeared in the Magistrates Courts and High Court as well as assisting with Fiji Court of Appeal proceedings.
Return to NZ
In August 2017 he returned to New Zealand and joined Rice Craig in Papakura. He worked with Rice Craig for five years undertaking a range of legal work. His varied legal experience included criminal trials, jury trials, all aspects of criminal prosecution, and civil litigation matters such as defamation, nuisance, property disputes, construction matters, professional negligence, misrepresentation, bankruptcy, liquidation, commercial leases and tenancy matters. He also did alternative dispute resolution matters.
Prasad continued to study while he practised and he completed an LLM with first class honours from Auckland University in 2020. Over the last year he has also worked to complete the requirements for practising on own account, including the Stepping Up course, trust accounting and business plan preparation – a “challenging but enlightening experience”, he says.
“If you are intending to practise on own account, there is a lot of information and materials available online which will assist you in your decision. It is not hard to make that transition, so long as you make informed choices from the outset. Speaking to your mentors will greatly assist.”
Now, less than a month into running his own firm Prasad says he is enjoying the flexibility. He has also received several compliments for his firm’s name and logo from members of the profession.
He is also not giving up his love of radio presenting. Since 2019 he has worked part-time for Indian radio station HUMM FM.