The Net Lawman team
Andrew R Taylor, Founder, Director and Chief Executive
Andrew founded Net Lawman in 1991. His career before then was largely spent as a solicitor and he has over 25 years experience of working in private practice. He has handled many areas of law, but his expertise has always been in commercial property, and more generally, in commercial and company law.
Andrew has also spent significant time away from the legal profession - "work on the other side of the desk" as he calls it. In the 1970’s he built a jewellery manufacturing business that both sold to trade and direct to customers through retail concessions in large department stores. In the late 1980’s he started a commercial property company that he eventually listed on AIM. During his career, he has also had interests (as a shareholder or as a director) in a great diversity of businesses, from garden centres to industrial conglomerates to Internet dating sites.
It is the change of status between advisor and client that has given Andrew his unique ability to see what a client really needs. He is able to draw documents that provide not only an excellent legal framework, but also many sensible (and some cunning) commercial provisions.
Andrew has always embraced the use of technology in law. He laughs when he recalls being a founder member of the Society for Computers and Law in 1979: having a computer on his desk before IBM thought of a PC in the days when many solicitors were still coming to terms with a calculator. His quest then, was the same as it is now: to promote the commoditisation of the provision of all legal services and to make the law more accessible.
Andrew now controls Net Lawman from the Director’s chair and doubles as chief legal draftsman with a passion for drawing excellent documents.
Adnan Akram, Head of Business Development
Adnan started his career as a software engineer with the Crescent Group, a group of companies in varied businesses from textiles to financial services, implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) strategies around supply chain and inventory management. He moved to Customized Engineering Solutions where he led a team that created an Information Management System to help the government streamline business processes, and then, later, to Tabaq Software an outsourced software development provider where he was a J2EE Architect and Team Lead. His experience includes creation of document management systems, document assembly software, and management information systems.
At Net Lawman, Adnan is responsible for all software development, including our websites, document assembly software and other projects in our pipeline. As a senior manager in our Lahore office, he also has oversight for other functions within the company.
Adnan holds two masters degrees: a M.Sc in Computer Sciences from PUCIT, Lahore and a M.S in Engineering Management from Center for Advanced Studies in Engineering Islamabad. He has also published a number of research papers internationally on the software industry within Pakistan.
His interests outside work include Chess and badminton.
Rashid Ramay, Law Manager
Rashid started his legal career in chambers in Lahore in November 2005. However, the application of technology to his profession had interested Rashid since he was an undergraduate and his belief that the Internet will change how legal services are provided, coupled with a desire to gain knowledge of law in other legal jurisdictions of the world brought him to Net Lawman in April 2007.
He is now a senior manager, with oversight of the legal team, the customer support function and the administration of the Lahore office. His day to day activities include managing our legal researchers, coordinating third party solicitors to draw or amend our documents, overseeing the entry of legal documents into TDG, our online document assembly software, and directing customer services.
Rashid has a Masters degree (M.A.) in English Literature from Bahauddin Zakariya University, and a degree in Law (LL.B. with distinction) from The University of Punjab. He enrolled in Punjab Bar Council in April 2006, now he is member High Court Bar Association Multan and also an active member of the International Bar Association.
Outside of work, Rashid volunteers for the Jannat Aziz Trust, an NGO that aims to provide medical treatment and care for people otherwise unable to afford eye treatment.
Rajeev Goswami, Advisor
Rajeev heads a successful law practice in New Delhi, India that provides services to corporate and individual clients in the UK, the USA, Australia and India. He has been associated with Net Lawman since 2004, first as a draftsman then as an advisor.
In addition to a bachelor's degree in science, a PG Diploma in Sales Management and an online diploma in IPR from WIPO Online University, Rajeev also enjoys the following qualifications and memberships:
- MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow
- LLB from Delhi University
- ACS i.e. Associate Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (from which he received the 'Silver Medal' for all India highest marks in Corporate Laws paper)
- ACIS i.e. Associate Member of the (English) Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
- MICA i.e. Member of the Indian Council of Arbitration
Rakesh Taneja, Advisor
Rakesh has been associated with Net Lawman since 2004, having drawn many documents available on the Net Lawman India site. He has over 25 years of experience practising law, and now leads a family owned law practice operating from the Supreme Court of India. His personal specialism is cross-border commercial law.
Rakesh is a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and is registered with Bar Council of Delhi. His success litigating in the District Courts of Delhi, the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India gives him a very good, practical insight into where commercial contracts fail, and how weak document drafting can be strengthened. He also represents clients before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT).
Rakesh studied Sociology and History at Sri Venkateshwara College, Delhi University, graduating in 1986 with a bachelor's degree (B.A). He attained a Law degree (LL.B) from the Agra University.
When not working, Rakesh spends time participating in spiritual activities and follows international current affairs.
Thomas Taylor, Advisor
Thomas advises Net Lawman on many different issues, from accounting to business strategy. He started his career at BDO Stoy Hayward in London, where his time was split between the management consultancy and the business advisory departments. His clients at BDO were diverse, both in size and industry, and included government sponsored agencies and institutions, start-ups, family businesses, and growing consumer brands.
Seeking to gain closer access to a greater number of companies, Thomas moved out of practice into private equity fund management, first to Coller Capital, where he analysed and reported on the performance of portfolio companies, then to MGPA, where he was responsible for client reporting on real estate investment performance, and then to ISIS Equity Partners, overseeing the day to day management of a portfolio of private equity fund investments. His career has allowed Thomas to get close to thousands of businesses around the world, of different sizes and in different industries. He now enjoys applying the knowledge gained so far in his career to Net Lawman.
Thomas has a Masters (M.A) in Economics from the University of Edinburgh, and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He spends his free time skiing, kayaking, rock climbing and perfecting his taekwondo.