Projects and finance lawyer Sameen Vyas, who had been partner at L&L Partners, passed away earlier today after a cardiac arrest.
He had felt unwell earlier today and not attended work, and is understood to have passed away while sleeping this afternoon.
Vyas was a Delhi University LLB and LLM graduate and also held a BSc from Delhi University.
His first job in the legal profession had been at Luthra & Luthra, as it was then called, where he was a partner and senior member of the firm’s executive committee.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Update 22 October 2019: L&L senior partner Mohit Saraf said about Vyas:
Sameen leaves us all completely shocked, shattered and speechless.
He mentored and taught many generations of lawyers at the firm, and many of them owe much of their success to him.
A humble soul with a great mind and a professional who deeply cared about clients’ interests, and for me a go-to person, are the various ways of describing our dear Sameen.
My association with Sameen goes back to our college days. From being footloose to becoming responsible, a journey we have taken together.
God be with his family, his two lovely angels and his wife Hiral in this hour of grief.
I wonder why was God in such a hurry. You will be dearly missed. RIP My Friend.
Comments
Love you 3000.
To sir.
Will miss you.
Office wont be the same without you.
The law firms making all the lawyers spending enormous amount of time catering to the needs of the clients and setting up impractical deadlines to show their the double standards of meeting international standards now needs a serious introspection. Law firms and their so called 'market leaders' and 'highly regarded' lawyers should understand that their slip of the tongue to bring sanjeevani within a day and think all their juniors are supersonic hanumans is really is an irritant and destroys the very fabric which law firms keeps blabbering on their websites and conferences all day.
HR needs to take a serious note now and device few standards to maintain a socially livable life while being in a law firms and not much concentrate on rangoli making competition.
Give us little less but let us live more!
RIP Sameen Sir. we will miss you
Thank-you Sir. You were an inspiration at work. You have left an everlasting positive impression on me. I shall fondly remember you.
Rest in peace! 121 SV
Infra and projects lawyers, take care of your health. The stress of this brutal practice isn't worth it.
I'd planned to come meet you soon. I'd imagined a few things to say to you. You've been a fantastic teacher & influence. You were a tough boss, but you were kind. When I was the youngest in your team, you cared for how others treated me & saw to it that it was fair. When I was eager to learn, that there were opportunities. When I made mistakes, that there was a guide..
You pushed me, & you made me a better professional. Even if I ever complained, secretly there was great pride in knowing that I worked with you. You praised sparingly; but even those slight nods of approval filled me with immense satisfaction knowing I'd met your mighty-high standards. When I left your team, I promised that the day I return to this line of work - it would only be with you. Alas, I've missed my chance..
You've left us too soon.
This loss is big & very personal.
My first boss.. my mentor..
Dependable, sincere.. A gentle & a clean soul..
Lucky to have learned from you.
For so many of us, you'll always be an unforgettable legend!
What you groomed into us, will always stay alive..
Hard to believe it's time for a sign off..
#TeamSameen '11
This one is for you and to you.
As you know I was not in your team. I have nothing to do with Projects. But I have shared a lot of time and space with you over so many years. Under the same roof, on the 9th Floor.
The couch in your room, used to be our refuge- late at night for a quick nap with 'all-nighters' being pulled off. Of course you did not know about it, except the time when you came back suddenly late one night to pick up your papers and saw me gleefully dreaming of a time when there are no deadlines. Till that day, I was scared of your temper- and never after that- cause I saw a hint of smile in your lips as you admonished me for sleeping on your couch. I knew it was not really admonishment.
Sir, remember the first time you scolded us? Of course you don't! Let me remind you. We had gone down to get our gmail accounts unblocked on our office desktops. It was our first day at work. Your sense of bewilderment that someone could actually waste valuable time pursuing such trivial actions of getting gmail on a desktop remains with me till date. I am not sure how I felt about it back then (its been so long)- but this story has always invoked roaring guffaws each time it was regaled. And with each retelling, its become a part of your folklore.
Over time, I have learnt a lot from you and about you. Your ability to interpret contractual clauses, your sheer genius with legal acumen and your brilliance with commercial aspects. I would not be half the lawyer I am, if I had not had a chance to interact with you.
Thank you sir for touching our lives. But this post is not about SV the lawyer- your work speaks for itself. It's about your humanity.
Sir, just a question- we know you followed cricket religiously. I have seen you bang the table when an Indian wicket fell- eyes glued to cricinfo. Why would any discussion on cricket always invite disparaging comments from you? Was it your sense of outward steely persona which you put up? Because we all knew of your soft core inside- you know sir, sometimes even the best of lawyers cannot mask their true self. The brilliance of your soft humanity shone through your tough exterior.
Sir, remember how irritated you used to be with noise and us creating a ruckus outside your room. You will be happy to know that this is a very quiet place today. In my years at this place, I have never seen the mood so somber. You were a quiet man. But today sir, we have managed to outdo your silence. Aren't you proud?
You gave this place a sense of permanence and now it seems in a jiffy that's gone. I know how much you hated emotions- but I know you as a deeply emotional person. I have personally seen your care and concern for your team and your love for them in times of despair. You have always been there. We are in despair today sir and we are in grief. We need you, where are you?
The name on your cabin door sir, never looked so bright as today. We have been avoiding it since morning. You left us too soon sir. Over the last few years we had built a sense of camaraderie. You used to ask me about my lack of social life and I used to hesitatingly and tentatively make fun of yours- always aware of not stepping on your toes. I enjoyed talking about intelligence agencies and spy missions with you sir. I know, I know, I am not supposed to let people know that you have a hobby apart from Law! But you went without saying bye- you have to excuse this infraction on my part.
Thank you sir for touching our lives and for shaping our minds. Thank you for your humanity.
But most importantly, thank you Sameen Sir for your beautiful mind.
Still can't believe that he is no more. Still wishing that it was just a bad dream and SV appears among us like any other day.
Those who know him closely, know it well that he was gem of a person in addition to being a great lawyer.
May his soul rest in peace.
If what they say is true, you are probably one of the brightest stars out there in the sky tonight. If only these clouds could part away and allow us to see your radiance again. L&L shall surely miss you.
It's time for all lawyers in the law firms to think if it's worth the stress they take. Law is taking its toll. It's not worth it.
I indirectly reported to SV in my first and only year at L&L. I can add that he had a brilliant memory in that he could recollect documents he worked on many years ago, sometime alongwith numbers. We as freshies in the law firm would never dare to smoke along with him but it so happened one day that i mistakenly ran into his smoking corridor. Man, I was sweating my pants because i didn't know what to say to him. And to add to that he didnt say a word for the first minute and then says "kya naam hai tumhara?" and then i think we chatted till he finished smoking. There was an uncanny ease with which i could interact with him ever-since. I think he had many layers to his personality which people around couldn't figure out due to his simplicity. His tragic death is a loss to L&L family and me personally.
P.S. - Lastly to confess sir, one night we partied in your cabin, jumping on that comfy couch. I had thought of telling it to you someday if we ran into each other again. But destiny had it otherwise. May your soul rest in peace.
DT