Today we’d like to introduce you to Harsh Arora.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in India and lived in Switzerland before immigrating to the United States. I moved to Orlando and settled down there through The Walt Disney Company’s international program.
These formative years in India, and Switzerland, and my time working for the Walt Disney Company have helped shape me as a leader and become a champion of diversity, equity, and all-around embodiment of what it means to be progressively inclusive. Everything that I do professionally is not just for my own professional goals, but also to set a visible example for my three South Florida-born children and to young people of diverse backgrounds in our state.
I am now a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP leading the corporate law practice at the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office. I oversee a legal team that structures transactions, which keeps Florida’s economy going by having newly formed or acquired businesses maintain a presence in our state. I also serve as an outside general counsel for mid to large-cap private and public companies that have a presence in Florida or are planning to relocate to Florida. As part of preventative counseling, I engage in dispute resolution and protect the interests of businesses in tribunals throughout the state.
When the stakes are high, I bring my extensive background experience of living in different countries and cultures to help in deal-making for my clients. Whether my clients are from Europe, Asia, or America, I can understand the cultural nuances, values, and priorities they have to handle their business law matters. Essentially, I compliment their executive teams in accomplishing their complex legal and business goals.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Big law firms are the real catalyst for change in the area of diversity and inclusion. However, the top ranks at big law firms still lack diverse leaders.
Clients are pushing big law firms to disclose their inclusion efforts to earn their business. It is a misconception that diverse leaders achieve success solely based on their diverse backgrounds. More often the case is that they have to be twice as good to have a seat at the table. I have had to work hard and prove myself every step of the way to show that I can achieve success solely through my merit. My merit is proven by the fact that my corporate clients have remained and grown with me, and I can provide consistent and stellar legal services.
The Supreme Court of the United States’ recent decision to strike down affirmative action admissions policies in higher education is having significant indirect consequences for private businesses and their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Private businesses may need to focus on aspects of diversity beyond race and may alternatively need to focus on inclusivity. Regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision, businesses are expected to continue to prioritize maintaining diversity in their workplaces.
While the Supreme Court’s recent decision focuses on affirmative action in the context of higher education, it will influence broader discussions and could pave the way for a shift in how private establishments approach and prioritize diversity and inclusion within their organizations. This confirms that there is a lot of work that must be done to push for inclusion within the legal community and I am committed to assisting the legal profession in this effort.
Dedicated to uplifting minorities, I have served as a mentor throughout my legal career guiding diverse law students, young attorneys, and entrepreneurs. I have also authored articles, presented seminars, and advocated for diversity to showcase and encourage inclusiveness in Florida’s business and legal communities. I am the only Partner of South Asian descent in the state who leads the corporate law practice at a prominent national law firm. Through my leadership roles in community service organizations, I empower and inspire minorities from all backgrounds to broaden their perspectives and expand their exposure to opportunities in our state.
Big law firms have remained focused on hiring diverse candidates in the last few years, but retaining them and promoting them within the firm is still an area that needs improvement. I am grateful to be involved in leadership roles within my firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and its Recruitment Committee, as well as my statewide involvement with The Florida Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and The Florida Bar’s Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee. I am still forging a path for diversity-focused leadership in the legal profession to benefit our state and to have representation based on merit that is inclusive of all communities.
We’ve been impressed with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, we help advance our client’s business goals through flexibility, business sense, and tireless advocacy based on a deep understanding of their business worlds. We are one of the largest law firms in the nation with over 1,000 lawyers who focus on over 100 practice areas in our firm’s 33 offices that are located in 17 states. My corporate law practice’s mission is to help entrepreneurs succeed through my team’s exceptional service, and expertise, and by leveraging the firm’s national platform. Out of the 33 offices nationwide, my firm’s 10 offices are in Florida. I am committed to helping businesses that have presence in Florida or those that are transacting with Florida-based businesses or are planning to relocate to our state. I am proud of my firm’s national reputation of having expertise and credibility in various business industries and for being tireless advocates that achieve great results for clients at an excellent value.
I love that Florida provides an attractive environment for new businesses to start, grow, or relocate here from anywhere within our nation and abroad. I have been involved for over 16 years in structuring corporate transactions to keep business presence in Florida and to use Florida’s progressive court system for dispute resolution. It is an exciting time to be a Floridian as our post-pandemic economy is well-positioned to grow and provide a great future for all of us who have made this state our home. It is an honor for me to lead the efforts of my firm in South Florida in the area of corporate law as the arrival of new businesses from New York and California have been fueling a recent boom for the state’s economy. In addition to the new businesses that have recently arrived, we have also welcomed global soccer star, Lionel Messi, to South Florida making our region an attractive place to live, work, and enjoy. In the last three years, South Florida has continued to see daily inflows of both people and capital, whereas other markets in the Northeast and West Coast continue to see outflows. This has created a lot of opportunities for me to serve the state in welcoming new and strong capital investments and be part of my firm’s continued strong presence here.
Any big plans?
I am looking forward to leading the continuing efforts of my firm to establish a deep-rooted community-based presence in our state to help businesses. I am excited to have been selected in the Leadership Florida’s 2023-2024 Cornerstone Class with other community leaders and business executives as this will provide me with a network through which I can advocate for our state’s businesses. In the near future, I would like to build community-based partnerships to handle the two most pressing problems in Florida.
These two problems are the burden on the state’s resources from temporary residents that increased during the pandemic and the lack of state sponsored assistance for minority entrepreneurs. First, to encourage temporary residents to have permanent jobs in Florida, the state should team up with industries in the private sector to provide incentives and safeguards to market a permanent transition and to deter long-term benefits of temporary residency.
Second, the underserved communities currently lack funding and governmental support to succeed in entrepreneurial ventures. This should be provided at the county level through state-sponsored loans and grants. I am excited to plan for and lead these community-focused efforts that will help our state and its businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nelsonmullins.com/professionals/harsh-arora#main
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harsh-arora-esq-1001b523
Image Credits
Heather Coronel Photography
