Kavina Nagrani is a co-founding partner of NIKA LAW LLP, a boutique wills, estates, and elder law firm based in Toronto, Ontario. The firm's tagline says it plainly: "What matters most to you, matters to us." NIKA LAW LLP has won three international awards through the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and has grown to a team of nearly 20 people in just five years.
I asked Kavina what led her to start her own firm.
"I had reached kind of a glass ceiling," she told me. "I felt like people were bonding with me as a person — both the referral sources and the clients. It wasn't the firm that was giving me the credibility anymore. It was me. It was my skills, my personality, the service. And I really wanted to say, okay, I can brand this on my own."
She co-founded NIKA LAW LLP in 2020 with her partner Nithila Murugadas — the name itself a deliberate signal. Most law firms carry their founders' surnames. Kavina and Nithila chose differently, combining their first initials into a single brand that belongs to everyone.
"We don't want to have our full names in it," she said. "It creates this personality of the firm and this difference of the culture. It sets the tone from the top, even with the name."
That culture is the most intentional thing about the firm. Kavina came to law after years in technology and consulting, including a certification as a Scrum Master — a project management methodology built around collaborative, flat-structured teams. She brought that philosophy directly into the practice.
"In law, and big law in particular, it's very focused on the difference between partner, lawyer, and staff," she said. "I remember at my old firm, they would have a Christmas party for everyone and a separate Christmas party for lawyers. I said, no way."
At NIKA LAW LLP, there are no segregated events, no hierarchy of titles, and one firm rule she enforces without exception.
"Please don't ever call me your boss," she said. "Please don't introduce me as your boss. Just introduce me as Kavina."
"They don't work for me. I work almost for them. I'm like a service to them. What can I do for you? What can I do to help you? How can I make your life better?"
"If you leave me and you open your own firm, or you go and do something bigger, I'm going to be proud of you. Because I helped you get there."
The firm is also piloting a four-day work week for the summer — and in the first week, every team member exceeded their targets. If the results hold, she plans to keep it going — one more way the firm does things differently.
Are you dealing with a wills, estates, or elder law matter in Ontario? Connect with Kavina Nagrani, C.S., JD, TEP and check out NIKA LAW LLP.