Super Lawyer

Author: Editor

  • Siddharth Ranka, Assistant Manager-Legal, Scorpio, on pursuing Maritime law, studying in Southampton and his experience

    Siddharth Ranka, Assistant Manager-Legal, Scorpio, on pursuing Maritime law, studying in Southampton and his experience

    Siddharth Ranka graduated in law from ILS Law College, Pune, in 2008. He then went on to pursue his Master’s degree from the University of Southampton, specialising in Maritime Law. After the post graduation, he joined Bose & Mitra & Co as a senior associate he then moved to Allen & Gledhill as foreign associate. He is currently assistant manager – legal, at Scorpio, where he handles the Group’s global contentious and non contentious maritime issues, compliance and general corporate practice.

    In this interview he speaks to us about:

    • Maritime Law as a career and its scope.
    • Experience at ILS Law College and University of Southampton.
    • The difference between legal education in India and abroad

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    I would like to introduce myself to the readers as Siddharth Ranka, an outdoorsy, yet rooted individual with a great respect for my life, my loved ones and the work I do. I grew up in Pune where I spent more time playing sports and being outdoor than indoor. I was an erratic student and a nightmare for my parents and teachers. Being a sports fanatic and extrovert, I wanted to pursue a career in sports or event management, but life had different plans, as it always does, in its charming un-foreseeability.

    Fast forward to today, I am a maritime and compliance lawyer with Scorpio Group (Scorpio). Prior to Scorpio, I worked with Bose & Mitra & Co in their Mumbai office (BMC) and Allen & Gledhill in Singapore (A&G).

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT LAW SCHOOL? ARE THERE ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

    ILS Law College, Pune was a remarkable experience. As a local from Pune, it was probably the first time I met a lot of people from different parts of the country who brought with them their own unique culture. So, one was always learning both in law school and outside. What was not surprising was that the students, and my batchmates, were extremely talented, ambitious and competitive, and at the same time helpful.

    I have tons of memories attached to that time in my life, and two standout the most. First and most importantly, meeting Priyadarshini,my wife. Secondly, the students who stood up against the unfortunate ragging incident that took place in the college campus in 2008.

     

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO GO FOR A MASTER’S PROGRAMME? WHAT LED YOU TO CHOOSE MARITIME LAW AS YOUR SPECIALISATION?

    A close friend, Riti Tyagi, introduced me to maritime law in my fourth year of law school. At the time, it sounded like a “fun” thing to do; but because we did not have maritime or allied laws in our curriculum, the basic knowledge was missing. What made it tougher back then, was the fact that there was very little information available, with professors, online or in books, regarding its scope.

    When I took up my first job at BMC, I was going into the unknown. Fortunately, I was trained and guided by Amitava Majumdar (Raja) and Shiv Iyer, both of whom had studied maritime law in England.

    What I quickly learnt was that maritime law is heavily reliant on English law – even outside the so-called “commonwealth” so it was important to get a good platform on the subject from an English law perspective. This was essentially, when I made the decision to pursue an LLM in Maritime Law. In my decision to pursue further studies, I had steady and relentless support from my parents, who constantly urged me to follow my passion and pursue higher studies, and Priyadarshini, who was instrumental in grooming and guiding me in my decision to study and work abroad and channelized my efforts into reality.

    Shipping is so internationally connected that if one needs to succeed as lawyer in this niche area of law, you must make contacts not only locally but also with our international counterparts. For this, my LLM proved to be the ideal platform. I studied and met students from more than 25 nationalities, and consequently still refer business and matters to each other.

     

    WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY TRAITS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BAG A SCHOLARSHIP FOR LLM?

    I would wholeheartedly suggest getting enough work experience, building a strong academic background and gathering good recommendations from industry personnel. Furthermore, writing articles or technical papers on legal issues which highlight your intent to pursue an LLM will increase your chances to bag that scholarship.

     

    WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND WHILE WRITING SOPS TO PURSUE AN LLM ABROAD?

    One must focus on their motivation, objective and what is guiding them to pursue the LLM, and these must be expressed clearly, but succinctly. One should not say that they are interested in IPR or Competition law, when they are applying for a LLM in maritime law, because that would clearly conflict, showing lack of requisite knowledge, interest and aspiration.

    Lastly, the most important and yet often overlooked facet would be the skill of writing clearly with no grammatical errors.

     

    WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE LEGAL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA AND ABROAD? HOW CAN THE INDIAN LEGAL SYSTEM IMPROVE?

    The courses abroad are more structured, and a lot of importance has been given to self-educating. One must be prepared well in advance, for the lectures and classes they attend. Theory is given importance but the scales tip more towards understanding a subject practically. Since law, as a discipline is neither black nor white, there is nothing deemed to be right or wrong – one is allowed to express as they perceive.

    Another pivotal difference is, we have time-allotted “lectures” in India, while abroad you have interactive sessions which are followed up with tutorials or group discussions. This encourages the expression of thought and evokes confidence when speaking in public.

    The Indian legal system is complicated but the most obvious criticism will be the delayed time frame in the delivery of cases.

    To address this, there is an urgent need for reforms when it comes to, imposition of legal costs in commercial litigation and protection of client’s rights against lawyers.

    I am an advocate for courts to be accessible to all, but the process cannot be abused. The Commercial Courts Act does address this effectively, but in practice, courts have been generally reluctant to award costs. The risk of costs exposure would discourage frivolous litigation and go on a long way to reduce the backlog of cases that we presently find in Indian Courts.

    Also, lawyers should be treated in the same manner as doctors or engineers when it comes to negligent advisory. This will not only improve the legal services being offered but also reduce frivolous proceedings, which are filed at the instance of lawyers.

     

    YOU HAVE WORKED AT ALLEN AND GLEDHILL, SINGAPORE POST YOUR LLM. HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING IN A FOREIGN LAW FIRM? HOW IS THE LAW FIRM CULTURE ABROAD DIFFERENT FROM INDIA?

    Singapore is a modern story for global financing and business. It has been able to attract professionals and businesses from different parts of the world and has developed into one of the leading dispute resolution centers in the world. The advantage, therefore, is that one is exposed to diverse cultures, different stakeholders and global issues, rather than being jurisdiction specific.

    My stint at the A&G helped me tremendously to mature and evolve as a lawyer. More than legal acumen, it exposed me to soft skills, which include, internal training, importance of presentation – drafting pleadings or advices, client management, file management, etc. It was also stimulating to work with clients and lawyers from different parts of the world, and has greatly impacted my upward learning curve.

    Firms abroad are very structured and lean on transparency in the working culture. There is a great deal of investment put in the employee development and data management, which, improves consistency in work across different departments and better time management.

     

    WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO COME BACK TO INDIA AFTER WORKING IN SINGAPORE?

    I was very interested to see and learn the litigation practice side of the law and wanted to understand the working of Indian courts, both from a strategic and legal point of view. For this, it was important to be in India, considering one sees far more litigation action (in court or arbitration) here than abroad.

     

    AS ASSISTANT MANAGER-LEGAL WITH SCORPIO, WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

    Scorpio is probably the only foreign shipping company with their shipping legal team based out of India. This basically means that I, along with my team, handle Scorpio’s compliance issues (sanctions, anti-corruption, etc), legal shipping disputes, risk assessment and risk management issues. The role requires my team to assist internal stakeholders in any dispute or issue that they face around the world.

    To give you quick sneak peek, on a particular day, I could be handling a contractual dispute under English law, a collision in the Indian Ocean and conducting a compliance check for a new entity which Scorpio is considering doing business with, simultaneously.

    A lot of the time is spent working internally with stakeholders to understand the issues they are facing and study market trends, understanding how their position can be best protected from a contractual standpoint.

    In addition to the legal side of work, my role involves managing my team.

     

    WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF A CAREER IN MARITIME LAW IN INDIA?

    When one refers to “Maritime law” they are really speaking about a wide spectrum, ranging from ports, custom, shipbuilding, ship breaking, cargo traders, charterers, ship management and obviously shipping companies.

    This is a niche area and has traditionally been dominated by boutique small sized firms. Recent years have seen an influx of the so-called “big firms”, which enhances the career options in the otherwise less-sought out area of law. Other than law firms, one can look at in-house roles with shipping, chartering, trading houses and ports.

    A lot of foreign shipping companies carry out operations throughout India, but when it comes to legal issues, they are still handled by in-house legal teams based outside of India. At Scorpio, we have done things differently and have an expert team of Indian lawyers who handle legal disputes involving the Group not only in India, but also abroad. For me, this is an area that I can see developing and would increase career opportunities in maritime law.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE FOR YOUNG LAWYERS AND LAW STUDENTS?

    I am committed to my contention that to succeed in the legal sector, knowing the law is only half the story; the other and probably more important half is developing your inter-personal skills and the ability to “sell” the services you offer as a lawyer.

     

     

  • Sukanya Natrajan, Associate, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, on studying at Oxford, her internship experiences, and importance of higher education

    Sukanya Natrajan, Associate, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, on studying at Oxford, her internship experiences, and importance of higher education

    Sukanya graduated from ILS Law College in 2016. She then went on to pursue her MSc in Law and Finance from Oxford. She is currently working as an Associate at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.

    In this interview we speak to her about:

    • Importance of higher education
    • Her Master’s degree from Oxford
    • Her internship experiences

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    A book lover who loves chocolate and potato? Well, law is what I do but there’s more to me than just that. While I like to think that I’m a serious professional who’s a perfectionist to the point of extreme annoyance, there’s another part of me that still dances to DDLJ songs and recites the dialogues to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Besides Bollywood and books, you’ll mostly find me with some wine and Sinatra on quiet evenings discussing conspiracy theories. Oh, and breakfast food for dinner is always good to go.

     

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO OPT FOR A CAREER IN LAW?

    As a kid I was a voracious reader so naturally authors like Sidney Sheldon and John Grisham glamorised the field for me. I was into debating from a very young age and so it made sense that the most talkative (read: argumentative) person in class takes up law. Even though legal dramas like Suits and Boston Legal make it seem like it’s that simple, being a corporate lawyer in India is whole new ball-game altogether and I guess it was mostly books and engaging conversations with everyone I ever met that made me choose this field.

     

    WHAT KIND OF INTERNSHIPS DID YOU UNDERTAKE DURING YOUR STUDENT YEARS? ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT TO INTERN AT TOP-NOTCH FIRMS?

    I have interned at a total of twelve places. My basic objective was to give every field a chance before I spend 40 years of my life doing the same thing. I won’t deny that an internship typically gives you minimal exposure in the first three years and you’re only seriously considered in your penultimate year onwards, but I wanted to experience everything – from NGOs to litigation to corporate firms. I started to develop a liking towards corporate law in my third year of college and hence, started interning more with corporate teams in order to solidify my decision to become a corporate lawyer.

    Well, I would firstly say an experience at any place will teach you something, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t get to intern at top notch firms. One piece of advice – always mould your objectives from firm to firm. I always tailor my CV according to the places I am applying at and I tailor my cover letter as well, instead of sending the same generic piece everywhere. This shows that you have put in efforts to be where you want to be and that you genuinely want to be considered for an opportunity to work with the firm. Lastly, now that I have handled a few interns myself, I’d like to tell them that nobody expects flawless work. Do your best, stick to timelines and be dedicated at what you’re doing.

     

    WOULD YOU SAY HIGHER STUDIES ARE RELEVANT FOR A CAREER IN CORPORATE LAW?

    Speaking from personal experience, I think higher studies are important if you really want to enjoy what you do. However, I don’t think the timing matters much. I don’t believe there are immediate gains from an LLM degree. For me, the point of higher studies is to broaden my knowledge base of the field and not to score a better-paying job. It does add to your qualifications and employability but it’s not an absolute necessity. So I’d strongly suggest that one should do it because they want to know more from some of the brightest minds in the field and the improved career prospects come in simultaneously.

    With respect to corporate law, higher studies are bound to help you gain that exposure and edge over others. Unlike litigation, corporate law is about strategizing the right way and higher studies in your area of interest will help set you apart from the crowd. It’s all about your knowledge – the more you know, the better it is.

     

    WHICH UNIVERSITIES DID YOU APPLY FOR LLM? HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CHOOSING WHICH COLLEGE TO GO TO FOR YOUR LLM?

    I only applied to two institutions – University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Truthfully speaking, I prioritized the course over the college and so I was only looking to get through either of them – the LLM in corporate laws at Cambridge or the Masters in Law and Finance at Oxford – because their course curriculums had the very same modules that I wanted to study. In fact, MLF is a dear, dear course as it has the perfect interplay of law, economics and finance and thankfully, I got just that.

     

    WHAT DOES THE CV OF A STUDENT SEEKING ADMISSION TO A PREMIER UNIVERSITY OFFERING AN LLM PROGRAM HAVE TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND WHILE WRITING SOP FOR LLM ABROAD?  WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SHARE YOUR SOP FOR REFERENCE OF LAW STUDENTS?

    Well, as sad as it is, grades do matter a lot. I personally don’t think grades should matter as it can never define what a person is, but the world needs standardised scores for them to compare and apparently this seems to be the easiest parameter. So, focus on getting decent grades (sorry guys!). Secondly, interest in the topic and I cannot emphasise this enough. You really need to be passionate about further studies and the subject matter that you have chosen and the way to showcase that is if you have any publications. There has to be yearning to know more and you need to express that interest sufficiently.

    In an SOP, try to stick to crisp and to-the-point sentences that highlight your best qualities. Do not exaggerate. Moreover, there should be a clear flow of thought that is communicated in a simple yet sophisticated manner so it sounds convincing. This is the only two minutes the other person has to review your SOP, so make sure you make for an interesting read.

    I don’t think I have my SOP anymore, but I’d love to help anyone who would like to seek my inputs. People can always reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Gmail.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY? WHAT DIFFERENCE DO YOU SEE IN THE LEGAL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA AND ABROAD?

    My year at Oxford was incredibly colourful. I met so many people from different parts of the world and different walks of life, all with a unique story to share. I made tons of good friends along the way and all in all it was a very wholesome environment to learn in. Studying abroad really opens up your eyes and expands your horizons – not only in terms of education but also your perspective towards various other things.

    Fact is in India, law school education is primarily focused on theory and internships are the only way to gain any sort of knowledge about the practicalities of the field (that is, if they give you real work). However, one thing I noticed abroad was how the curriculum itself was more leaning towards pragmatism than theory. It wasn’t just a bunch of random assignments but the whole duration of the course where we were made to draft proposals and subject to expert scrutiny. In a nutshell, legal education or even academics as a whole abroad is no less difficult than India, but the process is taxing in a way which ultimately shapes your thoughts, approaches and perspectives instead of your ability to simply retain information for a two hour examination.

     

    AT WHAT STAGE IN ONE’S LAW SCHOOL LIFE MUST ONE PICK A SPECIALIZATION? WHAT LED YOU TO CHOOSE SPECIALIZATION IN LAW & FINANCE?

    There is no specific time or age. I know people who knew what they wanted to achieve out of law in their very first year. But you also meet people who you learn and discover these things with alongside in your journey. I feel that one can decide at any level if they’re passionate enough and know enough about the subject matter to justify the choice. I was reading a lot on behavioural economics in my fourth and fifth year of law school and that was what led me to finding the perfect course for me.

    Along with law, I’ve always taken a keen interest in Economics. Seems like a bit of an overstatement but when I discovered the MLF course, I just knew this is what I’d been looking for. To be able to integrate both areas of interest and apply that in my career – MLF was my only way – and it didn’t take me more than 48 hours to convince my parents of the same.

     

    YOU HAVE DONE ADDITIONAL COURSES AND DIPLOMAS DURING YOUR TIME AT LAW SCHOOL. HOW FAR HAS THE COURSE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER? WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE CURRENT LAW STUDENTS TO TAKE UP SOME ADDITIONAL COURSES DURING THEIR TIME AT COLLEGE?

    Well, my college was only for four-five hours a day. I had to find some way to kill time so I took up a lot of additional courses to read and learn more about law. I have one diploma each in IPR, competition law and corporate laws in addition to the executive level of CS. I even took up Masters in Business Laws from NLSIU, just to keep myself busy.

    Apart from keeping me productively occupied, taking up extra courses enabled me to understand the subtle nuances of law in various fields, thereby helping me to explore my options. It’s not just about adding an extra line in your cv, but about how your field is applicable in real life.

    I would say take up the courses if you have time to spare and are willing to learn. Don’t do it because you think it’ll impress your interviewer, but because you want to know more and more.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO YOUNG LAWYERS AND LAW STUDENTS?

    Don’t fret about not getting big names on your CV. Try for it. If it doesn’t happen, it’s okay. Don’t give up and don’t lose heart. Take any opportunity that you can lay your hands on – learn more, experience more, know more. Those 5 years, I had a lot of time and I regret not spending it more efficiently. Studying in a law school is no different from any other college experience – it is the time for all your firsts. So be active in college, be it debating, moots or sports and at the same time, take time out to chill and make memories with your friends.

     

  • Subham Chatterjee, Senior Associate, Sterling Associates, shares his insight on Litigation, Corporate Law and work experience

    Subham Chatterjee, Senior Associate, Sterling Associates, shares his insight on Litigation, Corporate Law and work experience

    Subham Chatterjee graduated from ILS Law College, Pune in the year 2013. After this, he joined Dave & Girish & Co., Mumbai. He then went on to pursue his Master’s degree from University of Mumbai in 2014, with a focus on Environmental Law.  He is currently working as Senior Associate at Sterling Associate.  His areas of practice include General Corporate, Capital Markets and Start-up Practice.

    In this interview he talks to us about-

    • His legal education at ILS Law College, Pune
    • Transitioning from litigation to corporate law
    • His experience at ‘Sterling Associate’

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    I would like to introduce myself as a ‘corporate lawyer’ to the readers. My name is Subham Chatterjee and I am currently working in a Mumbai based law firm – ‘STERLING ASSOCIATES’. I have been with the firm for three years now. My core practice areas include private equity, capital markets, general corporate and advisory. Apart from my core practice areas, I also do a bit of litigation work but it is only limited to drafting of pleading papers, briefing counsels and providing legal advice to my clients.

    I graduated from ILS Law College, Pune (the five year course) in June, 2013. Thereafter, I also completed by LLM (masters in law) from the Department of Law, Mumbai University, in the year 2016.

    Just to tell you my background, my native place is Burnpur, a small town in Burdwan district of West Bengal. I attended St. Patrick’s H.S. School, Asansol, which is a very old and reputed school, and which is run by the Christian brothers, who are known for their discipline and punishments.

    Thereafter, I completed my twelveth from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune which is also an extremely well known and reputed college, attracting talent from all over India.

    My hobbies are travelling to new places, reading books and newspapers, listening to music, exercising, and trying new and different cuisines (I am a real food-lover).

     

    HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE LAW AS A CAREER OPTION?

    It’s actually a matter of coincidence that I became a lawyer because as school boy in Burnpur, I had never imagined that I would become one. During my school days, just like many of my classmates, I wanted to become an engineer too. However, by the time I was in ninth and tenth standard and was preparing for my board exams, I realised that I am extremely weak in science. So I stopped thinking about having any career in engineering and started considering other career options. My father, who at that time was posted in Thane district of Maharashtra, suggested that I should pursue my further studies in Pune, which offers plenty of career opportunities in different streams. Therefore, after my tenth standard exams, I shifted to Pune in order to pursue a career in commerce. I was fortunate enough to secure admission in Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC) for my twelfth.

    While in BMCC, in the initial months, the profession of chartered accountancy sounded quite appealing. Many of my friends were planning to pursue chartered accountancy and had started preparing for it (i.e. the CPT – Common Proficiency Test) by the end of eleventh standard. However, I was not kind of liking the subject ‘book-keeping and accountancy’. In fact to be honest, tallying the profit and loss account and the asset and liability side of the balance sheet was a nightmare for me.

    I remember that during my days in BMCC, teachers used to encourage us to read the newspapers especially the business section, as we were commerce students. I followed their advice and somehow I developed an interest in the news relating to mergers and acquisition, joint ventures, business deals etc. which are generally the things which corporate lawyers deal with. Also, one of my roommates in my eleventh standard was a law student and he often used to speak to me about his law subjects like contracts, law of torts etc. Lastly, in BMCC, I participated in a few debate competitions and some essay writing competitions. I also got few of my articles published in ‘Think Track’ – the annual student magazine of BMCC. My teachers and some my seniors in BMCC had appreciated my articles and had told me that I have good communication skills, which are necessary for lawyers. So these were few of the important factors which led to my decision of pursuing law as a career option.

     

    PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE LIFE? HOW IMPORTANT WAS YOUR COLLEGE IN SHAPING YOUR CAREER?

    I feel privileged to have had the opportunity of studying in ILS Law College, Pune. It is one of best law colleges in the country and provides a lot of opportunities and exposure to its students. The best thing about ILS was that the day I started my college, I had a very strange feeling. It was a feeling which I had never experienced before. This feeling was actually a realisation, that law is the field where I belong.

    The five years of college life in ILS were the best years of my life. I am also extremely fortunate to have had very good teachers in ILS. They not only taught us the subjects but also used to share with us their practical experiences and the challenges in practice. Their counsel and guidance continue to help me even today. They also used to encourage us to take part in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

    And of course, I made great friends in ILS and I am still in touch with most of them. We’ve had lots of fun and great moments of joy when we were in college. I do miss those times a lot today. Most of my friends are doing really well in their career and it does give me a sense of pride.

    In my college days, I took part in various activities like debates, essay writing competitions, model united nation (MUN), quiz competitions, moot court competitions, writing articles and research papers etc. Though I was not very good at them, nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed these activities and also they were good learning experiences for me. These activities taught me life skills which are – to work hard, avoid short-cuts, not to give up easy, believing in myself, figuring out my strengths and weaknesses, and learning from mistakes and failure.

    I was also a part of the ‘Corporate Law Cell’ and the ‘HARIYALI – Environment Awareness Cell’ of ILS. I used to attend the seminars and conferences which used to be organized by them, which also were a great learning experience for me. These seminars which I attended, coupled with my internships and diplomas, helped in developing my interest towards corporate and financial laws.

    Also, a couple of my research papers which got published in law journals helped me get some internships. In my final year in ILS, I got placed on campus with Dave & Girish & Co., a law firm in Mumbai.

    In these ways, ILS was instrumental in shaping my career.

     

    YOU HAVE DONE ADDITIONAL COURSES AND DIPLOMAS DURING YOUR TIME AT LAW SCHOOL? HOW FAR HAS THE COURSE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER? WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE CURRENT LAW STUDENTS TO TAKE UP SOME ADDITIONAL COURSES DURING THEIR TIME AT COLLEGE?

    I have done a diploma in cyber law, diploma in corporate and financial laws, and a diploma in mergers and acquisitions. I also completed a certificate course in ‘Competition Law and IPR’ from FICCI in my final year in ILS. As our college lectures used to be for only around three hours in the morning, I used to be free for the rest of day. These diplomas were a way to utilise my time in a better and more effective manner, and was also a way to understand where my interest lies amongst the various specialisations of law.

    The diploma in corporate and financial laws from Symbiosis Law College was quite difficult but was quite helpful. The syllabus was quite extensive but my teachers were really good and they helped me understand even the complicated subjects in a very simple way. I must mention the names of Mr. Nikhil Fulambarkar, who taught us securities laws and competition law, and Mr. Ganesh Hingmire, who taught us international economic laws. They were very helpful and had guided me really well throughout the diploma. In fact I used to get in touch with them even after I cleared this diploma for counsel and help in relation to various queries which I encountered during my law course.

    These diplomas/certificate courses helped me realize/develop my interest towards corporate and financial laws.

    As I have gained from the diplomas/certificate courses, I would suggest that in case any of the law students are keen on figuring out which area of specialization he/she wishes to pursue or wishes to gain additional knowledge apart from the subjects being taught in college, then they may consider pursuing some of the diplomas/certificate courses which are offered by various institutions.

     

    HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING YOUR INTERNSHIPS AT LAW SCHOOL?

    In the initial years, I did not plan my internships at all. I just saw that all my friends and my seniors preparing their CVs and shortlisting the names of law firms where they were planning to apply for internships. Therefore, I just followed their footsteps and happened to apply in a few law firms in Pune, and fortunately landed a four week long internship in a law firm which was completely into litigation in the district and sessions court, consumer forum, debt recovery tribunal etc. I subsequently went on to intern with the same firm’s Bombay and Delhi office in the forthcoming years in ILS. These initial internships were also helpful in developing my interest in corporate law.

    In my third, fourth and final year in ILS, before applying for my internships, I used to shortlist those firms where I, as an intern, could get opportunity to learn new and practical aspects of law, and how a lawyer deals with challenges which he/she encounters in practice. While applying, I also used to check if the law firm has a good corporate law practice so that I would get to learn more about the area of law where my interest lied. Also, while applying for internships, I paid a lot of attention on drafting and presentation of the internship application/ cover letter and my CV and before sending them out, I used to proof read them multiple times, in order to avoid any mistakes, as I felt that any silly mistake in the draft of the application/cover letter and the CV, may jeopardize my chances of securing my internship in that law firm.

     

    YOU DID LITIGATION IN YOUR INITIAL YEARS AND LATER SWITCHED TO CORPORATE FIRM? WHAT LED YOU TO CHANGE FROM LITIGATION TO CORPORATE?

    Litigation happened to me by chance. I did litigation in my first job i.e. at Dave & Girish & Co., Mumbai. In fact when I was interviewed by the managing partner of Dave & Girish & Co., Ms. Mona Bhide, she had asked me that given an opportunity which department would I prefer to join – litigation or corporate. And without thinking twice I had responded ‘corporate’. However, when I joined there, I was given litigation matters to handle. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed doing litigation assignments during the first couple of years of my career. Litigation was a great learning experience for me especially preparing for hearings, briefing senior counsels and counsels, and occasionally having the fortune to appear and argue the matter myself. It helped improve my drafting and communication skills. Having the opportunity to work on different areas and on matters filed before different forums such as High Court, City Civil Court, DRT, ITAT, Sales Tax Tribunal, Company Law Board etc. was a good exposure, and that experience and knowledge which I have gained working in litigation is invaluable, and that continues to help me even today while drafting contracts or advising clients.

    Now along with litigation, I was also getting some corporate assignments viz. drafting of agreements, legal opinions etc. I gradually realized that though litigation was turning out to be a great learning experience, still my core area of interest continued to be corporate and financial laws, and I still wanted to pursue my career as a corporate lawyer. This is because I still believed that I would be more comfortable and would be in a better position to contribute to my firm and my career by working as a corporate lawyer. I also spoke to some of my friends and seniors in the profession and discussed with them about what I was considering, and took their opinion on the same. Therefore, leaving litigation and pursuing my goal as a corporate lawyer was not a very comfortable decision but it surely was well thought out.

    But I can say from my experience that having a litigation experience of a couple of years, and the skills which I developed while working in litigation, has continued to be helpful to me in my current assignments as a corporate lawyer as well.

     

    WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT STERLING ASSOCIATES?

    Sterling Associates is out and out a corporate law firm. In Sterling, my practice ranges from capital markets, private equity and joint venture transactions, M&A, fund formation, general corporate advisory, drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements etc. I am also responsible for rendering legal advice and support to ‘start-ups’. Start-ups form a significant part of Sterling’s clientele. Advising start-ups is interesting but at the same time it is challenging and sensitive. A lawyer advising start-ups for some commercial agreements with third parties or tie-ups or for fund raising etc. must understand the nature of the business, the vision of the entrepreneur, its strengths which should be secured and not compromised in these transactions, the opportunities which the start-up may have in future and challenges/risks which may arise, and therefore a lawyer has to address all these concerns while advising a start-up. Accordingly, the documents/ agreements to be drafted in transactions involving start-ups have to be customized to secure its interests.

    I work with a team of extremely talented and hardworking professionals in Sterling, led by Mr. Ramakant Kini, Managing Partner, Sterling Associates. I am fortunate to have reputed and extremely promising companies, funds and entrepreneurs as my clients, whose assignments I handle on behalf of Sterling. In Sterling, I have learnt to have a solution oriented approach to the assignments for which I am responsible. As a senior associate, my endeavour is to deliver quality results for my clients in a punctual manner by giving due priority to my professional assignments, and at the same time help my colleagues develop and improvise upon their skills and realize their potential. 

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO YOUNG LAWYERS AND LAW STUDENTS?

    My word of advice to young lawyers and law students would be to work hard, believe in yourself, do not find short-cuts, be humble, never stop learning, surround yourself with good and positive people, AND, no matter what the odds are, never stop trying; because I had read somewhere – ‘TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO’.

     

  • Aditya Mehta, Senior Associate, IC Universal Legal, shares his insight on independent practice and litigation experience

    Aditya Mehta, Senior Associate, IC Universal Legal, shares his insight on independent practice and litigation experience

    Aditya Mehta graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai, in 2007.  Post graduation, he worked in the Chamber of Advocate Amar N Bhatt. He has more than ten years of work experience and is currently working as Senior Associate at IC Universal Legal, Ahmedabad.

    In this interview we talk to him about:

    • His experience in IC Universal Legal
    • Setting independent practice
    • His experience of a litigation lawyer at a firm

     

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT GLC MUMBAI? WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED IN APART FROM THE REGULAR ACADEMIC CURRICULUM?

    After my schooling, I decided to apply for a five year integrated law course from GLC Mumbai. GLC was my first choice as it has the distinction of being the oldest law college in Asia (est. in 1855) and has a rich heritage and pedigree.

    During my academic years at GLC, Mumbai, I was an active member of a Social Service League Committee, which undertook various projects, benefiting students, NGOs and the community at large, which was achieved by tie-ups with Government as well as Non-Profit Organisations. For first three years of my law school I was a part of this Committee, which in collaboration with a NGO helped under-trial prisoners, who were unable to retain services of a Lawyer, to help file their bail applications.

    Overall my experience at GLC helped me build a solid foundation for my future endeavours in the legal profession and I feel proud to be part of an institute that has a very strong and eminent alumnus.

     

    WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON ACADEMICS? HOW IMPORTANT ARE GRADES IN LAW SCHOOL FOR AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER?

    Academics are really important to understand the principles on the basis on which laws are drafted and implemented. Good academic career may help to understand and implement various provisions of law in better way. However, to be very honest I personally feel that grades are not really as important as having a sound understanding of various subjects. I feel that grades are just a reference for your own evaluation.

    But the aforesaid also depends on what type of practice you choose to take up after your law school, as good grades may help you land a good job. However, for litigation, I personally feel that grades do not matter much, but a better understanding of law and its implementation helps in a longer run.

    Therefore if one intends to practice litigation, I recommend to have more of hands on experience along with academic knowledge, which can be only achieved by undertaking variety of work during internship and also by not neglecting what is being taught at the law school. I also think that actively participating in as many extra-curricular activities as one can will be like adding another feather on the hat.

     

    HOW FAR DID YOUR INTERNSHIPS DURING LAW SCHOOL HELP YOU IN YOUR CAREER AFTER YOUR GRADUATION? HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE PRESENT LAW STUDENTS PLAN THEIR INTERNSHIPS?

    Internships during law school are equally important as academics. It helped me immensely in selecting my area of interest. It gave me an insight on different aspects of law like Litigation/Non-litigation in Civil/Criminal/Corporate work. It provided an opportunity to understand the real-life scenario and hands on work experience.

    Speaking for myself, during my internship period, from second year in college till the fourth year, I interned at a couple of law firms in Mumbai, trying my hands on different subjects of law and by the end of internship, I realised that I was not the type of person who can manage to sit on his desk and exclusively do non-litigation work and that my real interest lies in appearing before a Judge or an Authority to defend/protect the interest of litigants. Therefore, for my final year in law school, I chose to intern under a Senior Advocate at the High Court of Gujarat.

    My decision to do an internship in the final year before the courts at Gujarat and not Mumbai, played a very important role in my career.  I would suggest all law students to get most out of their internship and work on as many diverse fields of law as possible and also do an internship in their home state/town, at least for a period of six months, in their choice of field to come to an informed decision in selecting their area of specialisation and place of practicing law after their law school.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR AFTER GRADUATION? WHAT DO YOU THINK WERE THE BIGGEST HURDLES AND CHALLENGES IN THE EARLY DAYS OF YOUR CAREER? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM?

    After graduating from Government Law College, Mumbai, I decided to return to Ahmedabad, to start practicing on the litigation side. I joined the Chambers of Advocate Amar N Bhatt, wherein I was allowed to take up my own personal cases for my clients since day one. During my tenure at his office, I represented his clients mainly in the Trial Courts and the Tribunal. I also assisted him in various cases in the High Court. During my initial days, I was always advised by my senior that every lawyer should start his practice from the Trail Court and also that he/she has to have experience of conducting a Trial including examination and cross examination of witnesses.

    I truly acknowledge the assistance received from my senior, which helped to build a strong/solid foundation for my career development/growth.

    Right after getting my license to practice, I was fortunate enough to get a chance to represent my very own first client before the Trail Court. I still remember drafting a written statement to be filed on behalf of my client before the Trial Court, I went through the final draft over and over before showing it to my senior for his assistance and inputs and it was at that time I was introduced to Order 8 Rule 2 to Rule 5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (which I might have not given much importance during my academic years). Before that I had never paid much attention to such type of provisions. From that day, I understood the importance and requirement of reading.

    Later, as and when the volume of work/responsibilities grows, the challenge mainly rolls around managing the high volume of work across different courts and in order to manage in such situations, we need to thoroughly understand facts and details of each component of the case. We are also required to understand the technical details of different elements involved in each case and efficiently implement the correct measures in order to secure justice. It is at moment you realise the true meaning of ‘PRACTICING Law’.

     

    YOU HAD INDEPENDENT PRACTICE FOR OVER TEN YEARS. WHAT DIFFICULTIES DID YOU FACE TO SET UP YOUR OWN PRACTICE AND WHAT LED YOU TO JOIN A FIRM AFTER ESTABLISHING YOUR INDEPENDENT PRACTICE?

    From the day, I graduated from law school in 2007, till August 2013, I worked in the Chamber of Advocate Amar Bhatt, assisting and handling cases of his clients before different Forums. During that time, I had few of my own clients that I used to represent in various Judicial/Quasi-Judicial Proceedings. Over a period of time, somewhere about in the starting of year 2012, it so happened that my independent practice started picking up and it became difficult to effectively manage the workload of both my senior’s cases and my own independent practice. I remember, that for a year or so, I used to work on the cases of my senior from morning to evening and manage work of my own clients thereafter, till late in the night and during that period of time I made a decision to start my own office, which was started in around August 2013.

    When I started my own office, my senior gifted me a book on ‘Administrative Law’ signed by him and he quoted the following “When you mention a famous race horse, they always ask you ‘From which stable?’ The stable is important. When you name a lawyer who has done well, people will ask you ‘From which Chamber?’. The Chamber is important.”

    From that period, till I joined the Firm, I was the boss of my own office. It was at that time I realised the importance of having a senior/mentor by your side and that every small mistake you made, were filtered and corrected by him. It is only when you become captain of your own ship you tend to put in your best foot forward and try to muster all the knowledge and experience you gained over the past years and try to achieve the best possible result for your client, without the safety net which always was there when you use to work from a Chamber of a senior lawyer.

    My close friend and childhood buddy Aayush J Modi, who is a partner of the firm, started the Ahmedabad office in June 2015. We have known each other from 1st day of the school. Both of us attended the same law school as well. His area of practice mainly consisted of non-litigation work, IPR and immigration law. Sometime in October/November 2015, he asked me if I was interested in joining as a Senior Associate and heading the litigation department of the Ahmedabad office. I had no second thought and decided to join the office of IC Universal Legal (previously known as ‘Universal Legal’) and brought in to the firm my independent clientele and joined the firm from January 2016.

    My decision to leave my independent practice and to join a law firm was a no brainer. Firstly, in today’s world, with the growth of trade and businesses and with the increase in interstate/cross border trades, it was necessary to be present in more than one city or a state. IC Universal Legal has its presence pan India with having eight offices in seven states in India and also having an exclusive Affiliation with The Chugh LLP, which has five offices in the United States. Secondly, the clients being corporates or even individuals look for firms who can cater to all their legal requirements and can be their one stop solution. By joining the firm I got a chance to setup and head the entire litigation department for the Ahmedabad office, was somewhat like having my own independent practice under the umbrella of expertise and experience of the entire firm.

     

    AS A SENIOR ASSOCIATE IN IC UNIVERSAL LEGAL, WHAT IS THE WORK EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE GATHERED TILL NOW?

    With the name of the firm attached to my name, I felt more confident in taking up more variety of work and was able to further broaden my field of practice as after joining the firm, I got opportunities to work in collaboration with not only our offices in India but also got opportunities to work with The Chugh LLP, USA, that has an exclusive affiliation with our firm. The opportunity not only helped me provide efficient services to my clientele pan India but also in other countries.

    The years 2017-18 have also proved to be very fortunate for me as in the year 2017, I was accepted as a Member of Young MCIA (Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration) and in the year 2018, I was awarded as the “Arbitration Lawyer of the Year in India, 2018” by the International Advisory Experts and was also awarded as the “Leading Commercial Litigator of the Year, India 2018” by Acquisition International.

     

    PLEASE TELL US THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AT YOUR FIRM? HOW DID YOUR APPOINTMENT TAKE PLACE?

    Any candidate, who desires to apply, may send in their resume by post or e-mail to the concerned Office, which they intend to join. Upon receipt of the resume and subject to vacancies in that particular office, a list of questionnaire is shared with the candidate. After reviewing the answers the candidate is then interviewed either in person or through video call. Once the candidate clears the interview, the resume and answers are reviewed by the Partner/s. And once that process is completed, the candidates are informed about their appointment.

    So far as my appointment is concerned, I also went through the same process as mentioned herein above.

     

    YOU HAVE A VERY DIVERSE AREA OF PRACTICE. HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF UPDATED WITH ALL THE LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THESE FIELDS?

    Since the day I started practicing, I had the privilege to represent my clients in various Judicial/Quasi-Judicial Authorities throughout India on various subject matters. In this profession and from whatever experience I have, I can surely say that no two cases are the same and that the facts and circumstances in every case are different.

    The challenge in having such a diverse area of practice is that you should be aware of all the legal developments happening every day. It is simple and can be done by allotting at least an hour everyday to go through all the legal portals, news websites and forums. The other most important and efficient way to stay updated is to discuss your doubts/queries with your colleagues or friends and sometimes indulge in discussions with them.

    In fact, after joining the firm, which has a wide variety of expertise, it sometimes became difficult when someone asks you queries altogether on a different subject of law that you have never dealt with in your career. To be very honest, I feel that litigants/clients/friends or family thinks that we being a lawyer must be aware of every law or every rules and regulations that exist, even if you practice IPR Laws, they think that you will know rules pertaining to traffic violation also.

    In order to meet a certain level of expectations, we have designed a concept called ‘Classroom Studies’ in our office, where every Friday evening one person has to educate the others on any subject in which he or she has an expertise and such session is followed by a Q&A session. By this way everyone, will be able to have at least basic knowledge on variety of subjects over a period of time.

     

    LASTLY, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PARTING MESSAGE TO OUR READERS?

    I would like to share with you this quote:

    “If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability” – Henry Ford.

     

  • Mohammad Manauar, Senior Manager-Legal, SMS Group, shares his roles and responsibilities as In-house Counsel

    Mohammad Manauar, Senior Manager-Legal, SMS Group, shares his roles and responsibilities as In-house Counsel

    Mohammad Manauar graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, in 2008. He currently works with SMS Group and handles corporate legal team of India. He has eight years of work experience and has worked as a practising lawyer as well as an in-house counsel with organisations like Thomas Reuters, Infosys BPO Ltd and Sirion Labs Private Limited.

    In this interview, he talks to us about:

    • His role and responsibilities as Senior Manager – Legal in SMS Group
    • The reason behind giving up litigation practice and accepting an in-house legal counsel role.
    • His college life at Aligarh Muslim University

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    My name is Mohammad Manauar, a small town boy with big dreams from Darbhanga, Bihar. The linguistic heritage and nuances of indigenous art and craft nurtured in me curiosity from the very inception and the zeal to pursue knowledge led me to my unending journey of deciphering new avenues of legal development.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT LAW SCHOOL? ARE THERE ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

    Like I said I belong to a small town in Bihar, and hailing from a small town has its own advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is zero expectations from your family and faculty, while the greatest disadvantage is about this great expectation of proving your caliber beyond reasonable doubt. My initial year at law school was all about making a mark among the big shots and stealing spotlight by my hard labor, wit and humor.

    Days in Aligarh University were golden days. It’s a central university with around 30,000 enrolled students and more than 16,000 used to reside in hostels, wherein students from different streams and courses lived together, so that gave me a very diverse perspective of things. The more you interact with people from different fields and areas, the more your mind opens to diverse views.

    I was very much active in student politics after my third year and was Senior Proctorial Monitor (SPM) at AMU in 2008-09. This is the highest administrative student post, which means the head of 30,000 students. Apart from this I was also Senior Hall of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Hall, which is exclusive boy’s hostel for the law students.

     

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO GO FOR A MASTER’S PROGRAMME? WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO SPECIALISE IN CRIMINAL LAW?

    The inner zeal to pursue and acquire knowledge motivated rather compelled me to pursue master’s programme. There were multiple factors that influenced my decision to specialise in criminal law, but to name a few were continuous reading of crime fictions during college days and young man’s desire to change the state of country’s not so good criminal justice system.

     

    YOU COMPLETED YOUR LLM FROM ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY. WHAT WAS THE CURRICULUM LIKE AT ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY? WHAT FACTORS LED YOU TO CHOOSE LLM FROM INDIA RATHER THAN LLM ABROAD?

    The Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University holds the honour of being the flag bearer of five years integrated graduation course in law. Further, it is also one of the top five premier research institutes in legal education. In 1960, the Department of Law became a full-fledged faculty.

    The Department of Law of Aligarh Muslim University is one of the oldest departments in India. The teaching of law in AMU was introduced in the year 1883. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder was greatly impressed by the programme of legal education in British Universities. So he was very keen to have legal education on that pattern in AMU also.

    There are several legal luminaries passed from AMU like, Prof. N.R. Madhava Menon considered by many as the father of modern legal education in India passed the master’s degree in law (LLM) from AMU and had the distinction of being first PhD holder of Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University. He is the founder Director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal and the founder Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS).

    Even Prof. Tahir Mahmood an Indian legal scholar and author of a large number of books frequently cited in the judgments of the Supreme Court of India and High Courts. He also did is LLM from Aligarh Muslim University.

    The curriculum in LLM is detailed; research oriented and depends upon specialisation. Master’s degree provides you the depth of understanding of the subject. The specialisations are in Business laws, Constitutional Law, Environmental Law, Criminal Law, IPR, Muslim Law etc.

    I got chance to learn Constitutional law from Prof. (Dr) Faizan Mustafa, who is the presently Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University, Hyderabad and criminal law from Dr. Shakeel Ahmad who was almost like my guardian angel. In fact the entire faculty was very supportive and appreciative.

    As I have already shared, being a student leader I was juggling between books and problem of the students. This helped me a lot in understanding and making very good rapport with people to interact or have a business. And till today it is helping me in my corporate job where I meet so many people every day.

    The course fee and indigenous restrictions as to practice and academic pursuits led me to pursue LLM from India rather than abroad.

     

    YOU DID LITIGATION FOR INITIAL YEARS AND LATER SWITCHED TO IN-HOUSE COUNSEL ROLES? WHAT LED YOU TO CHANGE FROM LITIGATION TO IN-HOUSE COUNSEL? WHAT IS THE ROLE OF AN IN-HOUSE COUNSEL GENERALLY?

    The struggle of making a mark being a first generation lawyer and acute family pressure to earn money and share responsibilities made me switch from litigation to in-house counsel roles.

    With the laws and regulatory compliances becoming more complex, companies face various risks and challenges. The in-house legal is required to understand the risks and issues involved in a decision from a legal stand point and further communicate it to the management. This will enable the management to make informed choices and decisions within the acceptable risk profile.

    There are inherent cost savings, since one is not paying external counsel at an hourly rate. In-house counsel works exclusively for the business employing them, rather than for a third party with a number of different clients. In-house counsel have the added advantage of being familiar with the business employing them, they already know the company’s working environment, its principles and its general ethos. As employees of the business, they will also have the best interests of that company at heart, which may not be the case for external counsel.

     

    DO YOU TAKE INTERNS IN LEGAL DEPARTMENT AT SMS GROUP? WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE OF APPLICATION FOR INTERNSHIP?

    As of now, the in house legal team sits in Germany. We are on the verge of expansion in India. I am the first one hired for India corporate legal team. As the team will expand in couple of months, we will start hiring law interns.

     

    AS SENIOR MANAGER-LEGAL WITH SMS GROUP, GURGAON, WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

     As Senior Manager – Legal with SMS Group, Gurgaon, I am handling overall legal affairs of the SMS India Pvt. Ltd.

    • Contract Management- Independently handling the complete closure of the contract post receipt of the requirement by the concerned dept. through vetting, drafting and negotiation (both international & domestic contracts).
    • Negotiation in direct covering both commercial and legal aspects of EPC Contracts, tenders, bidding, sub-contractor agreements, commercial and procurement contract, government projects, POs.
    • Tender preparation and negotiation reviews and comments on commercial and technical tender terms and requirements, and the overall execution strategy taking into account risk, scope, and schedule as per internal company standards. Highlighting changes and deviations.
    • Assist project team in resolving contractor disputes, claims, and performance issues.
    • Ensure adherence to the contracting plan, document and obtain prior approval of exceptions.
    • Handling lawsuits of the company
    • Advising to group HR head on legal issues concerning employees (Present and Past) and any other HR/labour law issues as per requirement.
    • Other legal issues as and when required

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE FOR YOUNG LAWYERS AND LAW STUDENTS?

    Never underestimate the power of diligent effort and hard labor. Never bow down to challenges as facing it will bring the best out of you. Never settle with time and keep on climbing the ladders of knowledge and expertise because we lawyers are like old foxes as we reap gold with grey hairs.

     

     

  • Philip Teoh, Partner, Azmi & Associates, shares his insight on International Arbitration and his twenty eight years of experience

    Philip Teoh, Partner, Azmi & Associates, shares his insight on International Arbitration and his twenty eight years of experience

    Philip Teoh graduated in law from National University of Singapore, Singapore in 1989. Currently, he is the Partner at Azmi & Associates. He is also Arbitrator with the Asian International Arbitration Centre [ formerly Kuala Lumpur Regional Center for Arbitration] and has conducted arbitrations in Malaysia, Singapore and internationally as Arbitrator and Counsel.

    In this interview, he talks to us about:

    • How to acquire skills to become a great lawyer.
    • His role in legal academia.
    • His experience on different cases

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    I am a practicing lawyer and arbitrator with 28 years of experience. I am from Penang, Malaysia and come from the same school as Datuk Professor Sundra Rajoo the Director of the Asian International Arbitration Centre [formerly KLRCA] whom you previously interviewed. Both of us studied at the Penang Free School, probably the oldest English school in Southeast Asia founded in 1816. After Penang, I went to study A levels in Singapore under the ASEAN Scholarship in 1983 at Hwa Chong Junior College. Thereafter I studied law at the National University of Singapore and graduated in 1989. I enjoyed my school life, and made lifelong friends whom I am still in touch.

     

    HOW DID YOU GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE FIELD OF LAW?

    I have always been interested on how law regulates society and business. In many ways law shapes business and vice versa. I was particularly interested in international trade and shipping as the common driver.

     

    PLEASE GIVE US AN INSIGHT INTO YOUR ROLE IN ACADEMIA.

    My interest in writing and teaching was cultivated by writing assignments in law school and the positive feedback and reinforcement by my lecturers. I had the good fortune of being taught by excellent lecturers and tutors in the law school. The brilliant minds such as Professor Tan Yock Lin who made a subject such as conflict of laws become immediately relevant and useful . Till date, I find this to be my favourite subject and I use in my shipping and international cases often. My interest in this subject culminated in my writing Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia on conflict of laws. I was also taught by the brilliant Professor Ellinger one of the sharpest legal minds, the great Professor FMB Reynolds, who came over from Oxford, who taught Shipping and Agency. I was impressed that Professor Reynolds and Professor Ellinger were writers of textbooks and they were also very good lecturers.

    We were also fortunate to have Professor Ho Peng Kee as a vice dean who went out of his way to help students. His words of encouragement helped me spur on and to eventually obtain a second class upper in my LLB.

    I have been speaking at industry conferences within and outside Malaysia for sometime. I have lectured at the University of Malaya Law Faculty Continuing Education Programmes and I am an Adjunct Lecturer at BAC, Malaysia’s largest law schools. I spoke in Pune last August in an International Arbitration Conference where I met many Indian Arbitration Practitioners. I look forward to further speaking engagements in India.

    More than fifteen years ago, I started the series of Practitioners Texts in Malaysia in shipping and related titles. These include the Annotated Merchant Shipping which covers the law regulating Merchant Shipping, Collision, Marine Pollution. Malaysian lawyers drafting Agreements use my precedents from the Forms and Precedents on Shipping. I also wrote the Halsbury’s key titles on Equity, Conflict of Laws, Shipping, Carriers [ Land Air and Sea]. Last year I wrote the Chapter on Carriage of Goods by Sea in the Malaysian Bullen & Leake Precedents of Pleadings. These books are used by Judges, Arbitrators and lawyers. I have seen some of the texts I have written cited in Reported Judgments.

    From time to time, I have been invited to contribute to Trade Publications on matters affecting industry.

     

    WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN INSTILLING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN LAWYERS?

    Lawyers must embrace change and adapt. For instance, when I started practice, lawyers did not use internet and hardly any one used email. And this was in Singapore which then was more advanced than many other Asian countries. Now email, internet, law firm websites, blogs, social media are ubiquitous. Lawyers who don’t keep up, will be lumbering dinosaurs, who eventually will be obsolete. I profile my practice and run a 20,000+ network on LinkedIn. I find this useful as a substantial part of my work is international.

    For court lawyers, practice makes perfect. Every trial, application and appeal is a challenge, we need to be able to understand and be confident on our own abilities. I was fortunate to work under Mr Harry Elias at the beginning of my law practice and I saw how he took on Queens Counsel and opponents in court. I was also fortunate to have a work attachment in a Penang law firm, which firm engaged the late Karpal Singh, easily Malaysia’s foremost Constitutional Lawyer and Politician. These were invaluable mentors and experiences which spurred me on to continue with contentious work and it has been 28 years since. From the very beginning I also consciously maintained a non-contentious aspect of my practice and I have drafted many agreements for various clients. When the Malaysian Shipping Line started its LNG Fleet, I was involved in the beginning. I was the local Counsel for the Syndication of Lenders in the Puteri LNG six new buildings in the Japanese Yards around 2002.

    So you can see law is very wide and the hard working lawyer can find learning opportunities in every case, transaction and agreement. I make the junior lawyers work hard but they learn.

    Innovation and creativity can only be spurred by attitude. If the junior lawyer takes the attitude that he / she knows everything, pretty soon he / she will know nothing.

     

    HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF UPDATED WITH THE LATEST ARBITRATION ISSUES, NEWS AND CASES?

    Internet, journals and in Malaysia, the Asian International Arbitration Centre have good and relevant talks and conferences, some of which I participated as speaker. I am in touch with many practitioners worldwide and we exchange ideas.

     

    WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU THINK HAVE HELPED YOU ACHIEVE YOUR CURRENT POSITION AND STATURE?

    It all started when I entered NUS and being grateful and happy to study there. And to accept I have no ‘current position and stature’. That way I know that I have to continue to improve and to learn. Students must realise that university is only four years but a career is a lifetime. And I enjoy my work, I enjoy the challenge of difficult cases.

     

    AS A PARTNER AT AZMI & ASSOCIATE, WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WORKDAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

    If I have a trial, it will be straight to court and it will be the same for the whole duration of the trial. The whole day will be spent in court conducting the trial. As much as I prepare for the trial, I have long learned that it is important to adapt to what happens during the trial and be vigilant for opportunities. Some examples in the trials which I have conducted, eg. I cross examined the shipping agent who set out in his witness statement six bills of lading and asked him whether he had seen the documents he mentioned and explained in his statement, and was surprised he said no, not before trial. Another case, the chemist had detailed in four pages how carefully dangerous chemicals were packed, I asked him whether he was present during packing and he answered he could not remember. Apart from direct clients I also act for other law firms, so in these trials, I work with my instructing lawyers. I have written on the role of Counsel:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/litigating-malaysian-courts-use-counsel-philip-teoh/

    This Wednesday was particularly rewarding as I argued an Admiralty Appeal in the Court of Appeal. There were decisions of the High Court which set aside ship arrests on wrong principles and one of these was a ship arrest I undertook. I appealed against this decision and the appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal. I was successful in arguing the appeal and this case is important as the Court of Appeal judgment will be binding and will set guidelines for parties undertaking ship arrests in the future. For more details, you can go to my LinkedIn posts:

    https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6389686362479661056/&

    https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6390524570524319744/

    The profession in Singapore and Malaysia is a fused one, so I am both Advocate and Solicitor. I also handle corporate and advisory work. If I don’t go to court, I will prepare for submissions in the office or draft agreements. From time to time I am visited by foreign lawyers who come to Malaysia for business visits. Many of these lawyers are my LinkedIn connections. My work day could also be to attend meetings with clients whether in my office or theirs.

    I try to make time to interact with the junior lawyers and interns who work and assist me. I have written on the role of the Senior lawyer as Mentor:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/learning-law-mentors-perspective-philip-teoh/

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG LAW STUDENTS AND LAWYERS AIMING TO BECOME ARBITRATORS IN FUTURE?

    Don’t waste the university years. What you study in university is crucially relevant even if it is not immediately obvious. Cultivate interest in subjects especially subjects Contract, Tort, Evidence. Be willing to learn everything.

    Interestingly many students approached me after my talk in Pune last August and asked how they can become arbitrators. I was taken aback as they wanted to become arbitrators without thinking of embarking into litigation.

    Arbitration like litigation is contentious / dispute resolution. Lawyers only become arbitrators if they can bring value or experience to the Dispute Resolution Process. This may take years before the lawyer can establish his reputation in court, be recognised and respected as court / Arbitration Counsel and only then can he become an arbitrator and obtain appointments.

    So I will tell the students, aim to be a great lawyer, become great advocates. The court skills are important to arbitration. Only then you can become a respected and popular litigators earning the respect of your opponents and eventually you will acquire a solid track record and reputation. Only then you will be ready to become an arbitrator; this may take decades but the diligent will achieve this.The arbitrator who does not go through this crucible will not be effective and will forever chase appointments.

     

    Link to some of his works are below:

    • Presenting your case in International Arbitration:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/presenting-your-case-evidence-international-arbitration-philip-teoh/

    • Strategies on Managing Choice of Law along One Belt One Road:

    https://www.brinknews.com/asia/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-managing-risks-and-disputes/

    • Speaking at AIAC Arbitration Conference

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/resolving-disputes-along-one-belt-road-philip-teoh/

    • Speaking in Pune last August

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/contemporary-issues-international-arbitration-philip-teoh/

    Philip Teoh’s LinkedIn profile :

    LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipteoh

     

     

  • Arvind Gopal, Attorney, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft on studying from QMUL and his diverse international exposure

    Arvind Gopal, Attorney, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft on studying from QMUL and his diverse international exposure

    Arvind Gopal graduated from University Law College, Bangalore in the year 2007 after which he pursued LLM in IP from QMUL. He has a diverse international experience having worked in England as well as India. His achievements include negotiating with the Tanzanian Government, speaking in the Parliament of India, advising Google, starting his own firm and being recruited by Microsoft.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • His Master’s degree from QMUL, London
    • His international exposure and experience.
    • His role as Attorney, Digital Crimes Unit at Microsoft
    • Assisting in petitions concerning smoking ban in public, patent linkage, Section 377 IPC and HIV/AIDS Bill

     

    HOW WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    I am a lawyer with ten years of experience (have explored everything from Wildlife to Real Estate Laws) however, the legal profession continues to make me feel as if I began practicing yesterday as there is something completely new to learn every day or a new perspective to ponder over.

    I fell in love with the subject of ‘Law’ 15 years ago and continue to remain starry-eyed about it.. Otherwise, I am a misguided musician who wishes to question everything and put my own spin on an argument. The love and curiosity for the law has taken me from negotiating with the Tanzanian Government to speaking in the Parliament of India, to advising Google, starting my own firm and most recently, being recruited by Microsoft.  It has been an enriching experience and continues to be amazing.

     

    WHY DIDN’T YOU OPT FOR THE CONVENTIONAL DEGREES IN ENGINEERING OR MEDICINE?

    Till my 11th Grade in School, I wanted to be an Archaeologist; regimented forms of learning or conventional vocations did not appeal to me.  I preferred playing sports as well as harassing my classmates, educators and parents alike with my antics.  I also had a constant tune in my head that I was either humming or singing; I was also a voracious reader and read everything there was to read (an excellent habit that my parents inculcated and it has served me brilliantly). In essence I was an “outstanding student” as I saw more of the sky than the inside of a classroom.

    My parents wanted me to get on with ‘A Plan’ but I wanted a bike and ride away into the sunset. Well the bike was the turning point.  I was told by everyone that I would never make it out of school or into another educational institution. I was never one to believe that anything was impossible. My first task was to analyse whether Archaeology was a viable option. The answer was a ‘negative’ because very few institutions offered courses and it was not really a recognised profession with a clear cut path in India.

    I stumbled upon law when I picked up an entrance test preparation book. What intrigued me most was that I could take a proposition which had been codified, break it down and give my own spin to it. The main challenge was to convince a third person that my perspective was correct. The art of convincing a third person (a judge) that a third person’s perspective (one’s client’s perspective) and/or stance is correct is an art and creativity at its best. I continue to remain baffled by some of the genius arguments that lawyers come up with and this continues to fascinate and intrigue me.

    Getting into law school was eventful. I gave all the entrance exams possible and only got through National Law School, Bhopal and Amity Law School. I did not make the cut with respect to Bhopal as my rank did not feature within the top 100 and my rank after the Amity exam was 748.  The bike was slowly fading away and I was extremely nervous. Amity Law School was my only bet as I was selected for the group discussion round. There were forty people in my group, and the topic was ‘India and Pakistan’s Relationship’; the sparkle was back in my eyes. I waited for 39 people to finish and then spoke on the topic for the next 45 minutes as I systematically did a SWOT analysis of the subject. I was back in the game as my rank jumped up to 23 from 748, due to that ‘group discussion’ round. I was offered a seat without any Scholarship and I knew I could not afford the fees. Hence, I said no to Amity and went to JSS Law College in Mysore. The rest as they say is history. I left home for law school with the bike of my choice, a song on my lips, coupled with the curiosity and excitement of a child in a candy shop with a hundred pounds to spend.

     

    ARE THERE ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF LAW SCHOOL WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

    I was in JSS Law College (JSS) for the first six months and then transferred to University Law College, Bangalore University (ULC). I managed distinctions in JSS Law College as my central focus remained on achieving decent grades. At JSS, I was vice captain of the cricket team; I also won a rock competition held by Mysore University. Further, I was also selected to represent the Mysore City Club as a member of their basketball team and participated in a tournament in Bangalore. Though I spent six months at JSS, I cherish the time as it set the course for my love story with the law and in the process also managed to make great friends who continue to offer support to this day.

    I had incredible fun at ULC. Initially, I faced adversity from classmates who could not relate to me but I not only managed to dispel the adverse attitude but made some great friends.

    The one thing I did differently than others was to do internships from the second year onwards. In my quest for practical training I was helped by Yang Yen Thaw, Anil Sachidanand, Anil Kumar who mentored me and are people I still turn to when I am in need of advice.

    During my time at ULC, I captained the cricket and basketball teams, lead the efforts in establishing the girls basketball team (I also coached them in the first year) and the college band for which I was the vocalist. The most satisfying moment for me was when this awesome girls’ team were declared runners-up in the first two tournaments which they participated in. I was also an active member of the Moot Organising Committee and took part in several moots that received commendations and further helped in the formation of the film society.

    Law school in all was a fantastic experience because it made me aware of my strengths, limitations and further aware of how gruelling our profession can be. Surprisingly, it made me more compassionate especially seeing how people were unaware and intimidated when it came to lawyers and the law. This negative outlook was something that I have desperately endeavoured to change by continuing to help as many people as possible.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR AFTER GRADUATION AND WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACED AS A YOUNG ASSOCIATE?

    The first year was challenging as I had no clue as to what was happening around me but it was a massive learning experience. I felt there was a huge gap between the National Law Schools and students from other law schools. The National Law Schools were geared to prepare students for the gruelling experience ahead. But the one advantage I had was having done many internship which allowed me to have some experience of how the profession functioned. Additionally, people like Neel Mason, Anand Grover, Indira Jaising, to name a few lawyers, ensured that I was challenged every day to keep putting in a hundred percent and keep striving to acquire the right knowledge and skills.

    This drive and curiosity to learn, kept me afloat even in the most challenging times. I also got to brief Mr Sudhir Chandra, on my own, as my senior was unavailable and Mr Gopal Subramaniam, which in itself were enriching experiences. Further, a couple of hearings in which I was to get an adjournment and a pass-over turned into a situation wherein I had to argue issues in order to be granted my pleas. These experiences proved to be invaluable and were exhilarating to say the least. I was lucky because people reposed faith in me and situations also presented themselves which I grabbed with both hands.

     

    WHAT MADE YOU GO FOR FURTHER STUDIES?

    [After three years of work experience, Arvind went on to pursue his Master’s degree from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL)]

    The day I decided to do law was also the day I decided I would do my Master’s Degree in England.

    In my mind the English system was the pinnacle and produced these eloquent individuals, remnants of which can still be seen when some of our polished seniors argue matters. Additionally, anyone who has heard the proper English accent would note that even total rubbish sounds exceptional, and there was also James Bond. I later came to realise that my favourite Bond, Sir Sean Connery, was actually Scottish! In reality the Scots are far more loveable than the English. Disclaimer to my English friends: You know I am kidding!

    On a more serious note, I knew that if I had to master IP then I would have to do a Master’s Degree from a renowned institution and in an evolved system. England and QMUL were perfect in those respects.

     

    SHARE SOME ADVICE ON ACING THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE FOR QMUL?

    It took me three years of arguing with my parents and other well-wishers who all thought leaving a job and going to study was a bad idea. Also, the perception at the time was that in a profession like law, practical experience is what mattered.

    QMUL was an easy choice because by the end of three years, I had already fallen head over heels for Intellectual Property Law and QMUL being the best in England for IP was an easy choice. I did not take up offers from Cardiff, Kings, UCL, Leeds and the University of Edinburgh because QMUL offered me the opportunity of being taught by, argue with and learn from Professors J.A.L Sterling, David Llewyn, Ian Walden, Chris Reed, Noam Shemtov, who happen to be legends in the profession!

    The admission process was fun. The challenges were varied but eventually, being bull headed and with the help of a senior from law school, I managed to get an interview with the head of admissions of QMUL who was visiting Delhi. The funny part was that I called her right after writing to her, explained that I was in Court during the day and therefore would only be able to meet her in the evenings, in case she was able to make time. After some intense negotiations I managed to get a meeting with her for the very next evening where she agreed to make time for me. At the end of that meeting and after she had reviewed my CV, I walked out with an assurance that a seat was reserved for me and all I had to do was apply on time.

    The next step was convincing my parents, tough gig, as it was an expensive proposition. My parents finally relented and were kind enough to fund my LL.M. They have always stood by me and this time too, was no exception. They continue to be my pillars. In the midst of this task of convincing my parents and getting funds organised I had missed the window to be eligible for scholarships. But eventually with sustained efforts made the cut and got to England despite various challenges. One has to apply months in advance to be considered for scholarships and the ingredients for increasing one’s chances are a great CV, great recommendations and a worthy statement of purpose.

    Most importantly with the help of some stalwarts in the profession, professors in law school, parents and friends, I managed to get a great set of recommendations, a worthy statement of purpose and some solid practical experience which helped QMUL overlook the abysmal grades that I had obtained in high school.

     

     TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE AND EXPERIENCE.

    It was really tough to get jobs soon after the downturn in 2008. I spent a little over a year doing odd jobs in England such as from working at small chip shops to volunteering at the local Buddhist Centre. One such job, whilst I was volunteering at the centre, lead to a job as a receptionist at the Kingston Probation Centre. This was a significant turnaround for me because till then I had applied for close to 3,500 jobs and had given three interviews at large law firms, and was shortlisted for all three positions, but failed to make the cut because I had no UK experience.

    I gave my all at the job in the Kingston Probation Centre and this was recognised by the Director and the Lead Counsel for the Centre. He took pains in giving me advice and even took me to the Crown Court to get acquainted with the system. Eventually, through a lot of perseverance, daimoku coupled with the support of my family and friends, I managed to land a job as a Litigation Consultant for one of the biggest personal injury law firms in the West Midlands. Six months into the job I was heading one of their litigation teams and it was a fantastic experience. This was great exposure as I was drafting, negotiating, strategizing and briefing senior barristers; in the process picked up knowledge on a completely new area of the Law despite having no idea about the way it worked when I interviewed at the firm.

     

    HOW DID YOU THEREAFTER DECIDE TO QUIT WORK THERE AND COME BACK TO INDIA?

    The fact that England was making it mighty difficult to obtain extensions to the work permit made me re-think my plans. I was not willing to live in uncertainty of whether I would get an extension or not. On hindsight, that was a good decision as I would never have realised some long standing dreams such as starting my own practice or working on matters for brands such as Novak Djokovic, Google, BCCL, BCCI, Tupperware, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, to name a few, and lastly, I would have never realised my dream of being at Microsoft!

    More importantly, I would have lost out on the opportunities of working with and learning from stalwarts such as Hemant Singh, Mamta Jha, Bharat Dube, Sujatha Chaudhri and now the CELA team (Corporate, External and Legal Affairs) at Microsoft India from whom I have learnt and continue to learn immensely.

    My current team is unique because it works as one cohesive unit and we are lead by some exceptional leaders. Additionally, being the youngest lawyer in the group has its advantages. I would not trade this opportunity for all the chocolate in the world (another weakness of mine).

     

    WHAT DOES AN ATTORNEY, DIGITAL CRIMES UNIT AT MICROSOFT DO?

    Our team is generally consulted on matters pertaining to cyber security/space, intellectual property and information technology amongst other issues. Also, with the advent of Global Data Protection Rights (GDPR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) things are getting more interesting.

    I divide my work into four equal portions that consists of litigation, enforcement, formulating legal strategy, and advising the different arms of the business on various issues including advising on policy related issues. Additionally, I conduct trainings for the legal community and law enforcement personnel.

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT AN INTERN CAN GENERATE A POSITIVE FEEDBACK IN THE LIMITED TIME THEY HAVE?

    (Arvind has guided several interns.)

    Enthusiasm, willingness to learn, the art of listening, being driven, positivity, ability to work hard under trying circumstances and more importantly free-wheeling thought process coupled with honesty are qualities that are essential. One needs to bring their ‘A’ Game each time they step onto the park. These are evident in most of the interns, some more than others. I have enjoyed working with them all because I have also ended up learning a lot from them.  I am hoping it was equally fun for them because I have impediments such as a bad temper and am a hard task master!

     

    BEING A PART OF THE CORE TEAMS ASSISTING IN THE PETITIONS CONCERNING BANNING OF SMOKING IN PUBLIC, PATENT LINKAGE, SECTION 377 IPC AND THE HIV/AIDS BILL, SOUNDS EXCITING! GIVE US AN INSIGHT.

    Extremely important and career charting for me.

    Health is a fundamental right and ought to be enjoyed by everyone; smoking banned in ‘public spaces’ is great and much needed! Very progressive! I really enjoyed learning from a stalwart, Ms Indira Jaising, a true legend! Notable qualities were the meticulous preparation, the well-reasoned arguments, how to structure arguments and the art of maintaining clarity of thought.

    The Patent Linkage matter was one where I wasn’t deeply involved in as the case was being argued when I joined Lawyers Collective. But while assisting Mr Grover, I ended up learning a lot about the patent regime, particularly, concepts such as ‘spurious drug’ and its ambit, marketing rights, and the manner in which these concepts are applied in different jurisdictions.

    The most exhilarating experience so far was being a part of the petition concerning Section 377 of the IPC, a matter that we won in the Delhi High Court. It was also one of the best judgements that I have read in a long time. Recently, the Supreme Court commented on the issue as a part of the Privacy Judgement, another brilliant judgement. This is much required in trying times that we live in, as denying people their fundamental rights is just plain unfair!

    Re-drafting, negotiating and presenting portions of the HIV/AIDS Bill to various policy makers in the Ministry and to the Parliament was possibly one of the highlights of my career, due to the commendations I received from policy makers and the health ministry, a real confidence booster.. Mr Anand Grover gave me the opportunity.  My leader and friend, Mr Raman Chawla, helped me realise it and be effective in the process.

     

    ENLIGHTEN US ABOUT SANGUINE – ATTORNEYS AT LAW.

    It was a dream come true, my second foray into independent practice. It was tough as nails, as matters were tough to come by, but I did some good work. A truly satisfying experience because some of my clients still call me to thank me for pulling them out of a tough spot. This is exactly what one lives for, as no amount of money can match up to the feeling of contributing to the happiness of others.

     

    TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE INTERESTING BRANDS THAT YOU HAVE HANDLED.

    (He has handled brands such as LVMH, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Ferragamo, Liu.Jo, Alexander Wang, DVF, Speck and Novak Djokovich, etc.)

    Until the time I began working with Mr Bharat Dube, I really had no idea as to how big these brands were; I had not even heard of some of these giants. I had no clue that bags, shoes, clothes, accessories etc., could cost an arm and a leg, albeit, sometimes, they also tend to have legs but continue to burn a hole in your savings!

    The best part was that having been an avid fan of Djoker, I nearly fell off my chair in disbelief on getting an email from his team, asking us to protect his IP.  That was a really cool moment.

    Overall, this was a unique experience as I got to explore counterfeiting from an online perspective and how to tackle it. Some fantastic learning which I tend to use till date. One of which, ‘internet jurisdiction’, a concept that the world is still grappling with. In the process I was also exposed to drafting matters with respect to domains under the UDRP process and matters to be filed in the Circuit Court, New York.

    Very long hours, tight deadlines but overall, great fun!

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PARTING MESSAGE TO OUR READERS?

    If any of you are planning to do law then just close your eyes and go for it. It is a profession that will never die and will continue to evolve (especially IP) and will forever remain challenging both mentally and physically. But the beauty of achieving the best and most satisfactory result is when it is done through honest and straight forward means. Plus one needs to be resilient and determined. So, crack on with it folks, chop, chop!!

     

  • Ngangom Junior Luwang, Senior Partner, Kochhar & Co., on law school experience, choosing specialisation and work life balance

    Ngangom Junior Luwang, Senior Partner, Kochhar & Co., on law school experience, choosing specialisation and work life balance

    Ngangom Junior Luwang completed his graduation from ILS Law College, Pune. He is currently co-head of the Infrastructure Law practice of the Firm. He has over twenty years of professional experience and has been practicing Corporate, Commercial & Dispute Resolution matters, his sector specialisation being Oil & Gas and Infrastructure. Luwang has represented issues of corporate law in various International Conferences and has also been a speaker in many conferences organised by the Hong Kong University, Law Asia etc. Luwang also has extensive court room experience, mostly in the Supreme Court of India.

    In this interview, we speak to him about:

    • Choosing law as career and his experience in law school
    • Choosing his specialisation
    • Internships every law student should undertake
    • Maintaining a work life balance being Senior Partner

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    Enrolled in 1995, I am a lawyer with extensive experience in dispute-resolution as well as non-dispute-resolution verticals across diverse facets – handling high-stake Supreme Court & Arbitration matters, contract drafting & negotiation, statute drafting, general legal consultancy apart.

    I grew up at Imphal, Manipur till my 12th standard. I did my primary schooling at the First Battalion Manipuri Rifles High School, Imphal and MBC English School, Imphal till 10th standard and my 11th and 12th at the DM College of Arts, Imphal.

     

    WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCED YOU TO CHOOSE LAW AS A CAREER? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ILS LAW COLLEGE FOR PURSUING LLB?

    To be honest, law was my father’s career choice for me and I reluctantly followed my father’s advice. I had always wanted to become a civil servant or a doctor but I have no regrets for, inter alia, the following reasons:

    1. Just as our body is an integral part of our existence, law is as much an integral part since almost every aspect of our existence is governed by some law or the other.
    2. Law is ever-evolving and a lawyer’s adaptation to the same makes a lawyer fully updated and current for sound opinions on different aspects of life and law.
    3. Diversity in laws makes a lawyer’s life as much diverse and professionally challenging, enough to make him/her “Jack of all trades, Master of as much.”
    4. A Law degree also opens up a law student or a lawyer to a number of other possible sub-careers – in-house counsel, hardcore litigator, full-time corporate lawyer with specific specialisation options, academician, LPO professional, Law Firm management professional etc.

    I chose ILS Law College, Pune for, inter alia, the following reasons:

    1. ILS’s heritage as a cradle of legal education for nearly a century then
    2. Credible academic staff
    3. ILS was the best amongst the few law colleges with the five year integrated course in 1989 when I joined ILS.
    4. ILS’s incredible infrastructure, more specifically its library facilities with its unique collection of books
    5. Pune’s academic atmosphere and of course, its unmatched weather.

     

    WHAT ALL ACTIVITIES DID YOU TAKE PART IN DURING YOUR TIME AT LAW SCHOOL? HOW IMPORTANT IS MOOTING FOR A LAW STUDENT?

    I remember my participation in moot court competitions, mock trials and declamation competitions. Of course, I did some bit of lawn tennis and swimming since ILS campus had the said facilities.

    Since I strongly believe that every lawyer should spend at least the initial first three years of his/her career in Courts of Law/quasi-judicial fora (before exploring other options), mooting is and should be made compulsory for every law student. My specific reasons are as under:

    1. Mooting presents a fantastic platform for problem-solving skills for budding lawyers, something a lawyer is expected to do life-long.
    2. A must for focused drafting skills and oral court submissions.
    3. Mooting certainly exposes a law student to the practical side of law in terms of legal research, strategic thought process, creative interpretation of laws etc.
    4. Mooting is certainly a break from the mostly theoretical approach of classroom lectures.

     

     HOW DID YOU KICK START YOUR CAREER POST YOUR GRADUATION? WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED AS A FRESHER?

    I kick-started my career from a chamber in the Supreme Court of India, but handling matters not only in the Supreme Court but also in Delhi High Court, DRT, Consumer Commissions and lower courts. The following were the main challenges:

    1. Identification of a good lawyer/chamber with drafting opportunities for diverse legal/quasi judicial proceedings.
    2. Understanding the different stages of legal/quasi-legal proceedings
    3. Low stipend was indeed an issue for a fresher like me with a rented accommodation.
    4. Lack of opportunities for placement in big law firms then.

     

    WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE HIGHER STUDIES?

    I joined an LL.M course since I genuinely believed that an LL.M course would add up to my knowledge of law, but now, on hindsight, I am of the opinion that exposure to courts of law or being in a Law Firm for the same time period would have taught you more lesions on law and practical sides thereof. A full-time LL.M course could possibly be helpful for students who plan to be in academia.

     

    HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALISATION? WHAT SHOULD A LAW STUDENT KEEP IN MIND WHILE CHOOSING A PARTICULAR DOMAIN OF LAW TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE SAME?

    I started my practice without any specific specialisation in my mind, but Clients ultimately chose my specialisation! One cannot choose a specialisation unless one is really interested in it and good at it and ultimately, most clients choose you for that specialised area of law you are interested in and equally good at. I believe that a law student should have an open mind and should choose specific domain or specialisation after having a feel of every aspect of law at least in the first three-five years of his or her practice. This having said, the following should be kept in mind, while choosing an area of specialisation or practice domain:

    1. Strong interest in the chosen stream(s) of law.
    2. One’s comfort and professional confidence in executing work of the chosen specialization or domain.
    3.  Client/Senior feedback on works executed qua the chosen stream(s).

     

    WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON GRADES AT LAW SCHOOL? MANY LAW FIRMS AND ORGANISATIONS USE GRADES AS YARDSTICK FOR SHORT LISTING PEOPLE FOR THE JOB. DO YOU THINK THE SYSTEM IS FLAWED?

    A more pertinent question will be whether our law schools have the right benchmarks for grading law students. My observations on this issue are:

    1. More focus should be on practical aspects of law. For example, most questions can be on specific facts involving questions of law and students can be asked to apply law accordingly and solve the issues presented.
    2. More emphasis can be on mock-trials and moot courts.

    I think most law firms extensively bank on academic performance of students for campus recruitment since presumably there is no other better way. No system is fully fool-proof and so is this system. Since legal acumen is not all about exam marks, Law Firms may consider having its own independent way of conducing specific test(s) for such recruitment, independent of academic grades.

     

     WHAT ALL INTERNSHIPS DO YOU THINK A LAW STUDENT MUST UNDERTAKE DURING THEIR TIME AT LAW SCHOOL AS A STUDENT?

    The following internships are recommended:

    1. Internship with a trial lawyer with substantial drafting assignments at a lower court in a small district or town in India, covering both civil and criminal matters.
    2. Internship with a lawyer with substantial drafting work in a High court
    3. Internship with a public sector corporation
    4. Internship with a private commercial entity
    5. Internship with a litigation/arbitration team of a law firm
    6. Internships with different corporate practice teams of law firms
    7. Internship with an arguing Senior Counsel
    8. Judicial Clerkship with a judge of a High Court/Supreme Court.

     

    WHAT IS THAT ONE ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF?

    Rendering both litigation and non-litigation legal services to ONGC Videsh Limited and Oil India Limited in the USD 2.475 billion acquisition of a hydrocarbon block in Mozambique in 2014.

     

    WHAT IS THE AVERAGE WORKDAY EXPERIENCE OF A SENIOR PARTNER AT A LAW FIRM LIKE? HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

    Every day is a hectic day with deadlines and meetings lined up. Everyday is indeed a lesion on some legal issue or the other. To be frank, it is very difficult to have such a balance. However, I do try to give enough time to my family and of course, I play and run for at least one hour a day.

     

    WHAT QUALITIES HAVE HELPED YOU ACHIEVE YOUR CURRENT POSITION AND STATURE?

    It is hard work, hard work and hard work.

     

    HOW DO YOU STAY UP TO DATE ABOUT THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ALL THE AREAS WHERE YOU WORK AND HAVE AN INTEREST?

    The different assignments coming to me usually keep me informed and updated. For the rest, social media and internet are good information tools.

     

    WHAT ADVICE OR SUGGESTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, WHO ARE PREDOMINANTLY LAW STUDENTS AND YOUNG LAWYERS?

    1. Academic courses are different from actual legal practice.
    2. If one is not ready for hard work in terms of giving at least twelve hours of effective professional engagement daily, one may explore other options (academia, LPO etc.).
    3. At least for the initial three years of one’s career, one should be in litigation practice before various courts/quasi-judicial fora.
    4. Drafting skill should be developed for all types of legal proceedings for as many different courts and legal fora.
    5. A time-line based systematic roadmap on approaching or dealing with each specific legal issue/proceeding should be learnt/developed and followed steadfastly.
    6. Hard work is the key, coupled with due application of mind.

     

  • Ankur Deka Rabha, Head Legal, Essilor Group, on his role and responsibilities, struggles of a first generation lawyer

    Ankur Deka Rabha, Head Legal, Essilor Group, on his role and responsibilities, struggles of a first generation lawyer

    Ankur Deka Rabha graduated in law from NLSIU, Bangalore in 2002. Having experience of more than fifteen years in the legal industry, Ankur is a versatile and result oriented leader with global exposure to diversified business strategies. He was the General Counsel- India at Bosch Limited for over a period of seven years and then had a brief stint as Head – Legal and Contract Management at Alstom Transport Limited. Currently, he heads the legal department of Essilor Group striking a balance between growth and compliance through innovative ideas to enable business.

    In this interview, Ankur answers to Rounak Biswas of SLS Pune the questions posed by Shafina Salahuddin of Calcutta University focussing on:

    • Being a first generation lawyer
    • Challenges in early years of practice
    • Roles and responsibilities as Legal Head of Essilor Group
    • Importance of conciliation for dispute redressal

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    A lawyer driven by passion for his work and still eagerly learning each day in order to be a better business lawyer.

     

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN LAW?

    I do not come from a family of lawyers. I am a first generation lawyer. During the late nineties there were not many career opportunities for students in Guwahati besides courses like engineering or medical or the remaining alternative of the quintessential three-year degree course. Hence, once I completed my higher secondary, I was looking for course other than medical and engineering, so law became an obvious choice. It was also because my friends were already studying there. That’s how I got into NLS.

     

    HOW INSTRUMENTAL WAS NLSIU, BANGALORE IN SHAPING UP YOUR LEGAL CAREER?

    I remember my years in NLS as a period of learning law, diversity, people, cultures etc.

    There was a paradigm shift in my thought process and the way I saw and perceived things before and after I joined NLS.  What I liked about most is that teaching methodology was not theory centric but practical learning. It makes you think, question and rationalise. As a student, it was an exciting journey of learning and nurturing my skills on research, writing, oratory skills, rationalising and analysing the law. These things definitely helped me nurture the basic skills required as a legal professional.

    Of course it is humbling to be part of such a great institution but one thing I realised when I started my career was that an institution can only help to nurture you, the rest is up to you to make what you want of yourself and succeed professionally. 

     

    WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED IN THE EARLY DAYS OF YOUR PRACTICE?

    To be honest, the initial challenge was not about law but about trying to sustain myself in a big city like Delhi with a meagre income and also find good seniors to work with. But I was resilient and persistent and carried on with the belief that it will bear fruits in future. I think this the period I realised my strengths —patience, resilience and self-belief and taking on challenges.

    I was fortunate to have very good seniors who taught me a lot. One of them told me something which I still remember, “always see every challenge as an opportunity rather than a hurdle and grab it. If you are not quick enough, someone else will take it”. Although I only had a short stint as a litigating lawyer as I shifted to the corporate side soon due to personal reasons, I did thoroughly enjoy it and had great learning experience. For me litigation is not always about just law and arguments, it is also about strategy.

    My experience as a practising lawyer does help me manage situations as an in-house counsel. I realised that litigation is not the first option to suggest to an internal customer even though it’s the only option which they might desire. Sometimes it’s a question of egos not as much of a case of dispute which cannot be resolved across the table. We as in-house counsels have to understand business and appreciate that any kind of litigation involves costs and man hours and basically affects the bottom line in a business. We need to explain the same to our internal customers so that alternate solutions can be explored and we should facilitate that. I have always pushed for alternate methods of conciliation and been successful in resolving many high value disputes without going to court during my short professional career.

     

    WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON FAILURE? IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU?

    Of course there is no alternative to hard work and yes performing well can sometimes can be stressful. However, I personally feel it is very important, whether as a student or as a professional, you are passionate and enjoy what you do. We stress ourselves so much for what we don’t have that we forget to appreciate what we have at present.

    We have to understand that success and failure are part of life. Mr. Ratan Tata said “Ups and downs in life is very important to keep us going, because a straight line even in an ECG means we are not alive”.

    Basically, what is important here is how you see things. It’s all about perspective. Life is neither constant nor should you want it to be because if you do then you will never experience something new and learn from it.

    Therefore, I think it is important to experience failure sometimes because such instances can only make you stronger and wiser. The main thing is to be resilient and not give up. One only fails when one gives up trying. If you want to grow not only should you have the courage to fail but also have the courage to look at it positively and learn from your mistakes. It is then called an experience!

     

    WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION?

    One of Essilor Group’s core principle is “respecting laws by applying high standards”. My management is fully aligned and committed to this principle and I am fortunate to have great support (not only from India but also from AMREA headquarters in Singapore) where the tone is set from the top in order to enable the organisation to be a responsible and compliant corporate citizen.

    In my role, my first and foremost responsibility is to assist in implementing strong internal compliance mechanisms and processes. On a day to day basis, it is mostly contracts, FDI related issues and general corporate advisory. I act as a business partner to find simple solutions for complex issues through innovative ideas. I

    Over the years working as an in-house counsel in various organisations what I have learnt is that it is really important to reach out to internal customers if you want to bring change and contribute to business growth. If we sit in our chairs and expect internal customers to come to us, then nothing will happen. At Essilor, Legal & Secretarial team goes that extra mile to reach out to internal customers, interact with them on a regular basis across India to build trust for partnership.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LAW FIRMS AND HOW IS  DIFFERENT IS FROM YOUR CURRENT ROLE?

    Well, being in law firms during my initial years was more about drafting and documentation rather than direct client facing and negotiations. Also, role was usually watertight and didn’t have any scope to venture into other areas of law. For example, if you were in a corporate group you would be mostly doing just that and would not be handling issues of litigation or IP etc.

    As an in-house counsel, the equation is quite different. It is basically a client facing role on an everyday basis.

    First and foremost, it is essential to understand the business before delving in on its problems. If you cannot understand the business you cannot make necessary provisions in your contracts. Being proactive and visible is also essential to maintain balance between compliance and business. I have always supported the idea of my colleagues providing trainings on various issues, distribute Do’s and Don’ts, SOPs etc., to ensure that they are visible to the internal customer and there is trust built for future cooperation.

    My role as an in-house counsel has been a journey of every day learning and there is always something new to do and something new to learn every day. I realised early in my career as an in-house counsel that it is not just about law but about finding possibilities to assist business and growth and at the same time also being strong to say “No” when its actually required and still have buy-in from your internal customers.

    Being an in-house counsel you also need to be a generalist in addition to your specialised subjects as you need to advice the management on all issues of law.

     

    WHAT WOULD YOU ADVICE YOUNG LAWYERS ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

    Speaking only from my personal perspective, even today I see a lot of people having the wrong notion that their organisation or bosses will think they are hardworking and dedicated only if they sit and work late hours on weekdays and even weekends. Yes, hard work is important for success but then you can work smart as well. For me if someone sits late hours every day and I know there is not much to do, then there is definitely a problem with time management.

    As a professional, amongst others, time management and punctuality is very important. We should plan our day (for example, divide your time, prioritise work) in advance. With little checks and balances I feel one can always manage between work and home.

    I have always ensured my colleagues understand the value of time whether at work or at home. A stress free mind can innovate/ think out of the box or else we will only end up having robots which can only do what it’s programmed to do and not innovate or think out of the box.

    Although it’s not easy when you begin, but it is important to first understand business of your organisation and align your department goals to that of the organisation, build a rapport with your internal customers, understand and anticipate their requirements, train them to take care of minimum risks, have SOPs for all kinds of transactions, draft templates etc. All this goes a long way in giving you a cushion required to ensure work life balance.

    At the end of the day, it’s left to an individual or a team to make it happen. No one else can do it for them.

     

    AS A PARTING MESSAGE, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO OUR READERS, ESPECIALLY ASPIRING AND YOUNG LAWYERS?

    I am still learning myself so I will only speak from my short experience so far.

    Firstly, learn to enjoy what you do and have fun. If you are passionate about what you do, then no one can stop you from achieving your goals.

    Secondly be a thorough professional. Learn to prioritise and manage your time early in your career. Be punctual. Do not compromise on your values. If you promise to deliver within a time to an internal customer/client, then make sure you deliver within that time. You can either create your image or ruin it.

    Thirdly, be humble. Be willing to learn and unlearn. Be willing to listen and observe to learn new things as opportunity lurks everywhere. Be willing to ask when you do not know. Be willing to pass on knowledge to those to seek.

    My advice to budding lawyers who want to make their career as in-house counsels is to first start their career by practicing law and then maybe spend some time in law firms before actually shifting to an in-house role. Of course financial stability could be an issue in the beginning but then it’s an investment which will surely give your benefits in the long run. In a corporate world you have to deal with everything. Hence, overall knowledge in every aspect is a quintessential requirement.

     

  • Prasenjit Keswani, Advocate, on establishing independent practice and his diverse experience

    Prasenjit Keswani, Advocate, on establishing independent practice and his diverse experience

    Prasenjit Keswani graduated from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, in 1999. With over eighteen years of experience in litigation, he has handled a variety of matters in different forums including the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, National Green Tribunal and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • His early years as lawyer in litigation practice
    • His experience in various courts
    • Building independent practice

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    I am a lawyer with eighteen years of experience practicing before the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, NGT and NCDRC. I have my own practice which includes work from direct clients as well as briefing from law firms and individual lawyers.

     

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN LAW AFTER DOING BACHELORS IN BUSINESS STUDIES FROM DELHI UNIVERSITY?

    BBS was a unique course by the Delhi University offering Bachelors degree in Business Administration. We had various subjects relating to Business Laws, which included subjects like Contract Act, Companies Act and regulatory compliances. This got me interested in law.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CAMPUS LAW CENTRE , DELHI UNIVERSITY?

    Campus Law Centre had a good course structure and some of the professors were prominent personalities in their field and hence attending their classes was a great learning experience. Also, it was a lot of fun being in North Campus.

     

    WHAT ARE YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST?

    My areas of interest are constitutional law, commercial laws and alternative dispute resolution.

     

    HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE LITIGATION OVER TAKING UP A CORPORATE JOB? HOW WERE YOUR EARLY YEARS AS A LAWYER?

    In 1998, I joined a law firm AP& J Chambers as an intern. In fact my intent was to work as a corporate lawyer. The firm also had Supreme Court litigation and I started attending Court, which got me interested in litigation and immediately after graduating in 1999 I joined APJ and started working on the litigation side. I worked in AP & J Chambers till 2003. There was lot of independence and it was a happy work place. Handling matters independently was tremendous learning experience and I got opportunities to appear on my own in firm matters. I was quite fortunate to have good mentors at the initial stage of my career Mr. Joseph Pookkatt and Mr. Prashant Kumar, Partners of APJ and thereafter my senior Justice Uday Lalit.

     

    YOU WORKED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF JUSTICE U.U. LALIT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF YOUR CAREER. HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH HIM?

    It was a tremendous learning experience. He was very interactive and he would discuss with his juniors at length, the different facets of law. While in his chamber one got to understand how to approach a brief and understand the finer aspects of law. It was an intellectually enlightening experience. In his chamber we would get diverse and important matters, which gave us excellent exposure. I worked with him for seven years before starting my own practice.

     

    HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A MENTOR FOR A YOUNG LAWYER IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE PROFESSION?

    It is very important to get a good mentor more so when one does not have a background in the legal profession, like I didn’t have. I got very good mentoring from my seniors. In the early stage of ones profession it is important for young lawyer to get the self-confidence and self-assurance, which a good mentor can give his juniors. It is also important to develop the skill set in the legal profession as also the right value system.

     

    WHAT WERE THE STRUGGLES THAT YOU FACED IN BUILDING YOUR INDEPENDENT PRACTICE?

    Any lawyer would tell you that there are no shortcuts to success or developing a practice. Coming into the profession without a background was a struggle to get cases. I was lucky that my sister Advocate Avantika Keswani was two years senior to me in the profession working with Karanjawala & Co., so I was able to get acquainted with the profession because of her and I got my first internship because of the ground work she had laid down in the profession.

    It took me two years to get my first independent Supreme Court case but by then I had international commercial arbitration that helped me tide over the struggles of the initial years.

    If you stay sincere, people start coming to you with cases and lawyers from the High Court start giving you cases, which is very important for Supreme Court practice. At no stage in the profession there is any scope for laxity.

     

    WHEN YOU HIRE A JUNIOR, WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR?

    As I said sincerity is the most important factor in the profession and any lawyer who is sincere and dedicated and takes pride in his work as a professional is bound to do well. So, these are the qualities that I look for in a junior.

     

    HOW IMPORTANT ARE INTERNSHIPS FOR A LAW STUDENT ?

    I think an internship is very important as it exposes a law student to the manner in which the profession works and it also helps him or her to identify their area of interest. Further, in an internship I assign work to the interns so that they can also develop practical skill set like drafting, researching which is usually not covered in the legal curriculum.

     

    THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT NATIONAL LAW SCHOOLS AND TRADITIONAL LAW SCHOOLS. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON IT?

    National Law Schools have definitely brought about a lot of professionalism in the manner law education is imparted. However, even the traditional law schools like ILS Pune, GLC Mumbai etc., have always had a good environment and we see their students doing very well. Ultimately, I think it depends on the student on how to take benefit from his curriculum and teachers to learn and develop as a lawyer.

     

    PLEASE TELL US ABOUT ONE MATTER THAT YOU HAVE WORKED ON THAT HAS LEFT A LASTING IMPACT.

    An important case in my career was the Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association Vs. State of Maharashtra case also known as the Bombay Dance Bar case. This case allowed me to apply the principles of constitutional law to a fact situation, like right to livelihood and privacy embodied in Article 14, 21 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. Apart from being a prominent case, it was also a good learning experience.

    Another case, which was an important milestone in my career, is V. Subramaniam Vs. State of Maharashtra where I argued before the Supreme Court and got Section 69 (2A) of the Partnership Act as applicable in Maharashtra declared as unconstitutional.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO LAW STUDENTS WHO ARE ASPIRING TO LITIGATE AFTER GRADUATION?

    My advice would be to work with sincerity and to have an attitude to learn and develop your skill set as a lawyer. Money is important but initially the approach should be to learn and give your best to every task or case that you are working on.