Super Lawyer

Category: Associates, In-House Counsels and Advocates

  • Md. Kaleem Mohiuddin on his experience at law school, journey on career building and choosing litigation over corporate companies

    Md. Kaleem Mohiuddin on his experience at law school, journey on career building and choosing litigation over corporate companies

     

    Md. Kaleem Mohiuddin graduated from the University of Nagpur with a degree in law in 1994, subsequently working under a Senior Advocate for a short span. He then started practicing independently in civil as well as criminal cases and is currently Additional Public Prosecutor for Additional Assistant Sessions Court, Karimnagar.

    In this interview Mr. Kaleem Mohiuddin talks to us about:

    • His time at law school
    • His journey in career building
    • His interest in civil law
    • Choosing litigation over Corporate companies

     

    CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF?

    I am a first generation lawyer in my family. I graduated in law from Nagpur university in 1994. I didn’t choose law for any specific reason, it happened to me. Currently I am a practicing lawyer in the district and session court of Karimnagar, Telangana. I used to represent clients in both civil as well as criminal cases. In 2015, I got appointed as an Additional Public Prosecutor for Additional Assistant Sessions Court, Karimnagar for three years. I am presently representing police cases as well as other civil cases.

    WHAT DO YOU THINK, FROM YOUR COLLEGE LIFE, HELPED YOU THE MOST TO BECOME WHAT YOU ARE NOW?

    I am glad I pursued my legal education from University of Nagpur for the practical exams that we had for 200 marks unlike other universities with no such similar weightage. The marks for practical exams were divided equally between thesis writing and the rest for participating in Moot Court, working for Legal aid camps, attending Lok Adalats and visiting courts to see proceedings under the guidance of a practicing advocate. Now, without this particular examination, I wouldn’t have been aware of crucial things like Lok Adalats and importance of legal aid camps. Also, I made a thesis on Relevance of Facts in Indian Evidence Act. The number of sections it contained not only made it confusing but also interesting. For this reason, I think it is very important for law colleges to have curriculum which includes practical exposure and the students should take advantage of it and gain as much knowledge as they can.

    CAN YOU BRIEF US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AFTER ACQUIRING A DEGREE IN LEGAL STUDIES?

    Before started practicing independently in 1996, I was as a junior advocate under Advocate E. Jaggareddy. Within a period of six months of working and learning under him, Mr. Jaggareddy had other engagements, thus he could rarely come to the office which made other junior advocates show up irregularly to the office. Irrespective, I used to be in the office every day and would attend the proceedings of all the cases taken up by us. I used to work hours together flipping pages of numerous books and files and study deeply, putting things together to find loopholes in cases. Judges who had not been so polite to be otherwise, started appreciating me and that is when I felt so encouraged and my confidence level got boosted up.

    YOU SAID, YOU USED TO REPRESENT BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES, WHICH ONES DO YOU FIND MORE APPEALING?

    I find civil cases interesting; it is not just because the office that I worked in dealt with civil cases but also because I find civil cases challenging. In civil cases, you have to prepare the case yourself but in criminal cases you only get to defend. Pointing out mistakes is an easy task but creating a proper case is not.

    WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A PUBLIC PROSECUTOR LIKE? WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST PART OF BEING AN ADVOCATE?

    I feel privileged to work for the state. Earlier, I used to represent the accused, while now I represent the complainant. The best part about being an Advocate and especially working for the state is the feeling that you get when you help providing justice to a needy person.  Rendering services to the needy helps you feel better too. The immense satisfaction at that you can aid in providing justice to the person whose rights have been wrongfully infringed is something that can’t be expressed. As I have said, law happened to me, I am glad that it did. It makes me grow every day.

    DID YOU EVER CONSIDER BECOMING A JUDGE? CAN YOU ALSO GIVE A REASON BEHIND IT?

    I personally would not want to become a judge. The scope for development decreases as you become a judge. You definitely have a huge duty upon yourself to analyze the issue with reasoning and give your judgment, but the opportunity of applying appropriate laws and fighting is lost.

    WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON LOK ADALATS?

    I think Lok Adalat system is very important in a country such as India where the number of cases is really high. It is, in fact, one of the very important things that Indian judiciary was in need of because it can be conducted at suitable places, arranged at a short notice and can be conducted in local languages. It helps in dispensing a lot of cases in very less time; also, it is the best supplementary forum for victims for satisfactory settlement of their disputes. I too have settled a lot of cases in Lok Adalat.  Lok Adalat has the competence to deal with a number of cases like Matrimonial disputes, Family court cases, Partition claims, Damage cases, Motor vehicle compensation claims, etc. It advances equal access of justice to all.

    ARE THERE ANY CHANGES THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN INDIAN LAWS OR LEGAL SYSTEM?

    The way Indian judiciary is working for the justice of citizens is commendable. There are few things that should be taken care of. Filling of vacancies at the earliest is needed; also the inadequacy of staff and judges should be considered and taken into account. I would also want to see few changes in procedural laws. Civil Procedure Code was drafted in 1908 when we were under the British rule. The time has changed, we have become independent but we still are following the same old laws. Amendments have to be brought and a time should be fixed for the disposal of cases because there are numerous provisions in Indian laws that could be used by litigants with mala fide intention and cases are prolonged unnecessarily. Compensation procedure should be included in procedural law for long litigation.

    DO YOU THINK MORE LAW STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE UP LITIGATION THAN GOING FOR CORPORATE WORK? WHY?

    One should do what appeals to him, but looking at the present trend of law students preferring corporate world over litigation I think students should give themselves a chance to go fight a case in the court. With the kind of infrastructure, practical skills and exposure that law schools are providing now-a-days, students are lucky enough to have such facilities and they should be able to take up litigation which is not a very difficult task to them. One might not get cases in the very first days but one can definitely work under a senior lawyer, dedicate a year for understanding the procedure, making good social relations, networking and learning things. Corporate world might be amazing but so is practicing in a court. Practicing makes you feel that you are an integral part of the society. Also, students should take up the task of making a good image of advocates in the society. The other thing that I see is that most of the people think that one could earn more in corporate world, which isn’t true. One can earn enough by practicing before a court. After all, the satisfaction that you get is above anything else.

     

    WHAT ARE THE TIPS THAT YOU WOULD GIVE OUR READERS, LAW STUDENTS?

    I think students should have thorough knowledge of all the acts. One should be a regular reader and should take care about the appearance. You are not a common man, you are an Advocate. Know as many things as you can, appear decent because the major part of your profession is to provide guidance to others. Maintaining good relations with others is another important thing. Be cool and friendly. When you deal with a case, hear the client very carefully, understand the legal issue and go through the Acts. Refer precedents and get a good command over procedural laws. Don’t be an independent practitioner right after graduating from law school. Join an office under a senior Advocate. Choosing the right office and right person to work under is very important. Do not think of earning at the first instance. Develop your communication skills and network. Be positive in your profession. 90% of the society would talk about the negative aspects of your profession, but law is the best profession in the current scenario. After all, the best part about life is being satisfied and that is something that you can acquire by becoming a lawyer and helping people. Also, do not think of earning money. Money is a part of life and not life itself. Follow the right path, learn things, money will follow. Before anything, develop individuality.

  • Nikhil Patel, LL.M. from University College of London, on being a Senior Legal Counsel for DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals

    Nikhil Patel, LL.M. from University College of London, on being a Senior Legal Counsel for DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals

    Nikhil Patel graduated from Symbiosis Law School, Pune in 2010. He has worked with business teams, as a legal expert, in multiple jurisdictions, including India, Malaysia, South Africa on a variety of corporate and commercial issues. He has also managed litigation in civil, criminal and labour related matters in both India and South Africa.

    Recently, he moved from being the Chief Legal Officer of Cipla Medpro in Cape Town, South Africa to Senior Legal Counsel for DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals in the Hague, The Netherlands. He has an LL.M. in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of London and currently pursuing M.B.A. from the University of Warwick, both through distance learning courses.

    In this interview he talks to us about:

    • Biggest hurdles in the early days of his career.
    • Role of an in house/general counsel in India.
    • Advise for law students on maintaining a good academic profile.
    • What recruiters look for in law graduates.

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    I’m a 2010 graduate of Symbiosis Law School, Pune. I’ve worked with Suzlon, Biocon and Himatsingka in the past, and recently moved from being the Chief Legal Officer of Cipla Medpro in Cape Town, South Africa to Senior Legal Counsel for DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals in the Hague, The Netherlands. I have an LL.M. in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of London and am currently pursuing my M.B.A. from the University of Warwick, both through distance learning courses.

     

    What motivated you to pursue this field?

    I knew I wanted to be a lawyer from a relatively young age, although it was the allure of litigating in court at that point. This quickly changed during my time at college, where I found the intersection between business and law, particularly contract negotiation and creative problem solving, were much more attractive to me. This was particularly evident during my internships, since I enjoyed the in-house internships the most.

     

    What do you think were the biggest hurdles and challenges in the early days of your career? How did you deal with them?

    The biggest hurdle for me was about Law school is great for giving you theoretical knowledge, however it doesn’t prepare you very well for the practical side of being an in-house counsel. This meant a lot of late nights working on drafting styles, negotiation tactics and strategies and most importantly a superior that is willing to invest in training you, which is especially difficult in a typically underfunded and understaffed support team. I can’t stress enough on how important it is to find people in positions above you that are willing to spend time giving you context, exposure and knowledge.

    Practical legal training aside, there were some skills that I needed to learn (and/or bad habits that I needed to unlearn) like empathetic listening, a risk evaluation and mitigation approach rather than risk avoidance and having a thorough knowledge of the business behind the legal agreements I was negotiating.

     

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    What did your work profile at Cipla Medpro consist of and what do you now do at DSM Sinochem? What is the role of an in house/general counsel in India?

    My profile at Cipla Medpro included contract drafting and negotiation, litigation strategy and settlements, labour law, strategic advisory and transactional structuring, competition advice, corporate restructuring, compliance and a little IPR with a strong focus on the pharmaceutical sector in South Africa. The pharmaceutical focus continues at DSM Sinochem, though as a global role rather than limited to a particular geographical area.

    The in-house counsel is first and foremost a generalist. This means that you tend to do a little bit of everything and are expected to have knowledge (a working knowledge, at minimum) of everything. This means that you have to spend a lot of your time being up-to-date on not only the latest business updates of the industry sector, but also on legal updates pertinent to that sector. You play a vital role in the on-going business of your company – through contracts up and down the supply chain – as well as the future of the company by giving input on the strategic direction and advising on risk management and mitigation. Particularly with the rise in costs of external counsel (and reducing legal team budgets), companies are giving more and more responsibility to their in-house counsels, making the role more dynamic and exciting.

     

    What advice do you have for law students on maintaining a good academic profile?

    A good academic profile gives you a ‘foot in the door’. After that, it is up to you to make a great impression in the interview and ensure that you work hard to learn and add value to the place that you work. Of course it always helps that a good academic profile should indicate that your knowledge base is sound.

     

    What do recruiters look for in the current crop of law graduates?

    If you are a law graduate fresh out of college most recruiters will test your basic knowledge to ensure that you understand the fundamentals of the law. However, by far the most important aspect, at least from my experience, is attitude and ability. One of my previous superiors once commented while we were interviewing to fill a legal position that everything but attitude and ability can be taught and that those were often the hardest to find.

     

    When and how did you decide to pursue masters? Was it a professional requirement or an endeavor out of academic interests?

    I pursued my LL.M. simply because at the time I was working on a large number of agreements that were international and I wasn’t sure that I knew everything that I needed to know while I was drafting them. While it was difficult to manage my obligations and my studies, the LL.M. was fantastic in my opinion. It focused on teaching me how to apply the legal principals I was learning, and since I was working while I was studying the LL.M., I was able to put this into practice immediately.

    More recently I realised that if I wanted to grow further in the corporate world, purely legal knowledge is insufficient and that you also need an understanding of how HR, Finance, Marketing, Strategy and the other functions within a company operate. This realisation, coupled with the great experience of the distance learning LL.M. led me to begin the Distance Learning M.B.A. from Warwick Business School.

     

    What would be your advice to our budding lawyers?

    My advice would be, once you have decided that you want to practice law (whether in-house, at a law firm or as a litigator), make sure it is something that you truly enjoy doing. You’ll find that makes all the difference in whether you excel at it.

  • Abheek Saha, Amrit Lal Saha & Associates, on building a career in Investment Law

    Abheek Saha, Amrit Lal Saha & Associates, on building a career in Investment Law

    Abheek Saha graduated from M.S. Ramaiah College of Law, Bangalore (2007-2012). With a passion towards investment, he started investing at the age of 16 in the Indian stock market. Later, after the RBI rules were liberalized, started investing in the currency market. With a special interest in Investment laws, during the college days,he concentrated on the various changes – developments of Indian and foreign investment laws, arbitration, investment arbitration, Consumers Protection, Competition laws, etc.

     In this interview, he talks to us about

    • His experience at M.S. Ramaiah College of Law.
    • How did he develop a special interest in Investment Law.
    • His experience as a fresh graduate.
    • Important factors students should keep in mind while building their potential career graphs.

    How would you introduce yourself? Can you please share a little bit of what motivated you to pursue law as a career?

    Law was never a second choice for me. It was always first. The decision to pursue law may be because of both my personal interest and having already seen my father practice for many years.

    Like all 11th – 12th standard school students deciding on a career in law, I too searched for all the various places a law graduate can work after passing out of law college, and the search results the law firm, companies, or in the field of litigation broadly. The prospects looked good and that validated further my interest in law.

    Kindly acquaint us with your college life. What activities you were involved in apart from regular academic curriculum?

    I was in M.S. Ramaiah College of Law, Bangalore, and mostly stayed in hostel all through the 5 years and really lived the hostel life. Among all, the Ramaiah hostel was little exception with limited restriction on movement in the night and thus could explore Bangalore during those hours.

    Sports were quite limited and I only used to go for early morning basketball with hostelites near the Ramaiah Degree college and sometimes for the table tennis after classes in the old college building. Our college building shifted to a new one when we were in final year.

    Moot court was never part of our curriculum except during practical- the final two years. But I took special interest in them and in my second year participated in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot court competition – the ISRO funding round (NLSIU, Bangalore) and was really happy to see my Speaker score there. This was indeed my first moot court outside college. I also participated in Justice B R Sawhney Moot Court competition at NALSAR Hyderabad. I believe participating in these competition have broadened by research skills and also how to read, interpret and understand law during early days of law college. Apart from these two I have also participated in various intra and inter college competitions. We were Runners-up in ‘Mooting for Success’ organized by Law Department, Garden City College in 2010. My friend Satabish Ajjarapu who is presently a lawyer in Vizag was my Co-Speaker.

    How did you develop a special interest in Investment Laws? Did you have other areas of law that interested you? How did you ultimately choose your field of work?

    Investment related field was always my interest not only during law college days but from my school days. I used to do trading in stock market, later in currency market. So during law college there was a natural affinity towards investment laws. I have also completed a Diploma in Securities & Investment Laws from IIL, Bangalore.

    Presently through our law firm Amrit Lal Saha& Associates, we are advising lot of start-up companies, venture with really beautiful ideas through their conceptual stage to their growth stage. And Bengaluru being one of the best Start-up hub in the world, we get lot of such venture as our client. Sometimes we also cut down on our professional fees to help venture on their legal requirements and to see them in existence and thus enabling these companies and venture grow. As these companies are not all pursuing the same idea, dream and thus their requirements are quite different and these provides us the challenges and the drive to keep going.

    How can I learn to invest in the Indian stock market?

    I may not be the best person to answer this question. I don’t do it any more though. But on a general note I believe everyone can learn doing it.

    Is it a general assumption that the fresher graduates have to struggle a lot during the initial years, what was your experience?

    Struggle is an inevitable part of this profession and during initial years the struggle is definitely more. I believe the decision to pursue law as a career should not be driven by news, knowledge about how much a person is earning after passing out of law school and law colleges but by real passion in this field. I have seen Times of India publishing news about how good the placement was in NLSIU, Bangalore and then students taking decision to study law. At no cost this should be driving the decision to study law as it is not just another profession. Because long hours and focused determination and a desire to move on in the face of adversity, criticism shall bring success in this field.A famous saying of Justice Joseph Story which my father keeps reiterating “Law is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favours, but by a lavish homage”. I believe the saying still holds goods but yes now we have lot more resources and a better faster way to search save them which helps the lawyer a lot in the profession.

    I started my career with working at Bhasin & Co., New Delhi. I was very excited then as I had my first interaction in that office with Mr Lalit Bhasin himself who had directed his Partner to conduct interview for me. It was rare to get through the firm without any reference and thus having got an offer to work there without any such references I was more happy. Eventually I have quit the firm due to personal obligations and have started on my own, firstly as a Co-Founder and Legal Counsel of a company and then as a part of Amrit Lal Saha& Associates. Now we have a good client base and things look good from here. But we had our share of struggle and our effort still continues to make things better.

    Tell us about your approach towards the long term and the short term goals you had set during the academic period and how were you able to manage it?

    Our priorities change with changing circumstances and thus I would say not all short term goals were met but slowly working towards accomplishing the long term goals. And it is those long term goals which ultimately decides our working and engaging strategies.

    Considering the nature and importance of this profession what according to you should be the focus of the law students at the law schools? What are the important factors which students should keep in mind while building their potential career graphs?

    I would say students should not be very specific during early college days about corporate or litigation or any other field but should intern and gain understanding of each such field and thus explore. 5 years college time which is a long time and the last 2 years can be spent focusing on the specific sector where they would start working.

    You have several publications to your credit! How do you choose when to write about what? Do you think research and publishing is very important for a law student?

    I have always written only in my areas of interest and choosing a topic I believe becomes easy when a person is keeping track of the changing laws and how it is evolving.

    I won’t say it is very important to write but definitely when a law student writes it helps somewhere and he can also keep track of how the law is evolving.

    Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

    Everyone sets goal and even I have done for myself. In brief I would like to see the firm grow and we are able to address larger issues and clientele.

    What is your parting advice to our readers?

    For law students I will advise not to have a frozen goal for yourself but a dynamic one because we are social engineers and the law changes as the society changes and so should we.

     

  • Pranit Saxena, Founder, lawyerouno.com, on being a Manager at Tata Consultancy Services

    Pranit Saxena, Founder, lawyerouno.com, on being a Manager at Tata Consultancy Services

    Pranit Saxena graduated from Symbiosis Law School in 2011. He currently works with TCS as a Manager in the BFSI-LPS sphere. He is part of the core team setting up GRC expert augmentation for an EU based clearing bank. The task involves the staffed GRC experts assisting the chief compliance officer with BFSI specific compliance across EU, APAC and Americas.

    Pranit is also the founder of lawyerouno.com. Lawyerouno is a social venture that helps clients contact and make appointments with any lawyer for free. It searches the most appropriate lawyer per the client’s needs.

     In this interview he talks to us about:

    • His experience at Symbiosis Law School.
    • Importance of higher studies for a lawyer.
    • com- where clients contact and make appointments with any lawyer for free.
    • His views on international financial situation owing to upcoming regulations and situations.

    Please introduce yourself to our readers, where did you grow up and complete your initial education? How did you decide to take up law?

    Hi, I am Pranit. I am currently working with TCS setting up their international compliance practice. My initial education was across six cities including Bathinda, Nagpur, Pithoragarh, Noida, Pune etc. in Army Public schools and Kendriya Vidhayalas owing to my dad being in the forces. After a lot shunting, I finally passed my 12th from Noida. I decided to take up law based on my discussions with my teachers in school and my penchant for getting in trouble with the system (school system i.e. repeatedly getting in trouble with the school administration) and I guess it had worked out fine till now.

    You have graduated with BBA LLB Degree from Symbiosis Law School in 2011. Tell us about your law school experience. Share some highlights from your college days that shaped you as a lawyer.

    So Symbiosis back in 2006 was unlike any other law school that you would see right now. We had a limited campus, amazing faculty and even a better ecosystem of students from various fields (symbiosis law school was in the arts and commerce campus). This heterogeneity of students gave us a very early exposure to variety of disciplines and opportunities. It was rightly called the Oxford of the East, as the student community in Pune was very strong. They were perineal college festivals, competitions that used to go on and provided me ample opportunities to explore. Symbiosis Pune had no hostel in the campus and we used to live independently in the city, which was a huge learning in itself. The teachers came from a varied background and were very supportive and encouraging. Apart from the obvious knowledge, what Symbiosis uniquely provides every student, is the independent attitude and a corporate ready culture, which most of us would learn post our law school.

    Did you do any internship? What was the work allotted to you like?

    I completed 24 weeks of internship across law firms like Barucha, fox mandal, companies like Larson & Tubro and Supreme Court attorneys like P.P. Rao. The spectrum covered was intentionally larger to experience a variety of fields within the legal industry. The work allocated was usually around the research projects in law firms, case file summarization in Supreme Court and high courts and occasional arbitration work for L&T. The work also included being a part of the client/vendor meetings with the seniors and keeping a note of issues.

    How did you manage internship with studies? How did the practical exposure compliment the theoretical knowledge imparted to you in college?

    Back then in Symbiosis, internships were only allowed during breaks, which made sure there was never and conflict and balancing the internships with the mandatory attendance requirement was never a challenge.

    The court internships really helped in enhancing the nuances of the procedural laws which helped appreciate the theoretical knowledge.

    There is a huge gap between what we study and what we implement as lawyers in practice. With that being said, all the knowledge and experience in college forms a very robust base for what we lawyers are expected to do at work.

    Do you consider pursuing higher studies after graduation? How important is it for a lawyer to go for higher studies? Were you inclined at any time, towards the civil services?

    Not really till now. Although I feel certifications in specialized fields can add a lot of value to the entire candidature for future opportunities. Higher studies in my view, is helpful if you are looking for a career shift like teaching, MBA, etc. Higher studies can also buy you time in case you are inclined towards exams like civil services, judiciary etc.

    A civil services exam is a different ball game and students must start preparation while in law school as the time period of five years is a huge opportunity in itself. No doubt it is a brilliant career choice.

    Tell us something about lawyerouno.com.

    Lawyerouno is my love-child that I started three years back, just to give something back to the community. It is a platform which connects people looking for lawyers to lawyers for free. We have lawyers from over 60 cities on the portal. We started the venture with a social outlook and we are still trying to be true to it. The basic thought, behind the idea was to provide young lawyers who want to set up their practice, an opportunity to connect with clients. We are also planning a few products on the portal to provide competitive pricing advantage to the clients.

    How difficult was it for you to connect and convince different lawyers to register on lawyerouno.com?

    As the registration for lawyers on the portal was free and the intention was to provide them with an opportunity to connect with the clients, I actually did not face any resistance from them, although the technology for some senior lawyers was a challenge, which we circumvented by assisting them with a unique live chat support feature.

    What is the international financial situation owing to upcoming regulations and situations?

    My current role in TCS involves setting up of compliance support practice for financial sector clients. The financial world ever since the 2008 crisis is in a state of flux. The regulatory authorities are driving regulatory dynamism as an instrument of change. The more they want to be in control the tougher it is getting for the companies. The Brexit will spur a marked shift for financial companies trading or headquartered in the UK. The companies are vying for the regulatory advantage and gearing up their compliance departments for various new regulations like Mifid II, EMIR, Basel 3 etc. More the regulations better it is for us! All in all it is looking good for the lawyers in the compliance sphere.

    Would you say that the work environment at an LPO is completely different from a law firm?

    Although my current profile is consulting, my initial experience with Thomson Reuters in the LPO sphere convinced me that whatever notion we as law students have about LPOs is completely unfounded. In fact if you are looking for a career in corporate as opposed to litigation, LPO is a very good option as it provides you with the right learning opportunities, international exposure and a good work life balance. Several of my colleagues are now well-placed in the field of contracts and forensics with various fortune 500 companies and start-ups. Right after my stint with TR in the Compliance department, I was involved with a start-up Mind Merchants for setting up their global compliance practice, which started with 3 people and is now already 45+, hence my experience within LPO spurred my growth as a legal professional. The stark difference between the work cultures that I see between these industries is the autonomy and independence that any year 1-3 associate gets at an early stage in their career.

    What were your objectives and plans in the preliminary years of the law school?

    As any other student in the initial years the motive was to have fun and explore the college life to the Tee. It is the only in the penultimate and the final year, that I decided to chalk out a plan for myself. The plan was to identify what I enjoyed more, hence most of my firm internships were in those years which made me sure that I did not see it as my life choice.

    Lastly, what message would you leave for our budding lawyers?

    I urge students to explore themselves as much as possible instead of following treaded path blindly and choose what is best for them as a life choice rather than a career choice. Try not to be bound by what you hear, but channelize your choices around what you experience. Five years of law school is an opportunity, so use it well. All the best!

  • Biplab Lenin, Consultant, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, on building up expertise in Intellectual Property Rights

    Biplab Lenin, Consultant, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, on building up expertise in Intellectual Property Rights

    Biplab Lenin graduated from Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual property law (2009-2012). He is a qualified attorney with more than 4 years of both law firm and in-house experience in dealing with general corporate and intellectual property matters. He is registered to practice before Indian patent office and currently working with Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas at its Delhi office. His core areas of work include wide range of transactions, general advisory and intellectual property matters. He has acted on some of the significant and complex transactions that the intellectual property team has been involved with.

    In this interview he talks to us about:

    • How he build up expertise in IPR.
    • Primary essentials of a corporate lawyer.
    • Professional ethics one should follow while at work.
    • Basic subjects one should understand before sitting for an interview.

    How would you introduce yourself, given that most of our readers are law students, law aspirants or professionals in the legal arena?

    I am currently working as a Consultant with Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in New Delhi. My practice areas include intellectual property laws and corporate laws. I am a registered patent agent at Indian patent office. I completed my LL.B. from Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law (RGSOIPL) in IIT Kharagpur Campus and also hold a graduate degree in Biotechnology Engineering.

    Were you always as fascinated by the field of IP Law or was it an acquired passion that set in through your college years?

    Since my father is also a lawyer, I was never a stranger to legal discussions which my father often used to do with his friends over evening tea after a long day in Court. Nevertheless, after 12th standard I followed the crowd of students doing engineering. In the last semester of my engineering, there was a subject called ” Intellectual property Rights”. Somehow, it attracted me quite a lot mainly because it involved both technology and law. That led me to apply for the course at RGSOIPL at IIT Kharagpur. I guess I was lucky to have studied under tutelage of good teachers and in a diverse peer group that IIT offers. Though I had an inclination towards IP subjects, at the same time, I wanted to do my internships on other subjects as well. Hence, I did internships with law firms as well as corporate in the domain of general corporate law, taxation, disputes, technology transfer and intellectual property law.

    How did you build up your expertise in IPR? Tell us about your work experience.

    My first hands on training on practical aspects of law happened in my internship at Monsanto. After finishing law school, I joined Mahyco as an in-house Counsel where I worked on different IP laws like patents, trademarks, plant variety, biological diversity and technology transfer. More importantly, interactions with several eminent scientists and stalwarts in the agri-biotech domain helped me realize the importance of understanding the technical nuances of the technology involved in any IP law. My engineering education helped me a lot in this area.

    After completing three and half  years of satisfying work at Mahyco, I joined Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas at Delhi where I am working on matters related to patents, plant variety, biodiversity, transfer & assignment of Intellectual property and general corporate transactions. On litigation front, I am a part of the team which is handling patent infringement and drugs ban litigation before the Delhi high Court. 

    Tell us about your schooling and early life. What do you think are the habits that you cultivated which help you today?

    I did my schooling from Sainik School in Bhubaneswar from Class 6th till Class 12. I think the values of integrity, camaraderie which are a hallmark of the army, are ingrained in me now. Also, Sainik School gave us a lot of endurance training, which helps me when I have to work for long hours in the Firm! I feel that my school experience was also quite instrumental in putting me at ease in any group with diverse cultural backgrounds, which is helpful for an attorney whose work involves people interaction.

    How are internships helpful for a law student? What are the other options available for someone interested in IP?

    Internships have a role to play in one’s professional career as a lawyer. They help us in learning how the law is practically applied. Also, business aspects of transactions are also better appreciated in internship. Skills like corporate communication are sharpened during internship. For those who are interested in making a career in IP, I suggest doing first internship under a practicing lawyer to get a feel of our justice delivery system. It is also important to look for quality work rather than brand name. There is no point in securing an internship in a big organization where there is little work for an intern. Students can join an IP specialized law firm or corporate for doing internships.

    Having Said that, I also feel that one should not be obsessed with stuffing one’s CV with internships. It is important to remember that in college one is a “professional student”and one’s primary duty as a professional student is to study the law books and the basic concepts. What can be learnt in 10 internships over 5 years in a no-pressure situation can be learnt in 6 months in a pressure situation when one starts actually working after college. Many times these days, interns, who have finished more than 10-12 internships in their first 3-4 years of college, but unclear about fundamental legal concepts, which I believe is injustice to one’s profession as a student.

    How do you maintain your work-life balance?

    I have always had a problem with this concept which pre-supposes that work and life are different and need to be balanced. I believe the first step in achieving work-life balance is to love yourself and love your work. Luckily I do both! Presently my focus is on honing my skills. I believe I’m being paid to learn now so I’m not complaining at all! I also believe that even at a senior level people do get time for themselves while managing work and I feel this should not be a concern for us at least at the beginning of our career.

    Any extra-curricular or co-curricular activities did you take up during your time at RGSOIPL and engineering? How did the same affect your learning experience and prepare you for the legal sector?

    I participated in a few moot court competitions during my college. However, I enjoyed parliamentary debate competitions more and also participated in several case study competitions conducted at IIT Kharagpur. During my engineering days as well, I have participated in several paper and poster presentations.

    However, apart from legal skills, I used extra-curricular activities to build my communication skills and inter-personal skills. I was one of the founding members of moot court society and conducted the first parliamentary debate competition at RGSOIPL.

    During my law school days, I worked as a volunteer in an NGO named “Independent Thought” based in Delhi. The NGO works for the Eradication of Social Disparity and Injustice by promotion of Fundamental and Socioeconomic Rights. I used to assist team in doing research and preparing reports with regard to remedies on issues relating to child labour. This experience showed me the humane side of the law and it still keeps my sensitivity intact and reminds me that beyond all the paper work and legal arguments there are real people who are affected by what I do.

    Generally the first year after graduation is the most defining time of a fresh law graduate. What would you suggest a fresh law graduate should do to hold spirit and utilize the opportunities available?

    I would suggest a two-pronged approach:

    1. Many students are thinking about doing an LL.M, immediately after LLB. I feel that an LL.M. without any work experience is just an LLB with some more semesters and a thesis.
      I strongly encourage fresh graduates to take up some professional assignment of their liking instead of academics, be it with a law firm or corporate or even NGO. You’re bound to be confused, so make sure someone’s paying you in the meantime!
    2. In college, we first pay fees and then we learn. In a job, we get paid to learn. Therefore, as a paid student, learn as much as you can about different areas of law and practice. It is important to remember that most books mention “law” and “practice” separately, for example Banking Law and Practice, meaning thereby that practice is something different from mere legal provisions. This will help you in choosing a particular field or subject for your career.

    What are the primary essentials of a corporate lawyer? How do you say a fresh graduate can work on building these skills?

    I think honesty towards the client and one’s colleagues is of utmost importance. One may be low on information about a legal concept, which can be gained, but honesty must come from inside. This of course is a basic human requirement in any profession, so all law graduates must also try to imbibe these values.

    Patience is also a vital asset. One must not get affected by looking at how others are doing in the profession.

    What are the primary professional ethics you follow while at work? How do you deal with mistakes or errors?

    I believe that honesty is the best policy. If there is a mistake, one should admit immediately. Mistakes are bound to happen especially in areas where human effort is involved. In face of mistakes, first requirement is to maintain a cool head, accept a mistake has been made and then immediately start working on a solution. When I’m the team lead, I own the mistakes of my team. I think clients too appreciate such candidness.

    What are the basic subjects which one should read and have understanding of before sitting for an interview?

    From point of view of legal concepts, basic understanding of the following 5 subjects is a must for any civil lawyer regardless of any interview:-
    1. Contracts (including sale of goods and specific relief)
    2. Transfer of property
    3. Evidence
    4. Registration and stamp duty (basic concepts not details)
    5. Constitution (basic concepts)

    Thereafter, one may try to gauge the requirements of any specific interview and prepare accordingly.

    Where do you see yourself ten years down the line?

    Hopefully still on the line!! Jokes apart, my first aim is to build my expertise in my domain, which is more of an internal process. I haven’t really given a thought to any particular designation as such. But I would like to be a lawyer who has earned atleast two things – complete trust of  clients which  allows them to sleep peacefully as far as their legal worries are concerned; and respect from seniors and peers in the profession regarding my professional ethics and competence. Apart from this, designations are trivia!

    Please compare RGSOIPL with other law schools.

    RGSOIPL is a unique law school because admission itself requires a degree in technology or medicine. Being a part of IIT Kharagpur campus, it has an IIT-style admission process with entrance test, group discussion and interviews, which is a great learning in itself. It attracts students from all over the country, which helps in enriching one’s culture and view of life. Also, studying law in the IIT Kharagpur campus in the midst of the crème-de-la-crème of India’s technical brains, gave me 2 important lessons –

    • Law is an instrument to facilitate business and technology;
    • Law cannot be learnt or applied in isolation without an eagerness to learn the technical dynamics of any business.

    RGSOIPL also benefits from the infrastructure of IIT. We had access to major online legal resources like Westlaw, Manupatra and Hein online apart from books.  There are various co-curricular activities which one can pursue to unwind from demanding course schedule.

    How is your experience in working as In house and then shifting to law firm?

    Being an In-house counsel helps to learn the significance of law as a toll for business. However, I would advise to have law firm and court experience at the initial stages of the career and learn court proceedings and allied matters and then shifting to in-house.

    Shifting from In-house to a law firm is tough from a work pressure point of view. Also, subject experts are readily available when you are working in-house, which may not be the case in a law firm full of mostly lawyers. Anyone who wishes to develop a very particular specialization should work in in-house IP department. Law firm gives you a more diversified work. Needless to say, law firm working hours are more strenuous. However, learning as well as growth is much speedier in a law firm.

    What would be your parting message to our readers?

    An excellent CGPA is always good. However, it is important to co-curricular and extracurricular activities as well. Read as much as you can. Take risks when it is required. It is not necessary that every risk you take will result in success. There will be failures too.

    It is important to not think too seriously about oneself and one’s so-called reputation etc. while taking professional decisions. I think the most vital part is that one should feel good both as a human being and a lawyer.

     

  • Arush Sengupta, counsel based out of Delhi on college experience, CGPA and career on litigation

    Arush Sengupta, counsel based out of Delhi on college experience, CGPA and career on litigation

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    Arush Sengupta is an alumnus of Symbiosis Law School Pune, Symbiosis International University who graduated in the year 2012. Currently working under Mr. Anil Shrivastav, Advocate on Record at Supreme Court of India, he can be best described as a practicing counsel based out of Delhi.

    In this interview he talks about –

    • His college experience
    • The importance of CGPAs and co-curricular activities in shaping one’s career
    • His take on litigation
    • Preparing to shape one’s future career while still being in college.

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    Arush Sengupta, SLS Pune Batch of 2007-12, currently pursuing litigation in New Delhi.

    What is your work profile like?

    I work under Mr. Anil Shrivastav, Advocate on Record at the Supreme Court and have been exposed to a wide variety of matters under his guidance and supervision. My work profile involves assisting him with research, drafting and framing of arguments in matters at the Supreme Court, High Court of Delhi, the Central Administrative Tribunal and the National Green Tribunal, among others. The issues we deal with range from disputes arising out of rules governing government servants to border disputes between states, and a number of things in between.  While most of this is in the capacity of a junior, on occasion there are briefs which my senior lets me handle with a great degree of independence and autonomy which exponentially increases the rate of development of one’s skills. Additionally, I try to freelance and get my own matters and clientele, which is challenging work with uncertain outcomes but integral to the process of becoming an independent practitioner.  Out of the latter category, an interesting matter that I am currently engaged in arises out of discrepancies in export documentation under the Customs Act wherein a senior official has been implicated by the CBI and various proceedings connected with it are underway at diverse forums, ranging from the CBI Court to the Rajasthan High Court. Taking up this matter has resulted in fantastic learning, since I got familiar with several laws and procedures that I was not previously aware of.

    What would you say sets SLS, Pune apart from the other law schools in the country?

    I suppose strictly in terms of academics there would be not much to choose from between a set of similarly ranked institutions. However SLS did not provide accommodation within the old campus on SB Road, and consequently we started living independently in the city from the day we landed in Pune. In retrospect, this made a massive difference since we were exposed to the legal aspects of day to day living such as rent agreements, motor vehicle rules and so on. Every now and then one had to deal with the friendly neighbourhood policemen when music at house parties got too loud or when bikes on the way home from the said parties were too fast. If one was fond of such activities invariably the need for finding loopholes in attendance rules, exam rules, etc. would arise. While we were in college it was all part of the fun and games associated with student life out of one’s home town, but I realise now that these experiences equipped a lot of us with problem solving skills, the ability to think on our feet and  familiarized us with the patterns and systems of various laws, rules and regulations. All these soft skills gained inadvertently have helped me immensely and I daresay that had we been a part of a regular residential campus these experiences would have been hard to come by.

    How much do moots, research paper publications impact one’s employability or desirability?

    These activities are very helpful. Perhaps, the value addition that takes place from participating in a moot or writing a research paper is not immediately tangible; except for those who apply for higher studies after college. However, mooting helps in developing public speaking skills, framing logically consistent arguments and the ability to research on tricky topics and obscure points of law. Paper publications create awareness of issues which may not be covered in great depth in the mainstream curriculum. At the very least, mooting and paper publications would definitely help students who have participated in these activities approach real life cases and legal issues with confidence. Personally I draw from my mooting experiences when it comes to figuring out where to look for relevant material or applying arguments and analysis to different matters. Interacting with fellow students, teachers and legal professionals at inter-college moots and other similar events is a good way of getting to know people from the legal fraternity and my inter-personal skills improved as a result of these interactions.
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    Do additional qualifications like LLM, MBA, CA, CS, Diplomas help in getting the Job or getting promoted?

    Yes they do. All other things being equal, additional academic qualifications help to distinguish a resume’ from others to a great extent. The potential of an added degree or diploma is maximized if it largely compatible with the areas of interest and work experience on the resume’.

    What will be some challenges faced by freshers and how can they grow within the profession as a lawyer?

    On the basis of my limited experience, I would say that a big challenge is to cope with the sheer magnitude of the legal profession in terms of the number of areas of specialization that one can opt for, the levels and rungs of the court structure, the breadth of knowledge that is required (and should ideally be aspired to for its own sake also) as well as the seemingly innumerable channels of being recruited. It is difficult to make optimum career choices on being faced with such a wide range of options, especially since the information available about the various dimensions of the profession is at times skewed and prone to a high degree of subjectivity, especially for first generation lawyers. As is said often, there is no uniform and standardized method of achieving success as a lawyer. Common questions like whether one is better suited for law firms or litigation, what area of specialization to opt for, whether an MBA is preferable to an LLM in certain cases and so on; are best answered keeping in mind one’s unique strengths and weaknesses rather than on the basis of the conventional wisdom of the day.

     

    Tell us about your internship experiences. How did you choose your internships? How early did you apply? Are there any things that an applicant must keep in mind?

    I never had an overwhelming preference for any one dimension or branch of the legal profession, so the motive behind my internships was to explore as many different kinds of work environments as I could so as to be able to decide what suited me best. I did 5 internships, at Sanderson & Morgan-a prominent law firm in Kolkata, Price Waterhouse Cooper (Kolkata), under Advocate (Justice) Sandip Mehta at the Rajasthan High Court, at APJ-SLG Law Group- a firm specialising in WTO legislations and international trade in Delhi and finally under my current senior, Advocate Anil Shrivastav at the Supreme Court. I really enjoyed my stint with APJ since I am fascinated by international trade, the WTO and other aspects of international trade and economics and laws relating thereto. However I concluded that it might limit the development of my skills if I entered full time into such a niche branch of law at the very outset, especially without a relevant post grad degree; since the level of academic know how required seemed to be marginally greater than in other branches of the legal profession. That being said it is a field I would be interested in entering at some stage in my career, upon becoming qualified to do so. My final internship under Mr. Shrivastav was also very fruitful since he constantly encouraged me to think and form opinions about a case independently and even allowed me to draft and frame arguments for certain matters, which are responsibilities that seniors are usually hesitant to entrust interns or even associates with. After graduation, I also worked at the chambers of Sr Adv Tilak Bose in Kolkata and as an associate at the firm R.L. Gaggar & Co, which allowed me to gain an insight into the difference between practicing as a litigating lawyer and working at a law firm. Applicants should keep in mind that it is equally important to experiment and get exposed to different kinds of work environments and at the same type keep looking out for places which might have potential for longer term employment and strike a balance between the two.

    How important is a CGPA for recruiters to assess students? How did you maintain a balance between a good academic record at university and your extracurricular activities?

    The CGPA is actually a good indicator of a student’s performance as far as corporate recruiters are concerned since it provides an indication of the academic merit of a potential employee in relation to his entire peer group, as opposed to isolated grades or percentages. This is true especially in the phase immediately after college, when applicants for entry level posts have no substantial work experience to speak off. However it is by no means the only criterion used to select candidates and a good track record vis-a-vis moots, paper presentations, internships and so on also help strengthen one’s candidature for recruitment. Later on, prior work experience becomes a more important factor. Most litigating professionals on the other hand believe, with plenty of justification; that real learning begins after college so it is relatively less of a determining factor if one opts to work at the chambers of a senior after college. Coming to the second part of the question, while my grades are not abysmal, I could have probably balanced co-curricular activities and academics much better than I did. For everyone in law school who is as into moots, MUNs and debates as I was, there will sometimes be at least a slight trade off between grades and pursuance of co-curricular activities, unless you happen to be one of those rare geniuses who excel at absolutely everything. However I wouldn’t exchange the skills and experience I gained from taking part in these events for a few extra decimal points on the final mark sheet, and to the best of my knowledge the same would hold true for most people who pursued similar interests. Most of us who spent a lot of time debating or mooting and MUNing have been fairly well rewarded for the value addition that took place as a result.

    What has been the driving force behind choosing litigation over a well-paying corporate job?

    I enjoyed taking part in moot courts, debates and MUNs in college so in a way a career in litigation is a natural extension of that since it involves elements of public speaking, framing arguments and researching on various issues to a far greater extent than a corporate job. I also feel that the best way to utilise a five year undergrad law degree is to be working in the courts as a practicing advocate. Despite the initial phase of struggle with low pay that it usually involves, it maximises the potential for professional growth. However this opinion is purely personal and subjective and others may have equally or even more compelling reasons for opting for law firms, companies etc. Also, I haven’t ruled out an MBA later on. If I eventually do one, I will re-assess my options since at that stage I could look at corporate jobs beyond the somewhat limited spheres of a legal officer or an executive in a company secretarial role.

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    The alumni of any college are often regarded as one of the reasons behind the institute’s success. An active alumni base being of utmost importance, how closely does SLS work with the alumni and in what ways?

    We have a very active alumni network, with frequent reunions and alumni meets. Outside the formal channels too, we have a strong alumni network and I have found seniors and even batchmates and juniors to be extremely helpful and supportive. As far as working closely with SLS goes; from helping students during moots to assisting graduates who are new in the profession with career choices and decisions, the alumni plays an important part in ensuring that the transition from law school to the legal profession is smooth. The legal profession can be intimidating for newcomers and it is always comforting to have people one was at college with as your colleagues in the profession.

    Lastly, do you have any suggestions for students on how to deal and pick from the pandora’s box of legal specializations?

    In as much as choosing an area of specialisation goes I would say keep an open mind and keep learning about various spheres of law. It is important to go beyond the surface if one is to make an informed decision in this regard. For instance, when we first entered college, a lot of people were fascinated with IPR laws and wanted to explore career options in the field. However some of them later discovered that patent laws involved dealing with complicated industrial designs, chemical compounds and other things which require one to be comfortable with physics, chemistry and so on in addition to just the law. On the other hand, tax is a subject that many people find distasteful in college because it is assumed to be a lot of maths, but now I see a few of my friends as well as seniors in the profession who practice tax law and find it fascinating as well as lucrative.

    How would you advise a law student if one has to start on to preparing for a career while in college? Any parting words of wisdom to our readers?

    I will repeat that there is no fixed or ‘one-size fits all’ way in the legal profession, so there is a strong case to be made for assessing your strengths, weaknesses, areas of interest and then moulding your career accordingly. For example, sports law (often coupled with sports management), media law and laws relating to international relations and global governance are emerging fields and involve work in spheres that many people are inherently passionate about and even though they may not yet be conventional areas of practice, I see colleagues do really well at these because they were already interested in the subject matter. Some of my seniors have advised me to not limit myself in the initial stages and gain diversity of work experience, because only thus can one get a grasp of the full spectrum of opportunities that a career in law affords. This approach has worked for me, and I would recommend it especially to those who are inclined towards litigation.

  • Saptarshi Banerjee, counsel at Calcutta High Court on litigation after graduation

    Saptarshi Banerjee, counsel at Calcutta High Court on litigation after graduation

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    Saptarshi Banerjee is an alumnus of School of Law, Christ University, Bengaluru who graduated in the year 2013. During his college days he was interested in many things, few of them being Chess, Politics of India. Like a Bengali,he is quite fond of the trademark and Quintessential Bengali “Adda” and is a connoisseur of food, especially anything that is deep fried. Unlike many others, he was part of various cells and committees of his college in order to satisfy his interest in multiple law subjects. From an early stage of his career he has had an intention of joining litigation. Starting under the tutelage and watchful eyes of Advocate Ratnanko Banerjee, currently he can be described as a practicing counsel based out of Kolkata.

    In this interview he talks about –

    • His career in litigation
    • His work experience
    • His take on litigation and life
    • His future career plan

    HELLO SAPTARSHI, BEING A LAWYER, I GUESS YOU ARE NOT ALIEN TO THE CONCEPT OF THE SUPERLAWYER AND ITS READERS. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF?

    For the purposes of this interview, let me introduce myself as an extremely surprised (pleasantly though) person as well as extremely humbled on being asked for this interview.

     

    TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS.

    Oh! As a child I was someone whose guardians have been called innumerable number of times. The kind of child whose pranks and mischief are renowned subjects in the neighbourhood. Often, I was regarded as a rebel for my affinity with logic.

     

    DID YOU TAKE PART IN THE MOOT COURT ACTIVITIES?

    Yes I did. My first year was horrible and from second to my fifth year I have always been within the top five teams in our internals but believe it or not I could not go to any of the moots. I did get the runners up trophy in the Rizvi college moot in my second year but I had not been able to go for that either. It was my team that went and I researched. It’s most unfortunate and possibly one of the rare things in my life I would change, if I could live it again.

     

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    TODAY EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE OFFICE OF RENOWNED LAW OFFICES AND MNC’S, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE LITIGATION? DID YOU GET ANY MOTIVATION FROM SOMEONE TO JOIN THE LITIGATION?

    Too many questions there! Yes I did have motivation. My maternal side of the family always wanted me to take up the mantle from my grandfather. They had tried it with my uncle, my mother, my elder brother and the result was never quite to their liking. I was their fourth attempt and I too had passed on the idea quite early. I like the profession but hated the big fat books from an early age. It was rather in the final year of school when my school counselor impressed with my analysis and my keenness at debating prompted the idea. And it was at this time that the idea stuck around with me. I too had my moments of wanting to repeat a Sachin Tendulkar or take up flying kind of ambitions but then law happened and I am very happy about it. In fact another major factor that drove me towards a career in litigation is my intent to join politics at a latter part of my life. I believe a successful career in law is an ideal stepping stone to a second innings in politics. Well the job thing was never really a factor; I did not even take my placements seriously. The one interview I sat for, I had clarified to them that I was not interested to continue unless they were involving me in real time litigation. In fact ever since the first day at law school, or rather from the first moment I decided to settle for law school, I knew I wanted to see myself arguing in that black robe before a judge. And also knowing full well that every word I speak can either make or break someone’s life, someone’s fortune.

     

    IF COMING TO LITIGATION WAS A PRE-DECIDED CAREER OPTION, HOW DID YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE SAME? WHAT ARE THE SKILLS THAT YOU LEARN BEFORE JOINING LITIGATION? WHAT ACCORDING TO YOU ARE THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BECOME A LITIGATOR?

    There is no standard rule for litigation. No thumb rule at all. To me it’s a lifestyle and you better figure out your own set of lock and keys to that lifestyle. Fali Nariman in Before Memory Fades, gives a sound piece of advice for juniors at the bar. He advises one to think more on a matter than he reads up on it. Litigation is actually dealing with people and words. And every matter, every argument is slightly different from the others. It’s really who thinks of it differently and with more clarity. One cannot have a set rule for that.

    KINDLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH THE BAR EXAM.

    That’s one exam I wouldn’t mind appearing for another time as long as time is not a consideration. It can be described as absolute circus, pure entertainment, invigilators quite insecure in front of the invigilated. It’s a classic example of how to waste time and public money because the people at the helm have to once in a while create the illusion of them being at work. Whether such work achieves the purpose or not is the least of their consideration.

     

    HOW IS YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE SO FAR IN LITIGATION? HOW ARE THE SCOPES OF LITIGATION AT THE PRESENT SITUATION?

    It is humbling, satisfying, intellectually stimulating but at the same time very grueling and at times ruthlessly heartbreaking. The scopes are as broad as they can get in a recession free industry, but one has to have the gut for it or should have parents to be able to pay for all the hardships. Whether you are successful here or not does not depend on the industry. It depends on how industrious one is and broadly speaking three other things.

    1) The senior you chose and if he/she believes that you are one of his/her responsibility

    2) The family you come from. Not because without one you are destined to fail but exactly because of the opposite. With one you are destined to be safe and sound for the rest of your life.

    3) Your own ability to fall back and get up on your feet. I don’t mean it in the romantic way that it sounds but more in the brute way that it is.

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    HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH THE CHAMBER OF ADVOCATE RATNANKO BANERJEE?

    I am very proud of my association with his chambers. He has been extremely kind to me and I find myself privileged to work under him. I have no hesitation in accepting how much I owe to him. Very honestly, he is a strict mentor, sometimes extremely scary. But during the few lighter moments that we share as a chamber I see that he does it mostly with a feeling of affection. He will make me feel like terrible news and sometimes I will actually in the heart of my hearts hate him for that. But I know that tomorrow if I do well and if I have it in me to do well at the bar, he will be proud.

    CONSIDERING THE HUGE PENDENCY OF CASES IN COURTS, HOW DO YOU THINK THE PROBLEM CAN BE MITIGATED, IF NOT SOLVED?

    I think it’s a downward slope, especially under the current political disposition. After the emergency this is the first time we hear so much clamor in the judiciary as well as in the media. It’s high time to speed up appointments throughout the judicial structure and encourage the use of technology in all departments. If this does not happen soon we will be at a point of no return. I am a firm believer of the fact that this country has gone through many upheavals and one of the few institutions that have held it up from breaking away is the Judiciary. No point in blaming certain individual judges. They come from within the collective that we are, and they are as good or as bad as we get. Sometimes slow, sometimes arrogant, sometimes even ignorant. But there has always been the will and the bar too has played a responsible part so to speak. But nowadays no one is paying attention to the need of speedy appointments. I say the bar associations have a responsibility and must bring the government down to its knee unless all courts have 95% of vacancies filled. Off course I am not advising that bar should influence appointments but the bar should indeed act as a pressure group to ensure that the courts are optimally functional. It’s not the battle of the judiciary alone.

     

    WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU FEEL IN WORKING AS A JUNIOR LAWYER IN KOLKATA HIGH COURT?

    Honestly money. And I think there is a strong contingent of old school believers who don’t expect a junior to do well unless he is five to seven years into the bar. So the first five years are a struggle.

    WHAT IS YOUR AVERAGE DAILY WORK-TIME LIKE?

    I am not as diligent as many. I survive. But when I am in full swing I am easily working fourteen to sixteen hours in a day. First, court then the chambers and finally your own research or your own drafting. You cannot neglect your independent work. In fact you hope that the independent work increases because that is what you are ultimately going to ride on.

    CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH OUR READERS THE INTERNSHIPS YOU HAVE UNDERTAKEN DURING YOUR COLLEGE LIFE? HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FIND INTERNSHIPS UNDERTAKEN IN YOUR COLLEGE LIFE IN YOUR LITIGATION CAREER?

    I knew I would be in litigation and I knew I would start from Kolkata. Most people do not know of it so early and it makes sense for them to go out and try variety. But with my conviction in the things I wanted to do, I interned in Kolkata all through and all of them litigation based. I never sent out a single CV to any law firm. Much later in my life I have kind of toyed with the idea of trying something different but I could not give up on litigation. Let’s see what follows next. Because now I am also kind of open to the idea of trying at Delhi but I guess I will focus on building something in Kolkata first. But that too has to be a good lit based offer that can make me leave Kolkata.

    DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIALITY IN YOUR PRACTICE? OR IS IT GENERAL PRACTICE?

    As a junior counsel you don’t have any expertise and you should not have a speciality. You must do everything. I certainly do. But yes more often you will find yourself more exposed to the branch your senior is an expert of and hence I do end up doing more commercial litigation than any other.

     

    FROM A LAW STUDENT TO LAWYER, HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE THE TRANSITION?

    A lawyer is as much a law student just that he starts to learn the art of teaching himself.

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    RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS –

     

    ANY RED-LETTER DAY IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR –

    Yes when I took up this matter pro bono for a govt employee who had superannuated under suspension and had a stiff situation at home. He himself was a heart patient and had a specially abled son and his medical expenses to take care off. The family of four was living out of an income of eight thousand rupees a month along with all the hostilities life had to offer them. His daughter had approached me through Facebook. With the help of a senior I did get him all his arrears which amounted to something around Rupees fifteen lakhs and that was huge for him. A month later he visits me with five thousand rupees and a box of sweets. Initially I declined the payment but later realised that it means a lot for him to be able to pay me that money and so I humbly accepted. Till now one of the best moments of my life.

     

    IS THERE ANY CASE THAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION ABOUT LITIGATION AND ALSO ABOUT JUDICIARY?

    Yes the Hok Kolorob case. Having organised the students and having shared in their expectations it was most unfortunate to see and be a part of it the way the entire thing transpired. However I shall not say anymore on this because it involves a lot many other issues too.

    MOST CHALLENGING SITUATION OR CASE FACED –

    A case is not challenging as such based on the merits. At least for me as a lawyer, I believe that my case is my case and my client is my client. I have to do the best I can do with that. But the challenge is often in situations inside the courtroom and your ability to muster enough presence of mind to see the situation through. For example when you are supposed to be led by a senior and he gets caught up in another court. I have faced that challenge a couple of times and have fared decently. In fact on both occasions I got the orders my client was looking for.
    But yes the Hok Kolorob case and the ongoing Writ Petition of Calcutta Stock Exchange against SEBI are two matters that have given me insights I will treasure.

     

    ANY UNPLEASANT SITUATION –

    Many but not fair to float them in public space. Either I will have to blame an individual or I will have to end up explaining my own actions. Neither of which I enjoy. So I shall pass.

     

    DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAN OF PURSUING HIGHER STUDIES IN NEAR FUTURE?

    I always wanted to study in JNU may be get a masters in Political Science. But that’s more for the experience. I think student life in Delhi is worth the years that it takes.

     

    WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOURSELF 5 – 10 YEARS FROM TODAY?

    I don’t know. Honestly don’t want to think about it. I just want financial stability, a few opportunities to be able to contribute to the society and do cases that leave one with a sense of satisfaction and feeling of content. If I can do the above I am sure riches, glamour and luxury will follow in due course.

    ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE READERS?

    If by readers you mean law students then I would really not want you to read this expecting to gain unforeseen insights. May be the trick is to understand that life as a lawyer is full of reality and chances. It’s not as funny as Vinny’s cousin but it surely is a lot of fun. It will disappoint you immensely if you take up this life expecting to consistently close like Alan Shore or Harvey Spectre. But if you let this life dawn upon you with a feeling that you do know a bit and there is still much more to know, you will enjoy the ride.

     

  • Shikhar Thukral, Legal Officer, Bharat Petroleum, on LL.M from Boalt Hall and work experience at a PSU

    Shikhar Thukral, Legal Officer, Bharat Petroleum, on LL.M from Boalt Hall and work experience at a PSU

    Shikhar Thukral graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai in 2013. Upon graduation, he joined Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai as a legal officer, and has stayed in that position since. In 2015, he completed a Professional LL.M programme from the Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California. He has interned in leading law firms such as Crawford Bayley & Co., and Luthra and Luthra Law Offices while pursuing his LLB degree.

    In this interview he discusses:

    • Law as a tool of social change and his motivation for pursuing it
    • The reason why knowing corporate laws is important even from a social perspective
    • His experience with pursuing a Professional LL.M
    • His publication on Section 377 of the IPC.

     

    Tell us a little about why you decided to pursue Law. Has this always been your career plan?

    I come from a family of doctors, which would make one presume that the medical profession was my natural calling. However, of my own volition I decided to ‘don a black coat’, as I always believed in law as an agent of social change. I would like to share a story from my school days which I believe is a precursor to my decision of choosing the legal profession. During my 12th standard I was actively taking part in heading the student body and making representations to our Principal for our needs. We came across an instance were some of the school faculty were offering private tuitions to the students. The students who were availing those tuitions had secured good marks in their pre-board terms and other students, though meritorious, were deprived of marks. I personally brought this to the notice of the school management with a detailed written representation, and finally a decision was taken that such tuitions should be stopped. I chose to study law in the hopes that I will be able to represent the community at large for more such social reforms.

     

    You have worked with several top tier firms. How do you think your experience with them has shaped your approach to the profession?

    Working with law firms gave me a firsthand knowledge of how to deal with clients in a professional manner. I still leverage that experience in my current role dealing with in-house clients. Moreover, in a law firm environment you cater to different industries whereas working for a company restricts you to a single domain. The law firm paradigm helped me understand that the legal profession is very competitive. However, there is scope for everyone to reach up to a certain level. Beyond that, earning a good reputation chiefly depends on your networking skills with clients.

     

    Have you always been interested in Contract Law and Corporate Law? How did you choose your specialisations?

    shikhar-thukral-2As I have stated earlier, that my ultimate ambition to pursue law was to necessitate advocacy for social change. However over the years I have learnt that it is also important to know the other side of the story. We often keep hearing that “big oil”, “big tobacco”, and “big bank” companies control the economy of the country. A reform, however laudable its social objectives are, cannot disjoint itself from economic objectives. To accomplish such objectives, it was vital for me to engage my faculties in corporate and commercial laws too. Also, I must candidly admit that as an immigrant in Mumbai, my survival from a fiscal point of view had to be taken care of and the pursuit of noble objectives of socio-economic reforms were not rewarding financially. Hence, my decision to engage in studies of Commercial and Corporate law are attributed to both these reasons. Nevertheless, I have not deterred from my initial ambition. I intend to do more social studies and ultimately work towards achieving social reforms. What I am doing currently is only a stepping stone to what I intend to accomplish later

     

    You presented a paper on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. What is your stance on the issue as it currently stands?

    Now, a great deal depends on the outcome of the curative petitions which are currently pending before the Supreme Court of India on this issue. I have always maintained the stand that a person’s orientation is a basic liberty which should be protected by the contours of fundamental rights in our Constitution. It is quite heartening to see that conservationist groups are also now supporting this position. I was disappointed by the outcome of the efforts undertaken by Shri Shashi Tharoor when his proposal to strike down the provision failed in the Union Legislature. However a new CJI has given us hopes that the LGBT community can survive in the society without any fear of persecution. I must add here that there are some pragmatic limitations on every liberty. I believe in decriminalization but that should not lead to glorification. “Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.”

     

    You have worked extensively with Public Sector Undertakings as an in-house-counsel. Can you tell us about your experience with that? What do you think young lawyers aspiring for the same should always keep in mind?

    It is indeed a very good environment to work and the work load is fairly manageable. Your innovativeness in providing legal solutions, especially in supply chain/product companies would be greatly rewarded.  There is tremendous opportunity to learn and you will also be exposed to important and high stake matters from the very start of your career. I remember giving advice on a 100 Million USD transaction in the first three months of my work. You will also be subjected to soft skill trainings on a regular basis to develop your personality. As an in-house counsel for a Public Sector Undertaking, one must keep in mind that you are discharging a public duty and it is enjoined upon you to be fair and impartial in all your dealings. You will undoubtedly be bound to support the Corporation’s stand, but counsels must be firm in their advice to deter certain practices. It is indeed quite a tough call to make and sometimes your advice will be superseded. I would advice my brethren intending to join a PSU to be accommodating and tolerant in such scenarios. Your passion and devil’s advocacy may be put to test.

     

    As a lawyer, it is very important to be able to negotiate with clients. How do you build the rapport required for that?

    I have always felt that a personal connection with the client aides towards that end. Before meetings, I usually research on the participants and I try to engage in informal conversations on their likes and dislikes by relating them with myself. Try to exhibit a personal interest in your clients as it helps in building trust. I must also modestly admit that I have a very good sense of humour and that comes in handy while building connections. Even if someone is sitting across the table in the capacity of an opposite party, there is no harm in making an enquiry into their character, business and whereabouts. You never know they may be your client tomorrow

     

    Tell us a little about your time as a Law Student. How did you prioritise your time?

    I must state that I have been a good student, though I spent most of my time as a vagabond in Mumbai. The hostel life caught up to me and I thoroughly enjoyed the same for the first two years. After my pre-law (B.L.S) years, I engaged myself in internships as at that time I thought that in this profession, experience counts more that education. However I never stopped studying and devoted my nights studying the subjects. I also engaged myself as a remedial lecturer in the Government Law College, teaching the pre-law subject Logic to students. I prioritised my time to ensure that my days are devoted towards internships and nights for studies. The weekends were always devoted to leisure.

     

    After pursuing your B.L.S. and then LL.B from Government Law College, Mumbai, you went on to obtain a professional LL.M. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley. Tell us a little about the application process, and how you got in.

    The application process was indeed a harrowing experience as a lot of things had to be arranged over a short period of time. Apart from the application form, you needed a Statement of Purpose, Reference Letters (academic and professional), transcripts, college degrees etc. At the same time I was also working in my current role and so was overwhelmed initially. However when my Corporation supported me to pursue this, I left no stone unturned to ensure that I got through. I was chiefly selected on my academic performance and my SOP for which I was also awarded a tuition fees scholarship. I would recommend that readers aspiring to join the University do their research on the programme as this is a programme split over two summers and is meant for working professionals. The readers may please refer to llbguide.com to know more about the programme and make an informed decision. The application process is clearly explained on lsac.com and the applications can be made from there.

     

    In your opinion, how exactly did an LL.M. from abroad benefit you? What was your thought process in deciding to go abroad?

    Doing an LL.M. from any foreign University completely changes your perception of studies as compared to India. Speaking from my experience at Berkeley, I must say that the manner of education abroad is far superior. An LL.M. from a foreign University indeed helped me in my current role as I am regularly applying the knowledge gained therewith to my current work-profile. Moreover, it increases your marketability in India and abroad as a candidate for jobs, though not initially but after achieving 3-5 years PQE. Also, the connections that you make there will benefit you and your organization greatly. Today I can safely say that I am in touch with a lawyer in every major city in the world and my Corporation is also availing their facilities. I chiefly intended to go abroad to experience a full-fledged University style of learning. As I mentioned earlier, I did not attend much of my college in Mumbai as I was busy in internships. Coupled with the scholarship, it was a win-win situation and I was able to gain a firsthand experience of learning in one of the most prestigious law colleges in the world.

     

    For other aspiring students with their sights set on foreign universities, what do you think is essential for them to keep in mind?

    Foreign Universities are meant to impart learning and should not be viewed as an investment to secure better job prospects. There are many benefits you can gain from foreign Universities. One should experience learning in such an environment to assess where they stand as compared to the world. I understand it is a time consuming and costly endeavour, however for students who really wish to understand law from an international perspective must pursue such opportunities. One must also keep in mind that the experience itself will change how you think about the legal profession.

     

    The progression of your career seems to be a constant upward slope. How did you plan it? Did you have a set plan from day one?

    You are very kind to have made such an observation. I must admit that I never planned how all pieces will fall into place, but yes I had a broad plan in mind from day one. Like I said earlier, my ultimate ambition is fixed and I am working in a phased manner to achieve that objective till date. It involves both learning and working simultaneously. I am still in the nascent stages of my career and I hope that I continue on the path of achieving my dream. What is important to set your eyes on an objective and pursue the same diligently.

     

    What do you think are the key elements to focus on with regards to planning one’s career?

    The elements will keep on changing with passage of time. First and foremost comes your education which will give you merit to enter into your career. Selecting the right educational path will determine where you land up ultimately. The second is your working. One must decide whether they wish to work for someone or work for oneself. In practical terms for our profession the same translates to working for a law firm/company or working as a practicing advocate. Self-assessment is very important to decide on the two aspects and making the correct choice. In working, the most important element especially for the legal profession is sincerity. In this profession a lot comes from experience and one can only accomplish the same through sincerity.

     

    What message would you like to give our young readers?

    Experience everything that life has to offer you. The good, the bad and the ugly. Keep an open mind always.

    I would also like to express my sincerest thanks to Super Lawyer for considering me for this interview and I wish them and their readers immense success in all their ventures. It is really encouraging to see profiles of so many people from our profession and learn from the same. Keep up the good work.

     

  • Ojasvita Srivastava, Senior Manager – Legal, Reliance Communications, on LL.M from QMUL, writing journals, and Project Abhimanyu

    Ojasvita Srivastava, Senior Manager – Legal, Reliance Communications, on LL.M from QMUL, writing journals, and Project Abhimanyu

    Ojasvita Srivastava graduated from V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, Goa University (2005-2010). She is a qualified lawyer and an experienced in-house counsel with experience in litigation, arbitration and corporate compliance. She is presently a Senior Manager in the Legal department at Reliance Communications where she deals with Telecom Litigation.

    She pursued an LL.M in Commercial and Corporate Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, where she served as the Communication and Media Coordinator of her specialisation- Commercial and Corporate Law.

    Ojasvita was also the Co-Founder and Chief Editor of the ‘The Sophists’, Queen Mary Law and Business Journal, which publishes articles on Law, Business and Politics. She contributes articles on Indian economy and legal developments to this journal. She also edits and contributes articles to the monthly Postgraduate Newsletter of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, London.

    In this interview she talks to us about:

    • Challenges associated with being an in-house counsel.
    • Project Abhimanyu – providing free guidance to law students who do not come from a law background.
    • Services provided under the project “Abhimanyu”.
    • Skills and qualities that helped her achieving the current position.

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    I work as a Senior Manager in the Legal and Regulatory Department at Reliance Communications in New Delhi. I handle cases related to telecom, broadcasting and infrastructure disputes before the Supreme Court, various High Courts, the Telecom Tribunal (TDSAT) and various arbitrators, while occasionally getting involved in M&A work and contract vetting. I have a keen interest in litigation and have previously practiced before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, and various District courts in Delhi.

     

    What made you choose the legal profession as your career option?

    Pursuing law as a career was a last minute decision. I was a student of the Science stream till class XII. Like the rest of my class, I too wrote the AIEEE and did well. I had a state ranking of 37 in Engineering and 7 in Architecture. However, I disliked Chemistry and didn’t want to read a word of it ever again in my life. As I was trying to figure out what to do with my career, I met my mentor, Adv. Vilas P. Thali. He is the former Additional Advocate General of Goa and is a specialist in election laws. After meeting him I was inspired to pursue law. I wrote the entrance exam for V. M. Salgaocar College of Law on 14th June, 2005 and joined his office as an intern on 15th June, 2005. I interned there for more than 3 years spending close to 6 hours a day in his office and visiting courts, meeting clients as well as attending sessions of briefing senior counsels (even though I was just a 12th pass student). I topped the entrance exam at my college and continued to perform well. As a result, I was awarded the merit scholarship throughout my LLB course and paid nothing in tuition fee! Although the joy of saving money was more than offset; thanks to my LLM at Queen Mary, University at London.

    As I am a first generation lawyer, my family was not in favour of me pursuing law as a career. However, I convinced them otherwise and became the only girl in my entire batch at school to join law.

     

    What were your objectives and plans in the preliminary years of law school?

    Right from the first year, I had a deep interest in litigation and I had a clear mind that I wanted to make a career in this field. Therefore, in my initial years at law school, I aimed at participating in as many moot courts as possible and gave every moot court my best. I won the best lady advocate at a national level moot court competition and the best memorial award at an international moot court, while doing fairly well in all moot courts that I participated in. My mooting experience not only helped me hone my research and oratory skills but more importantly helped me develop a keen attention to detail, which is absolutely essential to win any case.

    Besides this, I interned throughout the first three years of the course; part time when the college was in session and full time during vacations. As my college timings were from noon to half past five in the evening, I could easily dedicate three hours in the morning and in the evening. During the morning sessions, I usually attended proceedings at the Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court or the District Court, where I gained practical experience in court skills and procedure. Evenings were usually dedicated to practising legal research, drafting and attending client meetings. Often students learn these essential skills only after passing out of law school. So I am very grateful to my mentor for hand holding me and making sure that I learnt these skills while still at college.

     

    What are the challenges associated with being an in-house counsel? How do you handle them?

    There are in-house counsels specialising in various areas of legal practice. I will only talk about the challenges faced by in-house counsels working in the dispute resolution field.

    As an in-house counsel specialising in dispute resolution, the volume of work is more though the in-depth involvement in legal research is limited. Also, one is involved right from the pre-litigation stage of litigation-avoidance correspondence till the execution of the decree, including serving notices, drafting, vetting and settling petitions, briefing senior counsels, attending arguments and then following up for the execution of decrees. During this process, one also needs to keep the management of the company informed about the on-going proceedings almost like the eyes and ears of the management in the court (AKA Sanjay from the Mahabharata).

    The challenge revolves around balancing the volume of work. As an in-house counsel, I have been assigned more than 65 cases. My colleagues, who are senior to me, handle even more cases than me. Thus the responsibility is to keep a tab of all your cases in all the courts across the country and to make sure that the interests of the company are effectively secured. Further, as an in-house counsel, one also needs to understand the technicalities of a case well enough to be able to explain them as her own case. Thus I, for example, have to understand complex science revolving around telecom engineering to be able to explain it to the external counsels on behalf of the company.

     

    Tell us something about “Project Abhimanyu”.

    ‘Project Abhimanyu’ is a pro bono and voluntary initiative that I recently started. It aims at increasing access to career opportunities in the legal industry by providing free guidance and career counselling to law students who do not come from a law background.

    It endeavours to increase awareness about career options available in the legal profession to students. It works assiduously with students from colleges that do not have a fully functional placement cell and also assists and contributes to the existing services available at academic and professional institutions that are working towards guiding students. It does so by sharing knowledge and seeking guidance from highly trained and experienced professionals in the legal industry who are willing to voluntarily mentor students in their free time. In the long run, Project Abhimanyu will work towards enriching the talent pool available to the legal profession.

     

    Why have you named it Project ‘Abhimanyu’?

    Abhimanyu was Arjun’s son from the Mahabharata. On the 13th day of the Mahabharata war, he successfully intercepted the Chakravyuh formation created by the Kaurava army, and saved the Pandavas from imminent defeat. What is particularly interesting about this episode though is that Abhimanyu obtained this knowledge of penetrating a Charavyuh formation as a foetus in his mother’s womb. Thus Abhimanyu was born with the knowledge of how to penetrate a Chakravyuh.

    The legal industry is like a Chakravyuh, complex and vast. It would be Project Abhimanyu’s endeavour that, just like Abhimanyu, law students graduating from various colleges must learn to successfully navigate the legal industry. They should be able to make informed career decisions and achieve success proportionate to their calibre and hard work; and they should never get left behind because of a lack of guidance.

     

    Why inspired you to start this initiative?

    To answer this question, I would first like to give a little context. I graduated in law from V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, Goa in 2010 and later acquired an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary, University of London in 2014. In the intermittent period, I worked at a multinational French Pharma company in Mumbai and later practised at the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court and District courts in Delhi, while simultaneously writing the civil services examination. In 2013, I appeared for the interview round of the civil services examination; however, I missed by a narrow margin and thereafter decided to continue my career in law.

    All along this journey, I had little guidance in terms of how to go about making my career in law. As a result, my career grew more in a trial and error fashion. Thankfully, I have reached a comfortable place now, and therefore I want to help other students who are in a similar position.

    Law is a difficult profession not only because it is a complex industry but also because it requires one to really slog to climb up. That said, it becomes all the more difficult when you are a first generation lawyer. The idea behind Project Abhimanyu is to guide first generation law students so that they get a better shot at making a smooth transition from being a law student to becoming a lawyer. Over the past few years, I have been guiding students studying in various colleges in Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Patna, Mumbai and Goa. But there are still a lot of students who need guidance and this is what got me motivated to start this platform to reach out to more students across the country.

     

    How difficult was it for you to connect and convince different lawyers to register on this project?

    It wasn’t difficult at all. Everyone I approached has been very receptive and appreciative of Project Abhimanyu. We have the GCs of MNCs, law firm partners and highly successful litigators on board as Mentors at Project Abhimanyu. In fact, most Mentors at Project Abhimanyu had already been guiding and mentoring students. Project Abhimanyu is only providing them a platform to reach out to more students from across the country. I am very grateful to everyone who has joined this initiative and is sparing time from their busy schedules to help the future generation of lawyers.

     

    What kind of services do you provide under this project?

    Students can write in to ask any query related to the legal career. These could be about improving their CV, internship applications, job applications, career guidance, civil services examination, higher education abroad, CA/CS courses, working in-house or any other information related to law. They simply need to drop an email to project.abhimanyu@gmail.com and they would be assigned to a mentor who would answer their queries.

     

    Where do you see this project five years from now?

    In five years, I want Project Abhimanyu to be a self–sustained, fully automated system. We are working towards building a network of lawyers specialising in different areas of law who are voluntarily willing to guide students. Eventually I want Project Abhimanyu to develop into a platform where any law student from any corner of the country could just go to our website, choose a Mentor in a particular field of law from an entire range of specialists and write a message that would directly be received by the Mentor and answered by her/ him. We are also working towards compiling and publishing the advice given by the Mentors for the benefit of other students. I want the advice to be free and fair and therefore, Project Abhimanyu shall always remain a pro bono, voluntary and a not-for-profit organisation.

     

    What skills and qualities do you think have helped you achieve your current position?

    I think hard work, attention to detail and a passion for reading are essential qualities for anyone aspiring to make a career in litigation. Besides that, the training I received from my mentor and the guidance of my teachers has helped me tremendously. I will be failing in my duty if I forget to mention the complete liberty and unflinching support given to me by mother in shaping my career.

     

    What would be your advice to our readers?

    An ex-President at Reliance, whom I respect like a father, once passed a remark that struck the very core of my conscience. He told me that ‘your profession (the legal profession) is rather feudal’. What he was inferring was that it is easier for people from a law background to excel in this industry.

    Project Abhimanyu is trying to break free from this notion about the legal industry in India. I would advise every student reading this article to take full benefit of Project Abhimanyu. It is an opportunity for everyone to get a fair shot at law and to make informed career decisions. I would also request every legal professional reading this article to join Project Abhimanyu and help the future generation of lawyers in our country become more productive and efficient.

     

  • Aditya Bhandari, Counsel, Reliance Jio, on internships and work experience as a corporate lawyer

    Aditya Bhandari, Counsel, Reliance Jio, on internships and work experience as a corporate lawyer

    Aditya Bhandari graduated from the Institute of Law, Nirma University in the year 2014.  His wisely chosen internships coupled with his interest and market scenario led him to grab a job at Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited which is a part of Reliance Industries Group. He is certainly an inspiration to young corporate law aspirants as he explains in this interview that internships play a vital role in shaping one’s career by exposing one to confront the challenges of practical aspects of that career and are as imperative as an Educational Institution itself. In this interview he tells us about:

    • His satisfactory working experience as an Assistant Manager in the Legal – Litigation team of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited.
    • His strategy of choosing internships and thereby substantially enriching his practical knowledge.
    • How to choose a career stream and get successful regardless of the so-called NLU tag.

    Please share with us about your life journey so far and graduating from the Law School of Nirma University.

    I am currently working as an Assistant Manager in the Legal – Litigation team of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (part of Reliance Industries Group). I have graduated from Institute of Law, Nirma Univeristy (ILNU) in the year 2014. Growing up in Jodhpur (Rajasthan), I was always inclined towards the world of accountancy and since then I made my mind to study Financial Subjects and be a professional Chartered Accountant. However in my school days, I was expressive and had my own opinions about every aspect which was particularly not liked by my teachers (Though I enjoyed it). It was then when I realised that it is a quality of being assertive and argumentative which I could use in the other facets of my life. Though the act of argument leads a student into trouble when he does that with his teacher, or a child when he does that with his parents, but when the same is done by an advocate for his client, with all rigour and vehemence, it takes him to the pinnacle of the profession and that’s what makes one a good and great lawyer. Thus, my journey of being an advocate started from that very moment, and my instinct of being argumentative brought me to Institute of Law, Nirma University where my skills were honed and nurtured to the optimum.

    Why did you choose corporate law as your specialization course and how do you feel a confused law postulant should manoeuvre his/her area of study for a successful career thereafter?

    India, the largest and the youngest economy of the world had open its gate for the MNCs in the year 1991 when Dr. Manmohan Singh, the then Finance Minister of India put forth the LPG in the House. Since then India has become a hub for MNCs and it was then the corporate law came into prominence.

    During my internships, I had an opportunity to intern under the ages of Corporate Stalwarts. It was then when I realised that I wish to dip in the ocean of Corporate law as I could figure out it had immense career opportunities in the coming time. Thus the impact and the nature of work I had done during my internships helped me choosing Corporate Law as my specialization course.  As far as the second part of the question goes, in my opinion it relates back to classroom studies, internships coupled with the interest and market scenario. But one should understand that nothing comes easy in life so the choice of subject should be realistic and not driven by others. In the end, it’s the student who is the George and he should be able to ascertain which avenue is going to be fruitful for his or her life in terms of intellectual and financial outcome. Something which is opted or chosen by an individual on the basis of his/her instincts and interest will, in my opinion, would not lead to any confusion.

    How do you think the curriculum including specially the internships proved to be an indispensible factor in enhancing your knowledge about the practical intricacies of the field of law?

    The purpose and object of internships, which in my opinion is a great boon to the 5 year law students, is to acclimatise an upcoming advocate to the realities and pragmatic aspects of the profession, and to understand the difference between academics and the applicability of academics in the real world of law. It just works as pilot training process for the law students before they step into the real world of law. My internships were very fruitful in terms of exposure, amount of work and working for different areas of law. I did my internships with some reputed law firms and few corporate houses like Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe Limited, DSK Legal, Economic Law Practices and Reliance Industries Limited etc.

    My internship with Reliance Industries Limited was timed perfectly when I was in seventh semester of my 5 years law course where I had an opportunity to assist the legal eagles of India, It was a surreal experience seeing your mentors arguing in front of your own eyes for your own matters with your own assistance. This triggered my focus on corporate law and working for a corporate house and that’s where today I am.

    I must say, CHOOSE YOUR INTERNSHIPS WISELY!

    Please share with us your working experience until you decided to settle with Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Reliance Industries Limited Group) and how did it help in edifying your career?

    It has been a year since I joined Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. I have previously worked with Thomson Reuters (TR) where my profile as an Associate in Corporate & Compliance Department was majorly related to Contract Review, Research and Drafting of Agreements. Work at TR offered me great intellectual freedom wherein I got several opportunities to handle projects solely and interact with the top managerial officers of TR’s leading clients globally (Multinational Financial Services Holding Companies International Law Firms).

    During my work at TR, I was awarded as the best employee of the month which motivated me to keep up with my hard work. It helped me in enhancing my way of working in a corporate culture.

    Please tell our readers about your current working experience at the Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited in Mumbai and other prospects of your career ahead.

    Working with a corporate giant which is second to none in the country is itself a matter of pride and satisfaction. You are not only working with the best of the professionals in the country but also you become a part of the system and mechanism which has been adopted by the company to continue to be at the top. Even the Fortune Global has recognized RIL as No.1 Indian Company by profit, which itself gives immense satisfaction to me as I am a part of the same. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) is a company which provides telecommunication services having the largest infrastructure base.

    Talking about my profile here at RJIL as an Assistant Manager in Legal Department entails various responsibilities coupled with authority as well. I am taking care of Legal issues faced by the company ranging from big time arbitrations and the pettiest litigation matters. In my brief stint at RJIL, I have been fortunate enough to work with a dedicated team of intellectuals working in different fields such as Construction, Finance, Technical, and Marketing & Business Team. Being an advocate helps me to help the other teams with day to day operational issues faced by them. Also it is important to mention that since the company is in its project phase, we at the legal team work as a catalyst in the process of development of the project and bring it to the operational stage which in itself would bring a revolutionary change in the Telecom industry. The present project I am working on is a state of the art project relating to lightning fast internet services (4G) to be provided to the customers at an affordable price making the concept of Digital India a reality.

    What challenges have you faced during all these years of working and how it affected your career?

    Challenges are an integral part of any profession, personally for me, challenges make me strive hard. It makes me work with more proficiency. Talking about my challenges at work, the transition is initially difficult when you have to manage the different teams and have to bring them on a common platform. Every Human being is different in his own sense and dealing with them is a challenge in itself presently I am working in a manner where I have to deal with all the facets of the company be it Technical or Mechanical. One must never doubt his abilities as doubts have killed more dreams then the failure has and hence each and every challenge should be treated as a lesson and to come out winning from those challenges takes a lot of hard work and perseverance.

    Someone has rightly said that the biggest room in the world is a room for improvement and challenges channels your energy to improve yourself. I have always kept faith in my abilities and this is how I tackle challenges and convert them into opportunities.

    What would you like to explain to those aspirants who have been sceptical about working with a corporate entity and look at it as mere 9 to 6 desk job without any independence or additional learning?

    Profession of law is much more and over and above the word ‘job’. In my opinion any person who takes the profession of law merely as a job is not befitting for this profession. Further this is one such profession wherein one should inculcate the habit of leaving the watch behind and to work in the manner of 24*7.

    The only role a watch plays in a lawyer’s life is to show how prosperous a lawyer is and the more prosperous lawyer the more the working hours.

    The main distinction between a job and a profession is that of addition and multiplication. In a job, the emoluments as well as the quantum of work keeps on adding with every passing day. Whereas in a profession, it though remains stagnant for a particular gestation period but thereafter it multiplies and then sky is the limit.

    What would you like to tell to our young law aspirants when it comes to pursuing specialization in corporate law and following the career ahead in that stream?

    There should be a consensus of heart and mind when it comes to choosing any particular stream. If one is zealous and ready to toil hard in whatever field he chooses, he is bound to succeed irrespective of the stream he chooses. I would not deviate from the fact that the specialisation course keeps you focused and gives you an insight of the nitty-gritties of that particular stream.

    With regard to the corporate law, I would like to reiterate that there are immense possibilities, opportunities for young lawyers who are willing to work hard but not otherwise. It’s not a fancy job but requires lot of intellect and zeal and a go-getter attitude. So if you think you have these traits, corporate law is for you.

    Do you feel that not having the so called tag of an NLU ever proved to be a hindrance in your professional career?

    A lawyer is not bound or curtailed by any tags or nomenclature. I would not completely rule out the fact that the better the tag, the better the chances for an initial opening. However the profession of advocacy is a synonym of art of convincing, with the blessings of god and my elders, I never had to face any such difficulty and rather I would state that the tag of NLS proved to be an asset to me.

    In the end, what would you like to communicate to our readers?

    There is no mantra for success but for continuous hard work. One must choose the correct path in a correct way. This is for my reader friends to understand that you have chosen the career which is full of opportunities and learning. All it requires is hard work and fun when you are at it.

    It is very important for legal professionals or students to understand that Litigation or Corporate law are not the only options for their future career. Knowledge and dedication can take you to a level of sky high.