Tag: B.Com

“In the current scenario, one must understand that environmental issues are highly critical and should be thoroughly evaluated to avoid huge financial liability for violation of environmental laws”- Dr. Khalid Khan, General counsel for Tenneco, India
This Interview has been published by Pragya Chandni and The SuperLawyer Team

Can you walk us through your journey in the legal profession, from your early days to your current position as General Counsel for Tenneco Inc.’s Indian operations?

When I started my professional journey back in 1993, demand for in-house counsels was not so promising. You could make your place by really working hard and constantly meeting the expectations of your employer. It is very important for any new in-house counsel to get an opportunity to work under the guidance of a good senior professional. I consider myself lucky to have got that opportunity.

As you know, learning is a continuous process. I too believe in that, and my quest for knowledge keeps me going.

When you grow, you have to keep in mind that a good and motivated team plays an important role in your success. I always believe in building teams by having transparency, mutual respect & trust, delegation of authority, counselling & coaching and being there for them. I believe in simplification of legal processes.

As a highly accomplished legal professional, what have been the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of aligning legal functions with business requirements throughout your career?

It is a very good question. I always believe that a General Counsel is different from an outside counsel. A GC is expected to understand the business and try to give a solution which not only is in line with the legal framework but always gives a solution to the business. I know this is not easy. One may say that from a legal perspective, either something is permissible or it is not permissible. Based on my experience, I feel that a GC is supposed to provide different workable solutions to the business teams and help them in evaluating and deciding on the best solution.

Being part of the Board of Directors, I am involved in important business decisions. This gives me an edge to review every transaction from a business perspective and provide a legal solution in line with the business requirements.

You’ve navigated through various industries such as Tyre, Financial Services, Chemical, and auto-component sectors. How has your diverse experience shaped your approach to legal strategies and corporate governance?

Different industries that I have worked with have different challenges, requiring different approaches and strategies. For a GC, it is important to understand who your audience is. You need to have the ability to listen to your internal as well as external customers, understand their issues and provide the best legal options/ solutions.

Given your extensive involvement in M&A, joint ventures, and divestitures, could you share some insights into the key strategies and considerations you employ when negotiating complex transactions?

For M&A transactions, the first level of discussion revolves around the feasibility of the new business; what would be its value addition to your existing business and whether it would make a business sense to go for an M&A transaction.

Once a business decision is taken, the second most important task is to do a thorough due diligence of the entire business involving financial, legal and environmental due diligence. In the current scenario, one must understand that environmental issues are highly critical and should be thoroughly evaluated to avoid huge financial liability for violation of environmental laws.

For the success of any joint venture, it is important to ensure a lot of transparency in terms of sharing of important information with the JV partner and involve them in all the important decisions. It is very important to build a relationship, based on mutual trust and respect. This would ensure smooth running of the JV as well as future growth.

How do you balance the need for legal compliance with the demands of business growth, especially in highly regulated sectors such as yours?

As I said earlier, if you understand the business, you can surely provide a legal solution which aligns with the business.

With your expertise in corporate governance and securities, what advice would you offer to companies aiming to enhance their governance standards and navigate regulatory landscapes effectively?

I believe corporate governance is not just complying with the applicable legal provisions. Corporate governance should become part of a company’s culture. It should become the way of life. It has to be followed in the true spirit and, not just as a compliance obligation.

You’ve been instrumental in implementing legal frameworks and adopting legal tech to support business growth. Can you share some examples of how technology has transformed legal operations during your tenure?

Automation of processes is the need of the hour. With a lot of focus on having learner legal teams, it is important to keep working on automation. Compliance management tools, litigation management tools and contract management tools are few examples. These tools have not only saved a lot of time but also helped in ensuring accuracy of processes.

Lastly, drawing from your vast experience, what advice would you give to fresh graduates aspiring to pursue a career in law, especially those aiming for leadership roles in the corporate sector?

My advice would be as follows:

1. First and foremost, it is important to be a good human being. This quality would help you throughout your professional journey.

2. Always believing in learning new things.

3. Try to fully understand and appreciate the perspectives of others. This would help you to provide a better legal solution.

4. Build a good team. Trust and respect your team members. Always focus on the professional growth of your team members.

Get in touch with Dr. Khalid Khan-
- LinkedIn
April 14, 2024
Devashish Poddar- Senior Associate at Price Waterhouse & Co LLP working in the field of ‘Direct Taxation and other allied laws’
This interview has been published by Tanmaya Sharma. The Interview was taken by The SuperLawyer Team.

Working globally can prove to be challenging. Have you ever worked on a case that kept you in office long after the “office hours”? How did you handle the situation?

Indeed, working globally proves to be challenging. But it comes with its pros and cons. As Lord Robertson once quoted, Globalisation will make our societies more creative and prosperous, but also more vulnerable. Working globally opens doors to a larger set of stakeholders which at times can become overwhelming.

Yes, due to confidentiality requirements, there are times when we have to spend time beyond our office hours. The entire scenario becomes challenging and complex. However, finding a passion and zeal for the work helps me stay motivated and onboard. I realize that the moment I start spending more time with my work, I find creative and innovative ways to handle a particular situation. In turn, I begin to enjoy my work.

You have crafted a niche for yourself in your area of expertise, i.e. Corporate and International taxation and regulatory services. At what point in your education curve did you realize you want to devote your career to this particular field? Besides your current speciality in law, what other specialities pique your interest? Do you have experience in those areas?

I belong to a family of diversity. My grand-uncle is an economist and a tax professional. My father completed his LL.B. but was unable to pursue his career in law. My siblings, being chartered accountants/advocates, have been engaged in the field of tax for over a decade now. Being brought up in such an atmosphere always prompted me to take up ‘tax’ as my career. So to answer your question, it was during my preparations for final exams, I ensconced my thoughts to take up tax as a path ahead.

Since many facets of tax are dependent on civil/criminal laws, others related to corporate laws and the Constitution of India, reading the same, intrigues my thoughts to come up with better, innovative and lawful solutions for my clients. Besides the same, in recent times, I have developed some interest in the field of Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG). The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP26 held in Glasgow attended by the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi enticed my interests in this area wherein the stakeholders are re-aligning their business strategy with environmental concerns to achieve sustainable development. Also, tax technology is another area of my interest.

I was a part of the team which tested a newly-developed tax litigation tool in one of my previous organizations. In addition to the aforesaid, since every provision of law should sync with the intent of the Constitution of India, I have been a part of some assignments wherein I had multiple opportunities to explore the provisions of the Constitution of India related to the taxation statutes.

You’ve previously worked in one of India’s leading law firms. What do you think is the main difference in work culture between L&L Partners, New Delhi (Luthra & Luthra Law Offices) and PWC?

I believe most organizations turn out to be similar, only if a professional wants to work, learn, earn and grow. The same analogy applies to an Indian law firm and a global accounting firm. Indian law firms may not function under a global mandate, however, the trend of following ‘global best practices’ and developing a pool of stakeholders from different countries have made the law firms function in a manner that is not much different from a multinational enterprise. The work is similar, the clientele is similar, and again even the stakeholders and management function in a similar manner.

However, the only difference is that while working with a multinational professional services network of firms, a person gets more opportunities to interact with peers and connections within the firm (both in India as well globally). A person can leverage the worldwide network of a global accounting firm to find more lucrative opportunities. Although the Indian law firms establish relationships with international law firms, the aforesaid difference is also fading away. On the other hand, Indian law firms provide you with ample opportunities to interact and communicate with some of the country’s top practitioners.

Can you tell us briefly about the various global groups that you’ve assisted to set up their offices in India? What kind of work goes into setting up an office in a different country?

I have been a part of a team that assisted a global railway company set up its office in India. In addition, I had opportunities to assist-
- British multinational telecommunications company
- American multinational conglomerate company (world’s largest telecommunications company)
- Canadian telecommunications and data networking equipment manufacturer
- German automotive Manufacturing Corporation
- Malaysian Oil and Gas Company
- Private equity firms
- International investment management firms
- Massachusetts-based life insurance Company
- And a few others.
To set up an office (especially in India), the group should first decide about the form and structure of the entity. Since the efficiency of the presence in a country and the applicable laws flow from the type of entity being set up. Thereafter, if it is a company, then corporate laws applicable for registration and set-up are required to be adhered to. Similarly, if applicable, the entity in India is required to comply with RBI and SEBI laws. In addition, tax registrations (PAN, TAN, GSTIN, IEC, etc.) may also be required. If the entity decides to onboard employees, then employment laws and registration requirements may also warrant attention.

You are a corporate tax lawyer, usually dealing with transactions, compliance and advisory, but you have hands-on experience in litigation and have dealt with some high-profile cases as well. Can you please share with our audience which part of your legal journey you enjoyed the most?

Being a CA as well as a lawyer, helped me experience the best of both worlds. While advisory and compliances have their own set of perks, litigation is an area wherein my mind becomes more creative. I believe I can enjoy and learn more while being engaged in a litigation project. The time spent on articulating thoughts and drafting a document to present one’s case in a simple, precise and crisp manner is satisfying. Representing a client before the court of law and achieving success is bliss.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha recently, which seeks to withdraw tax demands made on indirect transfer of Indian assets before May 28, 2012, what major changes (if any) will be seen because of this?

The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 (TLA) amended the Finance Act, 2012. Earlier, due to the retrospective amendments vide the Finance Act, 2012, tax implications arose on a few of the largest Indian companies. Thereafter, there was decade-long litigation between the companies and the Government of India. Numerous international courts/arbitration forums were explored and approached by the companies aggrieved by the provisions of the Finance Act 2012. Therefore, to avoid such protracted litigation and dispute, the Government of India decided to settle the issue by giving a limited window to such aggrieved companies for settling the disputes forever.

Such a move by the Government of India and the legislatures is a welcome move. The aforesaid would aid the companies to buy peace and seek the refund of taxes already deposited by them under protest. By introducing TLA, India is on its path to attracting foreign investments for the ‘Make in India’ campaign and in return fulfilling its objective of atma nirbhar Bharat, i.e. self-reliant India. The introduction of TLA has reposed the faith of big corporate houses in the Government of India. Multinational enterprises are now aware that the Indian Government and legislatures are well cognizant of the issues around the country and prompt laws are made to fulfil the objective of India as a welfare state.

How do you see the Indian tax laws in the future?

Laws are efficient only if they curb the menace. A complex and ambiguous set of provisions often defeat the legislative intent. India has tried to simplify the indirect tax regime by introducing the GST laws which have replaced numerous other statutes to form a single consolidated law for various indirect taxes in India. Similarly, I believe India may witness a change in its direct tax laws as well, wherein various deductions and exemptions can be done away with and a lower rate of taxation may be introduced to benefit the companies as well as individuals. Various ‘conditional’ deductions and exemptions provided in the direct tax laws may prove to be beneficial for professionals who are aware of the benefits provided by the law, but at the same time makes it difficult for the public in general to interpret the same. Due to the aforesaid, the legislature and the Government of India have already introduced a few provisions which provide for a low rate of tax while disallowing most of the deductions and exemptions. We may witness such similar changes in the future as well.

What suggestions would you like to offer to our young lawyers, law students and law graduates?

I always resonate with the quote, “There is no shortcut to success”. Hard work has no replacement, especially in our country and in the field of law. However, we must all realise that the era demands not just hard work but smart work as well. We do not live long enough to spend a substantial portion of our life in the office or at work. We all need a work-life balance. And, there comes the smart work. A professional who works hard and at the same time smartly saves time, achieves desired results, adds value to the clients and also invests time in personal life and well-being. Even luck favours those who work hard and smartly at the same time.

To sum up, I would quote the former president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson

“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”

Get in touch with:
- LinkedIn
- Twitter
February 8, 2022
Kunal Sarpal, Founder and CEO, White Collar Legal, on being an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and a corporate lawyer
Kunal Sarpal graduated from ILS Law College in 2016. He is the Founder Partner of White Collar Legal LLP. He is also a company secretary. Very passionate about entrepreneurship, he regularly speaks at various seminars and is also a visiting faculty at various institutes including the TISS, MIT College, Pune. Corporate and IP lawyer, Tedx speaker, entrepreneur, author are only few feathers in his cap.

In this interview we talk to him about:
- About specialisation in corporate law
- Pursuing CS along with LLB
- Being an Entrepreneur
- Success of White Collar Legal LLP
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

I was once called a renaissance man by a senior colleague and have always tried to live up to that label. The best part, Leonardo Da Vinci is my all-time idol and inspiration, coincidentally after-whom, the Renaissance man term was coined. Hence, very special for me.

I practice, teach and preach law and entrepreneurship. By qualification, I’m a Commerce and a Law graduate, a qualified Company Secretary, one of the youngest to clear the course in India at 20 and having started practice immediately.

I am the Founder Partner of White Collar Legal LLP, a multi-state Corporate and Intellectual Property Law firm, started in 2013 now having over 20 employees and 3 branches.

I love enterprises and entrepreneurs and how law can be an enabler to anyone who wants to start, scale or save his enterprise.

I absolutely adore public speaking and hence am routinely giving key note speeches everywhere, am a Tedx Speaker (you can find the talk here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cwTyIOPCC0) and very recently, I have also started making small investments into Social Enterprises.

Just written a book this year on Internships (you can find it here https://www.flipkart.com/intern-ceo-50-practical-tips-ace-internship/p/itmf3ye9tfhqdbaw)

Given my love for speaking coupled with teaching, I am fortunate to be a faculty (visiting and adjunct) with Flame University, TISS, MIT and many more, wherein I primarily cover law and entrepreneurship.

I’d love to go on, but for more (visit my linkedinprofile here https://in.linkedin.com/in/adv-kunal-r-sarpal-3b404635)

Pre College:

I can be summoned up in 3 words. Creative. Speaker. Organizer.

I was all over the place. Extra curricular activities were my thing. Hated academics big time. Still do.

Loved attending school and college and rarely missed a single day, because there was so much to do!

Did my schooling from J.N. Petit Technical High School, followed by college at Ness Wadia College of Commerce and ILS Law College. CS was done along-side my Commerce degree. Surprisingly, had great grades throughout after clearing school. Into Top 5 always.

Throughout school and college, you could find my participating in every event that was going on, be it as a participant, as a delegate or as an organizer. Loved the entire concept of learning from doing. Experiential learning is what they call it today. I have this huge trophy chest and a pile of certificates which I am very proud of.

Very notorious, always getting into trouble. When my school friends look at me today, they say I’ve changed completely. Few hours spent with them, they realize that not much has changed.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE LAW AFTER B.COM? MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE OPINION THAT THE THREE YEAR LLB IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE STUDY OF LAW. DO YOU AGREE?

While I was pursuing my CS along with B.COM, my interest in Company Law and other mercantile laws grew. To satiate this curiosity, I had to do law. Now, after practicing for more than four years, I can safely say that it was a great decision.

On a lighter note, I’m sure, the only folks who say that are five year law students or graduates!

To put it straight, the study of law cannot be construed through a tenure or a timeline. It is continuing.

I enjoyed the three year timeline because it was crisp, all-encompassing and gave me the skill of reading the law. To understand and severe the difference between, what the law is, and between, what the law is for.

And frankly, that’s all you need to know.

Interacting with a lot of lawyers now, senior and junior, with a three year and five year law education, I can confidently say that it holds little ground in the long run. Especially in practice. Maybe in employment, the 5 year course is preferred.

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO SPECIALISE IN CORPORATE LAW?

My prior education as a CS, study of the legal sector from the practise scope and my inclination towards helping entrepreneurs.

Since I was the first generation lawyer getting into practise, I knew it’s going to be an uphill task to build clients, generate work, to create a brand and so on.

Internships were key too. When I interned with lawyers, I realised that litigation at the lower level is not for me. And litigation at the higher level won’t accept me right out of college. So, the choice.

This also opened a beautiful new area to practise in. The Tribunals. Both NCLT and the IPAT.

Further, my CS internship with Amanora Group (City Corporation Limited) and my Corporate Law Internship with DSK Legal really gave me exposure to Corporate Law, to practise and to really savour the entire consulting approach to law. I love it till date.

As a natural corollary, we are now into Intellectual Property Law too.

I’d say, once you’re really into something you like, things develop. Just give it time. And if you don’t like something, please shift. Don’t give it time.

YOU ARE ALSO A QUALIFIED COMPANY SECRETARY. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS AIMING TO BE CORPORATE LAWYERS TO ALSO PURSUE CS?

Oh yes. Definitely. A 100%.

It’ll help both in employment and practise. Will give you a wider scope and your grasp, especially on Company Law and other allied laws will be super.

CS is a great course in terms of how it’s administered by ICSI. Especially the examination. Gruelling, lengthy and mind boggling. Application of knowledge is rewarded over reproducing information/retention power. It being a competitive course, clearing it with flying colours will also validate your choice and give you the confidence to choose Corporate Law as a long term career path.

YOU STARTED YOUR OWN FIRM AFTER YOUR GRADUATION. WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES IN YOUR INITIAL YEARS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

Oh my my! (He smiles remembering those days..)

The challenges just didn’t seem to end for the first few months. As mentioned earlier, no clients, no experience, monthly rent, expenses, over confidence of sitting out of placements, family taunts, not meeting classmates to avoid humiliation, loss of social life, was constantly giving me nightmares. You really need to have to be strong emotionally if you’re starting out from scratch like me. Those were testing times.

The only thing that kept me going was assignments which came now and then and since I was good at speaking with a decent knowledge of the law, I used to moonlight as a visiting faculty with a few coaching institutions. A habit that stayed, even today, I may have moved on from coaching institutions but am not associated with top Indian Institutions. At most times, I’m teaching students who are my age or older. I think it is fitting to mention here that I’ll be 25 this year.

By one and half year or so, we had our first employee, office renovated and our names on the building wall with a decent per month takeaway.

After year two, it was beautiful. A quarter on quarter growth of 25% and above. Since then, no looking back.

Year three onwards, it’s a well-oiled process driven machine now wherein we target to help 100 new entrepreneurs each year.

What I did well was, lot of article writing on leading portals and magazines, speaking a lot at conferences and events and teaching. Writing gave me clarity and certain fame. Speaking helped me establish my brand. And teaching helped me stay updated. So in a way, what I loved doing helped me, even though it wasn’t strategic.

Since we can’t market or solicit clients, the above are excellence avenues to organically create your network. Because your network will eventually become your net worth.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRM WHITE COLLAR LEGAL LLP?

It’s my baby. My brainchild and comes above everything else.

To start this journey alone but now sharing it with more than 20+ partners and staff and over 350+ clients is truly rewarding.

We at White Collar Legal LLP, help individuals and businesses, start up, secure themselves, structure themselves and scale up. Corporate and Intellectual Property Law is where our core competence is. We help execute Ideas. Taking Ideas to IPO or Ideas to Impact.

We help companies establish their entire legal framework so that the entity is driven by systems and processes and not by promoters or people, so it stands the test of time, the investors and the shareholders. A lot of credit goes to our investors and clients whose constant feedback to us helps us compound our learnings and apply them to future projects. Hence, I’m usually quoted at the office saying that the client feedback is the greatest teacher.

Right from registering one’s entity to drafting all agreements to getting all the IP secure to advising on M & A, we help entrepreneurs deal with the entire legal framework, partnering with him or her.

From student startups to large clients like Natural Ice Creams, we cater to them all.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR?

Lots and lots of guts. Being laser focused/Master of one. The ability to eat humiliation for breakfast every day. Clairvoyance to see where you’re industry is headed and accordingly adjusting. A tab on international trends. Using Technology to automate everything non-essential/mundane and for MIS. Incessant reading to keep yourself updated. Very strong skill to sell. A strong WHY/ passion behind doing what you’re doing. Service nature by upbringing. Pro-activeness. Ability to do multiple things. People management. Excellent communication skills. Impeachable character/name/brand. And lastly but most importantly, oodles and oodles of humility.

YOU HAVE BEEN A TEDx SPEAKER. PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE.

It was fantastic. Truly. To be able to share your story with the world is something else.

I feel very lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity. In the Tedx talk, I spoke about youth entrepreneurship. Till date, I keep receiving emails from students about the ideas they have and about people who want to support. An ecosystem is getting built and that’s awesomeness!

TEDx talk led to many new and better opportunities from a practice, teaching and speaking point of view.

YOUR FIRM HAS WON NUMEROUS AWARDS. WHAT FACTORS WOULD YOU ATTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR FIRM?

Complete focus on client service. Being their partners in growth and not just cold third party service providers.

Getting things done. Less talk, more action. Always going out of the way.

Being young and small, it also helps us stay lean and agile and deploy tech to our advantage, to understand and respond to client needs better.

The Japanese principle of Kaizen (continuous improvement) is what serves us well.

To mention my Partner Ms. Isha Eklaspur (ex- VRL Logistics) and two of my key members, Mr. Praful Srivastav and Ms. Gemini Rajgor, who were key in setting the culture of excellence in client service and delivery.

WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR LAW STUDENTS AS TO HOW TO BE A GOOD ORATOR? HOW DO STUDENTS OVERCOME STAGE FRIGHT?

Practice. At every given opportunity.

Speaking is a skill. And just like archery or swimming or driving or any other skill, you will learn it only by doing it. Not by reading about it or watching videos or listening to lectures.

10,000 hours of doing anything, will make you bloody good at it!

And yes, join your nearest Toastmasters Club.

YOU ARE ALSO A VISITING FACULTY AT TISS, MIT PUNE AND FLAME UNIVERSITY. HOW IS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT TEACHING?

It is pure bliss and very necessary at the same time. It keeps me updated as I have to read to prepare, it helps me keep in touch with current trends through student discussions and it helps me gain wider perspective, as I have students ranging from all ages and all walks of life.

I chose to do this only when I received feedback that I was great at it.

As a student, I always enjoyed listening to visiting, guest or outside faculty a lot. Purely because it brought change and also gave industry perspective. I love doing that with my students. Sharing snippets of what I do with them. Notably, my favorite teachers at college were always visiting faculty. To name a few, Mr. Ajit Kulkarni (for Drafting), Mr. Aglawe (For Land laws), Mr. Dangre (For Criminal law), Mr. Ganu (for CPC) and many others were just fantastic at ILS.

But we also had equally erudite faculty among others in Mr. Jain (For Constitutional Law), Mrs. Bhadbhade (For Contracts), Mrs. Sagade (For Family law), Mrs. Satya Narayan (For Torts) and Mrs. Sonali Jadhav (For IPC). We were lucky as ILS has the best of both worlds!

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO YOUNG LAWYERS AND LAW STUDENTS LOOKING TO MAKE A CAREER IN CORPORATE LAW?

Intern for a minimum of two months and see if you like the work. Work at both small and large firms (at least a quarter dozen) and see if you can do it for 50 years and more of your life.

Ask questions to your seniors at college and at work. The more the better. The weirder the better. To those who have been there and done that. Don’t assume anything. And don’t settle on Corporate Law or Litigation for extraneous factors such as money, fame or feel good factor. Do it only if you really really love it.

And if you’re planning to practise, make sure you have all the traits of being an entrepreneur.

All the best! Crush it!

Share your thoughts with me at : kunal@whitecollarlegal.in

Link to company website: www.whitecollarlegal.in
May 1, 2018
Khusboo Khatreja, Associate, DSK Legal on LL.B after B.Com and work experience at a law firm
Khusboo Khatreja is a Bachelor in Commerce graduate from Kirorimal college, Delhi University. While in last year of her college, she was placed in Ernst and Young but due to interest in law, she decided to join Delhi University and completed her LL.B. She graduated in law in 2013.

She has been outstanding as a student and was mainly focused on academics. Being a commerce graduate, she was inclined towards corporate law and therefore pursued her internships accordingly. She also managed to pursue Company Secretary course along with law. Soon after graduation, she started working with DSK Legal, Delhi and her main practice area includes real estate and general corporate law.

In this interview, she talks about:
- LL.B from CLC after B.Com from Kirorimal
- First year of work at DSK Legal, Delhi
- Managing deadlines and experience of a steep learning curve
Given that most of our readers belong to legal fraternity, how would you introduce yourself to them?

Hi!! I’m Khushboo Khatreja. A 25 years ‘young’ lawyer, who is endeavouring to perceive this dynamic legal profession. I am currently associated with Delhi office of DSK Legal as an Associate. I graduated from Faculty of Law, Delhi University in 2013 and joined DSK Legal right after completing my professional degree. It has been a great experience so far under the guidance of Mr. Niraj Kumar.

During this short tenure, I have had a chance to work on various exciting assignments and representing some big clients. DSK gives you ample opportunities to handle the assignments in a manner which backs your personal growth and development.

At this stage, I look towards learning new things, shaping my knowledge and to expand my horizon. Presently, I am handling assignments related to corporate advisory and real estate. My aim is to keep exploring at this level, and have a specialization after certain level of practice.

Having done B.Com, what motivated you to choose law as a career? Or did it just happen?

Frankly, I feel this statement is true. I was determined to pursue B.com (Hons.) but that is not the case with LL.B. Choosing law as a career option was not pre planned at all. I got a placement in Ernst and Young during the last year of my graduation. But pursuing LL.B was on my cards, and during that placement period, my cousin motivated me to explore options in legal field. I gave it a thought and tried my luck in Delhi University’s LL.B entrance examination. So, the credit goes to my cousin! And I have no regrets.

As a graduate of Delhi University, have you faced any comparison with NLUs? What would you say to the future graduates of DU regarding this?

I have heard people giving statements on this ‘inclination towards NLU grads’. Fortunately, I have not experienced such thing. Delhi University was, is still is and will remain the premier institution when it comes to legal studies. What matters is your knowledge and determination and everything else becomes drab should you have these standards. I owe a lot to Delhi University, be it Kirorimal College or Faculty of Law, for who I am today.

What were your areas of interest during your graduation? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas?

Being a commerce graduate, my area of interest has always been corporate laws. To explore and have in-depth understanding of corporate laws, I pursued Company Secretary Course as well. It really was beneficial to understand corporate and allied laws theoretically as well as practically through this. I have to accept that I was a reserved student. I had a limited approach towards my legal studies. I was much occupied during my course on account of handling my CS studies as well.

What kind of internships did you do while you were a student?

I interned at Khaitan, Sud and Partners, ASA Law Firm and Jindal Steel and Power Limited. At KSP, I worked on matters related to project finance, at ASA, I had a chance to understand corporate debt restructuring mechanism and at Jindal, it was more of drafting and understanding the complexities involved in various commercial agreements (domestic as well as international). As one can see, I have had a diversified experience in my internships. At that stage, I wanted to explore different fields and I was fortunate that I got to work with the aforementioned entities. Further, I was determined to work on corporate side for reasons explained earlier and thus, no litigation experience is on my plate.

What are your thoughts on activities like mooting, debating and publications in journals? What skills do law students acquire by engaging themselves in such activities?

They play a double fold role in a law student’s life. Apart from brushing your confidence and knowledge, they provide add on to your CV. One improves his/her drafting and soft skills by engaging into these activities. At a start-up level, they do play a vital role. Many firms place importance in these activities while selecting a candidate.

Did your law school education prepare you sufficiently for the many tasks you were required to execute after graduation?

Yes of course. Delhi University gives you practical exposure to a particular issue. The curriculum is totally based on precedents. It helps you to understand the real issue at your work place or internships, as the case may be. The theoretical aspect to a particular topic is limited. It’s more of case based studies.

Many lawyers say that the first year after graduation is the most difficult one. What was your case?

This indeed is true. At this level you are now all alone striving for an opportunity and yes, the expectations are too high at this stage..!!.During my last semester itself, I started looking for placement. The biggest challenge was not having someone who could guide me. Being the only lawyer in my family, I had to do everything on my own and I had no contacts. With the help of friends and understanding the process, things became clear with time. I feel that in this field contacts can get you anywhere. You can expect a call for an interview at least..!!

You started your career at DSK Legal, New Delhi and currently work as an Associate there. What had contributed towards this appointment?

One of my senior told me about this opportunity and I did not let it escape.Otherwise, one can approach DSK by submitting his/her CV at our website www.dsklegal.com. Depending on the candidate’s profile and DSK’s requirement, DSK approaches the candidate.

What are the main practice areas of Delhi office of DSK Legal? What does your current work profile at DSK consists of? How is a typical workday like?

We have two partners in Delhi office. One handles litigation and other handles real estate and general corporate practice. My current profile consists of real estate and general corporate practice. It’s a blessing to work at DSK when it comes to ‘work-life’ balance. I start at 9.30 setting out the deliverables of the day first. Work life is pretty comfortable here as my seniors and partner are only concerned with the quality and time line of a deliverable. How I do it, that’s completely my look out.

Are there new challenges everyday or has work settled into a predictable pattern?

When you are working in a law firm, forget about anything which is predictable. There are new challenges every day which you face and which helps you to grow as a lawyer. No issue is related with each other. Every client has a different issue and their requirement as well as expectations from a lawyer is different. What I find more interesting is presentation and interpretation of law in such a manner which addresses the client’s issue and requirements. It’s a thinking process at all times.

Can you tell us about a few of the most challenging problems you have faced thus far?

When you enter into the job world in this profession, every day is challenging. Beginning was not easy for me as well. Everyday used to be challenging and hectic. And then there comes a transaction for which you are solely responsible and which is your ‘Baptism by Fire’. After initial 3-4 months of joining DSK, I was given to handle a funding transaction on my own and that’s where I felt that it’s not easy to survive in this profession. That is one transaction which still is a nightmare for me.

How do you deal with mistakes or errors?

We follow basic professional code of conduct at our workplace. There is no special requirement as such, but yes, there is no compromise on what is expected from you as a professional. Nobody is perfect and mistakes are bound to happen. What matters is how you deal with it and learn from it. I follow the same path. However, mistakes on basic aspects are not acceptable.

Would you say your undergraduate B.Com degree has been helpful in your career?

It truly was. It’s so easy to read financial documents and to have an idea about true position of a company while conducting due diligence for a particular transactions. In DU, we have contract law and taxation in our curriculum which provided a base to study these subjects and understand it in a more efficient manner for my law degree.

What kind of internship/recruitment application do you think stands out positively and has a much higher likelihood of being accepted?

Applications which are short yet expressive are the ones any recruiter would love to read. A good professional resume without any bragging ingredient in it acts as a deal maker. Keep applications short and simple. Take it not as a comprehensive list of your career history but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the job.

Would you say that the actual learning takes place in the years of practice? What was the case in your situation?

This statement is somewhere true. For a practicing professional each assignment is a learning experience. While pursuing a law degree, a student has a limited approach i.e. understanding the legal issue. But at a practicing stage, what should be the approach towards such issue in a cost and time efficient manner is a primary focus. Same is the case with me. My approach towards an issue has changed altogether after entering into what you call a ‘Real World’.

Where do you see yourself ten years down the line? Do you aspire to be like somebody from this field?

In 10 years’ time, I see myself at a good position, progressing in legal field and earning new skills to the benefit of my clients. I do not aspire to be like somebody, I would like to be ‘ME’.

Lastly, what would be your parting message for our readers?

Pursue your dreams and don’t be afraid of failures. Failures are good experiences which help you in long run. People succeed because they failed in their life at some point of time. Keep going is the myntra!!
June 20, 2015
Pearl Boga, Associate, Rajani Singhania & Associates, on LL.B after B.Com and work experience
Pearl Boga completed her B.Com degree from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai in 2007 and went on to study the three-year law course from University of Mumbai. She graduated in law in 2010. She was part of a number of committees and societies in college and after graduation, she also holds a Diploma in Tourism and Travel Management.

Pearl started working at Advani & Co., Mumbai in the corporate department of the firm. After four years at Advani, she currently works at Rajani Singhania & Associates and is also actively pursuing her masters in law from Mumbai University.

In this interview, she talks about:
- Pursuing LL.B after B.Com
- The advantages of being part of organisational work in law school
- Maintaining a work-life balance in the corporate sector.
- Work experience at Advani and Co.
- Appointment and work at RSP
Though it’s one of the most asked questions but yet, why law?

Well, to be absolutely honest, law was my back-up career option, post my graduation in commerce from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics. I was inclined towards travel and tourism and looking for an alternate degree. However, once my course was ending it seemed to be a lucrative career choice. So here I am!

Tell us about your college life. What all activities did you participate in?

College life was a mixed bag – from attending and participating in moots to participating in extra-curricular college activities andperforming arts and the jazz. My college life extended from my B.Com graduation to an Advanced Diploma in Tourism and Travel Management to a post -graduation degree in Law. I only happened to intern in my final (third) year of law.

What were your areas of interest during your graduation? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas?

Initially, I was more interested in litigation and also interned at Vigil Juris in the litigation team. My work there involved a lot of reading of drafts of plaints and understanding the way the written statement was to be drawn. I gained a lot of experience seeing how the courts actually function as compared to simply reading about it. Also, interactions with the counsels helped me understand and be updated about the stage at which the matter currently was.

At Mumbai University, you were associated with a lot of student committees. What skills did you acquire while serving various committees?

During my graduation years, I was involved in extra-curricular activities like performing arts, moots and environment protection. Participating and preparing for moots usually helped me in the way I carry out research pertaining to my matters. Also, being a part of the organising as well as participating committee was a wonderful experience as it helped in building team spirit. This trait has proved to be very important now as being a part of a corporate M&A team, it is important to work with your team on a transaction and the same involves a lot of understanding on how your team mate works and the thought that goes behind the work put forth. It is much simpler to work when you know how the people in your team think!

How did you fare in your academics? Would you say a great CGPA is a necessity to kick-start a good career in the legal profession?

I was fairly above average in academics. To kick-start a career in any profession in India, I guess a good score is required. A great CGPA would definitely help securing decent internships during campus placements which would go a long way in determining the law firm you end up at.

Do you think participating in co-curricular activities helps a student in the long run?

Personally, I feel mooting does not help much if you are planning on taking up corporate law. However, it helps in developing certain skill sets which do help in your law career. Also, the research work undertaken in order to help you for a moot helps in understanding how one needs to prepare for a particular case. Mostly it is the recruiters’ discretion at the time of an interview to decide whether to lay emphasis on a particular candidate’s mooting experience depending on which legal field they are to be placed in.As I said before, my extra-curricular activity experience did help in building teamwork.

What kind of internships did you do while you were a student?

I only interned in my final (third) year of college at Vigil Juris in the litigation department and thereafter changed my field preference to corporate law.

After graduation, you joined Advani and Co. as an Associate. What did you contribute towards this appointment?

My main area of practise at Advani & Co. was corporate and commercial law. I was mainly involved in documentation for transactions pertaining to project finance, real estate, media and entertainment, intellectual property rights management. Further my scope of work included advising on miscellaneous issues relating to incorporation of companies, corporate governance, inbound and outbound investment, transactions related to equity market instruments, SEBI, etc. as well as conducting statutory compliance audit for various companies, specifically in relation to the labour laws as well as environmental laws and advising on the process for rectifying the lapses in compliances.

After having worked at Advani & Co. for almost four years, how did the shift to Rajani, Singhania and Associates take place? Did you get an offer or did you apply for RSP?

My experience at Advani & Co. was very fruitful; however I was looking for further exposure in the corporate field. The same being so diverse, I wanted to explore the other aspects of corporate law. So, when I got a call from RSP for an interview, I thought of taking the chance.

What does your current work profile at RSP consist of? Tell us about the nature of work you’re entrusted with therein and what’s a typical day like?

My current profile at RSP mainly involves a lot of M&A transactional work in varied sectors from the due diligence to the documentation, negotiation and finalisation of the deal stage. My scope of work also involves advising clients for drawing up schemes of arrangements for corporate restructuring, advising on issues relating foreign investment, corporate governance, etc.

A typical day usually consists of reading emails received from the clients, having a team discussion pertaining to the same and allocation of the day’s work to the respective team members.

Corporate law comes with a humongous workload. What made you gravitate towards this field? How do you manage the workload and your personal life?

A good balance is always essential for any healthy relationship. Prioritising your work and personal life in a balanced manner is a very important attribute one needs to possess in order to not get stressed out. I usually have self made targets and checklists for the work I need to complete. Whenever there is time for a breather between my work, I usually cut-off and have a small conversation over the phone or interact with my colleagues.

What would be the one misconception you’d say you’d always held about real life legal work till the time you were an intern but changed once you started working as a lawyer?

Whilst doing my internship I was assigned with very limited responsibilities. That definitely changes once you start working full fledged. You have to take responsibility for your work, for your juniors, working with a team or even working independently. It involves taking a lot of onus for the work you put forth and there is generally no scope for error.

Would you say your B.Com degree has been helpful in your career?

My B.Com degree has definitely helped me. Especially when it relates to conducting due diligence for M&A transactions, the review of a lot of the financial documents is much easier since I have a background in accounts. Also, my B.Com course had contract law as a subject which made it relatively easier for me to study the same for my law degree.

RSP takes on interns as well. What do you feel makes an intern stand out and is very important for him to do to have a chance of getting a call back or even a PPO?

A very important quality for an intern is to have impeccable research and drafting skills. Also a pro-active and go getter attitude would help them go a long way in the legal field.

What skills would you say is a sine qua non for an intern who wants to excel at work?

An important ingredient for an intern to excel would be to remain focussed and complete their work within the time frame provided in the manner and with the quality expected from them. Also their work needs to be backed by solid accurate research and they should be updated with the current changes taking place in law.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

I am currently pursuing my LL.M (Master of Laws) in Business Law from Mumbai University along with my work. As I have only finished 5 years of my experience in this field, I would want to continue in the same space for the next few years to gather more expertise in this varied field of corporate law since there is so much more to learn.

Lastly, what would be your parting message for our readers?

I would like to say stay focussed, follow your dream, have a passion and pursue it (be it law or otherwise). The more you like what you do, the more you enjoy doing it. Make your career choice your passion and there will be no looking back J
March 30, 2015