Super Lawyer

Tag: DSK LEGAL

  • Karthik Somasundram, Partner, KLaw, on his time at NALSAR, and his diverse experience

    Karthik Somasundram, Partner, KLaw, on his time at NALSAR, and his diverse experience

    Karthik Somasundram graduated in law from NALSAR, Hyderabad, batch of 2004. He currently heads Disputes practice at KLaw’s Mumbai office. Prior to joining K Law, Karthik was a Senior Associate with DSK Legal and prior to that with Paras Kuhad & Associates. Karthik specialises in dispute resolution in corporate, commercial, securities and investment matters.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • His time at NALSAR
    • His internship experience
    • His role as Partner at KLaw

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    I am litigator by choice. However, I am trained as a disputes and a transactions lawyer. I am a wildlife and photography enthusiast and recently qualified as a deep sea diver. Presently, I head the disputes practice at KLaw’s Mumbai office.

     

    What motivated you to pursue law?

    I am a first generation lawyer. I did not aspire to be a lawyer. I wanted to join the Air Force but I didn’t get around to that. We were in Bangalore when NLSIU was founded. Since then it was my Dad’s desire that my sister and I become lawyers. After my 12th grade I chanced upon a few application forms and a few entrance tests later, it started.

     

    Give us a brief overview of your NALSAR experience for our readers. What is it about NLUs that makes them stand out, as compared to non-NLUs?

    We were the second batch of NALSAR and I only have fantastic memories from our time there. Three of my closest friends are from my time at NALSAR and I have known them for over seventeen years now! Our time at NALSAR was not what it must be like today, I imagine. We stayed in make shift hostels for a year before we moved to the beautiful campus that you can visit today. From the second year we lived on the present campus and for about two to three years there was construction activity all around us. Few of the structures today were not there even when we graduated. However, the best that NALSAR offered was in the form of few of the professors! I think we studied Constitution and Administrative Law from the finest professors at the time. We also interacted with the sitting Judges of the Supreme Court and the Andhra Pradesh High Court at that time. NALSAR opened doors and gave us experiences that (probably) only NLSIU was giving its students, back then. We had access to libraries and resources that few practising lawyers had at that time. Today, everyone has access to these resources and the internet has made everything accessible. When we started, the full potential of the internet was not known, let alone the ability to exploit it. NALSAR gave us an understanding of that potential early on. We participated in international and national moots and the university had the resources to support the students in those endeavours. I think we were the first amongst the law schools to organise a fest (‘Summons’) and students from most of the law universities and colleges participated. It was lot of fun. Lot of impromptu discussions and arguments on different aspects in classrooms— as also during power outages in the evenings during the monsoons. A discussion that has stayed with me was when a junior (practising in the UK now) wondered if he could be ‘stateless by choice’! The world had started to change by 9/11 and we lived the exiting times.

    There are only two things that make the NLUs stand apart from other institutions. The first is the resources to provide opportunities to students and the other is infrastructure. NLUs also benefit largely on account of the human element – professors and lecturers. That is not to suggest that there are no good professors and lecturers in the non-NLUs. A no-brainer analysis will show that most commentaries and authorities are by non-NLU professors and most of the professors and lecturers from the NLUs are students of non-NLU professors. I still remember the week that Late Professor Sathe spent at NALSAR about ten or twelve years ago. I can’t recollect the lectures from back then, but the faculty at NALSAR hung by every word he said and they followed him around everywhere. However, if the non-NLU professors and lecturers are not compensated at industry standards, this too will become another differentiating factor.

     

    What kind of internships did you undertake during your student years? Any memorable ones?

    In my zeal to figure my area of interest, my internships targeted most areas of practise. I have interned with firms and lawyers on the transaction side, litigation, intellectual property and even maritime practice. The time when I interned in the chambers of the then Solicitor General in the Supreme Court, Late Mr. Kirit Raval, is the most memorable one. I was wide-eyed during my entire stint there and therefore contributed little or nothing, I am sure. I was heading into the fifth year I think and I had not yet made up my mind and I remember sitting through all his briefings/conferences in his office in the Supreme Court and I followed him and his chamber juniors everywhere!

     

    In your opinion, what are the law school centric activities that you would recommend as necessary experiences for every law student? 

    From a résumé perspective, I think one needs to experience all the activities on offer to gain experience(s) first hand. Also, if you do not try all the activities or even a few of them, how will you know what interests you? College activities can also help open up many avenues and therefore determining interests, I think, should be the endeavour.

    Having said that, since the entirety of our professional life is spent ‘communicating to convince’ – a client, counter contracting party and their attorneys, judges or even a point of view, I suppose activities that help in enhancing communication skills should be explored. It can be in the form of debates, moot courts, publishing, undertaking field work and research, etc. I started mooting in my third year at NALSAR. It was quite late to start but we did fairly well, I think. It was fun. We won a few and lost many more! Looking back now, those experiences feel like the trailer to the movie that we are experiencing now!

     

    What are your areas of specialisation and how did you go about choosing these field?

    I am a disputes lawyer on the corporate-commercial side. I advise and represent on disputes arising from contractual arrangements, equity investments, lending and borrowing arrangements and securities transactions. I did not plan for this area of practice. I experienced this kind of work along with transactions work and other kinds of litigations and I enjoy this kind of work the most. Hence.

     

    What are the challenges that one needs to prepare himself/herself for when they step out of the comfort of a law school and into the real working world?

    Be prepared to work hard. There is really no shortcut there and no magic potion to make it work otherwise. Experience is the only teacher. Nothing in law school will prepare you for when you become a service provider. So it is only when you start working that you start learning bits that actually matter. Don’t stop because of setbacks and tough bosses. ‘Mistakes’ and ‘learning’ run parallel. If you don’t work, you won’t make mistakes and if you don’t make mistakes, you won’t learn. So don’t stop working or trying because of a mistake or because you are afraid of making other mistakes.  

     

    Give us a brief capsule of the life of a partner and your average working day experience.

    A day usually starts and ends in a similar fashion—planning. The hours in between are when we execute the work/ assignment. As for the ‘brief capsule of the life of a partner’, it is similar to managers in other professions. It involves identifying and meeting client expectation and requirements, identifying the quickest and surest way of achieving it by deploying the right Associate/Senior Associate, etc., taking stock of progress and ensuring delivery. Therefore, it’s a result oriented approach that constantly needs fine-tuning or modification. To stay competitive, enhancement of knowledge is imperative and that is the other area that takes up significant portion of a week, even if not every day.

     

    How are the young partners today different from the ones before them?

    Each year there are thousands of young lawyers entering the profession and that directly results in increase in competition. There are hordes of lawyers catering to different segments and that constitutes the relevant client base. So apart from executing work, we are constantly trying to innovate and develop an edge over the others. The young partners of today specialise in their chosen area of practice and are not multi-disciplinarians like the stalwarts before them. Anand Desai of DSK Legal, Zia of AZB, Berjis Desai of JSA, M. L. Bhakta of Kanga & Co., and M P Barucha of Barucha & Partners, to name a few, are the last of the multi-disciplinarian practitioners. On account of the competition and shorter turnaround timelines, the partners of today are focused on excelling in their chosen area of practice and therefore there is a lot of specialisation.

    Partners today also have ‘financial’ and ‘client acquisition’ targets that they need to meet in addition to servicing the client in the best possible manner. So the young Partners of today are facing more challenges than the ones before them and one needs to be prepared for that. A lot of movement in the legal market at the partner level is on account of these targets and these parameters are here to stay. So it is no longer adequate to be a good lawyer, one also needs to understand the business of operating a law firm as well.

    Karthik with best friends from NALSAR days, Vishnu Dutt, Partner – Bharucha & Partners, Veena Shivaramakrishnan, Partner – Juris Corp, Priyanka Jain Atal, Senior Manager – Firstsource Solutions Limited.


    How important are grades, in your opinion? 

    Grades are important. However, not in the manner of predicting if one is an exceptional lawyer. One may be fantastic in academics but may not be able to master the practical aspect of it and the other way around as well. However, grades are important in the sense of inculcating work ethics and valuing hard work which really is the only way up from being an Associate to a Senior Associate and further up.

    I am not an expert and neither have I studied the workings of the Indian legal education system and therefore, not qualified to comment on it. However, as with any stream of study, an emphasis on understanding and analysis of the subject matter as opposed to knowing it verbatim, can only be positive.  

     

    Is there any other suggestion you would like to give to our budding lawyers?

    If someone tells you that money is not important, please run very far away from that person. However, if you had to pick between money and experience, pick the latter always.

  • Sakshi Raut, Legal Manager, DSK Legal, on her internships, corporate law, and her experience thus far

    Sakshi Raut, Legal Manager, DSK Legal, on her internships, corporate law, and her experience thus far

    Sakshi graduated from Symbiosis Law School, Pune in 2010. She joined DSK Legal, Mumbai, right after law school and has been working there for the past seven years. Her primary focus currently is on corporate law which includes corporate transactions, corporate advisory and commercial contracts.

    In this interview we speak to her about:

    • Her time at Symbiosis
    • Her internship experience
    • Her role at DSK Legal

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    Independent of my work, on a personal level, I am a person who loves to travel and explore various aspects of a culture.

    When did you decide to make a career in the world of law?

    I was the first lawyer from my family in the recent generations. Initially my father would always encourage me to pursue Economics. However, post high school, I nearly took up Economics as my graduation subject. While discussing future possibilities with a friend of mine, I stumbled upon the opportunities which law could offer. I liked the knowledge and the opportunities it brought to the table.

     

    How were your years as a student at Symbiosis Law School, Pune?

    Coming from a relatively traditional city, Pune was quite liberal, I must say. Symbiosis Law School (SLS) had students who came from various parts of the world and different sections of the society with diverse thoughts. The five years at SLS helped me connect with such people ultimately contributing to my growth as a human being. My father being in a transferable job ensured we kept moving cities while I was growing up and this helped me connect with different people from different walks of life.

    During my time at SLS, we did not have many internal assignments like they do today and therefore I had the luxury  to explore a variety of extra-curricular activities as well as carry out assignments outside of college. Having said that, academics and my grades have always been very important to me. Therefore, while I used the extra time to carry out extra-curricular activities which I can elaborate on a little later, I used a lot of my time to explore the city and nearby places. However, I never compromised on my grades. It is very important to strike the right balance between these two.

     

    Did you take part in any extra-curricular activities?

    College is where everyone finds his or her interest and mostly it is discovered through the trial and error method. Everyone tends to take part in things not solely because of their inclination or interest but also because they see their counterparts doing the same things and in the process, we find our muse. The same thing happened to me. Initially I engaged in several extra-curricular activities like moots, volunteering for different events including our college fest Symbhav. However, I think what I enjoyed doing most was the work I got to do as a part of the Human Rights Cell of my college. It was a very enlightening experience. During one of my assignments, I had to visit the women at the red-light area of Pune and encourage the use of condoms amongst them. This whole experience exposed me to the harsh realities of life which most of us have been fortunate enough to not be faced with. This is when I realized that it is us who must stand up for people who do not have the means to fight for themselves.

     

    During your formative years as a student, what were your other fields of interest?

    As indicated earlier, my father was (actually still is) in a transferable job and hence moving with him regularly I lived in multiple cities at different points in time. Every place was different in its own way, I made new friends and gained varied experiences. This is represented in my love of travel. Travelling can be inspiring and enriching. I also was a swimmer and represented some clubs that I was a part of. Dance and music have always been very close to me since I was in school.

     

    What are your fields of specialization?

    Here I must admit that DSK Legal has been kind to me. At DSK Legal, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience a large gamut of work, which has in fact allowed me to realise what my interests are. The best part of having to do a broad range of work is that it helps you decide where your interest lies, what you are good at and what challenges you while also giving you the legal knowledge and practical experience of how things are done. Over the years, I have got more focused on certain areas which have interested me, and accordingly, most of my work today would primarily focus on advising and assisting clients for their investments/acquisitions/mergers (both India and cross-border) across several industry sectors and advising global companies having an Indian presence under corporate and labour laws and commercial contracts. As a lawyer, you are always learning something new every day. This is what drives me on in this profession.

    To find out what interests you and what challenges you, you must try out different things. Therefore, it is essential that in the initial years on the job you engage in a variety of work which can ultimately help you to make an informed decision. I know for a fact that doing a due diligence is not something that fascinates everyone, however, the amount of knowledge that one gains in the process is immense.

     

    Could you please tell us about the internship programs you were engaged in?

    When I was in law school, Pune did not have much of a presence of law firms as it does now. Hence, the period of your internship was limited to the vacation time which may not be enough considering there is so much to learn. However, I was very particular about one thing which was that I had to experiment with multiple aspects of the legal field. Accordingly, I started my internship with an NGO. After that I interned with a law firm in Bombay which primarily dealt with banking laws. Thereafter, I interned with a Senior Counsel in the Supreme Court, followed by an internship at an IPR firm in Delhi and then DSK Legal, Mumbai. During my first internship at DSK Legal, I got a call back for a second internship. As luck would have it, I was the only intern in the team at the time, and therefore I got some great work both in terms of quality and quantity. I was also fortunate to have very supportive seniors who were there to guide me through every step of the way. At the end of my final year, I was offered the position of an Associate. The idea on internships was that you should try and get a variety of internships so that you can gather different experiences and choose what fields of law really interest you. Practical knowledge on a subject is important when making this decision.

     

    How would you describe the period from being a graduate to starting as a corporate lawyer?

    Fortunately, for me, since I had already had two stints of internship at DSK Legal before joining them as an associate, I did not face many challenges in the transition process. Additionally, I joined work only a few days after my final semester exams so the process was very quick for me and before I knew it, I was already on the job doing my first corporate transaction. While I do not believe that it should happen to everyone the way it happened in my case, it is very important for both the lawyer and the firm, that the prospective joinees intern in the field of their choice of law and acquire practical knowledge before they start work as an associate.

     

    How would you describe a day in the office of a Manager at a reputed firm like DSK Legal?

    After having spent seven years in the profession, there vests a reasonable amount of responsibility and supervision on my shoulders. However, at DSK Legal, we are encouraged to take on a lot more at this stage. While this role encompasses supervision and review of the work done by your junior colleagues, taking responsibility and ownership of the entire collective assignment, while ensuring an effective execution and implementation of the task assigned is essential. The task need not be matter specific at all times. At this stage, it is also about what it is that you bring to the table which takes you, at a personal level and the firm at a larger level, ahead. Being in the service industry, client acceptability is critical for us. Besides this, you also have the duty to mentor your juniors and participate in client strategy discussions.

     

    Could you share some advice for the interns at DSK Legal?

    While it is not fair to expect an intern to know the practical aspects of law, it is expected that they know the basic legal concepts. For any person, willingness to happily learn should be the most important thing under any circumstance. It is one of the most important driving factors which motivates you to enrich yourself. One should also be sincere towards their work, being responsible is an essential attribute for any professional. Also, one must respect the values any organisation is built with.

     

    Do you have any causes which you strongly feel for?

    I feel very strongly for two things, people who are less fortunate and people who do not have the means to stand up for themselves. I feel I have been fortunate and it is my duty as a fellow being to help such persons and contribute in bringing change however small it may be.

     

    What do you do when you’re not working?

    Like I said before and at the cost of sounding repetitive, I love to travel. A new place, an unfamiliar environment, an unexplored culture brings out a different spark in you. You learn how to handle a situation, how to conduct yourself according to the situation, how to be with people.

     

    Any parting words of wisdom for our readers?

    Just work hard, be sincere, always put your best into whatever you do and be open to learning and never give up. And job is a means to an end not an end itself. So, it is equally important to enjoy life, make memories which will last a lifetime. It is okay to have your share of sorrows and failures as for every experience make you the person that you are.

     

     

  • Abhishek Sinha, Associate Partner at Khaitan & Co., on how to gain expertise in Corporate Law

    Abhishek Sinha, Associate Partner at Khaitan & Co., on how to gain expertise in Corporate Law

    Abhishek Sinha is a dual qualified (England & Wales and India) corporate lawyer with a post-qualification experience of more than ten years. Prior to joining Khaitan, he was working as a ‘Partner’ at Shardul Amarchand, Mumbai. He started his career at a leading law firm in Mumbai (DSK Legal) and later joined the Mumbai office of AZB & Partners. In the year 2012, he was seconded to Morrison & Foerster, Tokyo as an ‘International Visiting Attorney’.    

    Abhishek has been leading transactions involving corporate and commercial laws. Abhishek has wide-ranging experience in advising on private equity matters, as well as structures requiring India entry strategies. He has been involved in various acquisition matters (both domestic and cross-border), contract negotiations, and has regularly advised his clients on investment strategies, joint ventures, strategic alliances, regulatory compliances, exit options and general corporate matters.

    To satisfy his academic inclination, in addition to his legal practice, Abhishek has been a visiting lecturer at ILS Law College (Pune), KC Law College (Mumbai) and Government Law College (Mumbai). He has also handled various academic assignments at several law colleges, including HR College (Mumbai) and the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (Cochin). He has on numerous occasions spoken at several seminars and conferences, including the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Pune on issues pertaining to foreign direct investments, due diligence, companies act, the law relating to contracts and related subjects.

    In this interview he talks to us about:

    • Life, law and the choices he made while pursuing it.
    • The work entailed in his position, and the field of corporate law dealt with.
    • The importance of grades at the law school.
    • Importance of socializing in career progression.

    Tell us something about yourself. Where did you grow up and attend school?

     

    Hi! This is the much-dreaded classic question: “Tell me about yourself”! It reminds me of a quote from ‘The Office’ (I think season 5): “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence, and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.”

    I’m a dual qualified (England & Wales and India) corporate lawyer with a post-qualification experience of more than ten years. I graduated from ILS Law College, Pune in 2006 with dual bachelor degrees. Presently, I am working in the Mumbai office of Khaitan & Co, as an associate partner, primarily focusing on private equity transactions. Prior to re-joining Khaitan, last year, I was a corporate partner at Shardul Amarchand, Mumbai. For me, my first office will always remain special, and it must find a mention in this “know me” segment. I started my career at a leading law firm in Mumbai (DSK Legal) and later joined the Mumbai office of AZB & Partners. After a stint of approximately two and a half years at AZB, I joined Khaitan. I have also spent a fair amount of time at the Tokyo office of Morrison & Foerster as an ‘International Visiting Attorney’.

    I grew up in a small town, Ranchi (yes, the same place as Dhoni!) and completed my schooling from DAV Shyamli (yes, the same place as Dhoni!!). Just for my SoBo friends, Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand (and yes you can google for Jharkhand).

    What brought you into studying law as your profession?

     

    Law, happened to me, just by chance and not the choice. I was a science student and didn’t score well in the entrance test to grab an MBBS seat. My rank in the CBSE PMT was just enough to get me through BDS, and I never wanted to spend my entire life looking inside someone’s mouth. My dad wanted me to join the BDS, and I was just looking for a way out. India Today magazine came to my rescue; ILS was ranked 2nd in the law colleges ranking that year, and I applied because that was the only college where the admission was based on class 12th marks. Mine was the last name in the 1st merit list. But the real motivation to pursue my law degree seriously happened in the 3rd year of my college. The only good thing about myself (I am just being modest, there are a lot of good things about me), is that once I take things seriously, I take it seriously. I worked hard and topped the Pune University in my 3rd and 4th year of college (that’s a different thing that both the years, after re-evaluation results, I was ranked 2nd). Haha!

    After joining the profession, I had the benefit of having some amazing mentors, and I think my ‘student mode’ will continue for a long time as there’s a lot to learn and I have just started.

    What were the activities you were a part of?

     

    I was a very active student in college. Name the ‘cell’ or the ‘committee’, and I was there in it. Apart from all the college activities, I was associated with several NGOs and experimental leadership training groups. I used to enroll for every other diploma/certificate course, thinking it may help me in getting a job. Today, the students have a lot of avenues to get information and then decide what is right for them. For me, it has always been the harder way of “hit and trial method”, but I am not complaining at all.

    Apart from the above, I used to teach in a school in Pune over the weekends and go for my long mountaineering trips by cutting down on my internship period by 10 days (well every internship), sell newspaper subscriptions and insurance products (yes I was an insurance agent from 2nd year to 5th year of college and surrendered my license, right after getting placed).

    If today, I am asked to give a list of top 3 things which is essential apart from attending regular classes, the list will look like this: (i) participating in moot courts, (ii) self-reading and writing articles or research papers; and (iii) internships.

    Tell us about the nature of work you are entrusted with and what’s a typical day like?

     

    Apart from merely leading transactions, involving corporate and commercial laws, I advise on private equity matters, as well as structures requiring India entry strategies. Just to give a quick flavor, my work profile includes advising on various acquisition matters (both domestic and cross-border), contract negotiations, financial investment strategies, joint ventures, strategic alliances, exit options and general corporate matters.

    A typical day at work is the same as any corporate lawyer- attending to client meetings and conference calls; internal meetings, reviewing the documents, responding to emails, etc. However, I make sure that I take out the “me time” for reading the legal updates, chatting with seniors and taking my coffee (and stamina-sticks) breaks.

    To satisfy my academic inclination, I teach at ILS Law College, KC Law College and Government Law College, Securities Law Course, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (seminars) on issues pertaining to foreign direct investments, due diligence; companies act, the law relating to contracts and related subjects.

    How do you say one can gain expertise in corporate law? What does it take to be a good corporate lawyer?

     

    There’s no strategy or science behind becoming an expert in any area. If you like the subject, half the work is already done.

    I will digress a little bit, but it’s important. Most of the interviews, students are able to answer (to perfection), the questions, which are out of their regular curriculum (like questions on FDI Policy, FEMA). However, a simple question on contract act, sale of goods act, companies act, will make them scratch their ear.

    The short point is, the basics of law need to be absolutely clear. This cannot be compromised if you want to excel (I am not talking about being an average corporate lawyer). All the other fancy laws can be learnt while working. Always remember, Indian Contract Act 1872 is the “mother of all laws”, and you must know it and know it all.

    Having said all this, please make a note that just by knowing the law (or so called being an expert) will not make you a good corporate lawyer. You need to be a team player, learn to logically articulate your point/ position and never be disrespectful in an argument (unless the other person is a bully). Everything else will fall in place.

    How do you maintain a work-life balance? Are there any specific time management tips you would like to share?

     

    Though this is tricky, it’s critical for me. Life of a corporate lawyer is very demanding, so one has to make a conscious effort to maintain this balance. For last several years, this has worked for me (not saying that it has worked all the time):

    • maintaining an effective to-do list (and prioritize matters)
    • effectively delegating and keeping the working team on the same page, up-to-date with the matter so the person next in line can take charge whenever required
    • Learning the art of saying “no.” Sometimes this is the key (Caution: use with care).  

    Most of my friends wake up, shower, and go straight to work. They all complain about having no time to do anything. I make sure that I get at least 3 hours for myself in the morning.This makes me more productive and helps in having a peaceful workday.

    Tell us about your journey from being a student to a partner. Whether life changes after being a partner?

     

    For me, this journey was a natural process. I kept my focus on doing good work and left all other things to my mentors (who never disappointed me). My agenda was to complain only when I wasn’t getting challenging work

    (but that never happened).

    Life doesn’t change if you like your work and have the same vision as the firm. Just be prepared for the responsibility.

    Tell us about your international secondments. How important are these secondments?

     

    The six months I spent in Tokyo with Morrison & Foerster, provided me with a very different kind of exposure. Japan as a jurisdiction is a unique, distinct and process oriented. I sincerely believe that such secondments are very important for everyone who is on track for a leadership role.

    How to excel in what you do? How to become the star of the firm?

     

    There’s no rocket science in excelling in anything you do. You:

     

      • have to be passionate about what you do. If you aren’t, change
      • should keep your focus on quality work
      • shouldn’t get bothered about what people say behind your back (just remember, they are either jealous or simply jealous and that means you are doing good)  
      • Interact with your seniors. You will get to learn a lot, even in a mere 2 min conversation
      • teach a subject at some law school. You will be amazed to see how this will change things in your work life

    select a stream/ segment and be the champion in that enjoy your life.

    • If you keep taking the stress and working all days, weeks and months- what’s the fun in being a star.   

    What is the difference between a hard worker and a smart worker?

     

    A hard worker is a like a horse with blinkers, just running in one direction without a long-term goal. A smart worker will have a 360-degree vision, will prioritize things and effectively manage his time. No one wants to be in office over the weekends!

    Please note that there’s a difference between ‘shirking away responsibility’ and the ‘art of delegation’. As you go up the ladder, you have to be a smart worker, taking the team together towards the collective vision through effective delegation, prioritizing things and being responsible for team’s action.

    How important are the grades at a law school?

     

    If a survey is done, this question will top the list of every law student. We should remember one simple point, anything that reflects on ‘what all and how’ have you done things in your five years (or 3 years) of college life- is relevant, very relevant. I am not in any way looking away from the known concerns on curriculum, a pattern of examination and marking strategy. I am just trying to say things are relative, isn’t it the same for every student taking the exam? So you have to be relatively the best! Period.

    Having said this, I don’t believe that just a good grade is an indication of strong fundamental knowledge of the law, but it’s enough to bring you to the other side of the table for an interview. Isn’t that the first hurdle, which you want to cross anyway.

    Is it important to be people’s person for career progression?

     

    Well, this is a very tricky question. Let me answer this little differently.

    You cannot give importance to a bi-product. However, sometimes, certain bi-products are equally valuable, just like the final product itself. Therefore, the entire process force has to be directed towards the final product, and all other things will fall into place.

    I won’t say that being a people’s person is a critical criterion. But everyone likes to work in a team, which is aligned towards one goal.

    What is the importance of socializing on career progression?

     

    We need to understand that ‘socialization’ as a construct is not a skill-set, which needs to be developed. We are born with it. The entire premise of civilization and society is based on socialization. Ross (well…not Mike Ross!) defined socialization as “the development of the we feeling in associates and their growth in capacity and will to act together.” Gone are those days where a star corporate lawyer used to steal the show! It’s the era of “we & all” and only collective effort of the team makes an individual and the firm successful.

    Please note that socialization in this context doesn’t mean eating, drinking, smoking, partying and/or gossiping together. It means more than this! Having a meaningful conversation with everyone, greeting them, and being there when they need you (work or otherwise) is the construct, which helps you attain that maturity and stability in the system. Having said this, you shouldn’t confuse this with ‘acting in a manner to please others’.

    I feel that today, a firm may be ready to lose a star lawyer who is not a team player rather than a perfect team player. Productivity and effectiveness are directly proportionate to the collective efforts. The standards these days are so high that every other lawyer has same or similar skill-sets as far as the technical/legal skills are concerned. What will differentiate a good lawyer from the rest are the leadership skill and the ability to make team members a part of transaction/ matter they are working on. In my experience, productivity and learning agility of an associate increases exponentially when he/ she gets a feeling of “my matter” rather than “partners’ matter”.

    What message would you like to leave to our readers?

     

    Especially for the young corporate lawyers, it’s important that they:

    • learn to write/ draft in simple English;
    • understand and appreciate the commercial construct of transactions, and
    • understand, the client wants a solution-oriented approach.  

    I am not highlighting the obvious that they need to know the law and keeping abreast with the latest developments/transactions.

    I genuinely believe that I am a risk taker. I know that if I don’t take any chances in this short life, I will have a dull and boring life.Who wants a boring life anyway? Having said that, it doesn’t mean you will succeed every time. In fact, you will fail most of the times, but the good part is the experience you get and the fact that you will never regret “not doing it”. Regretting about things ‘that you never tried’ is worst than trying and failing.

    The short point is that you should do whatever you want to do in life if you feel it’s the right thing for you. Period. Whatever you do in life (good or bad), people around you will speak about you. It’s fine, because, at the end of the day, you are here for the experience and not to just please people around you.

    Also, if you’re good at what you do, there’s no reason you can’t brag about it.

    Always remember, we all ‘work to live’ and not ‘live to work’. Being dedicated is one thing and being in office 24/7 is another. Go out, meet with friends, travel, do something for yourself, and patiently hear everyone but listen to just yourself.

    Fitness is not just an important aspect; it’s essential if you want to enjoy your work as well as your personal life. You just can’t ignore it. I don’t need to explain what needs to be done. Everyone knows it, so don’t be lazy, go out and sweat.