Super Lawyer

Tag: KLA

  • Merlyn Abraham, Attorney, SAMVĀD: Partners, on transactional law, litigation, and her diverse experience

    Merlyn Abraham, Attorney, SAMVĀD: Partners, on transactional law, litigation, and her diverse experience

    Merlyn Abraham graduated in law from Kerala Law Academy Law College, batch of 2008. Since then she has worked as Associate with K.R. Chawal & Co., Legal Executive at Citi Bank, Associate at Artis Legal, and Senior Associate at Associated Law Advisers. She is currently Attorney at SAMVĀD: Partners.

    In this interview we speak to her about:

    • Studying at Kerala Law Academy
    • Her past experiences
    • Her role at SAMVĀD: Partners

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    A lawyer with expertise in general corporate law practice along with solid understanding and background in disputes. Some can say that I am suit who has adorned the robe in the past as well.

     

    What motivated you to pursue law?

    My alma mater, St. Francis De Sales School, New Delhi, encouraged students to find their interests and choose a career suiting their own aptitude. Career counselling from ninth grade twelfth was a significant part of the same. Career counselling at school, hero worship for a Supreme Court judge (who was member of our church), my inclination to analysis and logic coupled with my father’s support and encouragement led me to chose this career.

     

    Share with us your experience as a student of law at Kerala Law Academy. 

    Five years in law school was my introduction to “the real world”, be it in professional or personal level. While the focus in Kerala Law Academy was on academics (internal exams, presentations and attendance being supremely important), politics (being and participating as members of student led political parties and association), dissent and discussion on various education related and social issues was rampant and never curbed by the college administration. Furthermore, being part of the moot court society gave me numerous opportunities to interact (in person) with stalwarts in the profession, develop research skills, learn early on how to frame and present arguments in legal matters. Admidst all this we participated and won several intra and inter university cultural competitions.

     

    Having won moot court competitions, how important would you say it is for students to moot? 

    By participating in moot court competitions students learn how to frame and articulate legal arguments early on, develop research skills, learn to apply academic knowledge and develop a thought process which help in analysing real time legal issues and matters, much prior to joining the profession. Personally participating in national level moot court competitions helped me meet and be friends with laws students from other law schools. The  friends I made during such moot competitions are fellow members of the Bar today and we interact, support and guide each other as professionals  So, moot courts have done me abundant good, but my batch mates who didn’t participate in them are doing well (professionally) for themselves as well.

     

    How did you go about choosing your internships?

    Internships were a medium to figure out which area of law interests me and whether corporate practice or litigation was the way ahead for me, therefore I started interning with litigation law firms followed by tax experts, intellectual property (focused) firm and corporate law firm. The internships I undertook absolutely served their purpose and by the time I got my degree in law I had sketched by career path for next couple of years.

    What motivated you to choose litigation after graduation?

    Having interacted with lawyers in niche practice (IP, tax), corporate lawyers and litigation lawyers during my internships, the advise I constantly received was to do litigation for a couple of years to understand procedure and consequence of ‘commercial terms’ in court (when they go in dispute). I chose to pay heed to their advise and jumped into litigation.

    How did you secure your first job at K.R. Chawal & Co.? 

    I got a call for an interview at K.R. Chawla & Co, through a job portal followed by an interview with the Partner. K.R Chawla & Co. at the time was an ideal place to work for a fresher; interaction with the different partners helped me gain so much more knowledge than the civil and writ jurisdiction work I was involved in at the time. The firm was traditional lawyer’s office where everyone was treated almost like family and Mr. K.R. Chawla even more so.

     

    What is the nature of work you took up at Citi Bank? 

    I joined Citi group as a legal executive where my work profile included 80% of litigation management and 20% drafting and review of agreements. My time at Citi helped me gain perspective on how legal solutions have to make business sense and how our role as legal counsels needs to be communicated to the management and other departments of the Company.

     

    Could you share with us some of the interesting cases and learning experiences from your time working at Artis Legal and Associated Law Advisers? 

    At Artis legal I was initially trained and soon was given  to  handle on my own, corporate real estate deals, corporate advisory and disputes, with minimal supervision. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the craft of negotiation and getting to do it all, on my own was thorough pleasure. The direct interaction with the stake holders (of giant corporate clients) definitely instilled responsibility, immense pride in my work and confidence. Working with seasoned lawyers who care to mentor you well, does go a long way in chiseling  your skills.

    What does a typical work day look like for you as an Attorney at Samvad?

    Having gained experience as a litigation counsel, in-house counsel and a corporate counsel, I was looking to learn something new and increase my skill set. I was interested in doing private equity related work and I got to know of an opening at Samvad Partners  and applied to the firm’s HR. The hiring process started with an interview with firm’s partners and followed by a small work assignment . At Samvad, our day is charted very different when we are in the middle of a due diligence (which is always time pressed), acquisition or investment deal and when we are handling smaller agreements or corporate advisory. In the former situation, the day begins before the sun rises with doing your share of the work, getting to office by 9.30 am then the day just replete with calls, discussions (internal and external), drafting, review, finalising documents, the works. We (associates and partners alike) tend to pull late nights then.

    In the latter scenario, the day is more relaxed, we are encouraged to finish our piece of the work as early and head back and the day in the office  is laced with fruitful discussions (with partners as well) around law and otherwise.

     

    What are your interests outside law? 

    Apart from law I enjoy travelling (every chance I get), photography, reading and spending time with my friends and family. The intent is to strike a balance between work and life (otherwise) but then it seldom materialises, I steal whatever time I can for my interests outside work.

    What are the challenges you have faced in building up your career as it stands today? Where would you like your career to take you five years down the line?

    The challenges I faced to build my career are pretty much same as any first generation lawyer would but the fact that am brought up in Delhi and stayed with my family did ease out things. Managing to get a placement in a good firm without any “contacts” that too when you passed out into a recession hot market, was a trek, but then every step I learnt a lot including to value the good (people / circumstances) and weed out the negatives and every achievement is your ‘own’.  My career as it is today and the rather unusual path I have taken till date, I am unable to foretell the path ahead, but yes in five years I do see myself practicing out of my own office.

     

    Given the dynamic nature of the field you practice in, how do you keep yourself updated about the latest developments in the law?

    Newsletter, articles and journal are what I utilise to navigate through the latest events and changes in law which I follow up by going back to the actual source (master directions, notifications, statutes, circulars), along with discussion with friends( who practice in different branches of law).

     

    What would be your parting message to our readers?

    Rise up the career ladder but don’t forget to have a life. Every law students must watch the movie “And justice for all” once before you set foot in the profession.

     

  • Assistant Judge Advocate General, Indian Army, on preparing and clearing the Services Selection Board

    Assistant Judge Advocate General, Indian Army, on preparing and clearing the Services Selection Board

    judge-adv-general-1We got to connect with someone who recently cleared the Service Selection Boards exam and got recruited into the Indian Army as an Assistant Judge Advocate General. This is a much rare career insight which we have the opportunity to feature.

    We had requested her to share her insights with us while promising her the much required anonymity. Therefore we had to also skip on many insights of her achievements as a law student and internships.

    We asked her about:

    • Life at Kerala Law Academy
    • Preparing for the SSB and getting inducted into the Indian Army
    • Job of a Judge Advocate General

     

    Tell us a bit about yourself.

    I am a very talkative, extrovert, fun loving person who loves to travel and enjoy one’s life. But when it comes to work I am equally serious and dedicated to it. So I think it’s a nice mix!!!

     

    Tell us about your pre-college life and about your family.

    My family includes my parents & younger brother. My father retired as Deputy Inspector General of Prisons and my mom is a teacher. My brother is pursuing his engineering degree from Kerala. I have done my schooling from Holy Angels & St Thomas School Tvm. I always had the ambition of joining the prestigious Civil Services.

     

    Was pursuing law always your professional calling?

    I would be lying to you if I say that a career in law was on my cards. In fact, I never had it on my list. It just happened. But I was an Arts student. I had opted for Humanities for my +2 so never had Engg/Med thoughts. But I wanted to take up Political Science & Journalism. But landed up in law as it was a much wider option and I thought that it will encompass everything within itself.

     

    Did you have a legal lineage that motivated you to choose this field?

    [sociallocker]I come from a non-legal background. I decided on law, firstly I loved the subject, secondly it would give me a professional degree and I could take up law as an option for Civil Service Examination, as I was a Civil Service Aspirant.

     

    How were you years at Kerala Law Academy College?

    College was fun with all the moot courts. I had participated in around fifteen Moot Courts including Vienna Arbitration Moot, Jessup & Stetson to name a few. We grabbed lots of prizes as a team including individual prizes for myself as Best Lady Adv, Best Student Adv, Best Speaker etc. After graduation I started with my civil service preparation. I had enrolled myself at Rau’s IAS Study Circle before joining Army.

     

    During the five years of your law school what kind of internships did you do?

    Well, our college never had any internship plan or scheme. It was on individual interest. I kind of did internship on all fields as I wanted to explore and analyse my interests. I did corporate, litigation and NGO internships. That is when I realised that corporate law is not my cup of tea. I enjoyed NGO & litigation work. But was not prepared to settle down in any of that because, I had my Civil Service dream intact with me then.

     

    Prior to entering law school, did you ever wish to join army?

    As I said before, I was preparing for civil service when I had applied for the same. The notification in the papers asked for law graduates and I applied. I was not really serious about it till the day of my selection. I was seeing the SSB interview as a practise session for me before my civil service stint. But then things just happened.

     

    Tell us about the application procedure for JAG.

    The application process is kind of simple. They issue notification for JAG entry based on the vacancies. Presently the vacancies are less but in the next five to ten years the vacancies are going to increase tremendously. Minimum 55% marks in a recognised law course is the eligibility. Then there is the SSB process where you are scanned at various stages by various authorities. SSB does not require any preparation, that is what I personally feel about the same. It is all about the right attitude and confidence. Be yourself, don’t try to copy anything or give stereotype answers, try to bring in individuality in your answers.

     

    What advice would you give to our readers for successfully cracking SBB?

    Well, I beg to differ. SSB is a psychological test where they test your abilities to lead and command a body of troops. They search for leaders, people who can give orders and take orders. That is why I said it is about the right attitude. Furthermore, for JAG interview they might just come up with some legal question. So if you are convincing enough, which any law student will be, then one can easily crack SSB.

     

    Tell us about your time at Officers Training Academy, Chennai.

    BAD, I mean real bad.

    I was a kind of person who never got into field or was never a sports person. So it was very difficult for me. The basic training for all is the same so one has to undergo eleven months of basic military training which involves a hell lot of physical activity. You can refer to the Lakshya movie for easy reference.  But nothing is impossible. If a person like me who has never attended a sports day in school can complete it, then everyone can.

     

    After the training period, where was your first posting?

    After eleven months of rigorous training, finally you will be commissioned into the Indian Army. The feeling was great indeed. It was a proud moment when I finally became a part of the Olive Green community. Well I can’t disclose my posting details due to security concerns and existing instructions on the subject.

     

    What role does the JAG officer play in the Indian Army?

    JAG officers play advisory role in the Indian Army. We are the legal advisors to our commanders in military, discipline and other allied matters. After the basic training and induction into the Dept we will be made to undergo a course in Military law which is like our Bible in day to day functioning. My typical work day is like any other day in a corporate office or firm, just that you are in uniform and of course minus the work pressure and targets that exist in the outside world. Every work has its own advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it does get monotonous but I think that is the part of any work. But it is also a challenge one has to face every day. We mainly deal with offences committed by members of Army. So, if one likes criminal law and framing charges, then this is the place to be.

     

    After how many years of practice is one offered the position of Judge Advocate General?

    Judge Advocate General is our top most position. So it will take another 25 more years for me to reach there. I am performing the functions of Asst JAG.

     

    What difference do you find in the working of Armed Forces Tribunal and other courts?

    Yes, AFT has been set up to provide as an appellate forum for Armed Personnel.  But it has got original jurisdiction also. It deals with service and disciplinary matters. It’s akin to High Court and an appeal against its order lies to SC. It consists of a judicial member and administrative member. It has been set up as a relief measure to armed forces whose litigation has been otherwise pending in the high courts.

     

    What would be your message to our young readers?

    I don’t think I have achieved anything to provide a message to anyone. Enjoy your life but remember one thing that it is your five years of effort in law college that is going to determine your future address in this world. It’s your hard work as law student that is going to determine your identity. So it’s up to you to determine who you want to be.[/sociallocker]