Tag: MU

Prashant Ramdas, AVP-Legal, ENIL (Times Group) on practising Media Law as an in-house Counsel
Prashant Ramdas qualified in Law from Mumbai University, batch of 2005. His area of expertise includes E-Commerce, Media and Entertainment and Technology. He has more than twelve years of work experience and has worked as a practising lawyer as well as an in-house counsel with organizations like NSE.IT Ltd., Reliance Media (ADAG Group), Star India, Balaji Telefilms and Motion Pictures, Zee Entertainment Network, Essel Group and Times Group.

Currently he is serving as the Associate Vice President – Legal at Entertainment Network India Limited. ENIL is a subsidiary of Times Group and controls Radio Mirchi, Mirchi Movies, Times Outdoors, etc.

In this interview, he talks to us about:
- The importance of always being open to learning and zeal for one’s profession.
- The factors that recruiters take into consideration while recruiting.
- His responsibilities as an in house lawyer.
- His inclination towards the media industry.
How will you introduce yourself to our readers?

Well for introduction, I am a young lawyer and always a law ‘student’ just like you guys, grown up only in age a bit. Though there have been no lawyers in the family, my grandfather always wished I become one, so I sort of fulfilled the prophecy.

What was it that got you interested in the legal field and pursue a career in law?

Law was probably the only subject that intrigued me right from the time I got introduced to it during my B.Com. I always aspired to be a professional and I clearly hated numbers and accounts, so I decided to pursue a career in law which was sans any of it. To be completely honest, in my opinion no combination with LL.B really helps in the profession. All what matters is how focused you are on what you have chosen voluntarily as your career path. B.Com in a way helped me generally to get a quick grasp and understanding of the commercial and business aspects of a transaction which are subject matter of the contracting and negotiations or non-litigation as we call it and which is my main area of interest.

How was your experience in law school? Which were the activities that you undertook?

I graduated from a modest evening law school as I had to support my education by working part-time and as such moots and extra-curricular were never my area of focus nor I had bandwidth for it. My internship with a reputed criminal lawyer to start with was surely of immense help. It gave me a clear picture of the struggle that lied ahead to be successful in this field and mentally prepared me for it. I shall forever be grateful to my early mentors to have let me get an early insight into the challenges and many nitty-gritties of legal drafting which laid foundation for my career. The budding lawyers should always remember to be a ‘sponge’ during their internships, take them very seriously and absorb as much as they can during the short stint, it benefits in ways you can never imagine at that stage.

What are your areas of interest in the legal field?

My area of interest has always been drafting and documentation, whether it’s pleadings or agreements or the likes. Oratory was never my forte but articulation was and that’s what I decided to focus on. During my internship, my practice in courts and even in corporate as in-house lawyer I made it a point to read drafts and precedents from good lawyers and reputed law firms as well as international documentations. Reading, observing their styles, vocabulary, logical arrangements with intention to merge and inculcate in what I have learnt, with the intent to develop my skill and ways to bring absolute clarity and simplicity in my drafting, always helped me to enhance my skills. And needless to mention, the learning never stops! Always observe, always be a student and stay humble, no matter how much you climb in your career.

What was your first job after law school?

I started practicing in Thane District and Sessions court immediately after graduation. A senior lawyer practising there was gracious enough to let me be a part of her chambers. The first lesson it taught me was Investment- Investment in your career and goals. I started with a meagre Rs.250/- per month in 2005 whereas my peers started with minimum Rs.15, 000- Rs.20, 000/- with reputed law firms and corporates. It shifted my focus from money to Law. I believe litigation is the foundation of legal career and every lawyer must get hands-on experience in it irrespective of areas of interest. Once you strengthen the basics, rest falls in line. In few years’ time, I did manage to level up with my peers in spite of starting slow. So never be worried about where you start, be focused on ‘how’ you start. Invest your time and energy in learning, rest will take care of itself.

What are the factors do recruiters take into consideration while recruiting fresh graduates or young lawyers?

In my experience, I have always seen recruiters interested in evaluating how much you ‘know’ than how much you ‘scored’ or which law school you belong to. Marks and institution may get you to a door but you can enter only with knowledge. The other factors they consider are how interested you are in learning and exploring various areas of law, whether you are a ‘cultural’ fit to their organisation, how open you are to put in the amount of hard work required for the profile and the zeal for your profession.

You have been previously associated with Star, Balaji Telefilms, Balaji Motion Pictures, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Times Group which is in the entertainment industry. Were you always inclined towards this industry?

I entered this industry of Media and Entertainment by accident and without intent or much information about it to start with. It was a career decision I had to make from perspective of exploring other areas of law, being in early stage of my career i.e. areas other than Real Estate and IT which I started off with. The Media and Entertainment industry is all about Intellectual Property Law and Copyrights majorly. The field of copyrights, apart from being a niche, is immensely complicated and interesting. Just when you start thinking you have learnt a lot, you realise there is a universe out there waiting to be explored. New challenges keep cropping up every single day and that’s what keeps me interested and fascinated about what I do. The work culture in this industry is indeed one of the factors which keep me glued. Most entertainment companies breed work culture that is informal, un-bureaucratic, open to ideas, casual but at the same time dead serious about the things they do. It’s highly time sensitive, cost-sensitive and keeps you alive and on your toes always. You also get a sense of contribution to your organisation as you are entrusted to protect their core i.e. IPRs. So jump in if you want a rollercoaster ride!

You took up a position at Balaji Telefilms and went on to become the Associate VP of the Legal team at Balaji motion Pictures. Tell us about your professional experience and responsibilities?

After practising for 2 years in criminal and civil litigation as junior advocate, I got into legal team of NSE.IT (IT arm of National Stock Exchange), from where I moved on to media sector starting from Reliance Media. I was approached by a placement firm for opportunity with Star India and I got in to explore the field of copyrights. I handled legal documentation for all major channels of the company including Star Plus and the English cluster and also their content licensing business. However, working there I realised that though a reputed broadcaster gives you immense international exposure, the detailed knowledge of on-ground production of a television serial/films is equally important, to widen your perspective, understanding and practical realities of media production, which in -turn helps you in your overall understanding of the core business of content production and there was no better place than Balaji Telefilms and Motion picture for learn it. In addition to variety of contracts, it taught me the ground realities of productions, artist negotiations, difficulties faced by production teams etc., which helped me to cover the risks as well as be more articulate, accommodative and to simplify my agreements, to standardise them and ensure quick closures.

Can you tell us about your responsibilities as the Managing counsel at Zee Entertainment?

Zee being a media giant gave me exposure to wide variety of businesses and transactions. I handled their major television channels including flagship Zee TV, content acquisition and licensing business, food e-commerce business as well as their digital business apart from general corporate transactions.

What made you shift to the Times Group? How has your work experience been so far?

Shifting to Times Group was again a conscious career decision, as I was presented with an opportunity to handle their Radio Broadcasting business under guidance of an experienced professional and chance to handle litigation profile which I was estranged from a long while. Knowledge of copyrights in musical works is core to this business and is also a very important and complicated area of copyrights. Apart from the work profile, the work culture at Times Group is a huge plus, as they give you complete freedom to work as well as to maintain a healthy work-life balance. It also helps to maintain your efficiency at work, which most organisations talk about but never implement.

What are the skills one needs to develop in order to succeed as an in house lawyer?

As I mentioned earlier, to succeed in any field, the only thing that helps is to focus on your area of interest. If one is interested in litigation aspects, voracious reading of case laws, pleadings and working under a knowledgeable general practitioner (unless you have pre-decided your area of work) is very crucial. If one is interested in documentation side, reading of as much variety of good contract drafts, understanding of contract law and laws relating to the transactions is very important. Sincerity and hard work in these areas will definitely take you places and will make you confident to take up any challenges in your area of work.

Describe the typical day of an in house lawyer? How is this different from working at a law firm or a chamber?

Working in chambers of a lawyer is a whole different experience. You are immersed in research work, reading up laws and precedents and picking up your senior’s manners in dealing with clients. As against that, in-house is more about applying what you learnt in the chambers or law schools. It is more operational in nature and all about meeting deadlines. It also involves the most important and interesting aspect i.e. learning the business models, revenue streams and understanding the business requirements of core business of your organisation. Streamlining and standardising the current processes and continuously evolving your documentation to align it with requirements of your internal customers (i.e. businessmen) to help them expedite document closure, bring in more revenues for the company and at the same time to protect its interest in the best manner. Thus, the core role of an in-house lawyer is to be a ‘business enabler’.

What are you views on the importance of higher education in the legal profession?

Education is never ending. Higher education should definitely be pursued, if you firmly believe it is going to add to your present skill sets and knowledge. Its necessity, I believe depends on lot of factors like personal aspirations, targets, interests in higher studies, career benefits considering the position you are working at etc. I personally did not pursue LL.M or other courses as I felt I have enough to learn in my area of practice alone and being focused on it helped me achieve my personal goals. But as I said it’s an individual choice considering their circumstances.

What are the challenges you have faced in building your career as it stands today?

The basic challenge at the beginning of my career was sustaining with a very modest income in spite of earning pressures, with a belief and faith in what I was investing in. Due to lack of early guidance, contacts and references and also not being from a top rated law-school did hinder my chances to get a rocketing start, however it also taught me the importance of hard-work, self-reliance, self-development, persistence, self-belief and making way through any challenge. It was never a cake-walk to what I managed to achieve thus far, but it taught me to stay humble, to be open to learning from everyone including interns and peers I work with and to help those who have zeal for this profession in whichever little way I can.

How do you maintain a work life balance?

Work never ends. If it does you will no longer be required. Therefore, prioritising is important. Know what is important to be done. Keep a track of your work so that nothing important misses your radar. Work efficiently through the day and more often than not, you will find yourself leaving the office in time, without prejudicing your work. Focus on the fitness levels of your mind and body equally as they in turn help your efficiency at work. Do this and you can maintain a work life balance with ease.

What advice do you have for our readers?

Though I am not as accomplished yet as to advice, from my little experiences, I can only reiterate and say ‘Never stop being a student!’ Identify your strengths and decide your area of focus early in your career and work relentlessly. Work hard but most importantly enjoy whatever you do and never forget to have fun. All the best to each one of the readers for their aspirations and thank you for reading. Feel free to reach out to me at prashantramdas@gmail.com should you have anything to ask.
November 30, 2017
Sheela Yadav, Law Officer, SUN Pharma, on taking out time for LL.M, work in litigation and IPR
Sheela Yadav was born and brought up in a conservative atmosphere, one that is not very encouraging for girls to study, but that did not stop her from pursuing her dream of studying law. Encouraged by her father, she completed her graduation in sociology and enrolled herself for the three-year LL.B course in SNDT University. Upon graduating, she started working at the chambers of Preeti Shah, and completed an LL.M alongside her work. After developing an interest in IP laws, she switched to Sun Pharma where she currently works as Legal Officer.

In this interview, she talks about:
- The initial experiences of her life which made her want to study law
- Her work in litigation and experience working under Advocate Preeti Shah
- Her current work profile at Sun Pharma
Why did you decide to study law? What inspired you to do so? How did you get through to SNDT Law School?

I belong to a place in North India where girls are not allowed to study much but my family gave me a chance to study. One day, the panchayat of my village gave a wrong decision in a dispute regarding division of property. The dispute was between my father and my uncle, and I wanted to say something but wasn’t allowed to, being a girl. There were many other instances like this, which inspired me to study law in order to know the rights I and other girls hold. My father motivated me to join SNDT Law School.

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

During my graduation my area of interest was sociology. Being a sociology student, I had to participate in various surveys where I came to know that there are a lots of people who don’t enjoy benefits of public policies, mainly due to lack of knowledge and awareness about the same. This, again, gave me a push to study a law.

As a law student which activities did you participate in?

During law school, I participated in various conferences, seminars, essay competitions and workshops which enhanced my knowledge and deepened my interest in law. I have also participated and presented a research paper in the “World Peace Congress 2008” a UNESCO chair program, on the role of youth in promoting the “Culture of Peace in the World” held at World Peace Centre (Alandi), Maeer’ MIT Pune. I was also awarded for participation in Alternative Dispute Resolution project by Indian Law Institue in 2008. In 2010, I secured First Rank in LL.B. examinations in the University.

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

I have done various internships during my law school. However, the internships at Haresh Jagtiani & Associates and Divya Shah & Associates are very close to my heart. These were the internships where I majorly worked with the litigation team of the firms. These firms allowed me to understand the roots of litigation and law.

Do you feel that there is a perception of difference among NLU and non-NLU students?

Yes, when you are a student from an NLU, everyone treats you like you know everything. While applying for internships, college name plays a vital role. This name gives better and easy exposure to top law firms. It’s because of the kind of education and facilities there. However, in traditional universities, we have to do everything ourselves. They are preferred even when a student from a traditional university is more talented because at the first glance the employers notice the name of the college.

After graduating from SNDT Law School, you started working at the Chambers of Preeti Shah as a Junior Associate. What kind of responsibilities you were entrusted with?

I wanted to get experience in litigation and court procedure. I heard about her and therefore directly approached her. She appointed me in spite of the fact that I did not have any references. I have learned a lot from her. She has given me lots of opportunities to appear in court and argue matters. She is the best teacher, in a way, because she taught me the basics of post-graduation experience, guided me and supported me in my highs and lows.

You left the Chambers of Preeti Shah and had joined Agnihotri & Jha Associates. What led to this shift? How was your experience working there?

During my work period with Preeti Shah I found my area of interest in IPR laws and therefore shifted to Agnihotri & Jha Associates. There, I handled IP matters including application of registration for Trademark, Copyright & Design along with other litigation matters. However, this place taught me that everything that glitters is not gold.

How did you eke out time for the LL.M from Mumbai University while still working at Chambers of Preeti Shah? Please share your experience with our readers.

As I already said, Preeti Ma’am is one of the best people I have ever met. She supported me at every stage of my career and guided me throughout. I always wanted to do a Master’s and therefore asked her regarding the same. She allowed me, supported me and encouraged me to do so. After finishing my work, she used to ask me to go and attend my lectures. She has been an angel in my life.

Currently, you work as a Law Officer at Sun Pharma. How did the switch from Agnihotri and Jha take place?

To get better exposure, I wanted to switch and join a new company. As far as I think, FMCG & pharma companies are one of the best places to gain experience in IP laws. I am keen user and follower of LinkedIn and one day, I came to know that there’s a vacancy in Sun Pharma. I wanted to switch and therefore applied through LinkedIn. After various procedures, I was recruited.

What does your current work profile at Sun Pharma consists of?

My work profile in Sun Pharma is majorly Trademark searches including drafting Applications, Oppositions, attending Show Cause hearings, Special drives, and other follow ups in the registry including Online filings.

What has been your strategy to deal with errors and mistakes? How would you suggest a young associate to deal with them?

The first step to deal with your errors and mistakes is to accept them and the fact that you have committed those mistakes. The next time you deal with the same or similar matter, approach it with a clear understanding of the concept and also with the mistakes committed earlier. It will increase your chances of winning.

Tell us about a case that you are particularly proud of.

Being an employee of Sun Pharma I can cannot disclose information about matters which are still going on. To crack a difficult case, always think from the other side and only then can one understand what difficulties are faced and how to tackle them. To prepare for a difficult case, deep study of the matter including the applicable laws and study of relevant provisions, remedies, penalties as well case laws is required. For example- if you are preparing for trademark infringement case : criteria for analysing trademark infringement required to be known viz. is likelihood of confusion about the origin of the defendant’s goods or service and the plaintiff should first show that it has developed a protectable trademark right in a trademark. The plaintiff must then show that the defendant is using a confusingly similar mark in such a way that it creates a likelihood of confusion, mistake and/or deception with the consuming public. The confusion created can be that the defendant’s products are the same as that of the plaintiff, or that the defendant is somehow associated, affiliated, connected, approved, authorized or sponsored by plaintiff.

What are the key qualities one should possess for becoming an IP and FMCG lawyer? What is the earning potential?

FMCG law is a new and emerging area which give lots of opportunities to learn new things every day. Deep understanding of the consumers and areas covered under the FMGC laws are the only essential and key qualities which one should possess for becoming an FMCG lawyer. Earning potential depends of the person’s hard work and knowledge.

Many lawyers would say that the actual learning takes place in the years of practice. What was the case in your situation?

Yes definitely that was true in my case as well. Practical life is totally different from theoretical and college life and day to day practice and challenge expands your knowledge and improves the skills to tackle the situation better.

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

Believe in yourself, and never give up. There is no substitute for hard work and keep patience.
April 3, 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
Thirupathi Bendram, Manager, IPR Cell, Sun Pharma, on LL.B from Mumbai Univ after M.Pharma from BITS, Pilani
Thirupathi Bendram grew up in what is now Telangana and completed both Bachelors and Masters in Pharmacy from BITS, Pilani. After a couple of short-lived jobs at smaller pharmaceuticals, Thirupathi finally got his dream job at SUN Pharma, Mumbai, in August 2005. After working in the Intellectual Property department of the company, he felt the need to gain a deeper understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks and enrolled himself for the LL.B degree at University of Mumbai while still working.

Here, he talks about:
- Managing a job and evening law classes at the same time
- His job and work profile at SUN Pharma
- Combination of Law and Science
- The importance of specializing in one field of law
Where did you grow up and attend school? How did you decide to pursue Bachelor in Pharmacy? Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Karimnagar, currently in Telangana state. I did my schooling till 10th Class (ICSE Board) from Flaiz Memorial High School, a Christian convent boarding school located in West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. I was hardworking and sincere in my school days.

I later did my 12th standard (AP state board) from Loyola Junior college, Karimnager (Telangana). After scoring highest percentage in my 11^th standard board exams, I came to know about BITS-Pilani and its admission process. From that time onwards, I started focussing on securing a higher percentage in my 12 the exams also, so as to get an admission into BITS-Pilani. Soon after the 12^th standard, I applied to BITS-Pilani based on my 12^th standard percentage (94.1%). Pharmacy was never my first choice and I had applied to many other courses at BITS-Pilani, but I got admission in B.Pharmacy (Hons.). I did not know anything about pharmacy when I joined the college. After completing my B. Pharmacy (Hons), I got admission into M. Pharmacy in the same institute based on merit. I graduated in 2005 from BITS-Pilani with a masters inPharmacy.

You started your career as an Officer in the Intellectual Property Cell of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India. How did you decide to join the IP Cell of a company?

When I graduated with M. Pharmacy in 2005, my sole aim was to secure a job in one of the top pharmaceutical companies of India. I secured a campus placement in Torrent Pharmaceuticals in Ahmedabad, in the manufacturing department of the company. I completed an internship at Torrent Pharma, which was mandatory as part of the M. Pharmacy course. I never thought about joining the IP department of any company. I did not have any idea about what IP means and the type of work that I will be doing there. After completing my internship, I got another offer from Promed Research Center, New Delhi, in their Research and Development department. This was the job profile I was looking for and hence joined Promed Research Center.. After completing 15 days at Promed, I received an email from SUN enquiring about my current status and whether I was interested in attending a second round of interview at their Mumbai Office. I was very excited when I read that email. I did not know the job would be in the IP department, and neither did any of my seniors, with whom I enquired, know anything about IP and its future prospects. I only knew that it was an emerging field at that point of time and I decided to join SUN as it was a bigger company than Promed. I took a bold decision and went ahead and joined SunPharma in August 2005. That single decision changed my whole career as well as my life.

What did your work profile at Sun Pharma consist of, before you were a lawyer?

During my initial days at SUN, I was involved in preparing FTO reports and drafting and filing patent applications with Indian IPO and WIPO. Later on I was involved in doing prior art searches and preparing and filing pre-grant oppositions for Indian patent applications. I was also involved in assisting our external attorneys by providing technical support. I gradually learned how to prepare in-house invalidity opinions, understand regulatory laws of US, EP, CA and JP markets. Currently I am involved in providing support to external attorneys in handling SUN litigation happening across the regulated markets with IP support to Research and development teams for product development.

Tell us about your law school experience.

My decision to pursue law was also accidental and unplanned. I never dreamt that I would become a lawyer. However, my career took a dramatic turn when I joined the IP department at SUN. All the work that I was doing was almost related to law in some form or the other. Hence, I thought that doing LL.B would surely enhance my knowledge and would provide me with skills necessary to advance my career in IP. The moment I realised this, I started looking for law colleges in Mumbai. Then I landed up in JCCL, which was an evening college, as it would suit my timings even if I had to attend all my classes regularly.

In the first year of LL.B, it was a bit difficult to cope with the legal terminology. However, I was quick to grasp the subjects as I was already working in matters related to law. There was a lot of encouragement and support from colleagues and my immediate boss at Sun Pharma.

I was not actively involved in any of the college activities as I was mostly focussed on my work. However, I made sure I wrote the exams while simultaneously managing my professional life. My aim was not to score a high percentage but to get through the LL.B course. Finally I completed my LL.B and now I am quite excited to be called a lawyer by family and friends.

Is there anything you would like to have done differently?

Yes, my only regret is that I did not attempt to apply for M.S in USA after completion of my B. Pharm (Hons.) course from BITS-Pilani while most of my classmates tried and succeeded in getting admission to MS and currently settled in USA.

How did you manage to eke out time for a regular three-year LL.B from Mumbai University while working at Sun Pharma? Please share your experience with us.

After joining LL.B course, I realised that it was very difficult to manage professional work, personal life and college. However, there was constant encouragement and support from colleagues and my wife, which motivated me to pursue this course and complete it successfully. I planned well in advance during the exams and made sure that I give my best shot at the exams so that I clear them at the first attempt itself.

Currently, you work as a Manager – Intellectual Property Cell at Sun Pharma. What qualities do you think helped you to achieve this status?

As you might have noticed, I have started at the bottom of the organizational ladder at SUN Pharma. Luckily, I received proper guidance and support from my colleagues who helped me learn the work in a systematic manner. I learned most of my work from them and later on started learning and upgrading myself about the patent laws and pharmacy regulations. The main qualities that helped me to achieve my current position were patience, constant learning, reading, presence of mind and continuous education on current patent laws and pharmaceutical regulations.

At all the positions you worked, did you have to learn new skills every time you were promoted to a different rank?

The type of work that I did in each capacity was different but overlapping. As I moved up in the organization, each position demanded and taught me different skills and posed different challenges.

What is a workday like for you? Has work settled into a predictable pattern or are there new challenges every day?

The work day is mostly routine for 60% of the time now. However, the remaining 40% of the time, there are new challenges that I face during my everyday professional work which helps me to perform to my potential and grow professionally.

How important would you say are business development skills at such higher roles?

Business development skills are very important as one grows higher up in the organization. These skills would help you to get noticed by your peers and other higher officials in the organization which would have an impact on your future roles and professional growth.

Many lawyers would say that the actual learning takes place in the years of practice. How far would you say it is true? What was the case in your situation?

Yes, I strongly believe that actual learning takes place in the years of practice. In my case, I was already practising the Indian patent laws in my day to day work while dealing with the Indian patent office while I actually cleared my Patent Agent exam in 2007 i.e. after 2 years of actual practice. Further, I completed my LL.B after actually learning the patent law and practising it all these years since 2005.

In the meantime, you’ve also managed to pursue MDP, Intellectual Property Management from IIM, Ahmedabad. Please tell us about the program.

It was a course designed by IIM-A for people working in companies and academics for increasing the awareness of IP management for effective organizational growth. It was brief course and lasted for 3-full days at the IIM-A campus in Ahmedabad. It was attended by delegates from public as well as private sector companies across India. This program was sponsored by my company and it was very helpful. It taught me different perspectives of IP management in India.

How do you manage to strike a balance between your personal and professional life?

Work-life balance is the most difficult aspect to manage. However, I make sure that I do not carry my office work to home. If there is any personal event to be attended, then I make sure that my work does not come in between.

What do you and other people at Sun Pharma measure success by? What must interns and attorneys do in order to get noticed and/or promoted?

Sun Pharma usually measure success of its employees by evaluating their contribution to the overall growth of organization and support to cross functional teams in the organization. There is nothing specific to be done, it is only their work that should speak for them.

What advice would you give to law students who have been science students and wish to pursue law?

Science students have a lot of scope in the IP field. IP awareness has increased in Indian companies, especially in pharmaceuticals which export their products to foreign countries’ regulated markets like US and EU. More litigation is happening in India related to drugs and pharmaceuticals. Science students with an LL.B degree can provide the right support internally to a company and assist external attorneys during litigation. There is also lot of scope in other areas of patent law especially patent drafting, filing, prosecution, licensing, patent valuation etc. There is more IP related litigation expected in the future due to changes in international pharmaceutical regulations and patent laws which provide sufficient opportunities to science graduates with an LL.B degree.

The question that whether one should specialise in a particular area of law or be more of a general lawyer often comes up before law students. What is your opinion on the same?

All LL.B graduates have a general knowledge of all branches of law. However, that will not help you as a professional. You need to specialize in the area that you are interested in taking up as your career, as it is known that each field or area of law is so vast and there are constant developments in the case laws which would define the law.

Lastly, what would be your advice to law students and young lawyers reading this interview?

My advice is that, firstly decide what you want to pursue and then keep your complete focus on that till that goal is achieved.

Secondly, always keep yourself educated and updated on the recent happenings in the respective areas of law that you are specializing in. This will help you grow in your career.
March 28, 2015
Esha Chakravarty Rathod, Senior Manager-Legal at UPL Ltd. on leaving law firm and work of an in-house counsel
Esha Chakravarty Rathod is currently a Senior Manager-Legal at UPL Ltd. a multinational Agro-chemical company. She graduated from University of Mumbai in 2008, and had thereafter worked in multiple law firms and also as in-house counsels of two large corporate houses.

In this interview she tell us about:
- Building up an illustrious career in corporate law
- Work as an Associate at major law firms
- Leaving law firms and joining as an in-house counsel
Given that most of our readers belong to legal fraternity, how would you introduce yourself to them?

Well, by way of an introduction, I am corporate lawyer, working in the corporate-commercial domain since the past seven (7) years, alternating between law firms and in-house roles. I have been born and bought up in Mumbai. I completed my education, including the law degree from institutions affiliated to the Maharashtra Board and subsequently to the Mumbai University. I took up science during my junior college year and subsequently enrolled for a five years law course in a college affiliated with the Mumbai University. I qualified as a lawyer in the year 2008 and enrolled with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in the same year. During my undergraduate year, I had signed up articles in the year 2005 for my solicitor’s examination and started working as an articled clerk in a corporate law firm. Therefore, right from the start of my professional life, I have always worked in non-lit general corporate-commercial domain!

Legal studies are still only a backup option for quite a lot of students. What motivated you to choose law as a career?

I understand that legal studies are still a backup option for a lot of students. This, I believe, is highly unfortunate. Law, as a profession, is wrongly maligned and looked down upon because of certain misplaced conceptions. I would attribute this to a lack of professional counselling at the right age when students make important career decisions. Many of my friends in the non-legal streams regret not pursuing law when they look at the career graph of corporate lawyers and compare it with their respective professional growth. Nevertheless, it is not that I was aware of the corporate law domain when I decided to pursue law. On the contrary, I was very keen to appear for the civil service exams after my graduation. Right from the time when I was in class 5, I used to read Competition Success Review and other publications to understand the criteria’s necessary to clear the IAS examination. After reading series of interview of successful IAS candidates, I concluded that studying law would help me prepare for my preliminary IAS examination. The real motivation to study law was the keen desire to appear for the IAS exams. However, my thought process from the professional standpoint changed tremendously during my undergraduate years. I realized I was not cut out for the bureaucratic role and chose to pursue corporate law instead.

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

During the five years law course, we were taught a large number of law subjects out of which I enjoyed studying commercial and company laws the most. I love reading and I am a voracious reader. I firmly believe that the thumb rule to being a successful lawyer is that you have to love reading! If you do not like reading, you are not cut out for this profession! As my undergraduate years coincided with my article-ship, I used a lot of my article-ship time reading up commentaries on corporate and commercial laws. I also use to conduct a lot of research on various corporate and commercial law issues by using the internet resources and legal websites like Manupatra and Legal Pundits on the basis of the assignments allotted to me during my article ship years. My knowledge in the drafting of commercial contracts across various verticals and the various nuances associated with the corporate commercial negotiations started developing right from the time of my article ship years prior to graduation. I learnt the application of law during this phase and I strongly believe that nothing substitutes the knowledge gained in practical experience. You will gain real knowledge and expertise only when you start working on transactions and apply your reading to the challenges faced while working on such transactions. This was the case with me.

As a law student which activities did you participate in? Tell us about your law school journey from the 1st year till your final year. Did you have any guidance on how to go about your academics, co-curricular activities and internships?

I was very active during the first two years of my law college. I participated in a lot of inter-college debates and group discussions and won several prizes. I also participated in a lot of moots and other competitions. It was a very good experience indeed! Frankly, there was hardly any guidance and a lot of it was self learning! We were just the second batch of my law college and hence we did not really have any seniors to look up to. Therefore, we applied all possible permutations and combinations and relied on our own instincts and research rather than seeking external help! But this was indeed a blessing in disguise as we went out of our way to set up various committees and putting things in place. I was very active in all the committee work and it helped me gain a lot of confidence that I could apply to my professional life at a later stage.

What kind of internships did you do while you were a student? Any remarkable experiences during your internships that shaped your career choices later? When did you join DPA and how was your experience at DPA?

During the second year of my law school, I worked with a research based website, namely Legal Pundits. This was a relatively short stint as I worked with Legal Pundits only for four months. Nevertheless, it was a very fruitful experience as I worked in a professional set up for the first time. After my stint with legal pundits, I got an opportunity to meet a senior counsel, Mr. Naveen Parekh. He explained to me the pros and cones of litigation versus corporate law practice. I also happen to meet a couple of solicitors during that phase. They helped me figure out the possible career options. However, getting an article ship was extremely difficult.

After I left Legal Pundits, I was clear that I wanted to join a corporate law firm and pursue article ship. However, I did not have any backing or contacts that could help me get into a law firm at that stage. My college did not have any active placement committee that could help me with the internship application. I went for a large number of walk-in interviews and literally went door to door dropping resumes in several law firms for an entire week along with a friend. I finally got a call for an interview from DPA. It was started by Ms. Deval Patel, who was a partner at one of the oldest law firm, Crawford Bailey & Co. I got selected in DPA and got to sign my articles after six months of joining DPA. DPA was a non-lit corporate law firm. I worked there for around 3 years, out of which 2 years coincided with my 4th and 5th year of graduation and one year post qualification as an advocate. I learnt the basics of corporate/commercial transactions at DPA. I got the opportunity to work on great variety of matters. This is the best advantage of working for a small set up. You are given a lot of responsibilities right from the early years! It helps you grow tremendously! I worked for a large variety of clients across various industries including, but not limited to pharmaceutical, agro-chemical, power projects, shipping corporations, franchising, real estate etc. I worked on private equity transactions as well. I participated in negotiations and picked up a lot of negotiating skills while working in DPA. DPA did strengthen the root of my knowledge base.

What do you feel about the perception that students of certain ‘elite’ NLU’s have a much easier time in kick-starting their career as compared to law students from other colleges? Is this true at all?

Yes I do agree with this perception. This perception is not entirely misplaced. In fact, the other college students are actively discriminated against in the Mumbai Law firms in terms of pay packages and growth prospects during the initial years. We sarcastically referred ourselves as belonging to schedule caste and the ‘elite NLU’ students as belonging to the Brahmin community in the new found caste system of the legal fraternity. There is a substantial difference in the pre-placement offer packages of an NLU pass out and other college pass out. In fact, at times, within the same law firm, a 5 year experienced associate is paid lower than a fresher from NLU. This is unfortunate, to say the least. Nevertheless, this discrimination does not hold ground in the long run and at the end of the day only your calibre counts when your career advances to the next level. To conclude, NLU kids do get a great launch pad, however, in the long run, it is only your legal acumen that helps you achieve a steady professional growth.

You left DPA and had joined Majmudar & Partners. What led to this shift? How was your experience working there?

Majmudar & Partner was a logical extension of DPA in terms of my career growth. I felt that I learnt what I could in DPA and had to move out in order to gain better exposure. I therefore applied in Majmudar & Partners and joined Majmudar in the year 2010. At Majmudar , I primarily worked with Mr. Neerav Merchant, who handled general corporate, real estate and litigation. As I came from a small proprietorship background, it was a task to adjust to the rigours and discipline of Majmudar in the first year. I must admit that I owe a lot to Majmudar in terms of my professional growth and discipline. The firm adhered to very strict principles in terms of quality and speed of response, accuracy of advice and general professional nuances. I inculcated all these values while working for Majmudar. I worked on a lot of real estate transactions as well and developed the confidence of running the matter on my own. It was indeed a very good experience and I believe that if you inculcate disciple in your initial years, it helps you tremendously all throughout your professional life. This is the biggest lesson that Majmudar has taught me.

You thereafter left Majumdar & Partners to start working at Aegis Ltd (Essar Group) as Legal Manager. What prompted you to keep changing your job so frequently? What does Aegis do and what was the nature of your work there?

I worked with Majmudar for 3 years. While working for Majmudar I use to come across various in-house legal counsels. At times, I failed to understand the rationale behind their decisions as it appeared legally unsound. However, I realized that their decision was driven by commercial considerations. You cannot be a good corporate lawyer until and unless you are driven by sound commercial reasoning. I realized that in order to develop a well rounded knowledge of the corporate/commercial principles, it was imperative to gain experience from in-house perspective. I therefore applied and got into Aegis Ltd., which is an ITES arm of Essar Group. Aegis is a multinational corporation and it handles back-office operations globally. I joined Aegis Ltd., as Manger-Legal to handle the international corporate-commercial profile. While working for Aegis, I was assigned the UK and South African subsidiaries. I handled all the legal issues arising out of those two jurisdictions. It was a brilliant learning experience as I led and closed several negotiations and even got the opportunity to travel abroad for the purpose of negotiations with some of the top ranking UK law firms. It helped me understand the commercial rationale behind various decisions. In-house role is a different ball game all together and I picked up the finer nuances of it.

You’ve recently joined UPL Limited, a multinational agro chemical company as Senior Manager-Legal. How did the switch from Aegis Ltd. take place? Did you get an offer or did you apply for UPL Ltd.?

I got a call from a consultant regarding a potential opening at UPL. I researched about the company and found the profile very interesting. I therefore went for the interviews and got selected for the position of Senior-Manger-Legal. It was a logical progression for my career. UPL is a highly reputed agro-chemical company with extensive operations nationally and internationally. It has done a lot of acquisitions in the past several years.

What does your current work profile at UPL Ltd. consists of? How is a typical workday like?

I am required to assist the general counsel in all his matters. The profile is very broad based. It entails M&A, commercial contracts and general corporate matters. A typical day would consist of working on different kind of matters. I may work on one M&A transaction and thereafter get into reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts and thereafter research on general corporate issues. It varies from day to day and is highly interesting!

Many lawyers would say that the actual learning takes place in the years of practice. How far would you say it is true? What was the case in your situation?

As stated above, there is no substitute to practical experience. You will not learn the application of law until and unless you come across the real practical challenges. As stated above, I attribute my knowledge to my practical experience thus far!

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

Hard work and patience is the key to being a good professional in any stream. As far as legal profession is concerned, those attributes become indispensible. If you aren’t patient and hardworking, please do not think of taking up this profession! There is no short cut to success and you will have to burn your midnight oil. In law, you are married to your profession, literally and figuratively! Be prepared to give the same kind of commitment if you really want to make it work for yourself! Lastly, learn to manage stress! It is highly important that you do not allow the matters to stress you out! You have to be detached and keep your calm in order to manage your stress levels as transactions can be very taxing at times! To conclude, I feel that patience, hard work, commitment and stress management is the key to being a successful legal professional.
November 29, 2014