With the Indian economy moving from ‘developing’ to ‘developed’, several multinational companies are setting up their base in the country. As a result, the demand for experts in the domain of company law has increased. There is a need for professionals who can understand and mitigate the risks in the corporate sector.
The domain expertise of such professionals comprises laws and regulations about the organisation, M&A, public listings, corporate agreements, joint venture notes, taxations, operation regulations, and so on.
Courses
It is not only important to learn law, but also to grasp and implement legal knowledge in the hour of need. There are two options to pursue law — either a five-year course right after Class XII or a three-year course after graduation in any stream.
You need to appear for the Common Law Admission Test. Some universities, such Delhi University, have their own entrance exams. After the completion of the course, you have the option to either pursue post-graduation (LLM) or start your career. A diploma course in corporate law could give you an edge over others.
For a career in corporate law, you must have strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills and a detailed understanding of the business.
A career in law involves days of hard work, and so you need to have the required tenacity. Guidance and mentoring from an expert is a must for a successful career.
Opportunities
To start with, working in a corporate law firm will give you avenues for further growth, after which you can start your own corporate law practice. To keep yourself updated and in demand, follow and track the latest case laws, research studies and law journals. It is an unending process as the law gets changed often by way of amendments/ordinances and judgements.
The tasks of a corporate lawyer include forming a corporate entity, carrying out due diligence, drafting contracts and assisting in mergers and acquisitions. The stock markets also offer promising opportunities — compliances and issues related to SEBI Regulations and Rules. The latest area of scope is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The litigation in this area is increasing many fold, resulting in an increase in work opportunities.
Not only law graduates, but also professionals from other fields, particularly finance and even marketing, are pursuing certificate courses in corporate law to understand the complications and implications of law in business. Considering the number of start-ups, mergers, acquisitions and take-overs, a career in corporate law appears to be a promising route.
The writer is an advocate.
