I wanted a career that appealed to my academic side but was also practical; set in real life. Law appealed to both sides.
There was a relatively new law school in India – The National Law School of India University in Bangalore. It was seen as a pioneer. I thought: ‘If I get in, I’ll study law, if I don’t, I’ll find something else.’ I got in and here I am! Legal teaching in India can be old fashioned; learning by rote, not focused on practical application. This school was a breath of fresh air.
A lot of characteristics come naturally to me that go well with a career in corporate law. I’m a compulsive list maker. I’m very organised. Things like that, especially as a junior lawyer starting out, make a career in corporate law far easier to deal with.
To be completely honest, I enjoy the financial security that a career in corporate law brings. When I was applying to universities, one almost had to be embarrassed about wanting a career where you get paid a lot of money. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You bring value to the table and you get paid for that. You work hard.
I grew up in Kolkata, India, to liberal, progressive parents. My father said it’s really important to have financial security and stand on your own two feet. When I met my husband he was living in a different city. I called my parents and said I’d met this boy and wanted to get married. Their first comment was: ‘We hope you’re not going to quit your job and move to wherever he lives. You’ve worked so hard for this!’
Kolkata has a rich culture. It has a lot of British architecture, it’s dirty and crowded, but it’s home, so I see it differently. It’s got a real charm about it. Not subtle, but I love it. So much vibrancy.
I started working at a law firm in Delhi; Amarchand. I did a lot of corporate law; got a lot of experience. I was junior, thrown into the deep end. I had so much exposure I might not have had if I started my career in a huge law firm with hundreds of other trainees. It was great. I spent two years there and then decided to see what else lay ahead.
I came to the UK, went to Oxford and did the BCL. Oxford is as romantic as everyone says but it was really hard work. Then I applied to Columbia and NYU. If it worked out and they gave me a scholarship, I would spend a year in New York. I ended up at NYU, living in a dorm in the West Village. My window framed the Empire State Building. It’s truly the greatest city in the world but London felt closer to home. I applied to Cleary, they offered me a job and I said yes!
In New York I did corporate law courses about what was going on in the world – the financial crisis. The sub-prime mortgage crisis had just started and we were taught things linked to real life; bridging that gap between theory and reality. It’s so important to understand how what we do plays into what’s happening in the real world, whether that’s Russia/Ukraine, oil prices or inflation.
When I was applying to universities, one almost had to be embarrassed about wanting a career where you get paid a lot. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You bring value to the table.
I came back to London in September 2008. It was an odd time. Lehman had just crashed and I came here to be an M&A lawyer. There wasn’t much happening; it was mainly restructuring work. I got involved in finance transactions, restructurings, things I’d never expected to be doing. That base in a broader practice area has made me a much better M&A lawyer.
We advised Lavazza when it acquired the Mars drinks business. It was a great transaction; cross-border, businesses in different jurisdictions. Part shares, part assets. The usual complexity that appeals to us. It was my first deal as a partner. I was just coming back from maternity leave. I was voted into the partnership in the fall of 2017. I felt I had a lot to prove to myself. I needed to tell myself I could do it and that I was here because I’m meant to be here. We had these great clients; lovely people. The kinds of people you enjoy working with, even when it’s stressful and hectic.
When I was junior, we were advising these shareholders exiting a Russian business. Topical, with what’s going on in the world now. It was a complex exit scenario and emotional for them. We had this senior partner called Dan Braverman. A legend. Really clever. He could very well have relegated me to being the paper pusher but he invested in me; involved me in all the commercial discussions. He allowed me to get a sense of what was really going on. I hope that other lawyers I work with feel as involved as he made me feel. He was terrifying as well, I have to say!
A New York partner, Chantal Kordula, doesn’t realise how much of an impact she’s had on me. We’ve never worked together. When I joined Cleary I didn’t know any senior women lawyers and she was visiting London. She’s incredibly charming and has a great energy. Inspiring. She did this coffee chat with all of the women in the office where she talked about her career. There was nothing like: ‘Oh, it was perfect!’ She was real about her challenges. I came out of that feeling yes, it’s difficult, but it’s doable. It was the first time there was a real life example to aspire to.
My parents always said: ‘You’ve got to be brave’. We teach our children to be good and kind. We have to teach them to be brave as well, particularly our girls. One thing my mum taught me, which has stood me in good stead, is you don’t always feel brave but sometimes you’ve just got to get on with it.
Like a lot of lawyers, I’m a perfectionist. It’s not always possible for everything to be perfect. Sometimes good just has to be good enough.
I have two little girls, four and seven. Like a good Asian parent I’m completely obsessed with them. My life is either about work or my children. I’m glad I have the work, otherwise I’d be on top of them constantly – total helicopter parent!
I was going to say I’m an avid reader but a more honest description would be I’m an avid collector of books on my Kindle! I love mid-century modern design. I could happily spend a whole day in East London looking at antique and vintage furniture stores, looking for some great Scandinavian wonder!
My husband trades biofuels so, with the volatility in the market, it’s an intense time for him. I can’t imagine looking at a computer screen and watching your position go up or down; potentially losing millions. He understands the demands of my job. It’s stressful, but in a different way.
There are bad things going on in the world and difficult decisions clients are making. The lawyers who can do more than the deal, provide advice as clients face tricky situations, are the ones who will succeed.
Some of the work we do, with the advance of technology, is inevitably going to become commoditised. We’re expensive service providers so we owe it to our clients to justify what value we bring.
People will say this life is not for me. It’s too hard. There will be challenges with hybrid working and convincing people that it’s a career worth aspiring to. It’s incredibly professionally satisfying. The money is important but it can never be the sole decision-making factor. We have to work hard at building that sense of community so people stick it out.
Coming from India has moulded me. It’s who I am. There is no social backup. If you fail, that’s it. That gives you perspective on life.
You need to approach this career with your eyes wide open. It’s not always glamorous. You have to take the good with the bad; be realistic.
I love the camaraderie. On the all-nighters, everyone pulling together. The inane conversations, silly jokes. Building rapports.
We have a huge diversity issue. Every time I walk into a room full of men, I’m reminded of that and it’s got to change.
In lockdown to my husband’s disappointment, I got into gardening, which meant me bossing him around a lot. The tomato crop wasn’t bad and we produced four strawberries and about three green beans. The children thought this was amazing but it wasn’t my husband’s idea of fun. We built bug tents too. A lot of ladybirds were befriended!
I want women to embrace this career. I don’t want them to think it’s unachievable or not worth aspiring to. We have a huge diversity issue. Every time I walk into a room full of men, I’m reminded of that and it’s got to change. What are we asking of people really? Be good mentors, be considerate and supportive. We have to bring diversity into every conversation. We can’t go about our lives pretending it isn’t a problem we need to address.
US clients lead on diversity. They want to see diverse teams, not just on the pitches but the ones doing the work. Making sure we’re putting our money where our mouth is. It’s our own goal, so it’s great that clients are holding us accountable.
There’s so much unconscious bias. You walk into a room and see a white male associate who is more outgoing and think he’s such a star. The woman who is quieter is saying something equally impressive.
A lot of my feedback was that I was really softly spoken. Simon Jay said it wasn’t a fair comment; you don’t have to be the loudest in the room to be heard. He himself was soft-spoken and always spoke an incredible amount of sense. People turned to him because they knew he would make the sensible point; bring clarity to the discussion. You see a lot of alpha males, it’s difficult to hold your own, but you have to be true to your own style.
Nallini Puri is a corporate partner at Cleary Gottlieb in London.