In this article, Astha Gupta of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab gives a list of best corporate law internships in India.
Introduction
Internships are imperative for any law student to understand the pragmatic and experiential aspects of the theoretical knowledge provided for in the textbook learning of law schools. Internships act as a facilitator to clueless law students in deciding their career path. It helps them understand which field of law fascinates them the most and at the very same time, helps them discern the type of work they are good at.
Corporate Law Internship
Corporate law is a very pivotal branch of law as a profession. A corporate law internship helps in an in-depth understanding of the corporate issues that are of great importance to all the members of the corporate world.
As far as a corporate law internship is concerned, it benefits the law student in multifarious ways. Some of which are listed below:
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Better professional network
A corporate law internship helps in building a good professional network which subsequently leads to better job opportunities in the future. Additionally, as law students, maintaining a good professional network is as important as having firm knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of law.
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Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs)
The interns get to know a lot about the company and its functionality during their tenure. Hence, they become the obvious preference of the company in case of good work being done by them. Hiring them as full-time employees save a lot of time and energy wasted in the in-job-training of the new employees.
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Practical understanding
As aforementioned, these kinds of internships provides a practical understanding of the theoretical knowledge. Also, these internships are the closest to the actual corporate work culture and hence help in brushing up a student’s skills to do a corporate job later in life.
In a nutshell, corporate law internships are recommended immaterial of being interested in that field of law or not because the learning that it entails is imperative for any law student’s overall learning.
Best corporate law internships in India
Luthra and Luthra Law Offices (L&L)
L&L is one of the premium law Firm’s of the country and they surely strive every day and every hour to be there. The Firm also works with several International Law Firms advising them and their clients on various aspects of Indian law.
Main Practice Areas
- Arbitration
- Aviation
- Banking and Finance
- Capital Markets and Securities Law
- Antitrust law
- Corporate
- Education
- Energy and Natural resources
- Environmental Law
- Human Resources and Employment
- Infrastructure
- Insurance
- Intellectual Property
- Managed funds
- Pro Bono work
- Venture capital, funds and private equity
- Project Finance
- Real Estate
- Tax
- International Trade
Key clients
- Apple Inc.
- Asian Development Bank,
- Citibank,
- DLF Group,
- Dr Lal Path Labs,
- Emerson Electric Co.
- Facebook Inc.
- Ford Foundation
- Godrej Group
- Goldman Sachs
- Google Inc.
- Intel Corporation
- JP Morgan India
- LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE
- Maruti Suzuki
- Morgan Stanley
- Ola Cabs
- Samsung
- State Bank of India
- Tata-Starbucks
- The World Bank
- Yahoo Inc.
- Yes Bank
- Zee Group
Offices
| New Delhi |
103, Ashoka Estate, Barakhamba Road, & 9th Floor, Ashoka Estate, 
Barakhamba Road, New Delhi – 110 001 Ph.: +91-11-4121 5100 Fax: +91-11-2372 3909 Email: [email protected] |
| Mumbai |
Indiabulls Finance Center, Tower 2 Unit A2, 20th Floor, Elphinstone Road, Senapati Bapat Marg, Mumbai – 400 013 Ph.: +91-22-6630 3600, +91-22-4354 7000 Fax: +91-22-6630 3700, Email: [email protected] |
| Bengaluru |
3rd Floor, Onyx Centre No.05, Museum Road Bengaluru – 560 001 Karnataka (India) E-mail: [email protected] |
| Hyderabad |
3rd Floor, Plot No. 8-2-619/1 Road No. 11, Banjara Hills Hyderabad – 500 034, Telangana Tel: +91 40 66206662 E-mail: [email protected] |
To view maps to the offices, click here.
Stipend
Usually no stipend is given. However, when it is given (very rarely), preference is always given to students from National Law Universities.
Main tasks assigned
Major tasks involve research and drafting. However, you can be handed over any kind of work including even clerical tasks. They have a wide range of areas that they specialise in and hence, you get to work in varied practice areas.
Work Culture
However professional the work environment might be, there is complete accountability of the associates. Interns can approach the authorities and ask their queries and doubts regarding the work assigned. Also, interns from all the good law schools show up and hence a healthy interaction makes it all the more a learning experience.
Application Procedure
To apply for the internship, one has to send their CV to Miss Khushboo Chester (HR Assistant Manager) at [email protected]. Since they respond quite late, it is advisable to send applications well in advance to the internship dates.
Trilegal
Trilegal was established by former graduates from NLSIU; the three graduates did independent practice for a year and then subsequently got merged and the newly formed firm which came to be known as ‘Trilegal’. It is now one of the leading law firms in the country.
Main Practice Areas
- Corporate
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Financial Services
- TMT
- Energy and Infrastructure
- Disputes
- Competition
- Capital Markets
- Employment
- Real Estate
- Tax
Key clients
- Shriram Properties Pvt. Ltd. and Sun-Apollo Investment Holding LLC
- Tata Communications Limited
- Axis Trustee and Standard Chartered Bank
- Thomson Reuters
- Telenor ASA
- Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC (TAQA)
- Axiom Telecom
- Noble Group
Offices
| Mumbai |
Peninsula Business Park 17th Floor, Tower B, Ganpat Rao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel (West), Mumbai:- 400 013 T: +91 22 4079 1000 |
| Gurgaon |
5th Floor, Tower 4B DLF Corporate Park DLF City Phase-3 MG Road, Gurgaon 122002 T: +91 124 625 3200 |
| Bangalore |
The Residency 7th Floor, 133/1, Residency Road Bangalore 560025 T +91 80 4343 4646 |
| Delhi |
311 B DLF South Court, Saket New Delhi 110017 T: +91 11 4163 9393 |
To view maps to the offices, click here.
Stipend
One thing that remains common to all the offices is that no stipend is given to people who come through contacts.
Stipend for interns who got in themselves usually is ₹15,000/- for a month which varies a bit from office to office.
Main tasks assigned
The main tasks assigned are two-fold, research work, and work based on due diligence. However, you can be allotted any kind of work from the plethora of areas they specialise in.
Work Culture
Work environment is a blend of professionalism and casual chit-chats. All of this comes down to the quality of work that you do. The associates usually friendly, but if you don’t complete your assignments on time and matching a particular standard, you are sure to get bashed.
Application Procedure
Go to their official website (or click here). The following form will open up. You can fill in your details and wait for an assessment mail.
After filling up the form, prospective interns are required to complete a minimum of five legal assessments related to a general law issue wherein you will be required not only to research on the given topic, statute, and related case laws but also to give your opinions on the possible outcome.
Khaitan & Co.
Founded in 1911, Khaitan & Co. is one of the oldest and largest Indian law firms. Combining a rich heritage of over a hundred years with a modern and cutting-edge practice, the firm offers full service legal solutions to our domestic and international clients.
Main Practice Areas
- Banking and Finance
- Corporate and Commercial
- Estate planning, trusts and private clients
- Labour and Employment
- Technology, media and telecommunications
- Capital Markets
- Dispute Resolution
- Funds
- Real estate
- White collar crime
- Competition/Antitrust
- Energy, Infrastructure and resources
- Intellectual Property
- Direct tax
- Indirect tax
Key clients
- Royal Dutch Shell
- International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- Alkem Laboratories
- Kalyani Group
- Hindalco Industries
- Indus Towers
- Jindal Steel & Power
Offices
| Corporate office (Kolkata) |
Khaitan Electricals Limited 46C. J.L. Nehru Road, Kolkata – 700 071, (WEST BENGAL, INDIA) Ph. No : +91-33-2888391,40505000 Fax No : +91-33-2883961 Email: [email protected] |
| New Delhi |
Khaitan Electricals Limited 1/23B, Asaf Ali Road New Delhi – 110 002. Ph. No.: +91-11-30481007/8/9 Fax No.: +91-11 23236321 Email: [email protected]
Khaitan Electricals Limited 46, Janpath (Tolstoy Lane) New Delhi – 110 001. Ph. No.: +91-11-30484748/47474749 Fax No.: +91-11-30484746 Email: [email protected] |
| Mumbai |
Khaitan Chamber 143/145, Modi Street Fort Mumbai- 400 001. (Maharashtra) Ph. No.: +91-22-66102468/67/64 Fax. No.: +91-22-66102473 Email: [email protected] |
| Chennai |
Apex Chamber 20/18, Sir Thiagaraya Road, T. Nagar, Chennai- 600 017 (TamilNadu) Ph. No.: +91-44-24355933/34 Telefax No: +91-44-24355935 Email: [email protected] |
Also, there are branches in Faridabad, Panchkula, Ghaziabad, Ranchi, Rishikesh, Guwahati, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Raipur, Patna, Kochi, Indore, Jaipur, Cuttack, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Calcutta.
Stipend
There is absolutely no uniform rule for the amount of stipend given. A decent amount usually ranging from ₹5,000/- to ₹8,000/- a month is given. Again, this entirely depends on the kind of work you do at the firm.
Main tasks assigned
There is no specific kind of work that will be allotted as the firm specialises in a plethora of areas and you’ll be mostly assigned a good amount of work. However, at the very same time, you may even have a dearth of work depending on your performance. Also, be ready to do quite a bit of clerical work.
Work Culture
Quite different from the popular perception of a top-notch law firm, the place has a rather congenial work culture. The associates and partners are very friendly and usually ready to help. Even after having a lot of work to do, the positive atmosphere and the ability to learn a lot about the corporate culture makes the experience a lot less taxing.
Application Procedure
Students from law schools with which the company runs coordinated internship programs can contact their respective campus coordination committee for further details.
Others can write to the firm at [email protected] with their resumes and transcripts.
AZB & Partners
AZB aims to provide clear, concise and practical advice based on an in-depth knowledge of the legal, regulatory and commercial environment within which our clients operate and a full understanding of their overall business objectives. The legal services rendered by AZB & Partners covers the corporate, commercial, regulatory, financial and tax planning aspects of modern businesses.
Main Practice Areas
- Arbitration
- Aviation
- Banking & Finance
- Competition/Antitrust
- Corporate M&A
- Litigation
- Private Equity
- Projects & Infrastructure
- Real Estate, Tax
- Regulatory Practice & Securities Law
- Funds Practice
- Micro-Finance
- Derivatives
- Intellectual Property
- Media & Entertainment
- IT & Business Process Outsourcing
- Employment
- Insurance
- Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology
Key clients
- Lafarge Holcim’s
- KKR & Co. Ltd. Yokohama Rubber
- Standard Chartered
- Kotak Mahindra Bank
- HDFC
- SBI Life Insurance IPO
- Flipkart
- Central Depository Services Ltd
Offices
| Mumbai |
Peninsula Corporate Park, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg., Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra India 400013 Tel +91 22 66396880 Fax +91 22 66396888 Email : [email protected] Website : www.azbpartners.com & Sakhar Bhavan, 4th Floor, 230 Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra India 400021 Tel +91 22 6639 6880 Fax +91 22 4910 0699 Email : [email protected] |
| Gurgaon |
Unitech Cyber Park, 602 Tower B, 6th Floor, Sector 39, Gurgaon, Haryana India 122001 Tel +91 124 4200296 Fax +91 124 4038310 Email : [email protected] |
| Pune |
Onyx Towers, 1101/B, 11th Floor, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra India 411001 Tel +91 20 6725 6666 Fax +91 20 6725 6600 Email : [email protected] |
| New Delhi |
Plot No. A8, Sector 4 Noida, New Delhi, Delhi India 201301 Tel +91 120 417 9999 Fax +91 120 417 9900 Email : [email protected] |
| Bangalore |
7th Floor, Embassy Icon, Infantry Road, Bangalore, Karnataka India 560 001 Tel +91 80 4240 0500 Fax +91 80 2221 3947 Email : [email protected] |
Stipend
The stipend here completely depends on the quality of work done. You may not get any stipend at all or may get upto maybe ₹5,000/. You will have to work very hard to get a decent amount.
Main tasks assigned
Like most of the law firm internships, you’ll get to work on varied topics and areas of the profession. However, they mostly stick to the area you choose to work in. Rarely you are given work that is outside the purview of the chosen area. However, you should be ready for whatever work is given to immaterial of whether you have studied that topic or not.
Work Culture
Apart from getting good work, the second best thing is the amiable work environment which is common to almost all the big firms. You’ll get good associates who will guide you and help you whenever required.
Application Procedure
Send your CV and cover letter to the HR at least 6-7 months before the date of internship at recruitment ’place of internship’@azbpartners.com.
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas is set up on the foundation of this outstanding legal practice. The firm embraces this legacy, while also bringing its partners and associates together with a new blueprint for the future, based on a strong client-focused value system, a collaborative work culture and a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach to problem-solving.
Main Practice Areas
- Corporate & M&A
- Financing
- Capital Markets
- Litigation & Dispute resolution
- Competition
- Real estate
- Employment
- Private Client Practice
- Financial Regulatory Practice
- Tax
- Investment Funds
- Intellectual Property
- TMT
- Bankruptcy
- Investigation
- Life Sciences
Key clients
- Adani Group
- Birla Estates
- KKR India Asset Finance Private
- Prestige Estate Projects
- Sequoia Capital
- Kohlberg Kravis Robert (KKR)
Offices
| Mumbai |
Peninsula Chambers, Peninsula Corporate Park, GK Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400 013, India. t: +91 22 2496 4455 f: +91 22 2496 3666 email: [email protected] |
| New Delhi |
4th Floor, Prius Platinum, D-3, District Centre, Saket, New Delhi – 110 017, India. t: +91 11 6622 9000 f: +91 11 6622 9009 email: [email protected] |
| Bengaluru |
201, Midford House, off. M. G. Road, Bengaluru – 560 001, India. t: +91 80 2558 4870 f: +91 80 2558 4266 email: [email protected] |
Also, there are branches in Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad.
Stipend
Most of the interns who work for four weeks are given a stipend. The amount of which depends on the quality of work that you do.
Main tasks assigned
Most of the work is usually research-oriented. However, the work assigned will depend on the team that you are working with.
Work Culture
The work environment is enriching and the associates that you will have to work for are also always ready to help.
Application Procedure
To apply, send your resume and cover letter to the HR at [email protected] or to the anyone else on the HR team.
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM & Co), founded on almost a century of legal achievement, is one of India’s leading full-service law firms. The firm’s mission is to enable business by providing solutions as trusted advisors through excellence, responsiveness, innovation and collaboration.
Main practice areas
- General corporate
- Banking & Finance
- Competition law
- Insolvency & Bankruptcy
- Dispute Resolution
- Projects & Project finance
- Capital markets
- Tax
- Intellectual property rights
- Venture capital.
Key clients
- Amazon India
- Rabo Equity Advisors
- IDFC Limited
- PVR Limited
- ReSources India
- Grofers
Offices
| New Delhi |
Amarchand Towers 216 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III New Delhi 110 020 T: +91 11 4159 0700, 4060 6060 |
| Bengaluru |
Prestige Sterling Square Madras Bank Road Off Lavelle Road Bengaluru 560 001 T +91 80 6674 9999 |
| Mumbai |
Express Towers, 23rd Floor Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 T +91 22 4933 5555 41/42, Lloyds Centre Point, 4th Floor Appasaheb Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi Mumbai 400 025 T +91 22 2438 1196 Lentin Chambers 36, Dalal Street, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 T +91 22 2261 2131 |
Also, there are branches in Kolkata, Gurugram, Chennai and Ahmedabad.
Stipend
Usually, no stipend is given.
Main tasks assigned
The work given to the interns is diverse from research-related to even basic clerical work. The work is given irrespective of the area of work you have chosen.
Work Culture
Work culture, as can be expected from the top law firm in the country, is highly professional. However, most of the associates are easily approachable and helpful.
Application Procedure
Send your application to the HR of the firm, Ms. Manu Goel on her email [email protected] or to the anyone else on the HR team.
Apart from the aforementioned, the following are some of the firms which can be considered as good options:
How to boost your corporate law internship experience
Following are some of the courses by lawSikho that the law students can take up to further boost their internship experience at a corporate law firm-
- LawSikho Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Business Laws: The Diploma in Entrepreneurship Administration and Business Laws course is an online 12-month long immersive program designed by LawSikho to equip you with practical skills for the world of corporate law. The course brings over 50 leading lawyers from the corporate law sector to train our students in the practical aspects of business law. With a resource library of over 100 lectures, focused skill-development exercises, and institutionalized mentorship, the course brings learning, professional skills and job opportunities for students.
- LawSikho Diploma in Companies Act and Corporate governance: This course will tell you the issues which you may face during a ‘How to’ procedure on things – something that you won’t know until you have actually gone and made your hands dirty at a transaction. This course will also tell you about how corporate governance mechanisms are useful to identify a problem or solve one, something that managements will never get, until they meet someone who shows them the benefits.
- Certification in Corporate governance: This course will train you in using available legal mechanisms for ensuring better corporate governance within a company. The course covers techniques that can be used to keep abuse of the board’s powers in check, disclosure requirements, shareholders rights and fraud-related provisions. You will be able to use the knowledge and insights in creating or advising a client on most appropriate mechanisms for them, depending on the type of company and their objectives.
Check out many more enhancing courses for law aspirants by clicking here.
How to Ace your Internship
To hone your internship skills, do look through Ace your Internship program at lawSikho.
This course is designed to enable law students to tackle two major challenges: secure corporate internships (at corporate law firms or companies) and perform extraordinarily well so that you can get a job offer. Typical ways are securing a PPO (pre-placement offer), a job interview or a call back for a subsequent internship (with a sense that it may convert into a job offer).
LawSikho has created a telegram group for exchanging legal knowledge, referrals and various opportunities. You can click on this link and join:
https://t.me/joinchat/J_
