The path to corporate law

Pervin Malhotra

email your queries to [email protected] 

Q.After graduating in economics, I opted for law. I'm now in LL.B (final year). I am interested in corporate law, but the problem is I can't decide whether to go for LLM or MBA. If the former, where [in India or abroad] should I study? Or should I instead go for a job after completing my LL.B? I am terribly confused.  — Hemant Sharma

A.As you must have probably gathered by now, corporate lawyers, broadly speaking, advise organisations on their legal rights and obligations. Very few matters actually come to the court. Instead, rock-solid contracts are negotiated to prevent chances of litigation. Unlike earlier, 75 per cent of the work is transactional, while litigation constitutes only 30 per cent. The demand for corporate lawyers with experience in securities and transactions has grown in proportion to changes in the global marketplace. 

While earlier, only major companies had international dealings, today even small players have foreign transactions, requiring the services of corporate lawyers who are well-versed with the international law. M&A, IPO and GDR issues, taxation, due diligence, and structured finance and banking are some of the key services offered by corporate law firms.

To become a corporate lawyer, no additional qualification other than your LLB degree is really necessary. In fact, your BBA would be an added advantage in grasping and understanding concepts in accounting, finance and business. What you need to do is immediately start an intensive job hunt and start working either in a law firm or in the legal department of a company.

Understanding EDA and its scope 

Q.What exactly is electronic design automation? What kind of courses should one opt for to make a career in this field? — Piyali Gupta

A.Electronic design automation (EDA) is a set of design methods and tools used by electronic design engineers to create complex electronic components and systems like printed circuit boards and integrated circuits. Also referred to as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD), chip designers use this tool to design and analyse entire semiconductor chips. Today, no electronic products, be it PCs, telecom equipment or complex control systems used in industries like transportation, would be possible without EDA.

EDA tools have now evolved from high cost, workstation-based ones to more flexible, lower-cost versions that are available on PC platforms.

This new breed of personal EDA tools has enabled thousands of engineers to gain access to EDA technology. Moreover, these low-cost tools have directly contributed to the success of many small, innovative tech startups that are developing exciting new electronic products and technologies.

To answer your next question, engineering degree holders in Computer/ Electronics/ Electrical (UG/PG) are ideally suited for getting into this field. However, over and above your academic degree, this area of technology calls for advanced training to make you industry-ready.

Companies look for candidates with an excellent academic background, combined with thorough knowledge of software as well as hardware design concepts. Some of the top companies also go for campus recruitment to Tier-1 T-schools. Once selected, candidates are put through an intensive in-house training programme to familiarise them with EDA tools.

So EDA, as you must have gathered by now, is a complex field. And as technology goes into nanometres, the complexity will continue to grow and enthuse engineering wiz-kids to apply highly advanced data structures and algorithms to create innovative products. 

Jobs in EDA are not as widely known as those in software development or marketing automation, but the opportunities continue to rise with the proliferation of leading EDA companies.