Vinod George Joseph

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Graduated: LLM (2003)
Nationality: Indian
Occupation: Solicitor at Lawrence Graham LLP

“An LSE education is an investment worth making!”

LSE

I was attracted to the LSE because of its international reputation and also on account of its proximity to the City. All but one of my professors at the LSE has City experience and some of my teachers were full-time law practitioners and part-time teachers. The amount of practical knowledge I gained was immense. My LLM from the LSE also made my transition from an Indian advocate to UK solicitor a lot easier that it would have been otherwise. I am still in touch with many of my classmates from the LSE. We occasionally meet up for a pint at the Old Bank of England and swap old war stories!

Career path

I decided to become a lawyer for the wrong reasons – after watching LA Law. However, after I interned with a criminal lawyer, I realised that I did not enjoy criminal law all that much. So, I tired working with a corporate law firm and realised that I enjoyed it a lot more. I was lucky enough to be hired by one of the best corporate law firm in India.

I qualified as a lawyer in India in 1998. After working in Mumbai, India, for over 4 years as a corporate lawyer, I came to the LSE to do an LLM. While pursuing my LLM, I took the Qualified Law Transfer Test and became eligible to register myself as a solicitor with the Law Society, England & Wales.

After completing my LLM, I started working for Lawrence Graham LLP as a solicitor in its corporate department. Right now I am almost three years UK qualified and am about to move to a larger law firm – Richards Butler LLP. So far, my career has developed as planned. I am part of an India desk at Lawrence Graham which focuses on Indian companies doing business in the UK and also work for mainstream UK companies. At my new job, I will continue to be part of a cross-departmental India Group, while functioning as a corporate lawyer.

Current job

I am a corporate lawyer dispensing English law advice in connection with mergers, acquisitions, joint-ventures, public issues of securities etc. Many of my clients are Indian companies operating in the UK or investment banking advising Indian companies that seek to raise capital on the London Stock Exchange. At times I also provide basic Indian law advice to UK companies which do business in India. However, in such cases, I work with an Indian law firm, since my firm does not as a matter of policy, provide Indian law advice.

In addition to an in-depth knowledge of law, I find that I also need to understand the commercial side of my clients' businesses in order to be a good corporate lawyer. My working environment is quite friendly, but it can be quite stressful when there are deadlines to meet.

I have been a lawyer for the last 8 years of my life. I enjoy the pleasure of completing a transaction, whether it be a merger or acquisition or the listing of a company on the stock exchange. Also, as a member of my firm's India group, I get to do a fair amount of marketing as well. I like the marketing part as much as the legal work. Not many lawyers at my level get to do as much marketing as I do.

Tips for LSE students

It is easier to make a success of your career if you enjoy what you do. Make sure you choose the right discipline when you start university. If you study, say law, and later realise you ought to have studied something else, admit that you made a mistake and make a fresh start. Do not persist with what you started if you think it is not the right thing for you.

Make as many friends as possible while at the LSE. This is important not only from a net-working point of view. In my view, meeting with and talking to as many people as possible, while at college, helps you broaden your horizons and gives you a better perspective. Even after you graduate and start working, your friends from college generally turn out to be your best buddies.

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