Cityscape

Nikhil Singal

What were you doing before the MCL?

Prior to joining the MCL, I was associated with a large Indian law firm in its New Delhi office, as a part of their taxation advisory and litigation team. After two years of experience there, I opted to move to the corporate team of the firm where I was exposed to the core elements of transactional work. Along with extensive commercial experience which I gained, this shift prepared me for the challenge of the MCL which lay ahead.

Why did you take the MCL?

Attending Cambridge had been a long-term goal of mine. Following the announcement of the MCL a year before its official launch, I decided to wait to apply and did so when the official announcement of the course was made. The structure of the course attracted me the most. The content of the modules was designed to discuss specific and practical issues rather than generic ones, something which is rarely found in other Masters degree programmes.

What were your impressions of the MCL?

The practically-oriented approach of the MCL was valued by the MCL students since most of them had practiced as lawyers. For me, the highlight of the course was the full year Deals Course, with leading practitioners from major London legal firms being involved. The course, with its emphasis on understanding and resolving intricate details of corporate transactions, offered excellent preparation for professionals working on deals and provided a strong platform for handling commercial transactions happening in the market today. The MCL correspondingly proved to be instrumental in shaping my understanding and appreciation of of corporate transactions.

Overall, the MCL never failed to surprise me. The seminar-form as well as Socratic method of teaching, taught by leading academics and practitioners from around the world, provided a stimulating and challenging atmosphere for the cohort to exchange ideas and discuss legal issues. The support of the MCL Practitioners Board and the Hogan Lovells mentoring scheme was valuable, allowing me to interact with professionals and shape my future career prospects. Thanks to the experience which MCL and Cambridge gave me, I am able to envision my career with a much broader perspective. I now have the capacity to negotiate with law firms around the world for a suitable lateral position, specialising in M&A and private equity deals.