What were you doing before the MCL?
While working on my Bachelor in Law diploma in Kiev University I was the winner of several student contests held by prominent Ukrainian law firms and started working for the Banking & Finance group at Asters. As the firm I was involved in corporate restructuring, corporate governance, cross-border financing, IPO and aviation projects. In the course of my work I drafted legal opinions, memorandums, agreements and charters, registered pledges over immovable property and conducted due diligence in connection with an IPO on Warsaw Stock Exchange. I also followed the process of implementation of Cape Town convention in Ukraine. I realised that the most interesting projects involved a foreign element and majority of them are governed by English law. This gave me the idea to pursue my studies in this sphere and obtain Masters Degree in the UK.
What were your impressions of the MCL?
Studying on the Cambridge MCL programme was a unique experience. The structure of the course is quite unusual and allows the coverage of more subjects than a standard LLM. Moreover, the small class sizes create the perfect atmosphere for sharing ideas and experiences and for comparing approaches from different parts of the world. All the modules provided deep understanding of subjects and were intense and intellectually demanding. The best feature of the MCL is the Deals Course - each session of which included some academic background from prominent Cambridge scholars and essential insights from visiting practitioners working for the top London law firms. Students had access to real documents and case studies which I believe gives them an exceptional advantage.
What are your post-MCL plans and have they changed due to taking the MCL?
For me the MCL was an essential step in my professional development, and the next one naturally leads to practice in London. Working with international clients and studying in UK convinced me that London is commercial center of the world. I feel that no other place gives such wide opportunities to work on the largest and most important deals shaping the market. This led to a decision to qualify as a solicitor and practice in London. I accepted a BPP offer for the GDL programme commencing in October 2015, to be followed by interviews with law firms in London and Paris.
