Nishith Desai Associates

Interns' Feedback:

It is of immense joy and pride to know that Annapoorna has won the International Conference of the IBA and has been invited to present here paper in the same. Not only is it a big achievement for Annapoorna but also for the whole of NDA. It only reinstates the position of NDA not only as a law firm par excellence but also as one of the finest places to hone individual skills and ideas, which to the great delight of any working professional is actively encouraged there. 
Sir, it is the culture and atmosphere that you have gifted to the firm that is reaping rich dividends. It is an honour for me to be able to be associated with such an esteemed organization as of yours.

- Priyam Ray          
NUJS, Kolkata          

The amount of wisdom and experience that this month-long internship at Nishith Desai Associates has earned me, I would most definitely never have gained even at a six-month stint elsewhere. Another thing that struck me about the firm was its foresight. The firm was working on almost every upcoming and innovative arena of law – something that is a trademark feature of NDA – always being ahead of time. Also, everyone at the firm has the tenacity to do a hundred different things at a given time and most importantly, do each of them with perfection and expertise! I still cannot fathom how they do it. Commendable indeed. If a law student were looking for an all-gain-no-loss experience, I would strongly recommend the internship program at Nishith Desai Associates.

- Shibani Aishwarya Rao          
Government Law College, Mumbai          

The effort that is taken to introduce the intern to the kind of work the firm deals in as well as the quality of work that is given was a new experience. Even the small effort like introducing all firm members was encouraging. The gruelling experience that NDA provided was interesting and stimulating.  NDA was also a new experience in terms of how a professional law firm works in a competitive world. Many law firms, however competitive, do not take the pains of continuously educating themselves ... it was commendable and impressive to see that a law firm of NDA’s stature takes up “learning” as a continuous process of one's career and takes measures like CE sessions every week on new and upcoming topics. The work environment is friendly and cooperative and most importantly very challenging.

-Jayne Kuriakose          
National Law Institute University, Bhopal          

This was the first time I was substantially associated with transactional and research-based corporate work. My area of interest has been IPR & Information Technology Law, but having touched the tip of the corporate ice-berg here at NDA, I can proudly say that I’ve been able to somewhat widen my narrow interest base … Thank you all for your insight, assistance, support and advice which has made this relatively short stint an intensely memorable experience.

-Ankur Gupta           

Despite the short duration of my internship, it has nonetheless been a wonderful learning experience. Right from the quality of work assigned to me to the numerous presentations I attended. What is remarkable here at NDA is the work atmosphere. I found everyone to be approachable despite his or her busy schedule. I was also pleasantly surprised by the indulgence of senior associates in the numerous queries put forth to them.

-Archana Rajaram          
Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai          

The first thing I noticed at NDA was the atypical work environment -- casual and relaxed while at the same time, productive and efficient. I worked under many knowledgeable professionals and enjoyed the assignments I was given. I was exposed to various legal and non-legal work including banking, Information Technology, taxation, bio-technology and human resources. My experience at Nishith Desai Associates has strengthened my desire to have a future in a law-related field.

-Farhad Dalvi           

Every firm has a few individuals who inspire you and who are the brand ambassadors for the firm. Never before had I come across a firm in which all the people are worth writing home about. Each and every individual here is a gem of a person. In the 30 days (25 working) that I spent at NDA], I got a wide range of work, on topics ranging from copyright infringement to double taxation, from NBFCs to non-compete provisions. Thank you NishithBhai, for giving me a chance to work for you. I have fallen in love with the office, the people, and most importantly, the work. You asked me this morning if I was enjoying myself. I had some ‘serious’ fun! I would love to come back, if given the chance.

-Kaushik Rajan          
ILS, Pune           

The areas of work in NDA being contemporary subjects such as taxation of e-commerce, joint ventures and many more of the sort, makes a student develop interest in those areas that are yet to crystallize in Indian legal system. This makes any student enjoy learning the subject with zest and develops one’s way of thinking. One of the most commendable things about the firm is the system of CE Presentation. They are an excellent way of keeping the firm members well informed of the contemporary issues in legal field. The atmosphere in the office is truly one of its kind. I had never seen such professional attitude coupled with informality, in any firm before. This environment makes the firm a great place for interns as it makes learning both enjoyable and motivating.

-Harshita          
National Law School, Bangalore           

Since this was my first law related internship, I was initially a little nervous about interning at such a highly reputed firm. Today however, I feel that that I could not have chosen a better firm for my first law-related internship. I am sure I would not have had such a diverse exposure in such a short time anywhere else. I was impressed by and grateful for the amount of time that the associates spent briefing me on any given assignment. Their willingness to help me understand the entire matter and not just giving me piece-meal research work is greatly appreciated.

-Ashish Deshmukh          
Government Law College, Mumbai           

Almost all my internships have been a dry and mundane affair. Unlike my other internships, interning at NDA was truly an enriching experience. According to me what distinguishes the firm from the rest in its field is the professionalism the associates display, which at no point of time seems to be overbearing or distressing. One reason for the success of the firm is because it has in its ranks associates who are extremely motivated (and) having different academic backgrounds, which I feel has worked to the firm's advantage and remains its biggest asset.

- Avinash Menon          
NLIU, Bhopal           

The effort that is taken to introduce the intern to the kind of work the firm deals in as well as the quality of work that is given was a new experience. Even the small effort like introducing all firm members was encouraging. The gruelling experience that NDA provided was interesting and stimulating. NDA was also a new experience in terms of how a professional law firm works in a competitive world. Many law firms, however competitive, do not take the pains of continuously educating themselves ... it was commendable and impressive to see that a law firm of NDA’s stature takes up “learning” as a continuous process of one's career and takes measures like CE sessions every week on new and upcoming topics. The work environment is friendly and cooperative and most importantly very challenging.

- Jayne Kuriakose          
NLIU, Bhopal           

What impressed me most about the firm was the informal attitude of the people and their professionalism. Though NDA has a hierarchical setup like any firm needs to, the structure isn’t rigid and overbearing. I think this is primarily due to the quality of senior associates in the firm and their approach and attitude that trickles down to other associates. Also, the people in NDA are quite warm towards interns and this helps a great deal as one feels part of the team. Another thing that impressed me a lot about NDA was that unlike some of the other firms that I have interned in, no one sought to take the credit for the work another person did. Even if I made a simple hotline the concerned person would acknowledge my contribution towards the hot line. This is something that is extremely encouraging for a junior.

- Abhay Sharma          
NLIU, Bhopal           

Working in Nishith Desai Associates was an experience of sorts. I say this because I really liked the way the firm worked. There was some interesting work, and very nice people to work with. I liked the kind of freedom that was given to me, that made me feel that I definitely was very much like everybody else, working for the organization. Now, this very feeling is very important… the feeling that you are second to none and indeed a part of the NDA team ... it was overall, a very enriching and rewarding experience, and I hope that I get opportunities like these again!

- Shantanu           

When I started my internship at Nishith Desai Associates, I was not really sure of all the different branches of law in which the firm specialises. Since taxation was something I had done as part of my course in college I started out doing a bit of tax-related research. This was rather interesting and NDA is probably one of the few places in India where I could have had exposure to work of this sort. I found Nishith Desai to be very progressive in its approach. This is especially evident in the fact that research is encouraged in very new and unexplored fields. The CE sessions here are of high standards and are to my surprise, taken very seriously by all the members. 

- Diya          
NALSAR           

When I joined the firm for the internship program, I had doubts as to the amount one could learn in a one-month period, but I was surprised at the amount I have. The program has been an extremely rich learning experience. The jobs assigned to me were very interesting and educative and were never boring or run-of-the-mill. Each and every task assigned to me required me to think and apply my knowledge in a focused and disciplined manner, at the same time what stood out was the freedom of thought and idea that was encouraged at the firm. I was encouraged to think deep and to think creative, which I feel is a great thought combination. And last but not the least, I was made to feel like a part of the firm even though I was there only for a month. Everyone at the firm was extremely patient with all of my queries and my lack of experience and made me feel as much a part of the firm as any permanent employee.

- Gaurav Kaul          
Government Law College, Mumbai          

NDA symbolises the changing face of legal services in the globalised context. It is a trendsetter in its own right since it is one of the very few law firms, which believes in keeping ahead of the times. NDA symbolizes professionalism, efficiency, cutting edge research and focussed specialization - the mantras for success in today's world. Its emphasis on qualitative and not quantitative work sets it apart from other law firms. 

- Vivek Jha          
National Law School, Bangalore          

The firm has evolved its practice based upon the standards of an international law firm. What I really liked about the firm is that not only does it wish to adopt an international style of practice and management, but that, unlike many other firms, it has succeeded in doing so.

- Aashit Shah