Perseverance in the Legal Field with Vedika Shah, Associate at Pioneer Legal

“I believe from my own experience that though something may seem greatly difficult in the beginning - with patience, perseverance and practice, you can master it all,” says Vedika Shah, Associate at Pioneer Legal.

Getting a job in a top law firm is the dream destination for most law graduates. You want to work on high-profile cases, big deals or mergers and acquisitions right at the beginning of your career. However, initially, your work might involve doing a lot of ‘filings’ and working on ‘due diligence’ related tasks. But, with time, these experiences can help you grow in your career.

In this story, we look at Vedika Shah’s life in Pioneer Legal, the struggles she faced at the beginning of her career and how one can overcome these challenges.

Who is Vedika Shah?

Vedika Shah graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai in the year 2020. She started her career as an article clerk at DSK Legal in 2018. She later joined Pioneer Legal, where she first worked with the General Corporate and M&A Team before moving on to the Dispute Resolution Team.

Post her graduation, she appeared for the solicitor’s examination conducted by the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. She has cleared 5 out of the 6 papers and is on the last leg of the journey to becoming a solicitor.

Currently, she practises in the General Corporate and M&A practice of the firm and assists various prominent promoters of businesses on issues relating to succession planning and the preparation of testamentary documents.

Through her multiple internships and time spent at DSK Legal and Pioneer Legal, Vedika was exposed to a variety of legal fields after which she found her core skills suited to the practice of General Corporate and M&A.?

A Typical Day at Pioneer Legal

According to Shah, an Associate’s day-to-day activities as a corporate and commercial lawyer at Pioneer Legal would greatly vary based on assignments/tasks that have been allotted. Here’s what a typical day at Pioneer Legal looks like -

• Advising on the structuring of a transaction.
• Assisting in conducting legal due diligence on the target entities proposed to be acquired by the client.
• Drafting various transaction documents and ancillary documents as per the requirements of the transaction.
• Reviewing, vetting and finalising various documents sent by the counterparty.
• Attending negotiations and discussions with the counterparties and clients.
• Assisting in preparing and finalising closing documents in relation to the transaction.

Helping Businesses and People Grow

“From a very early age in my life, I was drawn to the legal profession.”

According to Shah, the potential to bring value to her clients from the beginning of their businesses and throughout the entirety of their life cycle and helping them manoeuvre the complex regulatory and legal landscape allows her to become a meaningful and important contributor to their growth - which was what drew her the most to this line of work.

Additionally, it gives one a chance to work with and learn from other fields and industries like manufacturing, education, technology, and advertising which is intriguing and fun, says Vedika.

Law is an Extremely Demanding Profession

?“It’s important to keep going, not give up and have faith that the result will be worth all the toiling and hard work.”

Law as a profession can be very stressful and overwhelming at times when you’re just starting off. Vedika recalls that when she began her career as a 21-year-old article clerk in 2018, the idea of seamlessly juggling multiple assignments in a single day, achieving rather strict and unwavering deadlines, and giving each task your all seemed rather arduous and challenging. Switch to 4 years later, something that seemed intimidating and unnerving at that time has now become a breeze for her and a rather dominant part of her personality.

According to Shah, some days can be challenging given the effort to meet deadlines. On such days, the feeling of monotony can kick in and one can easily get bogged down.

“This is something that I wish I knew 4 years ago when I first set my foot into the legal fraternity.”

On such days, it's essential to remain calm during such situations, learn from your mistakes, accept them, and—most importantly—remain focused on your goal. She firmly believes, based on her own experiences, that despite something initially seeming extremely tough, with patience, perseverance, and practice, one can master it all.

How Has Pioneer Legal Shaped Vedika’s Journey?

“My time at Pioneer Legal has been the biggest learning curve for me.”?

Shah describes how the Partners at Pioneer Legal have always been encouraging and supportive of her. She has had the chance to participate in a wide range of intellectually challenging and engaging projects and assignments at Pioneer Legal, which has significantly helped her grow as a lawyer.

One of her favourite aspects of working at Pioneer Legal is that senior team members place a lot of confidence, responsibility, and trust in their colleagues. This encourages one to grow professionally and drives one to improve at every step.

Vedika’s Advice to Aspiring Law Students?

“Eagerness and willingness to learn new things and to work dedicatedly will take you a long way in the legal profession.”

The one piece of advice Shah would want to impart to all aspiring law students who wish to work with Pioneer Legal is to go the extra mile to ensure that the allocated work is completed. This also sets you apart from the rest and well, separates the wheat from the chaff. Be prepared to put your best foot forward in every task that may be allocated to you, no matter how repetitive or mundane the task may seem.