About: Ms Kaveri Shrivastava who is Senior Partner at Kochhar & Co. and Co-Head of its Hyderabad office and was recognised by the 2024 edition of The Asia Pacific Legal 500 as a “Recommended Lawyer” for Aviation, Aerospace, and Defence.
She graduated from Faculty of Law, Delhi University in 2002 and earned her LLM in Corporate & Trade Regulation Laws from the New York University School of Law in 2003. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and dual-qualified to practice law in India and the United States.
She has represented reputed domestic and multinational clients across several sectors, including aviation, in which Kochhar is recognised as a Tier 1 firm. She has also represented clients on high stakes matters before various Indian courts and tribunals, including State High Courts, subordinate courts, and the National Company Law Tribunal.
1. Could you share your journey and experiences that led you to become Senior Partner and Co-Head of Kocchar and Co.’s Hyderabad office?
Coming from a civil services background, I grew up across India and particularly State of Karnataka with very varied experience. Watching my father at the helm of administration and law & order in every district that he served, I was always attracted to the legal profession. After my schooling in Bengaluru, I moved to Lady Shriram College in Delhi to pursue an honours degree in Political Science. The notions of justice and law were introduced to me during our rich discourse with some faculty members at Lady Shriram. I was clear that I wanted to pursue a career in law by that time. I enrolled myself at the Faculty of Law in Delhi and later moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree in corporate/trade regulations from NYU School of Law. After my admission to the New York Bar, I worked for a few years in New York where I learnt a lot about the court systems, cross-border transactions, etc. Moving back to India was always something I had contemplated. Upon my return, I joined the erstwhile Amarchand & Mangaldas and later Tatva Legal Hyderabad. In Hyderabad, I was looking for a law firm that could provide me the platform to harness my dual qualification as well as enable me to work on cross-border transactions. Kochhar & Co. was the perfect fit in that regard.
2. You have graduated from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University. How was your law school experience and how did your alma mater contribute to where you are now?
Faculty of Law at Delhi University during the time I spent there boasted of some legal stalwarts and I was fortunate to have had some brilliant teachers guiding me. Whether it was Prof. M.C. Sharma, M.P. Singh or B.B. Pande, I learnt a lot from their insights and vast experience.
3. You pursued an LLM immediately after graduation; in Corporate & Trade Regulation Laws from the New York University School of Law in 2003. How was that experience, and what impact does an LLM have (at the beginning of one’s career) in this field?
My time at the NYU School of Law was challenging as it was a new country and the way the law schools are structured in USA is very different from India. I was fortunate to interact with lawyers from across the globe and I learnt a lot about how the legal system operates in their respective jurisdictions. To get a global perspective on international topics like world trade, European Union from legal luminaries such as Prof. Harry First and Andrew Lowenfeld, was priceless.
4. Congratulations on being recognised by the 2024 edition of The Asia Pacific Legal 500 as a “Recommended Lawyer” for Aviation, Aerospace, and Defence. What kind of work and expertise does this area of law entail and how can law students learn more about it?
Thank you. This area of law entails the ability to understand this sector very well. Most of the work involves working closely with the regulatory bodies, and several other stakeholders. An in-depth understanding of the sector and the rules and regulations that impact it is extremely important. As these are dynamic sectors, it is important to keep up with the change in rules and regulations diligently.
5. Can you detail the kind of work you do as a Senior Partner, particularly on cross-border investments, infrastructure projects, and high-stake litigation matters?
We represent a vast majority of fortune 500 corporations and multinationals in a wide spectrum of matters. This varies from drafting term sheets, definitive documents, conducting due diligences, engaging in negotiations with counter-parties as well as working closely with client’s management team. With respect to infrastructure projects, interaction with government authorities is critical. High-stakes litigations involve effective litigation strategy and management skills as well as discussions and briefing of Senior Counsels.
6. As a commercial and corporate law practitioner, you have had to appear before the NCLAT, High Courts and the Supreme Court. How has your experience in that regard been thus far?
My time in the court is something I have always been very proud of. Appearing before a Bench/Judge is always exciting and puts to test one’s ability to articulate effectively on the subject-matter in question keeping the client’s best interest in mind. One of my key takeaways with court appearance has been that an effective litigator has to be an effective listener and speaker who should have done a thorough homework before appearing before the Judge.
7. With specific reference to recent graduates and student interns interested in commercial and corporate law, what importance do good researching skills have on their opportunities?
Good researching skill is always an important skillset for a young lawyer and something law firms expect as a prerequisite for interns/young associates, irrespective of the practice area.
8. You are amongst the handful of women at leading positions in a corporate law firm. What were the challenges that you faced and the experiences that shaped you? What would your advice be to young women aspiring to pursue a career in a male dominated field?
As clichéd as it might sound, women in law continue to face career obstacles on account of marriage and motherhood. Our social setup especially in large cities does not support a working mother model as the dependence continues to be on a rather unorganised set up for a woman to be able to step out to work long hours at a corporate law firm, let alone be in the leading position. While some workplaces have become very inclusive when it comes to providing flexible hours, work from home option, crèche facility for someone with a young family, most workplaces continue to turn a blind eye to these pressures. For young women entering the profession, my simple mantra would be to keep at it. Do not give up on the profession. There may be phases in your life where you may not be able to give your 100% to your profession while your male counterparts continue to steadily climb the ladder. However, do not let this bring you down or take you away from the legal practice all together, as the tide will change.
9. You have stated that Telangana is becoming the hub of increased domestic and global investments across various sectors. How would you advise young graduates and law students to pick the city in which they pursue corporate law (opportunity for growth, lateral shift into different area of law, standard of living, etc.)?
If you look at my career trajectory, I have been geographically agnostic when it has come to my preferred city in terms of career. With urbanisation, there is a scope for growth in a lot of Tier 2 and 3 cities. Further, demand for good lawyers is growing at a fast pace. A young graduate must factor in various aspects before picking the city where they would like to pursue their career in law. However, the most important factor according to me would be opportunity for growth. Does the city offer the infrastructure and presence of companies/law firms that you envisage working for over the next 5-10 years? If there is an opportunity for growth, other aspects can be managed.
10. What do you look for in interns and young associates to imbibe as qualities to “climb the corporate ladder”?
Hard work, perseverance, time management and the hunger to learn. These are the quintessential qualities I look for in interns and young associates, as these are integral to our profession if one is looking to grow and flourish.
11. The corporate world is rather fast-paced; how do you ensure proper work-life balance and unwind after a long week of work?
Setting the agenda for the day is extremely important to be on top of all client commitments and firm responsibilities. Also, one has to be very organised to be able to utilise their 24 hours judiciously and efficiently. I set my expectations clearly to my team to ensure timely deliverable of high-quality work product to the clients. While work-life balance is an anomaly in the legal profession, I do try to unwind over weekends over a good thriller movie or meet friends and spend time with family.
