Can you tell us about your legal career so far, and some of the highlights?
Nisha Kaur Uberoi, Partner and the National Head of the Competition Law Practice, Trilegal, today leads one of the largest competition law teams in Asia.
The journey of Nisha’s life as a graduate of the National Law School of India University to becoming one of the most acclaimed lawyers in India is truly inspiring. Being a first-generation lawyer is never easy, but she has taken the challenges in her stride. She describes herself as an accidental lawyer who wanted to do her MBA, but never looked back after discovering her passion in law. The fact that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in competition law keeps the challenge alive for Nisha, and is the aspect she enjoys the most.
Nisha’s perseverance and commitment have brought her several international and domestic accolades, including becoming the first and only Indian lawyer to win the coveted global ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ at the Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards 2021 for her work advising on complex merger transactions aggregating USD 150 billion – a career highlight for her. She was named ‘Woman Lawyer of the Year’ at the ALB India Law Firms Awards 2020.
What were some of your own challenges during your career? How did you overcome them?
When Nisha started her career as a young lawyer in India, she discovered that people had preconceived notions about women in the workplace. When it comes to gender equality in the field, change needs to be real. Over the years, things have improved, and today, it is not unusual to see women lawyers breaking gender stereotypes and shattering glass ceilings.
When Nisha moved to set up the competition practice at the firm, Trilegal did not have a dedicated competition team and she had the challenge of building a team in an industry of established players. Nisha led the Trilegal competition practice to become the first Indian law firm to win the prestigious award of the ‘Regional Firm of the Year – Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa’ at the GCR Awards 2020. Nisha was the first woman partner hired by Trilegal in Mumbai, and as a genuine trailblazer, today leads a team with one of the highest gender diversity ratios in India.
What advice would you give to young female lawyers seeking to follow the same career path as you?
It doesn’t get any easier, but it definitely gets better. Speak up, have a voice and don’t apologise when you have nothing to apologise for.
