STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Gaurika
Masters Candidate - Fall 2020

My first encounter with law was at a very young and impressionable age of 13, when I
unfortunately became spectator to a personal litigation in my family. As I grew up, I saw the case
build up with many twists and turns; and by the time I was ready to complete High School, I
decided not to pursue a degree in Science but to study Law. Academically sound, it came to the
dismay of many, that in a house of engineers and scientists, I wanted to be a lawyer. The reason
to me however was apparent; during the ten years of the case proceeding that I observed, I
came across countless instances of social failures in the justice mechanism of my country. It was
then that I became sure that I wanted to be on the other side of the system, be a lawyer and be
an instrument towards change. It would be specious to say that I knew what I wanted to do in
law but I was certain that I understood the significance and the power that law possesses in
affecting peoples’ lives.

I started my law course at Symbiosis Law School, Noida in 2011. The curriculum and pedagogy of
the five-year extensive program helped me to broaden my horizons and ponder over societal
issues. I realized that besides pursuing academics, equal emphasis is to be accorded to practical
exposure in this field. With this thought, I started interning as early as my first semester at law
school. In unknown territories as a first-generation lawyer-to-be, I was interning at the end of
every semester in different aspects of law such as civil law, criminal law and family law. However,
it was my internship for the final semester at a leading law firm specializing in commercial laws,
foreign Investments, Banking & Finance, Joint Ventures, M&A Private Equity, Dispute Resolution
and International Arbitration, Bankruptcy and Restructuring, that piqued my curiosity in the field
of Commercial laws. This interest was furthered by my participation in National and International
Moot Court competitions (both in the capacity of a speaker and a researcher) in the subject of
International Trade Laws. A cumulation of these experiences taught me to see both sides of a
coin, think critically, speak confidently, and being able to differentiate between a strong
argument and a strong rhetoric.

After graduating in June 2016, I enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi and started
working at a firm specializing in civil and commercial laws. After gaining a year of experience at
the Bar, I worked as an in-house counsel, wherein I managed dispute resolution arising out of
contractual agreements. Simultaneously, I pursued my diploma in International Trade Law from
Indian Society of International Law (ISIL).

Having created a strong foundation through working in commercial and contract laws, I joined a
boutique firm in 2018 and engaged in more transnational and international work. Specializing in
contract management, project advisory, and dispute resolution (domestic and international
arbitrations), it had become a melting pot of my areas of interest. Having mostly foreign
conglomerates as my clients who are executing projects in India, I am responsible for end-to-end
management (from the commencement of the project to representing as a counsel in their
arbitrations) of the big-ticket projects. My role begins from drafting and vetting of commercial
contracts such as the Concession Agreements, Power-Purchase Agreements etc. and

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subsequently, providing on-going project advisory which can involve a range of disputes
beginning from complex corporate contractual arrangements to ground-level site realities such
as labor and insurance disputes. If, however, these on-going disputes are not resolved, my next
scope of work involves arbitration (depending on the arbitration agreement, arbitration might be
institutional or ad-hoc). In my current role, I have been also been conducting a series of training
workshops for the employees of foreign conglomerates as part of an on-going project advisory to
help them better understand commercial contracts and risk mitigations. Spear-heading these
training sessions on a broad range of topics, relevant to the smooth execution of a project, has
given me the leverage to explore all possible realms of commercial and transnational laws.

Given my commitment to the field of transnational commercial law as well as international

commercial arbitration coupled with a foundation of practice of municipal laws, my transition
towards further studies in International Dispute Resolution is organic to gain expertise and deep
knowledge in the subject. This is what motivates me to pursue Masters at your university.

The course curriculum at your university is a perfectly suits my needs and would further enhance
my knowledge. I would get the opportunity to mingle with students and teachers from diverse
backgrounds who have different views depending upon how the law is interpreted in their
country of origin. This would give me a global perspective and would facilitate my understanding
of global issues.

Europe is a very popular among international students for postgraduate study. There are many
reasons why people choose to pursue their master’s degree from Europe, not least because of
Europe’s great reputation in terms of its high standard of education but also, it’s general way of
life, vast amounts of choices and options, and its cultural diversity.

I believe my unique academic and professional knowledge and experiences, will enrich debates
and discussions in the department and I am confident of being a deserving candidate for the
Master’s program. It would also be the suitable place for me to ask questions, be challenged,
push my boundaries and interact with great minds which will inspire me to climb higher - not
only academically, professionally but also individually. My dream of working with world-
renowned faculty such as [•] on mutual areas of interest such as [•] will be fulfilled if I am
extended an opportunity to pursue my Masters in your esteemed university.

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 ideal multicultural location, Geneva which is almost considered synonymous with
International law
 On the other end, I believe that the summation of my varied professional and
personal experiences will provide me with a unique lens that I can carry through
to the Institute, and to the legal profession.
 These learning potentials mirror my target that I aim to acquire from my chosen
specialist discipline Commercial and Corporate Law from the postgraduate study.
 Should I talk about arbitration in India??
 World becoming a smaller place, me already dealing with foreign conglomerates;
international exposure is inevitable.

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