Law & Judiciary · Career guide for students

Corporate / M&A Lawyer

Top-of-market law-firm career — M&A, capital markets, PE/VC, banking & finance. — A complete career guide for Indian students.

5 yrs (integrated) or 3+3 yrs12th any stream → 5-yr BA LLB or 3-yr LLB after graduation
Open My Plan

Why this career matters in India

India's deal-flow ($120B+ M&A in 2024) needs top corporate lawyers; Tier-1 firms now match Big-4 starting pay.

Step-by-step roadmap

  1. 1

    Class 12 → CLAT / AILET → top NLU

  2. 2

    Internships at Tier-1 firms (5–8 internships across 5 yrs)

  3. 3

    PPO / day-zero recruit as Associate

  4. 4

    3–4 yrs → Senior Associate

  5. 5

    Counsel → Partner → Equity Partner

Skills you'll need

Contract drafting & negotiationM&A structuringSecurities laws (SEBI)Companies Act 2013Due diligenceCross-border tax basics

Pros

  • Highest law salaries
  • Global firm exposure
  • Direct Partnership track

Watch-outs

  • · 80–100 hr work weeks
  • · Highly competitive entry

Top recruiters & employers

AZB & PartnersCyril Amarchand MangaldasKhaitan & CoShardul Amarchand MangaldasTrilegalJSAL&LLinklaters India deskin-house counsel at Tata / Reliance / Adani

Related careers

Lawyer / Advocate

NLU + corporate-law combo is now among India's top-paying careers.

Read more →

Judge (via Judicial Services)

Become a Judicial Magistrate / Civil Judge through state PCS-J exams.

Read more →

Public Prosecutor / Govt Counsel

Represent the State in criminal trials — APP, PP, ASG track.

Read more →