Delhi and Mumbai secondment story

My time in India was fascinating. I’m not sure what could have prepared me for the huge differences in working culture, not only between English and Indian law firms, but also between Mumbai and Delhi themselves. In so many ways, they are incomparable.

By day, I worked on a variety of projects ranging from share acquisitions to ESOPs, and saw the day-to-day running of two of India’s largest law firms operating in a unique cultural environment, within a relatively limited infrastructure.

By night, and on the shorter weekends (95% of Indian lawyers work an official six-day week), I took in the delights of Delhi and Mumbai which include a rich and diverse heritage, bustling population, delectable food, taxi drivers to drive you round the bend (pardon the pun) and, dare I admit it, enough bling to make you shop ‘til you drop. To top it all off, I spent New Year’s Eve in Goa, swooning over all the Bollywood stars that had flocked there and topping up the tan before returning to London.

My own highly rewarding experience in India showed me the real importance of secondments in forging and sustaining relationships with other law firms in offering our clients a truly global service.

• Habibunnisha Patel
• Associate secondment