'I DON'T REMEMBER EVER WANTING TO DO ANYTHING BUT THE LAW'

Zia Mody, Co-founder and Managing Partner of AZB & Partners, explains why she chose the legal profession, why it is difficult for women lawyers, and her value system

- UDAYAN MUKHERJEE

She is one of India's top corporate lawyers and the go-to person when some big deal or restructuring is planned. From the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover by the Tatas, the L&TMindtree deal, the Cairn-Vedanta deal, SoftBank buying a stake in Ola or, more recently, the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger, Zia Mody, Co-founder and Managing Partner of AZB & Partners, has had a role to play in all of them. In an interview with Business Today's Global Business Editor Udayan Mukherjee, she reveals what attracted her to the legal field, her | inspiration, and the business leader she looks up to. Edited excerpts:

Q: Zia, let me begin by asking you if it is an exciting time to be a lawyer in India today, because there's so much going on-in the M&A landscape, with foreign direct investment pouring in, and even the much spoken about judicial activism in the public sphere. It must be exciting.

A: Look at my face, Udayan! Isn't it looking excited? I think it is one of the most fascinating periods for any young lawyer to be part of the entire development of corporate M&A, and of legal jurisprudence-either arguing in court or being a young corporate attorney sitting in on a mega M&A deal. The world has changed from about 20 years ago, where law was not necessarily the first calling of choice. But now, becoming a lawyer and hoping to aspire and reach the top of your game is very much a possibility and a dream that many youngsters want to dream. And therefore, we are seeing many more talented youngsters join the legal profession than we saw before. So, the simple answer your question is a big yes.

"Your sense of self-worth and confidence, and your ability to sleep at night without vexing about what you did during the day is far more important than winning that fight with the wrong means"