Career in MNCs : Interview of Mr. Priyank Mangal (Legal Consultant, Unilever)

1)Sir, please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello everyone, I am Priyank Mangal. I completed my bachelor’s in law from National Law University, Jodhpur, in the year 2015. Currently, I am serving as an in-house counsel with Hindustan Unilever Limited for its Northern region at New Delhi.

2)Please tell us about your law school experience and what are certain things which one learns during law school which helps him/her in a professional career?

To be honest, Law was never my first choice. On a train journey from Bhopal to Secunderabad, I got hold of study material from a reputed coaching class. I got hooked instantly to general knowledge and legal aptitude and somehow managed to convince my parents to pursue law. Law school was amazing, inarguably the best five years of my life. One must remain humble and should be ready to embrace the grind and adapt to the dynamism that law provides.

3) From completing your graduation from National Law University, Jodhpur, in 2015 to becoming a legal consultant of reputed multinational company Unilever.

Please share this entire journey of yours.

The journey was full of ups and downs. I decided to pursue Judicial Services in my final year and worked extremely hard for the same. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I missed the RJS cut-off by one mark in my first attempt. I was heartbroken, but while preparing for Judiciary, I was also practicing as an advocate in New Delhi, which I was thoroughly enjoying, and I decided to pursue litigation. After more than a year, I decided to join Economic Laws Practice as an associate in their Litigation and Disputes Resolution team. During this stint, I was sent to Honeywell International India Pvt. Ltd. for a six months secondment, where I got to learn the intrinsic details as to how legal can contribute to the business decision-making process and can add value to the business which one is partnering, and that’s when I decided to look for an in-house role as a legal counsel. I was fortunate to have great friends, seniors, and mentors, and one of my friends informed me about this opening at Unilever. I shared my CV with them, and in a few days, I joined Hindustan Unilever Limited as their legal consultant for the Eastern region.

4) How did you make your way as a consultant of Unilever?

Please share your entire recruitment process with us.

As I have stated above, I got information from one of my friends about an opening for a legal consultant at Hindustan Unilever Limited and got me in touch with the recruiters. I shared my CV with them and, after that, got shortlisted. There were three rounds of interviews. The first round was with the Regional Legal Manager; the second round was with the General Manager- Legal of the function, and the third round was the HR round. You would be sent a formal offer letter once you get selected. The entire process took less than 15 days, but that may vary from case to case.

5) Since, you have been working at Unilever as a Legal Consultant, please enlighten us on what does the reputed MNC’s look for while hiring a legal consultant?

It is a difficult yet essential question to answer, but I will try to put my version of requirements in the next few lines:

a. Prior experience- A person with prior experience will generally be preferred in comparison to a fresher.

b. Commitment to craft – Be it, litigation, M&A, PE, Projects, etc. if you have had prior experience in any facet of law, you must have a very fair and reasonable understanding of the same.

c. Resolving complex situations independently – In house culture is a little different, and legal function is generally considered as a lean function where multiple resources cannot be allocated to a single problem or situation, and thus one must be prepared to deal with situations independently.

d. Business Acumen: It is not something which is a pre-requisite; however, your zeal to understand the business you partner can help you separate yourself from the rest.

e. Integrity: It would sound like cliché, but integrity remains one of the most important attributes to successfully scales the ladders in an MNC. One mistake or one act of dishonesty could hurt the entire Company, and thus your acts and deeds must always align with the policies of the Company. ”

6) Mooting , Debating & Internships.

How essential these skills are as a lawyer, and the importance they hold to pave your way into reputed MNC Unilever?

Every skill helps. Mooting makes you think out of the box, helps in elevating your legal drafting, and helps you understand the importance of teamwork. Internships are essential for a budding lawyer, even if you have no work, it will make you learn the art of sitting at your desk during office hours. It can provide you with a plethora of experiences, and your good work could land you at the company/firm you are interning with. Debating enhances your pubic speaking, which again is quintessential for a lawyer, and thus it also helps one towards his personal development.

7) Thank you so much for talking to us, please end it with an adage which will motivate our readers in pursuing the legal profession.

“You have not failed unless you have stopped trying. Never decide your future on what others have done or what others have said to you, try for yourself and continue to keep trying and trust me, it always works.”