Sneha Thakur, India

LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law 2012-12, School of Law  Scholarship Winner

I hold a degree of law from “Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow, India” (2011). After completing my degree I had an opportunity to work as a corporate lawyer in one of the biggest life insurance (“Max Life Insurance”) companies in India for a year. I always wanted to pursue my master of laws degree in the field of Corporate and Commercial Law especially focusing on arbitration, which would help me channel my knowledge in resolving commercial disputes through the mechanism of arbitration and hence, I would prove to be as an asset to my country where there is dearth of lawyers who specializes in these areas. Through my extensive research I found out that Queen Mary is one of the few universities which has also a well-known School of International Arbitration and is a well-respected member of the Arbitration community. The courses are designed in such a manner that it would provide excellent foundation to the professional career in arbitration, focusing on both practice and procedure.

I was very fortunate to be awarded the “Centre of Commercial Law Scholarship” from CCLS at Queen Mary. Studying under the canopy of the likes of Professors Loukas Mistelis, Julian Lew, Alan Dignam and Dr Stavros Brekoulakis has been an intellectually stimulating experience. The tutorial classes in each module have been fruitful as it gives an insight and one to one chance to interact with the Professors and to know the correct methodology in solving the problems. The classes are very interactive and one needs to be prepared to participate in the discussions. It has provided me with a chance to study legal issues in classes composed of graduate students from numerous countries, who would resolve these issues differently and provide me with a completely different angle to look through.  Frequent seminars organized by the School of Law regarding the emerging and controversial issues are also very benefiting and useful. There is an abundance of e resources to research upon and the libraries are well equipped with almost all the possible journals, reports and books.

Studying in an international environment at Queen Mary, with students of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds has provided me a chance to know and understand different people and cultures which in itself is a wonderful and enriching experience and to add London as a location is perfect as a seat of Arbitration for all the global exposure and experience that one needs as it is the most inspiring and culturally rich city. London is a student friendly city and there is lot of activities to do and to enjoy your life in London. Ultimately everyone falls in love with this dynamic city.

On returning back to my home country I intend to practice law and would give my contribution to provide education about benefits of the ADR process to the community and  members of the Bar and the Courts. I also intend to work with organisations like CIAC, FICCI, ICA so as to join together with UK and USA to utilize mutual wealth of knowledge to evolve a Research Foundation for providing continuing legal education in the field of ADR.

Juan Manuel Montero Zuccolillo,  Paraguay

LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law 2011-12, Chevening Scholarship Winner

I was working as a lawyer for the Paraguayan Government, as well as doing a Master in Criminal Law in the Centro de Ciencias Penales y Política Criminal. I was very fortunate to be awarded a Chevening scholarship. My experience as a Chevening Scholar  has been outstanding. It's more than encouraging to know that the UK is willing to support South American students to become leaders in their country as they help them prepare for what the future demands. Studying in the UK is definitely an advantage that will deliver more and more satisfactions to my professional and personal life. I chose Queen Mary because of its reputation and location which are unique. Students are more than pleased with its teaching methods. The teaching staff are excellent.

The lectures are amazing, but unlike other universities, everything feels familiar. The way you can interact with the staff, the way they treat you it’s like you have always been studying here and you are talking with your own family.  I enjoy the interaction between myself, the academics and my classmates. You have to keep up to date with lessons. You can’t go to classes unprepared, you have to do the readings otherwise you are wasting your time! People that come from civil law countries and have different backgrounds are expected to keep up, so you should take this LLM very seriously. I'm taking Law of Finance and Foreign Investment in Emerging Economies, Company Law and International Comparative Commercial Arbitration.

Although I have been working in criminal law and I am currently doing a Masters in criminal law as well, the thing is that as a lawyer, you need to broaden your knowledge as wide as you can, in order to understand how the law works. If you are investigating a fraud committed in a company, you need to understand how a company works, who makes the decisions and how can then be held responsible. When you join QMUL and see the expertise of the teaching staff, you are going to change some of your chosen modules, which was the case for me regarding International Comparative Commercial Arbitration. It wasn't in my plans, but once you are here, you will struggle with which modules to take.

As for being a postgraduate student in London -there is much study, but that’s not your entire life! London is an amazing city. Activities are everywhere, theatres, cinemas, restaurants, parades and tours. It’s impossible to do everything you are told to. You will end up LOVING this place. Regarding facilities available - the libraries are excellent; Wi-Fi is always available so it’s easy to keep up to date with lecture information and reading, as well as with your social life!

Rodrigo Borda Olarte, Colombia

LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law 2011-12

School of Law Partial Scholarship Winner

“I hold a law degree from “Universidad de Los Andes” (2008). I also completed postgraduate studies in Public Utilities at “Universidad Externado de Colombia” (2010). I started my career with an Internship at the Colombian Parliament (Chamber of Representatives). After, I was hired by the Bogota Energy Group (EEB) where I was constantly involved in international transactions where the English law is highly used. I decided to look at LLM programmes in order to broaden my understanding of common law concepts involved in the drafting of international, corporate and financial contracts. I chose Queen Mary because it has the best academic credentials, it is listed among the top law schools in the UK and it has a centre dedicated to the study of private law, The Centre for Commercial Law studies (CCLS). Moreover, the University and the CCLS have excellent scholarship opportunities. In my case, I was awarded with a partial one. Finally, I would like to highlight the academic credentials of the professors, the University’s involvement with London law firms, multilateral banks and the truly international environment.”

Olga Kuprenkova, Russia

LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law 2011-12

''I obtained my degree in law at the Far East National University in Vladivostok. While studying, I had the opportunity to join the largest construction firm in the Far East of Russia and worked there for five years. Whilst practicing law in Russia, I realised that most of the business ventures and contracts are carried out under the English Law since it is more convenient for the local firms. This, together with being interested in getting a specialisation on commercial law and arbitration made me look for a master's programme in the UK. After doing some research about the programmes offered by different universities, I found out that the LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law modules taught at Queen Mary completely suited my interests. This programme offers the opportunity of studying company law, international construction law and arbitration, and international commercial arbitration, and is one of the UK’s most complete master degrees in corporate law. Another important advantage of the LLM is that the lecturers are among the best, and that the teaching method is truly focused on providing the most complete view of commercial and corporate law. The social aspect is a very important advantage offered by Queen Mary because of its multicultural students and because of its location, London, one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world.''

Felipe Sperandio, Brazil

School of Law Scholarship Winner 2010-11

LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law

"I studied Law at Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná - UTP, and Business and Administration at Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR. Before leaving Brazil I had the chance work in some commercial arbitration along with helping to coach the arbitration moot team of a Law School from my city and, in both occasions, I used to consult and study from books written by Queen Mary professors. Queen Mary has a specialised Centre for Commercial Law Studies which is internationally famous, and within this, there is the School of International Arbitration, which is an icon of excellence among practitioners, scholars and students. For those reasons, Queen Mary was a natural choice for me in order to master my knowledge in Commercial Arbitration.

Upon practicing for five years as a licensed lawyer in Brazil, the LLM was both the perfect prospect to challenge myself and the path to a higher step in the law career. In Queen Mary I have the opportunity to interact directly with professors who are responsible for publishing some of the leading literature in the field, discussing personally real facts and cases in small tutorials frequently held. Furthermore, the varied nationalities and background of students allows us to exchange and compare experiences from different legal systems; situations which make the process of learning even more interesting.

Additionally, the University maintains links with globally respected law firms, enabling the students to attend law fairs and lectures inside these firms; circumstances which allow us to understand the demands of international market and help us to think outside the frame of our original jurisdiction.

Notwithstanding all the benefits of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies Scholarship I was granted, making this experience even more motivational and valuable. The LLM has been above any expectation and I already feel prepared to tackle law cases from different perspectives, applying the legal knowledge gained, which will accompany me throughout my entire career."

Jagdish Patel, India

LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law 2008-9

“I studied at the University Law College (Bangalore University) in Bangalore. The reasons I came to London and Queen Mary were for the strong Arbitration and Finance courses and of course the reputation of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies. In addition, the fact that UK is the second largest investor in India and the growth that such an investment would bring into the country. The legal sector has been opened up to the UK law firms. To make the best of this situation a qualification from the London University and also a dual qualification of being a solicitor and an advocate would definitely go a long way in establishing my own practice.

Life in London has been fantastic, a truly multicultural city, very culturally tolerant. There is everything in London to make sure you don't feel homesick especially the fact that you miss food!

Now that I have completed my LLM, I intend to take up the qualified lawyers transfer test (QLTT) this year on a conditional certificate issued by the SRA (Solicitors regulation authority). The condition being that I have to work a year or two but at least one year in the UK and the rest maybe in India to qualify as a solicitor.”