CMS IndusLaw Internship Experience: M&A Internship Insights

This CMS IndusLaw internship experience comes from Bhaumik Sogani, a third-year student in the three-year LL.B. programme at O.P. Jindal Global University. He interned with CMS IndusLaw as part of its Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Transactions team.

His experience covers how he secured the internship through a referral, the profile factors that helped him stand out, the transactional work he handled, and the lessons he learned at a large corporate law firm. He also shares practical advice for law students who want to build a career in corporate law and secure similar internships.

How the Internship Was Secured

Bhaumik secured his CMS IndusLaw internship through a referral from partner Shantanu Jindel. Interestingly, he had sent only one application before securing the opportunity.

According to him, three parts of his profile helped him get selected. First, his academic background at O.P. Jindal Global University strengthened his profile. Second, his experience during the Chartered Accountancy course gave him additional exposure to financial and corporate concepts. Finally, his previous internships in the corporate law space showed his existing interest in the field.

Together, these experiences helped him build a profile that aligned with the M&A Transactions team. His experience also highlights an important point for students: relevant experience can make it easier for a firm to understand your interest in a particular practice area.

Work Experience and Key Assignments

During the internship, Bhaumik worked on legal research, drafting and reviewing transaction documents. His assignments covered a broad range of corporate and commercial matters. As a result, he gained practical exposure to different stages of transactional work.

His previous experience with secretarial and corporate compliance documents also influenced the work he received. One of his most interesting assignments involved preparing detailed compliance checklists for clients. These checklists covered the legal and regulatory requirements that clients needed to fulfil during and after a transaction.

To prepare these checklists, he conducted extensive legal research. This included reviewing statutes, delegated legislation and information available on various Ministry websites. The assignment helped him understand how corporate laws operate in practice and how lawyers convert regulatory requirements into practical advice for clients.

He also assisted with drafting the Memorandum of Association of a company, particularly the Objects Clause for a proposed incorporation. This assignment gave him another opportunity to connect legal principles with the practical requirements of a transaction.

Overall, the internship exposed him to more than theoretical corporate law. It showed him how lawyers approach documents, compliance requirements and research with the client’s commercial objectives in mind.

Key Learnings and Challenges

This was Bhaumik’s first internship at a large corporate law firm. Therefore, it gave him a useful understanding of how transactions work in a professional environment.

One of his biggest takeaways was that a single transaction can involve several areas of law. Because of this, lawyers need both collaboration and interdisciplinary knowledge. Understanding one provision in isolation may not be enough when a transaction involves multiple legal and commercial considerations.

Another important lesson came from his early assignments. At times, he assumed that he had completely understood the task after the initial discussion. Later, he realised that asking for clarification at the beginning could have saved time and reduced revisions.

Since then, he has developed a habit of confirming the scope, expectations and deliverables before starting an assignment. This simple practice has helped him improve both the quality and efficiency of his work.

Precision also emerged as a major lesson. Whether researching the law, reviewing transaction documents or preparing compliance checklists, even a small oversight can have significant consequences in transactional practice. Therefore, attention to detail remains essential.

The internship also presented a challenge: adapting to the firm’s pace and level of precision. Coming from a classroom environment, Bhaumik initially focused mainly on identifying the legal position. However, transactional practice also requires lawyers to consider the client’s practical and commercial objectives.

Over time, he learned to ask better questions, examine details more carefully and think beyond the purely legal position. This helped him understand that legal work ultimately needs to serve the client’s business objective.

Tips and Reality Check for Juniors

Bhaumik advises students who want a similar internship to be proactive instead of waiting for opportunities to appear. Students should apply widely, continue building their profiles through relevant internships and practical experiences, and make use of genuine professional networks.

He also believes that students should not hesitate to seek help from parents, seniors, professors or alumni. A referral can open the door to an opportunity. However, what a student does after entering the firm ultimately depends on their competence, work ethic and performance.

The Reality of Competition

Securing an internship is only one part of the process. Bhaumik’s experience also shows that students need to perform consistently once they get the opportunity.

During his internship, he worked as part of a team of 10 interns. This created healthy competition and motivated everyone to distinguish themselves through the quality of their work, responsiveness and willingness to take responsibility.

That environment pushed him to perform better each day. At the same time, it made the internship more challenging and rewarding.

Be “Desperate” to Learn

One of Bhaumik’s strongest pieces of advice is simple: “be desperate, but in the right way.”

For him, this means being eager to learn, volunteering for work and trying to leave the office each day having made a positive impression.

During his first two internships, he often hesitated to ask for additional work. He worried that seniors might be too busy or that asking for more assignments could appear unprofessional. Looking back, he believes that hesitation was unnecessary.

As an intern, there is little to lose by showing genuine enthusiasm. Students who consistently volunteer for work, follow up on assignments and demonstrate reliability can leave a stronger impression on their seniors.

A senior may not remember every intern’s name. However, they are more likely to remember someone who was dependable, proactive and willing to contribute.

Maintain a Daily Work Log

Bhaumik also recommends maintaining a daily work log throughout an internship. At the end of each day, he noted the assignments he worked on, the skills he used and the key lessons he learned.

This habit helped him reflect on his progress. More importantly, it made updating his CV much easier. It also helped him speak more confidently about his internship experiences during interviews.

For law students targeting an M&A internship, corporate law internship or other transactional role, this is a useful practice. Keeping track of your actual work can help you identify the skills you developed and communicate your experience more effectively when applying for future opportunities.