(Held from 20th January, 2023- 22nd January, 2023)
NUJS, in collaboration with Herbert Smith Freehills successfully hosted the 15th edition of the NUJS-HSF Corporate Law Moot from 20th- 22nd January. With 18 teams participating from all across the nation, the event started with the opening ceremony on 20th January 2023 which was adorned by the presence of Mr. Chris Parsons (Chair (India Practice), Herbert Smith Freehills) and Mr. Andrew Cannon (Head (India Disputes Group), Herbert Smith Freehills) hosted graciously by our hon’ble Vice-Chancellor and Miss Paramita Dasgupta (Faculty Advisor, Moot Court Society).
The teams competed against one another in two preliminary rounds the following day, with eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals. The judges' benches' probing questions ensured that the competition was fierce. The benches of judges comprised of Mr. Shourya Sengupta (Partner, Khaitan and Co., Kolkata), Ms. Purvi Dabbiru (Partner, L & L Partners, Mumbai), Mr. Rohit Das (Advocate, Calcutta High Court), Ms. Jayantika Ganguly (Director, LawSikho), Mr. Pratik Datta (Senior Research Fellow, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas) and Ms. Sanjukta Venkatesh (Regional Legal Counsel (South), Hindustan Unilever Limited).
From the above eight, only four teams emerged into the semi-finals - being the teams representing National Law Institute University, Bhopal; National Law School of India University, Bangalore; Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Vishakhapatnam and Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai.
In the semis, held on 22nd January, 2023, a fiercer clash ensued with more eminent and experienced judges forming part of the benches such as Mr. Ankur Sood (AOR, Supreme Court of India), Mr. Abhiroop Mukherjee (Sr. Asstt. GC, ITC Kolkata), Ms. Sutapa Snayal (Sr. Advocate, Calcutta High Court), Mr. Suarya Bhattacharya (Sr. Partner, JSA Mumbai), Mr. Prasanth VG (Partner, JSA), Ms, Surbhi Kejriwal (Partner, Khaitan and Co.), Mr. Mainak Bose (Sr. Advocate, Calcutta High Court) and Mr. Anand Jayachandran (Sr. Partner Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Bengaluru) among others.
Braving the challenging and probing questions of the benches testing the application of the law onto the facts and case laws presented by the budding lawyers in the previous rounds, NLIU, Bhopal, and NLS, Bangalore were the two teams adjudged to face each other in the finals. Competing for the final glory in front of the bench consisting of Mr. Niranjan Venkatesan (Barrister, One Essex Court), Justice Shampa Sarkar (Hon’ble Judge, Calcutta High Court) and Mr. Mithun V. Thanks (Sr. Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Mumbai) alongside Mr. Chris Parsons and Mr. Andrew Cannon, the two teams fought head-to-head in a round filled with the zeal and vigor fitting for the highest Court.
The team representing the National Law School of India University finally emerged victorious at the grand stage, claiming the Winners Trophy and a grand prize of 30 thousand rupees after months of grueling practice and preparation. The dedication and significant contributions of every participant made the Competition a success.
We especially thank our Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) N. K. Chakrabarty, Mr. Chris Parsons, and Mr. Andrew Cannon for the continued relationship and coordination between NUJS and HSF. Additionally, we want to thank Dr. Paramita Dasgupta, our faculty advisor, whose invaluable guidance made it possible to conduct the competition smoothly. The event came into existence due to the efforts of all those involved in its organization. Hence, we thank the members of the Moot Court Society and the Organizing Committee for their hard work and efforts in the competition and look forward for hosting the competition the next year and for many more years to come.
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