An official from the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre presenting the award to Siddharth Baladevan Nair.
DOHA
Challenges await human beings at every step of their life. To overcome the challenges and to come out with flying colours is a worth a feeling which many cherish and like to relive those moments.
Siddharth Baladevan Nair, who hails from Vasco, always wanted to do something different and stand tall in that. Deviating from the family traditions of joining the engineering field and taking up legal practice has had its challenges but he was ready for the rough ride and take it head on.
Siddharth has come a long way since the time he took baby steps in the legal field ten years back.
“My family are all engineers, but I always wanted to do something different and the legal field opens up diverse career paths,” he said, about the decision to take law over engineering.
The crowning glory came last week when the Doha-based Siddharth walked away with the Legal Counsel of the year 2023 awarded by Qatar Business Law Forum and LexisNexis Middle East.
He beat competition from four other short-listed candidates to win the award, a decision arrived at by three judges based in France, Lebanon and Russia.
“Winning this award has proved that persistence and hard work, does pay off,” said Siddarath.
He did his initial school studies at Deep Vihar High school, Vasco till the Std 7 and completed his SSC grade through St Mary’s High School, a residential school in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
He then completed his Std 11 in St Xavier’s Higher Secondary School in Mapusa and Std 12 in MES Higher Secondary School, Vasco.
Siddarath then completed his BA LLB (hons) degree from the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) in India and post-graduation (LLM) degree from the University of Aberdeen.
On completing his legal studies, he honed his skills during a five-year tenure in India he was part of the esteemed law firms such as Begur and Partners, as well as Khaitan & Co in Bangalore.
“In 2018, I embarked on a new chapter in Doha, Qatar, where I took on pivotal roles as the Legal and Contracts Manager for two prominent companies, SMEET WLL and QDCPC Industries, both subsidiaries of Qatari Diar. This experience broadened my perspective and added an international dimension to my professional portfolio,” he said about his forays in the Qatar legal field.
Siddarath has also successfully overcome the Middle East language barrier.
“In the past year, I have continued to evolve in my career, joining KEO International Consultants as their Legal Counsel and Compliance Officer. The journey for an Indian lawyer in the global market comes with its own set of challenges. International corporations, especially in the Middle east, often exhibit a preference for Arabic speakers or legal professionals qualified in the UK or US,” said Siddarath.
“I am committed to exceeding expectations and proving my capabilities. Successfully navigating the intricacies of the legal landscape requires dedication and a willingness to go above and beyond. As an Indian legal professional striving to establish a reputation in the market, I recognise the importance of demonstrating tangible, positive outcomes to prospective employers.”
