UKZN Alumnus Appointed Director of Top Legal Firm

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Law graduate Mr Ugendran Odayar has been appointed a Director at global law firm, Norton Rose Fulbright.

Odayar who holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in economics and legal studies and an LLB, joined the firm as a candidate attorney in 2014. He was promoted to Associate in 2016 and Senior Associate in 2018.

‘From the day I joined the firm it was always my dream to one day be appointed as a director and this is a massive achievement. It also is a great example of Norton Rose Fulbright’s ability to grow lawyers within the firm, largely due to the emphasis placed on continuous training and development,’ said Odayar.

Having graduated with both his UKZN qualifications summa cum laude, Odayar says hard work, dedication and building relationships are his recipe for success.

‘As a commercial attorney, I strongly believe that my undergraduate BCom degree contributed to my ability to carefully balance my career needs. Obtaining a legal degree is just the start; practical application of the law is where it becomes interesting as clients are more interested in practical solutions as opposed to you simply telling them what the law says,’ he said.

Specialising in Mergers and Acquisitions, Odayar is also an admitted Attorney and Notary Public of the High Court of South Africa. 

‘I am a commercial lawyer by practice and I get involved in a number of multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions of both listed and non-listed companies. This means that I have to carefully balance clients’ legal needs with their commercial needs to ensure practical solutions. My plan is to continue to develop as a Director at Norton Rose Fulbright and to grow a successful commercial law practice,’ he said.

Words: Thandiwe Jumo

Photograph: Supplied