Op-ed Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies & qLegal Externs

At OCT, we are firm believers in the future – the future of biopharma as well as the gene pool of talent who will propel British life science into the middle reaches in this century. So we couldn’t have felt more privileged than we did to have the opportunity to offer externships to two incredibly confident and capable young people beginning their professional journey in bioscience.

We recently caught up with OCT externs Shreyanghshi Gupta and Zeynep Yalçın to invite them to share with us their reflections on their time with OCT.

What did you hope to gain from the qLegal scheme?

Shreyangshi Gupta – I am a qualified lawyer in India but wanted to gain legal experience in the UK and strengthen my client base. I also hoped to expand my knowledge in UK corporate law, hoping to support a company with funding and helping it attain its other financial and administrative goals.

Zeynep Yalçın – I wanted to gain more experience as an in-house legal counsel and to learn about the relationship between an organisation and its key stakeholders. Networking was also an important objective for me during my externship and I hoped to build relationships with other qLegal students.

What were some of your core responsibilities at OCT and what tasks did you undertake?

Shreyangshi Gupta – Given my background in corporate law, contract review, start-up advisory, and M&A, I focused on tasks in company secretarial, corporate governance matters, contract advisory, and risk management. This involved reviewing various commercial contracts, conducting legal research, verification exercises, and drafting an ideal corporate agenda for this financial year under the UK Corporate Governance Code.

Zeynep Yalçın – Like Shreyangshi, I have a background in corporate law and M&A, and so focused on tasks in company secretarial and corporate governance matters. While drafting an ideal corporate agenda, I reviewed and updated the Terms of Reference of the Nomination, Audit, and Remuneration Committees, according to the UK Corporate Governance Code. I also reviewed the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy on OCT’s website and suggested ways to improve them.

What was the most rewarding or fulfilling thing about your externship with OCT?

Shreyangshi Gupta – It was really rewarding to expand my knowledge of UK law while learning about corporate practice from the OCT team. It was also an amazing opportunity to work for a company whose main focus is to better people’s lives.

Zeynep Yalçın – The most satisfying aspect of my experience has been knowing that my efforts have been contributing to improving people’s lives. Being part of a company that aims to develop medicines for people living with debilitating conditions has been immensely fulfilling and has underscored the significance of the work we do in the legal field.

What challenges did you face during your externship with OCT, and how did they shape your learning experience?

Shreyangshi Gupta – It was sometimes challenging due to navigating unfamiliar legal landscapes while ensuring compliance with corporate regulations. The risk register was also a challenge, and I had to consider all kinds of non-legal challenges or risks that a clinical trial could face. Nevertheless, due to my past legal experience as a start-up legal adviser, I felt well-equipped to handle these challenges while using them as valuable learning experiences.

Zeynep Yalçın – Every task demanded real attention to detail and a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, given OCT’s high profile. Sometimes we needed to review very complex documents or deal with tasks that we had never been exposed to before. However, with constructive feedback and support from OCT I gained confidence and proficiency in tackling these tasks.

Looking back, what moments of personal or professional growth stand out to you?

Shreyangshi Gupta – At OCT, I can say that I gained truly invaluable insights into UK law and this has sparked an interest in, in particular, exploring cannabinoid laws. It has also made me more committed than ever to support growth companies. As of September, I have been working as a Legal Consultant for Fieldfisher and am now able to utilise the knowledge I gained from my externship in my new role.

Zeynep Yalçın – The externship at OCT has proven invaluable to me in developing my legal experience and has significantly reshaped my career trajectory. I’m pleased to report that, in September, I was hired as a Legal Specialist at Robin AI and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities and experiences that I gained during my externship at OCT.

A comment from Rob Bennett: General Counsel and Company Secretary of OCT

Rob Bennett – It was a real pleasure having Shreyangshi and Zeynep join OCT as externs. They were a brilliant addition to our team and made a thoughtful and valued contributions to our work. We are thrilled that they enjoyed their time with us so much and that they appreciated their experience working in a biopharma business like ours. We wish them the very best in their future careers!