Niven Hemraj, Esq. joined Holland & Knight LLP in District of Columbia
There are few opportunities in a professional career that rise to the level that is working with Vijay Sandal from Sterling Clark Group. Vijay’s guidance, dedication, and experience helped me to secure a lucrative lateral offer in a deeply challenging economic environment. Vijay approached me with opportunities for roles in the legal industry I thought beyond my capabilities at the level I was in my career. I often struggle to understand the worth I can bring to the table, and Vijay not only reassured me, but helped to show me the universe of what I could achieve. Not only that, he did so with a pragmatic outlook to help prepare me for the landscape ahead. Vijay’s shrewd intellect and deep understanding of the legal market paid significant dividends in navigating potential opportunities, and nailing a role that synchronized perfectly with me. Vijay is wise, and energetic. He is confident, yet humble. He is attentive without being overbearing. He effectively guides candidates without holding their hand. He allows a candidate to shine on their own, while enhancing their value with his advice. His attention and care to each candidate allowed for a resounding success throughout the interview process and beyond. At every anxious chokehold, Vijay was there to not only comfort, but to temper any concerns with thoughtful realism. He became a soundboard to prepare with the right blend of caution, optimism, confidence, and humility. Vijay’s strategic approach to the lateral process in the legal field is second to none. His effort in understanding candidates led to finding synergies across industries. If the phrase “finding the right fit” had a symbol, it would be Vijay. Vijay goes beyond merely advocating for his clients. He prepares candidates for every conceivable issue, and curveball while also providing a sober risk assessment for all outcomes, even the ones I could not anticipate. Even after interviews concluded, Vijay was there to debrief and walk through every detail to understand where we stood, and what the best next steps would be. He truly is a master of his craft, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. I could not be happier with the results of working with him.

