Q&A with Vridhi Mathur (LLM, 2024)

What motivated you to study law at King’s?

After completing my B.A. LL.B from National Law University Mumbai, I wanted to build a stronger international perspective on financial regulation, cross-border legal frameworks and a network of people that keeps me updated about the current financial markets. During my undergraduate studies, I developed a growing interest in the intersection of law, financial systems, and regulation, particularly how regulatory frameworks shape financial institutions and market conduct. 

The LLM in International Financial Law particularly appealed to me because of its focus on international finance, regulatory developments, and the practical challenges facing firms operating in highly regulated sectors. Additionally, London’s position as a major global financial centre also made King’s especially attractive, as it provided exposure to diverse perspectives on financial regulation and access to a highly international academic and professional network alongside the opportunity to attend networking events at big law firms.

Tell us about your career journey from graduating King’s to where you are today?

I graduated in September 2024 with an LLM in International Financial Law. Securing my current role required immense dedication, resilience, and persistence through multiple application rejections, while continuing to strengthen my legal and regulatory knowledge.

In August 2025, I joined Thistle Initiatives as a Compliance Consultant within the Payments Services team. In this role, I support a range of regulated firms in strengthening their governance frameworks, regulatory readiness, and financial crime controls.

As a Payments Compliance Consultant, I advise payments and fintech businesses on regulatory and compliance matters. This includes supporting firms through FCA authorisation processes, assessing governance and risk frameworks, conducting regulatory due diligence, and helping organisations strengthen their risk management systems and controls. The role combines legal and regulatory analysis with client-facing consulting, allowing me to work closely with businesses as they navigate an evolving financial services landscape.

This experience has deepened my understanding of the regulatory landscape governing payment services firms and reinforced my interest in advisory work that supports firms in adapting to evolving regulatory expectations.

What prepared you most for the working world during your time at King’s? 

During my time at King's College London, one of the experiences that prepared me most for the working world was serving as the LLM Representative for the King’s Law Society during the 2023–2024 academic year. The role required me to act as both a leader and advocate for my peers, which significantly strengthened my communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills.

I worked closely with students from diverse backgrounds, actively listening to their concerns and communicating feedback to relevant academic bodies to help improve the student experience. This taught me how to engage with different stakeholders professionally, balance varying perspectives, and approach issues in a solution-oriented manner.

The role also involved organising academic and social events, including networking sessions and study initiatives, which developed my ability to coordinate projects, manage responsibilities, and create inclusive environments.

What aspects of the Law School environment (professors, modules, mooting, clinics, or internships) directly contributed to your career direction or development?

During my time at King's College London, three modules in particular had a strong influence on my career direction: M&A, FinTech and Law, and Green Financing.

The M&A module gave me a solid grounding in transactional law and how complex corporate deals are structured, negotiated, and regulated. It helped me understand the commercial drivers behind corporate activity and the importance of due diligence, risk allocation, and regulatory considerations in high-value transactions.

The FinTech and Law module was particularly influential in shaping my interest in regulatory advisory work. It highlighted the legal and regulatory challenges arising from rapid innovation in financial services, particularly in payments and digital finance, and how firms must adapt their compliance frameworks in response to evolving regulatory expectations.

The Green Financing module further broadened my perspective by showing how regulatory frameworks are increasingly being used to drive sustainable finance and ESG integration, reinforcing the importance of governance, and accountability in financial markets.

Taken together, these modules helped me understand how corporate transactions, financial innovation, and regulatory developments are closely interconnected. This combination strongly influenced my decision to pursue a career in law and compliance advisory, which I now apply in my current role at Thistle Initiatives, where I support regulated firms with governance, regulatory readiness, and financial crime controls.

What were the biggest challenges you faced entering the legal job market, and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges I faced entering the legal job market was competing as an international graduate without a UK undergraduate background, particularly against candidates with more direct exposure to the UK legal system. This initially made the process more competitive and required me to be very intentional in how I positioned my experience.

Another key challenge was the volume of rejections, often without feedback, which made it difficult to identify clear areas for improvement and sometimes led to self-doubt.

I overcame this by focusing on consistency, resilience, and continuous improvement. Rather than internalising rejection, I treated it as part of the process and focused on refining my CV and tailoring applications more effectively. I maintained a disciplined and structured application approach, applying regularly across a range of roles while improving quality with each submission.

Importantly, I also worked on managing mindset. I allowed myself limited time to process setbacks before refocusing on next steps. Over time, this helped me stay motivated, reduce self-doubt, and approach the process more strategically.

How is a King’s Law degree viewed by employers or clients in your country/region?

A Law degree from King's College London carries strong recognition because of the university’s reputation and its international approach to legal education. Employers and clients are familiar with King’s as an institution associated with high academic standards and exposure to complex legal and commercial issues.

I think the value of the degree also comes from studying in London, where you are constantly exposed to developments in finance, regulation, and international business. That environment gave me a broader perspective on how law operates in practice, particularly across jurisdictions and regulated sectors.

In my experience, the degree has helped establish credibility when working with employers and clients in areas connected to financial services, governance, and compliance advisory.

What would you say are the key skills needed for success in the legal market today?

In today’s legal market, success requires commercial awareness, the ability to recognise opportunities and build strong professional relationships, as well as the resilience and persistence to navigate a highly competitive environment.

What brings you joy outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy staying active through the gym and hiking, and I also pursue art as a self-taught artist.

Because of King's I...

Because of King's, I had the opportunity to participate in the Milan Exchange Program through the King’s Law Society while representing my LLM cohort. It enabled me to expand my network beyond London and experience a different cultural and academic environment, which further strengthened my international perspective.

Describe King's in 3 words

Diverse, Transformative, Intellectual