The Broad College of Business was proud to welcome Ashok Lalwani (B.A. Accounting, MBA ’84) as the Fall 2025 Global Engagement Fellow. Each semester, the college selects a Global Engagement Fellow to return to campus and share their international insights with the Broad community.
Lalwani recently joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder and previously served as a partner at Baker McKenzie, a leading global law firm, where he focused on M&A, international securities, and corporate advisory. Based in Singapore, he also started and led the firm’s global India practice and advised multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments on complex cross-border transactions. Recognized among Asia’s top lawyers, Lalwani is known for bridging cultures and business practices to craft innovative, globally minded solutions.
During his time on campus, Lalwani participated in conversations with faculty and staff about alumni engagement, sat in on undergraduate accounting courses, heard updates on the Broad MBA programs, and much more. He shared a few memories from his time on campus and how those experiences shaped his career trajectory post-graduation.
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During his time on campus, Lalwani sat in on undergraduate accounting courses at Broad.
He spoke with faculty and staff and heard updates on Broad MBA programs.
Lalwani shared a few memories from his time on campus and how those experiences shaped his career trajectory.
I grew up in East Lansing after emigrating from India when I was eight years old, so I’ve really always been a Spartan. When it came time to apply for college, I only applied to MSU (it was the only place I wanted to be!).
I originally planned to go into law and started at James Madison College. Growing up here, I loved watching Perry Mason and imagined myself as a trial lawyer one day; it just seemed like a fun and meaningful career. But as a JM student, it was difficult to get into business classes, and I found myself increasingly interested in that side of things. I talked to a few Broad professors who told me that accounting and tax provided a strong foundation for many career paths, including law.
Around that time, MSU launched a new program that allowed students to complete both a bachelor’s in accounting and an MBA in five years, with summer coursework built in. I took advantage of that opportunity, which gave me a strong combination of business knowledge, technical accounting skills, and the writing and critical thinking I’d gained from James Madison.
My father also earned his MBA at MSU, so there’s a family connection to the university as well. Over the years, MSU became such an integral part of my life.
Living on campus was a huge part of the MSU experience for me. I lived in Case Hall, and it was my first time away from home. I met life-long friends. The social scene was great. I found that everyone was so accepting and supportive of who I was and what I was interested in doing. I participated in many extracurricular activities, but I wish I had done even more! I remember playing football in the snow, taking karate and golf classes, and joining pickup games around campus.
MSU really opened up the world for me. The people I met, the things I was able to try and the experiences I had, both personally and academically, really shaped my career path. It’s really a place where you can do and learn a lot if you’re willing to put in the work to try.
One experience I remember was a volunteer opportunity to “adopt a grandparent”. A friend and I were paired with a local grandparent we visited regularly. It was such a great program and interestingly, every job interview I had after graduation included a question about it.
Academically, I had great professors who offered advice that guided my college and post-graduation life. They helped me build an intellectual foundation to help me succeed in whatever I wanted to do.
Michigan State is really a “no-airs” school where we have such a mixed group of people from all backgrounds. It leaves you very humbled and very connected because you’ve been exposed to people from all walks of life. When I talk to international alumni, they all have incredibly fond memories of MSU. The beauty of campus, how welcomed and included they felt, how connected they feel to other Spartans; it’s such a special virtue of MSU.
There are so many more resources available now to help students explore different career paths and understand what is out there for them.
My biggest piece of advice is to be proactive in seeking those out. You don’t know what you don’t know, so talk to as many professionals as possible to uncover opportunities and paths you might not have considered.
If I had been more proactive during my time at MSU, the career paths I would have considered would have been different. I didn’t need to look only at accounting firms after my B.A./MBA or law firms after my J.D.
I would advise students to make sure they are doing that research and doing it as early as possible. You never know where those conversations or informational interviews will lead.
Being a Spartan means that I am well prepared and ready for most things. I’m a good fit almost anywhere I go because I’ve experienced so many different things and met so many different people at MSU. It’s a great school with a very open, collaborative feeling, and I’m really proud to be a Spartan!
Learn more about Broad’s Global Engagement Fellow visits:
