Can you tell us a bit about your career so far?

During my career of about 19 years, I have been fortunate to work in India for some globally renowned corporations like Xerox, Electrolux, GM, Disney and now Fidelity. Each of these corporations, being in different business domains, gave me a great opportunity to learn and provide my services. As an in-house lawyer, it was essential for me to understand the business, adapt to new business requirements, and be able to advise my clients on their diverse businesses needs like office automation and financial services, white goods, automobiles, media and entertainment, information technology-enabled services and private equity. While dealing with industry-specific issues, we had to provide bread-and-butter services like corporate restructuring, contracts, compliance, regulatory and the like, which are universally legal irrespective of the business segment that you work for.

What are some of the major trends in the information technology industry?

As the information technology industry grows towards delivering more value-added work from India, like investment research, marketing analytics and advisory, the companies are becoming subject to rigorous controls, both qualitative and regulatory. Thus, in addition to legal and regulatory work, the businesses need greater support on effective risk and compliance management. A general counsel is expected to facilitate smooth functioning of the business by helping to remove obstacles that may impact conduct of business. In this way, GCs today have a much larger role to play than five years ago.

Another aspect that I have witnessed over the years is that there is a lot of keenness to engage Indian legal teams to do offshore work, as geographical boundaries no longer serve as a restriction. It is time to synergise capabilities across global legal functions and develop international centres of excellence, so that work gets done better, more effectively, and in a timely manner. This synergy will contribute greatly to the development of local legal teams as they will get more international work.

Tell us a bit about your team.

When you work for any MNC, the Indian legal team is aligned with regional teams like the EMEA team or the Asia-Pacific team, among other structures. As in other MNCs, where the India legal teams are generally small as compared to the regional legal groups, my current team comprises of two lawyers and the structure resembles a matrix, with the GC reporting to the business head and the regional legal head.

What are the most important qualities someone in your role must possess?

The most important aspects are understanding your business, and being able to effectively communicate with your colleagues, whether in India or outside. As businesses become global, it is essential that the GCs don’t restrict their knowledge to a particular geography. Reaching out beyond boundaries, and updating your skills and knowledge becomes quite critical.

How would you describe your strategy for the legal team?

The legal team should be proactive and responsive to clients’ requirements, and its advice should be cost-effective and of a high quality. The legal team should be encouraged and motivated to devote time on learning and developing skills.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

When I joined Electrolux in India as head of legal in 2000, the legal department did not exist and we had to take care of 1100 product liability cases, do substantial recovery of accounts receivables across various dealers and distributors, and complete a complex merger of three legal entities having five manufacturing locations (including engaging with workers for wage negotiations) in three Indian states. It was a dream challenge for any lawyer, and I am proud that I was able to achieve it with the support of just two paralegals. It was a proactive and dedicated effort which required working with customers, dealers, business colleagues, and sales and service teams to provide solutions.

What can in-house counsel do to make themselves an indispensable part of the organisation?

An in-house counsel has to work with clients. It is, therefore, very important to win the trust and faith of your client, which can be achieved by being sincere and honest with them. One should understand the client’s business and be a problem solver. The client should have confidence to reach out to you for assistance and get a timely and effective remedy.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice that I have received is to listen more, give equal care and attention to all clients, and be honest with them. People have a keen sense of observation and are able to judge your capabilities, so it is better to be honest instead of getting exposed for not being so.

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