Hiranmai Rallabandi, ED & Associate General Counsel, Legal, Risk & Compliance – India & South East Asia Cushman & Wakefield
I currently hold the responsibility of legal affairs within Cushman & Wakefield for South and South East Asia including India. As part of the organisation, I look after risk management of the organisation including legal compliances and litigation support. There remains a very close interaction with senior leadership teams in the respective regionsto assure rendering and maintaining the delivery of legal services and effective compliance protocols while further enhancing the firm’s cross-border focus in support of a worldwide legal infrastructure.
I graduated from Delhi University with a degree in Statistics Honours. I came from a background where science was the only stream that one could opt for – both my brothers were engineers and my father a Doctorate in Bio-Chemistry. Naturally, I was very good at science and math; my parents dreamt for me to be a doctor. However, law always fascinated me – my decision was made in class 9 that – A lawyer it would be!!! Took me some time t o convince my family to support me-ultimately my perseverance did pay off and I graduated and got my degree in law from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University. I was very passionate about practicing in the courts and started my journey as an associate with a law firm – criminal law being my forte!!! Whilst practising, my senior also involvedme in drafting various opinions on different arenas of law for corporates, which I believe, laid foundation for my next step, i.e., corporate laws and subsequently, an inhouse counsel. My time in practice helped me understand the intricacy of laws, interpretation and playing the devil’s advocate which played a very integral part in my success as an inhouse counsel. Post leaving the practice, I worked with LexisNexis Butterworths in the capacity of a Legal Editor, thereafter I worked for Bennet Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL) – The Times of India group. I was part of the legal team handling the media giant’s legal portfolio; advising the organisation on various corporate trategies and looking after their legal requirements My brief stint with S. N. Gupta & Co. – a prestigious law firm of India in its real estate division paved the path for next assignment, where I really grew from a legal counsel to the General Counsel – Cushman & Wakefield. I was the first legal counsel for Cushman & Wakefield in APAC.
I had to single handily put a legal system and set right the legal process in the organization where there was no defined process followed. This definitely played to my advantage, I grew with the business and understood the risks and could offer solutions and mitigate risks in a way that the management was very happy with. Resultantly, mydomain expertise – knowing the law, solid analytical abilities, ability to communicate well and of course hard work made me a trusted advisor of the Board as well as a business enabler. My work ethics and commitment to excellence helped me in facing the challenges that came my way. I am branded as a “Corporate Solution Provider and a Business Counsel” by the Business Functions, which is what is the need of the hour by Corporates.
Definitely without doubt.General Counsels, today, make a wider contribution in a business capacity, extending across diverse areas such as strategic planning, financial affairs, business processes and project management. They also oversee the company’s records and documentation, as well as relationships with key vendors and suppliers. IT systems and technology, particularly cyber security, is another area coming into sharp focus as more companies suffer from data breaches.
Our main responsibility may be providing legal advice, but we are definitely meant to be a part of the business – not merely sitting on the sidelines, providing pages and pages of lengthy advice! General counsels have developed reputations as business-savvy advisors on a range of issues and strategies, and oftensimultaneously hold non-legal positions in their companies. They are the go-to advisors for CEOs and boards on laws and regulations as well as public policy, ethics, and risk. With broader knowledge and skills, general counsels participate in leadership discussions of complex problems and creative solutions. They are required to contribute in the boardroom and potentially lead discussions involving thorny questions facing the company. These might cover new executive hires, or general business considerations involving the risks associated with a merger or acquisition. Basically, the best-in-class general counsel is a fully functioning member of the senior leadership team who “just happens to be an attorney and is more than just a lawyer”.
Managing legal issues in an ever-increasing regulatory environment, while at the same time trying to maintain control of costs – increased regulation drives up the cost of doing business. This in turn places pressure on the legal department budget external Legal spend, expansion into new markets and segments, more complex regulation and stricter enforcement, and the growth of new technologies are all creating challenges for legal teams. Structuring and motivating their teams was their biggest challenge, followed by managing cost and evaluating value-add. Maintaining a delicate balance between fulfilling the role of trusted advisor and managing compliance – being a “business player” as opposed to “business prevention.
First and Foremost, it is important to respect each other and forget that there is a client-vendor relationship, after all both of us the different sides of the same coin! It is also important to find an external lawyer who knows and understands the company, the industry it operates in, its culture, how things are done, and the real commercial risks and rewards involved. That can save a lot of time and cost and makes it more likely that the advice will be accurate, relevant and, where appropriate, commercial; consequently, building up the rapport and camaraderie, trust between the external counsel and the in-house teams. It is also important for both the in house and external lawyers to be focused on the goals of the company, relay what exactly is being sought in clear and crisp words such that whilst receiving advice, the in house counsel does not have to read everything that the lawyer knows about a particular development or area of law; but simply convey what needs to be done, what risks are involved, and how much it is going to cost; a lengthy advice would add little more value – acounsel can easily read a text book for that. It is also important to understand how the in-house lawyer likes things to be done; to basically understand the culture of the organization over and above the business synergies. External lawyers should understand that their role is not merely to give legal advice. The relationship should be collaborative and both parties should seek to reach a high level of trust so that if there has been a mistake on either side, there is no loss of face in admitting to it so that it can be corrected swiftly without any bad feeling. Both parties should be completely candid with each other; there can be no trust without honesty.While cost is always going to be an issue when selecting which law firm to use, and in-house counsel will be under pressure to keep costs reasonable, value and flexibility are the key here. Law firms are known to be wedded to the billable hour, but times are changing; the need of the hour being alternative fee structures, such as fixed or capped fees.
A course in Business Management, Legal Spend Management, Contract and Document Management Embracing data and improved knowledge practices – Steeping away from the belief that every matter we handle is unique and requires us to reinvent the wheel for each iteration. Automating, work-processing, outsourcing, or accomplishing work by trained/supervised non-lawyers. Recognizing and deploying the diverse talents and contributions of “non-lawyers” to legal work Keep abreast with latest online courses on Leadership Executive Excellence Programs, Finance and accounting for in house lawyers.
My sincere advice would be to initially practice under a senior in the courts; that is the place where you learn how to interpret law, dissect law and experience how a drafting by an in-house lawyer can be challenged if not drafted well. This assists you to play a devil’s advocate and this experience is what helps you stand apart from your peers who jump directly into an inhouse role fresh out of graduation. It is also important to be passionate about what you ae doing and be focussed and absolutely open to take feedback and act on the same. Also, it is imperative that we do not look down on our colleagues form a non-legal background and try to throw our weight around. Being humble and modest takes you far ahead. Appetite for knowledge and the hunger to grow is extremely important. Finally, stability and not just running after moolah holds the key!
Gadget – Kindle
App – LinkedIn
Automobile Brand – Audi
Favourite Writing Instrument – The Mont Blanc Collection
Favourite Holiday Destination – Singapore
Favourite Cuisine – Indian
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