Do you feel that the role of General Counsels is evolving in today’s business scenario? And if so, how?

In most organisations it is evolving. Business facilitation and support are crucial for this role. One eye has always got to be on the revenue generation, sales cycle, and portfolio of the company – Company’s vision and mission statement and the Board’s expectation should be balanced well. Legal departments now are enablers rather than the bottlenecks that people used to perceive them to be.

What are the key challenges that General Counsels have to deal with on a regular basis, irrespective of the industry sector?

Data protection, cyber risks and ethics issues are key areas that one has to keep in mind.

What are your thoughts on improving synergies between law firms and corporate in-house legal teams?

Regular discussions, updates, and to treat each other as equal partners in furthering the cause of the corporate definitely improves the synergies. At the same time law firms should start looking to work like a corporate and come out of the traditional outlook. eg. Start working with the corporates to conduct legal camps or training programs for the less privileged.

What are some of the key tools that General Counsels can use for continued learning education (CLE)?

Research, attending seminars and conferences, networking with colleagues from other corporates. Another issue that we all need to keep a close watch on is the advent of AI into the legal domain and the challenges posed by entry of AI into the corporate world.

Any advice for someone exploring a legal career as an in-house counsel?

There is no short cut for success – being an avid reader definitely helps. By developing processes to ensure that quality work products / services are delivered time and again ensures success in one of the most merit-oriented careers