Name: Jagriti Bhattacharyya                            
Designation: Chief Counsel, South Asia
Organisation: Thomson Reuters
Location: Mumbai, India
Law firms used: AZB & Partners, Wadia Ghandy & Co, Trilegal

Tell us about your career so far.

I started out as the lawyer for the trading desk of ICICI Bank straight after law school and thereafter, moved to Citibank where I spent a large part of my career. It was an exciting time to be in banking in India as the derivatives market was emerging out of its nascent stage and I, consequently, had the opportunity to work on cutting edge transactions which were the first of their kind in India. I’ve been fortunate enough to have always had a great learning curve because the niche area I focused on had new structures, products and transactions evolving continuously. Even after the collapse of Lehman, lawyers in banks were kept busy, including with international arbitrations and other dispute resolution alternatives. In my current role at Thomson Reuters, I head the legal function in South Asia for the frontline business verticals as well as the Indian operation centres that provide global support.

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

On any given day, there is immense pressure on time. It’s, therefore, very important to be methodical and disciplined to facilitate being able to run from one meeting to another, get on conference calls, take care of administrative matters, all the while ensuring that one is able to make time to review and respond to requests for advise which may entail research and/or drafting, both of which can be time consuming.  Ensuring that the franchise remains protected is paramount, and being able to balance that with the requirements of the changing business environment often requires communicating firm views and sticking by it, notwithstanding how much pressure there may be to take a different position. Being a fence sitter or trying to pass decisions to others is also never helpful. Lastly, developing a high emotional quotient is helpful in managing the kind of the work and the number of different personalities that one has to deal with in the course of work. The last one is a dynamic learning for a lot of us.

How would you describe your strategy for the legal team?

I believe that a team should provide a seamless front for the business. While ensuring people have core areas of focus and competencies, I encourage team members to be knowledgeable about each other’s portfolios to ensure that the department is agile and able to adapt to changing circumstances, whether that is unexpected volumes of work or a member of the team being away or any other contingency. I am not supportive of work streams that work in silos, especially for a team as lean as ours. I also encourage that time and expertise permitting, we do as much as we can in-house because I believe that ensures a steady learning curve for the lawyers.

What would you say is the proudest moment (or moments) of your career so far?

I  think it may be more pertinent to isolate the moments which have been satisfying and all such moments that come to mind are ones which saw the successful closure of transactions which had complicated issues and factors to navigate through and months (and is some cases, years) of lengthy discussions/negotiations involving multiple work streams. It’s akin to playing a team sport where the final victory is a consequence of the effort of many different individuals and that shared success makes for a bonding that stays on for decades. Instances that come to mind include the conclusion of my first ISDA negotiation as a newbie, the launch of a particular financial product which was the first of its kind in India, the transaction to acquire Citi’s current headquarters in India, and an acquisition that we recently concluded at Thomson Reuters.

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

In-house counsel must look at themselves as facilitators of business and not as a control function the way legal departments are often classified. They should see themselves as partners of the business teams and aim to provide acceptable solutions, while keeping within the legal and regulatory framework.

Keeping up with developments in the market that the business operates in and keeping one’s knowledge curve growing is also imperative. Operating with a high level of transparency and trust also ensures that your business partners have faith in you.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

I’ve received many but of the few that continue to resonate with me, the first is that one should always be true to oneself. That always helps me stay grounded in the face of adversity. The second is that attention to detail is the mantra to being a successful lawyer. It reverberates in my head ever so often.

Very early in my career, a senior colleague told me this - you’re not here to win a popularity contest, so never shy away from taking hard decisions; no one can fault you for prioritising the interest of the franchise. That has also stayed with me throughout.

Lastly, is a thought that I often share – rephrasing a sentence to include polite words and phrases ensures that there is no miscommunication of tonality and makes a request or question more appealing to the reader.