Chetan Chopra is group general counsel at UAE-headquartered logistics company Trukker. He brings over 18 years of diverse legal experience, having navigated through various sectors including e-commerce, technology, FMCG, and alcoholic beverages. Chopra's career trajectory includes significant roles at major companies such as Flipkart, where he served as deputy general counsel, United Breweries as head of legal, and Ola as director legal. His experience also spans prestigious law firms like Amarchand & Mangaldas and J. Sagar Associates.
At Trukker, Chopra leads the legal function and strategy for the group's regional and global expansion, partnering with senior management to align legal objectives with business goals. His expertise encompasses dispute resolution, agreement drafting, legal compliance, and internal investigations, positioning him as a key player in Trukker's growth while maintaining high standards of legal excellence and integrity.
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ALB: Can you describe your career journey so far? What has been the most rewarding aspect of your current role?
CHOPRA: I began my career as a commercial litigator with Tier-1 law firms. Throughout this stint, I was intrigued with the commercial reasonings behind all legal decisions taken by different clients. With this curiosity, I switched boats over a decade ago and my in-house stint with PepsiCo commenced.
This transition was pivotal in shaping my in-house career. I was exposed to the various facets of business operations and legal compliance and learnt how to delicately balance growth of the company while towing the legal line. Thereafter, I steadily progressed through roles of increasing responsibility in organizations like Ola, Heinken, and Flipkart and eventually, I took up the leadership mandate at TruKKer Group. Here, the most rewarding aspect of my current role is the opportunity to grow, expand, shape and protect the company’s future through strategic legal guidance and risk management at a global scale, directly impacting our overall success.
ALB: Can you describe your typical day or week as a general counsel? What are some of the key responsibilities and challenges you face?
CHOPRA: A typical day involves overseeing the company's legal affairs, providing legal advice to the executive team on new and strategic initiatives, and managing our internal legal team and external counsel relations. It also involves ensuring compliance in various jurisdictions and providing strategic input for decision-making.
Key responsibilities include contract negotiation, compliance audits, risk management, strategic business planning and creating legal awareness for non-legal colleagues through legal learning and development.
A key challenge is balancing proactive legal strategies with dynamic business needs. Given the vast spectrum of geographical areas and cutting-edge businesses of TruKKer, the general counsel needs to be on their toes to ensure that the company remains compliant with laws globally, which vary widely and change frequently.
"By embedding the legal function within the core business processes and fostering open lines of communication, I ensure that legal considerations are integrated into the early stages of innovation and business planning, thus enabling growth while mitigating risks."
ALB: How do you balance legal risk management with enabling business growth and innovation within your organization?
CHOPRA: Balancing risk management with business growth involves a deep understanding of the company's strategic objectives and the regulatory landscape. By embedding the legal function within the core business processes and fostering open lines of communication, I ensure that legal considerations are integrated into the early stages of innovation and business planning, thus enabling growth while mitigating risks. Through my years of experience, I also help the company recognise the difference between a real risk and a notional risk, which eases the decision-making process.
ALB: How do you approach building and managing an effective legal team within your organization?
CHOPRA: Building an effective legal team starts with understanding the strategic needs of the business and aligning the team's structure to meet those needs. This involves hiring skilled professionals with diverse expertise and fostering a collaborative environment where continuous learning is encouraged, both of the ever-evolving business and regulations. Regular feedback and development opportunities ensure the team remains motivated, high-performing and closely aligned with the business objectives. We also have an open-door communication policy which facilitates feedback and helps in effective communication.
ALB: What strategies do you employ to maintain strong relationships and communication with other C-suite executives and the board of directors?
CHOPRA: Maintaining strong relationships involves regular communication, transparency, clear expectation setting and collaboration. I ensure that legal insights are communicated clearly and effectively, demonstrating how legal advice aligns with business strategies and objectives. Additionally, in my early in-house years, I was mentored to realise that knowing the business inside out is key. To win the trust of your business, you need to deep-dive, speak the same language and then apply your legal knowledge to solve issues. One may have an exceptional legal mind, but unless you are able to understand the pulse of the business, in my view, you will not be an effective business lawyer.
Lastly, being proactive in addressing potential legal issues before they become problems also helps build trust and credibility.
ALB: How do you stay up to date with emerging legal trends, technologies, and best practices in your field?
CHOPRA: Staying current involves a combination of ongoing education, industry networking and leveraging technology. I regularly attend legal conferences, participate in panel discussions and engage with professional organisations. Additionally, adopting legal technology solutions for better efficiency and subscribing to legal research databases helps keep my practice modern and informed.
ALB: How do you balance the sometimes-competing interests of shareholders, customers, employees, and other stakeholders in your decision-making process?
CHOPRA: Balancing competing interests requires a thorough understanding of the implications of each decision, risks associated and aligning them with the company's ethical standards and long-term objectives. Regular stakeholder engagement and transparent communication help in understanding each group's priorities and expectations, allowing for informed and balanced decision-making.
"To become an effective business lawyer, you are not only required to be just a legal expert, but also to develop the ability to think strategically and align legal advice with business objectives. One may have an exceptional legal mind, but unless you are able to understand the pulse of the business, in my view, you will not be an effective business lawyer."
ALB: What advice would you give to aspiring lawyers or law students interested in pursuing senior in-house roles?
CHOPRA: My advice would be to gain a broad range of experiences early in your career, develop a solid understanding of business principles and build strong interpersonal and communication skills. As I keep saying, to become an effective business lawyer, you are not only required to be just a legal expert, but also to develop the ability to think strategically and align legal advice with business objectives.
ALB: How do you approach risk assessment and mitigation in your role, particularly when it comes to high-stakes or precedent-setting legal matters?
CHOPRA: Risk assessment involves a thorough analysis of legal implications and the potential impacts on the business. For high-stakes matters, we engage with external experts and often simulate various scenarios to understand potential outcomes. This comprehensive approach ensures that we are prepared for any legal challenges that arise, allowing us to mitigate risks effectively.
ALB: How do you approach data privacy and cybersecurity issues within your organisation, and what strategies do you employ to mitigate these risks?
CHOPRA: Addressing data privacy and cybersecurity is paramount, and given the widespread geographical areas we operate in, it involves rigorous compliance with global data protection regulations and implementing robust security measures. Being a LogicTech Company, we conduct regular robust security audits, and employee training on data handling and collaborate with IT to ensure our security technologies are up-to-date. A proactive incident response plan is also in place to manage potential breaches swiftly and effectively.
ALB: Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest legal challenges or opportunities facing your industry in the next 5-10 years?
CHOPRA: The biggest challenges likely will revolve around adapting to new and evolving regulations in technology use, data privacy, and international trade. Opportunities lie in leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance legal operations and in navigating the complex legal landscapes of emerging markets, which could provide significant growth avenues for the business.
ALB: What's the best advice you have ever received?
CHOPRA: The best advice I've received as a business lawyer is: "Know your business like the back of your hand!" This mindset, coupled with the problem-solving approach, has guided me through complex legal challenges and strategic decision-making. It encourages a proactive and positive approach to problem-solving, which is essential in the fast-paced, often unpredictable world of technology.
