Advocate

• Nov 2022 - Present

Corporate Legal Counsel (non-exclusive)

• Sep 2022 - Present

Head - Corporate Legal

• Mar 2013 - Aug 2022

Adding value to the businesses as a trusted advisor to build lasting partnerships and shape up a client-focused in-house legal team Handle, manage, oversee, guide, advise, risk analysis and mitigation including litigation management, brand protection enforcement, business advisory, compliance and regulatory aspects and maintain a knowledge driven team to handle corporate commercial, legal and indirect taxes. Adding value to the businesses as a trusted advisor to build lasting partnerships and shape up a client-focused in-house legal team Handle, manage, oversee, guide, advise, risk analysis and mitigation including litigation management, brand protection enforcement, business advisory, compliance and regulatory aspects and maintain a knowledge driven team to handle corporate commercial, legal and indirect taxes.

Senior Legal Counsel

• Mar 2011 - Mar 2013

Reporting to the Executive Director - Legal, HUL cum-Vice President-Legal, Unilever-South Asia, I was a business partner for the Sales and Customer Development in India with responsibility as Line Manager for the 4 Regional Legal Managers in Delhi NCR, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai who in turn managed further, 4 legal executives and one para-legal at each regional office. Driven the litigation reduction agenda (all-India) to ensure the case numbers are brought down from 1605 cases in March 2011 with 629 disposals by exit-2012 with new additions restricted to 171 cases and again in 2012, driven the team to ensure disposal of 400 cases with additions restricted to 148 cases. The original plan in exit- 2010 was to reduce the litigation numbers which stood at 1800 cases being brought down by half in 15 months. The target was achieved by December 2012. Championed the all-India mediation institution named Ombudsman of HUL in 2011 with 86 cases settled out of 136 cases referred. Ensured effective drive is maintained across regions to combat unfair competition (arresting counterfeit and look alike branded products similar to HUL brands) with the team achieving significant values of seizure of such fake/counterfeit products. Partnered with the sales and customer development in a special project on rural market development for telecom service sale, looked into specific areas on trade promotion offerings, consumer complaint redressal drive by the legal team with personal meetings with consumers, reviewed aspects pertaining to product bundling offers in specified channels concerning declarations, aspects pertaining to distribution stockist agreements and interactions with them, Competition law cascades to the regional teams, awareness for the stockists on social security legislation implementation for its work force. Show less

Legal Counsel - India

• Mar 2004 - Feb 2011

In this role, I reported to the Singapore based Asia Pacific General Counsel, a senior American Attorney & locally, to the Country Chairman-India. Closely interacted with respective Business Unit Heads of the Indian operations of various BU’s which are worldwide/region-wise business silos, their Financial Controllers, the Corporate Financial Reporting head, the HR Director, India Tax Manager and the Public Affairs. Starting as Cargill’s in-house counsel in March 2004 as a single lawyer resource in India, by 2008 beginning, I got to manage Cargill’s Gurgaon/Delhi Law offices with a team of 4 people. I was (i) the India representative for Cargill’s Global IP Law Team, (ii) Associate for Cargill’s Food Safety Law Team, (iii) Lead In-house Counsel for the ‘Refined Oils India/Cargill Foods India’ BU & (iv) a member of Cargill India Leadership Team. From year 2004 onwards, Cargill’s inorganic and organic growth of businesses increased in India with significant foreign investment. I have been Cargill's in-house Generalist Attorney & involved in the de-merger, JVs, buyouts, new company incorporation & and merger of 5 entities, with relevant and prior Foreign Investment Promotion Board permissions. Show less

Assistant Solicitor in Corporate Legal

• Jun 2000 - Mar 2004

Managed litigation of ITC Limited of liability quantified in a show cause for the period 1983-85 pertaining to eligibility for notification benefits in levy of excise duty based on MRP (Maximum Retail Price), a dispute of tax on cigarettes for Rs.8.30 Billion;Successfully handled Central Excise disputes of ITC Limited pertaining to the period 1975-83 pertaining to ‘Assessable Value’ & ‘PME’ (Post-Manufacturing Expenses) claims on cigarette manufacturing involving disputes or demands of (a) Rs.0.583 Billion for ITC’s Bangalore factory, (b) Rs.0.83 Billion pertaining to ITC’s Saharanpur factory, (c) Rs.596Million for Parel/Bombay factory (d) Rs.3.8Million pertaining to use of duty exempted cut-tobacco by Bangalore factory for manufacture of cigarettes; Show less

Divisional Manager - Law, Agri Businesses Division

• Aug 1997 - May 2000

Managed legal issues for leaf tobacco development and international business divisions of ITC during 1997-98 to 1999-2000 - Annual turnovers Rs.0.12 Billion and Rs.0.5Billion and recovered US$475,000 in disputed trade transactions / disputed sales taxes / unrealised export incentives worth Rs.350 Million during 1998-2000, supervised Section 9 Arbitration petitions, international and domestic arbitrations, section 138 criminal action against cheque dishonours, civil suits for money recovery;

Manager - Legal

• Apr 1996 - Aug 1997

Reporting to the Vice President - Finance & later to the Company Secretary, Tata Cellular Limited, with a parallel reporting to the Vice President - Network Installation Mr.Robert Peacock, I managed legal aspects pertaining to Telecom mobile network cell site rooftop / land acquisition, BTS erection and execution for Rs.22.5Million project of Tata Cellular (now Idea Cellular – AP Circle), the then joint venture of Bell Canada International & Tata group of India. Drafted contracts for cell phone SIM card distributor / dealerships, took action for recovery of monies due & managed litigation. Show less

Deputy Manager-Legal

• Mar 1995 - Apr 1996

Working in this Plantation/Orchard development & farm land investment marketing company, I acquired large contiguous land parcels (40 Hectares / 100 acres and above) in Andhra Pradesh, Immovable Property title verification and marketability certification, conveyance by sale, lease [purchased about 36 Hectares (970 acres approx) of land, each piece being a contiguous 12.5 Hectares to 40 Hectares (65-100 acres) in and around Hyderabad/Secunderabad (Andhra Pradesh) in 13 months during 1995-96, valued at Rs.20 Million Show less

Assistant Manager-Legal

• Jun 1991 - Mar 1995

Reporting to the then Company Secretary M Ramakanth, I managed the pre-disbursement documentation requirements & recovery of amounts outstanding as lease rentals and hire purchase installments due. Scrutinized during 1991-95, documentation for hire purchase / lease disbursals of Rs.120 Million and enabled savings of disputed sales taxes exceeding Rs.7.5Million in Nagarjuna Group NBFC including litigation for recovery of amounts due and repossession of leased / hired assets to the extent of Rs.20Million Show less