Event information
The GC Summit India is a premier event that brings together the most influential minds in the corporate legal sphere, creating a dynamic platform for conversation, collaboration, and innovation. This upcoming Summit is a celebration of the evolving role of General Counsel in shaping business strategy, navigating regulatory landscapes, and driving corporate success in one of the world’s most vibrant economies.
Set against the backdrop of India’s rapidly transforming legal and business landscape, the event explores the key challenges and opportunities facing in-house legal teams, offering cutting-edge insights tailored to the needs of today’s legal leaders. More than just an event, it serves as a gateway to inspiration, learning, and invaluable connections with industry peers and thought leaders.
The GC Summit India is your opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and redefine what it means to lead in today’s fast-paced world.
Agenda
11.00am – 11.30am Registration and refreshments
11.30am – 11.40am Welcome address and keynote
11.40am – 12.30pm The Art of Hiring and Keeping the Best In-House Legal Talent
Attracting and retaining top legal talent is now more competitive than ever, requiring companies to rethink their hiring and retention strategies. This panel will explore how organisations can build high-performing legal teams that align with business objectives while staying ahead of fast-paced shifting industry demands. The discussion will delve into what makes a great in-house lawyer today, from core legal expertise to cross-functional skills across multiple areas. As the demand for these specialised capabilities grows, companies must also refine their hiring strategies to remain competitive. Retention will be another key focus, with discussions on fostering career progression, promoting diversity and inclusion, and creating an engaging work environment that keeps legal professionals motivated and invested in their roles. This session will provide practical takeaways on understanding what top talent seeks in an employer and implementing forward-thinking hiring and retention strategies. It will also explore what organisations must do to position themselves as leading destinations for the best legal talents.
- Karl Fernandes, senior partner, Vahura
12.30pm – 1.20pm The Evolving Role of General Counsel in strategic deal making
The role of General Counsels (GCs) in strategic deal-making is evolving rapidly, reflecting the increasing complexity of transactions and the need for legal teams to be deeply integrated into business strategy. This panel will explore how GCs are no longer just legal gatekeepers but are now key strategic advisors in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other investment activities. As businesses navigate regulatory challenges, due diligence complexities, and evolving risk landscapes, GCs play a pivotal role in shaping deal structures, mitigating risks, and ensuring compliance while facilitating seamless execution. The discussion will also highlight how GCs collaborate with C-suite executives, external advisors, and investors to drive value creation, protect corporate interests, and enhance deal success. By examining real-world case studies and emerging trends, this panel will provide insights into how the modern GC is redefining their role in high-stakes transactions and investment strategies.
- Abhinav Bhalaik, equity partner, Argus Partners
1.20pm – 2.40pm Lunch
2.40pm – 3.10pm Panel Discussion Three
3.10pm – 4.00pm Panel Discussion Four
4.00pm – 4.15pm Coffee Break
4.15pm – 5.05pm Panel Discussion Five
5.05pm – 5.15pm Closing Remarks
5.15pm – 6.15pm Drinks and canapes
Speakers
Karl Fernandes, senior partner, Vahura
Karl Fernandes is a Senior Partner and a founding member of Vahura.
He has built and leads the In-house search practice group at Vahura. As a specialist, Karl personally focuses on leadership searches across Legal, Policy, and Compliance functions. He is a trusted advisor to General Counsels across the country.
Before Vahura, Karl worked as a Consultant with Randstad, where he was responsible for the entire recruitment process. During this stint, he successfully delivered many challenging assignments for clients.
He was also a Talent Acquisition Partner with Firstsource Solutions where his dual responsibilities included leadership hiring and employee engagement for 300 staff personnel across 47 delivery centres.
Abhinav Bhalaik, equity partner, Argus Partners
Abhinav is a key member of the Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Law practice of the Firm.
Abhinav regularly advises various private equity firms, venture and investment funds, corporate strategic investors, multinational corporations, and investment banks on a variety of complex domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, growth capital and early-stage investments. He also represents portfolio companies of clients with respect to general corporate counselling, transactional matters and shareholder disputes. Abhinav’s sector focus includes healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing and industrials, financial services, consumer, and sports and gaming.
Abhinav was previously a partner at SAM & Co., Mumbai. He finished his B.A. LL.B. with honors in corporate law from the National Law University, Jodhpur, India.
In association with...
Chandhiok & Mahajan is a leading full-service law firm in India, providing our clients with high-quality and bespoke legal services across practice areas. Given our experience in domestic and foreign markets, we support some of the largest domestic and international corporations, government organizations, restructuring and insolvency specialists, financial institutions, private equity and venture capital funds, and promoter groups.
Our key transactional practice areas include Corporate Commercial, Antitrust and Competition, Mergers & Acquisitions, Restructuring and Insolvency, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance, Aviation, Data Privacy, and Capital Markets.
We have offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
Vahura helps leading organisations and specialist qualified professionals to find each other and grow together. At the forefront of Legal recruitment in India since our founding in 2011, our expertise now also includes recruitment for Compliance, Finance, Boards, and more – across EMEA and APAC regions. Combined with our management consulting practice, we enable organisations to build strong leadership teams that can tackle the most complex strategic challenges. Thanks to our deep industry expertise and our vast network, we are now the trusted partners for corporates, law firms, and investment funds, among others.