Team size: Eight  

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?  

Being a digital media company, our focus is to include smarter ways of solving legal problems, including using artificial intelligence tools to manage our contracts, litigation and other legal aspects. 

We are in the process of onboarding a top-of-the-line contract management solution that embeds artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. The solution not only enables us to maintain a repository of contracts but will also assist in keeping track of the various post-closing obligations, deadlines, expiry dates and manage other stakeholder-level escalations in a timely manner. The solution is also trained to compare the draft contracts under negotiation with our past practices and precedents to align best practices on accepting legal positions in our contracts. 

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in? 

We successfully closed business transfers of some of our marquee lifestyle portals to a renowned VC funded e-commerce company, including finalisation of definitive documents, coordinating with various internal stakeholders for due diligence, conditions to closing and closing of the deal. The deal involved cross-border restructuring involving complex international laws issues. 

We have also played a key role in advising our management on media rights transactions. Times Internet has recently picked up media rights for bilateral cricket played in India across key international markets enabling the company to distribute several bilateral cricket matches between India and other countries over the next five years through our sports related digital media properties. 

We are playing a key role in executing compliance across the company’s various digital businesses of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Times Internet’s business properties are accessible in various international jurisdictions, hence drawing the requirements of complying with the international data protection regulations. We have also been involved in various compliances under the newly amended Intermediary Rules under the Indian Information Technology Act. We are also analysing the applicability of the provisions of the recently enacted Indian data protection law. 

If you had to give advice to an aspiring in-house lawyer or general counsel, what would it be and why?   

It is my constant endeavour to ensure that my team constantly learns as well as grows in their career. Every member of the team should be able to step into the shoes of the immediate superior as required and therefore quality and hard work is not something that we like to compromise. Given the businesses that we have and the variety of work, there is space for everyone to grow and improve as lawyers over the years. 

I constantly endeavour to foster a positive and inclusive culture which ensures a contented and committed team which cooperates with and supports each other to create a dynamic work environment.  The team is provided with freedom and flexibility to be better at what they do, how they do and also opportunities to explore newer areas of work.  As head of legal, I believe that the above is essential for fostering a sense of pride and ownership amongst the team members which on its own provides best work outputs. 

 In-house is always about the team’s success and therefore it is imperative that you believe in your team and help one another. Stand by your team – everyone contributes and every effort counts.