Management is not a simple task, and companies may have to deal with a customer or a contract problem at some point. Competitors could potentially attempt to identify a fault in your firm and file a lawsuit against it. A legal battle might ensue if these concerns aren't addressed and resolved right away. Having a legal conflict may harm a company's image and reputation. Henceforth, companies make every effort to avoid legal difficulties and to maintain all of the operations linked to the law that a firm should have an expert to oversee. As a result, Kruti Rajesh Shah is appointed by Elanco India Private Limited as the Chief Legal Officer, to oversee all legal matters and provide advice to ensure that management operations run smoothly.

More than a decade of experience has made Kruti a pioneer in the field of corporate and secretarial law, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. Moreover, in an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur magazine, Kruti described her career as an in-house lawyer so far.

 Take Us Through The Prior Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table. What Motivated You To Foray Into The Field Of Law?

During the summers, I worked several part-time jobs, including a two-month tenure as a telephone operator for a pharmaceutical business. When I was still a university student, I was employed as an executive assistant to the director of IT and began working closely with the legal team. As a result of this, I developed an interest in being a "lawyer" and gained further hands-on experience before beginning my law education.

However, the legal issues of commodities sales and distribution are a primary concern for corporate law, whereas business law is concerned with the creation of new firms and the rights of shareholders. And currently, companies require professionals who have a thorough understanding of both legislations. The role of a corporate lawyer is to assure the legitimacy of business transactions and advise companies on their legal rights and obligations, including the duties and responsibilities of corporate executives.

 Tell Us About The Various Roles And Responsibilities You Shoulder As The Chief Legal Officer At Elanco India. What Are Your Primary Focus Areas In The Current Role?

In my present position, I oversee Legal, Ethical Compliance, Statutory Compliance, and Corporate Affairs for Elanco India. For many of us who work as in-house counsel, it was a dawning realization that: legal skill is taken for granted by businesses, which instead concentrate on what else a lawyer may offer to the table. I believe that at the beginning for corporate lawyers, it's critical to walk around the firm and gain a comprehensive understanding of its principles, culture, business practices, and who the proper individuals are to speak with. It is important to understand the company's strategy and goal like a detective, and the first six months are a great time to get to know your co-workers, your employer, and the company as a whole. If you want to rise the ranks, you'll need to know what's happening beyond the legal silo.

"I like to go out of my way to Connect with colleagues all Around the globe, both within And outside of my current Field of endeavour"

In addition, in my capacity as Elanco India's Chief Legal Officer, I prioritize five essential areas, such as acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the sector in which your company operates, which goes beyond legal and regulatory requirements. All of my efforts have been directed toward getting to know my co-workers and learning about their values and perspectives. When in doubt, I am not hesitant to seek assistance. I like to go out of my way to connect with colleagues all around the globe, both within and outside of my current field of endeavor. And a lawyer must be prepared to take a risk that is unpleasant for us to provide business advice and resolve challenges. Lastly, I devote some time to listening to and comprehending the several stakeholders within the firm.

What Are Some Of The Most Pressing Challenges That You Encounter As A Legal Professional? How Do You Successfully Mitigate These Challenges?

Some challenges which are faced by most in-house legal counsel are equipping the legal department with the right technology for the new twenties and beyond. Adding to this, remaining on top of compliance, recruitment, and talent retention in this competitive environment, limitation on legal spending/budget, and changing Legal Paradigms.

Overall, there are many challenges faced by an inhouse lawyer in modern times and no one can be certain whether these will be the same in 2025 or indeed if we’ll have a new host of difficulties to overcome. With the competitive environment being felt across the legal world, lawyers must continually remind themselves that this is not the time to sit back and wait to see what will happen – it’s time to make a change, to get back to business basics to some extent and to embrace modern technology to be successful.

In Your Opinion, How Can We Improve The Number Of Women Leaders Across The Legal Landscape In The Country?

COVID has ushered in a new era of thinking and leadership during the previous two years. The pandemic has generated many uncertainties, but it has also pushed us to improve our empathy and change our methods of working and leading every day. This approach allows us to tap into the world's talent pool, provide more flexible benefits to accommodate individuals' requirements, embrace family-friendly policies and varied working styles, spend more on connecting teams and double down on the strategy. There will be more women and minorities in leadership roles in 2022 as a direct result of these shifts, but they will also have a long-term impact on normalizing empathy, resilience (the ability to bounce back from setbacks), and representation in the workplace.

Kruti Rajesh Shah, Chief Legal Officer, Elanco India Private Limited

After completing her undergraduate studies in commerce, Kruti progressively pursued CS and LLB after which she obtained her post-graduation in law from Europe and India. She possesses a strong concentration and passion for healthcare/ pharmaceuticals and technology. Kruti has 15 years of professional expertise in fields such as Experienced in M&As and company restructuring, FDI, Indian Direct Investment Outside India, Contracts, Litigation Management, Risk Management, Corporate Laws, Board and associated processes, and more.