The legal profession is often painted as a powerful, well-remunerated, and respected profession. With the emergence of some phenomenal women players in the legal domain, it is safe to deduce that this challenging sector is luring women, One such persona is Rashmi Kishore (Director, Exo Edge), who comes with decades of experience in litigation, corporate, legal operations management, alternative legal services (ALSP) and so on. Having worked with some of the best global law firms in the legal outsourcing business, Rashmi is one of the few lawyers who have got the opportunity to explore all the distinctive areas of the legal industry.

Rashmi engages in an exclusive interaction with the Women Entrepreneur magazine.

Brief Us About The Roles And Responsibilities That You Currently Shoulder At Exo Edge As The Director, And Also What Are Your Primary Focus Areas In Your Current Role?

At Exo Edge, we engage with small businesses to large enterprises across the globe offering solutions to their finance and accounting, legal and IT challenges. As the Director of Legal Services, I am a key member of the Global Leadership Team responsible for providing strategic operational direction to the legal business, building operation teams, and collaborating with diverse groups on a wide range of legal matters. Ensuring security and confidentiality compliances, my main focus, as our CEO says, is to ensure that we do our business ethically,and provide services and deliverables of international standards, exceeding the expectations of our clients.

What Are Some Of The Most Significant Milestones That You Have Achieved Throughout Your Professional Journey? What Has Been The Driving Force Behind Your Success As A Business Leader?

I would say that all my ‘firsts’ have been a milestone for me. The first application that I filed for an International Bank, the first pleading for an NGO, the first appearance in court for a National Bank, conducting the first trial for MNC, the first argument before a High Court judge, the first project with an international pharmaceutical company, my first interaction with the Magic Circle Law Firm, all these achievements are very important milestones for me. I have learnt the basics of litigation and the legal industry through all my firsts.

Though I have received numerous rewards and appreciation for my efforts, I take a lot of pride in working with teams that have made the organizations I worked with so successful. In last four years, Exo Edge has grown significantly and has been recognized by India 5000 for its outstanding quality and leadership. I feel humbled and privileged to have been able to contribute my two cents to this journey.

Drivers That Motivated Me To Study And Join The Workforce- Well, It Was Not The Love For Studies!

After getting the freedom to study I did not want to give up that independence. My parents gave me wings and I wanted to fly. As a girl child, I neither understood the gender power play nor could I visualize myself in the role of a traditional housewife-cooking, cleaning etc for my entire life. I convinced myself that if I study well, I will be able to earn enough to hire help to do things for me that I don’t wish to do. And so, I studied well, worked well, earned well and am living well. I will always remain grateful to my mentors who believed in my capabilities and helped me leverage my 'Can-Do' Attitude.

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

As a leader in the Alternate Legal Services industry, some professional hazards that we encounter- Extended work hours, carrying work home, and weekend working- impacts work-life balance. Managing time zone differences, we serve clients on different continents. Balancing our sleep pattern with the business requirements of the clients on different continents on a real-time basis is challenging. The sporadic Nature of Business wherein projects come with tight non-negotiable timelines makes any kind of planning for holidays, leaves and many a challenge. Striking Right Balance between Workflow and Workforce can also be a challenge for the leadership teams.

"'NURTURE YOUR SPARK' AND LEARN TO FIND YOUR ‘ME-TIME’ WITHOUT GUILT"

On The Mitigation Plan- To begin with–I chose this career to spread my wings, I knew what I was signing up for and so I was prepared to work for it. I am fortunate to have a supportive family and some wonderful colleagues to work with. I invested in good helping hands at home with whom I could share the household responsibilities.

What Is The State Of Women And Their Representation In The Indian Legal Industry? How Can We Improve The Number Of Women Leaders Across The Legal Landscape In The Country?

The last decade has seen a massive change in women's representation both in the legal industry and education. The passing of some women-centric laws, globalization and the 'corporatization' of law firm srespecting talent irrespective of gender, has benefitted the women lawyers. In the ALSP industry, 50 to 60 percent of the workforce at the entry-level comprises women. Factors like a more congenial work environment, comfortable infrastructure, good salary, and the opportunity to interact with sophisticated clients, have drawn women to be a part of this workspace.

Having said that, the number of women professionals drops significantly at the senior level The perils of erratic work hours, late-night conference calls, little work-life balance, rigid patriarchal social fabric, and insufficient support structure, all these factors pose a significant challenge for women in breaking the glass ceiling.

What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women And Girls Who Also Aspire To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

'Nurture your spark'. Invest in yourselfto stay ahead to offer the best services. Second, own your career. Practice self-reliance and control your own direction. Third, build your network by developing positive and supportive relations. A support system has to be created and nurtured, it is not a factory-made commodity. Lastly, learn to find your ‘me-time’ without guilt.

Rashmi Kishore, Director, Exo Edge

A Law Graduate with a Master’s in Political Science, Rashmi has worked closely with the General Counsels of Corporates and Partners of Law Firms in the US, UK, Australia, and India.