In Conversation with Parveen Mahtani, Chief Legal Officer, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

Ms Parveen, would you please tell our readers what motivated you to study law? What were the initial formative years of your exceptional professional career like?

I studied designing before law as I paint and am from a family of architects and engineers. As a teenager, I was helping my father with some litigations and started interacting with lawyers. I have always been fascinated with the depth of knowledge, analytical skills and command over the language that lawyers have. Being an avid reader, the practice of law has been a perfect combination of pursuing my passion. 

It is said that success is easy to achieve but difficult to sustain. You have decades of experience working for diverse sectors. What has helped you achieve and sustain success over a long period of time?

The harder you work, the more luck you will seem to have. I have found that to achieve and sustain success you have to be thorough, consistent and build credibility over time. You must give clear, pragmatic and commercially viable legal advice while being aligned with the company’s core business activity. 

As a working mother, compartmentalizing the day has been critical to have continued success. I have also been clear on my non-negotiables and stuck to it. The objective is to be productive and not be bogged down by perceptions. I have always believed in being true to my work and not look for external endorsement to recognise my value. 

Your legal career has been nothing short of an inspiration for many aspiring and young legal professionals. Who are the mentors you have looked up to and admired? How have they helped you in shaping your career?

I owe my drafting skills and structured thought process while providing legal advice to Mr Nishith Desai. Mr Fali Nariman has taught me the value of thorough preparation and extensive research. I have also learnt from him that the more you achieve success, you must guide people and carry people along on your path to success. Mr Janak Dwarkadas’ court craft and persuasiveness has been an inspiration from which I have learnt how to formulate litigation strategy or have learnt skills which have been relevant for negotiating large contracts. Mr Darius Khambata’s conduct and knowledge has always kept me in check that we have a duty as lawyers to do what is right and the only objective is not winning for the client. We must speak with humility and guide future generations at the same time.

You have been a gold medallist in law. How far does CGPA makes a difference in the long run?

Aiming for a gold medal in law was not my objective. It was my fear of failure that drove me to keep revising. It was my desire to prove that I can succeed that gave me the drive to keep working harder till I was satisfied that I was thorough in that subject. 

While a CGPA does not make a difference in the long run, what is relevant is are you giving legal advice that is worth its weight in gold? Every day at work or in court must be your absolute best. It is that experience built over time that defines your excellence.  And therefore, excellence is not an exception but is a prevailing attitude. Define your attitude. 

What are some peculiar challenges, governance and compliance complexities pertaining to Infrastructure companies? 

Real estate and infrastructure is possibly one of the most complex sectors since it is impacted by most legislations. It requires an understanding that a project not only has complex legal requirements but also has technical construction requirements, approval processes, finance and taxation impacts. It requires a business acumen to advise pro-actively on risks with appropriate mitigation strategies. Real Estate, construction and infrastructure laws differ from state to state in India and are impacted by local laws, practices and language barriers. Therefore, to practice in this sector requires an ability to simplify complex legal requirements. 

There is also great sensitivity required since most Indians spend their lifetimes' earnings to buy a home. Therefore, you need to bear in mind the brand impact while providing legal advice.

How did your team at Mahindra Lifespace Developers respond to Covid19? What are some of the operational issues in-house company law departments are facing today because of the pandemic? What do in house legal departments of the future look like? From LMS to document management systems. Is there a tech toolkit every company can adopt?

The art of life is the constant readjustment to our surroundings. COVID19 has taught us to be adaptable and we need to, like water, change our shape to fit to the vessel. The use of Microsoft teams for meetings, a document management system and methods of e-transfer of data are being used to continue work in a seamless manner. Future legal departments need to be technology savvy and have great organisation skills. There are tools for litigation management, which are also very effective.  

There are of course challenges in land acquisition transactions since there is a large volume of documents that need to be diligenced and there is slowdown in government offices to complete physical searches or inspection of documents.  Physical meetings also cannot be avoided in large contract negotiations. 

How do you see the legal compliance framework changing with the emergence of AI?

Digitising compliance is an absolute essential for any company. With the magnitude of legislations applicable for any sector as also the increased quantum of penalties or criminality of offences, the only way to manage compliances is through AI. The options in tools are several where they can be customised to provide varied reports based on risk factors, region or project compliance or statute specific compliance. 

Would you agree there continues to be an inherent social pressure on women to manage it all—home and work? What are your thoughts on issues of diversity in the legal profession? 

I was told that I was petit and soft-spoken and would not make a great negotiator, I had to prove them wrong. I was told that as a woman, I would get married and give up legal practice, I had to prove them wrong. I was told that it is tough to be in a leadership position when you have children, I had to prove them wrong. Women have the ability to multi-task and make great negotiators. You have to stop feeling guilty and be reasonable with yourself. The art is creating a balance, being organised and compartmentalising your day. Have your own definition of success and dare to dream.

What is your take on the notion of Work Life Balance? What keeps you busy other than work? Do you still find time to pursue your hobbies?. Which movies or books have had a profound impact on you? Would you please share your recommendations with our readers?

A woman needs to do a better job of putting herself higher on her own “to do” list. We have a give our time to things that really matter. I have an initiative called “Amwizer” where I host online sessions with industry experts for young adults on various topics. The objective is that young adults learn by experience and are inspired. Young adults are expected to mature and know how to deal with these issues such as social media abuse, depression, emotional intelligence etc. when they transition from school to college or college to work. My sessions seek to bridge this gap for young adults where industry experts inspire, guide and motivate them so that they are better prepared when they enter the adult world.  This forum is open to all young adults that seek knowledge and guidance as I believe that there should not be any barriers for knowledge and it is our duty to support and guide the younger generation. 

What will be your one advice for future lawyers and young legal professionals - the change-makers of tomorrow?

My advice to the young legal professionals and future lawyers is to read constantly and keep working on your drafting skills. Be always thoroughly prepared -I have rarely seen a litigation or contract negotiation where under-preparedness has been a good strategy. It is about being disciplined every single day. And remember that as you keep climbing up, look down with humility and simplicity in your conduct.