Swathi Kamath Joins GKN Automotive As General Counsel - Asia

Swathi Kamath has joined GKN Automotive as General Counsel - Asia. 

In her current role, Kamath will be responsible for steering the legal helm at GKN Automotive . Her focus lies in fortifying legal frameworks and ensuring compliance across operations.

Over a career spanning 14 years, Kamath has integrated analytical acumen with law to solve business problems. As a corporate generalist attorney and company secretary, she has successfully set up legal departments, negotiated high-value contracts, advised on M&A, divestments, transaction structuring and risk management, and handled litigation and intellectual property/brand protection matters. She is also a certified Specialist Mediator by the Singapore International Mediation Centre, with a keen interest in resolving disputes.

In an interview with BW Legal World, Kamath termed her in-house journey as unconventional.  After completing my CS from ICSI and LL.B from ILS Law College in Pune, she was looking out for job opportunities. Back in 2010, Pune didn’t have many law firms and without any legal internships under her belt, she presumed that no law firm was going to hire her.

"I was fortunate to get my first opportunity with the business advisory/consulting division of a large Indian CA firm. Here I got exposed to complex legal transactions like joint ventures, acquisitions, technology collaborations etc. I got to work with some brilliant minds and working with experienced Chartered Accountants in the team gave me a good insight into the business and commercial aspects of a transaction. This experience has moulded me to become the commercial/business lawyer that I am today and to look at a transaction with a 360-degree view instead of a myopic legal view," said Kamath.

In her previous role in Dupont, the astute General Counsel was a part of a global legal team and was responsible for legal, compliance and regulatory oversight while executing high value contract negotiations and advising the senior leadership on commercial transactions.