Director - General Counsel

About the Role
We are looking for an experienced and commercially astute Director – General Counsel to lead the organization’s legal, compliance, governance, and enterprise risk functions.
As a strategic partner to the founders, leadership team, the General Counsel will provide legal guidance on business strategy, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, investor matters, and IPO readiness. The role will be responsible for strengthening the organization’s governance and compliance frameworks while enabling sustainable growth and protecting its long-term interests.
The ideal candidate will bring 8–12 years of experience across corporate and commercial law, strategic transactions, governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management. Prior experience working in a startup or high-growth environment is mandatory.
Key Responsibilities :
Strategic Legal Leadership: Define and lead the organization’s legal strategy, advising the founders, leadership team, on key business decisions, new ventures, investments, and potential legal and regulatory risks.
Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Transactions: Lead the legal aspects of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, business transfers, and corporate restructuring, including transaction structuring, due diligence, documentation, negotiation, closing, and post-transaction integration.
Fundraising and Investor Matters: Support equity and debt fundraising, investor negotiations, cap-table matters, shareholder agreements, rights issuances, ESOPs, and related legal documentation and compliances.
IPO Readiness: Lead legal and governance preparedness for a potential IPO, including corporate restructuring, legal due diligence, remediation of compliance gaps, review of material contracts, litigation assessment, statutory-record readiness, and coordination with merchant bankers, auditors, company secretaries, and external counsel.
Corporate Governance : Strengthen governance frameworks and oversee committee processes, statutory records, resolutions, disclosures, delegated authorities, and compliance with shareholder and investor obligations.
Contract Management: Oversee the drafting, review, negotiation, and execution of commercial agreements, technology and licensing agreements, vendor contracts, NDAs, employment agreements, partnership agreements, and other legal documents.
Regulatory and Statutory Compliance: Establish and monitor organization-wide compliance with applicable corporate, commercial, education, technology, data-protection, employment, and other regulatory requirements.
Enterprise Risk Management: Identify and assess legal, regulatory, contractual, reputational, and governance risks and establish appropriate frameworks, controls, and mitigation plans.
Disputes and Litigation: Lead the management of litigation, arbitration, regulatory proceedings, investigations, and commercial disputes, working with external counsel where required.
Employment and Labour Law: Advise on employment contracts, labour-law compliance, disciplinary matters, employee policies, workplace investigations, POSH, separations, and other employment-related matters.
Data Privacy and Technology Law: Guide the organization on data protection, cybersecurity-related legal obligations, technology contracts, platform terms, and the responsible use of customer and employee data.
Intellectual Property: Oversee the organization’s intellectual-property portfolio, including trademarks, copyrights, licensing, brand protection, and enforcement of IP rights.
Business Partnership: Work closely with finance, HR, product, sales, operations, and other teams to structure commercially viable initiatives while ensuring appropriate legal protection and regulatory compliance.
External Stakeholder Management: Manage relationships with law firms, legal consultants, regulatory advisors, auditors, investors, and relevant government or regulatory authorities.
Legal Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and lead the legal and compliance team while establishing scalable processes, systems, policies, and governance mechanisms.
Policy and Compliance Frameworks: Develop, implement, and periodically review legal, compliance, ethics, governance, whistleblower, anti-bribery, and risk-management policies.
Requirements :
LLB from a recognized university; an LLM, Company Secretary qualification, or specialization in corporate or securities law will be an advantage.
8–12 years of relevant experience across corporate law, commercial transactions, governance, compliance, and strategic legal advisory.
Prior experience working in a startup or high-growth organization is mandatory, with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, evolving business priorities, lean teams, and fast-paced decision-making.
Hands-on experience supporting mergers and acquisitions, fundraising, investments, corporate restructuring, due diligence, or IPO-readiness initiatives.
Strong understanding of corporate and securities laws, FEMA, competition law, employment law, data-protection requirements, intellectual-property law, and commercial contracting.
Experience working closely with founders, senior leadership, Boards, investors, auditors, external counsel, and regulatory authorities.
Demonstrated ability to conduct or manage legal due diligence, identify material risks, and drive remediation plans.
Strong experience in contract negotiation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, litigation management, and enterprise risk.
Experience building or scaling legal and compliance functions within a high-growth organization.
Excellent negotiation, communication, stakeholder-management, decision-making, and analytical skills.
Strong commercial acumen and the ability to balance legal safeguards with business priorities and speed.
Ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgement, and manage complex and confidential matters in a fast-paced environment.
Why Join Us?
Lead the legal, governance, and compliance agenda of a fast-growing organization.
Partner directly with the founders, senior leadership, on business-critical decisions.
Play a central role in future fundraising, acquisitions, strategic transactions, and IPO preparedness.
Build scalable legal and governance frameworks that support the organization’s next phase of growth.
Work across diverse, complex, and evolving legal and commercial matters.
Be part of a collaborative, high-ownership, and growth-oriented environment.

Work arrangement
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