Mastering Legal Strategy: Insights from an In-House Counsel

What does it take to thrive as an in-house counsel in an ever-changing business world? It requires a blend of curiosity, adaptability, and a deep understanding that the legal function is, at its core, a business enabler. In this episode of "The Counsel's Code," we speak with Mirul Bhavsar, a legal leader whose career is a testament to the power of transitioning between industries and mastering new challenges.

Meet the Speaker: Mirul Bhavsar

Mirul Bhavsar is a seasoned law professional with over two decades of rich experience across the education, oil and gas, retail, and real estate industries. She currently serves as the General Counsel at Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

Her impressive career includes roles as a Legal Manager at Sunteck Realty, Legal Manager at Total Oil India, Senior Legal Manager at Burger King, and AVP Legal at Lighthouse Learning. Mirul's specialties include due diligence, risk management, strategic transactions, and real estate. She is a transformation leader with deep expertise in contract management, team mentorship, and strategic legal solutions.

Key Insights from the Conversation

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

For Mirul, it wasn't a choice but a calling. "It's not that I chose the law, it is the law who has chosen me," she shares. Her "love for law" began during her internships. As a "pre-CLAT era lawyer" from an evening college, she had her entire day free for practical, hands-on experience, which ignited her passion for the profession.

What drives your passion for the legal field?

"The possibility and the opportunity it gives you to have impact in people's life." Mirul is motivated by the law's ability to influence "people's decision making," whether it's a personal decision like a will or a major business decision like an M&A. She notes that legal actions have a "rippling effect" that can last for a decade, and the "ability and opportunity to impact people" is what drives her.

How has the legal industry evolved over the past two decades?

"This is the best time to be a lawyer, and that too in-house." Mirul has seen the in-house role transition from a "very limited" function—often just a "coordinator with the law firms or managing the litigation"—to a strategic powerhouse. "I'm very happy to see that legal has now [a] seat on the board," she says. She credits her generation of lawyers for demonstrating their value and expanding the in-house horizon "beyond the bar and bench."

What was your experience like transitioning between industries?

Mirul is "pretty curious by nature" and "gets bored pretty easily," so she "intentionally transitioned from one industry to another... in seek of knowledge." Her career has been a "smooth and gradual process." She started at a boutique law firm, which gave her a "flavor of pretty much everything." This led her to specialize in real estate, then move to an MNC in oil and gas to learn corporate compliance and international contracts. From there, she explored QSR (Burger King) and then landed in the education sector, where her "curious cat" self thrived, gaining M&A experience from both the target and acquirer side.

What challenges did you face during this transition, especially in the first 90 days?

Her advice is to "develop your transferable skills" first—negotiation, contract drafting, and real estate basics. When entering a new industry, she recommends spending "a couple of days or a week [to] understand the compliance structure around that industry."

Once in the role, "your first 30 days are going to be very crucial." Her mantra is "don't try to change the things from the day one." Instead, "first try to understand the business... what are the operations... try to understand the culture and people before you try to make changes."

What are the key challenges of managing a large legal team?

Mirul believes an in-house counsel must be a "jack of all trade and master of few." You must have core expertise in certain areas, like "basics of real estate, how to read a title report," and "contractual terms which will have a impact on the balance sheet." She notes that it's okay if you "do not understand certain processes under" a specific regulation, but you "must be knowing... how to draft a board resolution." If you have these basics, "you will be able to thrive into any industry."

How do you approach contract negotiations effectively?

"Contracting is something I would say it's a bread and butter of a in-house lawyer." Her mantra is that contracts "have to be fair and it have to be balanced," not a "My Way or Highway scenario."

She is a "bit process driven person" and believes in "SOPs, MIS... templation and the standardization." For teams, she advocates for a "negotiation playbook or dos and don'ts agreed at a management level" to make the process "pretty easy."

How do you ensure compliance across your organization?

"It is more of a mindset rather than a requirement." Having worked in diverse corporate cultures, Mirul says compliance "largely depends upon the company culture, whether they want to do a tick boxing exercise or really want to live by the compliance." She notes that for companies like Tata, "compliance matters more than the business goal." The in-house counsel's role is to bring "a mindset and a dedication towards... doing the things right way."

How do you handle litigation across different sectors?

In-house litigation management "is very different from how a independent practitioner or a law firm will look [at it]." The strategy depends on the industry (e.g., insurance vs. real estate) and the business model (B2B vs. B2C).

However, she says there are "common attributes" that are "must have" for any in-house team: "complete sync with your external attorneys, keeping track of the cases, having a very detailed MIS," and "regularly reporting to your business management and finance."

Is AI a friend or foe to the legal industry? How is it shaping the field?

"I have always been an early adopter of technology." Mirul sees AI as a "tool in the hands of an efficient master." She is "very positive about it" and says, "AI is certainly not the threat if you are able to manage the AI. AI is a threat for the people who... do not want to adopt." She emphasizes the need to "balance between the ethical use, conscious use," and, given the "fiduciary capacity" of lawyers, "not to get excited and share the confidential information."

What are your thoughts on using CLM in legal departments?

Mirul was an "early user of the technology" and says the "success of the CLM largely depends upon how do you position it." Getting "buy-in from the stakeholder is very, very important."

She makes a critical point: "Never ever use or see CLM as a replacement of human." She compares it to upgrading from a manual to an automatic car: "You don't do that to replace your driver. You do that for your own comfort... and reducing the fati[gue] of the driver." CLM reduces "man-hour," not "headcount," and projecting it this way is key to successful adoption.

What advice would you give young professionals starting their legal careers?

"There is no substitute for hard work... be blessed, be... grateful that you have best of the colleges available, you have best of the resources available." She advises young lawyers not to "enter into a profession with the attitude of the entitlement."

She also urges them to "be agile, take risk, explore" for the first five years. "What subject you like in the... college... may not be the area where you will... prefer to work after 5 years."

Rapid Fire Round

In the rapid-fire round, Mirul revealed that the word "contracts" makes her think of "indemnity" (which she gets afraid of) and "good faith" (her favorite). The biggest myth about lawyers? "That we argue a lot." The one skill law school doesn't teach is "listening," which she says is the "exactly opposite" of arguing. Her favorite legal movie is "none," as she finds them "pretty fictitious."

Her secret to managing stress is "my sarcasm and witty jokes... at absolutely wrong time," which breaks the tension. She prefers boardroom strategy—"boardroom is my court"—and believes the best advice she ever received is "choose your battle wise[ly]." Her success mantra? "Keep learning, never settle... constantly evolve."

About "The Counsel's Code" Podcast

"The Counsel's Code" is your go-to podcast for exclusive interviews with top legal executives. Discover the strategies they've employed to cultivate their careers, excel in their positions, and emerge as true leaders in their organizations.

Throughout our discussions, we delve into the challenges of leadership and how these accomplished professionals manage the pressures that come with it. Our mission is to provide valuable insights and support for in-house counsel, fostering mutual growth and development.

Tune in for engaging and enlightening conversations with legal leaders who share their experiences, wisdom, and advice, creating a community where in-house counsel can thrive together. If you want to get featured, contact marketing@volody.com.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are the speaker’s personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the podcast, Volody, or any current or former employers.