The Unsung Corporate Heroes

It's an undeniable fact that sudden changes always bring their own distinct challenges, which in the present case of the pandemic, are multi faceted, industry agnostic, far reaching, and long lasting. Akin to Chief Technology Officers, the pandemic has thrown Chief Legal Officers (CFOs) into such an unprecedented mix of things.

According to a recent report by Nasscom and audit & consultancy firm EY, the growing demand for digitization projects globally has resulted in a 40 percent increase in the number of mergers and acquisitions(M&As) for technology services companies in 2021. In truth, collaboration has taken a sudden upsurge, emerging as

one of the most famous core business strategy components. Needless to say, this has been quite an upsurge for corporate lawyers in such a short period.

The increasing patent filings, and in turn, the directly proportional disputes are adding fuel to the challenges. According to the annual report of India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), 43,028 patent applications were filed between April 1 and December 31 2020, as compared to 41,800 applications filed during the same period in 2019 ­ an increase of 2.9 percent over the previous year, despite the drop in GDP. On the other hand, the changing dynamics between the employees and employers are posing another ball game entirely.

It's officially one of the most challenging times for the legal fraternity. While there is no substitute for keeping abreast of the changing compliance requirements, subject matter expertise has become one of the most instrumental aspects for navigating these busy times. In this issue, we unfold the stories of some of the stellar Chief Legal Officers who have been exemplary with their approach.
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