Jankee Ballabh Pandey: Handling Legal And Compliance Challenges With Extensive Know how About Law And Its Amendments
Jankee Ballabh Pandey
Senior Corporate Legal Professional & Legal and Compliance Head
Here's an exclusive interview of Jankee Ballabh Pandey for CEO Insights.
Tell us what inspired you to start your professional journey in the legal domain and what drives you today?
My graduation days in BHU inspired me to pursue law and build a career in the legal domain. I was a member of the Youth Parliament and an executive member of various discussion forums and groups conducted by the Law School of BHU. During this time, I got the opportunity to work closely with law students, law professors, and legal luminaries which inspired me to build my career as a lawyer.
The organic nature, nobleness, and respect for the legal profession drive me to stay motivated and make a substantial contribution to the organization and society at large. Satisfaction comes from within when I advise, train, and sensitize people to become law a biding citizens or a corporate. With new amendments and judgments that keep flowing in every day, my responsibilities to work as a legal professional increase. I feel motivated to gain more knowledge and learn everything about the new law to stay updated with the process. I also enjoy the thrilling experience in handling emergency and fire fighting situations as an inhouse Counsel.
How would you define yourself and your position in the market? Also, how does your services diffe
rentiate itself from the competition?
I have more than 16 years of hands on experience in handling Legal Operations, executing high impact and High profile legal cases that covered more than 2000 domestic and international Commercial Contracts Negotiations and Transactions, 800 plus Litigations Fund Raising, Mergers and Acquisition, Legal & Statutory Global Compliance, Legal HR policies, IPR, Ethics & Integrity and violation of Code of Conduct across multiple industries like FMCG, F&B, Retail, Consumer Durables, Textiles, Chemicals and Beauty & Healthcare.
I am an expert in handling criminal prosecutions against directors and officers, ethics and compliance, prevention of sexual harassment at work place, trade, labour and union related issues, employee issues, dealing with regulatory and government bodies, licensing, regulations, IPR protections and actions against counterfeiters. I have rich experience in handling, negotiating, drafting and vetting IT contracts as well.
I am a person with highest level of honesty and integrity with passion to support and facilitate business. I am agile, innovative and always trying non conventional methods to find solutions. I am an achievement oriented professional with excellent people management skills and an ability to manage change with ease. I think these are the qualities which differentiate me from the competition.
What challenges had you overcome to achieve this level? As the Head Legal & Compliance, what strategies you developed to keep up with the client’s expectations and still maintain the service quality?
Challenges have been many over the years. One is to convince the business to fine tune with the law of the land, to convince internal stakeholders for requisite funds and support, create a compliance culture, meet and convince external people sitting at high positions in government about the law and its implication on business from the business perspective, etc.
I have more than 16 years of hands on experience in handling Legal Operations, executing high impact and High profile legal cases that covered more than 2000 domestic and international Commercial Contracts Negotiations and Transactions, 800 plus Litigations Fund Raising, Mergers and Acquisition, Legal & Statutory Global Compliance, Legal HR policies, IPR, Ethics & Integrity and violation of Code of Conduct across multiple industries like FMCG, F&B, Retail, Consumer Durables, Textiles, Chemicals and Beauty & Healthcare.
Laws are made to regulate the conduct of persons including corporate for the betterment of the society and to make it a better place to live. It should not be seen as an obstruction to business. As corporate lawyers we are responsible for maintaining a fine balance between law and business while providing our clients most reliable, respected, and cost effective law advisory with honesty and commitment
I am an expert in handling criminal prosecutions against directors and officers, ethics and compliance, prevention of sexual harassment at work place, trade, labour and union related issues, employee issues, dealing with regulatory and government bodies, licensing, regulations, IPR protections and actions against counterfeiters. I have rich experience in handling, negotiating, drafting and vetting IT contracts as well.
I am a person with highest level of honesty and integrity with passion to support and facilitate business. I am agile, innovative and always trying non conventional methods to find solutions. I am an achievement oriented professional with excellent people management skills and an ability to manage change with ease. I think these are the qualities which differentiate me from the competition.
What challenges had you overcome to achieve this level? As the Head Legal & Compliance, what strategies you developed to keep up with the client’s expectations and still maintain the service quality?
Challenges have been many over the years. One is to convince the business to fine tune with the law of the land, to convince internal stakeholders for requisite funds and support, create a compliance culture, meet and convince external people sitting at high positions in government about the law and its implication on business from the business perspective, etc.
Honesty and commitment along with creating values and relations that endure, and maintaining a fine balance between law and business through collaboration make me more efficient towards contributing my best in the law field. I am also very committed to TAT and cost-effectiveness when it comes to serving internal clients in corporate for the betterment of the organization.
How would you describe the transformations that have taken place in the role of a Chief Legal Officer in the last few years?
During the last decade, the Chief Legal Officers have completely changed their style of functioning. They have changed their role from legal officer to business facilitator. Earlier, the law officers were focused on ensuring law abidance by the organization citing legal position. Today,law officers believe in facilitating business by making a fine balance between business and law to expand the business and make it more profitable. Also, the advancement in technology has made lawyers change their style of working. Again, traveling has been reduced to a great extent by replacing onsite works with video conferences. Being agile is the real key now.
Going forward, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate, and what are the opportunities that you foresee as a leader?
Rapid changes take place in law every day. Thus, staying updated in all regards is very important. Regulators have become very strict and compliance is needed to be developed in each organization with zero tolerance. Staying updated on some foreign laws is also significant. International laws are also changing which will be very important in cross border transactions. New technologies would also be used in the legal field soon and everything would become digital. Working onsite or remotely wouldn’t make any difference anymore and companies and courts would promote people to work from home rather sitting in the company office or in courtroom.
Jankee Ballabh Pandey, Senior Corporate Legal Professional, Legal and Compliance Head
Jankee Ballabh Pandey is a senior legal professional with more than 16 years of experience in the legal field both as a practicing lawyer as well as an in-house counsel in some of the fortune 500 companies. He specializes in managing legal operations, legal management and legal issues of corporate companies. He has extensive and rich experience in handling and managing both domestic and international litigation, contracts, advisory, legal compliance, ethical compliance, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) among the few. Jankee Ballabh Pandey is a powerful force in the workplace and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. He firmly believes that for becoming an incounsel the foremost thing is one’s passion for business and while performing one’s professional duties the person should maintain a fine balance between law and business.
How would you describe the transformations that have taken place in the role of a Chief Legal Officer in the last few years?
During the last decade, the Chief Legal Officers have completely changed their style of functioning. They have changed their role from legal officer to business facilitator. Earlier, the law officers were focused on ensuring law abidance by the organization citing legal position. Today,law officers believe in facilitating business by making a fine balance between business and law to expand the business and make it more profitable. Also, the advancement in technology has made lawyers change their style of working. Again, traveling has been reduced to a great extent by replacing onsite works with video conferences. Being agile is the real key now.
Going forward, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate, and what are the opportunities that you foresee as a leader?
Rapid changes take place in law every day. Thus, staying updated in all regards is very important. Regulators have become very strict and compliance is needed to be developed in each organization with zero tolerance. Staying updated on some foreign laws is also significant. International laws are also changing which will be very important in cross border transactions. New technologies would also be used in the legal field soon and everything would become digital. Working onsite or remotely wouldn’t make any difference anymore and companies and courts would promote people to work from home rather sitting in the company office or in courtroom.
Jankee Ballabh Pandey, Senior Corporate Legal Professional, Legal and Compliance Head
Jankee Ballabh Pandey is a senior legal professional with more than 16 years of experience in the legal field both as a practicing lawyer as well as an in-house counsel in some of the fortune 500 companies. He specializes in managing legal operations, legal management and legal issues of corporate companies. He has extensive and rich experience in handling and managing both domestic and international litigation, contracts, advisory, legal compliance, ethical compliance, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) among the few. Jankee Ballabh Pandey is a powerful force in the workplace and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. He firmly believes that for becoming an incounsel the foremost thing is one’s passion for business and while performing one’s professional duties the person should maintain a fine balance between law and business.