Legal Counsel: Corporate & Commercial

We are looking for a legally trained professional with strong corporate legal capabilities and company secretarial expertise. The ideal candidate should have a solid legal foundation, commercial acumen, and hands-on experience supporting multinational or global companies, rather than a purely company secretarial background. The role requires a pragmatic, business-enabling mindset and close collaboration with cross-functional teams.

This is a 6-9 month engagement, with potential for extension or conversion depending on business needs, and we are looking for someone who can quickly plug in and operate with minimal supervision.

This role is based out of Bengaluru, India.

Primary roles and responsibilities

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating diversified commercial contracts, MSAs. SOWs, NDAs, and other business vertical contracts including HR, Finance, Strategy, Business Development, Technology and Marketing, and provide clear, practical legal advice to respective business units on risks, compliance requirements, and best practices. · Act as the primary point of contact for legal advisory matters, providing clear, pragmatic guidance to business teams and ensuring continuity of legal support. Stay up to date on the relevant laws and collaborate with global internal stakeholders on compliance-related matters.
• Manage day-to-day legal operations, maintaining key legal and corporate records, and tracking compliance obligations across the organization.
• Communicate and coordinate with external legal counsels across all jurisdictions, manage instructions, and follow up on deliverables to ensure timely and cost-effective outcomes.
• Provide company secretarial support as required, primarily for India, ensuring continuity of core compliance and governance processes.
• Convene Board and General meetings, take minutes, draft notices, agenda, resolutions in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, and rules thereunder. · Advise management and drive special projects including issuing shares, mergers, takeover, restructuring, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering matters, movement of registered office, incorporation of companies, dematerialization, and transfer and transmission of shares.
• Maintain statutory books, including register of members, directors, secretaries and shareholders with all the past and present shareholdings.
• Collect and manage disclosures, declarations and consents required under the Companies Act from the directors.
• Handle India-specific compliance matters and liaise with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Registrar of Companies, external auditors and advisors.
• Support compliances with all statutory requirements and advise directors and members on key managerial and corporate governance matters.

Essential Qualifications

• ACS/ FCS Membership of ICSI (preferred) and a Bachelor of Law from a recognised university (India).
• 5-8 years post-qualification experience, with strong exposure to legal advisory work and working knowledge of company secretarial functions.
• Experience in technology-driven companies and exposure to product or technology related legal matters (product counselling experience is a plus).
• Experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Experience working in a multinational or global company environment is required.
• Strong communication, drafting, stakeholder management, and organizational skills.
• Ability and willingness to operate as a hybrid legal and corporate governance resource.
• Expertise in identifying & mitigating the legal risks and understand business challenges in evolving areas of law.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and operate in a fast-paced environment with minimal guidance.
• Working knowledge of FEMA regulations inward and outward remittance, fundraising transactions and export of services.
• This role reports to the Lead Legal Counsel based in Singapore.
• The role may require international travel up to 2 times per year.
• Work across time zones when required, with occasional coordination with global stakeholders. This is not a heavily time-zone-dependent role.
• Hybrid working model, with expectation to be in the Bengaluru office on a regular basis as per business needs.

What We Look For (Personality & Work Style)

• Easy-going, collaborative, and approachable
• Positive attitude with a business-enabling mindset
• Pragmatic, solution-oriented, flexible, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders as well as operational teams