In‑House Matters Book Launch Highlights GC Evolution

In‑House Matters Book Launch Highlights GC Evolution

OakBridge Publishing has released In‑House Matters: A Complete Handbook for the Modern General Counsel, authored by three seasoned legal veterans – Pramod Rao, Ritvik Lukose and Balanand Menon. The press release, dated 21 September 2026, positions the book as a comprehensive guide that charts the transformation of corporate lawyers from traditional contract reviewers to strategic boardroom participants.

The handbook is built on deep interviews with thirty General Counsels representing leading multinationals, Indian conglomerates and fast‑scaling start‑ups. Across ten chapters it walks readers through the first hundred days of a new GC, the construction of proactive legal teams, management of cross‑border disputes, the integration of artificial intelligence, and the pursuit of a permanent seat at the executive table. Chapter 10, titled “Seven Steps to Significance”, frames the evolution using a “From Company to Ecosystem” lens, analysing market practices, regulatory direction and policy work.

The authors illustrate the broader industry shift with concrete examples. Companies such as Nykaa, BharatPe and Junglee Games have expanded the General Counsel role to encompass regulatory affairs, corporate affairs and risk. Individual leaders highlighted include Aditi Jha, who heads legal and public policy at LinkedIn as a board director, and Dev Bajpai, who served as a Whole‑Time Director on the Hindustan Unilever board while acting as Chief Legal Officer.

A contentious legal backdrop is the Supreme Court’s 31 October 2025 judgment in In Re: Summoning Advocates (Suo Motu Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 2 of 2025). The Court held that communications with salaried in‑house counsel do not enjoy the statutory privilege accorded to practising advocates, reasoning that full‑time employees lack institutional independence. Despite lobbying by the General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI), the ruling remains in force, prompting calls for legislative amendment. At the Mumbai launch, former Supreme Court judge Justice B.N. Srikrishna, who endorsed the book, urged General Counsels to seek a judicial review, describing the decision as having “brushed them all with the same tar”.

The launch tour comprised three invitation‑only evenings, each drawing roughly 250 board members, C‑suite executives and General Counsels:

• Mumbai – 23 July 2026 at The Bay Club, Bandra Kurla Complex.
• Bengaluru – 12 August 2026 at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Domlur.
• Delhi – 7 September 2026 at the India International Centre (IIC), Lodhi Estate.

In addition to narrative content, the book addresses the rise of legal Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India. Counselect estimates that out of approximately 2,100 GCCs operating in the country, about 400 now run substantial, high‑value legal functions. Unlike traditional Legal Process Outsourcing, these mature legal GCCs act as core extensions of corporate headquarters, leveraging AI workflows and proprietary playbooks. The authors note that agile legal pods of 30‑40 professionals can deliver highly efficient operations without massive headcounts.

For practitioners seeking actionable tools, a companion website (www.inhousematters.com) offers downloadable templates, checklists and ongoing commentary on emerging legal trends. The press release concludes with a disclaimer that the announcement is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL and that PTI assumes no editorial responsibility.