Head - Legal | India & Asia Pacific

Location: India (APAC Oversight)

Experience: 20-25 years | Senior Leadership Role

About the Organization

We are part of a large global professional services ecosystem supporting member firms across geographies through centralized enablement and delivery operations. With a rapidly expanding footprint across Asia Pacific, the organization plays a strategic role in governance, risk management, and cross-border growth initiatives.

Role Summary

This is a region-wide legal leadership role with responsibility for India and Asia Pacific (APAC). The position will lead all aspects of corporate governance, regulatory compliance, commercial contracts, litigation management, and strategic advisory across multiple jurisdictions.

The role partners closely with Boards, senior leadership teams, and global stakeholders across North America, Europe, and APAC, acting as a trusted legal and risk advisor to the business.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Legal Leadership & Governance:

- Own the end-to-end legal function for India and APAC

- Design and strengthen corporate governance frameworks across jurisdictions

- Support and advise Boards and Board Committees on governance, risk, and compliance

- Act as senior escalation point for complex legal and regulatory matters

2. Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management:

- Ensure compliance with local and cross-border regulations (corporate, employment, regulatory)

- Lead enterprise-wide legal compliance and risk mitigation programs

- Proactively assess regulatory changes impacting APAC operations

3. Commercial Contracts & Advisory:

- Oversee legal support for MSAs, inter-firm / inter-company agreements, vendor and client contracts

- Drive standardization, risk control, and governance across commercial documentation

- Provide strategic legal advice to business and operations leadership

4. M&A, Expansion & Strategic Initiatives:

- Partner with leadership on acquisitions, expansions, and new market entry

- Lead legal due diligence, transaction structuring, and integration support

- Support setup and scaling of new delivery / support centers across APAC

5. Litigation & Dispute Management:

- Define and oversee litigation and dispute strategy across jurisdictions

- Manage external counsels, investigations, claims, and regulatory inquiries

- Ensure minimal business disruption and strong risk containment

6. Team Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement:

- Build, mentor, and lead high-performing multi-country legal teams

- Collaborate with HR, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and Operations

- Drive a strong culture of ethics, integrity, and compliance

Ideal Candidate Profile:

Qualifications: LLB / LLM from a reputed institution

Experience:

- 20+ years of post-qualification legal experience

- Background in Big 4 / Global Professional Services / GCCs / Large Multinationals

- Strong exposure to cross-border legal matters and APAC regulations

- Proven experience working with Boards, senior leadership, and global stakeholders

- Prior experience leading regional or multi-country legal teams is strongly preferred

Why This Opportunity

Regional leadership role with significant strategic influence

Direct engagement with Boards and global senior leadership

Exposure to complex, high-impact cross-border legal and regulatory challenges

Opportunity to shape governance and risk frameworks across APAC