Jan 2008 – Feb 2017 · 9 yrs 1 mo · India & SAARC

• I served as a strategic architect for Verizon’s India operations, balancing high-stakes regulatory advocacy with commercial growth acceleration. Member of the India Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
• Executive Stewardship: As a Board Member and part of the India Leadership Team, I guided the strategic direction of the business, ensuring all commercial objectives are met with rigorous legal and ethical integrity.
• Global Compliance Guardian: designated International Legal Advisor, leading the Compliance & Ethics mandate to ensure the organization maintained the highest standards of corporate governance.
• Policy Architecture & Regulatory Influence-Shaping the Digital Landscape: proactively identified emerging trends in Cloud, M2M, and Encryption. I engaged with government stakeholders to shape a regulatory framework that enabled the launch of these new services rather than blocking them.
• High-Impact Advocacy: Successfully led advocacy efforts that resulted in favorable policy shifts on critical issues including Remote Access, FDI policy, and Preferential Market Access.
• Government & Industry Relations: Acted as the primary liaison with the Indian Government and key industry bodies (USIBC, AMCHAM, FICCI, CII, ISPAI), leveraging these relationships to influence policy in the best interest of business continuity and growth.
• Enabling Growth & Innovation-Market Entry & Expansion: Instrumental in securing timely regulatory approvals that allowed the business to commence services. I continuously partnered with product teams to expand our portfolio, removing legal friction to speed up time-to-market.
• Commercial Deal-Making: An integral part of the winning teams for major RFPs and RFQs. I lead complex contract negotiations and IP licensing, creating structures that deliver value for the customer while protecting Verizon’s commercial interests.

Jan 2004 – Jan 2008 · 4 yrs · Mohali, Punjab

• Led a high-performance legal function (7-member team) to safeguard corporate interests while accelerating commercial objectives to support the Wireline and CDMA Business in the region.
• Legal Operations & Team Leadership: Built and directed a robust legal team of 7 attorneys. I cultivated a culture of proactive partnership, transitioning the department from a support function to a strategic business enabler.Corporate Governance: Served as the primary advisor to leadership on Corporate Law, ensuring organizational integrity and alignment with evolving statutory requirements.
• Commercial Strategy & Deal Velocity: Spearheaded the end-to-end lifecycle of commercial contracting. I led high-stakes negotiations and streamlined drafting/vetting processes to reduce turnaround time and accelerate revenue recognition.
• IP & Asset Protection: Managed the company’s Intellectual Property portfolio, enforcing licensing conditions and executing aggressive enforcement strategies to prevent infringement and revenue leakage.
• Litigation Management: Successfully managed a complex dossier of litigation and arbitration matters. I developed litigation strategies that minimized financial exposure and protected the company’s reputation.
• Regulatory Liaison: Acted as the primary interface with Telecom Regulatory Authorities. I interpreted complex licensing conditions to ensure operational compliance while advocating for favorable regulatory interpretations to support business goals.

Jan 2001 – Jan 2004 · 3 yrs · Mohali, Punjab.

• Led the legal and regulatory architecture for the successful commercial launch and expansion of cellular mobile services across the critical Northern Hub (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh).
• Strategic Network Rollout & Infrastructure: Played a pivotal role in the launch of mobile services across three states. I managed the regulatory roadmap that allowed the business to go live on schedule. This includes securing critical Right of Way (RoW) and Tower clearances from municipal and state authorities. I resolved complex land acquisition disputes to ensure rapid network densification and coverage. Managed the legalities of land acquisition and estate management, ensuring the physical backbone of the network was legally secure.
• Litigation Strategy & Risk Mitigation: High-Stakes Dispute Resolution: Directed the strategy for litigation and arbitration matters ranging from District Courts to the Supreme Court of India.
• External Counsel Management: Managed a network of appointed advocates and retainers, ensuring cost-effective and successful representation in cases instituted for and against the company.
• Ensured robust compliance with TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and DoT (Department of Telecommunications) mandates, protecting the company from penalties and license risks.
• Labor & Employment Strategy: Provided critical advisory on the hiring and management of large-scale contractual labor, mitigating risks related to employment law and statutory liabilities.
• Commercial Contracting: Owned the vetting and negotiation of high-value commercial contracts, ensuring terms were favorable to Airtel’s long-term operational goals.