KorumLegal Consultant: Shashwat reflects on ALSPs..

Shashwat is a registered foreign lawyer with over six years of experience in corporate and commercial law. He has worked on various projects involving the Renewable Energy, Real Estate, Banking, Oil and Gas and Telecom sectors, providing legal counsel on market entry, joint ventures, contracts, and financing agreements. Shashwat has attained high proficiency in Corporate Legal, M&A, Business Strategy, Risk & Corporate Governance including Compliance Analysis and Advisory, Business Analytics, Strategic Stakeholder Management, and Project Management domains. He has also supported the internal audit of commercial contracts and stakeholder management across different regions and functions. He is highly passionate about finding innovative solutions to complex challenges and delivering value to clients and teams. Shashwat has a master's degree in international business from the University of Birmingham. 

1. Hi Shashwat! Can you tell us a little about the work you are currently doing and have been doing?  

Until recently I was working with Deloitte Legal Singapore (Registered Foreign Legal Practice) and was the point-person for whole of S.E.A in respect of all the transactions being undertaken in the region and their legal aspects. Working with Deloitte had an integrated working experience of both as a Private Practice and In-house Legal Counsel. Every transaction required collaborative working with other business lines and regions namely, Strategy, M&A, Forensics, Consulting and Tax teams from Deloitte Australia, Europe and North America. The expansive experience while catering for clients, which were mostly Fortune 500, provided me with a good understanding (particularly the legal aspects and business modalities) of various industries namely, Renewable Energy, Real Estate, Shipping, Telecom, Pharmaceutical, Banking & Finance, Venture Capital, Hospitality and others. Accordingly, the scope of work also was expansive and in addition to the legal aspects, I touched base on other aspects of the transactions as well (based on the transactions) including the M&A aspects, Project Finance & Management, LMS, General Corporate Advisory, Restructuring, Market Entry Strategy and others.  

2. What made you take the leap into working in NewLaw for ALSP's? And why is it a good fit for you?

I appreciate the working of ALSP as new age employers in the field of Law which connects law with advanced technology. I find ALSPs a good fit for my profile as I have still not entered into a niche profile where I am an expert of a domain. With ALSPs I can leverage my expansive experience in various sectors and aspects of law, while being agile in adopting technology, leading to greater efficiency in cross-team working with an organisation.  

3. What's the most rewarding assignment you've ever had and why? 

The transaction project which made me the most excited was a Market Entry project by one of the global conglomerates in various jurisdictions of S.E.A. in the Renewable Energy space. It involved lots of collaborative working alongside the individual contribution on the legal aspects and understanding the legal/ regulatory framework of multiple countries. 

4. As an experienced NewLaw/ ALSP consultant, where do you see NewLaw/ ALSP fitting into the matrix of the legal sector and how have you seen it evolve?

Having worked with ALSPs before, I see them as long-term as well as a quick-fix solution for an organisation. ALSPs have evolved a lot as an industry and are now being appreciated for their assistance to the organisations, as and when required. 

5. What trends do you expect to see in the legal services industry in the next 5 years? 

Legal services will be working in tandem with Generative AI and other technologies, however, the role of human and its skills will always be prime. Also, legal services are now appreciated as an integral part of any organisation and other business lines understand the importance of a good legal team and its positive impact on working.

6. Your favourite tune? And why? 

Depends on the mood or activity, but all-time favorites is Here I am by Bryan Adams