Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense? 

Legal teams at most VCs are not seen as a financial burden within the firm and are seen more as an integral part of the business. We have made many innovations internally at Lightspeed, including automated tracking of post-deal covenants (which involved a lot of cost with manual interface) and creating a near-perfect segregation of work that can be completed in-house vis-a-vis with external counsel. 

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?  

Lightspeed has considerable VC practice, and while it used to back early-stage companies when they raised later rounds, Lightspeed has recently started investing in growth-stage companies as well. Lightspeed’s investments in Razorpay and Acko Tech have been one of the more significant transactions my team has been involved in last year. 

If you had to give advice to an aspiring in-house lawyer or general counsel, what would it be and why?  

There is no shortcut to success and no alternative to hard work.