In-House Matters: A Complete Handbook for the Modern General Counsel, authored by Pramod Rao, Ritvik Lukose and Balanand Menon and published by OakBridge Publishing, was launched in Delhi on September 7 at the India International Centre, Lodhi Estate. The Delhi event marked the concluding leg of the book’s launch tour, following events in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The book examines the transformation of the corporate legal function in India and the growing role of the General Counsel in business decision-making. It traces how the in-house lawyer’s role has evolved from a largely reactive legal and compliance function to one that increasingly involves advising boards, shaping strategy and navigating regulatory, commercial and reputational risks.

Drawing on interviews with 30 leading General Counsel from multinationals, Indian conglomerates and fast-scaling start-ups, the book covers the breadth of the modern in-house role, including the first hundred days of a General Counsel, team building, contracts, budgets, disputes, crisis management, technology and artificial intelligence.

Mr Pramod Rao, a former Group General Counsel at ICICI and Citi South Asia and former Executive Director at SEBI, is one of the authors. Co-author Ritvik Lukose is the Co-founder and CEO of Vahura and Counselect, while Balanand Menon is Director at Counselect and Partner and Head of Consulting at Vahura.

The book also looks at the widening remit of General Counsel, including regulatory affairs, corporate affairs, risk management and policy work. It examines how legal functions are increasingly becoming strategic business partners, while also exploring emerging developments such as artificial intelligence and the growth of legal Global Capability Centres in India.

In-House Matters has received endorsements from prominent corporate, regulatory and legal figures, including Nandan Nilekani, Amitabh Kant, K.V. Kamath, Justice B.N. Srikrishna, Keki Mistry, U.K. Sinha and Professor Umakanth Varottil.