GMR Airports Ltd.—Lead Counsel

Job description

Description: JOB PURPOSE The Lead Counsel - Strategic Litigations is responsible to lead and manage high-stakes, strategic, and regulatory litigations impacting the airport business, including arbitrations, tariff disputes, environmental matters, and constitutional or statutory challenges. The role involves end-to-end litigation strategy, coordination with external legal counsel, and active monitoring of legal developments. It also includes assessing the impact of legal and regulatory changes on airport operations and advising senior management on risk mitigation, advocacy, and compliance measures. ORGANISATION CHART Sr. Lead Counsel - Litigation --> Lead Counsel – Strategic Litigation --> Reportees --> Reporting to --> Position Title KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Responsibilities Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Strategic & High-Stakes Litigation Management - Manage all high-value, precedent-setting, and regulatory litigations across airports, including arbitrations, writ petitions, tariff-related disputes, SLPs, and environmental matters before forums such as NGT, High Courts, and the Supreme Court. - Develop litigation strategy, including legal positioning, key arguments, and long-term implications for the airport business. - Lead case briefing, documentation review, and argument development in coordination with senior counsels and law firms. - % of favorable outcomes in strategic cases - Average turnaround time for strategy and filing preparation - Litigation cost vs. budget deviation Regulatory & Contractual Dispute Resolution - Address disputes arising from concession agreements, airport service contracts, and regulatory directions. - Support legal teams and business units in interpreting contracts and resolving disputes through arbitration or legal notices. - Draft responses, counterclaims, or legal notices as required in coordination with internal and external counsel. - Resolution time for contractual disputes - No. of contract disputes mitigated at pre-litigation stage Legal Representation & Advocacy - Prepare representations or responses to government/regulatory authorities in response to amendments in policies or draft laws affecting airport operations. - Participate in consultations, policy review forums, and industry/legal association meetings where representation of airport legal interests is needed. - No. of policy/legal representation inputs submitted Legal Research, Monitoring & MIS - Conduct detailed legal research for ongoing and upcoming cases, identify judicial trends and maintain internal legal precedent databases. - Track and report ongoing litigation matters, deadlines, hearing outcomes, and legal risks through structured MIS and dashboards. - Review legal judgments and new legislation or regulations relevant to the aviation and airport sector, highlighting implications to key stakeholders. - Timeliness and accuracy of MIS submission External Counsel & Stakeholder Coordination - Coordinate with law firms, senior counsels, and subject-matter experts for litigation strategy, documentation, and hearings. - Represent legal team in internal review meetings with cross-functional stakeholders including finance, operations, compliance, and regulatory affairs. - Liaise with relevant government and quasi-judicial authorities as part of litigation or representation processes. - No. of legal escalations resolved proactively KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES - Additional Details EXTERNAL INTERACTIONS - Law firms and lawyers - Senior Advocates - Government Authorities INTERNAL INTERACTIONS - The Group General Counsel and the CLO - Airport Legal Heads - Business teams and Departmental heads FINANCIAL DIMENSIONS - NA OTHER DIMENSIONS - NA EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS - LL.B - LL.M preferred RELEVANT EXPERIENCE - 10-12 years of post-qualification experience in litigation and regulatory legal work, with at least 5 years in managing high-stake cases preferably in infrastructure, aviation, or regulated sectors COMPETENCIES - Intellectual Property (IP) Management (Proficient) - Knowledge of Rules and Regulations of Aviation Sector Legal Frameworks (Proficient) - Real-Estate Management (Proficient) - Warehousing Legal Management (Proficient) - Regulatory Compliance and Governance (Proficient) - Employment and Labour Law (Proficient) - Legal Research and Analysis (Proficient) - Litigation and Dispute Management (Proficient) - Networking - Personal Effectiveness - Teamwork & Interpersonal influence - Stakeholder Focus - Entrepreneurship - Capability Building - Social Awareness - Planning & Decision Making - Execution & Results - Strategic Orientation - Problem Solving & Analytical Thinking