By: Joshua Finley

Achieving Success in the Modern Legal World

As I walk into Sunil Choitram’s office, he rises from his desk to greet me, shakes my hand warmly, and asks if I had a good journey. He makes sure I am comfortable on the couch, offers me a drink, and notices and compliments my pocket square. He remembers my name and maintains eye contact, and I feel at ease.  Some law professionals stand out for their legal understanding and ability to easily navigate the intricacies of human relationships. Sunil Choitram is one such professional. With over two decades of experience spanning the corridors of global law firms to the head of an in-house legal department for a family-owned conglomerate, Choitram embodies a multifaceted approach to being a lawyer.

Choitram’s journey into law deviated from his early plans of being a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force. While a life of service and adventure appealed to him, he realized that his true calling was in the boardroom, negotiating deals and advising companies from a commercial and legal perspective to achieve their goals.  He began his legal career at Clifford Chance, London, where he honed his skills as a project finance lawyer, advising on complex mega-projects across the globe, from airports to oil refineries and everything in between. He explains that the project finance discipline creates “multi-disciplinary lawyers” who learn to tackle various issues that arise in different projects, making them very versatile. It might be corporate, disputes, regulatory advice, commercial, or industry-specific work—the skills and the approach are transferable.

Goals for Any Lawyer Starting in Private Practice

First and foremost, it’s important to develop the skills and habits of an excellent technical lawyer. Above all, you have to be highly competent in your field. Choitram recounts how his mistakes in those early days taught him lessons he always remembered and how important it is to be passionate about constantly learning and improving.

Second, learn to work in a team and understand how to benefit from working with those more experienced than ourselves. Going suddenly from a proud graduate to the very bottom of the food chain can be a shock, and one must learn to value the experience of others to be successful. Choitram says cultivating a relationship with a mentor can be life-changing. A mentor provides a sounding board for your thoughts, encouragement when things get tough (and they will), and, when needed, someone to give you frank advice.

Thirdly, learning to observe human nature and how and why decisions are made: call it EQ or otherwise, but this soft skill pays huge dividends throughout a lawyer’s career. All negotiations are won and lost in the relationship you develop with the person opposite you. It does not mean you have to be their best friend—sometimes, you may need to be aggressive to achieve an outcome. The art is learning which approach will work in a given situation.

Pillars of Success as In-House Counsel

After a decade in private practice, Choitram seized an opportunity to become in-house counsel, finding fulfilment in the diverse challenges posed by family-owned conglomerates. As he outlines the group, its vastly varying businesses, the family that owns it, and the challenges successfully overcome, he is animated and an expression of pride is written all over his face. He flows from describing one industry or practice area to the next, demonstrating his knowledge and a clear passion for his work.

He says the key difference from private practice is that instead of having a multitude of clients seeking expertise in one practice area, you have one client seeking expertise in a multitude of practice areas. Being a ‘generalist’ is a skill set of its own and requires one to be resilient when uncharted problems arise and resourceful enough to tackle them.

Choitram’s approach to legal practice diverges from the conventional ideas of specializing in a narrow niche. Instead, he advocates for versatility, positioning himself as a problem-solver capable of navigating a spectrum of legal complexities. Here, he shares three key elements of what it takes to be successful in the in-house world.

Personal Relationships Matter

According to Choitram, the foundation of success in law lies in fostering genuine personal relationships, both within the organization and outside it. “You’re no longer a lawyer in a law firm, required only to consider the legal aspects of a specific issue. You are now part of a multidisciplinary team advising a business across the board. A good in-house lawyer takes interest in the business as a whole, the tasks in front of the whole team, and feels personally vested in delivering successful outcomes.” Choitram’s emphasis on building rapport extends beyond colleagues to encompass stakeholders, board members, and the people on the other side of the negotiating table, recognizing that effective collaboration hinges on mutual trust and understanding. “You get further in life with a handshake and a smile,” he quips, “and a successful negotiator will try to find a win-win where possible.”

Learning to Communicate Appropriately

Transitioning from private practice to an in-house role requires a nuanced approach to communication. Giving advice in private practice is formal, comprehensive, and usually purely legal; effective in-house counsel will provide a concise analysis of the law and apply it to the business, using commercial judgment and industry experience. Choitram highlights the importance of discerning the underlying objectives behind inquiries and tailoring responses accordingly. He clarifies, “You have to understand what the goal is when they’re asking the question… and distill it into something that’s actually useful. It might be that the Board wants a chapter and verse on a particular topic; it might equally be that the CEO needs a WhatsApp with a few bullet points. Know your audience and their goal, and tailor the advice accordingly.” In Choitram’s opinion, this dynamism in communication coupled with a sharp awareness of commercial imperatives, is fundamental to being thought of as an adviser rather than just another lawyer.

Tailor Your View of Risks

An essential element of Choitram’s approach is his ability to align legal strategies with broader business objectives. He advocates for lawyers to think like entrepreneurs, cognizant of the risks and opportunities inherent in every decision. “Being a good commercial lawyer is being able to assess the risks, not just identify them, and explain which of them would be in the company’s interest to take, not just the ones to avoid,” he notes. By transcending the confines of legal doctrine and embracing a holistic understanding of organizational goals, Choitram empowers his clients to navigate legality with confidence.

A Blueprint for Holistic Legal Practice

Sunil Choitram’s career serves as an example of the virtues of versatility and human-centric lawyering, exemplifying the transformative potential of embracing complexity with compassion. Aspiring lawyers would do well to heed his philosophy: success transcends mere legal expertise—it hinges on the cultivation of authentic relationships, adept communication, and a holistic understanding of organizational objectives.

Learn more about Sunil Choitram and connect with him via LinkedIn.

Published By: Aize Perez