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confidentiality.” This part is definitely true, as despite my best journalistic efforts,
Kunal remains tight-lipped on details.

I ask Kunal about some of the highlights of his career. “Closing any major financing
or development project gives you a rush. However, the coup de gras for me thus far
has been drafting legislation for use in neighbouring countries. I am just about to
undertake my third such project and I am pretty psyched about it! Other than that,
bringing an international company into one of the countries we work in is always a
thrill. I will drive by their premises and whoever is in the car with me will hear the story
of how I helped them set up! I’m sure some of my friends are tired of driving with me
for that reason.”

Aside from a deeper understanding of his surroundings, I ask if practicing law has
changed Kunal’s mindset in any way. “I’ve realised that time is a commodity. Lawyers
have billable rates per hour, so not doing work, or standing in line for 45 minutes,
results in frustration a lot faster than it used to. I’ve definitely lost some patience!”
Mindful of the clock, I hesitantly inquire about what Kunal’s billable rate is. I blanch
at the figure. “Don’t worry,” he laughs. “Normally we offer clients a blended rate,
High-powered lawyer Kunal Sachdev because we work as a team, so actually, having a lawyer on retainer is not as steep as
you’d imagine.”
brings glamour to playing by the rules. He doesn’t say it, but in my head, this last fact consolidates the value of his position

and expertise in the context of other lawyers, too. Another glimpse of this humble
BY SHRUTI KOTHARI streak peeks through when he talks about his support system. “If someone says they
progressed in their career without the help of family, friends and colleagues, they’re
making it up!

"I have been fortunate to have parents, a brother and sister-in-law, and friends that
are not only extremely driven themselves, but have led by example. My Managing
Director, Audray Souche, got my foot in the door and has guided me through even the
most frustrating parts of my career. I have also had the sheer pleasure to be mentored
by some of the best banking, finance, and legal minds in the region, like Vinay Ahuja
(a DFDL Partner) and the now retired Walter Heiser."
“ I grew up watching this city develop into Now in a position to be a mentor himself, I ask Kunal what advice he has for others.

“It is important for anyone undertaking a new endeavour to keep their expectations
realistic. No matter how much of a rockstar you are, or think you are, there is no
the metropolis it is today, and now, I am
honoured to be a part of that process. ” shortcut to the highest responsibilities in your career without paying your dues. Dues
are paid slowly and over every single day for years until you are ready to undertake
more complex tasks. Personally, I’m not a believer in the ‘yolo’ lifestyle. I am still
gives off crazy genius vibes, belies the clearly meticulous organisation of his mind. I young, determined, and prioritising my career; hard work has always been the secret
to ‘killing it.’”
probe him about the most difficult cases he’s worked on. “Some matters may just be
monotonous in the sense that you have to read through hundreds of pages of terms
and conditions, which can really take its toll. Others may require a level of statutory KUNAL'S TOP PICKS
All new legal developments excite me. Here are my top three for Thailand:
interpretation where your colleagues may take a different view than yours. This results
in interesting situations and debates.”
Progress towards a dedicated data protection law
Progress towards a dedicated data protection law
New peer-to-peer lending rules-to-peer lending rules
New peer
It would seem that, despite what we see on Suits, difficulty is not restricted to court. A move to
A move towards medical marijuanawards medical marijuana
“It’s been a long time since I’ve even been to court. The practice of law is vast and
varied. For example, everything has terms and conditions attached (whether you use
applications on your phone, seek a loan, use a website), and lawyers are involved in
those aspects of work, too!”
Was that the most unexpected aspect of becoming a lawyer? Kunal explains that
for him, it was actually “the number of areas one can specialise in. You can join a
commercial law firm and on any given day you could be dealing with privacy, real
estate, company formation, capital markets, financing and tax! Now, I’m working on
specialising further in banking and technology.”

The latter makes complete sense, because it’s such a fast-changing field. “My
favourite aspect of my job is working in the grey areas. It’s not about bending the
rules. It’s just that certain areas, say Artificial Intelligence, don’t have any laws that
deal with them directly. That’s when you’ve got to put together all of your existing
knowledge and find reasonable solutions to problems, or potential problems.”

Does reading where there are no lines cause ethical dilemmas? “This is a standard
problem faced by lawyers around the world. Our bar/law societies give us professional
conduct rules and these serve us well when tackling complicated matters. The
primary duty of a lawyer is to the court and the law, but of course, we are also in the
service business, and these two aspects can clash at times.”

I have long wondered if lawyers always believe their clients. Kunal says, “I am lucky to
not be practicing criminal law where this sort of issue would come into a play a little
more. In a commercial context, you should always tell your lawyer the truth knowing
that, once you sign the engagement letter, he/she is bound by attorney – client

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