Deepesh Agrawal

Experienced legal professional with over 11 years of post-qualification experience advising multinational organizations on complex legal and commercial matters across the business consultancy, banking and finance, engineering consultancy, fintech, employment, energy, and corporate sectors. Applied a commercial and client-focused approach to legal matters, balancing organizational objectives with client expectations and risk considerations. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, fostering collaboration and supporting successful business outcomes.

Self-motivated and highly organized professional with a demonstrated track record of leadership, initiative and delivering successful outcomes in fast-paced and challenging environments. Committed to supporting organizational growth while upholding the highest standards of professional integrity, ethics and governance. Passionate about continuous learning, embracing complex challenges and leveraging constructive feedback to drive personal and professional development.

Manager - Legal at WSP Consultants India Private Limited (2024-12 – Present)

• Recruited and established the Global Capability Centre (GCC) legal team, building an in-house capability to support the UK business across a broad range of legal and commercial matters.
• Developed and applied in-depth knowledge of UK laws, regulatory requirements, and standard forms of contract, to provide commercially focused legal advice and proactively manage contractual and commercial risks across the UK business.
• Guided and supported the legal team across diverse projects and contracts, ensuring compliance, maintaining quality standards, and mitigating risk.
• Managed the end-to-end contract lifecycle, from drafting and peer reviews to negotiations and execution, streamlining processes and reducing risk.
• Reviewed RFPs, Master Service Agreements, framework and call-off contracts, NEC4 Professional Services Contracts (PSC), NEC4 Professional Service Short Contracts (PSSC), sub-consultancy agreements, NDAs, variation agreements, teaming agreements and other legal documents to ensure effective risk management and compliance.
• Led contract negotiations with government and private clients on behalf of the business team, securing favorable terms and mitigating risks.
• Managed the legal team’s workflow, work allocation, streamlining processes to improve ensuring efficiency, prioritization, and timely delivery of tasks.
• Supported the business teams in securing internal governance approvals and facilitating smooth contract execution while ensuring adherence to company policies.

Senior Legal Manager at Vananam Ventures Private Limited (2024-06 – 2024-12)

• Led the legal department, providing strategic counsel to senior management on key business and regulatory matters.
• Mentored and supported the legal team, enhancing efficiency, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring alignment with business and regulatory objectives.
• Handled complex legal matters for new strategic initiatives introduced by the business team, safeguarding compliance and enabling execution.
• Developed and implemented legal processes and policies, managed compliance and mitigated organizational risks.
• Designed and streamlined a suite of standardized legal templates including MSAs, manufacturing agreements, MOUs, vendor agreements, SaaS agreements and NDAs to enhance contract management efficiency and mitigate risk.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams and negotiated client and vendor contracts to secure favorable terms.
• Drafted key policies including anti-money laundering and anti-corruption for multiple international jurisdictions.

Deputy Legal Manager at WSP Consultants India Private Limited (2023-04 – 2024-06)

• Advanced to this position after more than two years as a Legal Advisor, managing professional indemnity claims, contract drafting, negotiations, legal reviews and the end-to-end contract management process.
• Developed and applied in-depth knowledge of Middle Eastern laws and regulatory requirements, providing practical legal advice and mitigating contractual and commercial risks across multiple jurisdictions in the region.
• Led the legal team across multiple projects, driving excellence in contract negotiation, risk mitigation, quality and attention to detail.
• Drove the recruitment process as hiring manager, building the in-house legal team from the ground up.

Legal Advisor at WSP Consultants India Private Limited (2021-04 – 2023-03)

• Managed the full contract lifecycle, including drafting, reviewing, negotiating and finalizing a broad range of contractual documents.
• Led contract negotiations with private sector and government clients, supporting business objectives of the Middle East.
• Reviewed and negotiated RFPs, Master Service Agreements, FIDIC forms of contract, framework and call-off contracts, lease agreements, variation agreements, sub-consultancy agreements, vendor agreements and other legal documents, identifying and mitigating contractual risks across the Middle East business.
• Drafted a wide range of legal and commercial documents including agreements, letters, templates and notices to support the Middle East business.
• Managed professional indemnity insurance claims across the Middle East, collaborating with internal stakeholders, insurers and external counsel to effectively mitigate legal and commercial risks.
• Overall management of the legal team's workflow, streamlining processes and optimizing resource allocation to support efficient delivery across multiple projects and business priorities.
• Supported the Head of Legal (Middle East) in advising on complex legal and commercial matters, managing external counsel and driving internal governance processes to facilitate effective risk management and contract execution.

Legal Consultant at Ernst & Young LLP (2019-03 – 2021-04)

• Conducted statutory compliance reviews (audits) for corporate entities and their manufacturing units across automotive, cement, aluminum and mining sectors, leveraging hands-on exposure to design and implement compliance frameworks.
• Delivered compliance workshops at client sites to train employees on regulatory requirements and best practices, enhancing awareness and adherence to standards.
• Experienced in implementing compliance frameworks and integrating regulatory requirements into organizational processes.
• Conducted compliance risk analysis across industries in the areas of IPR, Health and Safety, Labour and Environment laws.
• Reviewed business operations to identify applicable laws and compliances:
• Reviewed statutory and underlying documents to ascertain the “As Is” status of applicable compliances.
• Prepared reports highlighting compliance gaps and recommended measures to mitigate non-compliances.
• Conducted detailed analysis of compliance processes across departments, identified root causes of non-compliances, and provided corrective actions.

Legal Manager at IDFC Bank Ltd. (2018-05 – 2019-03)

• Entrusted with initiating and managing legal actions against NPA accounts across home loans, personal loans, commercial vehicle loans and the rural portfolio.
• Represented the bank in court proceedings, contributing to favorable litigation outcomes and safeguarding organizational interests in high-value disputes.
• Formulated legal strategies for NPA accounts to drive recovery of outstanding dues while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Coordinated between credit, business, collections and legal teams to derive immaculate legal recourse.
• Maintained records of legal cases filed and circulated monthly legal MIS reports to ensure transparency and informed decision-making.

Assistant Legal Manager at SREI Equipment Finance Ltd. (2015-06 – 2018-04)

• Handled legal recovery cases by obtaining interim orders under Sections 9 and 17 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 for repossession of assets of NPA accounts, and initiated proceedings under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 against defaulting account holders.
• Supported the corporate legal department on matters referred by senior management, ensuring compliance with established processes and timely resolution of legal issues.
• Represented the organization in court proceedings and prepared monthly legal MIS to support management oversight.

Master of Business Laws – National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru (2024)

B.B.A. LL.B (Hons.) in Corporate Laws – College of Legal Studies, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (2010 – 2015)

Class XII – Kopal High Secondary (2009 – 2009)

Class X – Saint Montfort School (2007 – 2007)