Don’t Just Be Right, Add Value: Career Lessons from HUL’s General Counsel | Dr. Vivek Mittal

In this episode of The Daily Lawyer’s GC Series, we sit down with Dr. Vivek Mittal, the Executive Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). Vivek’s journey is a masterclass in career agility, global leadership, and the "How" of hiring. He shares the incredible story of how a chance trip to Delhi and a sense of "FOMO" led him to register for a Company Secretary course with an 800-rupee loan—a decision that eventually led him to lead legal teams at global giants like Lupin, Dr. Reddy's, and now HUL. Key Topics Covered: 1. Career Growth: How he flipped his focus from being a Company Secretary to a General Counsel at some of India's leading companies 2. Global Leadership: Lessons from leading massive M&A deals in Brazil, Mexico, and Japan, and managing cross-cultural teams. 3. The "How" of Hiring: Why Vivek gives 50% or more weightage to a candidate's attitude and ethics over their technical domain skills 4. AI & Legal Tech: Why you can't run away from LLMs and how technology will soon handle 70-80% of routine legal tasks. This episode is part of our General Counsel Series, presented in proud collaboration with Zoho Sign. About Zoho Sign Zoho Sign is a comprehensive digital e-signature solution tailored for Indian businesses. It helps organisations sign, send, manage documents, automate signature workflows, authenticate signers, and enable e-stamping - all while staying compliant with Indian law. If your business deals with a high volume of contracts and legal documentation, Zoho Sign is built to simplify and accelerate the process. Subscribe to The Daily Lawyer If you enjoy conversations with top legal leaders, in-house counsel, law firm partners, and legal entrepreneurs, subscribe to The Daily Lawyer for more such episodes.Drop your thoughts, questions, and takeaways in the comments. Connect with us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedailylawyerig/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-daily-lawyer Website: https://thedailylawyer.in/ Email: [[email protected]] Disclaimer: The content of this video is in the nature of personal views, and NOT legal advice. Kindly consult a lawyer with the specifics of your issue to get appropriate legal advice. #TheDailyLawyer #VivekMittal #HindustanUnilever #HUL #GeneralCounsel #GCSeries #LegalCareer #CorporateLawyer #InHouseCounsel #LeadershipLessons #CareerTransition #HiringTips #CompanySecretary #ProfessionalGrowth #NewspaperTest #AIinLegal #LegalTech #GlobalBusiness #EthicsInBusiness #LawStudentsIndia #ZohoSign #LegalAdvice #PodcastIndia #BusinessStrategy #corporategovernance Chapters: 00:00 – Teaser 01:06 – Introduction 02:36 - The "FOMO" Start: Registering for CS with 800 Rupees 09:06 - Transitioning from Company Secretary to Law 12:06 - The "Startup" Phase 15:06 - Global M&A: Lessons from Japan, Mexico, and Brazil 20:06 - Managing a Global Team 26:06 - Joining the "CEO Factory": Life at HUL 30:16 - Hiring Secrets: The "What" vs. The "How" 35:36 - Resume Red Flags: Why You Must Know Your Own CV 37:06 - AI Adoption: Why You Can’t Run Away from LLMs 43:06 - The Future of Legal Tech & Ecosystem Integration 48:36 - Closing Segment