In the 8th episode of the SpicyIP Podcast Summer School Edition, it was an honour to speak with Mr. Nikhil Narendran, Partner at Trilegal, where he leads one of the top Technology, Media and Telecom(TMT) teams in the country. During his brief time with us at the Summer School, his session on AI and Copyright, along with his expertise in law and technology sparked a lively discussion where the class was able to present informed arguments and bring divergent perspectives.
We were delighted to have him on the podcast. In this episode, I speak with him about building a career in TMT practice, adopting the latest technology to maximise efficiency at work as well as his experience of how working in the film industry has added value to his role as a lawyer.
Don’t miss out key takeaways that include TMT being both a sector specialisation and practice area specialisation, the importance of being a “generalist” with an open mind to understanding technology for building a career in TMT as well as three pointers to keep in mind while responsibly and effectively using Artificial Intelligence(AI) in legal research.The examples he provides in his discussions make it easy to apply these insights in practice. It was fascinating to see how working in the creative space and the legal space could complement each other, providing not only an in-depth understanding of the industry but also nurturing a better connection with clients. Like he points out, a lawyer indeed must be a good story teller!
Scroll down and and listen to the full podcast for more interesting discussions. (Earlier episodes include: 01 with Mr. Murali Neelakantan, 02 with Mr. Sandeep Rathod, 03 with Mr. Adarsh Ramanujan, 04 with Ms. Chetali Rao, 05 with Mr. KM Gopakumar ,06 with Ms. Zara Kaushik and 07 with Ms. Kruttika Vijay. )
SpicyIP TV: The Summer School Edition – Episode 08 Nikhil Narendran on TMT law, AI tools and his Creative Journey
In this episode (08), Sonisha Srinivasan speaks to Mr. Nikhil Narendran (bio below), a Partner at Trilegal (Bengaluru office) specializing in the Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) practice about a career in the TMT practice. He discusses how adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhances efficiency at work, but also cautions that one must understand the strengths, weaknesses and risks of each model to effectively and responsibly use them. He also shares his experience of how working in the movie industry has shaped his role as a lawyer.
About Nikhil Narendran: Nikhil Narendran is a Partner at Trilegal’s Bengaluru office, specializing in the Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) practice. He holds a BA LLB (Hons.) from the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi, and is admitted to the Kerala Bar Council. His experience includes advising e-commerce, fintech, and technology companies on regulatory issues, data protection, telecom (mobile, enterprise, Satcom), and media (OTT, triple play). He has negotiated ICT agreements in South-East Asia, Europe, and America and advised on technology policy in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. He has won the ITechLaw Travelling Fellowship Award 2011, working with six European technology law firms, and is recognized as ALB India Top TMT/Fintech Lawyer (2021), IBLJ India’s Future Legal Leaders (2020), ALB 40-under-40 (2020), and by Chambers & Partners and Who’s Who Legal TMT.
SS: I wanted to understand from you, any kind of guidance you would have for students who want to get into TMT practice at law firms, and what kind of work is actually done there through the practice?
NN: So I mean, look, I can speak about what we do at our practice. So our practice is both a sector specialisation and also practice area specialisation. In the sense that we focus on the sector- Tech, Media, Telecom. We understand what’s happening in those sectors. We follow that very closely. We speak the language which is used in the sector. We understand the commerce in the sector. We understand the implications in the sector. We also understand how human life and society gets impacted by way of the new products and services which are launched in this particular sector. We also have practice areas within the sector where technology disrupts for instance. We focus on Fintech. We focus on e-commerce, which is nothing but traditional sectors which are being disrupted by tech and enabled by tech health tech being another example. Similarly, we also have specific focuses on Data protection, AI issues that come up, Information Technology Act, Telecom issues, Licensing issues, Satcom related issues , AI related issues, products which get launched in the sector. We do product vetting and product counselling for them. We handle the disputes within that sector. When there is a strategic deal which happens both commercial and corporate perspective, we get involved. So it’s a mix of all this. And it’s also a significant part of our work is also policy.In terms of shaping the policy, being a thought leader in the policy, working with the clients on taking the adequate policy positions. which helps the client. So it’s a combination of all these things. You will have commercial aspects, you will have some general corporate aspects, you will have some advisory on specific areas like data protection, intellectual property, some contracting, some licensing, some disputes. It’s a mix of everything.
And in terms of what you need to do to get into this, look at the internships are a good way- there are multiple firms which focus on TMT. You need to necessarily know tech very well at least to get into all firm, we expect lawyers who work in our practice to understand technology very well, which is a big boon when you practice technology law. You need to like technology. You need to have an intuitive understanding of technology for that you need to have that mindset towards technology which is fairly open. Read generally about the sector. Be generally upto date You need to be a generalist, who is good in current affairs, who knows what’s happening around you. So yeah, all these will help you crack a job at a place like us.
SS: Again, when you said generalist, it reminds me of conversations we’ve had before, with other speakers also about importance of being a generalist versus a specialist. So TMT is something where generalist is more important than a specific area. For example, even IPR for that matter. I don’t think it’s very limited to just one, but you need a grasp on holistically on everything to be able to get into.
NN: Absolutely. The reason why it’s important is you may think that we are doing a specialist practice. Yes, we are doing a specialist practice. But fact of the matters look, Tech disrupt everything around you you. So you need to know Foreign Exchange Management Act. Many of your clients are companies, so you need to have a good understanding of Corporate Law. At the same time, you need to know IP very well, you need to do Data Protection really well, you need to do Telecom Licensing very well. You need to understand geopolitics. You need to understand politics very well, because your client may be opening up a centre in one state versus the other and help them make that right decision from the political climate perspective. You also need to understand geopolitics from the perspective of understanding data sovereignty issues and the sort of issues that governments have with respect to data residency, data transfer and other things in advice the clients on best possible manner. You also need to know Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act because you are coming up with interesting models in which money gets transferred between jurisdictions. You need to, you know, pretty much, you know, everything under the sun including RTI to come out with the best structures, right? So you need to be a generalist if you want to be a really successful Tech practice because tech is something which disrupts every sector. Of course, you can weigh on and rely on specialists within our practice, you know, or firm or, you know, if you’re in another firm, you can rely on those specialists. So, but you need to have a general understanding of everything around you.
SS: Right. Also when it comes to AI and the use of AI today, how best do you think a graduate or somebody who’s working at a firm, like yours could maximize the use of AI to the advantage to their best advantage? Because there’s been a lot of debates about this going on and how much of use AI would actually help in the legal field. So what advice would you have for people who want to maximize their use of AI in the best possible way to enhance their efficiency at work?
NN: So I believe in using the latest technologies available to you to make your practice better and more efficient. I use it on a daily life. AI has become my, you know, first port of call associate. It helps me with getting quick information when I’m on the move, when I’m moving from one meeting or one hearing to the other. It’s an incredible tool. But at the same time, you need to be mindful of the fact that that tool also makes mistakes. There could be hallucinations. So you need to know how to prompt well, you need to know what to rely on, you need to know the strengths of different models that you use. For instance, while an o3 model works good for reasoning, that, you know, you should not use that for general research, right? So there are pluses and negatives of each models. What are the advantages and disadvantages you should be able to figure it out. Then we also within our practice uses a tool called Lucio, which is being heavily adopted. “Lucio”. Lucio sits on Trilegal cloud, which means we can upload confidential documents onto it . And query with it, do diligence, prepare a list of dates for litigation. So it’s an incredibly effective tool that we use internally which, you know, me and my team finds it a great, great value to help us with our daily life. When it comes to research and it comes to review of large documents.
SS: Another very interesting thing about you is that you have worked in the movie industry right? So how do you think having an experience of working there has fed into your practice as a lawyer? And how does both of it tie into each other? And how has it changed your approach to looking at law with an experience there?
NN: Yeah, so I mean, look, to be a good lawyer, you need to be a good storyteller. Working in the creative industry has definitely helped me with respect to that. It’s the other advantage working in the creative industry is that you also closely follow the industry. And if you follow the industry, you will understand what are the trends, what are the ground realities, what’s the pulse on the ground. Movies or any art which is created, which is a popular art like movies, being close to it, will also tell you a lot about what’s happening in the country, what the audience are watching, what they are liking, what they’re clapping to. It’s an incredible way to learn about the society itself. If you approach it from the right lens. Other than that, of course, look, I work with clients who create content or are transmitters and disseminators of content in the tech industry and also in the media industry. So it helps me in terms of understanding the process of content generation and content dissemination much better, because I’m very close to that, that ground realities and also very close to some of the content makers and content creators, right? So that’s been incredibly helpful. You learn about production, you know about distribution, you know about the new forms of content creation, what’s working, what are their fears, what are their insecurities, which is very helpful, infact.
SS: And understanding that from , having a first hand experience in understanding that, is much better than hearing it from someone.
NN: Absolutely, absolutely. So I understand, at least I understand some of the pains of those who are in the industry. And that’s been incredibly helpful. And it’s also the case with, you know, digital media as well. And so I mean, work with news disseminators, you know, digital news industry as well, and I understand the problems that they face and the challenges that they face, which have been incredibly
SS: Right. That’s so nice to hear you having an experience across different fields and that reflects to the great lawyer you are today. Thank you so much for being here. It was a great conversation with you. And I’m sure people who watched this would really be inspired by you. Thank you.
NN: Thank you very much.