Rishi Sehgal represents the new generation of business lawyers who combine legal precision, commercial understanding, adaptability, and a strong interest in technology-driven legal issues. As a Senior Associate at PSA (Priti Suri & Associates), his work spans corporate advisory, employment law, technology law, data protection, commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, and M&A. His exposure to India’s Digital Personal Data Protection framework, labour law reforms, cross-border transactions, and strategic corporate matters reflects a lawyer preparing businesses for an increasingly complex and technology-driven future.

In this episode of The Koffee Conversation Show – The Emerging Lawyer Series, themed “Data, Deals & Discipline: A Young Lawyer’s Journey,” Rishi shares valuable insights on business law, M&A, cross-border transactions, data privacy, DPDP compliance, technology, AI, labour law reforms, commercial contracts, leadership, and building a long-term legal career. His perspective highlights a critical truth—modern lawyers need to balance legal precision with commercial practicality while continuously adapting to changing technology, regulations, and client expectations.

Rishi’s journey into business law began from an unconventional starting point. Coming from a science background, the natural expectation was that he would pursue engineering like many of his classmates. However, seminars on law as a career helped him understand that law extended far beyond courtrooms. The opportunity to interact with people, understand businesses, and solve complex real-world problems attracted him towards business law. His journey at PSA began as a legal intern and eventually progressed to his current role as Senior Associate, giving him exposure to startups, multinational companies, large conglomerates, and diverse transactions.

A defining aspect of Rishi’s career has been learning how to balance legal precision with commercial practicality. Working across different clients taught him that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to legal advice—MNCs may prioritize compliance and risk management, while startups often require speed and scalability. His cross-border work further broadened his perspective by exposing him to different legal systems, cultures, negotiation styles, and approaches to contractual provisions. His philosophy is grounded in attention to detail, adaptability, teamwork, continuous learning, and building reputation and credibility over the long term.

Key Highlights of the Koffee Conversation with Rishi Sehgal

• Business law offers lawyers the opportunity to understand businesses and solve real-world problems.
• Legal practice extends far beyond traditional courtroom advocacy.
• No two clients approach the same legal problem in exactly the same way.
• MNCs often prioritize compliance, risk management, and regulatory certainty.
• Startups typically prioritize speed, scalability, and commercial flexibility.
• Effective legal advice must balance the client’s business objectives with legal requirements.
• Legal precision and commercial practicality develop through experience.
• A lawyer’s understanding of a client’s risk appetite is critical to effective advice.
• Cross-border transactions broaden a lawyer’s understanding of different legal systems and cultures.
• Different jurisdictions can approach contractual provisions and negotiations very differently.
• Cross-border transactions require lawyers to remain constantly alert because positions can change quickly.
• Transaction lawyers must stay on top of the file and anticipate developments.
• India’s DPDP framework requires organizations to understand and map their data flows.
• Organizations need to know what personal data they collect, where it is stored, who can access it, and whom it is shared with.
• Data privacy compliance must extend to third-party vendors and service providers.
• Privacy cannot remain a checkbox exercise limited to the legal or compliance team.
• HR, IT, information security, business teams, and other stakeholders must contribute to a culture of privacy.
• Corporate lawyers are increasingly becoming strategic advisers rather than simply legal reviewers.
• Lawyers are increasingly involved from the beginning of technology projects rather than after products are built.
• Understanding the technology being advised on is becoming essential for modern corporate lawyers.
• Labour law reforms can have direct financial consequences for businesses, including salary structures and social-security contributions.
• Regulatory changes require organizations to conduct timely internal assessments.
• Attention to detail is one of the most important qualities for lawyers.
• Every word written or spoken by a lawyer can potentially affect a matter.
• AI can assist lawyers with document summaries, translation, research, and other routine tasks.
• AI should be treated as an assistant rather than a substitute for legal judgment.
• Clients ultimately pay lawyers for critical thinking, judgment, and value addition.
• Negotiation and strategic thinking remain fundamentally human skills.
• Legal technology should help lawyers become better advisers, not simply faster lawyers.
• Long-term legal careers are marathons rather than sprints.
• Reputation and credibility are more valuable than chasing quick success.
• Young lawyers should focus on building their own professional identity and becoming trusted advisers.
• Discipline learned during formative years can shape professional responsibility.
• Leadership is about creating a common objective rather than simply assigning tasks.
• Team spirit becomes especially important when working on complex transactions.
• Experience in university leadership can translate directly into corporate team-building skills.
• Exposure to people from different regions and cultures can broaden professional perspectives.
• Adaptability is one of the most important qualities for navigating changing professional environments.
• Patience and understanding strengthen professional relationships.
• Sports can provide an important way for demanding professionals to disconnect and recharge.
• Young lawyers should embrace continuous learning rather than becoming comfortable with existing knowledge.
• The future of legal practice belongs to lawyers who combine legal expertise, business understanding, data awareness, technology, adaptability, and disciplined execution.

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube on The Koffee Conversation Show – The Emerging Lawyer Series to explore how data privacy, M&A, cross-border transactions, AI, LegalTech, regulatory reforms, commercial advisory, and disciplined execution are shaping the journey of the modern business lawyer.

🎧 Listen to the complete podcast on Spotify: The Koffee Conversation Show – The Emerging Lawyer Series to discover Rishi Sehgal’s insights on data protection, M&A, cross-border practice, AI, technology law, commercial contracts, leadership, and what it truly takes to build a credible and future-ready legal career.