Rishabh Shroff, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, is sensing an evolutionary shift in legal advisory practice. Frequent policy changes, trade barriers, and geopolitical tensions across nations—factors that increasingly influence investment and business decisions—are making corporate clients seek holistic services rather than mere interpretation of black letter law, he says.

As head of international business and co-head of the private client practice at the firm, Shroff has lived through this change. “I feel more like a chhota [small] geopolitical advisor than just a legal expert these days,” he remarks.

Shroff’s overseas offices in Singapore and Dubai are perhaps the best locations to witness this evolution. Singapore is the No. 1 source of FDI into India, while Dubai is a hotspot for Indian investments. “We have been looking at global investment play from these hubs. It has been a mix of tax advice, a little bit of immigration, lots of focus on forex control requirements, and dealing with local counterparts about their needs, compliance, etc.,” he explains.

Apart from the basic black letter law, the firm has acquired the expertise and capability to make the kind of judgment calls required to give holistic advice on what’s happening bilaterally. “How is the bilateral relationship now? How will it look a year later? What if something goes wrong—will it be resolved diplomatically? That kind of understanding of world affairs, handling crises from both a legal and diplomatic perspective—that is the role lawyers like me and others in our firm are getting into,” says Shroff.

He is also helping the management work on the firm’s innovation strategy. “I am doing a lot of conversations, pilot testing, and thought leadership—both within the team as well as with our clients—on how artificial intelligence can change the practice of law. There are no fixed goalposts for this, but I am spending 30–35% of my time on it,” Shroff adds.