#YWInsiderTalk - Vol. 15
- Aitijyamoy Mukherjee
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 18
This week on #YWInsiderTalk
Jitesh Pandey speaks with 𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 about how a firm’s culture is not built by policy, but by example and ensuring that everyone feels they are part of something with integrity.
Jitesh is the Managing Partner of Lex Alliance, with over 2 decades of experience across Labour and Employment, Dispute Resolution, White Collar Investigations and Strategic Workforce Planning.
Click on the link to know more: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yellowwireconsulting_jitesh-pandey-ywinsidertalk-vol-15-activity-7363100139424505858-oZfS
YW: In your professional journey so far, what cultural lessons have most deeply shaped the way you lead, particularly in how you cultivate firm culture and set the tone for those coming up behind you ?
JITESH: If I had to pick the cultural lessons that have shaped me most, I would start with the idea that a firm’s culture is not built by policy, it is built by example. Early in my career, I saw how junior lawyers watch everything: how you treat clients, how you handle mistakes, how you deal with pressure. That taught me that leadership is as much about consistency as it is about vision.
Another big one is respect across hierarchy. In Indian legal practice, there can be a tendency to defer heavily to seniority, but I have learned the value of making space for every voice in the room. Some of the sharpest insights I have heard have come from the newest associate.
Lastly, I have held on to the belief that long-term trust beats short-term wins. That means being transparent even when it is uncomfortable and ensuring that everyone, from partners to interns, feels they are part of something with integrity. Culture flows from that.
YW: Legal work in fast-evolving sectors demands future-ready solutions and a shift toward more innovative practices. How has this shaped your approach to law? Was this strategic imperative the reason behind adopting AI, and how has it advanced your firm’s internal and client-facing work?
JITESH: Working in sectors that change almost overnight forces you to stay nimble. You cannot just rely on precedent, you have to anticipate what’s coming and be willing to rethink how you work. That mindset has definitely shaped how I approach the law. It is not about chasing trends, but about building systems and skills that can adapt quickly.
That’s one of the reasons we brought AI into our practice. If the software can review documents in minutes, our lawyers can focus on the complex analysis and strategic thinking clients actually come to us for.
We are seeing this play out most clearly in employment laws, where the upcoming Labour Codes will completely reshape compliance, reporting, and workplace governance. These are areas with huge data and documentation burdens ranging from wage structures to social security, where technology makes it possible to handle them efficiently while still giving our clients nuanced, forward-looking advice. In that sense, AI isn’t just a tool for speed, it’s a way of staying future-ready in areas of law that are themselves about to undergo fundamental change.