A Conversation With Alum Anupama Naidu, Vice President, Legal at Veros Real Estate Solutions

 

Anupama J. Naidu (New York, ‘04) is the Vice President, Legal at Veros Real Estate Solutions (and its sister company, Valligent, and parent, Veros Software, Inc.). Benson Cohen recently sat down with Anu (or A.J.) to discuss her key pieces of advice for making the transition to a career in-house, from embracing legal tech to understanding what’s on the minds of company stakeholders.

Benson: What is your best memory of your time at Sidley?

Anu: I had many good memories. Our summer class was very small. The quality of work that we were given was amazing. We all built strong relationships within the summer class, and with senior associates, partners, and clients. I still am friends with several of my fellow summers and many of the associates and partners who mentored us. It's a great network. I worked on a number of pro bono matters while at Sidley, as well, which was very rewarding.

Benson: What was your biggest adjustment when you went in-house?

Anu: In transitioning to Barclays from Sidley, I had to have an entrepreneurial mindset and a deep understanding of the business. The skill set required solving business problems, managing risk, providing practical legal advice that aligns with the goals of the company, and understanding the product to help guide the decision-makers.

I had great mentors at Sidley, and I felt that Sidley really prepared me for thinking through conversations with and developing solutions for clients.

Benson: If you were to go back in time, what advice would you give yourself on going in-house?

Anu: If you’re coming in-house to lead the function, work to really understand the goals of your company and align your legal model. If you’re not heading up the legal function, align your service delivery model with the goals of the company. If there aren’t clear goals, help your company implement them. Embrace legal tech, including A.I. It is here to stay. Understand your risk appetite and how the board makes decisions, and help guide your C-suite instead of presenting options without context.

Benson: What have you found to be effective strategies in working with your clients to understand their risk tolerance?

Anu: Get to know people and understand their role in the company. The CFO is going to have a different lens than the COO. Do your research to understand your company’s business model and the priorities of each stakeholder. Ask questions and talk through their priorities, as risk is often aligned with a company’s priorities.

Benson: I’m curious as to how you ended up in your current role.

Anu: I was leading the legal function at an international fintech based in California, the U.K. and India. A colleague in SunLaw connected me with Veros because they had an opening for someone to head up the legal and the compliance function.

It was a fantastic opportunity to transition into real estate tech, since I already had an analytics background. I was intrigued by the company’s goal of empowering mission-critical housing finance decisions in risk management by delivering next gen real estate tech, data, and analytics. I was always drawn to the edge where law meets innovation. Veros is trusted and has been around for 20 years. It was a great decision to move here.

Benson: You mentioned SunLaw; can you share a little about it?

Anu: It’s an organization for female in-house leaders that offers mentorship, knowledge sharing, and community resources. I think a key piece of advice for people in-house is to get connected with networks and tap into your interests. When practicing law, it’s very easy to get compartmentalized. But if you can maintain that well-rounded nature, your networks will grow naturally and organically, and you can grow into a much more effective leader and develop that critical intuitive lens.

Benson: There are no typical days, especially when you’re in a more senior role. If you could describe a typical day or a typical week, what would that look like?

Anu: Much of the role is interactive, intuitive, and strategic — making judgment calls and decisions to help guide our C-suite toward the priorities of the company. My current role leverages expertise in tech, M&A, legal, privacy, AI, employment law, commercial law, and strategy among other areas of law. I will work with the CEO and management team on implementing objectives one day, and the next I will focus on AI initiatives as co-chair of our Veros Artificial Intelligence Lab. Building relationships and understanding what’s keeping the key stakeholders at the company up at night are critical to every day.

Benson: Is there a particular piece of advice that you’ve received over the years that’s really helped your career growth?

Anu: Having a growth mindset and trying to understand before trying to make yourself understood is critical. I think part of being an adept corporate attorney and leader is coming to a meeting of the minds, and the only way you’re going to do that is if you really understand what’s at stake from all the parties involved.

Benson: How have your mentors helped you throughout your career?

Anu: I had many mentors at Sidley: Bob Aicher, Drew Quale, Trevor Bruno, Alexi Poretz, Xiaowen Qui, Andy Hastings, Mitch Nadler, and so many others, who provided me with such a strong foundation. Many others throughout my career have also been mentors, helping me navigate through change and to develop a strategic mindset (but it all started at Sidley); understand how to serve the business and what to focus on as a leader of legal; and grow as part of a board. They’ve helped me prioritize the impact of the legal function through alignment with company goals. I’ve had incredible mentors, and it all started at Sidley. I can’t say enough good things about my time there. I am proud to be a Sidley alum. Sidley taught me so much.