Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
VISA Status
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Varsha Mahesh Acharya

Team Lead- Legal And Compliance
Hyderabad

Summary

Legal and Compliance professional with proven track record of Leading and Managing complex contract files. A passionate sustainability leader, I bring 15+ years experience across the spectrum of Pharma, Patient organizations and NGOs in developing and implementing global cross-functional project in access to medicines, ethics and human rights. Over the years, I have worked in diverse professional environments with stakeholders from diverse cultural backgrounds and varying levels of seniority. Quick to perceive and analyze stakeholder needs, enthusiastic and strong connector, I am an expert in building solid partnerships applying a problem-solving mind-set. I have a creative personality, a diplomatic communication and give high attention to details and high focus on quality providing legal support to internal as well as external clients, and building effective teams to manage the Legal process in a fast-paced environment. Broad experience in legal and commercial contracts management with 10+ years of PQE. Relevant skills include: contract negotiation and drafting, regulatory compliance, risk assessment and mitigation, internal audits, policy analysis and implementation.

Overview

18
18
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Certifications
1
1
Language

Work History

Team Lead - Legal and Compliance

Novartis Healthcare Pvt. Ltd
12.2014 - Current

Lead a global managed service that supports patient and HCP commercial and medical engagements, enabling external partnerships across the research, development and commercialization continuum. I manage a diverse, innovative and specialized team of lawyers, consultants, project managers and process experts from our centers in Hyderabad delivering high volume high grade legal and compliance services including contracting, compliance and payments for medical and commercial events. Some Key contributions are:

  • Implemented process improvements that led to reduced turnaround times for critical tasks without compromising quality.
  • Led cross-functional teams for successful project execution while maintaining strong collaboration among team members.
  • Explored new tools and technologies that enhanced the capabilities of the team members while enabling seamless collaboration across departments.
  • Drafting of various agreements, including but not limited to Master Service Agreements; Consultancy Agreements for engaging Medical Experts, Patients, Caregivers; Funding Agreements- Grants, Sponsorship (including maintaining version control) specific to US and APAC regions.
  • Support on validation of engagement of Healthcare Professionals based on Novartis Professional Policies and corresponding Standard Operating Procedures.
  • Third party risk management, governance, and compliance in regards to anti-bribery, external funding, and temporary staffing requirements.
  • Ensure adherence to compliance policies for any third party engagement with doctors, patients, or medical establishments.
  • Part of cross-functional team on streamlining compliance and payment processes, with special focus on HCP Experience.

Other Responsibilities and Areas of Expertise:

  • Compliance projects for implementation of new laws and regulations, such as General Data Protection Regulation, 2018
  • Managed all legal and compliance related to procurement transactions, including master service agreements, short form service agreements, non-disclosure agreements, third-party risk management framework, copyrights licensing agreements.
  • Legal Due Diligence for divestment of Novartis portfolio products
    Contractual risk identification and mitigation process.
  • Drafting Playbooks with clause specific fall back provisions for Agreements;
  • Negotiating Licensing Agreements- primarily subscription based academic journals - negotiations on various terms (including data privacy requirements in consonance with GDPR)
  • Drafting, review and negotiation of Material Transfer Agreements;
  • Client interface, KPI dashboards, Service Level Agreement pricing and reconciliation with Clients, process optimization;
  • Support development of first Legal Chat-Bot for Novartis MENA region; and

Project Management and Leadership Activities:

  • Leading team of cross-country knowledge cohort, bringing together expert lawyers and sharing their expertise in contract drafting and negotiations.
  • Support expansion of contract management process within Novartis.
  • Support and lead team on end to end contract management which includes contract drafting, negotiation, execution (counter signatures), archival and renewal notifications and drafting amendments.

Awards:

  • Received CEO Global Drug Development Star Award for support and collaboration on transfer of Optha portfolio including high volume of Clinical Trail Agreements

Team Lead

Quislex Legal Services
Apr 2008 - Nov 2014
  • Project planning and leading the teams for various Contract management and E-discovery projects.
  • I have supported and lead various Contract management and e-discovery projects during my tenure in Quislex.
  • Projects belonged to clients from various industries like IT, FMCG, banking, Pharmaceutical etc.
  • Pre-Merger Due Diligence and Post Merger Integration Analysis, Preparing reports based on review of contracts.

Legal/ Business Development Associate

Acumen Legal Services Ltd
10.2007 - 04.2008
  • Client communications, Understanding client's various business and legal requirements, Project Planning and Execution, Conducting Project specific Trainings, Contract Review and Summarization, Preparation of Interim and final Project Reports.
  • Support on Litigation like Preparation of Deposition Summary.

MM Legal Associates
01.2006 - 05.2006
  • Attending and Assisting Senior in various Court Matters, Drafting of Notices, Plaints, Complaints, Written Statements, Conveyance Deeds such as Agreement of Sale/ Purchase, Mortgage, Trademark Applications.
  • Usha Garments Pvt.
  • Ltd (2002) & Vishal Consultants (2003) - Internship Responsibilities: Preparation of Export/ Import Documents, Understanding Terms of Letter of Credits, Preparing regulatory documents, Filing for Duty Drawbacks, Maintenance of Client's Account.

Education

Bachelor of Commerce - undefined

MMK College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai University
Mumbai
06.2001 - 06.2004

PG Diploma - Marketing Management

Welingkar's Institute of Management And Research
Mumbai
06.2004 - 12.2005

LLB -

G.J Advani College of Law, Mumbai University
Mumbai
06.2004 - 06.2007

VISA Status

I am looking to relocate to Australia. I have received PR grant and eligible to work in Australia 

Certification

Reward and Recognition for supporting the customer satisfaction survey (internal Novartis survey) in Aug 2016.

Timeline

Team Lead - Legal and Compliance

Novartis Healthcare Pvt. Ltd
12.2014 - Current

Legal/ Business Development Associate

Acumen Legal Services Ltd
10.2007 - 04.2008

MM Legal Associates
01.2006 - 05.2006

PG Diploma - Marketing Management

Welingkar's Institute of Management And Research
06.2004 - 12.2005

LLB -

G.J Advani College of Law, Mumbai University
06.2004 - 06.2007

Bachelor of Commerce - undefined

MMK College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai University
06.2001 - 06.2004

Team Lead

Quislex Legal Services
Apr 2008 - Nov 2014
Varsha Mahesh AcharyaTeam Lead- Legal And Compliance