Helping to Fight the Climate Crisis: In Conversations with Re:link

Former Re:link consultant, Mitesh Jagatia, sits down with Re:link to talk about his career, his time with Re:link, and his new legal pro bono venture helping climate innovators to fight the climate crisis.

Hi Mitesh, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start at the beginning, why don’t you share with us why you became a lawyer? And a little bit about your career journey?

As long as I can remember, I had wanted to be a lawyer. I had various service industry jobs as a teenager and wanted to take on a career where I’d be a service provider working as part of a team to tackle interesting challenges. I had always been drawn to working in a City law firm; the combination of the bright lights of the big city and the collegiate environment of City firms, plus the opportunity to assist some of the world’s largest companies.

I trained at a major international law firm, which I loved working at. However, life sometimes throws curveballs at you. I qualified around the time of the financial crisis of 2008, and my dreams of being a corporate lawyer were put on hold. However, at the end of my training contract I was offered the opportunity to be seconded to a client for 6 months. 6 months then turned into 12 months, and by the end of the secondment I was lucky enough to be offered a permanent position there. This was really fortuitous for me, as I learned during the secondment that I loved working in-house, working side-by-side with the business and helping to drive the company’s growth from the inside.

A year later I was offered the chance at 2-PQE to set up the company’s Asia Pacific legal function on the ground in Hong Kong. I was initially sole local counsel and then built a team. I had 4 and a half years in Hong Kong, which was a wild, but fun and exciting ride!

That sounds like such a rollercoaster! What made you return to the UK?

There were a few reasons, but ultimately my wife and I thought it was time for a change. We wanted to be near family, so we decided to move back here. The move worked out really well, because I started working for a dynamic start-up company. I only worked there for 6 months before the company went into administration, but I really enjoyed the fast-paced nature of start-up life. It really stayed with me and allowed me to develop an interest in start-up companies, how they operate and their business models. Then I joined Bloomberg, and was there for several years before embarking on another career change and I joined Re:link.

What brought about that change, and can you share with us your experiences of working as a Re:link consultant?

My time with Re:link was brilliant, and I cannot speak highly enough of the team. I was really attracted to the idea of being a consultant, and the flexible work arrangement that it brings. I was also attracted to the prospect of working for a Linklaters client, and I was on assignment at one of the UK’s largest broadcasting companies, which I really enjoyed. I joined them at an exciting time, and was able to assist on an interesting and strategically important project working with some great people. I also had some fantastic support from Re:link, and from Linklaters too.

The flexibility that came with working for Re:link gave me the opportunity to spend time with my family as well as dedicate time to working on Eco Ventures Counsel.

That was going to be my next question, please tell us more about your new pro bono programme? And what inspired you to embark on this exciting new adventure?

Eco Ventures Counsel is a new pro bono programme I have set up through which several of the world’s leading law firms – including Linklaters – provide free, full-service legal support for a year. We also have an IP firm providing bespoke IP support. We’ll have two annual EVC cohorts of early (pre-Series A) green tech ventures across the UK, including start-ups, spinouts, and social enterprises, all of whom are laser focused on trying to improve or save our planet in some way. EVC Cohort 1 launched in May, supporting 21 ventures, and Cohort 2 will launch in November.

I had previously co-created a similar pro bono programme 5 years ago, and I really enjoyed that. I wanted to build on those experiences and found a programme that I could take to new levels and I could do full time. This led to me creating Eco Ventures Counsel, which has been an exciting experience. To be able to work every day on something that matters to me, gives me a sense of purpose, and I believe is having a positive social and environmental impact is deeply rewarding.

How have the first couple of months been for Eco Ventures Counsel?

It has been amazing! We’ve brought together some of the world’s leading law firms and enabled them to assist vital green tech ventures in the UK. To their huge credit, the firms are giving so much incredible legal support to green tech ventures, all for free, all with the goal of benefitting the planet. We’re already seeing the Cohort 1 ventures tangibly benefit from the pro bono legal support from the firms.

Linklaters has been especially helpful in the opening months of Eco Ventures Counsel. I have been working closely with the Linklaters Pro Bono team and a project lead team in Mainstream Corporate since I started Eco Ventures Counsel, and to be working with such a fantastic firm as Linklaters has been brilliant.

What’s next for Eco Ventures Counsel?

Climate innovators are everywhere and require all manner of help as they strive to save our planet. With that in mind, we have ambitions to expand the programme in a few ways. We’ll include more firms in EVC to support UK ventures in Cohort 2 from November. We’re generally looking to provide support from sectors outside of law too. Finally, the climate emergency is a global issue so we’re also aiming to support green tech ventures in other territories in the future.