Deepak Iyer’s journey to his current role at Geotab, a global telematics leader, has been defined by agility, ambition, and a willingness to embrace complexity. With an early start supporting startups and managing a personal entrepreneurial endeavour, he entered law school knowing he wanted more than just a conventional legal career. “I wanted to be more than just a lawyer, where I’m sitting and not immersed in the business,” Iyer explains, reflecting on his initial goal of pursuing an in-house counsel path from the outset.
Despite this ambition, Iyer heeded advice from senior lawyers, first building foundational experience in private practice. His early years included Bay Street-style big law work, notably M&A transactions for a US firm’s Canadian office, followed by technology-focused work at a boutique Toronto firm. This stint proved pivotal as he gained a firsthand look into what in-house counsel life might entail. “When I re-dipped my feet into that world, I just knew,” he says. The decision to move in-house was, by then, not just a career aspiration but an inevitable step.
His first significant in-house role at FCT, an insurance company, allowed him to carve out a specialty in data and privacy law. As the company expanded its data-as-a-business strategy, Iyer played an integral role in building the necessary policies and frameworks. His engagement with privacy law was far from planned, initially stemming from a gap in leadership when the company’s chief privacy officer left. The experience was transformative, immersing him in the intersection of data management, privacy compliance, and business strategy.
Iyer then moved to Geotab, where he found alignment between his skills and the company’s collaborative, dynamic legal environment. “Geotab is unique – everyone is a generalist, exposed to every part of the company,” he notes, praising the culture fostered by the legal team and its leadership.
At Geotab, Iyer’s responsibilities are wide-ranging, from handling RFPs to negotiating master seller agreement, reseller agreements, and data protection agreements. The work, he admits, comes with a steep learning curve. Global data protection laws add another layer of intricacy to his role, requiring a nuanced understanding of regional variations. “You can’t use the same strategy for the US as you would for Italy or Australia,” Iyer explains, underscoring how business and cultural norms significantly influence legal approaches.
Geotab’s legal team relies on a group effort to stay compliant with evolving regulations, leveraging internal expertise and cross-departmental collaboration. The team uses readiness packages and compliance resources to stay ahead of regulatory changes in markets like Brazil, the EU, and Australia. Iyer views this collaborative approach as essential, particularly given the company’s global footprint.
One of the pressing challenges Iyer faces is cybersecurity, an area he sees as inextricably tied to privacy. With new regulations emerging globally, Geotab’s strategy is to exceed baseline legal requirements to future-proof its operations. This proactive approach is guided by what Iyer calls “optionality,” ensuring flexibility across global markets. “We don’t need to apply GDPR standards to ourselves in certain jurisdictions, but we do because it’s the highest standard,” he says.
For aspiring in-house lawyers, Iyer offers straightforward advice: agility is key. “You have to remain open to being uncomfortable,” he says, describing the rapid decision-making and inherent uncertainty of in-house roles. This stands in stark contrast to private practice, where lawyers often have the luxury of time to craft detailed analyses. “The first year in-house is terrifying,” Iyer admits, but for those willing to embrace the challenge, it’s also deeply rewarding.
Reflecting on his advice for external law firms, Iyer highlights the importance of practicality and understanding the business context. He praises lawyers who frame advice within the specific circumstances of their clients. “Tell me how the law applies to this exact situation,” he urges, noting that lengthy memos often fail to address the immediate needs of in-house counsel. His examples of standout external advisors underline the value of experience paired with pragmatism.
In the broader context of his career, Iyer sees the in-house role as uniquely fulfilling. “In-house is so much fun,” he says, describing the mix of legal and business challenges. While acknowledging the inherent difficulties, he expresses a genuine passion for the work. For Iyer, the combination of strategic involvement and hands-on problem-solving makes his role at Geotab a perfect fit.