Apurv Mehraa : Sculpting The Intersection Of Law, Ethics, & Creativity Into Competitive Advantage
Apurv Mehraa
Chief Legal Officer
No longer just the internal gatekeeper or the voice of caution, the CLO is stepping into the creative arena, shaping campaigns, reviewing narratives, and ensuring that bold ideas don’t become legal liabilities.
It’s a role that demands a rare combination of strategic insight, legal expertise, and creative empathy. Few professionals embody that balance as naturally as Apurv Mehraa, Chief Legal Officer at Phehchan Brand Solutions.
At Phehchan, a consultancy that uniquely blends legal intelligence with brand strategy, Apurv is helping redefine the relationship between law and marketing. His journey began in the world of traditional legal practice, but a pivotal stint at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) opened his eyes to something deeper: the disconnect between legal teams and creative minds. It wasn’t that brands wanted to break rules. More often, it was that the rules were misunderstood, misapplied, or simply never brought into the conversation at the right time.
That insight sparked something bigger. With Phehchan, Apurv set out not just to interpret the law for marketers but to build a shared language between compliance and creativity.
Today, he partners with everyone from legacy brands to fast-scaling startups, ensuring their communication remains not only impactful but also ethically sound and above board.
In a landscape where one misstep can unravel hardearned trust, his work is both preventive and empowering. When done right, legal is not a stop sign. It becomes a strategic advantage that helps brands move forward with confidence.
In the conversation ahead, Apurv reflects on his journey, his mission, and how legal thinking can unlock truly credible story telling. Let’s read on.
What’s your approach to staying ahead of legal risks through proactive planning?
Proactive legal planning at Phehchan is rooted in the belief that compliance is an ongoing process, not a final goal. The approach begins with 'legal foresight,' where potential risks are anticipated through scenario mapping and analysis of past complaint data.
Legal checkpoints are then integrated into every stage of the campaign lifecycle, from script reviews to postlaunch content. Finally, education plays a key role, with workshops and SOPs helping creative teams understand legal boundaries.
This three-tiered strategy ensures that risk is managed collaboratively and early, reducing the need for damage control and fostering a culture of shared account ability.
How do you ensure legal compliance aligns seamlessly with broader business goals?
Balancing business goals with legal compliance is central to my work. On one side are objectives like attention and conversions; on the other is a regulatory framework designed to protect consumers and uphold ethics.
At Phehchan, we embrace 'compliance-informed creativity,' where legal principles guide campaigns from the start, sharpening clarity rather than limiting ideas.
For bold claims, we ask if they can be proven; if not, we find impactful alternatives. Our dual advisory approach blends strategic marketing insight with legal expertise, ensuring brand growth and legal protection go hand in hand. Legal is not a gatekeeper but a guardian of lasting brand trust and value.
Can you describe your leadership style and the key principles or methods you rely on as a leader?
My leadership is grounded in three core beliefs: clarity of purpose, context-driven autonomy and shared responsibility. At Phehchan, where lawyers, strategists, and marketers work together, I focus on explaining the 'why' rather than dictating the 'how,' trusting the team to find the best path.
I prioritize creating systems like SOPs and feedback loops to enable independent action. I also practice visible vulner ability by sharing my own mistakes to foster psychological safety. For me, leadership is less about authority and more about quietly supporting bold, innovative decisions.
Legal checkpoints are then integrated into every stage of the campaign lifecycle, from script reviews to postlaunch content. Finally, education plays a key role, with workshops and SOPs helping creative teams understand legal boundaries.
This three-tiered strategy ensures that risk is managed collaboratively and early, reducing the need for damage control and fostering a culture of shared account ability.
I’m shaping Phehchan to be India’s most trusted & agile partner at the crossroads of law, brand strategy, & risk manage -ment
How do you ensure legal compliance aligns seamlessly with broader business goals?
Balancing business goals with legal compliance is central to my work. On one side are objectives like attention and conversions; on the other is a regulatory framework designed to protect consumers and uphold ethics.
At Phehchan, we embrace 'compliance-informed creativity,' where legal principles guide campaigns from the start, sharpening clarity rather than limiting ideas.
For bold claims, we ask if they can be proven; if not, we find impactful alternatives. Our dual advisory approach blends strategic marketing insight with legal expertise, ensuring brand growth and legal protection go hand in hand. Legal is not a gatekeeper but a guardian of lasting brand trust and value.
Can you describe your leadership style and the key principles or methods you rely on as a leader?
My leadership is grounded in three core beliefs: clarity of purpose, context-driven autonomy and shared responsibility. At Phehchan, where lawyers, strategists, and marketers work together, I focus on explaining the 'why' rather than dictating the 'how,' trusting the team to find the best path.
I prioritize creating systems like SOPs and feedback loops to enable independent action. I also practice visible vulner ability by sharing my own mistakes to foster psychological safety. For me, leadership is less about authority and more about quietly supporting bold, innovative decisions.
How do you stay informed about industry trends to effectively guide your organization into the future?
Curiosity drives me to stay updated in a rapidly changing advertising and legal landscape. I keep track of evolving regulatory guidelines, learn from brand missteps in the media, and monitor emerging marketing trends like user-generated content and AI-driven ads.
Understanding cross-border cases that may influence Indian norms is also crucial. Beyond legal updates, I prioritize learning about storytelling, consumer psychology, and platforms pecific behaviors. Internally, we conduct monthly learning sessions to analyze recent cases and explore hypothetical scenarios, ensuring we remain prepared for an uncertain future.
What is the ultimate vision or goal you are striving to achieve?
The destination I’m striving for goes beyond mere growth; it’s about building a lasting legacy. I’m shaping Phehchan to be India’s most trusted and agile partner at the crossroads of law, brand strategy, and risk management. As the industry evolves, so must how we approach trust, compliance, and communication.
In the near term, we aim to scale access for SMEs through a tailored ERP and legal advisory system, empowering smaller businesses that lack in-house counsel. At the same time, we deepen compliance rigor for enterprise brands with tools like real-time vetting dashboards and AI-integrated substantiation systems to prevent reputational risks.
Looking further ahead, I envision Phehchan becoming a catalyst for a compliance culture where legal teams are seen as brand enablers rather than obstacles. Our ultimate goal is to embed clarity, credibility, and responsibility into every campaign, helping brands not just keep pace with the future but lead it confidently and responsibly.
Apurv Mehraa, Chief Legal Officer, Phehchan Brand Solutions
With extensive experience at the Advertising Standards Council of India, Apurv Mehraa leads Phehchan Brand Solutions as Chief Legal Officer, blending legal expertise with strategic marketing to help brands communicate credibly, creatively, and compliantly in a rapidly evolving landscape. Apurv helps brands do bolder work that’s legally sound and commercially sharp. He pairs legal rigor with creative strategy so daring ideas stay dispute-proof and win in market.
Curiosity drives me to stay updated in a rapidly changing advertising and legal landscape. I keep track of evolving regulatory guidelines, learn from brand missteps in the media, and monitor emerging marketing trends like user-generated content and AI-driven ads.
Understanding cross-border cases that may influence Indian norms is also crucial. Beyond legal updates, I prioritize learning about storytelling, consumer psychology, and platforms pecific behaviors. Internally, we conduct monthly learning sessions to analyze recent cases and explore hypothetical scenarios, ensuring we remain prepared for an uncertain future.
What is the ultimate vision or goal you are striving to achieve?
The destination I’m striving for goes beyond mere growth; it’s about building a lasting legacy. I’m shaping Phehchan to be India’s most trusted and agile partner at the crossroads of law, brand strategy, and risk management. As the industry evolves, so must how we approach trust, compliance, and communication.
In the near term, we aim to scale access for SMEs through a tailored ERP and legal advisory system, empowering smaller businesses that lack in-house counsel. At the same time, we deepen compliance rigor for enterprise brands with tools like real-time vetting dashboards and AI-integrated substantiation systems to prevent reputational risks.
Looking further ahead, I envision Phehchan becoming a catalyst for a compliance culture where legal teams are seen as brand enablers rather than obstacles. Our ultimate goal is to embed clarity, credibility, and responsibility into every campaign, helping brands not just keep pace with the future but lead it confidently and responsibly.
Apurv Mehraa, Chief Legal Officer, Phehchan Brand Solutions
With extensive experience at the Advertising Standards Council of India, Apurv Mehraa leads Phehchan Brand Solutions as Chief Legal Officer, blending legal expertise with strategic marketing to help brands communicate credibly, creatively, and compliantly in a rapidly evolving landscape. Apurv helps brands do bolder work that’s legally sound and commercially sharp. He pairs legal rigor with creative strategy so daring ideas stay dispute-proof and win in market.