Ep. 110: What Corporate Clients Wish Their Lawyers Knew with Nandini Nair

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Nandini Nair—partner at A.Y. Strauss, former Global General Counsel for a multinational corporation, immigration compliance attorney, and fractional GC—for a conversation that most lawyers never get to hear: what corporate clients actually wish their outside counsel knew. Nandini has sat on both sides of the table. She knows what it feels like to receive a ten-page memo when you needed three bullet points. She knows what it's like to get billed for a two-minute conversation. And she knows exactly what separates the outside counsel that gets called once from the one that becomes a trusted partner for years. In this episode, she shares it all — directly, practically, and without sugarcoating. What we explore: ✅ Business Answers, Not Legal Answers: Why corporate clients don't need more legal analysis — they need someone who understands how their business actually runs and can translate risk into decisions. ✅ Stop Being Transactional: Why billing for every email and every conversation is quietly killing your client relationships — and what the subscription model alternative looks like in practice. ✅ The LinkedIn Strategy: How Nandini stays connected with every client by following them on LinkedIn — and why a simple congratulatory call about a new hire has led to some of her most valuable relationships. ✅ Proactive Risk Assessment: Why giving clients the same generic checklist everyone else gives them — including what ChatGPT spits out — is no longer enough to differentiate your firm. ✅ The Origin That Drives It All: How arriving in the US at age 8, speaking no English and barely knowing her own parents, shaped the way Nandini shows up for every client she serves. If you work with corporate clients — or want to — this episode is your inside guide to what they actually need from you. 📌 Connect with Nandini Nair:  LinkedIn: Nandini Nair Website: aystrauss.com  Email: [email protected] 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:  🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory.  👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/  📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on:  🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com  📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup  💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice  Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers:  🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers  🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice  🔹 Website: rubypowers.com  🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07  Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/  CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731