For Commonwealth Games legal director Stuart Corbishley, clear career aspirations and a whole lot of hard work led to a stint in one of the world's craziest cities. Claire Chaffey reports.

When Stuart Corbishley first saw a monkey in his office, he knew he wasn't in Kansas anymore. As he passed the monkey in the stairwell, briefly making eye contact with the creature as it went on its merry way, it was a surreal moment which reinforced for Corbishley the unusual and somewhat exotic nature of his job.

A former Allens Arthur Robinson lawyer, Corbishley is now Deputy Director General Legal of the Organising Committee for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and, despite the fact "deputy" appears in his title, he is charged with heading up the committee's legal department.

And having been in India since June last year, Corbishley is certainly relishing the experience, monkeys and all.

"The Games are on in October and it has been a hell of a ride!" says Corbishley.

"It's a crazy, fascinating, frustrating place, but I am thoroughly enjoying the work I am doing."

An Englishman, Corbishley spent five years working for CMS Cameron & McKenna in London before moving to Australia and landing a position with Allens in Sydney.

While mergers & acquisitions and corporate & commercial were his game, after four years with Allens, Corbishley began to look for something different.

"To be honest, I got to the stage where I wanted to use my legal experience in an industry I found interesting and was passionate about," he says.

"I have always felt passionately about sport and I thought it would be a great environment to be working in."

His decision made, Corbishley spent the next four years carving out a future for himself in the sporting industry, and was soon advising clients such as the Australian Rugby Union, the Australian Olympic Committee, V8 Supercars, the Ultimate Fighting Championships and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) through his work at Allens.

After four years of hard work and some serious networking, the organising committee offered Corbishley the position in Delhi, much to his delight.

"A job like this is very hard to get. There aren't many of them around, and you just have to be incredibly determined," says Corbishley.

"When I first started on this route, I worked out what skills and experience I needed to develop and really focused on trying to gain that experience. You have to work very hard and speak to a lot of people. I was fortunate that Allens had such a diverse client base."

Since his appointment, Corbishley has been on the organising committee bandwagon which will, in a matter of months, deliver one of the world's biggest sporting events.

"It is an absolutely huge job, but it is fascinating," he says.

"You have to have a really broad understanding of a whole range of issues. You don't necessarily have to know it all, but you need to know when there's an issue and when you have to get someone who does know to help. It definitely keeps you on your toes and it's a very busy time."

Legal duties aside - such as negotiating broadcasting, sponsorship and merchandise deals and protecting intellectual property rights - Corbishley also has to deal with various cultural anomalies in the workplace.

"I am lucky in the sense that I spent time travelling in India as a backpacker many years ago ... so I am savvy with India, but having said that, working in India is quite different to travelling there," he says.

One of the biggest differences, says Corbishley, is the Indian concept of time, which tends to be quite fluid.

"One of the great lessons I learned early on is that when someone says 'I'll meet you at 11 o'clock' it doesn't necessarily mean they'll meet you at 11 o'clock, it just means they won't meet you before 11 o'clock," he says.

"Things are quite flexible, so in the context of the Games where timelines just won't be flexible, I think there will be challenges. But the organising committee is very confident about pulling everything together. They often liken it to an Indian wedding: it may seem chaotic, but at the last minute it all comes together and it's a fantastic event."

Corbishley is also acutely aware of cultural differences outside the workplace, and can't help but be affected by what he sees when going to and from work.

"I think it's fair to say you're never hidden away ... The poverty is quite stark, as is the affluence," he says. "You see a lot of big houses and nice BMWs, and then there is a guy pushing a heavy cart up the road with kids hanging off it, kids on the side of the road doing paving work ... the contrast is unbelievable."

But Corbishley sees the Commonwealth Games as a huge positive for the country, which is undergoing drastic beautification and redevelopment. "There is a huge amount of development going on. The venues themselves are being constructed, but also just general infrastructure, such as roads and the new metro ... it really is being used as a catalyst to put through public works programs which may have been delayed for a couple of years," he says.

"India is very excited about the event."

As with all major events, though, they can't run forever, and Corbishley will be returning to Sydney at the end of November.

But with such a significant event under his belt, he is looking forward to his next sporting challenge.

"One of the great things about being involved in an event like this, and having this kind of experience, is that you get the chance to meet such a wide range of people working within the sports and events industry," he says.

"I have made some great contacts, friends and colleagues over the last year, so I am excited about the future."

Until then, Corbishley will be pouring all his energy into ensuring that the Games go off without a hitch and, from time to time, avoiding the monkeys in the office.

"They're not overly friendly," he says.

"You need to keep your distance."