India’s legal market Intelligence report

A guide to
India’s legal
market

India Business Law Journal assesses the state of the Indian legal
market and discovers that recruitment challenges, rising costs,
a move towards specialization and the perceived threats and
opportunities posed by foreign firms are the issues of the day
Vandana Chatlani reports

Editorial analysis: Page 2

Directory of Indian law firms: Page 9
July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 1
Intelligence report
A
n Indian lawyer once remarked: “Anyone with-
out an Indian strategy right now is looking like
a fool.” Such a statement couldn’t ring more
true than it does today. Domestic law firms are
inundated with work despite the market slump
in the West, and Indian corporates are more bullish than
ever before about investing in assets overseas. “It’s a very
rosy picture so far as the development of the legal market
is concerned,” says Lalit Bhasin, president of the Society
of Indian Law Firms.
The haphazard change in regulations continues to
keep Indian lawyers on their toes, curbing innovation to
some extent, but demanding it in other cases to structure
sophisticated deals constrained by time. As Gautam Bhat
of Thakker & Thakker says jokingly, “There’s such a lack of
clarity, even with the regulations ... we should outsource
law-making to the UK!”
Legal courtship
The burning anticipation of liberalization within the legal
sector has been reduced to a flicker. With elections on the
horizon, lawyers are aware that there are more pressing pri-
orities on the political agenda than deliberating on whether
to allow the entry of foreign law firms. In spite of the res-
pite, endeavours towards specialization are noticeable in
many Indian firms as they begin to strategize their services
according to key strengths in an attempt to compete with
their foreign counterparts.
“The impact of foreign firms is undeniable,” says Rohan
Shah of Economic Laws Practice. “There’s an elephant in
the room. Do you want to acknowledge it?”
While foreign firms remain banned from establishing a
physical presence in the country, many are seeking a foot-
hold in the market by entering into formal or informal tie-
ups with Indian firms. So far, only a handful of firms (pub-
licly at least) have gone down this route – Trilegal’s tie-up
with Allen & Overy and Talwar Thakore & Associates’ close
relationship with Linklaters are among the most high profile
marriages to date – but if the political inertia over the entry
of foreign firms continues, many more tie-ups are likely to
be announced in the coming years.
As Abhijit Joshi of AZB & Partners puts it: “Everyone is
flirting with everybody.”
“We see at least two foreign firms at our practice a
week,” adds Dina Dattani of Nishith Desai Associates,
a 79-lawyer firm with offices in Mumbai, Bangalore,
Singapore and the US.
The dilemma facing all players in this international game
of legal dating is which partner to choose and whether an
exclusive tie-up would put an end to lucrative referrals
from other firms. They should also be aware that tie-ups
are not necessarily problem-free. As Shobhan Thakore of
Talwar Thakore & Associates reveals, “We’re getting a lot
of know-how from Linklaters ... but we’re also competing
with them for staff.”
Professional fragmentation
Tie-ups and consolidation might be the buzzwords of
the moment, but the old-fashioned trend towards frag-
mentation in the Indian legal market is still alive and well.
“Consolidation is happening,” says Sumes Dewan, a part-
ner at KR Chawla & Co in New Delhi, but “there are [also]
splinter groups emerging from major law firms.”
2 India Business Law Journal
India’s legal market
One of the most talked about departures this year was
the breakaway from Amarchand Mangaldas, one of the
country’s top firms, of MP Bharucha, his wife Alka and
son Justin, together with a team of 10 lawyers. Active in
the market for only four months, the new firm, Bharucha &
Partners, has already completed some impressive deals.
“Things are even better than we expected them to be,”
says partner Alka Bharucha. The highlight was advising
Idea Cellular on its acquisition of Spice, India’s largest tel-
ecom buyout to date. “It is by far the most complex deal
I’ve done in 20 years of M&A” Alka Bharucha says.
MP Bharucha cites personal reasons for his decision to
leave Amarchand. Others, however, believe his move may
be indicative of a wider change in the legal market.
“I think we’ve accepted that you can’t expect a person
to be permanently associated with a firm because of differ-
ences in terms of ideologies and different considerations,”
says Preeti Mehta of Kanga & Co. “Earlier the ideology was
centred on loyalty – there was a lot of emphasis on that.
I think that’s changing somewhat in some of the firms ...
Of course the underlying consideration is what is better in
terms of material gains.”
It’s a very rosy picture so far as
the development of the legal
market is concerned
Lalit Bhasin
President
Society of Indian Law Firms
Despite losing two partners and 11 associates as a result
of the Bharucha breakaway, Amarchand Mangaldas has
retained its status as one of India’s preeminent full-service
firms. It recently added 10 partners to its fold and with a
current strength of around 400 lawyers, it is virtually neck
and neck with FoxMandal Little in the race to be India’s
largest law firm.
Rising salaries and prices
While the wealth of clients investing into and out of
India is keeping domestic firms on their toes, the pool of
talented professionals needed to handle the burgeoning
portfolios is quickly drying up. Between 25,000 and 30,000
lawyers graduate in India each year, however, the problems
of recruitment and attrition continue to pressurize firms
across the board.
The challenge of finding, hiring and retaining qualified
and experienced professionals to manoeuvre the complex
regulatory framework, remains a common refrain across all
law firms. And not just domestic law firms. Foreign firms,
July/August 2008
India’s legal market
multinational corporations, in-house counsel and outsourc-
ing vendors are all devising new tactics and salary pack-
ages to attract the cream of India’s legal fraternity.
“Recruitment is tough,” says partner Lira Goswami of
Delhi-based Associated Law Advisers. “Lots of lawyers are
still recruited by foreign firms. We’re losing candidates to
multinational corporations, legal process outsourcers and
in-house counsel.”
“The attrition rate is still quite a challenge,” concurs
Dattani of Nishith Desai Associates. “Incentivizing your
employees has still been a big issue.”
To add to the woes of recruitment and attrition, salaries
across the board have increased by as much as 100%
in the past year. Rising salaries are inevitably pushing up
billing rates and some lawyers worry that India will lose its
competitive edge in terms of pricing. A few Indian firms are
now charging their clients US$400-500 per hour, a similar
rate to legal fees in China and Japan.
More appealing remuneration packages have affected
junior lawyers’ sense of loyalty and commitment. As some
firms point out, it is now common for junior associates
to jump from one firm to another because of competitive
starting salaries.
“It’s a challenge to [recruit] people who are competent
and able, especially in a market where there’s so much
volatility,” explains Rajesh Begur, the managing partner of
ARA Law, a mid-size firm that brands itself as a specialist
practice predominantly handling private equity and capital
markets deals.
Far from simply approaching potential candidates at
university campuses in metropolitan cities, foreign corpo-
rations and law firms are employing every means at their
disposal to find and recruit the brightest young lawyers.
“Multinational corporations are now venturing into tier
two and tier three cities to recruit lawyers,” says Maneck
Mulla, a partner at Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe, a
Mumbai-based general practice firm that has been heavily
involved in shipping and infrastructure projects.
“The constraint of getting good hands has always
been there, it’s not peculiar to this particular time,”
remarks RS Loona of Alliance Corporate Lawyers, a
Mumbai-based firm that specializes in securities law.
Prior to establishing his firm, Loona was the executive
director in charge of legal issues at the Securities and
Exchange Board of India.
Loona is quick to point out that rising salaries is a trend
seen more at corporate firms. “The demand of those law
firms that are litigation-oriented is not that high. You have
associates with much lower remuneration. It is generally
believed by people that corporate law is more complex and
you need more competent people for that kind of work.”
But while corporate work may be seen as more desir-
able, litigation is still by far the larger part of the Indian
legal profession and several firms including Karanjawala &
Co, Advani & Co, Bhasin & Co and Kachwaha & Partners,
to name just a few, have built strong reputations for their
prowess in dispute resolution.
“We have an extremely litigious government,” notes
Ramni Taneja, a lawyer with 28 years’ experience. “That
has always been a major problem. The bulk of practice is at
the bar and in the courts, 98% is in the courts – corporate
firms are at the fringe.” Taneja was formerly a partner in the
Delhi office of Little & Co. She left to start her own prac-
tice – Law Office of Ramni Taneja – shortly after Little & Co
became part of FoxMandal Little.
July/August 2008
Intelligence report
Home sweet home
While recruitment is certainly one of the most acute
problems currently facing India’s law firms, many non-
resident-Indian lawyers are returning from overseas to
take advantage of the flourishing markets at home. Some
believe the attraction of foreign pastures is fading as the
economic downturn takes hold in the West and opportu-
nities to work on big-ticket deals decline as a result.
“Because of the slowdown in the West, there has been
a surge of applicants returning from overseas,” explains
partner Rajat Sethi of S&R Associates, a young Delhi-
based firm that has grown in size with the recent appoint-
ment of Juhi Singh and Niti Dixit as equity partners.
“People feel there’s more action in India”, says Sethi.
“We’ve recently recruited a third year associate from
Skadden in New York.”
Although Sethi’s firm was only established three years
ago, it has already secured high profile clients such as
Sony, India Equity Partners, Henderson, Bear Capital and
Standard Chartered. Recent highlights include represent-
ing Vodafone Essar in the formation of a tower infrastruc-
ture joint venture between Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and
Idea Cellular.
Badri Narayanan, a lawyer who recently returned to
India to join tax specialist Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan,
shares Sethi’s sentiments: “More Indian nationals trained
abroad are coming back. We have the opportunity to
work on high-end contentious cases here to start with.”
According to the US-qualified lawyer, a few months
spent working in India is more rewarding in terms of expe-
rience than years of work in the US. Having compared
the distinctive models required for legal success in both
jurisdictions, Narayanan says he prefers the approach
adopted by Indian firms. “Being a lawyer in India is a lot
more entrepreneurial, the work is intuitive and logical ...
we see things from a client’s perspective.”
“There is a huge variation in the skills required for liti-
gation work in the US and India,” Narayanan continues.
“Both are adversarial, but in the US you’re expected to
do a lot of writing and preparation, while in India there is
a major emphasis on oral advocacy. In the US there are a
lot more checks and balances with written submissions,
so your room for creativity is curtailed.”
The impact of foreign firms
is undeniable ... There’s an
elephant in the room. Do you
want to acknowledge it?
Rohan Shah
Managing Partner
Economic Laws Practice
India Business Law Journal 3
Intelligence report India’s legal market

Professional growth and independence aren’t the only Some of the key players in New Delhi
factors that have brought people back, as Narayanan Akash Chittranshi & Associates
points out. “It’s a good chance to be with family and con-
tribute to the Indian economy.” Amarchand Mangaldas
Narayanan’s new firm, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, Amarjit & Associates
is expected to merge soon with fellow tax specialist Anand and Anand
Vaish Associates. The combined law firm will consist of
approximately 200 professionals and will be the largest Associated Law Advisers
tax firm in India. Under the guidance of managing partner AZB & Partners
Bomi Daruwalla, Vaish is presently representing generics
Bhasin & Co
company Ranbaxy in its merger with pharmaceuticals
giant Daiichi Sankyo. Chadha & Chadha
Chitale & Chitale Partners
A trend towards specialization
Dua Associates

In spite of their limited size, the majority of Indian law Dubey & Partners
firms are general practice outfits, claiming proficiency in FoxMandal Little
most areas of corporate and commercial law. But client
Hemant Sahai Associates
demands are changing this.
“We’re seeing the need for specialization and the Inttl Advocare
need for domain knowledge”, says Jyoti Sagar, found- J Sagar Associates
ing partner of J Sagar Associates, one of India’s leading
K&S Partners
Kachwaha & Partners
Everyone is flirting with Khaitan & Co
everybody Khaitan & Partners
Abhijit Joshi King Stubb & Kasiva
Partner Kochhar & Co
AZB & Partners KR Chawla & Co
Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
Lall & Sethi
Lall Lahiri & Salhotra
Law Office of Ramni Taneja
Lex Orbis
LexCounsel
Luthra & Luthra
New Delhi Law Offices
firms. “The market is getting to a stage where expertise OP Khaitan & Co
is required ... Practice groups have become even clearer P&A Law Offices
in the last year or so.” J Sagar Associates’ prominence
Premnath Rai Associates
is marked by its visibility on impressive deals such as
Wal-Mart’s entry into India; Reliance Energy’s 4,000 MW PSA
power project; and India’s largest energy project financ- Rajinder Narain & Co
ing transaction, valued at US$3.5 billion.
“Clients are much more demanding and expect you S&R Associates
to possess specialized knowledge,” agrees Chetan Seth Associates
Chadha, a partner at Delhi-based Chadha & Chadha, an Seth Dua & Associates
intellectual property firm that counts Samsung among
its clients. Singh & Associates
“More firms are coming up with boutiques,” concurs Singhania & Partners
Krrishan Singhania of Mumbai-based Singhania & Co.
Subramaniam Nataraj & Associates
“Ultimately we also have to show we are specializing.”
With nearly 55 lawyers, Mumbai-based Majmudar & Suri & Company
Co recognizes how specializing in particular fields may Swarup & Company
provide benefits to its clients. “We have nurtured and
Titus & Co
significantly picked up our tax structuring practice,” says
partner Neerav Merchant. “Just a handful of firms are Trilegal
involved in this area, which is an important component Tuli & Co
of foreign direct investment. Most firms would send this
Vaish Associates
kind of work to auditing and accounting firms but we

4 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

India’s legal market
have the specialization to advise on this in-house.”
Often overwhelmed with work, it would perhaps be
understandable if established practices were to overlook
the need for specialization. Firms such as Solomon & Co,
however, have capitalized on their historic expertise. Set
up in 1909, the firm served maharajas and maharanis in
real estate disputes and continues to advise clients in
the area of traditional real estate – relating to agricultural
land and tenancy issues – as well as real estate fund
investments. “We have a wide client base in this area
and continue to represent local property developers,”
says partner Aaron Solomon.
Firms like DSK Legal are sharpening their skills in dis-
tinctive domains in order to retain a healthy client base.
The full-service firm has shifted its focus over the last two
years to private equity, servicing up to 48 firms including
Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Templeton, Clearwater
Capital and HDFC. Noted for its strength in dispute
resolution, the firm also prides itself on its knowledge of
technology, an area which remains blurry in courts. “Data
theft is a colossal area which the law hasn’t addressed,”
says managing partner Anand Desai. “It’s a dark hole.
We have an IT Act that doesn’t contain what it should ...
it’s inapplicable to cyber-security. E-security is a global
problem ... banks are unofficially saying they lose 3% of
revenue every year due to online fraud.”
Juris Corp is one firm that has not shied away from
carving a niche for itself. The eight-year-old full-service
firm, supported by 36 professionals who are on average
26 years of age, has built its specialization not on a set of
practice areas, but on a set of clients. It targets its legal
services at major banks and financial institutions.
Other practices that enjoy good reputations for their
Back to the books: Clients are demanding a higher
degree of specialization from their law firms.
July/August 2008
Intelligence report
Consolidation is happening ...
there are [also] splinter groups
emerging from major law firms
Sumes Dewan
Partner
KR Chawla & Co
work in specialist fields include Gandhi & Associates,
a nine-lawyer firm that handles capital markets, private
equity, M&A and media-related transactions; Narasappa
Doraswamy & Raja Advocates, a Bangalore firm prac-
tising corporate, banking and technology law; Hemant
Sahai Associates, a 45-lawyer firm actively involved in
energy, mining, infrastructure and carbon-credit transac-
tions; and Law Quest, a Mumbai-based firm advising on
immigration, real estate and commercial law.
Krishna & Saurastri, Aditya & Associates, Inttl
Advocare, SKS Law Associates, Lall Lahiri & Salhotra,
and K&S Partners all specialize in intellectual property
work, while Wadia Ghandy & Co is renowned for its bank-
ing expertise. Dave & Girish & Co and Suri & Company
are well-established finance boutiques and AKS Law
Associates is a 24-lawyer firm with expertise in real
estate and dispute resolution. Tuli & Co is one of India’s
few insurance law specialists. Based in Delhi, the firm
works on contentious and non-contentious insurance
cases and enjoys a close relationship with Eversheds of
the UK. Agarwal Law Associates is a medium-sized firm
specializing in corporate and commercial litigation, M&A
and capital markets.
DM Harish & Co focuses heavily on property and tax
law, while Chennai-based Global Business Solutions is
an IP-centric firm. Krishnamurthy & Co is a Bangalore-
based corporate, IP and real estate practice with offices in
Mysore, Mumbai and Chennai. Singh & Singh Advocates
is a mid-sized Delhi firm specializing in IP, telecoms and
corporate litigation.
While specialization has proved necessary in order to
fulfil the needs of an increasingly sophisticated market,
it is also essential for lawyers to keep abreast of new
trends and demands in the market and hone their skills
accordingly.
“We’re an IP firm but we’ve broadened our scope to
advise on media law, advertising and IT,” explains Akash
Chittranshi, managing partner of IP boutique Akash
Chittranshi & Associates. “We’ve been doing a lot of
work on securing customized content delivery tools and
software. Tremendous local content is being created and
getting exported in huge quantities. If I look back in the
last 6-7 months I would say more than half of my non-
contentious advisory revenue is coming from this kind
of work.”
India Business Law Journal 5
Intelligence report India’s legal market

Sensing a slowdown? based thermal power stations, and also advising the Delhi
Integrated Multi Model Transit System on a scheme for
Despite the fact that businesses in the West have their private participation in the city’s public transport system.
heads in their hands over the financial turmoil that has Firms focusing largely on capital markets transactions
plagued the markets for the last six months, lawyers in have a different picture to paint. The markets have been
India have been extremely busy. Some experts are predict- very quiet for the last six months. Nevertheless, many
ing that a domino effect will soon find lawyers in India with believe a recovery is around the corner. A large number of
less work on their plates, but others are confident that the deals are in the pipeline; on hold until valuations are cor-
inundation of work will continue unabated, forcing some to rected. Once conditions improve, a flurry of capital markets
go as far as turning clients away. activity can be expected.
“There’s no evidence of a slowdown or collapse,”
remarks Rajiv Luthra, managing partner of Delhi-based Expansion efforts
Luthra & Luthra. “There has been a big slowdown in capital
markets, but we have 11 transactions live right now.” With M&A as its bread and butter, AZB & Partners con-
Often present on big-ticket deals, the firm is busy with tinues to enhance its reputation as one of India’s most
a variety of assignments from railway projects in Mexico, well-respected full-service firms. Under the guidance of
to assisting in the financing of a US$2 billion refinery
in Bhatinda. The firm recently created a new tax wing,
appointing 15 lawyers to further enhance its capabilities. Some of the key players in Mumbai
Other firms are more worried. “Interest rates have Advani & Co
increased and this will directly cause a slowdown in out-
Alliance Corporate Lawyers
bound M&A,” predicts Suparna Sacchar, a partner with
OP Khaitan & Co, a full-service firm with 25 lawyers that ALMT Legal
focuses largely on corporate and commercial work. Amarchand Mangaldas
But if the slowdown does reach as far as India, many
lawyers are optimistic that it will be a cloud with a silver ARA Law
lining. “We expect a lot of consolidation and restructur- AZB & Partners
ing work will come up ... there will be strategic sell-outs Bharucha & Partners
like Ranbaxy,” says Rabindra Jhunjhunwala at Khaitan &
Co, one of India’s largest firms with almost 180 lawyers. Crawford Bayley & Company
Khaitan & Co’s client list includes Suzlon Energy, Mahindra Dave & Girish & Co
& Mahindra, Tommy Hilfiger and HDFC. Desai & Diwanji
While some firms are gearing up to profit from restructur-
ing and consolidation work that normally peaks during eco- DH Law Associates
nomic downturns, others are pursuing areas in which strong DSK Legal
growth seems assured for years to come. Infrastructure is Economic Laws Practice
one such area which Manju Mohotra, CEO of Singhania &
Partners, believes is promising. “Infrastructure has been FoxMandal Little
huge for us. That’s one sector that’s really happening in Gagrats
India. Our infrastructure practice has grown tremendously Hathi & Partners
– it’s not just a niche.” The firm is representing Punjab
State Electricity Board for the setup of two 1,200 MW coal- J Sagar Associates
Juris Corp
Kanga & Company
Lots of lawyers are still
Khaitan & Co
recruited by foreign firms.
Krishna & Saurastri
We’re losing candidates to
Law Quest
multinational corporations, Majmudar & Co
legal process outsourcers and Manilal Kher Ambalal & Co
in-house counsel Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe
Lira Goswami Nishith Desai Associates
Partner Singhania & Co
Associated Law Advisers SN Gupta & Co
Solomon & Co
Talwar Thakore & Associates
Thakker & Thakker
Trilegal
Udwadia & Udeshi
Wadia Ghandy & Co

6 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

India’s legal market
managing partner Zia Mody, the 180-lawyer firm receives
an overwhelming number of complex and creative
assignments.
According to partner Abhijit Joshi, the firm has recruited
40 new lawyers this year and plans to increase its IP capa-
bilities, which he describes as “a sunrise practice we’re
excited about”. The firm has also poached several high
profile lawyers from its competitors, including Kalpana
Merchant from Kanga & Co and Prabjot Singh Bhullar from
J Sagar Associates, as well as a former general counsel of
Jet Airways.
Mody, widely considered as one of the most talented
lawyers in India, is described by a peer as “a cut above the
rest ... she’s built a whole institution on her own. The best
M&A is done by her and her team in Mumbai ... I always
love to have her on the other side.” Highlights for the firm
this year include advising Tata Motors and TML Holdings
in the US$3 billion bridge-financing for the acquisition of
luxury auto brands Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.
Another firm with expansionary tendencies is FoxMandal
Little. Since taking over Mumbai-based Little & Co in May
2006, the firm has grown to around 400 lawyers and 50
partners with offices in 10 cities. “Our two main areas
of focus are to expand internationally and in terms of
size,” explains managing partner Som Mandal. Indeed,
FoxMandal recently opened its first overseas office in
London and is eying Myanmar as a destination for future
expansion. “Not many firms would open offices there,”
says Mandal, “but when they get rid of the current regime,
or if the current regime opens up their policies, we predict
there will be substantial investments there in telecoms, oil
and gas.”
A smaller firm on the expansion path is Mumbai-based
DH Law Associates. The firm recently strengthened its
team with the appointment of seven new associates and is
opening a new office near Mumbai airport to better serve
its foreign clients. The original office in downtown Mumbai
is being retained for the firm’s litigation team.
Khaitan & Partners, formerly known as Suman Khaitan
& Co recently saw the arrival of two new equity partners,
Shally B Maheshwari and PS Sudheer. The firm now plans
to open offices in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
Another firm keen to broaden its lawyer base is Talwar
Thakore & Associates which was set up by ex-AZB part-
ner Shobhan Thakore, and former Crawford Bayley & Co
partner, Suresh Talwar in 2007. The firm is closely affiliated
with UK-based Linklaters and focuses on three main areas,
There’s no evidence of a
slowdown or collapse
Rajiv Luthra
Managing Partner
Luthra & Luthra
July/August 2008
Intelligence report
More firms are coming up
with boutiques ... Ultimately
we also have to show we are
specializing
Krrishan Singhania
Managing Partner
Singhania & Co
capitalizing on the strengths of its founders: banking and
finance, M&A and corporate, and litigation.
While Thakore says he would be happy to see his
15-lawyer team double in size in the near future, he is in
no rush to begin a recruitment drive. “Our main objective is
not to grow too much. We’re not in a rat race to be number
one in India. ‘Number one’ is a misnomer – there are so
many parameters to judge. The market is big enough for
everyone to survive.”
Friends or enemies?
If there’s one statement that foreign firms would love
to hear from the Bar Council, it is that the market is big
enough for everyone, regardless of their nationality. But
the reality has been far from that. Substantial anticipation
and trepidation have surrounded the issue of legal market
liberalization in India. While some lawyers strongly believe
the opening of the gates is long overdue, others remain
fearful of the consequences of what they believe will be a
foreign invasion that will inevitably swallow up domestic
practices.
Lalit Bhasin, founding partner at Bhasin & Co and presi-
dent of the Society of Indian Law Firms, continues to cam-
paign against the entry of foreign firms. His 38-year-old
practice has four partners and 21 associates and advises
on aviation, labour law, real estate and M&A, among other
things. The firm’s specialty is dispute resolution, for which
it is highly renowned.
“There has been negative growth in UK firms and UK
work”, says Bhasin. “They want cooperation, referrals and
reciprocal arrangements with us. In terms of quality, effi-
ciency, and speed, Indian lawyers are very competent.”
One area of unanimous agreement is that the Bar Council
of India should change its rules to allow Indian firms the
opportunity to advertise and expand beyond the current
20-partner limit (many firms already have more than 20
partners, but have achieved this by structuring themselves
as more than one partnership). These changes, it is argued,
are particularly important if the market is to be opened
as they will create a level playing field between Indian
firms and their foreign counterparts, which are not bound
by such restrictions. Without the changes, many believe
Indian law firms will not be able to compete.
India Business Law Journal 7
Intelligence report
IP-boutique Anand and Anand is one firm that is happy to
welcome foreign entrants on the condition that reforms are
implemented to create a level playing field. “We’re gearing
ourselves for the entry of foreign firms. If there is a symbi-
otic relationship we’re happy,” says partner MS Bharath.
As one of India’s finest intellectual property firms,
Anand and Anand’s client repertoire includes Sholay
Media Entertainment, Toshiba, Hindustan Lever and Hilton
International. The firm currently stands at 12 equity part-
ners and 58 associates. It expects to see significant growth
in IP litigation, media and entertainment law and patent
prosecution.
“We’re not averse to foreign firms, but it can’t be a one
way street”, says Amarjit Singh of Delhi-based Amarjit
& Associates, another IP boutique. “There must be
reciprocity.”
An intellectual property firm that claims to have already
streamlined its services in preparation for foreign lawyers is
Lex Orbis. Based in New Delhi, the firm specializes in pat-
ent prosecution, intellectual property enforcement, design
prosecution and trademarks. It consists of 42 associates,
four salary partners and five equity partners and recently
worked on an anti-counterfeiting campaign for Casio. “It’s
an evolving practice,” says partner Abhai Pandey.
Proponents of liberalization wonder why local lawyers
feel threatened by the arrival of their overseas counter-
parts. With salary rises and the transfer of knowledge and
processes, they argue that India has a lot to gain.
“These law firms are huge organizations run profession-
ally and efficiently with billing systems and client systems,”
says Gautam Bhat, an associate partner with Thakker &
Thakker in Mumbai. “This is something we need to emu-
late. Systemization is important. Some lawyers spend days
trying to put together bills, which is not their job.”
A preeminent technology, media and telecommunica-
tions practice, Thakker & Thakker’s focus remains inbound,
although the firm serves a mix of Indian and North American
clients such as Cisco Systems, Yahoo and Microsoft. It has
also made inroads into the European market, advising Louis
Vuitton and Christian Dior in the high-end retail space.
Rohan Shah, the managing partner of Economic Laws
Practice in Mumbai, thinks those reluctant to welcome for-
eign firms have failed to realize the knowledge and capabil-
ities domestic firms can extract for themselves. “The denial
of foreign firms is actually the denial of the Indian firm and
the Indian client,” he says.
Shah’s firm is currently working on the first Bollywood
theme park, a US$1 billion project to be constructed in the
UAE.
Many firms agree that legal market liberalization will
help create a benchmark for quality services and increase
the calibre of Indian firms, which will learn to operate in a
more disciplined and organized manner. “Things are being
relaxed and getting easier for the entry of foreign firms,”
say partners Abhixit Singh and Baljit Singh Kalha of Titus &
Co, a 60-lawyer Delhi-based firm that has actively assisted
foreign corporations such as Ferrero, Armani and Evian
with their new ventures in India, and has helped obtain
landmark court orders on anti-dumping cases. “The level of
service and competition will increase and domestic lawyers
are the only ones who will benefit.”
Chander Lall of IP boutique Lall & Sethi argues that
Indian firms will inherit knowledge-based organizational
structures from the foreign entrants, and he believes such
structures are badly needed. “Foreign firms should enter
8 India Business Law Journal
India’s legal market
soon to create organization and structure,” says Lall plainly.
“None of the firms have been able to sustain themselves
because we’re working with a narrow-minded psyche –
some firms lose a client a week.”
Lall’s firm has advised high-profile clients such as AOL,
the Motion Picture Association, Coca-Cola, Citigroup,
Turner, Cartoon Network, Sky, CNN and Time Warner, and
recognizes the integral role law firm management plays in
client retention.
“We’ve operated as family businesses passed down to
successors and we’re missing the second rung,” continues
Lall. “A level of sophistication is required. The senior rung
has not learned management skills.”
Priti Suri, managing partner of PSA, a Delhi-based firm
that offers the full spectrum of corporate and commercial
legal advice, shares Lall’s sentiments on the need for better
organization in the profession: “The profession is extremely
disorganized”, she says. “We don’t have self-discipline,
there’s a lack of commitment and our legal education sys-
tem is not customized to specific areas. Nothing is done for
the mentoring of lawyers. Technology begs to be improved,
and we need access to marketing ... We’re so limited ...
we’re living in the 15th century!”
“India is a strange market”, remarks Anand Pathak, man-
aging partner at P&A Law Offices. “It hasn’t moved away
from being individual-centric and that’s a pity. It will change
when foreign firms are allowed in. It is changing but it hasn’t
completely disappeared.” Pathak’s firm is closely affiliated
with Jones Day and is representing Daiichi Sankyo on its
buyout of Ranbaxy.
Trilegal, a law firm that is recognized for its excellence
across the board, exemplifies the synergies that can
be achieved by embracing foreign expertise. Still in its
youth, the firm is a flourishing full-service practice that
has thrived on its own, and is now benefiting from a non-
exclusive tie-up with Allen & Overy. With offices in Delhi,
Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad, the firm boasts an
impressive client repertoire including Vodafone, Glenmark
Pharmaceuticals, UBS, Petronet LNG, and Tamil Nadu
Electricity Board. g
Changing gears: Indian law firms are streamlining their
operations in preparation for competition from abroad.
July/August 2008
Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

Aditya & Associates

Established in 1995

Key practice areas: Intellectual property laws including: patents;

trademarks; copyrights; design; geographical indications; internet
and domain names; IP litigation; anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy; Contact details
licensing and franchising
Aditya & Associates
Number of partners: 3
405 Kapadia Chambers
Number of associates: 5
599 JSS Road
Principal office: Mumbai Marine Lines
Other offices: Chennai, Indore, Pune Mumbai – 400 002
India

Our firm’s areas of expertise and specialization include: IP asset Telephone: +91 22 2201 3959-62
management, strategies and audit; IP counselling and advising; IP Fax: +91 22 2201 8194
protection against infringement and passing off; protection against Email: info@adityaandassociates.com
counterfeiting, piracy and unfair trade practices; IP due diligence in Website:
acquisition of IPR, mergers and acquisitions; IP registrations and www.adityaandassociates.com
prosecutions; IP litigations, appeals before the IPAB; licensing,
Contacts:
technology transfer and joint ventures; internet law, domain name
Mr Vipul Bhuta, Ms Pooja Kotak
protection; ADR; and IP valuation.

ALMT Legal
Established in 2000

Key practice areas: Corporate and commercial; banking and project

finance; private equity; real estate; tax; private client; employment
and immigration; intellectual property; litigation and arbitration ALMT Legal
Number of partners: 14 4th Floor Express Towers
Nariman Point
Number of associates: 75
Mumbai – 400 021, India
Principal offices: Mumbai, Bangalore, London
Correspondent offices: Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune Telephone: +91 22 4001 0000
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Fax: +91 22 4001 0001
Tamil, Telegu, Malyalam, Bangla, German, French Email: mumbai@almtlegal.com
Contact: Mr Sameer Tapia

We pride ourselves on our Indian expertise and international capability. Bangalore

Given the firm’s availability to provide advice either in India or through Email: bangalore@almtlegal.com
the London office, ALMT is uniquely situated to assist clients on all Contact: Mr Prashant Popat
matters relating to Indian law and jurisdiction. The London office is fully
staffed with Indian lawyers and provides advice on matters relating London
exclusively to Indian law. Where required, ALMT works together Email: london@almtlegal.com
with international law firms, accountancy practices, and a variety of
Contact: Ms Shalini Agarwal
professional advisers to provide clients a complete legal solution.

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 9

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co

Established in 1917

Key practice areas: M&A and joint ventures; private equity; funds;
projects; infrastructure and energy; capital markets; intellectual
property; real estate; dispute resolution and ADR; telecoms, media New Delhi
and technology; retail and hospitality; taxation; banking and finance; 216, Amarchand Towers
international trade, policy and competition Okhla Industrial Area, Phase III
Number of partners: 38 New Delhi – 110 020, India
Number of associates: 300+
Principal offices: New Delhi & Mumbai
Telephone: +91 11 2692 0500
+91 11 4159 0700
Other offices: Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad
Fax: +91 11 2692 4900
Languages spoken: English, Hindi and other Indian languages Email:
shardul.shroff@amarchand.com
Contact:
History Shardul Shroff
Managing Partner, New Delhi
Amarchand Mangaldas, established in 1917, is India’s premier law
firm with over 300 fee earners including 40 partners. The firm has
an India-wide presence with offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Mumbai
Bangalore and Hyderabad. Peninsula Chambers
Peninsula Corporate Park
Expertise Ganpatrao Kadam Marg
Lower Parel (West)
Mumbai – 400 013, India
Building on its breadth and depth of experience, Amarchand
Mangaldas is one of the few Indian law firms with specialists in
Telephone: +91 22 6660 4455
foreign direct investment in India; mergers & acquisitions; joint +91 22 6662 8400
ventures; private equity; funds; capital markets; insolvency and Fax: +91 22 2496 3666
corporate restructuring; banking and finance (including structured Email:
finance and debt capital markets); insurance; projects (including cyril.shroff@amarchand.com
infrastructure, telecommunications and energy); project finance; Contact:
media, real estate; IT and IP; taxation; litigation, arbitration and Cyril Shroff
dispute resolution; trade and competition law; employment law and Managing Partner, Mumbai
policy and regulatory advice.

Clients Kolkata
227, Anand Lok, AJC Bose Road
As a full-service law firm, Amarchand Mangaldas’ clientele
Lower Circular Road
Kolkata – 700 020, India
includes several leading Indian and international business houses,
multinational corporations and financial institutions. In one capacity Telephone: +91 33 2283 6748
or another, the firm is involved in almost every major and path- +91 33 2865 0268
breaking transaction or litigation in India. Fax: +91 33 22902349
Email:
krishnava.dutt@amarchand.com
Contact:
Krishnava Dutt, Partner

10 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

AZB & Partners

Established in 2002

Key practice areas: Mergers and acquisitions; real estate; capital

markets; project finance; litigation; intellectual property, etc.
Number of partners: 18 Contact details
Number of associates: Approximately 200
Principal office: Mumbai
Additional offices: New Delhi, Bangalore, Pune Mumbai
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, Express Towers, 23rd floor,
Gujarathi
Nariman Point
Mumbai – 400 021,
India
AZB is a full-service law firm with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Telephone: +91 22 6639 6880
Bangalore and Pune. The firm has approximately 200 lawyers. Fax: +91 22 6639 6888
Email: mumbai@azbpartners.com
Rated as one of the top two law firms in India by The American
Lawyer, endorsed by India Business Law Journal as one of the Contact: Mrs Zia Mody
three best law firms in India in 2007, and selected by IFLR as the
India Law Firm of the Year, 2006, AZB has been involved in some
of the largest and most cutting-edge deals.
New Delhi
Members of the firm prioritize the development of specialized legal F 40 South Extension Part 1
skills through comprehensive professional training programmes New Delhi – 110 049
India
and appropriate involvement in transactions. Substantial inventory
and partner time is invested in internal training to develop high
Telephone: +91 11 2461 8947
quality human resources. Fax: +91 11 2462 5302
Email: delhi@azbpartners.com
Our senior partner, Zia Mody, was awarded “Business Woman of
the Year” by The Financial Express; selected as one of the 25 Contact: Mr Ajay Bahl
Most Powerful Women in Indian Business by Business Today in
2004, 2006 and 2007; and selected as one of India’s 100 Most
Powerful CEOs by the Economic Times in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
and 2008. She was also nominated as one of the world’s leading Bangalore
practitioners by The International Who’s Who of Private Funds AZB House
Lawyers in 2006 and 2008. 67-4 4th cross, Lavelle Road
Bangalore – 560 001
India

Telephone: +91 80 2212 9782

Fax: +91 80 2221 3947
Email: bangalore@azbpartners.com

Contact: Mr Sai Krishna Bharathan

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 11

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

Gandhi & Associates

Established in 2003

Key practice areas: M&A; venture capital and private equity; private
placements and IPOs; intellectual property and IT; outsourcing and
off-shoring; direct taxation; arbitration and litigation Contact details
Number of partners: 1
Gandhi & Associates
Number of associates: 11
Ajay Sahawas ‘A’ Wing
Principal office: Mumbai
Nariman Road
Languages spoken: English and Hindi Vile Parle (E)
Mumbai – 400 057
India
Gandhi & Associates (G&A) usually represents international
clients. The firm has experience of working on transactions such Telephone: +91 22 2614 2237
as acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity, Fax: +91 22 2610 4777
formation of India-focused funds, private placements, domestic Email:
and international public offerings, reverse mergers and SPAC update@gandhiassociates.com
transactions. G&A has also worked on transactions such as Website:
technology collaborations and licensing, franchising, outsourcing, www.gandhiassociates.com
IP, co-production ventures, arbitration and litigation. Clients include
Contact: Mr Nozer Mistry
global private equity funds, banks, media companies, corporate
entities, governments and leading individuals.

J Sagar Associates
Established in 1991

Key practice areas: Corporate commercial; banking and finance;

capital markets; projects and project finance; regulatory work;
Gurgaon
dispute resolution Telephone: +91 124 399 6000
Number of partners: 27 Fax: +91 124 399 6017
Number of associates: 130 Email: jyoti@jsalaw.com
Offices: Gurgaon, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad New Delhi
Telephone: +91 11 2955 2714-16
Languages spoken: English, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi,
Fax: +91 11 2955 2717
Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Urdu, Email: amit@jsalaw.com
Kashmiri Mumbai
Telephone: +91 22 6656 1500
Fax: +91 22 6656 1515
Email: berjis@jsalaw.com
J Sagar Associates is a premier national law firm. For almost two
Bangalore
decades the firm has served domestic and international clients Telephone: +91 80 2520 0045
who have benefited from the expertise and experience of a large Fax: +91 80 2520 0044
firm while still enjoying the personal attention, responsiveness and Email: sajai@jsalaw.com
accessibility of a small firm. Hyderabad
Telephone: +91 40 2355 8133
Fax: +91 40 2355 8177
For more information, please visit: www.jsalaw.com Email: sanjaykishore@jsalaw.com

12 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

Juris Corp
Established in 2000

Key practice areas: Capital markets and securities transactions;

corporate banking; corporate finance including M&As, takeovers
and corporate restructuring; derivatives; insurance; money markets; Contact details
mutual funds and other collective investment schemes; private
banking products; private equity; securitization; venture capital; Juris Corp
structured finance and investments; structured products; corporate 1104 A, Raheja Chambers
and commercial laws; competition law; direct taxation; dispute Free Press Journal Marg
resolution; information technology law; intellectual property rights;
Nariman Point
Mumbai – 400 021
IT-enabled services; property and real estate laws
India
Number of partners: 7
Of counsel: 3
Number of associates: 26 Telephone:
Principal office: Mumbai +91 22 4057 5555
Languages spoken: English, Hindi and other Indian languages +91 22 2204 3574

Fax:
Juris Corp, founded in October 2000 by Mr H Jayesh, is a law firm +91 22 2204 3579
that has been formed with the objective of providing superior legal
services and advice to all class of financial intermediaries. The firm Email:
is a full-service law firm with financial services as the core practice juriscorp@jclex.com
areas. The firm’s clientele consists primarily of global banks,
Contact:
financial institutions and investment banks.
Mr H Jayesh
A distinctive feature of the firm is its philosophy and ability to be
proactive in its approach and its endeavour to assist clients in
achieving their transaction objectives. In addition to highlighting
the legal and regulatory issues, the firm identifies potential risk
mitigants and assists clients in restructuring transactions so that the
transaction objectives can be achieved. Juris Corp believes that a
problem solving approach, when combined with a multi-disciplinary
understanding of issues, can achieve the transaction goals in a
more effective manner within the given constraints.

The firm pre-emptively researches new and emerging areas and

developments and ensures that it keeps itself abreast of market
developments, including in other jurisdictions. In recognition of the
firm’s work, Mr H Jayesh has been consistently recognized as one
of Asia’s leading lawyers.

Our objective

Our objective is to become the law firm in more areas of practice and
to be the preferred law firm for select clients. Juris Corp has within
its clientele a diverse range of clients from the financial services
markets, from global banks and investment banks, mutual funds,
fund managers and underwriters and other financial intermediaries
to media and entertainment companies to community trusts.

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 13

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

Kanga & Company

Established in 1890

Key practice areas: Mergers and acquisitions; private equity;

joint ventures and collaborations; franchising; capital markets;
international offerings; real estate; litigation; dispute resolution Contact details
Number of partners: 13
Number of associates: 25 Kanga & Company
Principal office: Mumbai Readymoney Mansion
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi 43, Veer Nariman Road
Mumbai – 400 001
India
History
Telephone:
Established in 1890, Kanga & Company is one of India’s oldest +91 22 6623 0000
law firms and is a highly respected and professionally managed +91 22 6633 2288
firm. The firm’s office is located in downtown Mumbai, in the +91 22 2204 2288
vicinity of Bombay High Court. Kanga is a full-service law firm with
specializations in mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment and Fax:
collaborations, real estate, capital markets and litigation. The firm +91 22 6633 9656
has 13 partners and 25 associates with Mr ML Bhakta as the senior +91 22 6633 9657
and managing partner.
Email:
Clients mail@kangacompany.com

Contact:
The firm has a varied clientele ranging from banks, financial Mr ML Bhakta
institutions and mutual funds to large corporate houses, property Managing Partner
developers, closely held companies and firms as well as individuals.
The firm has a good working relationship with large number of
international law firms and solicitors’ firms. Over the years, the firm
has gained experience, developed expertise and won recognition in
international contracts, acquisitions and finance.

Expertise

The firm’s corporate team is known for its expertise in handling and
negotiating complex joint ventures and private equity transactions.
The firm has unmatched experience in property laws and represents
some of the most reputed property developers.

Recently the firm has extended its areas of practice to include

franchising and has represented several well-known international
brands for franchises in India.

14 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

KR Chawla & Co
Established in 1996

Key practice areas: Cross-border and domestic mergers,

acquisitions and stock market listings in India (Mumbai Stock
Exchange, National Stock Exchange) and overseas (London AIM, Contact details
Luxembourg DIFX, Dubai and Singapore)
KR Chawla & Co
Number of partners: 7
7th Floor, Kailash Building
Number of associates: 45
26, Kasturba Gandhi Marg
Principal office: New Delhi New Delhi – 110 001
Other offices: Bangalore, Chennai, Singapore, San Francisco India

Telephone: +91 11 2335 7658-61

The firm focuses on providing comprehensive business, financial Fax: +91 11 2331 9995/97
and legal services of high professional standards. To ensure this, the Email: krclo@krcco.com
firm functions in specialized groups of corporate, arbitration, litigation,
general practice and intellectual property. The firm advises many of
the world’s largest corporations and financial institutions. We regularly Contact: Sumes Dewan
act on complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions and high profile Partner & Head of
Transactional Practice
commercial disputes. The members of our firm have been engaged
in prestigious and complex transactions in the past and have been
advising on all facets of acquisition and related corporate issues.

M/s Manilal Kher Ambalal & Company

Established in 1918

Key practice areas: Asset acquisitions and reconstruction; banking

& finance; civil and criminal litigation; dispute resolution; domestic
& foreign arbitrations; due diligence; infrastructure; insurance; IP; Contact details
media and entertainment; M&A; real estate; security documentation
M/s Manilal Kher Ambalal & Co
Number of partners: 7
MKA Chambers (Crossley House)
Number of associates: 30
British Hotel Lane
Principal office: Mumbai Off Mumbai Samachar Marg
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sindhi, French Fort
Mumbai – 400 001
India
Clients include multinational corporate bodies across a wide continuum
of industries, including banking, insurance, infrastructure, media and Telephone: +91 22 6637 0406-08
entertainment and realty. The firm was recommended as “Preferred +91 22 2269 0246
Lawyers” in the categories of corporate/M&A and dispute resolution Fax: +91 22 2269 0293
in the 2006 edition of Asia-Pacific Legal 500, repeated in 2007 in Email: mka@mkaco.com
the categories of corporate/M&A, dispute resolution and projects. Mr
Contact: Mr Vikram Trivedi
Vikram Trivedi lends his vast experience of over 25 years to the firm.
Managing Partner
His formula-based litigation practice and his transactional practice and
acumen in project finance is well recognized in business circles.

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 15

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe

Established in 1895

Key practice areas: Admiralty; project financing; anti-dumping;

arbitration; aviation; banking & securities; broadcasting; company
law; corporate restructuring; conveyancing; taxation; entertainment Contact details
law; environmental law; foreign investment; information technology;
infrastructure projects; intellectual property; insurance law; labour,
employment & industrial relations; litigation; oil & gas; mergers, Mumbai
demergers & acquisitions; media law; offshore investment & Mulla House, 51, MG Road
securities; power & ports; privatization; real estate & property law;
Fort, Mumbai – 400 001
India
telecommunications
Number of partners: 15 Telephone: +91 22 2204 4960
Number of associates: 90+ +91 22 2262 3191
Principal office: Mumbai Fax: +91 22 2204 0246
Other offices: Bangalore, New Delhi +91 22 6634 5497
Languages spoken: English, Hindi and most regional languages Email: info@mullaandmulla.com

Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe is one of India’s largest law Bangalore
firms. It was founded by Sir Dinshaw Mulla and his brother, Rustomji 209, Regency Enclave
Mulla, in 1895. 4 Magrath Road
Bangalore – 560 025
Sir Dinshaw Mulla became a Privy Counsellor and was author of India
several authoritative works including commentaries on the Indian
Telephone: +91 80 2555 0370
Contract Act, the Transfer of Property Act, the Law of Partnership,
+91 80 2559 7704
the Sale of Goods Act, insolvency laws in India, the Civil Procedure Fax: +91 80 2559 8549
and Code, which are legal treatises even today. Email: info@mullaandmulla.com

Mulla & Mulla merged in 1952 with M/s Craigie Blunt & Caroe,
solicitors to the East India Company. Since then, the firm has grown New Delhi
to its current strength of over 90 lawyers and fee earners. Individual 502, Nilgiri Apartments
partners concentrate on different areas of practice providing 5th floor, 9 Barakhamba Road
specialist legal, commercial and technical services to clients. New Delhi – 110 001

The firm has a broad-based practice and a diversified client base. It Telephone: +91 11 2332 1501
acts as Indian legal counsel to numerous multinational companies, +91 11 2332 1513
Fortune 500 companies and several of the large 50 Indian corporate
Fax: +91 11 2332 1520
Email: info@mullaandmulla.com
houses. Several firm members are solicitors of the Supreme Court
of England & Wales and Hong Kong.
Contacts
The firm is the annual reviser for 35 years of the India section for Shardul Thacker
Martindale-Hubbell international law directory. Yazdi Dandiwala
Partners (Mumbai office)
Partners travel widely in their work in India and overseas, hence the
firm has built close relations with law firms globally. Website
www.mullaandmulla.com

16 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

New Delhi Law Offices

Established in 1992

Key practice areas: Corporate restructuring; mergers &

demergers; negotiated & hostile acquisitions; corporate advisory;
contracting; compliances & governance; competition & anti-trust; Contact details
joint ventures & collaborations; private equity; cross border &
domestic investments; securities & capital markets; infrastructure
& real estate; debt & structured finance; information technology; New Delhi
media & intellectual property; employment & labour; corporate, 5th Floor Rajendra Bhawan
government enforcement & general litigation; consumer protection;
210 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg
New Delhi – 110 002
arbitration & alternative dispute resolution
India
Number of partners: 4
Principal office: New Delhi Telephone: +91 11 2323 9857
Other offices: Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Pune +91 11 2322 1416
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Fax: +91 11 232 37101
Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi Email: ndlo@del3.vsnl.net.in

New Delhi Law Offices, widely known as NDLO, is one of the Contacts:
leading law firms in India. The firm is led by a prominent corporate Mr PS Dasgupta (Senior Partner)
lawyer and supported by an experienced team of nearly 40 Ms Sunitha Narahari (Managing Partner)
lawyers comprising partners, of counsels and associates. Since its
founding in 1992, NDLO has built up an impressive practice and
offers a full spectrum of legal services, with a focus on corporate Gurgaon
C-62-B Supermart-I, DLF City-4
and commercial laws. The firm is well equipped and positioned
Gurgaon – 122 002
to provide highly specialized legal advisory services in areas of
Haryana, India
strategic investments, both inbound and outbound, relating to entry
strategies; mergers, acquisitions, restructuring; consolidation and Telephone: +91 124 404 2521
liquidation; banking and finance; securities and capital markets; Fax: +91 124 404 2522
infrastructure; technology transfer and information technology; Email: rcd@ndlosouth.com
duty and tax structuring; and anti-dumping and real estate. The
corporate and commercial practice is complemented by a skilled Contact:
team of litigating lawyers experienced in handling matters both on Mr Ranjeev Dubey (Managing Partner)
the original and appellate side.
With a focus on fast response time and associated cost efficiencies,
NDLO’s mainstay has been its ability to work closely with clients Hyderabad
using a “hands on” approach. The firm has been involved in helping Flat No 202, 6-3-344
national and multinational clients not only in drawing up business
Above Woodlands
Opp J Vengal Rao Park
blueprints but also in implementing them. Our value system and
Road No 1, Banjara Hills
approach to legal practice has built a level of faith and confidence, Hyderabad – 500 082, India
which sees NDLO partners and of counsels being appointed to
board positions for advising and guiding clients on strategic and Telephone: +91 40 6683 5756
operational issues. Fax: +91 40 6683 5758
Over the years NDLO has grown and expanded. Currently it Email: hlegal@satyam.net.in
has constituent associate offices in Gurgaon – New Delhi’s fast
growing satellite city housing several top national and multinational Contact:
corporations; Hyderabad – a city identified as an international hub Ms Anita Chandra (Managing Partner)
for software and the media industry; and Pune – a city known for its
engineering industry with recent forays into software development.

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 17

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

OP Khaitan & Co
Established in 1990

Key practice areas: Mergers and acquisitions; joint-ventures and

foreign collaborations; infrastructural projects; corporate laws and
finance; investments abroad; litigation; arbitration and conciliation; Contact details
taxation of foreign companies and nationals; intellectual property;
banking and finance; projects; insurance law; bankruptcy law;
constitutional law; labour and HR laws; media and entertainment; OP Khaitan & Co
immigration law; IT law; property and real estate Solicitors & Advocates
Number of advocates: 30
Khaitan House
B-1, Defence Colony
Principal office: New Delhi
New Delhi – 110 024
Languages spoken: Hindi, English, Punjabi, Bengali India

Telephone:
Our services +91 11 4650 1000
+91 11 4155 0888
OP Khaitan & Co is a well-established full-service law firm founded +91 11 4155 0889
by Mr OP Khaitan in 1990. Since the inception, we have established +91 11 4155 0890
a sizable, prestigious and diverse Indian and multinational clientele +91 11 4155 0891
with an extensive range of specialist sectors, coupled with lawyers
with in-depth knowledge. We serve in all main practice areas under Fax:
Indian and international laws. We are a leading law firm advising in +91 11 24337958
the field of cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, mergers and +91 11 4155 1590
foreign collaborations and have also been advising various Indian
Email:
companies in these areas for their cross-border transactions.
opkhaitan@opkhaitan.com
We have a separate and active litigation department with gkhaitan@opkhaitan.com
experienced lawyers in their respective fields who handle all types
of litigation whether it is commercial, constitutional, corporate, civil Contact Person:
or criminal. Mr Gautam Khaitan
We also have an arbitration department (domestic and international)
consisting of experienced personnel who have acted for various
multinational and domestic companies in arbitration before various
domestic and international forums.
We are a member of the “Advoc Asia” network, an association of
independent law firms. Through Advoc Asia, we have an association
with law firms in seven Asian and 21 European countries.

Our people

Lawyers at OP Khaitan & Co use their knowledge to give added

value to our services and to form a wider view of the case in
hand, rather than simply relying on legal theory. The firm provides
succinct, practical solutions to problems that are communicated
clearly, with appropriate speed, and in a cost-effective way. The
firm currently has 30 lawyers. The size of the firm allows us to
provide more personalized services in all main areas of Indian and
international law without compromising our efficiency.

18 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

PSA
Established in 2004

Key practice areas: Arbitration and litigation; corporate and

securities; commercial law; environmental law; information
technology and telecommunications; intellectual property; labour Contact details
and employment; mergers and acquisitions; outsourcing; private
equity; project finance; real property; regulatory matters; taxation PSA
Number of associates: 12 Legal Counsellors
Principal office: New Delhi E-601, Gauri Sadan
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Punjabi, French
5 Hailey Road
New Delhi – 110 001
India
About us Telephone: +91 11 4350 0500
Fax: +91 11 4350 0502
PSA is a broad-based full-service, solution-driven, pragmatic
business law firm that has carved a special niche in the Indian legal E-mail: contact@psalegal.com
market by the quality of its legal service, responsiveness and client Website: www.psalegal.com
commitment.
Contact:
With 50 plus years of collective experience we are committed to Ms Priti Suri
providing seamless legal services, both inbound and outbound,
covering the requirements of corporate and individual clients in a
timely and a cost-effective manner. Located in India’s capital city –
New Delhi – we work all over the country.

Our core practice is focused on assisting multinational companies

in diverse industries with their ventures in India, either green-field or
existing, and representing Indian companies in their global activities.
PSA’s multi-lingual capabilities and alliances with other lawyers and
firms, both in India and globally, provide it with a competitive edge
and enable it to represent the legal challenges of the clients and
deliver innovative solutions.

Our team

An in-depth knowledge and understanding of the objectives and

concerns of the client’s businesses permit our lawyers to formulate
creative solutions to difficult contractual, legal and business issues.
Our legal team possesses the capability, experience, skills and
industry knowledge necessary to facilitate conducive results.

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 19

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

Singhania & Co
Established in 1999

Key practice areas: Developing entry strategies; pre-contractual

negotiations; contract drafting; joint venture agreements; licensing
agreements; shareholders agreements; government approvals; Contact details
corporate matters; protecting intellectual property; taxation matters;
foreign exchange regulations; arbitration; litigation; company
formation; shipping; aviation; employment law Mumbai
Number of partners: 2 Suite # 102, 103, 10th Floor
Number of associates: 12
Jolly Maker Chambers II
Nariman Point
Principal office: Mumbai
Mumbai – 400 021
Other offices: Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi India

Telephone: +91 22 2202 0320-22
Singhania & Co is a full-service law firm which specializes in Fax: +91 22 2202 0060
advising the world’s leading companies, financial institutions Email: mumbai@singhanialaw.com
and governments on their most challenging transactions and
assignments in India.
New Delhi
Arbitration P-24 Green Park (Extension)
One of our important areas of expertise is international and domestic New Delhi – 110 016
arbitration under the Indian Arbitration Act and ICC rules for the India
enforcement of foreign awards in India and for representing foreign
Email: newdelhi@singhanialaw.com
clients in arbitration proceedings in India and abroad.

Aviation Contact:
We offer the aviation industry a comprehensive legal service based Krrishan Singhania
on a sound specialized knowledge of the world of air transport. Head of the Firm

Admiralty
We provide comprehensive legal assistance on maritime legal
matters like investigation, negotiation and litigation of all types of
maritime claims, including vessel collusion, oil pollution, salvage,
cargo, general average and maritime insurance claims.

Intellectual property
Intellectual property is one of the company’s most valuable
assets. Our clients acknowledge and treat it as such. They see
the competitive edge it provides. We work with them to secure
appropriate national and international IP protection and to defend it
vigorously where necessary.

Litigation & dispute resolution

Companies today operate in an intensely competitive global
marketplace. Cross-border transactions introduce a host of
variables. In this environment, disputes are inevitable. Navigating
them successfully requires a combination of global experience and
local knowledge. When disputes happen, we fight aggressively and
incisively on our clients’ behalf.

20 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008

Directory of Indian law firms Intelligence report

Titus & Co
Established in 1996

Key practice areas: Admiralty, maritime and shipping; arbitration,

dispute avoidance and resolution; aviation; banking and finance;
biotechnology and life sciences; capital markets and securities; Contact details
commercial litigation; corporate governance, compliance and
legal audits; criminal litigation; data protection; infrastructure
projects; insurance; intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting; Titus & Co, Advocates
IT, outsourcing and licensing; labour; media and entertainment; Titus House
mergers, acquisitions, takeovers, corporate restructuring, project
R-77A, Greater Kailash-I
New Delhi – 110 048
finance; real estate and construction; regulatory and government
India
affairs; tax (direct and indirect); telecommunications and IT; trade
law and anti-dumping; venture capital and private equity Telephone:
Number of partners: 7 +91 11 2647 0700
Number of associates: 38 +91 11 2647 5800
Principal office: New Delhi +91 11 2628 0100
Additional offices: Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, +91 11 2628 0800
Jabalpur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai +91 11 2628 0900
Languages spoken: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Hindi and
other Indian languages Fax:
+91 11 2648 0300
+91 11 2648 9950
Titus & Co is one of India’s leading full-service commercial law
E-mail:
firms. It represents a wide range of clients from the United States,
titus@titus-india.com
Europe and Asia, including 48 Fortune Global 500 corporations.
titusco@vsnl.com
International groupings
Contacts:
International Bar Association, Inter-Pacific Bar Association,
ICC India (International Chambers of Commerce), Licensing PN Sewak
Executives Society, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the pnsewak@titus-india.com
Association of European Lawyers (AEA International), US-India
Business Council and Swiss Business Forum. Suhail Dutt
sdutt@titus-india.com
Memberships
Diljeet Titus
India Legal Group (founding member), Delhi High Court Bar
dtitus@titus-india.com
Association, Company Law Board Bar Association, Supreme Court
Rai S Mittal
Bar Association, Indian Council of Arbitration, Society of Indian rsmittal@titus-india.com
Law Firms, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry, Confederation of Indian Industry, Indo-Italian Chamber
of Commerce, PHD Chamber of Commerce, Joint Business
Councils, Indo American Chamber of Commerce, the Council
of EU Chambers of Commerce in India, Indo Israel Business
Alliance, ASSOCHAM, INSOL India, ITPO, Federation of Indian
Export Organisations, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, TiE,
NCTI, Canada-India Business Council.

July/August 2008 India Business Law Journal 21

Intelligence report Directory of Indian law firms

Trilegal
Established in 2000

Key practice areas: M&A; venture capital, private equity and

general corporate; infrastructure, power and electricity; oil and
New Delhi
gas; water; technology, media and telecoms; banking and finance; The Sapphire
employment; real estate; taxation; IP; litigation B1/F2 Mohan Cooperative Ind. Est.
Number of partners: 11 Mathura Road, New Delhi – 110 044
Telephone: +91 11 4163 9393
Number of associates: 90 Fax: +91 11 4163 9292
Principal offices: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore Contact: Akshay Jaitly (akshay.jaitly@trilegal.com)
Additional office: Hyderabad
Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese, Hindi, Punjabi, Mumbai
23 Madhuli, 2/F Dr Anne Beasant Marg
Bangali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telegu, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese Worli, Mumbai – 400 018
Telephone: +91 22 2481 9999
Fax: +91 22 2481 9998
Contact: Karan Singh (karan.singh@trilegal.com)
Trilegal provides commercially oriented legal services in relation to all
sectors of the economy. The firm has a strictly merit-based partnership Bangalore
and partners in the firm have long-term experience both in the Indian 149 Richmond Road, Bangalore – 560 025
Telephone: +91 80 4151 5252
context and as a result of having worked in major international law firms. Fax: +91 80 4151 5210
The firm is recognized for offering its clients a full range of high quality Contact: Rahul Matthan
services across a number of practice areas in an integrated manner that (rahul.matthan@trilegal.com)
ensures that the client receives timely, accurate and relevant advice.

Udwadia & Udeshi

Established in 1997

Key practice areas: Mergers and acquisitions; general corporate

and commercial work; banking and finance; litigation and dispute
resolution; capital markets; real estate Contact details
Number of partners: 7
Number of associates: 35 Udwadia & Udeshi
Principal office: Mumbai Elphinstone House, 1st Floor
Other offices: Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad 17, Murzban Road
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Fort
Tamil, Telegu Mumbai – 400 001
India

Telephone: +91 22 2200 1400

As one of India’s leading law firms, we deliver a broad range
Fax: +91 22 2200 1411
of quality legal services. Our practice areas include foreign Email: uubbom@uubindia.com
investments, private equity and joint ventures, antitrust /competition
law, intellectual property law, international law and finance related Contact: Mr Dilip Udeshi,
transactions and financial instruments, securitization, domestic Mr Darius Udwadia
and off-shore mutual funds, direct and indirect taxation, media and
entertainment and information technology.

22 India Business Law Journal July/August 2008