Latest news with #Trilegal
Business Wire
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Trilegal employs Intapp Time to enhance timekeeping practices with AI-powered automation
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Intapp (NASDAQ: INTA), a leading global provider of AI-powered solutions for professionals at advisory, capital markets, and legal firms, announces that law firm Trilegal is now live on Intapp Time. The firm is using Intapp Time to enhance its timekeeping practices and enable more efficient work processes for its professionals. Leading change As one of the leading law firms in India, Trilegal is committed to consistently enhancing client service excellence, attracting exceptional talent, and driving sustained firmwide growth. The firm takes a strategic and thoughtful approach to technology adoption, prioritizing transparent, rules-based systems that enable both the firm and its lawyers to operate more efficiently and profitably. Aligned with this commitment to innovation, Trilegal is automating and refining its timekeeping practices to improve data accuracy and better inform business decisions. 'Trilegal has been a pioneer in digital technologies, thanks to its significant strategic investments over the years,' said Avnish Kshatriya, Ph.D., Chief Digital Officer at Trilegal. 'We have been focusing not only on adoption but also on setting industry benchmarks. Our commitment to offering our lawyers a superior user experience and data-driven insights and automation on cloud-native platforms is integral to our digital transformation roadmap. Intapp has proven to be a valued partner in our pursuit of technology-centric innovation in key business processes of the firm.' 'At Trilegal, we see technology as a critical enabler of legal service excellence,' said Nikhil Narendran, Partner - Technology, Media and Telecom, Trilegal. 'Our objective has always been to equip our lawyers with tools that enhance efficiency, improve client satisfaction, and allow them to focus on high-value work. The adoption of Intapp Time reflects our continued focus on innovation — streamlining time capture, enhancing accuracy, and reinforcing the data insights that guide our strategic decisions.' Enhancing timekeeping Intapp Time is an efficient, intuitive solution that lets Trilegal's partners and professionals accurately record and submit detailed accounts of time spent on each matter. With highly configurable templates and seamless integration with financial and practice management systems, teams can easily streamline timekeeping processes and increase timecard accuracy. Flexible timekeeping methods and Applied AI also help the firm's professionals recreate their days, adhere to client requirements, and minimize missed and under-recorded effort. Adopting a more user-friendly, compliance-forward approach to timekeeping removes friction from billing processes, reduces billing disputes, and increases both client satisfaction and the firm's topline revenue. Advanced reporting and dashboards help Trilegal's leaders accurately evaluate engagement resources and track time against budget to optimize utilization and profitability. 'We're thrilled to help a large firm like Trilegal move to the cloud as part of their digital transformation journey,' said Laura Saklad, Legal Industry Principal at Intapp. 'Using AI-powered data capture, Intapp Time lets the firm's lawyers focus on important client matters, reduce time spent on administrative tasks, and ensure that the value of work performed is reflected on client bills.' About Intapp Intapp software helps professionals unlock their teams' knowledge, relationships, and operational insights to increase value for their firms. Using the power of Applied AI, we make firm and market intelligence easy to find, understand, and use. With Intapp's portfolio of vertical SaaS solutions, professionals can apply their collective expertise to make smarter decisions, manage risk, and increase competitive advantage. The world's top firms — across accounting, consulting, investment banking, legal, private capital, and real assets — trust Intapp's industry-specific platform and solutions to modernize and drive new growth. For more information, visit and LinkedIn. About Trilegal Trilegal is a leading full-service law firm in India with more than 25 years of experience, trusted for its in-depth expertise and client-centric approach. The firm advises a diverse set of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, global investment funds, major Indian conglomerates, domestic and international banks, technology and media giants, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. With more than 140 partners operating under a distinctive lockstep model, Trilegal is the largest equity partnership in the country. The firm retains more than 1,100 professionals across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Gurugram offices. Trilegal has consistently been recognised among India's top-tier firms in leading legal directories such as Chambers & Partners (Asia Pacific and Global), Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and Benchmark Litigation. It has also earned several prestigious accolades, including being named Best Overall Law Firm by India Business Law Journal (IBLJ) in 2025, Innovative Lawyers in Disputes & Crisis Management at the Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific Awards in 2025, M&A Firm of the Year by IFLR Asia-Pacific in 2024, Law Firm of the Year by Deal Volume at the VCCircle Awards in 2024, India Deal Firm of the Year at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) India Law Awards , and Best Law Firm to Work by Vahura in 2022.
Mint
30-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Rising stars secure equity stakes at top law firms
Top law firms are increasingly promoting their star professionals as equity partners, rewarding performance and retaining loyalty as a talent war rages. While a salaried partner earns fixed fees and variable pay linked to performance, an equity partner is a part-owner with a role in the direction and management of the firm, sharing its fortunes. The trend marks a change from the earlier practice of law firms rewarding only their veteran partners with an equity stake. 'We have significantly increased the number of equity partners in the firm," said Vivek K. Chandy, joint managing partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors. The law firm now has 62 equity partners, up from 46 over the past fiscal year, reaching an overall partner count of 154. 'Our growth strategy focuses on partners who align with our values. Most equity partners are groomed from within the firm," Chandy said. Over the past year, India has witnessed several high-profile partner movements. JSA bolstered hired a 20-lawyer team from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, including equity partners Iqbal Khan and Ambarish. In June, Khan stepped down to join Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM). Meanwhile, Khaitan & Co saw partners Kalpana Unadkat and Shishir Mehta depart to co-head Ashurst's India practice in London, underscoring the global appeal of Indian legal talent. At Trilegal, one of India's newest law firms founded in 2000, all partners hold equity stakes. 'Every partner promotion—internal or lateral—is evaluated based on the candidate's calibre, track record and capabilities. Each addition must enhance profitability and be net accretive to the equity in near to medium term," said Sridhar Gorthi, partner and member of the management committee at Trilegal. The law firm had 134 equity partners at the end of FY25, up 14% from the previous year's 117. Since then, it has added 10 more, taking the total to 144. The trend reflects a broader talent war fueled by India's evolving legal landscape, the emergence of specialized practice areas, and a surge in demand for niche legal counsel in a growing economy. While a young lawyer earlier slogged for nearly two decades to become a partner, many law firms these days promote their talented lawyers as partners even in their early thirties, Mint reported in October. "In my firm, clearly there is a preference for equity partners over salaried partners," said Mohit Saraf, founder & managing partner of Saraf and Partners. "Both salary partner and equity partner get compensated on the basis of his/her team's performance - fixed fee and variable fee. Equity partners, in addition, also get a portion of the firm's profit share," Saraf said. Saraf and Partners has 42 partners, out of which 21 are equity partners. According to the law firm, three have been made equity partners last year. Meanwhile, CMS Induslaw does not have any preference for equity partners, co-founder and senior partner Suneeth Katarki said. 'We are open to adding senior talent to the equity pool, especially those who can expand our market offering," said Katarki. While the firm has not yet announced its latest round of promotions, it maintains a balanced approach. 'Our decisions are based on talent needs," he added. CMS IndusLaw expects the number of its equity partners to grow 15-20% in the near term, driven by both internal promotions and senior lateral hires, Katarki said. While having more equity partners leads to ownership getting divided among more individuals, CMS IndusLaw is not worried. "Some dilution is a natural and necessary step if it leads to a larger profit pool and a stronger, sustainable partnership. Senior talent today expects equity—offering it is critical for long-term stability," he said. A senior partner at a rival firm said that awarding equity partnerships is no longer based on tenure alone. Many firms are now betting on expertise in emerging sectors like Artificial Intelligence, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), technology, and environmental law, anticipating these will drive future growth. "Equity promotions are being used as a tool to retain talent and deepen partner engagement. It's also a sign of the legal market's growth, allowing more firms to afford expanding their equity pools," the partner said on the condition of anonymity. In May, the Bar Council of India permitted foreign law firms to practice foreign and international law in India in a regulated, non-litigious capacity. However, after a pushback from local law firms, the council has set up a committee to conduct a review of the plan.
Economic Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Law firms need to rethink strategy for AI era with focus on innovation and governance
As global firms prepare to enter the market and technological change accelerates, domestic law firms are rethinking their business models, culture, and growth strategy. With more than 1,100 lawyers and a fast-growing national footprint, Trilegal is positioning itself as an innovation-led platform, balancing institutional governance with entrepreneurial ambition, said Nishant Parikh and Sridhar Gorthi, partners and members of the Management Committee at Trilegal. We see the entry of international law firms into India as a catalyst for sectoral growth and increased competitiveness. The opening up of the market is a welcome development. Our structure is aligned with global best practices and positions us well to compete and collaborate in this new landscape. As the legal sector matures, Trilegal expects Indian firms to adopt more institutionalised models, mirroring global standards in governance, transparency, and client service. Trilegal sees generative AI as a transformational force, not a threat, for the legal profession and is betting early on its potential to redefine efficiency and client service. It would be naïve to think law firms will remain untouched by the AI wave. Lawyers who embrace AI will outperform those who don't. Among India's early adopters of legal AI, Trilegal has built a proprietary in-house solution integrated across all lawyers' devices. The tool is widely used across teams for high-volume, low-complexity tasks such as document review, contract summarisation, and due firm is also rolling out an AI-powered document management system that auto-classifies and indexes content, boosting searchability and knowledge access. Ongoing training ensures lawyers adopt these tools responsibly, with an emphasis on improving client outcomes. AI-driven efficiencies have freed up valuable lawyer hours, allowing teams to shift focus toward strategic, high-value work. We expect further disruption ahead from predictive analytics to collaborative client platforms and we will continue to invest in legal tech aligned with our innovation-led strategy. We are set to launch a new office in Chennai within the next three months as part of our broader strategic push to deepen capabilities in high-growth areas over the next five years.A key focus is the firm's Dispute Resolution practice, which has expanded significantly in response to rising demand for complex litigation, arbitration, and regulatory work. With growing regulatory scrutiny and cross-border exposure, the need for sophisticated dispute resolution is only increasing. We are also ramping up our M&A and private equity advisory work, anticipating sustained interest from global investors in Indian markets. Also, we are scaling our transactional capabilities to capture a greater share of high-value, strategic and regulatory compliance, particularly in fintech, data privacy, and emerging digital frameworks, are also priority areas, with the firm building specialised teams to stay ahead of evolving legal and policy developments. India's mergers and acquisitions landscape in 2025 is being shaped by domestic consolidation and rising cross-border interest, particularly in technology, financial services, renewable energy, infrastructure, and healthcare. These sectors are seeing strong domestic momentum and drawing sustained international attention, as India cements its role in global supply chains. Regulatory reforms, including liberalised FDI norms and streamlined reverse merger procedures, have improved the ease of doing deals, while geopolitical trends such as the China-plus-one strategy have bolstered India's appeal for foreign acquirers. Despite global headwinds caused by geopolitical scenarios and trade uncertainty, India's economic resilience is underpinning robust deal activity. Trilegal reports continued demand for counsel on complex, high-value transactions and remains focused on delivering integrated advice in this dynamic environment. We maintain a balanced client portfolio, with 60% of revenue generated from the domestic clients and 40% from international mandates. The firm remains sector-agnostic, advising across a wide spectrum of facing high-stakes, multi-dimensional matters, particularly those requiring a blend of regulatory, corporate, and disputes expertise, tend to turn to us. We are regularly engaged in complex mandates such as large equity buyouts and distressed acquisitions under India's Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. These deals often span multiple practice areas and demand deep sectoral insight, legal precision, and commercial alignment. What sets us apart is our ability to deliver integrated, business-focused legal solutions in fast-moving, highly regulated environments. As clients grow more commercially astute and globally connected, Indian law firms are evolving service delivery to meet rising expectations for speed, insight, and still want responsiveness and quality, but they also expect strategic alignment and proactive advice tailored to their business. We are emphasising long-term partnerships, aiming to act as business enablers rather than just legal advisors. This shift has led to a deeper focus on understanding clients' commercial objectives and delivering solutions that extend beyond the legal enhance efficiency and responsiveness, Trilegal has invested in advanced legal tech, including real-time tools and process automation, to offer data-driven, cost-effective outcomes. Combining legal expertise with commercial acumen and tech-led delivery allows us to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving, globalised lawyer count has crossed 1,100 across its offices in Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurugram, and Mumbai, with its equity partnership standing at 144 as of June 2025. The growth reflects the firm's ongoing elevation of senior talent across key practice areas, including Corporate, Projects, TMT, Banking & Finance, and do not chase headcount for its own sake. Growth will continue to align with client needs, market dynamics, and emerging areas of legal complexity. We are aiming to deepen expertise and broaden capabilities as part of our long-term strategy, focusing on sustainable growth rather than scale adoption of an all-equity partnership model has set it apart from traditional law firms, challenging the conventional, hierarchical structures that often restrict career model was born from a desire to eliminate glass ceilings and promote genuine meritocracy. Every partner shares the same balance sheet, which fosters alignment, accountability, and traditional firms where equity is concentrated among a few, Trilegal's structure ensures equal ownership and transparent decision-making. Clear governance rules and open financial disclosures underpin the model, creating a culture of shared responsibility and collective success. Our success has prompted others in the market to rethink their structures. We are seeing a shift across the profession toward broader equity participation, a reflection of the model's impact and has instituted a structured and transparent compensation and profit-sharing model designed to align rewards with individual performance, not hierarchy. The framework combines fixed retainers with variable components tied to clearly defined performance incorporate both quantitative metrics, such as billable hours and revenue, and qualitative factors, including client satisfaction, relationship-building, and professional development. Our system ensures comparable pay for comparable performance, regardless of team or location. By minimising discretion and ad hoc decisions, the model promotes fairness and consistency across the firm. We regularly review the compensation structure to reflect evolving market conditions and internal business growth trajectory over the past decade has been underpinned by early investments in institutional infrastructure, a transparent and meritocratic culture, and a focus on scalable systems. According to the firm, these foundational pillars have enabled it to consistently attract top-tier talent and build one of the most sought-after platforms for legal professionals in set out to build a firm rooted in strong systems, technology, and competitive compensation. This has paid dividends—both in our financial performance and our ability to retain and attract high-calibre differentiates Trilegal from its peers is the autonomy granted to senior professionals and a collaborative environment that supports entrepreneurial practice-building. While market-wide comparative data remains limited due to the opaque nature of Indian law firm disclosures, Trilegal has achieved robust growth across topline, profitability, and headcount as evidence of its market position. In FY24, the firm posted a 28% rise in revenue and a 33% increase in profits, signalling both strong demand and operational are also the country's biggest equity partnership firm. Over 50 lateral partners have joined in recent years, a movement that is unmatched in the history of the legal industry. Also, internal promotions remain rigorous, reflecting the firm's selective approach to expanding the partnership. As rival firms scale up in size and diversify practice areas, Trilegal is banking on its institutional depth and people-first strategy to maintain its competitive one of the country's leading first-generation law firms, has taken a structured approach to succession planning, an area still in its early stages across the Indian legal in a people-driven business is complex, but we have deliberately moved away from a founder-led model to a democratically elected management committee, which is a milestone in our institutional journey. To cultivate future leadership, we have created multiple committees focused on strategy, legal tech and emerging practice areas, offering partners a platform to take on key roles. The firm prioritises early identification and mentoring of potential leaders and has partnered with leading institutions to support this effort. Our structured leadership processes and a strong internal pipeline are key to ensuring continuity and long-term sustainability.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Law firms need to rethink strategy for AI era with focus on innovation and governance
As global firms prepare to enter the market and technological change accelerates, domestic law firms are rethinking their business models, culture, and growth strategy. With more than 1,100 lawyers and a fast-growing national footprint, Trilegal is positioning itself as an innovation-led platform, balancing institutional governance with entrepreneurial ambition, said Nishant Parikh and Sridhar Gorthi , partners and members of the Management Committee at Trilegal. As the legal sector matures and global firms eye India, how do you see the structure and business model of Indian law firms evolving over the next decade? We see the entry of international law firms into India as a catalyst for sectoral growth and increased competitiveness. The opening up of the market is a welcome development. Our structure is aligned with global best practices and positions us well to compete and collaborate in this new landscape. As the legal sector matures, Trilegal expects Indian firms to adopt more institutionalised models, mirroring global standards in governance, transparency, and client service. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. How do you see GenAI affecting law firms and how they deal with clients? Do you see technology significantly reshaping how law firms operate? Trilegal sees generative AI as a transformational force, not a threat, for the legal profession and is betting early on its potential to redefine efficiency and client service. It would be naïve to think law firms will remain untouched by the AI wave. Lawyers who embrace AI will outperform those who don't. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Among India's early adopters of legal AI, Trilegal has built a proprietary in-house solution integrated across all lawyers' devices. The tool is widely used across teams for high-volume, low-complexity tasks such as document review, contract summarisation, and due diligence. The firm is also rolling out an AI-powered document management system that auto-classifies and indexes content, boosting searchability and knowledge access. Ongoing training ensures lawyers adopt these tools responsibly, with an emphasis on improving client outcomes. Live Events AI-driven efficiencies have freed up valuable lawyer hours, allowing teams to shift focus toward strategic, high-value work. We expect further disruption ahead from predictive analytics to collaborative client platforms and we will continue to invest in legal tech aligned with our innovation-led strategy. What are some of the key strategic areas of growth Trilegal is betting on over the next 3–5 years? Are you looking at new practice areas or geographies? We are set to launch a new office in Chennai within the next three months as part of our broader strategic push to deepen capabilities in high-growth areas over the next five years. A key focus is the firm's Dispute Resolution practice, which has expanded significantly in response to rising demand for complex litigation, arbitration, and regulatory work. With growing regulatory scrutiny and cross-border exposure, the need for sophisticated dispute resolution is only increasing. We are also ramping up our M&A and private equity advisory work, anticipating sustained interest from global investors in Indian markets. Also, we are scaling our transactional capabilities to capture a greater share of high-value, strategic deals. Technology and regulatory compliance, particularly in fintech, data privacy, and emerging digital frameworks, are also priority areas, with the firm building specialised teams to stay ahead of evolving legal and policy developments. How would you describe the current M&A landscape in India? Are there any particular sectors driving deal activity in 2025? Also, do you see any regulatory shifts or geopolitical trends that influenced the appetite for cross-border mergers and acquisitions involving Indian companies? India's mergers and acquisitions landscape in 2025 is being shaped by domestic consolidation and rising cross-border interest, particularly in technology, financial services, renewable energy, infrastructure, and healthcare. These sectors are seeing strong domestic momentum and drawing sustained international attention, as India cements its role in global supply chains. Regulatory reforms, including liberalised FDI norms and streamlined reverse merger procedures, have improved the ease of doing deals, while geopolitical trends such as the China-plus-one strategy have bolstered India's appeal for foreign acquirers. Despite global headwinds caused by geopolitical scenarios and trade uncertainty, India's economic resilience is underpinning robust deal activity. Trilegal reports continued demand for counsel on complex, high-value transactions and remains focused on delivering integrated advice in this dynamic environment. What is the composition of the clients in terms of Indian/foreign, and also in terms of the sector/industry? Are there any specific sets of clients who are more geared towards law firms like Trilegal? We maintain a balanced client portfolio, with 60% of revenue generated from the domestic clients and 40% from international mandates. The firm remains sector-agnostic, advising across a wide spectrum of industries. Clients facing high-stakes, multi-dimensional matters, particularly those requiring a blend of regulatory, corporate, and disputes expertise, tend to turn to us. We are regularly engaged in complex mandates such as large equity buyouts and distressed acquisitions under India's Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. These deals often span multiple practice areas and demand deep sectoral insight, legal precision, and commercial alignment. What sets us apart is our ability to deliver integrated, business-focused legal solutions in fast-moving, highly regulated environments. Clients today are more commercially and globally savvy. How are Indian law firms evolving their service delivery to stay ahead of changing expectations? As clients grow more commercially astute and globally connected, Indian law firms are evolving service delivery to meet rising expectations for speed, insight, and value. Clients still want responsiveness and quality, but they also expect strategic alignment and proactive advice tailored to their business. We are emphasising long-term partnerships, aiming to act as business enablers rather than just legal advisors. This shift has led to a deeper focus on understanding clients' commercial objectives and delivering solutions that extend beyond the legal remit. To enhance efficiency and responsiveness, Trilegal has invested in advanced legal tech, including real-time tools and process automation, to offer data-driven, cost-effective outcomes. Combining legal expertise with commercial acumen and tech-led delivery allows us to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving, globalised market. What is Trilegal's current bench strength in terms of partners and lawyers, and where will you see it in the next three years? Trilegal's lawyer count has crossed 1,100 across its offices in Bengaluru, Delhi , Gurugram , and Mumbai , with its equity partnership standing at 144 as of June 2025. The growth reflects the firm's ongoing elevation of senior talent across key practice areas, including Corporate, Projects, TMT , Banking & Finance, and Disputes. We do not chase headcount for its own sake. Growth will continue to align with client needs, market dynamics, and emerging areas of legal complexity. We are aiming to deepen expertise and broaden capabilities as part of our long-term strategy, focusing on sustainable growth rather than scale alone. How has Trilegal's adoption of an all-equity partnership model fundamentally differed from the traditional partnership structures? Trilegal's adoption of an all-equity partnership model has set it apart from traditional law firms, challenging the conventional, hierarchical structures that often restrict career progression. Our model was born from a desire to eliminate glass ceilings and promote genuine meritocracy. Every partner shares the same balance sheet, which fosters alignment, accountability, and collaboration. Unlike traditional firms where equity is concentrated among a few, Trilegal's structure ensures equal ownership and transparent decision-making. Clear governance rules and open financial disclosures underpin the model, creating a culture of shared responsibility and collective success. Our success has prompted others in the market to rethink their structures. We are seeing a shift across the profession toward broader equity participation, a reflection of the model's impact and sustainability. Could you explain the firm's approach to internal compensation and profit-sharing formula? Trilegal has instituted a structured and transparent compensation and profit-sharing model designed to align rewards with individual performance, not hierarchy. The framework combines fixed retainers with variable components tied to clearly defined performance bands. Evaluations incorporate both quantitative metrics, such as billable hours and revenue, and qualitative factors, including client satisfaction, relationship-building, and professional development. Our system ensures comparable pay for comparable performance, regardless of team or location. By minimising discretion and ad hoc decisions, the model promotes fairness and consistency across the firm. We regularly review the compensation structure to reflect evolving market conditions and internal business goals. What distinguishes the firm from its peers, and what has driven its growth over the past decade? Could you share quantitative indicators that reflect its performance? Trilegal's growth trajectory over the past decade has been underpinned by early investments in institutional infrastructure, a transparent and meritocratic culture, and a focus on scalable systems. According to the firm, these foundational pillars have enabled it to consistently attract top-tier talent and build one of the most sought-after platforms for legal professionals in India. We set out to build a firm rooted in strong systems, technology, and competitive compensation. This has paid dividends—both in our financial performance and our ability to retain and attract high-calibre lawyers. What differentiates Trilegal from its peers is the autonomy granted to senior professionals and a collaborative environment that supports entrepreneurial practice-building. While market-wide comparative data remains limited due to the opaque nature of Indian law firm disclosures, Trilegal has achieved robust growth across topline, profitability, and headcount as evidence of its market position. In FY24, the firm posted a 28% rise in revenue and a 33% increase in profits, signalling both strong demand and operational efficiency. We are also the country's biggest equity partnership firm. Over 50 lateral partners have joined in recent years, a movement that is unmatched in the history of the legal industry. Also, internal promotions remain rigorous, reflecting the firm's selective approach to expanding the partnership. As rival firms scale up in size and diversify practice areas, Trilegal is banking on its institutional depth and people-first strategy to maintain its competitive edge. Succession planning is a relatively nascent concept in Indian law firms. Being a first-generation large law firm, how has Trilegal approached this challenge internally, and what lessons have you learned? Trilegal, one of the country's leading first-generation law firms, has taken a structured approach to succession planning, an area still in its early stages across the Indian legal sector. Succession in a people-driven business is complex, but we have deliberately moved away from a founder-led model to a democratically elected management committee, which is a milestone in our institutional journey. To cultivate future leadership, we have created multiple committees focused on strategy, legal tech and emerging practice areas, offering partners a platform to take on key roles. The firm prioritises early identification and mentoring of potential leaders and has partnered with leading institutions to support this effort. Our structured leadership processes and a strong internal pipeline are key to ensuring continuity and long-term sustainability.
Mint
12-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Why India's law firms are in a disputes hiring frenzy
Law firms in India are racing to build bigger and sharper disputes teams as business battles grow more tangled and the rules of the game keep shifting. Even within disputes teams, generalists are losing ground as law firms now prefer domain specialists. The shift is driven by a rise in commercial disputes caused by economic uncertainty, new regulations and growing cross-border deals. According to Lee Ignatius, partner and head of private practice search at legal consulting firm Vahura, the disputes practice in Indian law firms has seen a 30% growth in hiring in the past three years, driven largely by a sharp increase at senior levels. 'While tax and IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) once led growth, the current surge in complex economic activity and shifting regulatory frameworks has firmly positioned disputes as a key area of law firm expansion," Ignatius said. Nishant Parikh, partner and member of the management committee for law firm Trilegal, said apart from litigation, businesses are also increasingly seeking alternative mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation, 'to resolve disputes while preserving commercial relationships". Also read | So many law graduates, so few top jobs: What's holding them back? Mint has learnt that Trilegal's disputes team has grown by more than 30% year-on-year over the past four years (2021-2025). This month, Trilegal brought in Amit Jajoo and Sushmita Gandhi from CMS IndusLaw as partners under their equity-partnership model. Today, Trilegal's disputes team has 160-plus lawyers and 25 partners. Full-service law firm JSA Advocates & Solicitors, which reported a 39% gross increase in attorney count in its disputes practice team in FY25 compared to FY24, highlighted that one of the main reasons behind the expansion is the uptick in the economy. A full-service law firm handles all types of legal work, from disputes to corporate matters, under one roof. Economy and litigation 'As the economy grows, the number of businesses grows, and businesses will litigate to enforce their legitimate claims," said Amar Gupta, joint managing partner for the law firm, pointing to a large volume of litigation originating from the infrastructure sector. 'Given the government's thrust in this sector, the trend will likely continue." According to a report by the National Legal Services Authority–quoting data from April 2022 to March 2023–India's mediation landscape is growing steadily, with around 460 alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centres nationwide, 425 of which are fully functional. The sector is supported by over 3,950 mediators, 12,640 lawyer-mediators and 8,672 other ADR professionals. Also read | Bar Council notifies rules allowing foreign law firms limited practice in India Mediation settlements rose from 92,446 cases in 2022-23 to 99,033 in 2023-24—a 7.14% increase. Additionally, 48,480 cases were resolved in the first half of 2024, underscoring the increasing preference for mediation. Who else is bulking up Meanwhile, Khaitan & Co. has created dedicated verticals in dispute resolution for international arbitration, construction law, emerging technology, securities, electricity and environment matters. 'As legal disputes become more complex and cross-border in nature, the demand for specialized knowledge and strategic thinking has grown significantly," said Sanjeev Kapoor, senior partner for dispute resolution at Khaitan & Co. 'There is now greater recognition of lawyers with specific domain expertise within dispute resolution." Another full service law firm, Chandhiok & Mahajan, Advocates and Solicitors, which had just five dispute attorneys earlier, now has 20. 'We are seeing an increase in regulatory, tax and licensing actions as well as real estate, mining and infrastructure-related disputes reflecting new laws by the Union and the states, and more stringent enforcement," said Rahul Narayan, partner and head of dispute resolution practice at Chandhiok & Mahajan. Also read | Court battles are defining boundaries for influencers Then, Singhania & Co. doubled its team size from 15 to 30 over the past three years. 'On the legal side, faster court timelines, the push for institutional arbitration and a more streamlined approach by tribunals and regulators have improved trust in the system. It's no longer just about filing a case—it's about getting it resolved efficiently and professionally. That's where good dispute lawyers are really stepping in," said Rohit Jain, managing partner at Singhania & Co. In November 2024, Singhania & Co. hired Vipul Wadhwa as a partner in its dispute resolution practice. He brought along a senior associate and the firm has since added three more associates to the team, including one at a senior level. Law firms, like consulting practices, pluck partners from rivals who then come in with their teams. Typically, the team size along with these partners can be upwards of 10-15 lawyers.
