2 days ago
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".
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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.
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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.
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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.
