20 Top Law Firms in India That Pay The Highest Salary

Law remains a popular choice of career for many students. The profession's perceived stability and earning potential makes law one of the popular career prospects for students. However, learning law in the classroom stands null if you do not get to practice it in the courtroom.

That’s where law firms come to the rescue. Law firms allow law students to work under one roof as lawyers giving legal advice to their clients, drafting documents for court proceedings and providing legal counsel when needed.

In the highly competitive field of law, every student wants to practice law in one of the top firms of the country. Hence, their search for the top law firms in India begins with their education.

But scanning the internet for all the top law firms in India can be a laborious task. So, to help you streamline all your queries about the biggest law firms in India, we have curated a list of top 20 law firms in India, which can help you get a kickstart to your career.

Delve in to know everything from location, specialisation, revenue and more about India’s top 20 law firms.

What is a Law Firm?

To start with the basics, it is necessary to understand the meaning and functions of a law firm.

A law firm is an organisation with a collection of lawyers practicing law together. While many lawyers go on to set up their own firms, it can be difficult to do so in the initial years, so a law firm allows law graduates to practice law as a collective.

Lawyers working in a law firm, work with the firm's client, which can be an individual, a company or a government office. Their job is to represent the client in matters of legal proceedings, provide them advice and education on their rights and write legal documents for them.

The role of a law firm continues out of a courtroom. It plays an important role in shaping society.

Law firms play a crucial role in shaping the legal landscape of the country. Their counsel helps in upholding the law of the nation and promote justice.

A law firm can vary in size and specialisation. The respective elements also shape the function of the firm. We will walk through the types of law firms in the next section.

Types of Law Firms in India

Law firms can be divided on the basis of size and scope and the area of law they specialise in.

On the basis of size and scope:

1. Top-tier Law Firms: Some of the largest and most prestigious law firms are part of top-tier law firms in India. They are full-service firms with national and international recognition. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co are some of the top-tier law firms of India.
2. Mid-tier Law Firms: Firms smaller in size than the top-tier firms are part of this section. They boast of a strong reputation in the industry. Khaitan & Co. and Trilegal are some of the best law firms in India.
3. Boutique Law Firms: These law firms have fewer lawyers working hence boutique firms are smaller in size. But their strength lies in specialising certain areas of law like intellectual property or tax. Kashyap Partners & Associates (KPA) is a renowned boutique law firm of India.
4. Regional Law Firms: The services provided by regional law firms are region-specific, limited to a specific geographical area. What sets them apart is their grasp on the local laws and customs.

On the basis of specialisation:

• Criminal Defense Firms: These firms specialise in law and courtroom defense defending clients with criminal charges.

• Family Law Firms: These firms are known to provide family-related counsel to the clients. They master matters like divorce, child custody and adoption.

• Corporate Law Firms: Their expertise lies in business-related legal needs like merger and acquisitions.

• Personal Injury Law Firms: People seeking compensation or settlement for personal injuries caused due to accident or negligence can seek services from these firms.

• Intellectual Property (IP) Law Firms: The role of IP law firms is to safeguard intellectual property like trademarks, patents and copyrights of individuals or businesses.

• Immigration Law Firms: They specialise in areas of citizenship, visa and deportation defense.

• Estate Planning Law Firms: These firms help clients in managing their wills, trusts and assets for the future.

• Taxation Firms: These firms provide legal guidance on tax-related matters.

Why Work at a Law Firm?

Working at a law firm can prove to be advantageous for many reasons. From stable income and professional growth to opportunities of networking and gaining diverse experience, here is a look at the benefits of working at a law firm.

1. Stable Income: Law firms are a means to stable income and job security.
2. Higher Earning Potential: Big law firms usually offer high salaries and bonuses.
3. Diverse Experience: The multiple departments in a law firm offers exposure to diverse legal matters.
4. Structured Mentorship: Firms have formal training programmes and the seniors working in the firm provide constant mentorship.
5. Credibility: A reputed law firm on your resume adds credibility for future opportunities.
6. Networking: You get to interact with lawyers, clients and professionals at a law firm and build contacts.

List of 20 Top Law Firms in India

India has some of the top law firms in the world. Here is a list of top 20 law firms in India that are widely recognized for their expertise on a global scale:

1. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
2. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
3. Trilegal India
4. Khaitan & Co.
5. Sagar Associates
6. DSK Legal
7. AZB & Partners
8. Anand & Anand
9. Vaish Associates
10. Phoenix Legal
11. Desai & Dewanji
12. S&R Associates
13. Luthra and Luthra
14. Talwar Thakore and Associates
15. Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
16. Touchstone Partners
17. Dua Associates
18. Veritas Legal
19. TLH Advocates & Solicitors (FormerlyTatva Legal)
20. IndusLaw

1. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas 

About

Cyril Amarchand Mangaladas is India's largest full-service law firm founded in 2015 with its headquarters situated in Mumbai. It has over 1000 lawyers, including 170+ partners. The firm stands ahead of the curve as the first Indian law firm to adopt AI technology to drive delivery.

Location

Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, GIFT City, Singapore and also in Abu Dhabi

Specialisations

Corporate and M&A, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Infrastructure and Project Finance, Capital Markets among others.

Official Website: www.cyrilshroff.com

2. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. 

About 

One of the largest top-tier firms in India, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. is headquartered in New Delhi with Shardul S. Shroff as the Executive Chairman. It has over 900 lawyers and 188 partners, with a globally successful client base. The firm is the exclusive Indian member of Lex Mundi, a global network of independent law firms.

Location 

New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Gurugram.

Specialisations 

Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax, Competition Law, Dispute Resolution & Arbitration, Regulatory Litigation, Capital Markets and Private Equity Practices.

Official Website: www.amsshardul.com

3. Trilegal India

About

Trilegal is a full-service law firm founded in 2000. With over 25 years of experience, the firm is known for its in-depth expertise and client-centric approach.

Trilegal is renowned as the largest equity partnership in the country. It is distinguished by its all-equity lockstep model, which is based on transparency, democracy and meritocracy, with 148 partners.

Location

The law firm houses 1,200 lawyers across offices in Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi and Gurgaon.

Specialisations

Corporate Law, Commercial Litigation, Infrastructure Projects, Real Estate, Capital Market, Assets Management and Funds etc.

Official Website: www.trilegal.com

4. Khaitan & Co.

About

Founded by Late Debi Prasad Khaitan in 1911, Khaitan & Co. is India's oldest full-service law firm. The firm has its headquarters in Mumbai which has a vast network of 1200 legal professionals, including 300 partners and counsel.

Location

Kolkata, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad

Specialisations

Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Competition/Antitrust, Corporate and Commercial, Corporate Governance etc.

Official Website: www.khaitanco.com

5. J. Sagar Associates

About

The law firm was founded in 1991 by Jyoti Sagar as a small partnership firm and since then, it has expanded into an experienced player in the market. The headquarter of the law firm is in Gurugram, Haryana.

The firm excels in providing legal advice and services to international and domestic clients with a solid emphasis on ethics.

Location

Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi

Specialisations

Corporate, Finance and Banking, Real Estate and Disputes Resolution.

Official Website: www.jsalaw.com

6. DSK Legal

About 

Founded in 2001 by Anand Desai, DSK legal is a young but highly qualified law firm with over 300 fee-earners, including 66 partners and associate partners.

The firm has earned the trust of leading businesses and government entities over the years.

Location 

Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune

Specialisations

Banking and Finance, Merger, Corporate, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, International Trade and Customs etc.

Official Website: www.dsklegal.com

7. AZB & Partners

About

The firm was founded in 2004 by Ajay Bahl, Zia J. Mody and Bahram N. Vakil. With over 150 partners, firms’ domestic and international clients range from privately owned to publicly listed companies

Location

Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune

Specialisations

M&A, Banking and Finance, Real Estate, Capital Markets and Private Equity among others.

Official Website: www.azbpartners.com

8. Anand & Anand

About

The firm is among the top law firms of India, specializing in Intellectual Property laws. It ranks among the top-tier intellectual property law firms in Asia. With over 400 employees and 29 partners, this firm has an area of expertise in contentious and non-contentious IP.

Location

New Delhi, Noida, Mumbai and Chennai

Specialisations

Intellectual Property 

Official Website: www.anandandanand.com

9. Vaish associates

About

Vaish Associates was established in 1971 by Mr. O.P Vaish as a full-service law firm to advise legal instructions for both domestic and international clients. This firm has earned its name as one of the top law firms in India known to deal with taxation, corporate, banking and finance problems.

Location

Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi

Specialisations

Taxation, Corporate Law, Banking, Litigation and dispute resolution

Official Website: www.vaishlaw.com

10. Phoenix Legal

About

It is a multi-disciplinary, full-service Indian law firm that was founded in 2008, following a merit-based, partner-centric model. The firm is dedicated to greater standards of service with a high degree of professionalism and responsiveness.

Location

New Delhi and Mumbai

Specialisations

Corporate and Commercial Law, Banking, Real Estate, Dispute Resolution and Tax Services

Official Website: www.phoenixlegal.in

11. Desai & Dewanji

About

This firm is well-known for the salary structure it provides to its lawyers. It was founded in 1930 by Vishwang Deshai and Mr. Apurba Dewanji.

Since then, the firm has worked with some talented lawyers and achieved success by satisfying clients.

Location

Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Indore and Gurugram

Specialisations

International tax, Technology law, Regulatory issues

Official Website: https://www.desaidiwanji.com/

12. S&R Associates

About 

S&R Associates was founded by Sandip Bhagat in 2005. With two decades of experience, the firm has gained the title as one of the most successful law firms in India. The firm is known for its high-quality legal advice, hands-on partner involvement.

Location

New Delhi and Mumbai

Specialisations

Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Litigation & Arbitration, Capital Markets and Banking & Finance

Official Website: www.srassociates.com

13. Luthra and Luthra

About

The law firm was founded by the late Rajiv K. Luthra in 1990, who built it from a small one-room office into a globally acclaimed law firm. The firm has assisted many MNCs in setting their presence in India. It has helped them navigate the complex legal system in India smoothly.

Location

New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai

Specialisations

Corporate Law, Litigation, Tax and Regulatory Laws

Official Website: www.luthra.com

14. Talwar Thakore and Associates

About

Founded in 2007, one of the top law firms in Mumbai providing services to domestic as well as international clients. The firm offers a good salary and has become successful in capturing the interests of some of the top companies in India and other countries.

Location

Mumbai and Delhi

Specialisations

M&A, banking & finance, capital markets, projects, infrastructure & energy, disputes, regulatory and competition law.

Official Website: https://www.tta.in/

15. Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan 

About

One of India’s leading full-service law firms, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan has over 500 professionals in 14 cities. The firm was founded in 1985 by V. Lakshmikumaran and V. Sridharan. The firm is known for diverse clientele and with high-profile cases and extensive experience in various sectors

Location

Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Prayagraj, Pune

Specialisations

Corporate & Commercial Laws, Dispute Resolution, Taxation and Intellectual Property.

Official Website: www.lakshmisri.com

16. Touchstone Partners

About

Founded in 2002, the firm boasts to be among the handful of ‘spotlight’ firms in India known for cross-border transactional expertise due to their international clientele.

It boasts of high experience in analyzing the risk for international institutions as they navigate the regulatory and taxation framework for investments in India.

Location

Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore

Specialisations

Corporate & M&A; Private Equity, Alternative Investments & Venture Capital; Competition & Antitrust

Official Website: https://touchstonepartners.com/

17. Dua Associates

About

Established in 1986, Dua Associates had served a wide range of clients from MNCs including several Fortune 500 companies. The firm has over 250 professionals including over 75 partners and counsels

Location

New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Gurugram, Pune and Chandigarh

Specialisations

Mergers, Taxation, Litigation

Official Website: https://www.duaassociates.com/

18. Veritas Legal

About

Veritas Legal is a boutique business law firm founded in Mumbai, India, in 2015 by Abhijit Joshi. The firm has a team of over 50 lawyers, including twelve partners.

The firm is known for its client-centric approach and inclusive culture that houses a combination of experienced lawyers and young talents.

Location

Mumbai

Specialisations

Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate and Commercial Advisory and Transactions.

Official Website:  https://www.veritaslegal.in/

19. TLH Advocates & Solicitors (FormerlyTatva Legal)

About

Tatva Legal was founded in 2010 by partners Shishir Sharma, Dilip NK and Shailendra Komatreddy. The Hyderabad office of the firm later emerged as a separate entity in 2013 and has since rebranded as TLH Advocates & Solicitors.

Location

Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Vijayawada

Specialisations

Corporate Advisory, Dispute Resolution

Official Website: https://www.tatvalegal.com/

20. IndusLaw

About

IndusLaw is an India-based full-service law company that specialises in corporate, commercial, litigation and regulatory-related issues. The firm was founded in 2000 by Gaurav Dani and Suneeth Katarki.

In 2012, IndusLaw played an important part in the listings of numerous new-age unicorns, including Zomato, Car Trade, Paytm and PolicyBazaar. It also handled the famous Ola-Uber legal dispute case.

Location

Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi & NCR, Hyderabad and Mumbai

Specialisations

Corporate Advisory, Real Estate, Litigation

Official Website: https://induslaw.com/

List of the Highest Paying Law Firms in India

The following is a quick overview of the top highest paying law firms in India:

Top 5 Law Firms In India

The highest paying law firms in India are also some of the biggest law firms in India known for their lucrative salaries and bonuses.

Here is a list of top 5 highest-paying law firms in India with their average salaries for freshers:

Top Law Firms in India for Internship

Top law firms in India are known to offer a diverse experience with their wide range of legal departments. Landing a chance to intern with either of these firms can help the students to get practical insights of the profession.

1. AZB & Partners
2. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
3. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
4. Khaitan & Co.
5. J. Sagar Associates
6. Trilegal
7. S&R Associates
8. DSK Legal
9. Anand and Anand
10. Kochhar & Co.
11. IndusLaw

Top Law Firms in India By Revenue 

The revenue generated by a law firm is a strong indicator of its success and market value. The high revenue translates into opportunities to work with prestigious clients and secure high paying positions.

Top 5 law firms in India with highest revenue are: 

1. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. – ₹1,000+ crores
2. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas – ₹900+ crores
3. AZB & Partners – ₹850+ crores
4. Khaitan & Co. – ₹800+ crores
5. Trilegal – ₹750+ crores

Career Opportunities for Law Graduates

Law graduates have various career options open to them. They can take up traditional and corporate roles or go into government and public services, or become legal advisors.

Some of the top career options for law graduates are:

• Advocate
• Corporate Lawyer
• Law Firm Associate
• Judicial Services
• Public Prosecutor
• Judge Advocate General (JAG)
• Legal Advisor/Consultant
• In-house Counsel
• Intellectual Property Lawyer
• Cyber Law Specialist
• Legal Journalist
• Legal Tech Professional
• Legal Analyst

You can pursue any of this career in any of the top law firms discussed below.

Top 3 Law Courses You Can Take

Aspirants interested in grabbing an opportunity in a reputed law firm must complete an LLB course at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. LLB programmes can last three or five years.

If you have already graduated, you can enroll in a 3-year LLB programme. A 5-year integrated law course, on the other hand, is appropriate if you have recently passed your intermediate exam.

The top three courses you can take to pursue your preferred career options are:

1. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Legislative Law (BA LLB) Honours

It is a 5-year integrated bachelor's law degree that includes an interdisciplinary study of Arts stream subjects such as History, Economics, Sociology, Philosophy and so on.

Eligibility

This law course is available to students with a bachelor's degree in any field of study with an aggregate percentage of 50% or an equivalent CGPA score from any recognised university.

2. Bachelor of Business Administration & Bachelor of Legislative Law (BBA LLB) Honours

It is a 5-year integrated undergraduate course that combines business administration/management and law subjects. In this programme, aspirants gain business skills and knowledge through effective legal understanding.

Eligibility

Applicants must have a minimum of 50% in their 10+2 exam with English, Economics and Statistics as core subjects. Candidates who have completed a Diploma in Law after graduating from high school are also eligible for admission.

3. LLB (Bachelor of Legislative Law) Honours

It is a 3-year undergraduate law degree that covers modern legal education. It focuses on criminal law and criminal justice to equip students with knowledge and working of how the criminal justice system works and the impact of crime on society.

Eligibility

You must pass intermediate with at least 45% in any stream, preferably Arts.

Conclusion

After the end of the education period from law school, most of the students will look out for well-paying career options. But for that, one has to get good grades and specialised knowledge.

After being confident enough that they have all the required qualities, they can apply out for an internship in any one of these top law firms in India.

If they can showcase their talents and knowledge that they have gained during their time period of study in a law college, then they will automatically continue as a full-time lawyer in these firms.

The recruiting process is not an easy one but with confidence and suitable preparations, they can be easily cracked through.