Corporate clashes spur law firms to boost dispute teams

The disputes practice in Indian law firms has seen a 30% growth in hiring in the past 3 years

- Krishna Yadav & Devina Sengupta

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 that apart from litigation, businesses are also increasingly seeking alternative mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation, "to resolve disputes while preserving commercial relationships".