Quite an unfair assessment. I am ex-ALG too. I do not agree with the firm on quite a few things, but one thing is for sure, I wholeheartedly disagree with the review. I have sat in the basement which this ex attorney is talking about, and let me tell you, it's perfectly fine. The washroom on the ground floor is kept clean. What I don't understand is that why is the management [with whom I strongly disagree on a lot of things] responsible to upgrade its infra - which is fine by most firms' standards? Where does this entitlement of having an infrastructure to your liking come from? If the infra is a concern, may be then, one should have the capability to join a tier 1 firm like Khaitan or Amarchand. Why come to a tier 2 firm? It's rich that in a field that people do not get jobs easily, you get to complain about a firm that does quality work, just because you don't like their discipline and infra. Btw, my friend who is still there tells me that the attorneys have access to the washroom on the upper floor too.

Every good lawyer should know how to do and excel at even GRUNT work, particularly if you ever decide to venture out and start your own practice. If you're smart enough, you'll learn something even from GRUNT work or something what may seem as mundane like submitting weekly Court Case Bulletins.

The tendency of kids these days to be entitled about the work that they "should get" and the infrastructure that they are entitled to, is utterly rich and misguided. Start a firm of your own and you'll know.

Despite my disagreements, I am thankful to the firm for the quality work that they taught me in a span of 5 years. All of my ex colleagues and I stand apart when it comes to the work we do cause of the training we have gotten at the firm. No shit, that I have done a more variety of work after leaving, but the quality of mandates have been excellent while I was there. That has helped me to go head to head with giants in our industry. I of course, don't believe the firm is perfect, I would have wished for things to be different at my time at the firm too, but credit where credit is due. It's a good place to learn the ropes if someone is interested in IP. They have a good set of clients. You have to have a thick skin for sure, though - but that's true for any firm. I am not commenting about the top management because I don't know what the person who posted experienced at the firm, but objectively from an infra + work point of view - the place is definitely good for starting a career in the field of IP. It will be hard for anyone to find a firm that checks all boxes. If however you are young, driven and have a thick skin, it's definitely worth getting a job at he firm. Despite having left the firm years ago, I still tell young ones to apply there.

When you write that the "entire firm is poisonous" - it clearly shows how biased your opinion is. Why do kids these days use so much hyperboles, btw?

Anand A0- 40-50k
Sai Krishna A0- 40-50k
United and United A0- 45k

Mason A0- 30-35k
Lalji- 30-35k

Sai Krishna has a good working environment. Clientele is fine. Work environment is peaceful.
Anand is top tier but pay doesn't match the name. Work culture is fine.
United is a Lala firm, pay and clients are good but work culture is ridiculous.
Mason mostly does intermediary work. Work culture is okay, the partner is a bit weird and whimsical but you can still work there. Not as heavy litigation as Anand, Sai or United.

Lalji also has a big team. They have a good prosecution practice. Pay is not that great but it is a decent place to start at.

Fun fact: my cousin started working at an IP firm in 2007, which a salary of 35K a month. 18 years later, the same firm pays only 40K a month. So, adjusted for inflation (plus Nirmala Tai’s taxes**) the salary has actually DECREASED.

** Before bhakts start pouncing on me and saying that Tai has removed income tax for this bracket, we pay GST on everything, even health insurance. Then road tax, swach Bharat cess, property tax etc etc.

Lol. No.

The place is filled with nonsensical office politics.

Office infrastructure is extremely poor.

Trainees, Associates and SAs are made to sit in the basement, with no ventilation and airflow. The place stinks. I don't have to tell you what it does to your lungs. Had an associate who resigned within 6 months of joining because of recurring chest infections [and she is originally from Delhi, so pretty used to pollution etc.].

Only one common [unisex] washroom for the entire admin staff, interns, trainees, associates and SAs.

Socialising with colleagues in office is looked down upon [the HR will literally "assign" you different work desks the very next day, like you're in school].

Mounds of voluntary [read "mandatory"] admin and KM tasks that no one wants to do.

▮▮▮

I started working at a tiny (but good) IPR firm in my 20s at Rs 20,000 in hand a month. My peers in corp law firms were earning a lot more. Today I am in my 30s and earning 6.5 lakhs in hand a month: still less than my peers in corp law firms but the gap is lesser than before, especially as I have a family home on Delhi and pay no rent. I also have a very good work life balance.

In my view, tech is the future and IPR will grow as a practice area. Also, things will look up with the entry of foreign law firms. Even if not, I frankly don't care and am happy earning less with a good work-life balance. It's time we learn to stop comparing our lives with others and chasing social validation.

As far as IP is concerned, this is what I have to say:

Tier 1 IP Firms
1) Anand & Anand: 50k - 65k starting (team specific)
2) Remfry & Sagar: 65k - 75k starting (team specific)
3) Saikrishna & Associates: 70k - 75k starting (team specific)
4) RK Dewan: 55k - 65k starting (team specific)
5) Lall & Sethi: 50k - 65k starting (team specific)

Tier 2 IP Firms
1) K&S Partners: 50k starting (team specific)
2) ALG Law Offices: 45k - 55k starting (team specific)
3) Khurana & Khurana IP Attorneys: 40k - 50k starting (team specific)

The top law firms (KCO, TL, CAM, SAM, AZB, NDA, Indus, LKS & Fox Mandal) also have great IP teams but fresher intake is very rare and completely depends on your law school and quality of past internships.

Best of luck!

Target firms like:
1. Remfry
2. Anand & Anand
3. LKS
4. Lall & Sethi
5. K&S
6. RK Dewan; as an opening if you want to do well in IP law. If not an opening at these marquee places, you wont be able to survive/make shifts/earn big bucks in IP. Boutiques like Krishna & Saurastri & Vohra and Vohra are also above industry standard.

Remfry pays 65-75k for freshers. Khurana/K&S/Lall/Saikrishna pay 40-50k to A0s. The worst of them all is Anand and Anand which despite having such a huge name pays peanuts as low as 35-45k to freshers. Naik and RK Dewan pay about 55-65k to freshers. However, the growth trajectory is huge as SA 2s and 3s earn as much as 20-22l at these top firms and a lot of people have an upward curve to become In house counsels since a major chunk of legal work at large conglomerates revolve around IP and Company Law.