Most (not all) of the recruiters don't care about your career, and would want to close a position to make a quick buck. That this thread is alive and well since the time it was first created speaks to the chronicity of the problem. While some people focus on increasing their billings, others get a kick by swindling their own. Do not touch these guys with a bargepole. This firm is not even a worthwhile stepping stone.

Unfortunately, the firm is dying a slow death, away from the public eye. 7 partners from Delhi and Mumbai have left in the last few months (8th one, in Delhi, also on his way out), all due to payment issues. One AP hired for BD and strategy left within 3 months as she found out there was nothing to salvage here. Only 1 exit of SB (to Kochhar) was reported; rest hushed. Have heard some funny stories about how a few of the partners left. Someone should contact all the ex-partners to check how much the firm owes them.

Become a partner at your own risk , as you go up you get sucked into a blackhole named neverending exploitation....

Two types of ppl becomes partner. Ones who lick or those who can be encahsed by higher billable rates. While this is common in Tier 2/3 firms... what's unique to this is - Associates/Senior Associates have outstanding of 1 months salary, APs have outstanding of 3 months and Partners have 5 months outstanding.

But forget everything, new year is coming. ▮▮▮

Bauji, 2 mahine ki saving to humne bhi ki thi..... but what do you have to say about an outstanding salary of 5-6 months? this outstanding is continuing since past 3 years. Last 2 saal ka bonus to chhor hi do

Outstanding doesn't impact you much as you don't work, don't come to office, have no obligations of billing, while your package of 1Cr plus is being paid at the cost of other Partner's hard earned money.

Please inform everyone when did you come to office last?

Guys, I was at the 7th moon and too busy to share my thoughts on this chat thread earlier. All the messages above are sheer demeaning and untrue.

In the entire firm except Boss, Jj, Po and the no. 1 secretary/manager, no one else deserved to be paid. Koi kaam nahi karta.

Ppl in fact, come to office on Saturdays and Sundays just to increase electricity bill knowing very well that we don't have an extra penny.

Nobody is talking about the cricket matches we won against the firms who pay their Partners. What is the point of paying if one is loosing matches. Better keep them hungry.

We:

(a) will pay retainers when we can. if you don't want to stay, please leave
(b) have redundant partners who just won't leave and we can't ask them to because we'll have to then pay them. stuck with them
(c) cannot let HS generate all the work alone. ▮▮▮
(d) will not get any work from foreign firms. we will still try to spend heaps of money to go meet them ▮▮▮

(e) won't change.

I have queries on similar lines (Plz ek baar Sir ko bata do k aap nahi ho. Sorry I missed your email):

1. After surrendering 1st floor, do we have enough space to sit celebrated team of HSA Delhi office (so called Head Office). Are there enough toilets in office? One is reserved for HS and few selected partners. Is another washroom enough for 30+ lawyers and support staff of 10 ppl.

2. Are clients and other fraternity members not [...] for not paying Partners for 4-5 months? When will we disclose that we have no office in Bangalore?

3. [...]

4. Is any salary backlog of 4-5 months being cleared despite 4 days to Diwali? What is Strategy Partner and likes thereof doing in the firm with 1+ packages [...]? Has the firm informed anyone whether they will get bonus for Fy 20-21 or FY 20-21 and if not then why?

5. Will the who's and who ever answer queries of ppl to whom he owes money or even care to speak to them. Will he be there in town for week before Diwali? Or will there be any wishes/gifts from firm to support staff (it's a shame)?

6. Can the firm deny the fact that imast 2 years, the firm's regular taxi company refused to provide services as they were not being paid ?

Sahab mast Baki sab past

Now even clients are making fun of oustanding for partners. Jo bheek mangne gaye sahab k paas, unhe extra de diya (Saheb Biwi aur Gangster).

Jaymahan: It's Diwali time, we have a bi annual review, request your clients to pay.

Partners: JJ, it's diwali time please pay our backlogs.

JJ: i will let you know ya, Sir is travelling. We are a tier 1 law firm. Sir is in london, his daughters are in us, however you will not be paid because there's backlog from client. But, we are better than Tier 1 firm.

Recruiters, lolzz, we have never hired one! We bank on gullibility of lawyers. One will be promised sky in terms of bonuses and revenue share however, they won't tell you that 2020-2021, 2021-2022 bonuses have still not been paid.
While saheb has been enjoying luxurious holidays in London, US, new house and settling kids overseas.

Everything is perfect except that loyalists who chose to not leave during difficult covid times, have an oustanding of 5 months salary.

Saheb khush hai, dono equity partners kutte biliyon ki tarah ladtey hai daily... kaam dono k paas nahi hai

Baki sab theek hai yahan...The firm has a global presence. Whether it pays or not shouldn't matter because everone else in this world is sub-optimal.

Baabu, HSA ka bhokaal hai! 6 Partner's billing was done by 4. Now they expect 4 partners billing to be done by 3. However, Sahab is not paying any past dues. Last month the so called "loyal partners" got salary of Feb, 2022 (5 mahine ka outstanding). Bonuses not paid for past 2 years. The loosers are still slogging, working 12-14 hours daily.

However, HSA celebrated 19th anniversary last week. Wahan sab ko free ka khana aur daaru mila hai.

You need to get in the good books of sahai sir. Then you are through. Concerned partner won't matter if sir likes your work. Salaries at partner level are fucked up but at our level it's on time. Even the equity partners are there for the sake of it. No salaries being paid to partners.

This firm has great potential. There's 6 months salary outstanding but we have strong pipeline of oustandings, as soon as Mr. Sahai and his family is done with leaisure foreign trips, we will try to pay you.

Pooo: As I was on ML, nobody should expect bonus. But we three partners will attend one stupid hearing in Dubai.

Join only if you don't have any other option and don't mind working without getting paid. All the partners who chose to stay with the firm during difficult times have not been paid for 5 months of work put in by them. The last retainer was paid in April for the work done in December, 21.

But, hold on, there's positive news too: The Managing Partner has returned to India after 20 days luxurious holiday in US.

HSA is an epitome of what a law firm should not be. It's laughable that the firm takes pride in the fact that retainers are only 2 months behind. Bonus has not been paid for the last two financial years.

Perhaps law firms need a regulator to discourage such practice and get us lawyers some rights. I left this place in September 2021 and my dues for retainer (not even counting variable) remain outstanding.

It's quite a shame that they compare themselves to just below Tier I firms. What a shame!

Why don't you answer these questions:

(a) when was bonus last paid and for what year?
FY 20-21 has not been paid yet

(b) when was retainer last paid and for what month?
(those who left in September are yet to be paid. no ffs done till now, March 2022)
Partners are still 2-3 months behind schedule

sach batana, naukri nahi mili kahi bhi na?

“Find it strange ppl would dish out so much distress just for delayed salaries”.

Bro what? Come work for my team yaar I’ll also suck out your soul and then keep dangling the carrot of salary getting paid eventually for 6 months or something. Love utopian daydreamers who have no real experience of working 15 hours a day with no pay.

I find it strange ppl would dish out so much distress just for delayed salaries. There seem to be things way more personal than that. Seems like there's pure mutual hatred than simple dissatisfaction. Ofc, money is a part of it but not the thing that has brought ppl out here who have sooo much to say about hsa and it's ppl.

With today's salary for July,21... most of the deserving partners still not paid for past 4 months + 2020 bonus + 2021 (will be due in 4 months). Teams trying best have met their targets already and are being asked to make it 5x and 6x so that freebies can be offered to china desk and japan specialists encouraging them to not work at all.

Dooms day - HSA wants partners to make 6x without even paying 1x to them so that china desk, japan specialists and labour law specialists can cope up and get paid for not earning their costs.

I was offered the same salary as my previous job! Why the hell would I have joined them? I would not need to leave in that case. I don't know how the hell does their brain work in terms of hiring. First you don't pay, then expect someone to join at previous salary? They might as well wait for increment

I, on behalf of all the other HSA fools vehemently apologise for our yellow bellied, spineless ways who decided to stay on and wait for payments, thinking we could rough it out - maybe because we like our team, partner or just because we could not get another job. Please share your contact details herein, so that we can reach you for future career and life advise oh Great! and Brave! One!

I will stop working if my payments are delayed for a day. the law firms and their clients are no great humanitarians advancing humanity, they're privileged, rich, manipulative people seeking to get more rich and privileged. You can't make me work for these leeches if I am not getting paid basis some misplaced sense of morality. Wonder why you guys kept on working for months without pay in the first place.

They never paid out bonuses on time even in their so called 'heydays'. No idea how this firm is still running. HSA's downfall started after AS joined. Its really sad to see how there's nothing left of the firm. HSA used to be a really fun place to work at 10 years ago. HS just destroyed everything. Cant believe that they cant even afford to pay salaries now!!

Let's try to understand what is wrong with this place.

No retainer/bonus: Retainers for Partners have been paid till February 2021. After that, it's only been tareekh pe tareekh. After the retainer revision last year, some increment has been announced on paper but nobody knows when this amount will be paid. For Associates, they have been paid till March/April of 2021. They claim to be getting funding to pay arrears but no one knows when.

Hiring: [...] High cost, no return. Who pays them? Other members who are making money. Not to mention the cost centre responsible for [...].

Departures: [...] good and half decent lawyers have left HSA. The firm motto of 'The Firm will survive individuals' isn't really working. They need to think of ways to retain talent. [...]

Redundancy: Without naming any partners (Kian will not allow) they are of no use for the firm. [...] All come with commitments but unable to perform. Getting quoted in the news is all they do and expect hefty bonuses.