Is it just me or has there been a full 180 in the way JSA insiders comment on LI the past few months?? JSA always sounded like one of those too good to be true law firms and now the facade is breaking down? One comment thread alluded to some "impropriety" and another says the managing partners have ruined the culture. Industry impression was always that JSA can't afford good salaries but attorneys prefer it anyway for good work culture.
JSA insiders, what is happening to your firm? Please advice, I almost applied to your HR for lateral but now I'm having cold feet!
JSA's problems have been going on for a few years now. The good will and market reputation are Jyoti Sagar's legacy, but the problems can also indirectly be attributed to him for better or worse. When Jyoti left the firm, he put in place a democratic setup that was radically new for Indian law firms, but as with all new things, gaps appear only once practical implementation happens.
Anyone who's worked with or in JSA knows that it isn't really a unified law firm, it's more of a coalition of equity partners each running their own individual sub-firm. There is no top level oversight because the joint managing partners have as much powers as a mid-level HR manager and sit in their respective offices with no insight into what goes on into other locations.
Because of this structure, JSA has stagnated since Sagar's retirement. Not because it's a bad place, but because there's no central management to take it into the 21st century. While some firms have had two pay revisions in the last 5 years, JSA has had the same pitiful base pay for new joinees since Mr. Sagar retired. There is simply no transparency anymore. Nobody knows when bonus will be disbursed, when increments will be handed out, what the appraisal process is supposed to be or what the firm's annual performance has been.
Lack of central oversight means that each EP runs the roost as they please. People on the same floor as me have such a different experience with my EP (good guy) that it feels like I'm listening to horror stories from a different firm. And because we're in Mumbai, the managing partners who are in Bangalore and Delhi couldn't care less about our office.
TLDR; JSA hasn't turned bad overnight.. it has been in a state of decline for years and piss poor management is just being highlighted now thanks to LI unifying JSA's various locations because now all of us know that the bad pay and management isn't localised to one office.
Wow put really well, this is a proper summary of issues everyone's discussing at the Delhi office as well. With no more firm retreats it has become hard to keep up with cross office news, so it's interesting to see everyone across JSA feels the same
No bonus, no increment, no band increase and a lot of trickery. That's what is happening here at JSA. True - JSA didnt have your typical T1 law firm problems until sometime back. It had its own problems, but they were manageable. Now it has its own problems + the problems of typical T2 law firm.
1 - Bozo Explosion. The founder was a tremendous lawyer and an all round fabulous human being. However, he was not immune to sycophancy and was a patron of loyalists. These loyalists are entrenched into equity positions, unwilling to give up the small slice of pie they have, but lacking any vision, and incapable of thinking past their next pay-out. This makes them insecure and petty, not wanting to disgorge the profit-share required to bring in/ retain/ grow real talent - they are much happier filling up the firm with mediocre juniors that don't rock the boat.
2 - Collective Action Problems/ Headless Chicken. covered well in Comment 2 by Insider - plus there is no promoter who can carve out a chunk of equity to bring in/retain talent a la the KCO revival.
3 - Talent Flight. In addition to Berjis and Jyoti, JSA has lost some real stars over the years - not regular attrition but people who were the core the firm, including a huge chunk of the Bombay office to SAM. This was exacerbated by problems identified above - where the stars felt they were subsidizing the bozos.
4 - Problems of Passivity. Linked to the above, the market has shifted above and below JSA and the firm just was unwilling to or has been unable to react. The CAM SAM divide created another whole firm above JSA, while its feet were cut-off by the ascent of Trilegal, Indus and boutique firms across the board. JSA has settled for occupying the uncomfortable space in between, like an ostrich with its head in the sand.
The above being said - JSA is experimental and truly unique for its democratic structure. There is lots to love and learn here if its problems can be addressed. Pivots to autocratic structures, however, are never the answer - while this happens to be trend firm-wide (and nationally). Only today the firm decided to rebrand from "J. Sagar Associates" to just simply "JSA". The leadership is so clueless they are now falling victims to the soothsayers of the business world - ad-men and business consultants, instead of addressing the core issues.
Sincerely need better JMPs/ better EPs in other management positions. Some of them feel being a hard ass = good management. Some feel issuing diktats = good management. Earlier, we used to have townhalls and other regular communication. Now, its a fiefdom. Someone needs to remind these guys that its not a perpetual position they hold. Or maybe that is the problem - dont want to put in the effort to properly manage the firm.
is the email about changing the name from JSA to JSA not communicative enough for you?
Things JSA JMPs are silent on:
Missing funds. Bonus delay. Three continuous years of bad increments. No annual retreat. No townhall in over a year.
Things JSA JMPs have sent email communications on:
JSA being called JSA. Eid Mubarak. Navroz Mubarak.
JSA is being run individually by the 30 odd EPs and the JMPs do the work of the lowest level HR manager. Expecting a diwali greetings message and a rangoli competition announcement from them next.
It is almost sad how a firm thinks it can get away without uttering a single word about bonus and increment till October! And this is when the other firms (who JSA “thinks” are their contemporaries) are not only declaring but increasing the numbers. JMPs - you need to Get your act together like NOW.
apart from bombay debt and delhi electricity and some m&a.
it was not a firm many nlu people (whatever we say concentration of top 5 nlus in a firm is an index ) went to - if that is an index. those who did like me and others regret.
it is unprofessional and unwoman friendly due to reasona that are too uncomfortable or difficult to articulate (just how women are viewed by the EPs) - and this is not bad hours it is and eyes.
JSA insiders, what is happening to your firm? Please advice, I almost applied to your HR for lateral but now I'm having cold feet!
Anyone who's worked with or in JSA knows that it isn't really a unified law firm, it's more of a coalition of equity partners each running their own individual sub-firm. There is no top level oversight because the joint managing partners have as much powers as a mid-level HR manager and sit in their respective offices with no insight into what goes on into other locations.
Because of this structure, JSA has stagnated since Sagar's retirement. Not because it's a bad place, but because there's no central management to take it into the 21st century. While some firms have had two pay revisions in the last 5 years, JSA has had the same pitiful base pay for new joinees since Mr. Sagar retired. There is simply no transparency anymore. Nobody knows when bonus will be disbursed, when increments will be handed out, what the appraisal process is supposed to be or what the firm's annual performance has been.
Lack of central oversight means that each EP runs the roost as they please. People on the same floor as me have such a different experience with my EP (good guy) that it feels like I'm listening to horror stories from a different firm. And because we're in Mumbai, the managing partners who are in Bangalore and Delhi couldn't care less about our office.
TLDR; JSA hasn't turned bad overnight.. it has been in a state of decline for years and piss poor management is just being highlighted now thanks to LI unifying JSA's various locations because now all of us know that the bad pay and management isn't localised to one office.
1 - Bozo Explosion. The founder was a tremendous lawyer and an all round fabulous human being. However, he was not immune to sycophancy and was a patron of loyalists. These loyalists are entrenched into equity positions, unwilling to give up the small slice of pie they have, but lacking any vision, and incapable of thinking past their next pay-out. This makes them insecure and petty, not wanting to disgorge the profit-share required to bring in/ retain/ grow real talent - they are much happier filling up the firm with mediocre juniors that don't rock the boat.
2 - Collective Action Problems/ Headless Chicken. covered well in Comment 2 by Insider - plus there is no promoter who can carve out a chunk of equity to bring in/retain talent a la the KCO revival.
3 - Talent Flight. In addition to Berjis and Jyoti, JSA has lost some real stars over the years - not regular attrition but people who were the core the firm, including a huge chunk of the Bombay office to SAM. This was exacerbated by problems identified above - where the stars felt they were subsidizing the bozos.
4 - Problems of Passivity. Linked to the above, the market has shifted above and below JSA and the firm just was unwilling to or has been unable to react. The CAM SAM divide created another whole firm above JSA, while its feet were cut-off by the ascent of Trilegal, Indus and boutique firms across the board. JSA has settled for occupying the uncomfortable space in between, like an ostrich with its head in the sand.
The above being said - JSA is experimental and truly unique for its democratic structure. There is lots to love and learn here if its problems can be addressed. Pivots to autocratic structures, however, are never the answer - while this happens to be trend firm-wide (and nationally). Only today the firm decided to rebrand from "J. Sagar Associates" to just simply "JSA". The leadership is so clueless they are now falling victims to the soothsayers of the business world - ad-men and business consultants, instead of addressing the core issues.
@EPs - Figure it out guys! Talk to us!
Things JSA JMPs are silent on:
Missing funds. Bonus delay. Three continuous years of bad increments. No annual retreat. No townhall in over a year.
Things JSA JMPs have sent email communications on:
JSA being called JSA. Eid Mubarak. Navroz Mubarak.
JSA is being run individually by the 30 odd EPs and the JMPs do the work of the lowest level HR manager. Expecting a diwali greetings message and a rangoli competition announcement from them next.
apart from bombay debt and delhi electricity and some m&a.
it was not a firm many nlu people (whatever we say concentration of top 5 nlus in a firm is an index ) went to - if that is an index. those who did like me and others regret.
it is unprofessional and unwoman friendly due to reasona that are too uncomfortable or difficult to articulate (just how women are viewed by the EPs) - and this is not bad hours it is and eyes.