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Yes, work is tedious and long hours are expected, but its rewarding both financially and intellectually.
Source - Literally the MP of the firm.
-Work Culture, as you may have heard, is a complete joke. Many partners and SAs leave early and expect communications to take place via mail (common for other firms), while also placing the maximum burden on 2-3 associates who are not thoroughly briefed with the facts of the matter themselves. Said associates often (poorly) delegate these tasks to interns, who are clueless about the nature of a matter, scope, relevance of research etc. until the eleventh hour. This team is probably the worst culprit of keeping interns and associates in the dark regarding matters. A0s are only meant to complete clerical work, making it difficult to differentiate between an intern and A0 at times. SAs can be horrific in behaviour and personality.
-Partners (Except RB), are just glorified counsels. I have seen more engagement between Partners and Associates/Interns at pretty much any other T1. You may be assigned a Partner if you intern here, only to find out that there exists no communication between Partners and even Associates (except at the lunch table). The partners themselves are pretty smart, but evidently lack authority when compared to partners at other T1s who directly engage with their teams. SAs here seem to be crucial for all work, which again feeds into the egos of certain SAs you will identify once you being working/interning here.
-Associates are pretty chill, as everyone understands the situation they are in. You can genuinely resort to some people here to lend you a helping hand despite the thorough amount of toxicity, and I have personally seen many associates cover up for each other out of nothing but camaraderie. Some associates, however, are quite clueless with work (of which several have quit since months). I would blame the poor mentoring and guidance provided by SAs and Counsels for the absent-minded nature many A0s have here, as Counsels either completely dump work onto their Associates or micromanage everything, inlcuding deliverables.
-Counsels are pretty much only meant to liason with senior counsels or supervise A1s and A2s. (Assuming there are A2s who haven't already quit lmao). The Counsel you work with may baffle you with their sheer ignorance.
-If you intern here, prepare to work your ass off. Due to the pooled system, you are liable to take work from anyone who approaches you, and believe me, there is work to be done 24/7. From a learning POV, it is great as you may encounter a variety of matters, thus increasing your skills in research. HOWEVER, most A0s and A1s, or even SAs may poorly brief you (or even give propositions that are completely incorrect/irrelevant). Also, there seems to be a unique system here where interns and occassionally associates as well are used as court clerks, having being sent to the NCLT or the HC only to track matters. ▮▮▮
Now that I've given a pretty grim perspective, I'll counter this by providing with some 'positives'
-As I said earlier, you can definitely learn a lot from this place, the best being time-management and developing nerves of steel. Once you work here or do an articled clerkship, you can pretty much work in any team in any firm IMO. It legitimately cannot get more stressful than this (as much as this probably, but if you work here during peak months such as Jan, you will learn what it means to slog)
-You develop camaraderie and a sense of belonging amongst colleagues and friends here. I have seen interns create strong bonds with each other and associates creating friendships that last the test of time (Any law associate will tell you how difficult it is to manage such friendships once a colleague leaves the firm, but many ex-AZB folks at Khaitan, which is in the same building, manage it somehow)
-Unlike Trilegal, the firm does provide food on Monday and Friday, including non-veg options that are delicious. The area is also located in Fort, which means that there are a plethora of eateries and restaurants, ranging from affordable to high-end, nearby. It's also a very lively area, which may or may not be a plus depending on you. (As a guarenteed plus, there are great drinking options nearby)
-The clerks are quite helpful (but just as loud as well). I got to talking with several of them, and they are really helpful and provide better information on Court Numbers and matters than your seniors.
-You get to work on many high-stake and meaty matters, which is probably a plus if you want something to show on your CV once you decide to quit the firm after some time.
-While working here, you will definitely learn interpersonal communication and skills, while navigating through the varied personalities this office provides. Be prepared to lie to, hide from and avoid people whenever necessary. DO NOT TRY AND BE NICE NEEDLESSLY, A SENIOR WILL DEFINITELY WALK OVER YOU AND NOT THINK TWICE.
Conclusion - I genuinely don't want to discourage you from joining, as AZB Mumbai has a noted Disputes practice. However, do note that this firm has a dearth of intermediate-level guidance and many SAs/Counsels run the associates, not the partners. DO NOT PISS OFF SPECIFIC SAs AND COUNSELS, THEY WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL. AZB Disputes is definitely an experience you will remember for some time, make the most of it and quit while you're still ahead. All the best.