It is generally accepted that Wadia Ghandy has one of the best commercial litigation and arbitration practices in Mumbai - arguably better than Tier 1s as well.

However, will appreciate if someone well versed with the firm's practice can help me with any of the following:

1. Work culture

2. Average working hours

3. Whether there is a strict division in terms of type of work (for ex., arbitration, insolvency related matters and generally appearing before the NCLT, civil suits before the HC/District Courts, etc.) handled by the respective partners? If yes, who handles what?

4. Which partners are generally good to work with and are running healthy teams?

5. Which partners to avoid at any cost?

Thanks in advance!! Your input is much appreciated!!

The place is undoubtedly good for disputes. It comes at a cost ofc you'll be left with no work life balance. Some partners come v late like 11 so you can't think of leaving before 9pm. For interns it's supposedly 8 pm but you always end up getting work like around 6:30-7:30. Interns won't be given much work, you'll have to keep following up so many times that you'll feel like they have no work for you and find you to be irritating.

No stipend even for assessment interns. Pay is less too but I think it's easier to switch to tier one law firms later on because the exposure is good if you're in the team. Matters are good, yes. But you'll get to see it better as an associate and not as an intern. If you're lucky you'll be involved. There's no demarcation as such partners do all kinds of litigation obviously they do have their specialisation but you'll generally see real estate matters being taken up by solicitor partners.

All partners have decent matters. DM has good ones but I can't say anything about the quality of work or WLB. The teams are generally small barring a few. It actually drives them to the point of insanity at times and a sheer lack of guidance from the partners. Associates in my team left around 10 everyday, that was the norm. I think it applies across all teams. Good matters do take a lot of time for a reason, it is tough to navigate around it.

Work culture is really bad. No one gives a shit about your mental health. It is a very toxic work environment. I did my assessment internship for 4 months and then joined but the work as an A0 is very toxic and everyone is mean for absolutely no reason at all.

Average working hours on a good day are 10-11 hours.

There is no division of work, you get to work on all matters, mostly NCLT and Bombay High Court matters.

No partner at this point has a healthy team because people are leaving each team. RG has a stable team with 3 associates constant since 2 years, however other teams have people leaving because of the toxic work environment. One of the senior associates in team BGD is doing good and if you get to work with him then it would be a good opportunity.

Most of the senior associates are extremely disrespectful and shout at you at any given point of time. You are expected to come to office even when you are very sick and if you take a sick leave you are given a lot of shit for it.

Avoid Team IS at any cost. You will be in office everyday till atleast 10:30 PM, everyday and will be made to work even on weekdays and there will be no boundary at all. I really don't think that WG would be the best option to take.

DM has a full nepo team going on. If you are an outsider you will be looked down upon and the team dynamics are not the best. He barely has an senior in his team, every second person is leaving due to the toxic work culture. This place is hell.

SP's team consists of 2 SA's and 5 associates at the A0-A1 level. The more experienced SA demonstrates strong performance and has established a solid reputation, with a likely path to make partner in the near future. Conversely, the other SA has limited involvement in HC matters and is primarily handling lower court cases, resulting in minimal exposure to significant BHC work.

PB’s team is known for its challenging environment, where juniors frequently endure abusive treatment and long working hours are common. While PB manages a variety of complex and high-quality cases, the demanding and toxic atmosphere may not be suitable for everyone.

In Team BGD, the two SAs are performing well. If an opportunity arises to work with either of them, it is worth considering. However, the overall work environment in the team is characterized by high levels of stress, fear, and lack of respect across all levels.

RG is not currently hiring, but his team is engaged in meaningful cases and maintains a more positive and cooperative work dynamic compared to other litigation partners.