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1. Scope - the field is definitely growing. The CCI has been very active regarding mergers and the introduction of the DVT and other metrics in the new amendments, the scope of the field is only going to grow.
Now coming to the future, that's where the problem lies. I feel that this area of law will get extremely saturated. The big name partners are young and they would be still there 5-10 years down the line. In house options are very few currently (but with the introduction of the digital competition law, it might change or it might not). But currently, the options after leaving law firms are very few.
2,3 - Best teams & top players - Ranking them overall in no particular order (would love if people working on these teams could add more)
A) SAM - Some great partners, good clientele, good pay, decent work culture.
B) CAM - Average clientele, not so great work culture afaik
C) Trilegal - After NKU's exit and roping in of two SAM partners, the team hasn't gone back to its previous glory, but better work culture now, and good pay.
D) KCO - Merger matters mostly, decent team with more than decent work culture, good pay.
E) AZB - Ram is known to be a great boss, some other partners are also good people, good clientele and pay.
F) JSA - NKU is probably the most infamous name in comp law in India, great clients, great pay, terrible work culture. Vaibhav is also a good partner to work with
G) DSK, L&L, P&A - average teams with not a lot of good work, bad pay (compared to the t1s), good partners (P&A being an exception afaik)
H) Sarvada - Best place to learn and get hands on work, Abir is a wonderful mentor, bad pay and hours though.
I) C&M - Good clientele, bad pay, bad work culture
J) Axiom - Samir is extremely well known, good work, long hours and average pay.
4 - Money - Most T1s have a standardized payscale so you'll be making a fixed amount similar to your peers in other teams. Variables depend totally on the specific team you work with, i.e., even in the same firm there might be significant pay differences.
The non t1s usually have an average pay in the range of 50-80k pm.
5. Suitability - to be very honest, it's same as any other corporate law area. You get better as you work on more matters. There's nothing specific that differentiates you from other lawyers with regards to any specific skill sets or knowledge.
Comp law is essentially enforcement + merger control. I personally find enforcement matters more fun but it's a very subjective. If the firm you work with has a good M&A practice, the chances are you'll end up getting a lot of merger control matters. A lot of t1s don't have a lot of enforcement culture, except for maybe SAM, AZB and JSA.
Overall, once you commit, it'll be a little hard to find other avenues or inhouse roles if you decide to leave the firm practice. But it's a fun, interesting practice once you start liking it.
Good luck.
1. 1. The Scope and Future: How is competition law evolving in India? Is it a field with substantial growth opportunities, or is it likely to remain a niche area?
2. 2. Top Players: Which law firms and teams are the best to work with in this domain?
3. 3. Key Practitioners: Who are the leading competition lawyers in India today?
4. 4. Compensation and Growth: How does the remuneration compare to other legal fields? Is the money scene lucrative enough to justify the narrow specialization?
5. 5. Suitability: What kind of lawyer thrives in competition law? Conversely, who might find it unsuitable?
Given how specialized this field is, it seems like a one-way road once you commit. Is it worth diving into for someone considering long-term prospects?
Looking forward to your thoughts and guidance!