I am an xNDA. Baffles me that people are posting such fiction about NDA when the reality is well known and even available in several threads on LI and of course that detailed nishith desai blog put together by a couple of x-NDAites.

In short - yes, there have been wholesale exits since the beginning of 2020, after a certain scandal. Almost all the stalwarts are out except for Nishchal. A few old timers who are sticking around are NMD's friends and family (I do not include Suril in that group). Virtually all practice areas are now fossil remains. The so called foreign offices have 0-1 associates - some are just post box addresses for business cards. Most clients have taken their mandates elsewhere - to other well known firms or startups by NDA alumni. While hardly anyone from my days has stuck around, what I gather from my friends over there is that the good thing is that work is not at all hectic, but so is the career growth.

I find "Except for Parul there is no notable person in that practice area" super ironical, given that the series of exits began right after her entry. Not difficult to guess why she is the only 'notable' person left in the area!

So if you are looking at any opportunity with NDA, then first sort out your short and long term objectives and then take a call. E.g. if you plan to go for LLM in a foreign univ, then not a bad place for a year.

Can you please count properly? It’s hardly 60 lawyers. Foreign offices - they are just one man shop meant for BD purposes. Good at marketing nothing better now.

3 or 4 band 1 practices - should point out the way they have lost band 1 practices including HR and Funds.

The only practices they still have a hold is tax and lit. TMT is also on downhill note. Tax has seen lot of departures. Except for Parul there is no notable person in that practice area.

Culture not doubt the best. But culture enough will not run the firm. If that would have been the case the departures would not have been this insane.

Also talking about practice heads all of them stick to NDA because of some association with Nishith Desai (either family or friends). You know the reality still you choose to depict a wrong picture.

Brother, even in its current stage, NDA stands out as best among law firms operating at this level. 70 lawyers, 3 foreign offices (agree that most of them have 1/2 people), 3 or 4 band 1 practices, all the practice heads are still with the firm from last 20 years (agree except HR). And if you have interacted with anyone from NDA yet, you would know the kind of work culture they have.

NDA, work & clientele, but yeah, culture - let's not go there; they've just had big exits for a while now - ever since 2020, with a few here and there new incomers. They are very picky about their freshers. They expect a lot, and probably will make your paralegal take good work out of you and then give you a job, at least have done that in the past. Typically they did not have a day zero policy but yeah they might be changing with the times. As a fresher, well if you can make the cut and stick around for 2 + years good for you, stick around and have Nishith bhai's blessing, you'll shoot up the ranks quickly.

When you are not able to attract talent at mid level the only way to sustain is bumping up the fresher salaries and attracting fresher talent.

Apparently, they are going for campus placements this year (signs that students are not that keen to consider NDA as an option). All of the mid level across teams have left leaving the teams to be either led by inexperienced leaders (not belong to that domain) and A0-A2.

If joining very good place to learn things but don’t stick for more than 2/3 years max.