According to Legally India’s reporting of internal partnership promotions effective this financial year (since 15 June 2015), 92 salaried partners from 27 law schools were promoted across 30 Indian and foreign law firms.
NUJS alumni made up for the highest number of partners promoted across various law firms this year, followed by Symbiosis Pune, GLC Mumbai and NLSIU.
This analysis excludes equity partners made up during the same period in all firms where the salaried partner designation exists. But it includes equity partners made up in firms where there is no salaried partner designation. It also includes associate partner promotions in all firms for which we reported such promotions.
NB: Our list is not comprehensive and there might be errors (full source data at the bottom of this article). If you know any of the alma mater of the last few on the list, please do share in comments and we’ll update.
NB 2: An older version of this story incorrectly stated that Symbiosis Pune led the rankings this year and NLSIU, GLC and NUJS were tied up for the second spot. After adding several missed out entries for which we did not have data earlier, our sample size increased from 75 to 92 and then finally to 98 partners. We also deleted certain equity partners incorrectly added to the sample. Error is regretted.
NUJS Kolkata (founded in 1999) accounted for 13 per cent of the pie this year, rising seven ranks since Legally India’s 2013 analysis of promotions over four years at the six largest law firms. NUJS alumni were made partners at Argus, AZB, CAM, HSA Advocates, Talwar Thakore & Associates, Trilegal and Wadia Ghandy. GLC Mumbai, with partners made at ALMT Legal, AZB, DSK, JSA, Khaitan, Little & Co was at 12 per cent/
Symbiosis Pune (founded in 1977) accounted for 11 per cent, compared to only 5 per cent in 2013 across the six largest Indian law firms. Symbiosis alumni were made partners at Argus Partners, AZB & Partners, DSK Legal, Economic Laws Practice (ELP), J Sagar Associates (JSA), Kanth & Associates, Khaitan & Co, Rajani Singhania & Partners, Trilegal and Wadia Ghandy. Symbiosis also had the most number of the ‘Big Seven’ Indian firms in its alumni-partner net.
NLSIU Bangalore (founded in 1987) – the leader of the 2013 rankings – was the last law school to have a double digit percentage in these rankings. Although, in terms of variety, NLSIU covered the widest net of law firms because it had the only alumni promoted in foreign law firms as well. NUJS and GLC were each spread out across six law firms.
Law firms which promoted alumni from NLSIU: Argus, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM), S&R Associates, Samvad Partners, Trilegal, Wadia Ghandy and foreign law firms Nixon Peabody, Kirkland & Ellis and Jones Day.
ILS Pune slipped a rank below its 2013 rank and at number five this year it constituted 8 per cent of the total internal promotions. ARA Law, AZB, DSK, JSA, Khaitan and Trilegal were the ones to promote its alumni.
The takeover from Delhi University
In 2013, Delhi University provided a whopping 17%of all new partners at India’s six largest firms (see graphic below from this story).
Delhi University followed ILS this year with 7 per cent, its alumni made up at Advaita Legal, Dua Associates, HSA, Khaitan, DMD, DSK and JSA.
NLU Jodhpur and Nalsar Hyderabad were tied up at 5 per cent and NLIU Bhopal, Amity Delhi and RA Shah Law College were tied together at 3 per cent.
These were the law schools in the top 11.
Nuals Kochi with one promotion was the only other national law university to have made it into the rankings.
JSA’s 14 salaried partner promotions this year were the highest among all reported law firms. It promoted equally from Symbiosis, ILS, GLC and Amity but did not promote from NLSIU. NLIU was the only NLU which it promoted from. DSK Legal and Trilegal (8 each) and Khaitan (7) were the other heavy hitters. DSK also did not promote from NLS but it did promote from Symbiosis, and Trilegal – which was co-founded by NLS alumni – promoted one alumni from NLS.
(See table for full breakdown of law firm partnerships, by alma mater)
Law firm partnership promotions: June 2015 – May 2016
| Law school | Total partners made | Percentage | Rounded |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUJS | 13 | 13.26530612 | 13 |
| GLC Mumbai | 12 | 12.24489796 | 12 |
| Symbiosis Pune | 11 | 11.2244898 | 11 |
| NLSIU | 10 | 10.20408163 | 10 |
| ILS Pune | 8 | 8.163265306 | 8 |
| Delhi University | 7 | 7.142857143 | 7 |
| NLU Jodhpur | 5 | 5.102040816 | 5 |
| Nalsar | 5 | 5.102040816 | 5 |
| Amity Delhi | 3 | 3.06122449 | 3 |
| NLIU | 3 | 3.06122449 | 3 |
| RA Shah Law College | 3 | 3.06122449 | 3 |
| Jitendra Chauhan | 2 | 2.040816327 | 2 |
| KC Law College | 2 | 2.040816327 | 2 |
| Mumbai University | 2 | 2.040816327 | 2 |
| Bharati Vidyapeeth | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| Goa University | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| Karnataka University | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| King’s College | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| M Krishna Law College | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| Rizvi Law College | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| ULC Bangalore | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| University of Pune | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| DD University Gorakhpur | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| BSR College | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| Nuals Kochi | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| Dharwad University | 1 | 1.020408163 | 1 |
| 98 | 100 | 98 |
Full list of promotions from 2015-16 reported on (including missing entries)
Note: The tables in this version of the story are different from the older version. Error is regretted.
Comments
Thank you for your comment.
We would have considered adding his name if that report was on Legally India. Our analysis in this story is restricted to our own reporting.
Best wishes,
Prachi
There are 80 students per batch in NLS, 120ish in NUJS, 240 in GLC and 400-500 (if not more) at Symbi, Pune per year. Won't Symbi Pune which, is possibly the largest law school (don't know about JGLS) have more chances than a law school which produces 1/5th the number of graduates? Would it be fair to rank law schools in this regard by such a computation?
How many of them are going to law firms? What is the composition of these law firms?
BCI only stipulates 60 per class
Some NLUs have 80 per class and only 1 class per batch, some have 240,400, 1000..
If having more people in one batch Made it more likely to have people doing well, then India should have been coming 2nd in olympics consistently.
And frankly, majority of these folks do not make it to law firms. So guess we can attribute a bit to hard work and efforts put in.
Even NLUJ, a college which they try so hard to belittle, is ahead of them now, if partner designations really matter
Kian, I hope you'll publish this. Those kids need to realise what the situation really is like.
Kian has unfortunately forgot to mention few of our partners who were promoted this year from AMSS and KCo. which I am sure will take us back over NLUJ if not NUJS only for this current academic year.
NLUJ is not ahead of us and we are pretty happy where we are.
So, even if that is taken into account, you still remain where you are in terms of the National Laws because Jodhpur also has 1 designation in that.
You just make it above Amity but I'm sure you're really glad that, that happened.
This all based on the assumption that partner designations even matter while determining a National Law and it's position.
Bhopal was one of the best but then somewhere along the line it started fucking up. Bhopal still is a good institution, relatively. You can make it great again if you guys get your shit together as opposed to roaming around with bottles of beer on the campus roads.
Thank you for your comment.
We unfortunately missed out on the Khaitan names earlier but have added those now. CAM and SAM we have had all covered right from the first version.
Best wishes,
Prachi
And if you are happy where you are, I pity your clients.
http://www.legallyindia.com/law-firms/khaitan-promotes-20-to-partner-across-all-4-offices
Will update the figures soon. It looks like it could give a little bump in the stats to ILS and GLC...
That's a total of 7 promotions for NALSAR against 3 mentioned in your article. Will you please revise this?
Thanks
Thank you for your comment.
We have now updated the story with the names and figures from that Khaitan story, and this has given a bump to Symbiosis and GLC.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Very Advocates, lexjuris, lexveritas, abracadabra, udsnchu, woilamama etc.
Thank you for your comment.
We unfortunately missed out on a few names earlier but have now updated the story with many more partners. The sample size has increased to 92 (from the 75 in the older version). See story for detailed updates.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Thank you for your comment.
Sayantani's promotion was effective from before our period of consideration whereas Avik's was not an internal promotion but a lateral hire.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Sujoy Bhatia - Amity Delhi - partner - JSA
While you are at it, might as well cover judicial services as well as civil services.
+ not sure, if calculating partners of corp law practice, would mean good law school no ?
its implied no ?
Thank you for your comment.
Rachit Bahl was made partner way back in 2013(http://www.legallyindia.com/201306033717/Law-firms/azb-promotes-5-delhi-mumbai-2013), whereas we are only considering this financial year for this particular analysis.
Same reason for not including Sujoy (http://www.legallyindia.com/201404014555/Law-firms/jsa-promotes-9-to-salaried-partner-bulk-in-mumbai)
Best wishes,
Prachi
Thank you for your comment.
Anuj Berry's promotion was actually effective from the year before this financial year. Hence excluded.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Soumitra Majumdar, Vishrov Mukherjee and Prashanth VG were all made partners at JSA.
@Kian http://www.legallyindia.com/law-firms/15-promoted-by-jsa-to-salaried-partner-level
Thank you for your comment.
Yes now included a few we had missed out earlier, and that bumps NUJS to rank 2.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Thank you for your comment.
Radhika Gaggar's promotion was actually effective from the year before this financial year. Hence excluded. (http://www.legallyindia.com/Law-firms/cyril-amarchand-finalises-7-new-equity-partners-12-salaried-for-future-home-turf-partnership-as-shardul-still-freezing-list)
Best wishes,
Prachi
Thank you for your comment.
Abhinav Surana was a lateral hire actually, whereas this analysis extends to only internally promoted partners. (http://www.legallyindia.com/law-firms/juris-corp-reviving-fortunes-opens-in-bangalore-with-ex-fox-partner-debanjan-bannerjee-and-trilegal-hire-pal)
Best wishes,
Prachi
Sayantan Dutta and Saanjh Purohit Both in Delhi office.
Thank you for your comment.
Both those partners were made in the previous financial year whereas we were only considering the current financial year for this story.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Anyway, your method of calculation seems skewed and that's telling me not to bother about this story anymore. Not a great work, I must say.
Thank you for your comment.
Those promotions were effective from before our period of consideration hence excluded.
Best wishes,
Prachi
1. Saanjh Purohit in SAM
2. Sayantan Dutta in SAM
3. Nanditha Gopal in AZB
4. Mayank Singh in Khaitan
5. Kumar Visalaksh in ELP
That's 5 compared to the number (3) given in this list. Also the period of survey may be a bit weird. Most of the firms make the partnership w.e.f. April 1. Is that why the number is different?
Thank you for your comment.
Information on the alma maters of some of these partners was not available earlier, hence they have not been included to the tally, but we've mentioned their names in the full list of partners. We will update the tally soon.
Best wishes,
Prachi
Situation could be reversed if these older law schools within universities (like CLC, GLC), get their act together. But that is a remote possibility -- neither is there a will nor an inclination.
happened to sls pune?
i know legal news websites that would charge for this business intelligence.
The biggest conference, the biggest moot, national level fests and the entire rigmarole of placements is managed by the students. Multiple committees and societies, some of which do excellent work, are lead entirely by students.
And this is a no mean feat.
In college, I conducted a tiny conference which was attended by 15 participants, and trust me, the whole process is as worthwhile as a mini MBA.
I think it's this quality which makes NUJS graduates go-getters; ones not just have a sound grounding in law but also an 'in the trenches' knowledge of leadership, management and getting things done.
No wonder that NUJS leads in law firm partnership promotions 2015-16.