Delhi-based corporate and disputes firm Kanth & Associates added a chief executive officer (CEO), Nishant, in August and opened a second Delhi office to accommodate its growing corporate practice team.

Nishant, who had formerly co-founded brand innovations start up Brand Access and had stints in corporate management and marketing roles since 2002, will create a chief finance officer (CFO) role at the 11-year-old firm alongside introducing “international best practices” similar to large corporations, he said.

“Most law firms work in a very orthodox manner across the globe. We are focusing on bringing a CEO and CFO on board, to make this a professionally run company. Like a corporate business. Very few law firms do that. We had our first performance appraisal for the entire team, like in any of the top companies where the top performers are rewarded and the non-performers are [routed out]. I don’t think any law firm [in India] has a proper appraisal system,” he commented.

He said that the firm was aiming to build an intellectual property (IP) practice, focussing on patents related work, to add to its disputes and corporate boutique.

After Kanth’s corporate practice grew to four lawyers, including two partners, it opened a second Nizamuddin East office near its existing office in Nizamuddin East.

The firm has five partners including founder and managing partner Gaurang Kanth, and around 25 lawyers including the partners.