AZB & Partners remains a market leader in the litigation space, fielding a team of experts to handle a range of competition litigation and joint venture disputes, among others. Seasoned practitioner Rajendra Barot co-heads the practice from Mumbai, with experience in proceedings before the Supreme Court; co-head Vijayendra Pratap Singh in Delhi is the key contact for corporate and commercial disputes. In Bangalore, Aditya Vikram Bhat has particular expertise in cross-border litigation, with a focus on shareholder disputes; he is also acting for Facebook before the Bombay High Court in a case relating to the regulation of online content. Other core team members include Mumbai-based Sonali Mathur, an expert in securities litigation, and Abhimanyu Chopra, who was promoted to the partnership in April 2021, in Delhi. The team is backed by an experienced group of associates, including Abhijnan Jha in the Delhi office.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas’ well-established litigation group has significant bench strength in commercial disputes, insolvency and bankruptcy cases, intellectual property litigation, and white-collar crime cases. Key contacts in the team, which has an extensive national presence, include Indranil Deshmukh, Bharat Vasani, Shaneen Parikh, who is experienced in commercial litigation, particularly cross-border matters, and Gauri Rasgotra, who handles disputes of national significance, and is the key contact for cases relating to emerging areas such as data privacy and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Other members of the core team are Gyanendra Kumar, who handles insolvency-related proceedings, and Anuradha Mukherjee, who is regularly instructed by private sector clients and government entities. Disputes over construction projects and white-collar crime matters also feature in the caseload. In May 2021, the practice expanded significantly at senior level with the promotion of several new partners, including Shalaka Patil, who is recommended for disputes in the energy, infrastructure, and oil and gas sectors. The team has been further boosted by Lomesh Kiran Nidumuri  who has joined from IndusLaw.

Economic Laws Practice is active in white-collar crime cases, tax litigation and regulatory disputes, as well as handling mediation. Overseen by Naresh Thacker, the Mumbai-based team often handles commercial litigation before the High Courts and Supreme Court for large multinational clients operating across the steel and manufacturing industries. Other notable team members include Rohit Sharma, who handles insolvency disputes, and Alok Jain, who is recommended for disputes in the oil and gas, infrastructure and construction, and energy sectors.

Khaitan & Co LLP‘s litigation group is ‘strong and commercially savvy’, with a track record of acting in competition, tax, and intellectual property disputes, among others. Based in New Delhi, Sanjeev Kapoor has over two decades of experience handling cross-border litigation for banking clients and also has notable strength in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Ajay Bhargava, who specialises in criminal and corporate litigation and has appeared in cases before the High Courts, and Vanita Bhargava, who has expertise in disputes in niche areas including forest law, are also notable team members. In the firm’s Kolkata office, Nandini Khaitan is the key contact.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co has a well-regarded litigation practice and is active in commercial disputes, insolvency proceedings, and competition litigation. Pallavi Shroff continues to be the pre-eminent practitioner in the team and has a track record representing clients in competition-related mandates. High-stakes regulatory cases before the NCLT are handled by Ritu Bhalla. In September 2020, the team was strengthened further by the arrival of Nawneet Vibhaw, a specialist in environmental disputes, from Khaitan & Co LLP.

At Trilegal, the litigation practice group is overseen by Shankh Sengupta and has a track record of acting in banking, construction and commercial disputes before courts of all levels. Pallav Shukla, who was promoted to the partnership in April 2021, has been growing the firm’s white-collar criminal litigation practice. Ashish Bhan has particular expertise in representing telecoms and infrastructure sector clients in disputes with shareholders and regulatory bodies. Jafar Alam handles commercial, regulatory and infrastructure-related litigation, and Nitesh Jain specialises in insolvency disputes. Longstanding clients include large Indian corporates and international companies in the manufacturing, steel, and power sectors.

Bharucha & Partners handles complex commercial disputes and is recommended for its expertise in construction, real estate, and environmental litigation. Overseen by MP Bharucha in Mumbai, with further offices in New Delhi and Bengaluru, the team represents both domestic and international companies. In a current matter, Sneha Jasingh is acting for the founder of the Avantha Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, in a case before the Securities and Exchange Board of India. DP Singh is also a key contact, as is Sonam Gupta, who is the name to note for insolvency and bankruptcy-related cases. The group expanded in March 2021 with the arrival of Shreya Sircar, who joined from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.

Dhir & Dhir Associates‘ team has extensive experience in civil and commercial disputes and is led by seasoned litigator Maneesha Dhir and Alok Dhir. The group handles matters spanning across the aviation, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. Senior partner Sachin Gupta has appeared in various matters before the High Courts as well as ADR forums. Insolvency disputes and debt recovery actions are also areas of strength.

DSK Legal‘s litigation practice is overseen by managing partner Anand Desai in Mumbai and covers a wide range of disputes, including commercial, securities and white-collar criminal litigation. The team regularly appears  in civil and criminal cases before the High Courts and the Supreme Court, and is noted for its work with high-profile media clients. Also in Mumbai, Jatin Pore  advises on disputes arising out of shareholders’ and joint venture agreements. In New Delhi, Kirat Singh Nagra is the key contact for white-collar crime cases and has extensive experience in the High Courts. The group faced two partner departures: Ravi Prakash and Nand Kishore left the firm to start their own practice in April 2021. However, H.S. Bobby Chandhoke has joined the team from L&L Partners Law Offices.

Dua Associates is active in complex commercial, constitutional, environmental and white-collar crime cases. Shiraz Patodia is highly experienced in commercial litigation, and counts a number of Fortune 500 companies among her key clients. At the associate level, Pranav Kamnani’s practice covers civil and commercial litigation, particularly in the construction, oil and gas, and technology areas, and Juhi Chawla is recommended for insolvency disputes, among others.

HSA Advocates has a focus on high-profile litigation and criminal investigations, and has represented clients before the High Courts and Supreme Court. Manan Shukla (who joined the team from Agarwal Law Associates in July 2020) is a key name for commercial and maritime litigation. Abhirup Dasgupta is the contact for restructuring and insolvency disputes, whilst Amaresh Kumar Singh handles real estate disputes, with over two decades of experience in this area. Senior partner Apoorva Misra left the firm in late 2020 to set up his own practice.

IndusLaw’s ‘excellent’ litigation group has an extensive national presence, with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, and has strength in commercial, insolvency and real estate disputes. Amit Jajoo, who leads the Mumbai team, is experienced in restructuring and banking-related disputes while Mayank Mishra in Delhi and Sushmita Gandhi, also in Mumbai, are further core members of the team. The group also has an active pro bono practice. Bangalore-based Lomesh Kiran Nidumuri has left the practice to join Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

L&L Partners Law Offices’ litigation practice group is active in commercial disputes, and has expertise in energy, oil and gas, competition and consumer protection cases. H.S. Bobby Chandhoke has left the practice to join DSK Legal .

Link Legal’s litigation practice group is housed in New Delhi and handles insolvency, aviation and construction-related disputes, where it has seen an increase in instructions. The team handles complex civil and corporate litigation before courts of all levels. Nusrat Hassan focuses on handling litigation for marquee domestic and international clients. Atul Sharma and Milanka Chaudhury, who has strength in employment and aviation disputes, head the team.

Majmudar & Partners is highlighted as ‘outstanding’ with experience in a range of disputes, particularly banking, intellectual property, and criminal litigation. Based in Mumbai and jointly managed by Neerav Merchant and A.K. Hirani, the group has extensive experience acting for clients operating in the infrastructure, power, and petrochemicals spaces. Experienced associate Niket Mehta is also recommended.

Phoenix Legal’s litigation practice handles public interest litigation, white-collar crime cases, and corporate disputes. In New Delhi, Vasanth Rajasekaran has a track record of acting in corporate and commercial litigation, procurement disputes and antitrust litigation, and co-founding partner Saket Shukla is another key contact. Gautam Bhatikar joined the Mumbai office from LEGASIS PARTNERS ADVOCATES & SOLICITORS in November 2020, bringing expertise in international trade, energy and projects disputes. The team also specialises in crisis management and has handled several politically sensitive cases. The department has faced a number of senior departures, with Mrinal Ojha, Trinath Tadakmalla, and Debarshi Dutta leaving the partnership in April 2021 to set up a new firm.

Samvad Partners is singled out for its ‘excellent, timely and professional advice’ and is strong in commercial disputes, insolvency cases and competition litigation. Practice head Poornima Hatti in Bangalore is highlighted by clients for her ‘remarkable grasp of the law’ and is active in employment disputes and insolvency litigation. In Chennai, Rohan George heads the intellectual property practice and has extensive experience in contentious IP matters, including proceedings before the High Courts. The firm also has a strong focus on public interest litigation and has historically acted in cases of national importance, including in relation to the special status of Kashmir. In addition, construction and infrastructure-related disputes feature in the caseload.

S&A Law Offices is housed primarily in New Delhi and has a well-regarded litigation practice, noted for its strength in intellectual property, customs and trade, and commercial disputes. Manoj Kumar Singh is experienced in ADR, as well as regularly representing clients in litigation before the High Courts and various tribunals. Vijay Kumar Singh is the key contact for insolvency and bankruptcy-related litigation, with over a decade of experience in this area. Another core team member is joint managing partner Gunita Pahwa, who is based in Gurugram; she is particularly experienced in disputes in the infrastructure, IT and ports sectors.

Tuli & Co’s litigation group has niche expertise in insurance litigation, acting for an array of clients including private equity funds, insurers and reinsurers, and commodity suppliers. Rajat Taimni is a key name in the team, acting for a number of insurer clients. He is supported by Naval Sharma, who has over a decade of experience specialising in handling disputes for Indian insurers. Neeraj Tuli is the key contact in Delhi, with longstanding experience in disputes in the insurance industry, having formerly been at Kennedys in London.

Hariani & Co., Advocates and Solicitors’ main point of contact is experienced practitioner Ameet Hariani, who regularly acts for clients in insolvency and bankruptcy-related litigation. The group has experience appearing before the Bombay High Court and the NCLT. Public interest litigation also remains a strength.

Karanjawala & Company's litigation practice is led by Raian Karanjawala and acts for government entities and private sector clients across a range of disputes. It is experienced in handling high-stakes litigation for some of India's leading companies, including ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India. The team has a growing criminal practice and white-collar crime expert Sandeep Kapur is recommended for representing multinational corporations and private individuals. Nandini Gore specialises in family law cases, particularly divorce and custody disputes.

S&R Associates operates from New Delhi and Mumbai and has experience in civil litigation and intellectual property infringement cases. Key names in the New Delhi office include Niti Dixit, who handles internal investigations, anti-corruption cases, and regulatory proceedings, and Abhishek Tewari, who deals with insolvency cases. Newly promoted partner Shahezad Kazi, who handles securities litigation, is a notable contact in Mumbai. The group has appeared before courts of all levels, including the Supreme Court.

Gagrats’ practice is led by Mumbai-based partner Rustam Gagrat and focuses on commercial, competition and tax litigation, as well as public sector disputes. The team also has experience in contentious matters in the aviation sector and regularly represents airlines and lenders.

LexCounsel acts for corporate clients in commercial litigation pertaining to shareholder disputes and contractual obligations. Alishan Naqvee continues to be the main point of contact in the team.