In a subdued year for Indian law firm hiring, Trilegal added lateral partners at pace, including 10 in April alone, as the firm crossed 100 equity partners. Partners Sridhar Gorthi and Nishant Parikh, who sit on the firm’s management committee, share with ALB how they are looking at the additional talent to power Trilegal’s offerings in a liberalising legal market while paying close attention to cultural assimilation and talent management.
ALB: Tell us what is driving the latest hiring streak. How does it align with your overall growth strategy?
Gorthi & Parikh: Our focus remains on strengthening the quality of our service offering and continually investing in our core values of transparency, meritocracy, and equity. As the firm grows from strength to strength, it attracts the best talent as partners see themselves achieving their long-term goals in alignment with these values. So, we wouldn’t call it a hiring strategy, rather, our ability to promote or attract the best lawyers is bolstered by the proven strength of our platform.
ALB: What kind of firm culture are you looking to build, and how do you ensure new hires at various levels are integrated into this firm culture?
Gorthi & Parikh: Transparency, meritocracy and collaboration are the defining values of our firm’s culture.
These values attract like-minded professionals, and we have seen that integration of new members into our firm has been seamless. In fact, many partners who have joined us laterally are today the biggest brand ambassadors of our culture and values.
“Having a consistent, transparent, and rules-based system obviously helps as well – our partners have a great deal of clarity on what is expected of them, how the firm is performing, and on their role and remuneration. This clarity builds collaboration and trust, which are the bedrock of our culture.”
Having a consistent, transparent, and rules-based system obviously helps as well – our partners have a great deal of clarity on what is expected of them, how the firm is performing, and on their role and remuneration. This clarity builds collaboration and trust, which are the bedrock of our culture.
ALB: Are there plans to further expand the firm’s partner base in the near future, and if so, what factors will be considered in determining the timing and scale of such expansion?
Gorthi & Parikh: Trilegal has strengthened its position in the market through sustained organic and lateral growth over the years. We are very bullish on the India growth story and see ourselves growing aggressively in the coming years. We are confident that our firm’s values and unique structure will continue to attract the right candidates and drive its growth.
ALB: India introduced new rules liberalising its legal market. What outcomes are you anticipating as a firm, and what measures are you putting in place to ensure Trilegal maintains its competitive edge?
Gorthi & Parikh: We are optimistic that the rules notified by the Bar Council of India will promote the growth of the legal profession in India. We believe the Indian legal market can thrive in response to the dynamic injection of new participants and opportunities to innovate and stay competitive. We welcome the move and look forward to the potential opportunities these regulations could create for Indian law firms to expand their support for clients in global markets.
We are excited by the opportunities created by digital innovation and are investing strategically in this area. In the last few years, our firm has also invested in environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, developed a dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility program, and taken steps to enable and accelerate Diversity and Inclusion at work.
Our efforts have been commended, and we have been recognised as an Employer of Choice for legal talent by Asian Legal Business and as the Best Law Firm to Work in India by Vahura.
