Are corporate lawyers happy in India?

Asked by: Prof. Keely Beatty  |  Last update: September 21, 2022
Score: 4.8/5 (5 votes)

Despite the relative scarcity of start-up practices begun by in-house lawyers, 60% of the lawyers working in corporate departments also harbour entrepreneurial ambitions. It is counterintuitive then that most Indian lawyers are fairly happy with where they work.

Is it worth being a corporate lawyer in India?

Average salaries: Corporate lawyers often earn less than commercial lawyers, though location, company, education and experience can affect wages. The average national salary for corporate lawyers is Rs. 3,81,418 per year , while the average national salary for commercial lawyers is Rs. 15,58,899 per year .

Do corporate lawyers earn well in India?

Corporate lawyers with one to four years of experience earn around INR 5.82 lakh per annum on average. However, after a certain level of experience, your pay in this field increases substantially. Corporate lawyers with a significant amount of experience (five to nine years) make INR 14.5 lakh per annum on average.

Are corporate lawyers in demand in India?

Corporate Lawyer is in demand across all domination be it the corporate governance or business consulting firms. With foreign law firms' moving in India the scope for Corporate Lawyers has increased many folds.

How is life as a corporate lawyer in India?

Corporate lawyers serve only one client - the corporation they work for. As a corporate lawyer, you will be called upon to handle a variety of legal tasks including corporate taxes, mergers and acquisitions, corporate structure issues, employment law, and government reporting.

Salaries of corporate lawyers working at law firms vs in house counsels

23 related questions found

Do corporate lawyers work long hours in India?

Weekly Hours of Work

corporate lawyers do extra hours when it is needed especially in the financial year. Though they work for nine to ten hours a day, in the financial year it can be up to fifteen hours.

Are corporate lawyers in demand?

The demand for corporate lawyers will only increase in the near future and there is a great potential for corporate lawyers owing to various new areas of expertise that have emerged in recent years. The kind of transactions we see today are truly global in their nature.

Are lawyers jobless in India?

Among the lakhs of jobless lawyers in India, less than 10% are making a living wage. Will legal profession survive another 20 years? The dynamics of the legal market continue to amaze me. India has lakhs of jobless lawyers sitting around exterminating houseflies in district courts around the country.

Is corporate law interesting?

As a whole, corporate law is the new flavor of the legal service industry. It has great potential and the future looks bright for corporate lawyers. To work as a corporate lawyer is enriching, unique and exciting knowing the dynamic environment it provides.

Why do corporate lawyers earn so much?

Lawyer salaries are driven by supply and demand, just like everything else. According to data from CEB, the average hourly rate charged by major law firm partners nearly doubled since 2000, while average hourly wages for both blue-collar and white-collar workers have increased less than 20%.

Which type of lawyer earns the most in India?

Trial lawyers are the highest paid professionals to date and the salary depends on the location and the most important and the importance of the case. Top lawmakers handling high-profile cases in Delhi and Mumbai.

Do Corporate Lawyers argue in court?

Corporate Lawyers fights for any interest in the company in the court or outside the court.

Are Corporate Lawyers highly paid?

Highest salary that a Corporate Lawyer can earn is ₹30.5 Lakhs per year (₹2.5L per month). How does Corporate Lawyer Salary in India change with experience? An Entry Level Corporate Lawyer with less than three years of experience earns an average salary of ₹7.1 Lakhs per year.

Who is the highest paid corporate lawyer in India?

Top 10 Highest Paid Lawyers in India (Famous Lawyers)
  • 1 – Ram Jethmalani: INR 25 lacs.
  • 2 – Kapil Sibal: INR 8-16 lac.
  • 3 – Fali Sam Nariman: INR 8-15 lacs.
  • 5 -Soli Jehangir Sorabjee: INR 8-15 lacs.
  • 6- Kesava Parasaran: INR 8-12 lacs.
  • 7- Abhishek Manu Singhvi: INR 6-11 lacs.
  • 8- Kottayan Katankot Venugopal: INR 5-7.5 lacs.

Which type of lawyer earns the most?

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:
  • Medical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ...
  • Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ...
  • Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ...
  • Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ...
  • Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.

Can a corporate lawyer become a CEO?

Corporate lawyers can become general business managers and even aspire to become CEO. It is not very common in India but in the US, many lawyers and legal counsels become CEO of companies by switching careers midstream and getting a strong business orientation.

What are the disadvantages of being a lawyer?

Disadvantages of Being an Attorney
  • Lawyers often work long hours.
  • You will often no longer have a life apart from work.
  • Clients can be quite demanding.
  • Working climate may be rather bad.
  • You may get sued.
  • Law school can cost a fortune.
  • Digitalization is a threat to lawyers.

What does a corporate lawyer do day to day?

A typical day involves being on the phone or in meetings with clients or colleagues working through deal-specific or governance-related issues, negotiating transaction documents with opposing counsel, or working on regulatory filings in connection with a transaction.

Why are u interested in corporate law?

The job of a corporate lawyer is diverse and hence demands the knowledge of various fields like tax, merger, criminal law, risk, to perform better. You can be a part of any business vertical, be it insurance, marketing, food, luxury, telecom, retail, hospitality, or even the government.

Is law a dying profession in India?

For at least four decades now, the Indian legal profession has drifted away so markedly – and so alarmingly – from global norms of quality assurance and best practice that at least two generations of lawyers have grown up without any exposure to meaningful professional regulation.

Are lawyers in India happy?

It is counterintuitive then that most Indian lawyers are fairly happy with where they work. About 59% of those working in law firms either agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed their current jobs. Among in-house lawyers, 51% were positive about their current roles.

Can a lawyer earn in crores?

A criminal lawyer with an average 10-year experience can earn anywhere between Rs. 3,60,000 to 10,00,000 and if the person has a good name then their income can be as high as the great Harish Salve who allegedly charges few crores for a single court appearance.

Which type of lawyers are in demand?

Among the types of lawyers, Corporate Law experts are in great demand due to their specialization in contract law, securities law, bankruptcy, tax law, accounting, intellectual property rights, licensing, zoning laws, etc.

How is life at a corporate law firm?

Many associates find it difficult to maintain the work-life balance. They cannot take out time for personal life. Even if they try, they fear the competition and the loss of the work. Work is given to an associate on the basis of his capabilities and the amount of hard work he does.

What is it like to work in corporate law?

Teamwork is essential in this field. Expect to work with groups of professionals. Those who excel in this field have excellent interpersonal and people management skills. Ultimately, corporate lawyers need to be tenaciously ambitious, relentless in pursuing their goals and love a good challenge.