Top 10 Highest Paid Corporate Lawyers in India: Notable Cases, Contribution

The list of top 10 highest paid corporate lawyers in India includes Avaantika Kakkar, Akila Agrawal, Ajay Bahl, Lalit Bhasin, and many more. Corporate lawyers are also called corporate attorneys. A corporate lawyer's responsibilities include creating paperwork, analyzing partnerships, and negotiating transactions. 

Furthermore, entering this sector is one of the highest-paying careers you will ever see because not everyone wants to be a lawyer, and there is a demand for them all over the world. Check out the complete list of highest paid corporate lawyers in India. 

List of Top 10 Highest Paid Corporate Lawyers in India

Some well-known lawyers among the top ten highest paid lawyers in India in 2024 charge thousands of rupees for a single court appearance. Refer to the details below to know the complete list of top 10 highest paid corporate lawyers in India. 

1. Amit Desai

Amit Desai is one of the top 10 highest paid corporate lawyers in India. He is a senior partner of Luthra & Luthra Law Offices in Mumbai and is well-known for his competence in corporate and business law. He has been described as a critical thinker with strong litigation skills who has handled some of India's most complicated legal matters. Desai is actively involved in young attorneys' professional development and legal reforms that will improve legal practice in India.

• Famous Cases: High-profile drug case defense, telecom scam representation, and murder trial defense.
• Contributions: Expertise in high-stakes litigation, mentoring, and advocating for legal reforms through public speaking and publications.

2. Avaantika Kakkar

Avaantika Kakkar is one of the famous highest paid corporate lawyers in India. She is a partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas with more than 15 years of experience and specializes in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, business restructuring, securities legislation, and regulations. Apart from practice, Kakkar is involved in legal education and reform, which contribute to the development of the profession.

• Famous Cases: Competition law cases, multinational merger filings and regulations on e-commerce.
• Contributions: Competition law specialist, Expertise in merger filings, regulatory compliance, and legal advocacy.

3. Zia Mody

Zia Mody, the founding partner of AZB & Partners, is regarded as a pioneer and highest paid corporate lawyers in India. She has been one of the most renowned and prominent lawyers in the nation. She has been involved in some of the most important corporate legal matters including transactions and corporate governance. 

• Famous Cases: Telecom deal advisory, steel industry acquisition, petrochemical project financing.
• Contributions: Pioneer of corporate law, founder of AZB & Partners, contributing to legal education and advocating for diversity.

4. Akila Agrawal

Akila Agrawal is another famous highest paid corporate lawyers in India. Akila Agrawal, partner and head of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas' corporate M&A practice, has over 20 years of expertise. She has helped young lawyers improve as well as participated in projects aimed at increasing diversity in the legal profession.

• Famous Cases: Oil sector acquisition, telecom merger, and insolvency resolution.
• Contributions: Corporate transaction advisor, partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, with expertise in insolvency law and legal education and mentoring.

5. Shardul Shroff

Another popular highest paid corporate lawyers in India is Shardul Shroff. Shardul Shroff an Executive Chairman of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., has built a reputation as one of India's most well-known corporate lawyers in his 30-year career. He has also helped shape the next generation of young attorneys and advised on legal improvements.

• Famous Cases: Regulatory battle against real estate giant, pharmaceutical acquisition, and coal allocation scandal.
• Contributions: Corporate restructuring expertise, SAM & Co offers leadership, legal reform advocacy, mentoring, and training opportunities.

Also Read: Corporate Lawyer Meaning | Job Roles | Salary Offered

6. Hemant Sahai

One more popular highest paid corporate lawyers in India is Hemant Sahai. He is a managing partner at HSA Advocates and has over 35 years of experience in competition law, policy consulting work, dispute resolution, and mergers and acquisitions. He has been heavily involved in important infrastructure initiatives, as well as India's legal systems. 

• Famous Cases: Infrastructure project dispute, energy sector regulatory issues, and renewable energy legal battles.
• Contributions: Specialist in infrastructure law, founder of HSA Advocates, regulatory counsel, and legal education advocate.

7. Somasekhar Sundaresan

Somasekhar Sundaresan, a partner at JSA (J. Sagar Associates), has over 25 years of experience in securities regulation, corporate law, private equity, and infrastructure finance. Sundaresan has helped define some of India's major administrative approaches. He is one of the popular highest paid corporate lawyers in India.

• Famous Cases: Securities law reforms, corporate governance at a top IT firm, and high-profile IPO advisory.
• Contributions: Securities law reformer, legal advisor, influential legal writer, and mentor.

8. Lalit Bhasin

Lalit Bhasin is regarded as one of the highest paid corporate lawyers in India. Has is a managing partner at Bhasin & Co. and President of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) and has over five decades of experience. Although Bhasin is an advocate, he has been actively involved in advocating the rights of Indian legal firms as President of SILF and the Bar Association of India. 

• Famous Cases: Mergers in the aviation sector, telecom dispute resolution, and global legal advocacy.
• Contributions: Veteran of corporate law, leadership in legal organisations, advocate for legal reform, mentorship & education.

9. Ajay Bahl

Ajay Bahl, AZB & Partners' founding partner and co-founder alongside Zia Mody, brings over 30 years of experience to the post. He consults with numerous top Indian and international institutions and businesses. Ajay Bahl is one of the well-known highest paid corporate lawyers in India. 

• Famous Cases: African Telecommunications Acquisition, E-commerce sector merger, and FDA settlement for a pharmaceutical company.
• Contributions: Expert in corporate transactions, co-founder of AZB & Partners, with international legal expertise, mentoring, and leadership experience.

10. Cyril Shroff

Cyril Shroff, Managing Partner of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, is a visionary figure in the legal industry with over 35 years of expertise. He is a top legal expert who advises the majority of large corporations in India and around the world. Cyril Shroff is one of the prominent highest paid corporate lawyers in India. 

• Famous Cases: Disputes in telecom taxation, corporate governance, and management at major corporations.
• Contributions: Corporate governance specialist, managing accomplice roles regulatory expertise, legal community engagement.

Also Read: List of Top 10 Criminal Lawyers in India

How to Become a Corporate Lawyer?

There are numerous ways to become a corporate lawyer. First, it consults with specific corporations to confirm that transactions are legal, providing advise on specific rights and obligations.

Corporate lawyers must be well-versed in all of these topics, including contract law, tax law, intellectual property rights, bankruptcy, and any other branches of law that may have an impact on the activities of a certain organization.

Once students know the list of highest paid corporate lawyers in India, they must check out the tips that can help students become a corporate lawyer:

• Pursue a five-year BA LLB right following higher secondary education or a three-year BA LLB after completing a bachelor's degree. Law school admission requires passing an entrance exam, such as the Common Law Admission Test.
• Aim for a top law school with better instructors and job opportunities. Conduct extensive research on schools, taking into account placement statistics and soliciting input from current and former students.
• Join the bar council after graduation to fulfill the mandatory criteria for practicing law. Bar councils enforce professional and educational requirements.
• Strong analytical and interpersonal abilities, as well as a thorough awareness of the business environment, are required for success in corporate law.
• Based on professional goals and chosen work environment, decide whether to work in-house for an organization's legal department or to create your private practice.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Corporate Lawyer

Corporate lawyers' internal company clients are not guaranteed confidentiality. The likelihood of seeking legal assistance will be reduced, yet maintaining confidentiality can protect society's access to critical information.

After knowing the complete list of highest paid corporate lawyers in India, students must also know the roles and responsibilities of a corporate lawyer:

• Drafting and negotiating a particular agreement properly, i.e. remaining objective to both sides.
• Advisory services include research and assistance on company law.
• Depending on the sort of firm, they must select compliances to protect the corporation.
• Handling litigation is one of a lawyer's most significant jobs, as it requires engaging with external counsel and resolving litigation. It is also hinted that they will need to draft bills and affidavits, as well as attend in court, to resolve the situation.
• Dealing with a variety of compliance challenges that firms often face regularly.

Also Read: Types of Lawyers in India