#Technology Media and Telecommunications Law in Mumbai

[lawfirm-elixir]

Elixir Legal Services has an expert attorney team dealing in Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Law in India, and represented clients, in legal proceedings involving the Indian telecommunications regulator and appellate body, the information and broadcasting ministry, and High Courts and the Supreme Court of India regarding telecom policy matters.

[trilegal]

Best Law Firms in Mumbai - Trilegal

Trilegal stands out as one of the best law firms in Mumbai, renowned for its comprehensive legal services and client-centric approach. The firm excels in various practice areas, including dispute resolution, corporate law, and technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT).

 Trilegal’s team of experienced lawyers provides expert advice on complex legal issues, ensuring tailored solutions for their clients' diverse needs. With a reputation for excellence and innovation, Trilegal continues to lead in the competitive legal landscape of Mumbai.

[royoverseas01]

10 Popular courses students choose to study abroad

Each year, a growing number of Indian high school and college students choose to pursue their education overseas rather than in their home country. Students now have more options for their futures thanks to the proliferation of available courses. A small number of classes stand out among the many options offered to students.

10 Popular courses students choose to study abroad:

1.  Engineering:

In spite of engineering's reputation as one of the most difficult fields to enter, students have long been drawn to the field for its seemingly endless job opportunities. It's a well-known fact that engineers are in high demand all around the world and earn 20% more than the typical college graduate. Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Biomedical, Aerospace, as well as Environmental Engineering are some of the most well-known specializations in the field. Are you looking to study engineering abroad? Consult with Roy Overseas, the top overseas education consultancy in Mumbai to know more about the best colleges for engineering.

2.  Computer Science:

As the world's technical needs have increased, so has the demand for CS education. Earning a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science is an excellent way to lay the groundwork for a successful career in the Information Technology field. Earning a Master's degree allows students to gain exposure to more advanced fundamentals and specialize in areas of interest. Graduates of Computer Engineering programs can pursue an M.Sc in Computer Science. The majority of computer science programs cover topics including algorithm development, web programming, and coding.

3.  Information Technology:

IT, or information technology, is a rapidly expanding sector of the economy driven by constant technical innovation. Demand for IT education and employment is sky-high. The B.Sc. IT is a four-year undergraduate degree in the subject of Information technology. This course explores the theoretical as well as mathematical underpinnings of computers and focuses mostly on software, databases, and networking.

4.  Business Administration:

One of the most well-known and in-demand degrees is the MBA, which is awarded following the completion of one of the most prestigious and competitive programs in the world. 60+% of international schools offer this degree option. Applied Statistics, Accounting, Business Ethics, Business Communication, Finance, Business Law, Entrepreneurship, Managerial Economics, Management, Supply Chain, Marketing, as well as Operations are just a few of the topics covered in MBA coursework.

5.  Medicine:

Medical degrees are awarded to medical students at the conclusion of a degree program, which normally lasts around five years. MD, DO, MBBS, MBChB, BMBS, etc are all examples of medical degrees. For all the MBBS aspirants, Russia is the best and cheapest country to study abroad and fulfill your dream of becoming a doctor.

6.  Law:

A degree in Law is an academic degree awarded to students that have finished their studies in law. Law degrees are often opted for by persons aiming toward legal careers. A legal license is awarded only after a candidate clears the written examination as well as training or internship period at local, national as well as global levels. An LL.M. degree program includes various subjects such as Banking Law, Bankruptcy Law, Criminal Law, Commercial Law, Environmental Law, Entertainment and Media Law, Human Rights Law, Financial Services Law, Insurance Law, Information Technology Law, International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation, Maritime Law, Law And Economics, Patent Law, Military Law, Social Care Law, Real Estate Law, Trade as well as Telecommunications Law.

7.  Social Sciences:

The study of human civilization and interpersonal dynamics is known as a social science. Archaeology, Anthropology, History, Economics, Human Geography, Musicology, Language, Law, Psychology, Politics, Sociology, as well as Public Health are all subfields of Social Science.

8.  Hospitality and Tourism:

The students of a Hospitality Management program learn about the many facets of the hospitality business. Educational institutions with a focus on hospitality management, or occasionally business colleges, confer degrees in this area. Degree programs in this field are also known as Hotel and Tourism Management, Hotel Management, as well as Hotel Administration. 

Degree programs in international tourist management typically teach students the fundamentals of the industry, including how to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds and how to exercise effective leadership and management skills.

9.  Accounting:

Job requirements for accountants and auditors often include a B.com degree. In some cases, completion of an accredited accounting degree program is also necessary to meet the standards set by professional accounting organizations for admission to their member ranks. Qualifications in professional accounting include the Chartered Accountant designation and other degrees and diplomas. Roy Overseas is an excellent education consultant in Vadodara, who can guide you through the process of fulfilling your dream of studying abroad.

10.              Fashion Design:

After three to four years of study, undergraduates in the discipline of design can earn a B.Des degree. The B.Des degree is gaining popularity in the United States, joining its counterparts in Canada and Australia. The Bachelor of Design degree comes in a few different flavors, the most common of which are the B.Des Arts and B.Des Studies.

[global-news-station]

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: When artist Rachita Taneja heads out to protest in New Delhi, she covers her face with a pollution mask, a hoodie or a scarf to reduce the risk of being identified by police facial recognition software.

Police in the Indian capital and the northern state of Uttar Pradesh – both hotbeds of dissent – have used the technology during protests that have raged since mid-December against a new citizenship law that critics say marginalises Muslims.

Activists are worried about insufficient regulation around the new technology, amid what they say is a crackdown on dissent under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Hindu nationalist agenda has gathered pace since his re-election in May.

“I do not know what they are going to do with my data,” said Taneja, 28, who created a popular online cartoon about cheap ways for protesters to hide their faces. “We need to protect ourselves, given how this government cracks down.”

Critics also accuse authorities of secrecy – highlighting, for instance, that the software’s use during Delhi protests was first revealed by the Indian Express newspaper.

India’s home ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on facial recognition technology.

Modi’s government has rejected accusations of abuse during demonstrations, and accused some protesters of stoking violence.

A spokesman for his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had no immediate comment on concerns over the use of the technology and referred questions to the government.

But police said worries about facial recognition were unwarranted.

“I’m only catching targeted people,” said Rajan Bhagat, a deputy commissioner of police at Delhi’s Crime Records Office. “We don’t have any protesters’ data, nor do we plan to store it.”

He declined to give details of potential arrests, however.

When it comes to surveillance, India trails far behind neighbouring China. New Delhi, for example, has about 0.9 CCTV cameras for every 100 people, versus about 11.3 per 100 in China’s commercial hub of Shanghai, a 2019 report by PreciseSecurity.com showed.

The Delhi police use Indian startup Innefu Labs’ facial recognition software AI Vision, which also includes gait and body analysis.

“If somebody is throwing stones at a police officer, doesn’t he have a right to take a video and identify him?” said Innefu co-founder Tarun Wig, 36.

Police in about 10 Indian states use Innefu products, Wig said.

Financial fraud analytics are among the services provided by Innefu, which published a social media analysis in January that concluded much criticism of the new citizenship law came from archenemy Pakistan to “destabilize the harmony” of India.

The company is representative of homegrown artificial intelligence startups tapping into booming demand for facial biometrics in India, in part thanks to their testing on Indian faces and more affordable prices.

A few established foreign firms, such as Japanese telecommunications and IT giant NEC Corp, also operate in India, where the market is expected to grow from about $700 million in 2018 to more than $4 billion by 2024, TechSci Research said in a report.

UTTAR PRADESH ARRESTS

Facial recognition helped police in Uttar Pradesh, home to 220 million people, detain a “handful” of the more than 1,100 people arrested for alleged links to violence during protests, said O P Singh, its police chief who retired last month.

Singh gave no details but said the technology helped cut the numbers of wrongful arrests and highlighted the state’s extensive database of more than 550,000 “criminals”.

Rights groups have decried what they call excessive force in Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest number of representatives in parliament and is governed by hardline Hindu priest and Modi ally Yogi Adityanath.

The state says tough policies have restored order.

Startup Staqu is supplying its product, the Police Artificial Intelligence System, to police in eight states, including Uttar Pradesh, says the firm’s co-founder, Atul Rai.

Fears of mass surveillance in India were exaggerated, said Rai, 30, citing difficulties in collecting information because of India’s large population of 1.3 billion. But there was a need for regulation to avoid potential problems, he added.

Police should have clear rules on use of facial recognition technology and there should be disclosure of the software’s audits and algorithms, the non-profit Internet Freedom Foundation says.

“What India is seeing is a kind of personal data Wild West,” said its executive director Apar Gupta.

PAN-INDIA FACIAL RECOGNITION

Law enforcement across India could soon be using facial recognition technology.

Modi’s government is seeking bids to create a nationwide database, the National Automated Facial Recognition System, to help match images captured from CCTV cameras with existing databases, including those of passport and police authorities.

A foreign firm is expected to win the contract, since the bid terms require firms’ algorithms to be evaluated by the United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology. Both Innefu and Staqu said they were not bidding.

Japanese firm NEC’s India subsidiary helped develop the Aadhaar biometrics identity system and supplies facial recognition technology to law enforcement in the diamond industry hub of Surat in western Gujarat state.

The software has not been used during protests, however, the city’s police commissioner, R B Brahmbhatt, told Reuters.

NEC spokesman Shinya Hashizume declined to comment on whether the company was bidding to build the nationwide database.

The system will boost police efficiency, says the National Crime Records Bureau, which launched the tender that closes at the end of March.

But critics say it puts India on the path to China-style mass surveillance.

Worried about being identified, a 21-year-old Muslim protester in New Delhi has adopted the pseudonym Moosa Ali and sometimes covers his face with handkerchiefs.

“We don’t know enough about these things, but we are trying to take some precautions,” he said.

The post Criticism as Modi govt uses facial recognition tech during CAA-NRC protests appeared first on ARY NEWS.

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[marymosley]

TMT Law Practice adds 2 More Partners to boost Mumbai presence

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India:  TMT Law Practice has seen a new head start through the beginning of this financial year wherein diversifying into new service domains and industry sector practices had been on the agenda apart from adding new key talent to the firm.

In continuation of its expansion plans, the firm is pleased to announce the appointment of Sapna R. Chaurasia and Aahna Mehrotra as Partners to boost its Mumbai presence. With them coming on board, the firm now has 10-members in Mumbai, with 2 partners, 3 senior associates and 5 associates. The firm will seek to leverage the experience of both its partners in expanding its footprint in the media and sports capital of the country.

Sapna brings invaluable in-house experience from her stints at Sony Pictures Networks, Tata Sky and Neo. Prior to that, she spent her initial years honing her litigation skills at one of the leading disputes firms in Mumbai, Federal & Rashmikant. Sapna offers a unique blend of extensive experience in Disputes, Transactional Support and Compliance.

Aahna has been running a successful sports law and consultancy practice. Her client representations include, setting up and advising Sports Leagues, in India and internationally; advising on player transfers; handling matters before the National Anti-Doping Tribunal; Advising on Gambling Laws, Fantasy Sports, intellectual property and merchandising contracts, etc.

“It is indeed an honour to have both Sapna and Aahna joining the firm. Their presence will demonstrate our commitment to the Mumbai legal market. I am sure their contribution will further the overall growth plan of the firm on diversification, while maintaining its niche,” said Mr. Abhishek Malhotra, Founding Partner, TMT Law Practice.

Mr. Malhotra has two decades of experience in the legal realm and is a member of both the State Bars of California, USA and Delhi, India. His primary areas of expertise are Intellectual property, Dispute Resolution, and the Technology, Media & Telecommunications industries. In addition to the TMT sector, Mr. Malhotra now also advises his clients in the areas of corporate and commercial litigation.

The post TMT Law Practice adds 2 More Partners to boost Mumbai presence appeared first on Legal Desire.

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[growthcentrevideos-blog]

What after 10th & 12th???

At the age of 17/18, one is in the threshold of life where career is concerned. It is a decision making stage. There would be innumerable conflicts as to which course to opt for and what are the choices one has. To add to that, there would be various suggestions and sometimes pressure from parents, relatives, and friends regarding the choice of career. At present, unlike the old days, other then the conventional route of being a graduate there are enormous courses one can choose from and hence decision making can be all the more difficult.

Now coming back to the academic choices one has after 12th one needs to be aware after HSC in science, one can pursue his graduation either in Science, Commerce or Arts. If one has done HSC in commerce, one has the flexibility of pursuing graduation either in Commerce or Arts. But if one has pursued HSC in Arts stream this flexibility does not exist.

After completing 12th science the common route one goes through is the professional courses like Engineering, Medical, Dentistry, Pharmacy, or Paramedical courses like Nursing, Physiotherapy, Opthamalic, Prosthetic and Orthetic, Radiography, Speech therapy and Occupational therapy.

Engineering field offers a wide range of specializations like mechanical, Chemical, Information Technology, Telecommunication, Electronics, Automobile, Civil, Bio medical, Petroleum etc. Certain Institutes also provide Integrated Masters Program in Engineering after 12th science, which is a 5-year course and one gets the masters degree directly.

After 12th science, boys can look out for admission in Defense and Merchant Navy. Defense involves areas like Air force, Army, Navy and Indian Coast Guard where after clearing the exams one needs to meet the criteria of certain physical standards. Career in Merchant Navy can be pursued either by clearing entrance exams such as IIT-JEE or Autonomous Entrance Exam.

Another option for 12th Science students is the Graduation in Agricultural science, which involves specializations such as Agriculture, Dairy, Floriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Fishery science and Sericulture, Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry.

Coming to the commerce stream one can opt for careers in Finance, Management, Insurance, Banking, Mass Media and from Arts stream there are various specialization in Languages, Law, Fine Arts, Teaching, Mass Media, Law, Social work, Designing which a students can opt even after HSC in commerce or science.

Hotel Management is another course, which is taken after HSC in commerce, but this can be done from other streams also. For admission into Hotel Management one has to answer entrance exams such as JEE, MAH-HM-CET or exams conducted by private institutes.

Courses in computers like BCA/B.Sc (IT) and Architecture can be done from any stream at your HSC level provided one has maths as one of your subject at 10+2. One has to keep in mind that clearing relevant entrance exam is mandatory for the admission of these courses.

For the ones who are creatively inclined there are Certificate, Diploma and Bachelors courses in Fine Arts which ranges from specializing in Music, Dance, Sculpture, Dramatics, Theatre, Designing (Fashion, Interior, Textile, Furniture, Jewellery) or computer courses in graphics and animation.

When making a career choice getting information about the various courses available is one of the factors that need to be considered. But when information is available there is also a dilemma of which course is the appropriate one. Here the factors like Interest, Aptitude, Personality and Intelligence come into picture. If one chooses a career taking into consideration all these factors, work can always be enjoyable. To succeed in a career one does not have to think of choosing some course that is different but what matters is doing the same things differently.

Contact Address: Growth Centre India Private Limited, 5th Floor, Gagangiri Complex, 18th Road, Near Dr. Ambedkar Udyan, Chembur East, Mumbai – 400071 Maharashtra.

INDIA Phone: +91 (22) 25287474 / 25288844 / 32516857 / 32152601

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[loyallogic]

Social media regulation in China and USA- The bad v. the ugly

This article is written by Siddharth Jasrotia, from MNLU, Mumbai.

Introduction

The Internet will always be under manipulation, be it large corporations in democracies, governments in authoritarian regimes or religious groups in theocratic states. Today’s social media is stratified; multinational giants and political actors centralise freedom in the disguise of liberty. These platforms not only affect our consumerist decisions but immensely affect our ‘Democratic Decisions’ as well. They colonize social media, keep track of our daily lives and affect our opinion by promoting conspicuous goods, a particular form of Government etc.

Internet regulation lags far behind the technology itself. Internet users need protection, but the question is from ‘whom’ and ‘who’ should be the one to provide it. Should state protect personal information of netizens from fellow users and multinational corporations or it should be protected from state itself. An interesting thing to note is that despite the difference in approaches, China still remains the biggest overseas market from American internet companies. More than half of the investment done by these American internet companies are to China. The opposite is also true, as the US is the largest IPO destination for Chinese internet companies, with a worth of US $500 billion. Alibaba’s IPO in the US is the largest IPO in the world.

              Click Above

Social media regulation in China

There are four Chinese internet backbones: (a) CHINANET (b) CHINA GBM (c) CERNET and (d) CSTNET. The first two are under the administration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the third one is under administration of the Ministry of Education and the fourth one is under the administration of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

Chinese gave birth to social media platforms such as Youku Tudou, Weibo, WeChat. Microblogging platform Weibo is an alternative for Twitter in the domestic sphere. China is way ahead than the US in terms of viewership and users of their respective social media platforms. China has maximum mobile ownership in the world, has 120 more mobile live broadcasting applications than US, beats US’s gaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming via Chinese gaming applications such as Duoyu & PandaTV and is the home for tech giants such as Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent which gave birth to multiple online TV platforms such as iQiyi, LeTV, and Sohu. During its initial growing phase, China followed the ‘shanzhai’ or ‘copycat culture’ of copying western websites in order to expand enough to create scope for innovations. China put forth a responsive enforcement strategy of enforced self-regulation. Across its legislations, China has focused on ‘Platform Regulation’ prior to ‘Content Regulation’. The Decision on Safeguarding Internet Security, 2000 criminalises online activities undermining the position of the government, endangering national security, eroding national unity and promoting religious cult organizations. The Telecommunications Regulations, 2000 and the Internet Content Provider (ICP) license scheme, were passed in the era when viewers were not simultaneous content makers. It provided for content generating websites to get license from Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to publish content, which is found to be against above mentioned laws, can lead to revocation of license. Non-licensed websites can only re-publish the content published by licensed websites. Section Five of the Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection, and Management Regulations, 1997 lays down various types of content that are considered harmful. Due to one country two system policy, Hong Kong and Macau enjoy much more autonomy over social media than the rest of China.

Initially, China has separated itself from Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and Regional Internet Registry (RIRs) because of them being non-state actors capable of challenging state action and because of ICANN being a US entity having contracts which make it subservient to US Department of Commerce. With the emergence of Web 2.0/social media online services content viewers were simultaneous content generators. This made regulation of content an impossible task. To tackle with this changing scenario, Chinese Government passed the Public Pledge on Self-Discipline for the Chinese Internet Industry, 2004 and Provisional Provisions for Administering the Development of Public Information Services on Instant Messaging Tool, 2004, which emphasized more on platform regulation as compared to content regulation. The Golden Shield Project (2006-2008) was implemented by the government by virtue of which it can access records of any citizen and delete them for being harmful. State Council Order No. 292, passed in the year 2000 states that based Chinese websites cannot link to other social media websites from around the globe. Article 11 of this order creates liability on providers for content verification and Article 14 gives the Government the authority to assess any record. It is surprising to note that among the 18000 websites blocked from within China, Gmail is one which does not fall under any category of Chinese law as illegal.  In China, privacy is protected under the right of reputation based on civil law of the People’s Republic of China. Government departments such as Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Information Industry, Information Steering group of the State Council, Pubic Information Network Security Supervision Bureau, China National Information Security Testing Evaluation and Certification Centre (CNISTEC) monitor online activities and are regulated by legislations such as  Regulations for Administering the Internet News and Information Services, 2005, Rules for Interim Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Management of International Computer Information Networking, 1998 etcetera.

Tort Liability Law, 2010 enacted by China makes a network service provider jointly and severally liable as a party infringing other’s civil interest or rights. Civil interests are a broad category which includes online right to privacy, copyright, patent et al. Government agencies either manually take down illegal content through censors or temporarily auto-block them based on keyword filters and later judge their nature. China has an internet police force of 2 million which monitor people’s actions. China has also announced in Science Military Strategy, 2015 that cyber warfare is its top military priority. The surveillance network known as the “Great Firewall of China” censors’ content of every blog, e-mail or social media site. There are an average of 30,000 government censors in place which remove anti-government content or block international sites viewed as unfavourable for Chinese netizens. Although the number of complaints regarding identity theft and fraud are more in the US, complaints regarding random release of personal information are more in China.

Shanghai Pact or the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to which both India and China are members has been created to counter the monopoly of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to which the United States is a member. Taking an insight into the evolution of social media platforms in China, it is clearly visible that the model of ‘innovate security’, although compromises with human rights but promotes economic growth. Even in the absence of Web 2.0 and social media, domestic Chinese social media sites such as WeChat, Sina Weibo, and Youku Tudou have grown enormously and started competing fiercely in the international domain. Within China these sites have monopoly over social media, whereas outside China few US social networking sites have monopoly over the rest of the world. 

It is observed that China focused more on promoting competition between government agencies rather than wasting time on raising private capital by virtue of legislative enactments. Although internet access routes are dominated by the Government, still private individuals are allowed to rent bandwidth from state enterprises. Although China does not promote self-regulation but it emphasizes self-discipline. Example could be the launching of net.china.cn as a report centre for inappropriate and illegal content. Quasi self-regulation projects partly monitored by the Government are being launched in China such as Internet Manners and Culture Project or the Internet and Self Discipline Alliance, which focuses on regulating activities of service providers.

India has an edge over China due to the literate English-speaking population, nonetheless China has used its lack of proficiency in English to promote indigenous sites that are in Chinese by creating a ‘Linguistic Great Firewall’ for foreign players. 

Social media regulation in USA

US is the father of social media platforms like Facebook, which has more than 1.7 billion users worldwide, which is equivalent to more than 2/3rd of the online global population or YouTube which features in 88 different countries and is available in 76 languages. Websites of these social media sites by way of collecting ‘cookies’, collect personal information. This information is often sold for profit under the cover of enhancing consumer experience. Unlike entertainment platforms such as Netflix, which faces friction in its expansion due to obligations towards right holders or which has the onus to prevent any person from accessing its content informally, YouTube enters into ‘Partnership Agreements’ with its content creators, thereby maximizing profit and minimising cumbersome legal work. It claims to be a middleman between advertisers and content creators. It has refused from taking the status of a content/ IP ownership company and rather portray itself as an online service provider in order to get the immunity from copyright infringement granted to service providers under U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 1998.

In the US, where on one hand, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) focuses on establishing net neutrality, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the other hand, through its Child Online Protection and Child Online Privacy Protection Rules limits children’s access to certain content, which creates certain degree of confusion among content creators and assessors. These Rules along with Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), 2000, mandates K-12 schools and libraries, receiving federal Universal Service Fund, to take necessary steps in order to prevent exposure of children to harmful online content. FTC also emphasizes on protecting privacy of users by educating them about software such as Anonymizer, Encryption Software, System Cleanser, Opting Out etc. US’s Online Privacy Alliance (OPA) promotes self-regulatory initiatives such as Privacy Preference Project by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and license programmes such as TRUSTe. The freedom of free speech and expression has been granted under First Amendment of the United States Constitution, with primary exception to obscenity and child pornography. Although there is no explicit right to privacy under the US Constitution, it is invoked as a provision of the fourth amendment which prohibits unwarranted searches by the government. Modern form of digital privacy extends to control of personal information even after it has been disclosed to others. 

US laws focus more on the removal of illegal content than blocking it. It is either done by partly state administered authorities, private organisations or voluntary by self-regulatory service providers.

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), 1986, which makes violation of ‘terms of service’ of Internet sites a crime, is highly criticised because terms of service can be changed at will, without any notification to the user. This gives internet sites an undue advantage over internet users. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), 1998 limits the liability of a service provider against copyright infringement by users. 

The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act of 2015 (SAVE), the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act – Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (FOSTA-SESTA) are some of the others laws in place in US. These are criticized for putting unnecessary burden on internet companies and intermediaries by forcing them to proactively take action against sex trafficking activities etc.  Both in the US and in India, users of social networking sites aren’t guaranteed immunity as is given to social networking sites. Hence, users posting defamatory or other illegal content can’t escape liability under Section 230 of Communication Decency Act and Section 79 of Information Technology (Amendment Act, 2008), respectively.

The way ahead

India has emerged as a hub for the IT sector. Chief executives of Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Adobe, MasterCard SanDisk etc. are all of Indian origin. These social media sites have given Indian music and stand-up comedy artists a platform to make a living. Social media industry in India & China thrives due to lack of diverse content on traditional offline platforms. Content creators have used such platforms to create their own brands and often have huge fan following.

India’s model of regulation of social media has been comprehensively given in Framework & Guidelines for Use of Social Media for Government Organisations by Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Government of India. The link for the same has been provided in the reference section and can be relied on for further understanding India’s current legal regime. Researcher has refrained from elaborately explaining the Indian model as it is beyond the scope of this project. This project emphasises on what India ‘needs’, rather than what India ‘has’.

It could be analysed that digital sovereignty of India has been compromised with. Currently, India is in no position to take an independent stance in network security issues and is dominion to the will of other countries in regard to internet governance issues at the international level. This is because India is largely dependent on international giants such as Google, Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook, etc. for internet related services and does not have a support base of its own. Moreover, India is also economically dependent on other superpowers for the profit it earns by supplying them with software. The US has been highly criticised for snooping on other fellow nations, among which India takes the fifth position. Both India and China have huge populations, but India lacked the legal framework and the vigour like that of China to protect its domestic actors, pave way for innovation and became a top leading internet giant.

Chinese model of internet regulation, even though it appears to be repressive in nature, has the potential of promoting innovations, growth of domestic tech giants, preventing data colonisation and preventing threat to privacy from foreign corporations. This model, if applied in India, with a little modification, can prove to be a huge success due to the presence of two factors: (a) Independent Judiciary and (b) Responsible Government. Due to the presence of an Independent Judiciary, fundamental freedoms cannot be compromised with and due to the presence of a responsible form of government, a political party in power will never try to misuse private information of people. A responsible government is more reliable than economically attentive multinational companies.

It can be analysed from the increasing number of cybercrimes, increasing demand of protection by citizens, increasing demands by companies for the enforcement of the laws in cyberspace, that the global media is moving from an unruly cyberspace to internet systems regulated by state legislations. The same is also observable from localisation of social media websites due to location-based filters, geo-blocking and different licensing in different jurisdictions. It is a need of the hour that each nation-state must have sovereignty over and regulate its own internet system, and global network of internet must be governed according to treaties between different nation-states as is the case with other international and national issues like trade, tourism etc. Thus, international organisations like the UN, must come forward and take the lead from dominating US tech giants.

India, being aware of this tried to put forth a proposal for setting up of a Committee for Internet Related Policies (CIRP), accountable to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) but was unable to do so, because of high resistance from country’s IT sector whose major players depend on US internet services and purport US hegemony. The IT sector needs to understand that what is needed is innovation, which can be achieved by promoting domestic players. Currently, IT sector’s growth has reached its saturation point and in order to grow further, a model of internet regulation similar to that of China must be followed.

India has been in favour of international regulation of the internet by the United Nations and has shown its willingness by supporting the World Summit on Internet Service (WSIS) and the UN World Group of Internet Governance (WGIG). Policies regarding regulation of social media is affected majorly by four actors namely, industry groups, citizens group, administrative authority (e.g. the FCC, FTC & NTIA in US) and the Government. A majority support from all these is needed in order for the policy to be properly enforced. Thus, a model to ‘bottom up’ self-organising systems and ‘top-down’ control mechanisms in order to prevent monopoly of neither the state nor the corporations can only be achieved through co-operation between the domestic IT sector and the Government of India.

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[loyallogic]

Summary of the Webinar- How to make a career in Unconventional crimes: Scams and Money Laundering?

This summary is written by Nandini, Biswas, a student from NMIMS School of Law, Bengaluru.

Introduction of the host- Anubhav Garg

Anubhav Garg us working as a content writer and an event manager with ipleaders, He got a PPO at his internship with iPleaders for Content writer and Event manager. He is working with India’s biggest company in legal education, LawSikho (iPleaders, LawSikho and SuperLawyer have common owners). The best thing about his job is that he gets to add value and give back to the legal fraternity.

He is also working as a content writer with Taxology.

He completed his BBA LLB from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University 

Introduction of the guest- Mr. Nilesh Tribhuvann

Mr. Nilesh Tribhuvann is currently leading the Firm White & Brief as the Managing Partner. The Firm is a full-service law firm, with special focus on litigation and dispute resolution, which are also the core areas of his practice. 

He has completed his BSL LLB from the University of Pune and pursued LLM in Constitution of India from the University of Mumbai. Being trained under the iconic litigating lawyer, Mr. Mahesh Ram Jethmalani, he is well-versed with procedural as well as substantive aspects of litigation – right from litigation strategy to drafting, documentation, approach to arguments, cross-examination, briefing of counsels and support on all contentious aspects to the clients. While the core forum of his practice is High Court of Judicature at Bombay, he has been representing clients in a variety of forums that range from the Apex Court to High Courts of various states, District Courts, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and other forums – both on original and appellate side.  He has also been fortunate to represent some of the most renowned names and brands in fashion, retail and media sectors. With an end to end support in all areas comprising of non-contentious, contentious and alternative dispute resolution mechanism, his practice is a ‘one-stop solution’ for all those who wish to seek legal assistance and recourse in areas concerning contractual laws, intellectual property rights, real estate, telecommunication, media and technology laws. Political science has always intrigued him and being the Maharashtra Legal Cell President for Bhartiya Janta Party Yuva Morcha, has given him an opportunity to spread legal awareness and further the delivery of justice to the society at large. He was nominated as “Young and Emerging Lawyer of 2015” by Indian National Bar Association. He has also presented a paper at University of Oxford, London on ‘Intellectual Property Law’ which was published in the Legal Journal of University of Oxford. 

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Summary of the Webinar- How to make a career in Unconventional crimes: Scams and Money Laundering

What are the prospects for young lawyers under unconventional criminal law?

There are no boundaries for lawyers in any field. In order to understand the prospect under this field, filter your geographic area, since white collars crimes do not happen in remote areas. So, if you reside in a remote area, shift to an area where there are many opportunities like Mumbai and Delhi and Bangalore. These areas will generally have special courts established that deals with the subject matter under this field.

To start learning, there are two options:

1st option- join a chamber;

advantage- get experience.

disadvantage- less salary. Do not join the chamber with the mindset of earning money, go there to learn.

2nd option- join a Law firm;

advantage- there is a hierarchy to check your work. At every step, your work will be checked and you will be told the short comings of your work. This will help you learn.  It is a desk job not a field job. You also get a good pay.

disadvantage- you get stagnate at one position. There is more growth of an individual practitioner than an employee of a law firm.

What is the demand-supply ratio of unconventional crimes litigator?

In Mumbai, almost every day some kinds of scams take place. So, there is a lot of demand. Therefore, more people are required in this field. But, there are no much lawyers or chambers to meet the demand. Demand is plenty in metropolitan cities.

What kinds of tasks makes up as a major portion for unconventional crimes litigation?

This is not a one-person job since there is a lot of work. A good team is needed. In a team, some who are good at reading can read the matter thoroughly, others who are good at researching can do the research. People who are professionals at drafting the arguments can to do that. Some brief the entire matter to the counsel. The counsel then studies the matter from both the aspect. So, in all there is a lot of work. But the key parts are reading the matter, since no important points should be overlooked and summarizing it and being precise while drafting.

Which organisations are top employers of the white-collar crime litigations? On an average, how much does a lawyer earn to represent such cases?

Such cases are usually handled by top most law firms like AZB legal, Khaitan, White and Brief. The average package that they can earn from these cases range from 6 lakhs to 10 lakhs p.a.

What are the workplace challenges for the young lawyers in this career?

Only when you are experienced in this field, that is when you should take up such cases independently or that is when the law firms will allow you to represent such cases. Young lawyer should have a lot of patience in dealing with these cases since they can go up till many to many years. To start with, young lawyers should go through at least 50-60 cases to understand how it works.

What were the challenges that you faced when you worked with Ram Jethmalani sir?

We had to work for 16 to 17 hours a day. We were told to prepare the case brief within one day, as cases like these are on an urgent basis as once there is CBI raid, a lawyer is needed in 24 hours. The problem used to be that we had to work this hard without getting paid much as law chamber do not have lucrative packages. But the knowledge gained is absolutely priceless.

What advise will you give to young lawyers?

More patient.

More attentive to the proceedings, observe the mistakes, read whatever has been submitted in the court.

Read judgements.

Never lack a business perspective of looking at legal issues.

Know worth of branding.

Most importantly, you need to have knowledge and how to present your knowledge in the court.

What do you as a recruiter look for?

The CV that is sent by the interested people should cover all the facts. It is important that law students do not waste their time. Apart from college academics, it is important for them to participate in moot competitions and do internships in this area in order to know the law better.

What are the practical nuances that can help a lawyer grow as a practitioner in this field?

Study various cases.

Study the judgement.

Study and understand the modus operandi of financial crimes.

One should know how to represent the case.

Study the law regarding financial crimes in India. 

Update yourself with the changes and introduction of laws.

Try interpreting the judgement.

What is the scope of individual practitioners in this niche?

You cannot start practicing as an independent lawyer from the very beginning. First work with a lawyer or a law firm and then think of practicing as an independent lawyer. This will help you learn and will also increase your popularity as an independent lawyer.

How did you make a good team?

In order to build a good team, you should know your strengths and weakness. The subjects that you are weak, hire people who are good at that those areas. For this, you can contact a job portal, they will send the CVs of interested people, and then you can hire according to your needs

What can be the changes that can been foreseen in this field?

There will not be many changes, but this area can emerge as the most promising field. There are more opportunities, since people are resorting to economic crimes to mint money than doing physical crimes like robbery or kidnapping. 

What can be done to build new skills in this field in this quarantine period?

Read books about this field.

Study the psychology of the criminals in this area.

Read judgements.

Read statutes.

What can we do if we know that important information about a case is not been represented properly in court?

There are two things that can be done:

You can file an intervention application through the party whom you are supporting 

Or you can file a PIL.

What has been the most interesting case that you have worked on so far?

The most interesting case that I had represented was the JNPT scam were the government was duped of Rs. 180 crore. My client was innocent and was proven so by the Supreme Court. In my opinion, the judiciary should have a liberal approach and should not view all the accused as a criminal.

What are the skills that makes Ram Jethmalani different from others?

He used to read a lot.

Very hardworking.

He was thorough with knowledge.

Makes his notes from the brief in order to represent any matter in the court.

Can I practice in rural areas in this field?

Yes, you can definitely practice in rural areas, but the cases will be less, you will learn less. Moreover, financial hubs and metropolitan cities give more opportunities to the people to commit economic crimes.

How to ensure personal safety while dealing with such cases?

If you feel that your personal safety is at risk, you can file an application to the court, the court will look after it.

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[loyallogic]

Top 10 law firms in India in the year 2019

This article is written by Jasmine Madaan, from Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS). This is an exhaustive article that lists the “Top 10 Indian Law Firms in the year 2019”.

Introduction

This is an article that almost every person in the legal profession wants to read. A list which interests almost all the law students. In fact, it even should because being aware of the top-ranking law firms can help one to decide internships, explore various new fields in the legal profession and even decide their future career path. Having the ability to do good law firm research can be very fruitful for one’s career. The article provides the list of Top 10 law firms in India in 2019.

Criteria for selecting the Top law firms

Criteria for selecting the top law firms is a blend of certain factors- deal value, deal count, career Achievements, the feedback given by clients and foreign law firms, perception within the market, prestige, work environment. Every website, journal, consulting agency has its list and this current article has been formed after analysing all of them.

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The Top Law Firms

1. AZB Partners

Founders and Partners

The firm has three founding partners- Zia Mody, Ajay Bahl and Bahram N. Vakil. Miss Zia Mody and Mr Ajay Bahl are the managing partners. The firm has more than 400 lawyers and 105 partners operating at 4 different locations-Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune. It was established in 2011.

Practice Areas

Aviation;

Banking & Finance; 

Bankruptcy & Insolvency; 

Capital Markets; 

Competition/Antitrust; 

Compliance & Investigation/ White-Collar Crime; 

Defence; 

Dispute Resolution; 

E-commerce & Retail; 

Employment; Energy & Natural Resources; 

Financial Services & FinTech; 

Funds; 

Healthcare and Life Services; 

Information Technology & Business Process Outsourcing; 

Infrastructure & Project Finance;

Insurance; 

Intellectual Property; 

International Trade/ WTO; 

Media & Entertainment; 

Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, General Corporate; 

Microfinance; 

Private Client Practice; 

Private Equity;

Real Estate; 

Regulatory Practice & Securities Laws; 

Taxation; 

Technology, media and Telecommunications.

Achievements

Highest deal count as per Mergermarket H1 2019.

Ranked No.1 in the RSG Top 50 Indian Law Firms Ranking 2019.

Advised the largest M&A transaction by deal value in India i.e. US$23.3 billion mergers of Vodafone with Idea Cellular.

Ranked a ‘Tier 1 Firm’ in the following Practice areas: M&A, Capital Markets, Private Equity and Banking and ranked a ‘Tier 2 Firm’ in the following practice areas: Project Finance and Telecommunications networks by IFLR1000 in the year 2019 and 2020.

Ranked as a ‘Band 1 Firm’ in the following practice areas: 

Corporate/M&A, 

Private Equity and Real Estate; 

Ranked as ‘Band 2 Firm’ in: 

Banking & Finance, 

Capital Markets, 

Competition/Antitrust, 

Dispute Resolution, 

Tax and 

TMT; 

Ranked as ‘Band 3 Firm’ for Projects/ Infrastructure & Energy and White-Collar Crime by Chambers Asia-Pacific in 2019.

Named a ‘Recognized Practitioner’ for Insurance by Chambers Asia-Pacific in 2019.

Recognized by High Net Worth Guide for Private Wealth Law.

Named ‘Corporate Law Firm of the Year’ in 2019 by Chambers India Law Awards.

Named as India’s ‘Competition & Antitrust Law Firm of the Year’ in 2019 by Lawyers Worldwide Awards.

Awarded as ‘Top Indian law firm 2019’ by RSG India.

Ranked ‘Outstanding’ in the following Practice areas: 

Banking & Finance, 

Capital Markets, 

Corporate/ M&A and 

Private Equity; 

and in the following Industry sectors: Banking & Financial Services and Real Estate by Lawyers Worldwide Awards and Asialaw Profiles in 2019.

Named as a ‘Band 1 Firm’ for Corporate/M&A; ‘Band 2 Firm’ for Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Competition/Antitrust and Dispute Resolution; and ‘Band 3 Firm’ for Projects, Infrastructure & Energy by Chambers Global in 2019.

Named ‘Private Equity Law Firm of the Year’ at Legal Era Awards 2018-19.

For a detailed list of awards, kindly refer to https://www.azbpartners.com/awards/.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The firm is well renowned for M&A(Mergers & Acquisitions), international business and quick turnaround time on client queries. It has a better balance of the number of lawyers and equity partners. It has a well-debated decision-making process and believes in the fact that quality focus comes first. Their greatest strength is an in-depth understanding of legal, regulatory and commercial environments in India and outside India.

AZB partners have been ranked as the number 1 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the highest deal count in 2019, the third-highest deal value in 2019. The growth rate of the firm has been tremendous over the years. RSG Consulting India Report, India Business Law Journal and various other websites have also placed it in the top category.

Rating- 10/10 

2. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas

Founders and Partners

Founder of the firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas is Mr Shardul S. Shroff, who is also the current Executive Chairman of the firm. Ms Pallavi S. Shroff and Mr Akshay Chudasama is the Managing Partner. It was the third Indian law firm to have more than 100 partners. The firm at present has over 110 partners and more than 600 lawyers operating at 7 different locations in India- Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. 

Practice Areas

Banking & Finance, 

Capital Markets, 

Competition Law, 

Dispute Resolution, 

General Corporate (includes M&A & PE), 

Intellectual Property, 

Insolvency & Bankruptcy, 

Projects & Project Finance,  

Tax, and 

Venture Capital.

Achievements

Highest deal value as per Mergermarket H1 2019.

Awarded ‘India Law Firm of the Year’ at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) India Law Awards 2019

Awarded ‘Law Firm of the Year, 2019’ by India Business Law Journal

Awarded the ‘Most Innovative National Law Firm of the Year’ at the annual IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards 2019

Recognised as one of the ‘Best Overall Law Firms’ by India Business Law Journal, 2010-19

Ranked #1 in deal count and #1 in deal value in the annual Mergermarket India League Tables 2018

The Highest number of Band 1 practices, Band 1 lawyers and Ranked lawyers in Chambers & Partners 2018

Awarded ‘Country Firm of the Year, India’ for 2017-2019 by Who’s Who Legal

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The firm has won the title of ‘Innovation in Legal Expertise’, recently. It is well-known for providing innovative solutions to its clients. The firm provides experts in various areas.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas has been ranked as the number 2 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the highest deal value in 2019 and third-highest deal count in 2019. As per the India Business Law Journal it is the Law firm of the year. It has been ranked at the third number by the RSG Consulting India Report. 

Rating- 9.5/10

3. Khaitan and Co

Founders and Partners

The firm was founded in 1911 by Late Debi Prasad Khaitan and J.N. Mazumdar. His brothers, 

Lakshmi Prasad Khaitan and Bhagwati Prasad Khaitan assisted him in establishing and 

managing the firm. It was the first Indian Law firm to have more than 100 Partners. At present, 

It has more than 650 lawyers including partners. Khaitan’s total partnership headcount had increased to 152 and it has 91 equity partners. Operating in 4 different locations- Delhi (since 1970), Kolkata (since 1911), Bangalore (since 1994) and Mumbai (since 2001).

Practice Areas

Banking and Finance;

 Capital Markets;  

Competition / Antitrust; 

Corporate and Commercial; 

Corporate Governance; 

Corporate Restructuring; 

Data Privacy & Protection; 

Debt Capital Markets; 

Direct Tax; 

Dispute Resolution; 

Employment, Labour and Benefits; 

Energy, Infrastructure and Resources; 

Environment; 

Estate Planning, Trusts and Private Client; 

Indirect Tax; 

Intellectual Property; 

Investment Funds; 

Mergers and Acquisitions; 

Private Equity; 

Public Mergers & Acquisitions; 

Real Estate; 

Regulatory Practice; 

Restructuring and Insolvency; 

Securities Litigation and Enforcement; 

Technology, Media and Telecommunications; and 

White Collar Crime.

Their focus sectors are Defence and Homeland Security; E-Commerce; Education; Hospitality; Insurance; and Pharmaceuticals.

Achievements

2nd Highest deal count as per Mergermarket H1 2019.

Revenues of the firm in the financial year 2018-19 increased by 20-25% and crossed Rs 600 Crores in April 2019.

Ranked as ‘IFLR Top Tier Team 2020’ in Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Markets and Restructuring and insolvency by IFLR 1000.

Awarded as ‘SE Asia Practice Firm of the year’ at Asian Legal Business South East Asia Law Awards 2019.

Awarded as ‘Large M&A Law Firm of the Year’, ‘Large IBC Law Firm of the Year’ and ‘Large Employment Law Firm of the Year’ at IDEX Legal Awards 2019.

Ranked as Tier I Indian Law Firm in the following practice areas: Competition / Antitrust, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets and Dispute Resolution by Legal 500 in the year 2019.

Awarded ‘TMT Deal of the Year’- Walmart’s acquisition of Flipkart at Asia Legal Awards 2019

Ranked as ‘Outstanding’ Firm in the areas of Banking and Finance, Competition / Antitrust, Capital Markets, Dispute Resolution and Private Equity by Asialaw Profiles 2019.

Awarded as ‘Deal Firm of the Year’ at Business India Law Awards 2019 

For a detailed list of Awards, kindly refer to https://www.khaitanco.com/awards.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

More than 100 years of practice has always been an asset. It is often known for its highest average packages to freshers. The depth and breadth of expertise make it a continuous part of top-ranking firms.

Khaitan & Co has been ranked as the number 3 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the second-highest deal count in 2019. The number of awards, Consistent Growth over the years and work environment contribute to its ranking. It is one of the main parts of India’s Magic Circle. It has been ranked as number 2 by the RSG Consulting.

Rating- 9.5/10

4. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

Founders and Partners

After the split of the Shroff brothers, the firm was founded by Mr Cyril Shroff on May 25, 2015. Mr Cyril Shroff is also the Managing Partner of the firm. It was the second Indian Law firm to cross the 100 partner benchmark. It has about 750 lawyers and 130 partners at present. They operate in 6 different locations: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Chennai.

Practice Areas

Banking and Finance; 

Capital Markets; 

Competition law; 

Corporate; Disputes; 

Employment; 

Intellectual Property; 

Investment Funds; 

Financial Services Regulatory; 

Pharmaceuticals/ Life Sciences; 

Private Client; 

Projects; 

Real Estate; 

Tax; 

Investigations; and 

TMT.

Achievements

It had the second-highest deal value as per Mergermarket H1 2019.

At the ALB India Law Awards 2020, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas Bagged the Most Number of Awards: Law Firm of the Year; India Deal Firm of the Year; Debt Markets Deal for the Year – Network i2i’s Issuance of Securities; Equity Market Deal of the Year – Embassy Office Park’s IPO; M&A Deal of the Year(Premium) –  ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel’s Acquisition of Essar; Deal Maker of the Year – Cyril Shroff

Awarded ‘India Law Firm of the Year 2019’ at BusinessWorld’s Global Legal Leaders Awards 2019

Awarded ‘Best Firm for Women in Law in India’ at Legal Media Group Euromoney Business Law Awards 2019.

Association of Wealth Management of India (AIWMI) ranked CAM as the ‘Best Private Client Law Firm’ at India Wealth Awards 2019

At IBLJ Deals of the Year 2019, 13 deals/matters of CAM were amongst the winning deals.

At Asialaw Regional Awards 2019, CAM won the following awards: Law Firm of the Year (India); Energy Law Firm of the Year; Impact Deal of the Year (Walmart acquisition); and Impact Deal of the Year for (Equis acquisition)

At IBLJ Indian Law Firm Awards 2019, CAM won 10 awards.

At Chambers India Award 2019, CAM was awarded as the ‘Finance Law Firm of the Year’

At ALB India Law Awards 2019, CAM won the following awards: Banking and Finance Services Law Firm of the Year; Debt Markets Deal for the Year – Allianz Capital Partners GmbH’s Investment in IndInfravit Trust; M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize) – AION Capital Partners and JSW Steel’s Acquisition of Monnet Ispat; M&A Deal of the Year(Premium)-  Walmart’s Acquisition of Flipkart; and Managing Partner of the Year – Cyril Shroff

For the detailed list of Awards, kindly refer to https://www.cyrilshroff.com/awards-rankings/.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

It is the first Indian law firm to embrace Artificial Intelligence(AI) Technology. It has the largest number of lawyers. It is well known for its functioning in Indian and International matters.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has been ranked as the number 4 law firm of India in 2019. The firm has always managed to fix a spot in the top-ranking firms of India. It is the largest law firm in India based on size. It had the second-highest deal value and fourth-highest deal count in 2019. It has been placed at the fourth number by the RSG Consulting India Report. The firm has won an exceptional number of awards.

Rating- 9.5/10

5. Trilegal

Founders and Partners

The Merger of three start-ups in 2000 led to the formation of this firm. The Mumbai-based Trilegal was founded by Karan Sigh and Sridhar Gorthi, Bangalore-based by Rahul Mattan and Prem Ayappa, Delhi-based by Akshay Jaitly and Prasad. It has 55 partners and about 400 lawyers. At present, it is operating at 4 different locations: Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bangalore. 

Practice Areas

Asset Management and Funds; 

Banking & Finance; 

Competition Law; 

Corporate; 

Disputes; 

Employment; 

Energy & Infrastructure; 

International Capital Markets; 

M&A; 

PE & VC; 

Real Estate; 

Restructuring; 

Tax; and

TMT.

Achievements

Nominated for various categories at Chambers India Awards 2019

It was among the top 5 Indian law firms in Deal count as per Mergermarket H1 2019.

It was among the top 10 Indian law firms in deal value as per Mergermarket H1 2019.

Two lawyers of the firm- Nisha Kaur and Harsh Pais were recognized as ‘Growing leaders of the year 2019’ by RSG report.

Among the Top Ranked Firms in the Asia Pacific 2018 Chambers & Partners

Awarded as ‘Top Tier Financial and Corporate Law Firm 2018’ by IFLR1000

Awarded as ‘Top Tier Law Firm Asia Pacific 2018’ by The Legal 500

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The firm is known for its culture, the depth of its transactional experience, the wide range of our expertise and the quality and energy of our lawyers. It is more cost-effective and delivers quality-work. It has an extensive approach in India and the International world. The firm is also known for its action against climate change. The full equity lockstep partner compensation model in which Profit is shared is a unique feature which usually International law firms have. 

Trilegal has been ranked as the number 5 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the fifth-highest deal count in 2019. The number of awards, Consistent Growth over the years contribute to its ranking. It has been placed at the fifth position by the RSG Consulting India Report and it has been named in the Big 7 by the India Business Law Journal.

Rating- 9/10

6. J. Sagar and Associates(JSA)

Founders and Partners

JSA was founded by Jyoti Sagar in 1991 and later in April 2003, Berjis Desai started the Mumbai office. The current Joint Managing Partners are Vivek K. Chandy and Amit Kapur. At present, the firm has more than 320 lawyers operating at 7 different locations: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Practice Areas

Corporate; Disputes; 

Finance Sectors: Agriculture and Forestry; 

Capital Markets; 

Construction & Engineering; 

Defence & Internal Security; 

Education; 

Energy: Power & Hydrocarbons; 

Environment; 

Financial Services & Insolvency; 

Hospitality, Tourism & Retail; 

Insurance & Pension; 

Knowledge based Industries; 

Manufacturing; 

Media and Sports; 

Mines & Minerals; 

Non-Governmental Sector; 

Pharma; Real Estate; 

Services; 

Smart Cities; 

Startups; 

Telecommunications, Media & Technology; 

Transportation & logistics; 

White Collar Crimes and Compliance Practice.

Achievements

Winner (2019) of Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT) Firm of the Year, Ranked Band 1 (2019) in Banking & Finance, Ranked Band 1 (2019) in Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT) by Chambers Asia Pacific 2019.

Ranked ‘Tier 1 (2019)’ in the following Practice Areas: Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Dispute Resolution and Projects & Energy by Legal 500.

Ranked ‘Best Overall Law Firm (2019)’ in the following sectors: Aviation, Capital Markets, Energy, Projects & Infrastructure, Policy & regulation, Structured finance & Securitisation and Technology, Media & Telecoms (TMT) by India Business Law Journal.

Ranked 1 (Manager – By Volume): Bloomberg – Global Legal Advisers, Capital Markets – Annual 2018 by Bloomberg.

Awarded ‘M&A Law Firm of the Year’ at BW Businessworld Legal Leaders Awards 2019.

For a detailed list of Awards, kindly refer to https://www.jsalaw.com/firm-profile.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The firm’s community service, pro bono work and Firm retreat make it stand out. The firm tries to maintain the work-life balance. Core values of the firm provide that they combine ‘the expertise and diversity of experience of a large firm with the personalized attention and responsiveness of a boutique firm’. They believe in exceeding client expectations and “people matter”. 

Sagar and Associates has been ranked as the number 6 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the sixth-highest deal count and seventh-highest deal value in 2019. The number of awards, Consistent Growth over the years and the work environment contribute to its ranking. It has been placed at the sixth position by the RSG Consulting India Report and it has been named in the Big 7 by the India Business Law Journal. Various websites have also included the firm in their top ranking like Abhyaas, Top 10 Companies in India, etc.

Rating- 9/10

7. L&L Partners

Founders and Partners

L&L Partners(earlier known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices) was founded in 1990 by Mr Rajiv K Luthra. He is the current Managing Director of the firm. The firm has over 70 partners and over 300 lawyers. The firm is operative in 4 different locations: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Practice Areas

Anti-Corruption & Compliance; 

Banking & Finance; 

Capital Markets; 

Competition and Antitrust law; 

Corporate & Commercial; 

Dispute Resolution- Litigation & Arbitration; 

Restructuring & Insolvency; 

Intellectual Property; 

International Trade; 

Management Labour & Employment; 

Mergers & Acquisitions; 

Private Equity & Venture Capital; 

Projects; Energy & Infrastructure; 

Real Estate; 

Tax(Direct & Indirect); and

Pro-Bono. 

Achievements

Awarded as ‘M&A Law Firm of the Year’ by Legal Era Indian Legal Awards 2019-20.

The firm was awarded ‘Best Overall Law Firms’ and four other awards by India Business Law Journal 2019 

It was among the top 4 Indian law firms based on deal value by Mergermarket H1 2019

It was among the top 7 Indian law firms based on deal count by Mergermarket H1 2019

Awarded ‘M&A Law firm of the year’ by the International Financial Law Review in 2019.

Awarded ‘M&A Deal of the year’ in 2019 by the International Financial Law Review.

Awarded ‘Private Equity law firm of the Year’ by BW Business World in 2019.

It was the legal counsel on four of India Business Law Journal’s 2018 Deals of the Year and received four practice area awards at Indian Law Firm Awards.

One of the most famous acquisition of 2019 i.e. JSW Steel Limited’s acquisition of Bhushan Steel was advised by L&L partners.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

A deep understanding and handling. It has a good outreach globally. The lawyers ensure that clients receive innovative, practical and cost-effective advice while holding the ethical standards.

L&L Partners has been ranked as the number 7 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the seventh-highest deal count and fourth-highest deal value in 2019. The number of awards, International outreach, Consistent Growth over the years and the diverse expertise contributes to its ranking. It has been placed at the seventh position by the RSG Consulting India Report and it has been named in the Big 7 by the India Business Law Journal. Various websites have also included the firm in their top ranking like Abhyaas, Top 10 Companies in India, etc.

Rating- 9/10

8. S&R Associates

Founders and Partners

The boutique firm was founded by Mr Rajat Sethi and Mr Sandip Bhagat in 2005.  It has 80 lawyers and 14 partners. It has 2 offices in India: Delhi and Mumbai. 

Practice Areas

Banking and Finance; 

Capital Markets; 

Competition/Antitrust; 

Corporate Governance; 

General Corporate; 

Litigation and Arbitration; 

Mergers and Acquisitions; 

Private Equity; 

Regulatory; 

Restructuring and Insolvency; and 

Technology Media and Telecommunications

Sectors: 

Aviation; 

Banking and NBFCs; 

Consumer and hospitality; 

E-Commerce; 

Education; 

Energy and natural resources; 

Engineering and construction; 

Healthcare; 

pharmaceuticals; 

Infrastructure; 

Manufacturing; 

Chemicals; 

Automotive; 

Real estate; 

Technology; 

Media; 

Telecommunications; 

Travel and logistics; and 

Insurance.

Achievements

Awarded as ‘Boutique Law Firm of the Year’ by Legal Era Indian Legal Awards 2019-20.

Ranked 6th in M&A by India League Tables in 2019

Ranked as top tier law firm in the following areas: Corporate M&A; Dispute Resolution; and Investment funds by Asia Pacific 2020.

Bloomberg Indian Capital Markets ranked 2nd the firm in Private Equity rights and offering in 2019

It was among the top 5 Indian law firms based on deal value by Mergermarket H1 2019

It was among the top 9 Indian law firms based on deal count by Mergermarket H1 2019

It was awarded in the category of M&A by India Business Law Journal in 2019.

Mr Rajat Sethi and Mr Sanjeev Adkala bagged the awards of ‘High quality and good Knowledgeable lawyer’ and ‘Most mature and sensible lawyer’ by Chamber Asia Pacific 2020.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The experience of lawyers working in different jurisdictions- USA, UK, Singapore helps them in providing a unique combination of Indian and International legal services. It is a boutique law firm with expertise in Dispute Resolution and Litigation.

S&R Associates has been ranked as the number 8 law firm of India in 2019 because it had the fifth-highest deal value and ninth-highest deal count in 2019. The number of awards, Consistent Growth over the years and the capacity to handle all the client’s requirements contribute to its ranking. It has been placed at the eight positions by the RSG Consulting India Report. Various websites have also included the firm in their top ranking like Abhyaas, Top 10 Companies in India, etc.

Rating- 9/10

9. Anand & Anand

Founders and Partners

Mr N. K. Anand is the Founding Partner. Managing partner of the firm is Mr Pravin Anand. The firm has 23 partners and more than 100 lawyers and engineers. It is operative at 4 different locations: New Delhi, Noida, Chennai and Mumbai.

Practice Areas

The key practice area of the firm is Intellectual Property(IP) which includes 

Copyright, 

Design, 

Litigation, 

Patient, and 

Trademark.

Other practice areas are: 

Advertising and Product Liability; 

Alternate Dispute Resolution; 

Plant Variety; 

Fashion law; 

Biodiversity; 

Brand Strategy; 

Competition Law; 

IT and E-Commerce laws; 

Trade Secret; 

Licensing; 

White Collar and IP crime; 

Packaging and Labelling; 

Essentiality Evaluation; 

Art law; 

Franchising; 

Sports law; 

Geographical Indications; 

Start-up law; 

Contractual and Commercial IP; 

Enforcement; 

Customs; and 

Media and Entertainment Laws.

Achievements

Awarded ‘Firm of the Year’ by the Managing Intellectual Property – Asia Awards 2019

Awarded ‘Special Awards: Impact Case of the Year 2019’ for ‘Koninklijke Philips Electronics vs. Rajesh Bansal’ and ‘Monsanto vs. Nuziveedu’ by the Managing Intellectual Property

Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars 2019, recognized it as a Tier 1 firm in the following areas: Copyright & Related Rights, Patent Contentious, Patent Prosecution, Trademark Contentious, Trademark Prosecution.

Awarded ‘Firm of the Year – Intellectual Property Enforcement’, ‘Firm of the Year – Intellectual Property Protection’ and ‘Firm of the Year –  Media and Entertainment – Anand and Anand & Khimani’ by the IBLJ – Indian Law Firm Awards 2019

Recognized as a Tier 1 firm(Mumbai and Delhi) by the Media Law International.

It was Awarded ‘Leading IP Lawyer of the Decade’, Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year’, and ‘Outstanding Case of the Year’ by the Legal Era Awards 2019-20

Asia Law Profiles 2019 awarded the following awards: ‘Asia Law Profiles Rankings- Outstanding- Intellectual Property’, ‘Asia Law Profiles Rankings- Recommended Firm- Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences’, and ‘Asia Law Profiles Rankings- Notable Firm- Dispute resolution’.

WTR 1000 Rankings 2019 awarded ‘WTR 1000 – Firm of the Year- Prosecution and Strategy’, and ‘WTR 1000- Firm of the Year- Enforcement and Litigation’

It was recognized as ‘IAM 1000- Firm of the Year- Prosecution and Strategy’ and ‘IAM 1000- Firm of the Year- Enforcement and Litigation’ by the IAM 1000 Rankings 2019.

Mr Pravin Anand was recognized as WTR Global Leaders 2019.

For a detailed list of Awards, kindly refer to https://www.anandandanand.com/awards/

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The firm provides 365-degree services related to Intellectual Property. The firm has an in-house anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting team to provide clients with legal protection to safeguard their brand identities in commercial space.

Anand & Anand has been ranked as the number 9 law firm of India in 2019. The number of awards, Consistent Growth over the years and the work environment contribute to its ranking. Moreover, along with the key practice area i.e. Intellectual Property, the firm has performed exceptionally well in other fields also like ADR, etc. It has been placed at the ninth position by the RSG Consulting India Report. Various websites have also included the firm in their top ranking like Abhyaas, Shiksha, Top 10 Companies in India, etc.

Rating- 8.5/10

10. Economic Laws Practice

Founders and Partners

Mr Sujjain Talwar is the Co-founder of the firm.  Mr Suhail Nathani is the Managing Partner of the firm. It has 25 partners and more than 200 lawyers. It has 6 offices in India: Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

Practice Areas

Banking & Finance; 

Competition Law & Policy; 

Corporate & Commercial; 

Data protection; 

Defence & Aerospace; 

Hospitality; 

International Trade & Customs Practice; 

Litigation, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution; 

Policy & Regulation; 

Private Equity & Venture Capital; 

Projects, Infrastructure & Energy; 

Real Estate; 

Securities Laws & Capital Markets; 

Tax; and 

Technology, Media & Telecommunications.

Achievements

Ranked as Tier 1 Firm in ALB’s Asia M&A Rankings

Termed as ‘Highly recommended firm for Banking & Finance Services, Energy and Infrastructure by Asia Law Profiles 2019.

Termed as ‘Highly Recommended’ for Infrastructure, Technology & Telecommunications, Transport, Banking, Capital Markets, M&A, Private Equity, and Project Finance by IFLR 1000 in 2019.

Recognized as ‘Top Tier Firm in India’ for tax, WTO/ International Trade and Ranked for Competition & Antitrust, Projects, Infrastructure & Energy, Banking & Finance, Private Equity, Corporate and M&A, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, TMT by Chambers Asia Pacific 2019.

Recognized as ‘Law firm of the year for Taxation and Competition/ Antitrust by India Business Law Journal 2019.

Termed as ‘Outstanding Firm’ for tax; ‘Highly Recommended’ for Competition/ Antitrust, Energy & Natural Resources, Projects & Infrastructure, Banking and Finance, Dispute Resolution, Financial Services Regulatory by Asia Profiles 2019.

Recognized as ‘Top Tier Firm in India’ for WTO/ International Trade, Dispute Resolution, Tax, Corporate and M&A, Projects and Energy, and Antitrust & Competition by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018.

For a detailed list of Awards, kindly refer to http://elplaw.in/about-us/#two.

Their unique features for which they are considered as the best

The global outreach of the firm has been an asset of the firm. The firm believes in regularly sharing the knowledge to keep clients updated on issues which impact their business. The firm has a consistent focus on quality and provides outcome-oriented solutions.

Economic Laws Practice has been ranked as the number 10 law firm of India in 2019. The extensive Global Outreach of the firm, number of awards, Consistent Growth over the years and high client satisfaction contribute to its ranking. It has been placed at the tenth position by the RSG Consulting India Report. Various websites have also included the firm in their top ranking like Abhyaas, Shiksha, Top 10 Companies in India, etc. As per RSG consulting the firm has been able to secure a position in the top 10 law firms in the previous years. 

Rating- 8/10

Conclusion

The article provides the list of top 10 law firms in India based on a survey-analysis of various sources based on various factors. NOTE: The ranking can vary at different sources.

References

https://www.vantageasia.com/india-top-law-firms-2019/

https://www.rsgindiareport.com/the-rsg-top-50-2019

https://www.legallyindia.com/lawfirms/revealed-law-firm-khaitan-co-revenues-top-rs-600-crores-in-2018-19-20190513-10115

https://www.lexmundi.com/assnfe/cv.asp?ID=42396

https://top10companiesinindia.com/top-law-firms-in-india/

https://www.barandbench.com/news/mergermarket-h1-2019-ma-tables-shardul-amarchand-records-highest-deal-value-azb-with-most-deals

https://lawprep.in/top-10-law-firms-in-india/

https://blog.ipleaders.in/best-law-firms-in-india/

https://www.legal500.com/firms/34518-shardul-amarchand-mangaldas-co/35125-new-delhi-india/

https://www.cyrilshroff.com/

https://www.amsshardul.com/

https://www.khaitanco.com/

https://www.anandandanand.com/

https://www.trilegal.com/

https://www.llpartners.com/

https://www.jsalaw.com/

http://elplaw.in/

https://www.azbpartners.com/

https://www.snrlaw.in/

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TMT Law Practice adds 2 More Partners to boost Mumbai presence

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India:  TMT Law Practice has seen a new head start through the beginning of this financial year wherein diversifying into new service domains and industry sector practices had been on the agenda apart from adding new key talent to the firm.

In continuation of its expansion plans, the firm is pleased to announce the appointment of Sapna R. Chaurasia and Aahna Mehrotra as Partners to boost its Mumbai presence. With them coming on board, the firm now has 10-members in Mumbai, with 2 partners, 3 senior associates and 5 associates. The firm will seek to leverage the experience of both its partners in expanding its footprint in the media and sports capital of the country.

Sapna brings invaluable in-house experience from her stints at Sony Pictures Networks, Tata Sky and Neo. Prior to that, she spent her initial years honing her litigation skills at one of the leading disputes firms in Mumbai, Federal & Rashmikant. Sapna offers a unique blend of extensive experience in Disputes, Transactional Support and Compliance.

Aahna has been running a successful sports law and consultancy practice. Her client representations include, setting up and advising Sports Leagues, in India and internationally; advising on player transfers; handling matters before the National Anti-Doping Tribunal; Advising on Gambling Laws, Fantasy Sports, intellectual property and merchandising contracts, etc.

“It is indeed an honour to have both Sapna and Aahna joining the firm. Their presence will demonstrate our commitment to the Mumbai legal market. I am sure their contribution will further the overall growth plan of the firm on diversification, while maintaining its niche,” said Mr. Abhishek Malhotra, Founding Partner, TMT Law Practice.

Mr. Malhotra has two decades of experience in the legal realm and is a member of both the State Bars of California, USA and Delhi, India. His primary areas of expertise are Intellectual property, Dispute Resolution, and the Technology, Media & Telecommunications industries. In addition to the TMT sector, Mr. Malhotra now also advises his clients in the areas of corporate and commercial litigation.

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