With tremors of global economic slowdown being felt in India, corporate law firms here have turned bullish in their hiring plans as they see an opportunity in the current crisis.
Several well-known corporate law firms said their hiring intentions have not been impacted much due to the downturn, while the generally high levels of attrition in such firms have come down in recent times.
The country's leading law firm, Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co, which currently employees around 450 lawyers, believes that many good candidates are returning from the London/New York markets due to the slowdown, which may prove good for lateral hiring in the country.
Asked whether Shroff & Co was planning to increase its employee strength in 2009, the company spokesperson said,"Yes ...By at least 50-60 people on a net basis."
Another leading Intellectual Property law firm, Lall Lahiri & Salhotra (LLS), would be hiring at least 30 employees, including lawyers, by the end of the year and has started the process by recruiting four fresh law school graduates.
"We recruited 18 lawyers last year, most of them lateral hires from reputed law firms. This year, we plan to bring in a mix of freshers and experienced lawyers so as to maintain a balance between fresh innovative ideas and proven methods," LLS Partner Rahul Chaudhry said.
