Expanded market in Bengaluru sees JSA bring on 2 additional partners
In the vibrant tech landscape of Bengaluru, the Indian legal market is witnessing significant growth. Notable expansion is being observed, with a focus on integrating legal technology and increasing talent acquisition.
This growth is not limited to traditional Indian law firms, as new tech-driven legal platforms are also making their way into the market. One such platform is Harvey AI, a US-based generative AI company, which is set to open its first Indian office in Bengaluru in late 2025. The move aims to leverage the city’s tech talent and support its engineering, sales, and operations teams. Harvey AI has partnerships with major Indian firms like Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. and S&A Law Offices, and intends to deepen its legal market presence through this office.
Among top-tier law firms with an India focus, several foreign and Indian firms have recently boosted their teams. Hogan Lovells has expanded its India team with lateral hires, including Siew Kam Boon, known for M&A expertise in India. BCLP (Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner) has strengthened its arbitration and commercial disputes expertise related to India with the hire of Shivani Sanghi, former head of Fieldfisher India practice.
Indian firm Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS) has announced major leadership expansion with sixteen executive partner promotions, reflecting their broad service offerings including corporate/M&A, dispute resolution, taxation, and IP across 14 Indian offices. While the exact locations of these offices are not specified, it is likely that Bengaluru is part of their network.
CMS India Desk coordinates India-related work through senior associates and partners based outside India, with collaboration in Bengaluru likely facilitated through their network.
J. Sagar Associates (JSA), one of the largest offerings for a pan-national firm in Bengaluru, has also been expanding its presence. In just over a month, the firm has made six partner hires, including Santosh Vijay, who specializes in private equity and venture capital deals, particularly in the start-up space. Prakash, a real estate partner, has joined JSA with a team of seven fee-earners. Prakash advises on matters related to title, urban development, and regulatory compliance within the real estate sector, and has represented top developers and builders in Karnataka, including Prestige Estates, Brigade Enterprises, and Godrej Properties.
Other law firms have also been expanding their presence in Bengaluru. Emerald Law, Stratage Law Partners, and Wadia Ghandy & Co have launched Bengaluru outposts recently. This growth indicates that Bengaluru is not only a strategic hub for legal tech firms like Harvey AI to establish engineering and sales teams, but also a key location in the broader expansion of Indian law firms and the strengthening of Mumbai/New Delhi-Bengaluru corridors. These firms are actively hiring lateral partners and promoting key executives to deepen expertise in corporate, M&A, arbitration, and technology-driven legal services.
References: [1] Harvey AI to Open First Indian Office in Bengaluru [2] Harvey AI Partners with Major Indian Law Firms [3] Harvey AI Expands Presence in India [4] Top Law Firms Boost Teams in India [5] Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Announces Partner Promotions
- In the wake of the expansion of law firms in Bengaluru, it seems that law firms are increasingly focusing on compliance with regional regulations, as evidenced by J. Sagar Associates' hiring of Prakash, who specializes in regulatory compliance within the real estate sector.
- As the legal market in Bengaluru continues to grow, finance-driven businesses might find it beneficial to engage with law firms like BCLP, which has increased its arbitration and commercial disputes expertise related to India.
- The influx of technology-driven legal platforms, such as Harvey AI, into Bengaluru's legal market is not only enhancing legal technology integration but also prompting traditional law firms to acquire new talent in tech-related fields, like engineering and sales.
