A new class of strategic executive is reshaping the business of law as Indian firms embrace professional management. But are meddling partners driving talent away? Katherine Abraham reports
Law firms in India are realising their executive leadership is incomplete without the anchor point of a pure business mind. This purity needs to be untouched by the vicissitudes of long court hours, deal representations and the resolution of disputes.
Enter non-legal strategic managers: CXOs (a collective designation for chief-level executives – CEOs, CFOs, COOs and so-on) of good reputation, extensive experience and an ability to deliver best overall financial management.
“Having professional C-suite roles in the legal sector is hardly a decade-old phenomenon,” says Aman Abbas, a former strategic director at Amarchand Mangaldas and currently the founder of Delhi law firm consultancy Commwiser.
“Law firm leaders realised that dealing with non-law stuff doesn’t just cost revenue; it takes focus away from clients, too. Having skilled managers in business management functions brings benefits. Not only do they add a business edge … they also help firms think bigger and get them to operate more professionally overall.”
India Business Law Journal spoke to Kate Barton, global CEO for Dentons, who explains the essence of CXO-legal leadership against the evolution of firms in India.
“The evolution of the Indian practice is not only about growth in size but growth in impact,” says Barton. “India is one of the most dynamic and strategically important legal markets in the world.
“The pace of economic growth, outbound investment, regulatory development and innovation across sectors such as technology, infrastructure, energy and financial services is creating increasingly sophisticated client needs. That makes India a critical part of any truly global legal platform. We have to remain agile, client-focused and aligned around our shared purpose of redefining possibilities together, everywhere.”
On the value of strategic managers, Reema Bali, CEO at Alpha Partners in Delhi, says many law firms have traditionally been lawyer-centric rather than client-centric. “Strategic managers help bridge that gap by bringing structured systems, data and service design thinking into the firm,” she says.
The transition from relying on a managing partner to employing a “non-legal strategic manager” is gaining momentum in law firm leadership. For some, it may represent a symbolic nod to a modern, transformative approach; for others, it signals a fundamental rethinking of how law firms are governed, led and grown.
“I think it is inevitable rather than aspirational,” says Sameer Jain, managing partner at PSL Advocates in Delhi. “A law firm is, at its heart, a business. It has revenue, margins, cash flow, talent retention and client acquisition, like any other enterprise. You cannot run a serious [business] on instinct alone past a certain scale.
“As clients themselves grow more sophisticated and demand transparency on pricing, turnaround and value, firms will need people whose entire focus is strategy, finance and operations.”
Madhumita Paul is deputy chief marketing officer at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in Mumbai. She describes her own role as being “at the intersection of legal expertise, business strategy and market dynamics with the goal of turning institutional knowledge into measurable growth and competitive advantage”.
In CAM’s Delhi office, Padmini Rathore is the chief revenue officer. “I work closely with the managing partner, CFO and partners to drive revenue growth, track performance against targets, and support client and business development initiatives,” she says. “The role also partners with the commercial excellence team to identify and plug revenue leakages across the matter lifecycle to maximise revenue and profitability.”
Rathore is one of 91视频 first law firm strategic managers, having become the director of strategy at Amarchand Mangaldas in 2010. Between then and now, she has held senior roles at other prominent firms such as CEO of DSK Legal, and chief practice officer of Khaitan & Co.
Client centrism
A CXO is a bridge between executive leadership, equity partners and clients, helping to drive decisions that advance their firm’s mission, strategic priorities and long-term financial health.
Neha Kashyap, founder of The Grey Matter in Mumbai, says lawyers often eschew difficult dialogue with clients, “making the presence of dedicated leaders to navigate these conversations invaluable”.
“Similarly, the task of holding their own partners accountable for their performance and operational rigour can be overwhelming, underscoring the pivotal role that CEOs and CFOs play in driving discipline and fostering organisational excellence.”
Dentons’ Barton says clients “expect greater speed and accountability, pushing firms to respond with clarity and practical advice. The value of a global firm is shifting from simply knowing the law to serving as a trusted business adviser with the relationships and know-how to navigate uncertainty.”
That introduces the need for a different approach.
CAM’s Paul describes “a hybrid mindset” as necessary for the CXO role. “Legal knowledge helps, but I wouldn’t say it is mandatory; business acumen is non-negotiable,” she says.
“The role focuses on managing lawyers as stakeholders, working within regulatory constraints like BCI [Bar Council of India] guidelines, understanding the economics and translating business strategy into practice positioning. That’s why it takes much more than the marketing textbooks alone.”
As to objectivity, Paul says that, because CXOs are not carrying the interests of any one practice, they “can often act as a more objective bridge across teams and priorities”.
Alpha’s Bali says it is essential that lawyers are often deeply focused on legal excellence. “Strategic managers complement this by focusing on the overall client experience – responsiveness, clarity, efficiency, pricing transparency and consistency.”
Scale changes everything
Does the size of a firm impact work dynamics? Keshav Zarapkar, the head of business development and client strategy at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in Mumbai, says complexity grows exponentially, not linearly, with the scale of the firm.
Kakul Ansari, associate vice president of strategic initiatives at Spice Route Legal in Bengaluru, says the strategic and business functions are often siloed in more traditional firms, where they continue to receive instructions from lawyers.
“Professionals with similar levels of experience may focus on a particular practice area, business function or strategic priority,” she says. “While that comes with its own complexities – such as managing scale, stakeholder alignment and specialised initiatives – it can also mean having a narrower remit.
“Ultimately, I think the complexity of the role is driven less by the size of the firm and more by the breadth of responsibility, the firm’s ambitions and the pace of change it is navigating.”
CAM’s Rathore says law firms are increasingly recognising that growth, profitability and institutionalisation require dedicated business leadership. “CEOs are becoming responsible not just for operations, but for driving strategy, execution, client development, talent priorities and operating discipline,” she says.
“CFOs, similarly, are no longer only custodians of financial reporting – they are expected to influence decisions through data, profitability insights, pricing and resource allocation.”
CAM’s Zarapkar describes his own role as being “to institutionalise the firm’s business development initiatives across domestic and international markets. I am actively involved in developing key account management plans to deepen key client relationships.”
Paul, CAM’s deputy CMO, says her firm’s scale means the challenge “is not visibility or brand awareness – it is co-ordination. When you have almost 1,500 lawyers across multiple practices, geographies and specialisations, marketing function becomes a translation layer between partner priorities, interests and firm-wide strategy.”
Spice Route’s Ansari says her firm’s strategic initiatives group “has a 360-degree view of the firm – as we go about constructing strategies for expansion, hiring, use of AI, branding, organisational design, billing/pricing and content. Our view tends to be holistic and not siloed.”
As the scope of these roles expands, firms are also confronting the fundamental question of who is best suited to occupy them.
The perfect fit
“The ideal, frankly, is a corporate professional with enough exposure to professional services firms to navigate the partnership without being captured by it,” says Jain, of PSL Advocates.
Rahul Hingmire, managing partner of Vis Legis Law Practice in Mumbai, says a corporate background is often more useful, provided the person understands law firm sensitivities. “Retired lawyers understand professional ethics, client expectations and partner behaviour, but corporate managers usually bring stronger experience in scale, systems, profitability, process improvement and execution discipline.”
Kanika Chugh, managing partner at SKV Law Offices in New Delhi, chooses differently. “For genuinely strategic work, my preference is a lawyer who has spent real time on the corporate side, because that combination gives you the best of both worlds,” she says. “The legal training earns instant credibility in a room of equity partners, which is a currency you cannot fake.”
Influence versus authority
What about the great divide between management and executive?
Speaking from personal experience, Chugh says a partnership “runs on autonomy and consensus, while professional management runs on standardisation and speed, and those two instincts collide constantly”.
Grey Matter’s Kashyap says that while the partnership model creates “genuine alignment when partners are invested in collective success decisions, [it also carries] real weight because the people making them have skin in the game”.
“The diffusion of ownership makes leadership deeply complex,” she says. “When every equity partner is effectively a principal, you aren’t leading one organisation – you are continuously negotiating across many competing interests, time horizons and definitions of success. Authority here is earned through persuasion and coalition, not conferred by title.”
Commwiser’s Abbas says firms “aren’t really picking just partner leadership or just professional management – they see both as important”.
Dentons’ Barton says collaboration is critical. “The most effective strategic managers work alongside partners to identify opportunities, solve challenges and implement solutions that are right for their specific firm, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.”
But Jayesh H, co-founder of Juris Corp in Mumbai, says CXOs rarely stay. “Many strategic managers do not last long, as often change management/egos are not handled well,” he says. “Invariably that hard hitting fee earner is deemed more valuable than anything else.”
The tension intensifies when there are competing expectations around ownership, accountability and decision making. The relationship between partners and professional managers can quickly become strained.
Rohit Jain, managing partner at Singhania & Co in Delhi, says the ultimate authority of Indian law firms has “historically” rested with managing partner/equity partners or management committees.
“This is both cultural and regulatory,” he says. “The Advocates Act recognises advocates as the class entitled to practice law, and Indian law firms operate within Bar Council restrictions rather than ordinary corporate marketing and ownership norms.”
Vivek Das, founder of Pro Consulting Solutions in Delhi, says: “Equity partners hold ultimate legal and fiduciary accountability, so final authority rests with them. It is backed by data driven insights from professional support functions.”
When the scales fall
Beneath the discussion lies the weighty issue of who holds the authority. Accountability, transparency and consensus make for the core of a good partner-CXO relationship but can quickly escalate into a thorn in the flesh for all.
SKV’s Chugh says “the real friction” is the question of authority. “A manager can design a brilliant system, but holds influence rather than ownership, so anything that feels like it dilutes partner autonomy will meet resistance,” she says.
The Grey Matter’s Kashyap says lawyers possess remarkable intellect but “often assume that this naturally extends to managing their own practices”.
The survival of a dichotomous relationship in the legal market also requires an understanding of the laxman rekha (strict convention) that cannot be crossed.
“Relinquishing control over a practice they have painstakingly shaped, and then receiving direction from a salaried manager, can be a challenging adjustment,” says Kashyap. “While initial enthusiasm and high-profile announcements may abound, the steady, unglamorous pace of true transformation is a reality that many find difficult to embrace.”
Vis Legis’ Hingmire talks about a tightrope walk for both sides. “Partners see themselves not merely as employees, but as owners and professionals with independent judgement,” he says.
“Strict performance reviews or cost controls may be viewed as interference in practice management. The point is not that one model is right and the other is wrong. Efficiency must be introduced carefully, without weakening professional independence or partner confidence.”
Das describes professional tension that builds piece by piece. “When ambitious mandates are paired with unclear decision rights, ambiguous reporting lines and fragmented execution, frustration mounts – and exits follow.”
Paradoxical executive
A known issue for fresh faces at law firms is absorbing the nuanced understanding of how the firm operates. This could explain the hesitation of traditional law firms to hand over their reins to an executive officer.
CAM’s Rathore says technical capability remains important but “it is no longer sufficient on its own. To create real impact alongside partners, business leaders need to combine commercial thinking with a strong understanding of how law firms operate.”
Das says short tenures among strategic managers often stem from partner-dominated cultures that inadvertently diminish their role.
SKV’s Chugh, says the acceptance, or not, of CXOs is “in my experience … usually the firm’s fault, not the person’s”.
Singhania’s Jain adds: “In India, the issue is often not capability but mandate-fit. Many professionals hired from corporates are used to clearer hierarchy, budgets and decision right.”
To have a meaningful impact, Grey Matter’s Kashyap says that strategic managers and non-legal leaders “need one quality above all else: the courage to tell partners what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. The equilibrium most firms have landed on is a kind of functional autonomy with strategic subordination.
“A professional manager can own the operations of business development or finance, but the moment a decision touches a client relationship, a billing arrangement or a partner’s compensation, the centre of gravity shifts back to partners immediately.”
Das says that, while professional managers bring fresh perspectives and disciplined frameworks, “they often struggle to earn the trust of legal teams. However, recent years have seen a growing appetite for lawyers who are willing to transition from advocacy into managerial roles – bridging the credibility gap while driving commercial rigour.”
Fast forward
“In many ways, legal firms should run similarly to other service businesses,” says Commwiser’s Abbas.
“This means needing solid strategic planning, fiscal control, talent management and tech integration to grow effectively. Most Indian law firms now recognise this and are hiring experts for these tasks. Yet, there’s still room to evolve. The big shift is underway, though firms are adapting, and that’s the important part.”
Dentons’ Barton is clear in her expectations for the India team, given the new office that has just opened in Gurugram.
“My expectations of the leadership team in India are no different from those I have for our leaders across the globe: continue building on your success; nurture a high-performance culture; and remain focused on delivering outstanding outcomes for clients,” she says.
“Equally important is seeking opportunities to collaborate across our global platform. Some of the most exciting opportunities for growth come from bringing together talent, expertise and perspectives from different markets to help clients navigate increasingly complex and interconnected challenges.”
SKV’s Chugh predicts a shift in the next decade, where “these functions will be professionalised and owned by specialists. In India the adoption is uneven, the larger firms are well ahead and boutiques like ours are building these capabilities deliberately and in proportion to our size. But the trajectory runs in only one direction.
“As clients become more commercially sophisticated and demand value, predictability and responsiveness, firms simply cannot run their finance, BD, operations and strategy functions as a part-time hobby for a busy partner.”
While the legal profession may still be navigating and negotiating the delicate balance between partnership autonomy and executive management, few within the industry can dispute the direction of travel.
Ansari describes the path: “As firms continue to professionalise, there is growing recognition that strategic functions must go beyond execution to focus on long-term planning, innovation, technology adoption, knowledge management, talent strategy, operational transformation, and driving firm-wide growth. As a result, the scope of these roles is constantly expanding, and the expectations placed on them are evolving just as quickly.”
There is scope for improvement, says Commwiser’s Abbas. “It’s not about what skills managers bring on board, it’s about whether the firm knows what it wants to achieve. So, they should set their strategic goals – be it growth, developing clients, improving operations, or managing their brand – and match the job description to those goals.”
He says job applicants must “grasp the law firm world, the markets they’re in, how clients work and what partners need. The best leaders blend all this understanding and turn strategies into things that can actually be measured”.
PSL’s Jain says: “The firms that resist [hiring CXOs] will not collapse, but they will quietly cede ground to those that treat the business of law as seriously as the practice of it.”
