Trilegal: The Making of a Modern Indian Law Firm

by Jaitly, Akshay

From its beginnings in basements and living rooms 25 years ago to nearly 150 partners and over 1,200 lawyers today, Trilegal’s ascent to the top tier of Indian corporate law makes for a remarkable story. In 2025, it is not just one of India’s largest and most prestigious law firms but also arguably its most meritocratic.

Conceived on a radical partnership model in which all partners own equity in the firm, Trilegal is also the only major Indian law firm operating on this sharing model – a decision that defines its culture and fuels its success.

One of the founders, Akshay Jaitly, tells the tale of Trilegal – the founding story, the startup days, the challenges of growth, the evolution of their groundbreaking ownership structure and why it lies at the heart of their success.

Thoughtful, frank and richly detailed, Jaitly provides insights and data about the business of law rarely shared by firms. Trilegal offers one of the few comprehensive accounts of a major Indian law firm, one that also draws an insightful picture of a little understood dimension of the country’s legal landscape.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2025

Reviews

[Amandeep Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book soon after Ben Horowitz’s The Hard Thing About Hard Things, so it was right up my alley. It offers a clear bird’s-eye view of the Indian legal industry, especially the rise of Trilegal as a pioneering law firm.

The discussion of the firm’s growth, strategy, and revenues is refreshingly transparent. However, there is limited insight into everyday life at the firm. Readers hoping to understand its culture may therefore find themselves wanting more.

For practising lawyers in India, many of the names mentioned are familiar. It is genuinely interesting to trace the journeys of professionals who are now leaders in their fields. I did, however, wish to hear more about Akshay Jaitly’s own experiences as a lawyer, including his decision to step away from the firm and later return. That personal dimension would have added depth.

Despite this, I found the book insightful and worthwhile. It offers useful lessons on professional growth, practice building, and institution building. Perhaps fuller reflections on life at the firm will come in Mr. Jaitly's memoir, if he were to write one.

I would still warmly recommend it, especially to lawyers and to anyone interested in building institutions in the professional services space.

[Neeraj Sadarjoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a fascinating inside look at how India’s corporate law ecosystem has evolved over the last 25 years, and how Trilegal grew from a small founding team into one of the country’s leading modern law firms. What stood out most was the context in which it was built: an industry dominated by legacy, family-run firms, limited institutional structures, and a very different legal education and corporate landscape.
The book does a great job capturing the full journey: the conception of the idea, the backgrounds of the founders, the early struggles, the expansion across offices, the firm’s entry into new sectors, and the decision to build around a lockstep/equity partnership model. It reads not just as a story about a law firm, but as a case study in institution-building, culture, governance, and professionalizing a services business in a changing India.
I also enjoyed the reflections on the future, especially around AI, legal practice, and how India’s legal market may evolve compared with international markets.
Highly recommend this to anyone interested in law, business-building, India’s professional services ecosystem, or how modern institutions are built from scratch.

[Nabeel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's about setting up a corporate law firm. It is about building a world-class institution from India. It is also about standing for values, and managing culture while scaling.