What do you think?
Rate this book
Legal Confidential: Adventures of an Indian Lawyer
Rookie lawyer Ranjeev C. Dubey slogs his way through the corridors of Delhi’s trial courts and realizes that the legal system is anything but fair. He stumbles upon a strange world of corruption, sleaze, adultery, eloping couples and clients willing to pay for legal services ‘in kind’. He survives the ‘killing field’ of litigation for twelve long years, biding his time.
When he gets an offer to join a law firm, Dubey believes he has finally arrived. But has he? The world of Indian corporate law is one of intense power-play and the merciless pursuit of revenue. In this sinister world of destructive politicking, Ranjeev becomes enemies with the big sharks who own the law firm. What follows is an explosive showdown.
In this dark, racy memoir, the now-well-known corporate lawyer exposes the world of the black robes with his trademark wit and leaves you wanting more.
If you had to read only one book about the world of lawyers and the Indian legal system, Legal Confidential would have to be it!
When he gets an offer to join a law firm, Dubey believes he has finally arrived. But has he? The world of Indian corporate law is one of intense power-play and the merciless pursuit of revenue. In this sinister world of destructive politicking, Ranjeev becomes enemies with the big sharks who own the law firm. What follows is an explosive showdown.
In this dark, racy memoir, the now-well-known corporate lawyer exposes the world of the black robes with his trademark wit and leaves you wanting more.
If you had to read only one book about the world of lawyers and the Indian legal system, Legal Confidential would have to be it!
- GenresLaw
299 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2015
25 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Ranjeev Dubey
4 books74 followersRanjeev C Dubey is a corporate lawyer, author, public speaker, business columnist and keen hobbyist. Apart from his professional pursuits, his interests range from travel and food journalism to photography to videography to off road wilderness journeys to scale miniature railways and radio control helicopters.
In the main, Ranjeev C Dubey is the managing partner of the N South, Advocates, the premier independent full service law firm located in Delhi’s fastest growing commercial hub in Gurgaon. N South Advocates is recognized for its guidance of cutting edge corporate transactions and complex litigation briefs. He is the team leader on many of the firm’s leading assignments, rendering advice and steering the strategic input at the pulse of the commercial issues.
Ranjeev C Dubey is a published author who brings together his understanding of the legal commercial and political world in a unique perspective which has since 2004 found expression in his monthly column Fine Print written for the premier business magazine Business World. Over the last decade, his keen and continual observation of evolving current commercial, legal and political events has led to a very specific if counter intuitive view on the forces that are driving India’s destiny. His new book, Bullshit Quotient - Decoding India’s corporate, social and legal fine print(Hatchette 2012) sets out some of these views. His first book, Winning Legal Wars (Macmillan 2003) still remains the seminal business book on legal strategy and tactics in an environment of hostility and commercial conflict. An updated and completely rewritten edition of Winning Legal Wars is slotted for release in late 2013.
Ranjeev C Dubey is and has been an acclaimed speaker at a wide variety of domestic and international business and legal conferences over many years. He has also over the years been the principal trainer at a great many legal training workshops for business executives. He continues to appear at business forums, providing perspective to the business and legal issues faced by commercial entitles in India’s evolving business landscape.
Ranjeev C Dubey is a multifaceted personality whose interests span the range from frequent leisure-learning travels to scale model railways and radio control rotary flight.
In the main, Ranjeev C Dubey is the managing partner of the N South, Advocates, the premier independent full service law firm located in Delhi’s fastest growing commercial hub in Gurgaon. N South Advocates is recognized for its guidance of cutting edge corporate transactions and complex litigation briefs. He is the team leader on many of the firm’s leading assignments, rendering advice and steering the strategic input at the pulse of the commercial issues.
Ranjeev C Dubey is a published author who brings together his understanding of the legal commercial and political world in a unique perspective which has since 2004 found expression in his monthly column Fine Print written for the premier business magazine Business World. Over the last decade, his keen and continual observation of evolving current commercial, legal and political events has led to a very specific if counter intuitive view on the forces that are driving India’s destiny. His new book, Bullshit Quotient - Decoding India’s corporate, social and legal fine print(Hatchette 2012) sets out some of these views. His first book, Winning Legal Wars (Macmillan 2003) still remains the seminal business book on legal strategy and tactics in an environment of hostility and commercial conflict. An updated and completely rewritten edition of Winning Legal Wars is slotted for release in late 2013.
Ranjeev C Dubey is and has been an acclaimed speaker at a wide variety of domestic and international business and legal conferences over many years. He has also over the years been the principal trainer at a great many legal training workshops for business executives. He continues to appear at business forums, providing perspective to the business and legal issues faced by commercial entitles in India’s evolving business landscape.
Ranjeev C Dubey is a multifaceted personality whose interests span the range from frequent leisure-learning travels to scale model railways and radio control rotary flight.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 6, 2023
It's really brutal, depressing at sometimes but an intresting page turner. The author has written about his adventures of being a lawyer starting from his local court practice which are the prime places where words lime law, justice and morality loses its meaning and then ending up at law firm where everyone just wants to backstab you, kill you or whatever in order to rise in the hierarchy and the politics involved in that. The way he has written everything is like a superheroes struggle story which makes it an interesting page turner and in the end you really know it's written by a lawyer because after 20 second you have to search a word's meaning on Google!!
August 4, 2022
A dark, risque biography that endeavours to shed light on the ground reality of law. Our protagonist commences from the sleazy underbelly of the Tis Hazari courts to the pompous City Law firm. But one thing remains common, law & justice are not to be confused.
CLAT/AILET/OLET are a type of aptitude test. NLU/OLU is where you learn the theory of law. But neither of them test nor prepare you for the avarice fuelled malice that flows in the veins of the power-hungry mongers that will treat you like cattle fodder & chew you up.
I'll end my tirade with a quote straight from the book "What we really do is help our clients to get the courts to apply the law, or violate it or circumvent it. At any rate, what lawyers don’t do is worry about justice or try to deliver it."
CLAT/AILET/OLET are a type of aptitude test. NLU/OLU is where you learn the theory of law. But neither of them test nor prepare you for the avarice fuelled malice that flows in the veins of the power-hungry mongers that will treat you like cattle fodder & chew you up.
I'll end my tirade with a quote straight from the book "What we really do is help our clients to get the courts to apply the law, or violate it or circumvent it. At any rate, what lawyers don’t do is worry about justice or try to deliver it."
August 13, 2017
A semi-autobiographical, no-holds-barred account ("semi" owing to changed names in the book) of a corporate lawyer with 35 years of experience in the field that is in equal measure dark and funny. What appeals most about the book is the fact that the author calls a spade a spade everywhere and readily accepts that the commentary on characters and events are his version of the narrative which may not align with the narratives of those he comments upon; their prisms and perspectives may be at complete variance with his. I didn't mind the blunt cynicism and the picture of hopelessness evident everywhere in the narrative because it rings true and plausible when I think about my own experiences and other similar readings.
The author began as a trial court lawyer, fighting the lowliest of cases in the lower courts of Delhi and graduated to a corporate advisory practice with a number of hard knocks along the way. In the process, he learnt first hand how the law really works in India. He disabuses anyone of the notion that courts are here to give justice; they are mere instruments of implementation of the law whether it is just or unjust. Laws are written or influenced by the elite of the day and change as the powers that be change. There are no objective truths, only narratives and stories. That is as true of law as of life and universe. The sooner a lawyer learns this, the better for him/her.
The book is peppered with cases the author was involved in and the theater of the absurd he found himself in on a number of occasions. That gives you an idea of how the wheels of judiciary grind in India, reducing the plaintiff, defendant or both to dust. Cases described span every area of litigation and corporate advisory. The strategies and tactics adopted leave you with a grudging admiration of the ingenuity human beings are capable of deploying to further their ends. The book paints a sorry picture of the state of judiciary in India and there simply seems no way out of the whole mess. Nobody has been able to bell the cat yet.
From my professional perspective, the book was educative about how corporates really behave in India and how credit lending is much riskier than is portrayed on paper in credit proposals. The promoters of companies in India are extremely resourceful and can be outright thieves. More than the financials, it is the owner one needs to be able to read. The problem gets compounded because the safeguards in law to protect stakeholders are not implementable in practice, if at all. The judiciary has neither the capacity nor the competence to understand complex commercials issues and any lawyer worth his salt can put a spanner in the works when he wants to. While the National Company Law Tribunal exists, it is severely understaffed. The much touted process of arbitration as a short-cut is no panacea either. If the arbitrator wants to drag the arbitration process years on end to ensure maximum billing, your goose is cooked. There is nothing under the law that allows you to hasten the process. Add to that the fear of investigative agencies coming after a government officer years after retirement and you have a system that is completely paralysed top to bottom. If the tax department comes after you the law doesn't allow you to be heard till you deposit a large percentage of the tax demand slapped on you with the department. They won't give you a copy of the papers which they have seized and on the basis of which they've made their case till you file your reply in defense. If you are thinking Kafka, you are damn right...
The author began as a trial court lawyer, fighting the lowliest of cases in the lower courts of Delhi and graduated to a corporate advisory practice with a number of hard knocks along the way. In the process, he learnt first hand how the law really works in India. He disabuses anyone of the notion that courts are here to give justice; they are mere instruments of implementation of the law whether it is just or unjust. Laws are written or influenced by the elite of the day and change as the powers that be change. There are no objective truths, only narratives and stories. That is as true of law as of life and universe. The sooner a lawyer learns this, the better for him/her.
The book is peppered with cases the author was involved in and the theater of the absurd he found himself in on a number of occasions. That gives you an idea of how the wheels of judiciary grind in India, reducing the plaintiff, defendant or both to dust. Cases described span every area of litigation and corporate advisory. The strategies and tactics adopted leave you with a grudging admiration of the ingenuity human beings are capable of deploying to further their ends. The book paints a sorry picture of the state of judiciary in India and there simply seems no way out of the whole mess. Nobody has been able to bell the cat yet.
From my professional perspective, the book was educative about how corporates really behave in India and how credit lending is much riskier than is portrayed on paper in credit proposals. The promoters of companies in India are extremely resourceful and can be outright thieves. More than the financials, it is the owner one needs to be able to read. The problem gets compounded because the safeguards in law to protect stakeholders are not implementable in practice, if at all. The judiciary has neither the capacity nor the competence to understand complex commercials issues and any lawyer worth his salt can put a spanner in the works when he wants to. While the National Company Law Tribunal exists, it is severely understaffed. The much touted process of arbitration as a short-cut is no panacea either. If the arbitrator wants to drag the arbitration process years on end to ensure maximum billing, your goose is cooked. There is nothing under the law that allows you to hasten the process. Add to that the fear of investigative agencies coming after a government officer years after retirement and you have a system that is completely paralysed top to bottom. If the tax department comes after you the law doesn't allow you to be heard till you deposit a large percentage of the tax demand slapped on you with the department. They won't give you a copy of the papers which they have seized and on the basis of which they've made their case till you file your reply in defense. If you are thinking Kafka, you are damn right...
January 15, 2019
A legal memoir, it details the trials and tribulations of a lawyer in India. The author began practicing law in the early 1980s in the Tis Hazari court in Delhi. In the 1990s he moved to corporate law after joining a law firm. The book ends when he leaves the law firm to form his own law firm.
Gives detailed accounts of how the law functions in practice. For example, a bankrupt Indian company was bought by an American company, only to find that the CEO of the Indian company had doctored the accounts for years to shore up the company price. He was skillfully removed from his position but he then created so much headache for the new company by his incessant litigation at multiple courts throughout the country that they chose to finally reach a settlement and pay him a hefty sum.
Shows the dysfunction in the court system where cases languish for years. Author gives the story of his friend who bought a house in 1986 at an auction. The house had been seized by the government and the original owner contested the sale in court. It reached the Supreme court and took a total of 10 years to reach a favourable judgement in the author's friend's favour. But now the tax authorities said that in the intervening 10 years the price of the property had gone up so the auction has to be redone. As of the publication of the book (2015) the case was still in the courts. Arbitration is nowadays put forward as the panacea of such problems as the contesting parties can settle their disputes out of court. Unfortunately, the arbitrator can sometimes lengthen the process by years to milk the involved parties for their fees.
My favourite story comes from the author's days as a trial lawyer when a small time businessman came to the author to file for divorce. The businessman lived in a joint family and his wife was carrying on an affair with his younger brother. When confronted she stated that if he can't satisfy her there was nothing wrong with her spending time with his brother. The rest of his family didn't care since it was going on within the family. In fact, when the trial began half the family was standing beside the wife as they were angry with the businessman for airing their dirty laundry publicly, and gave evidence against him. (It ended on a tragic note as the businessman committed suicide six months after trial began)
Immensely readable and racy, the book reads like a thriller. It does bog down a bit in the last half though. There is one chapter where the author pontificates about how the law is not about getting justice. Laws are arbitrary creations to maintain the power of the elite rulers or of their supporters. Fair enough. But it does bog down the pace. Did enjoy the power dynamics playing out between senior and junior lawyers charted out by the author. However, I disliked the way the book ended abruptly. It makes me feel that the author was attempting to set up a sequel to the book. Overall, it is a pretty good book to get some ideas about the way the law works in India.
Gives detailed accounts of how the law functions in practice. For example, a bankrupt Indian company was bought by an American company, only to find that the CEO of the Indian company had doctored the accounts for years to shore up the company price. He was skillfully removed from his position but he then created so much headache for the new company by his incessant litigation at multiple courts throughout the country that they chose to finally reach a settlement and pay him a hefty sum.
Shows the dysfunction in the court system where cases languish for years. Author gives the story of his friend who bought a house in 1986 at an auction. The house had been seized by the government and the original owner contested the sale in court. It reached the Supreme court and took a total of 10 years to reach a favourable judgement in the author's friend's favour. But now the tax authorities said that in the intervening 10 years the price of the property had gone up so the auction has to be redone. As of the publication of the book (2015) the case was still in the courts. Arbitration is nowadays put forward as the panacea of such problems as the contesting parties can settle their disputes out of court. Unfortunately, the arbitrator can sometimes lengthen the process by years to milk the involved parties for their fees.
My favourite story comes from the author's days as a trial lawyer when a small time businessman came to the author to file for divorce. The businessman lived in a joint family and his wife was carrying on an affair with his younger brother. When confronted she stated that if he can't satisfy her there was nothing wrong with her spending time with his brother. The rest of his family didn't care since it was going on within the family. In fact, when the trial began half the family was standing beside the wife as they were angry with the businessman for airing their dirty laundry publicly, and gave evidence against him. (It ended on a tragic note as the businessman committed suicide six months after trial began)
Immensely readable and racy, the book reads like a thriller. It does bog down a bit in the last half though. There is one chapter where the author pontificates about how the law is not about getting justice. Laws are arbitrary creations to maintain the power of the elite rulers or of their supporters. Fair enough. But it does bog down the pace. Did enjoy the power dynamics playing out between senior and junior lawyers charted out by the author. However, I disliked the way the book ended abruptly. It makes me feel that the author was attempting to set up a sequel to the book. Overall, it is a pretty good book to get some ideas about the way the law works in India.
May 2, 2022
Coming from a family of two generations of lawyers (grandfather and father) from civil courts in a reasonable town from UP, I quite connected with the author’s life at trial courts and expert at litigation. a lot of what he shared and discussed was everyday conversation on my growing up years to the extent that even now some of their old juniors and peers discuss cases with me, even though I am not a lawyer. Guess, environment teaches as well. Could also relate to his experience as corporate lawyer as some anecdotes rang a bell with my own life in large corporations and startups. For major portion, the book seemed like a fiction, or maybe not from author’s point of view. Particularly liked the chapter where Mr Dubey discusses “what does a lawyer really do” - and talked about it with some of the civil court and trial court lawyers in my circle. Some grinned, some waved it away and some took it badly as they wanted to make me believe that courts deliver justice. I do believe that lawyers are not liers - they are honestly defending their client for the compensation they get. I see no harm with that. Overall, a good read and few anecdotes were really eye-openers
November 8, 2021
This is a non-fiction, the 35 years experience in the Indian legal system by lawyer Ranjeev Dubey. He is a very gifted writer, bringing in subtle humour and English quotes throughout the book.
There is a true insight into the working of the courts, the corruption, lawyer's work ethics or lack of it.
The author starts with grunt work in the Tees Hazari courts where he starts at the bottom of the ladder and has some interesting anecdotes from his practice.
He then moves to a law firm, entering corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, High court and other corporate courts. Indian economy opening in the nineties with the proliferation of foreign companies and demand for legal system. Some nice stories are narrated.
Finally the author decides to move on his own and start his own legal firm. I suppose there may be another book to follow.
There is a true insight into the working of the courts, the corruption, lawyer's work ethics or lack of it.
The author starts with grunt work in the Tees Hazari courts where he starts at the bottom of the ladder and has some interesting anecdotes from his practice.
He then moves to a law firm, entering corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, High court and other corporate courts. Indian economy opening in the nineties with the proliferation of foreign companies and demand for legal system. Some nice stories are narrated.
Finally the author decides to move on his own and start his own legal firm. I suppose there may be another book to follow.
October 27, 2022
The reading of the book was certainly a roller coaster ride of a life of a young anonymous lawyer who is the backbone of the legal system and their stories of struggles, anxiety and personal success. Ranjeev Ji highlighted the true feeling of a young lawyer full of self-doubt and the journey ahead of him. It is a must-read for young lawyers to have a realist approach rather than working with naive romanticism. This book certainly gives a ray of hope that if you work hard, are honest to yourself and your family and understand the value of decency in human relations; you will taste success though even not in the field of law but certainly in life. This book is strongly recommended to those lawyers who are suffering from self-doubt. The book is similar to the scene in Dr Who where van Gogh is brought in the future to make him understand the true value of his art.
November 11, 2025
The book’s storytelling is crisp and engaging, making even complex legal matters easy to follow for non-lawyers.
Each chapter reads like a standalone story, yet together, they paint a vivid picture of the challenges young lawyers face.
Each chapter reads like a standalone story, yet together, they paint a vivid picture of the challenges young lawyers face.
May 26, 2021
Loved this memoir by Ranjeev. Have some good insights on our legal system and perspective of struggles of a lawyer.
February 27, 2017
Excellent Book.
- The author navigates us through his adventures as a lawyer right from trial courts handling divorce cases to bussiness artbitraition, from small cases to breach in large Govt contracts/Sales Tax evasion.
- Author explains politics in a small firm he has worked for. This can be related to any small firm not just small Law firms.
- Author explains in details "Revenue stream" of the people (From Judje to Chaprasi) in trial courts. Gives a clear idea how to handle any case you are fighting/ planning to fight. Explains Why outside court settlement most of the time makes sense.
- "REAL LIFE" experiences. Loved it.
- The author navigates us through his adventures as a lawyer right from trial courts handling divorce cases to bussiness artbitraition, from small cases to breach in large Govt contracts/Sales Tax evasion.
- Author explains politics in a small firm he has worked for. This can be related to any small firm not just small Law firms.
- Author explains in details "Revenue stream" of the people (From Judje to Chaprasi) in trial courts. Gives a clear idea how to handle any case you are fighting/ planning to fight. Explains Why outside court settlement most of the time makes sense.
- "REAL LIFE" experiences. Loved it.
May 8, 2016
Sometime, you get the exact thing that you wanted, That's why i guess we say "If you really want to do something, you'll find a way".
This books revolves around a real story of the lawyer who starts his practice from the trial courts of Delhi and eventually joins the corporate law firms. A essential read for all law students because it carries the wisdom of a man who has practiced in legal field for more than 30 years. Book gets little boring in middle but it is worth spending time in reading this book. Overall, It has beautifully conveyed the realities of the legal world.
This books revolves around a real story of the lawyer who starts his practice from the trial courts of Delhi and eventually joins the corporate law firms. A essential read for all law students because it carries the wisdom of a man who has practiced in legal field for more than 30 years. Book gets little boring in middle but it is worth spending time in reading this book. Overall, It has beautifully conveyed the realities of the legal world.
March 23, 2016
Quite an eye-opener; one doesn't get these insights from course books. A must-read for all law students aspiring for a career in litigation and/or corporate law.
July 31, 2016
Outstanding piece. Gives you a peek into the legal system of Indian judiciary and makes you realise that courts are to enforce law, not to provide justice.
January 4, 2017
Narrative in an impressive way, I am working in Tis Hazari and hence, relatable. Would give a 10/10 to this.
April 23, 2016
A great read.....interesting insight to the legal world!!
April 16, 2017
Excellent read. Revealing the monstrous truth that goes with law practice in all its gory details. Not for the faint-of-heart law practitioner and not for beginners in the profession. Written with honesty and great humor. Must read
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews