A Bold Vision for the Legal Profession in India

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Vahura was conceived with the audacious goal of professionalising the legal sector in India. 

In 2011, a team of experienced lawyers and management professionals recognised the lack of meritocracy and professionalism in the sector. As a nation founded by lawyers, the limited progress in formal institutionalisation of the sector was striking. 

Vahura was brought into existence with strong idealism and passion.

At Vahura, our purpose is to creatively catalyse the advancement of the legal profession.

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A Change Agent for Changing Times

Over the last couple of decades, the legal sector has seen rapid growth of corporate law firms and sophistication of in-house legal teams in organisations. Vahura has played a key part in this journey and continues to innovate and lead the sector into its next phase — technology and data-led delivery of services.

A pioneer in legal recruitment, Vahura has evolved into a full-service legal, tax, governance and compliance specialist search and consulting firm — partnering with corporates, law firms, and funds for long-term strategic solutions. Along the way, we have learnt some important lessons, developed capabilities, and built an extensive network of professionals.

We boldly go today where the sector will head tomorrow.

The legal, tax, governance and compliance sector are going through exciting times. We thrive on identifying emerging challenges and transforming them into opportunities for the legal, tax, governance and compliance communities.

Why Vahura

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Our Services

  • We work closely with enterprises to help them identify and hire the right leadership for their corporate legal departments. Our search process frameworks place a specific emphasis on company culture and individual ambitions, along with a strong focus on compensation and benefits structuring to ensure our professionals are the best fit for our clients.

  • We bring deep understanding of the sector and the wide reach of our network to match clients with professionals that are right for them. We go beyond professional experience and competence to ensure cultural compatibility, resulting in long-term hires that grow with their organisation.

  • Our Tax Recruitment practice delivers specialist search solutions for permanent tax roles to corporate houses across sectors, funds, law firms and accounting firms in India.

  • Our Consulting Group channelises insight and expertise into Indian legal market intelligence. We help law firms and corporate legal departments within enterprises, high-growth organisations and funds, on strategic transformations and to develop an acute understanding of the Indian legal industry.

  • At Vahura On:Board, we facilitate the appointment of independent directors and offer consulting solutions on board development.

  • Counselect, the secondment services offering by Vahura, helps enterprises and high-growth organisations identify and hire the right legal professionals to act as in-house legal resources for specific short-term projects.

  • Our Mentorship Services and Navigator teams work closely with law-schools and law-students to conduct workshops and create resources that guide students as they embark on their careers.

Our
Impact

  • 10000+ positions across legal, tax, compliance and policy closed
  • 1500+ senior professionals placed till date
  • Worked in more than 50+ Industries
  • 70% of hires by investment funds for senior legal professionals.

Our Journey

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  • 2007-2011

    Ritvik Lukose and Lee Ignatius pioneer legal recruitment in India as part of Rainmaker. Significant contribution to the design and operations of the inaugural All India Bar Exams (AIBE).

  • 2011

    The founding of Vahura as an independent venture in October, 2011 with a focus on legal search and consulting. Introduction of mentorship services for law students on multiple campuses across the country. Design and launch of LEAT - Legal Employability Assessment Test.

  • 2012

    To better serve the needs of different customer groups, Vahura develops Law Firm and In House as separate verticals.

  • 2013

    Vahura moves towards greater specialisation with a dedicated team for litigation recruitment focusing on chambers, firms and in-house legal departments. Consulting gets its own practice with data and research focus.

  • 2014

    Vahura launches On:Board, a unique initiative to enable professional boards. The board of Vahura gets its first Employee Director. The first annual fund-raiser conceptualised as the IDIA Football League takes place. Vahura crosses the 500 mark of professionals helped.

  • 2015

    Vahura ranks as the number 1 legal services brand in India on LinkedIn with a 10k+ following. The Vahura team strength exceeds 25 people. Vahura goes international with network partners and international mandates.

  • 2016

    Vahura renews its commitment to the legal sector with a fresh perspective: Because our Laws need Champions. Vahura features in Asia’s top 25 Most Socially Engaged Staffing Firms conducted by LinkedIn. Launch of the inaugural Legal 500 GC Powerlist India with other key stakeholders in the sector. The Employee Trust Fund (ESOP) was established.

  • 2017

    First edition of Vahura Insights, a legal industry tracker, is created and sent out. Vahura sets up ReLawnch, a unique initiative with the mission to help women return to work after a break. Vahura crosses the 1000 mark of professionals helped.

  • 2018

    Vahura becomes a founding partner of Agami which launches the prestigious Agami Prize. We also begin offering mentorship and career support resources to college students and young professionals through our initiative, Navigator. Vahura launches the first-ever Best Law Firms to Work Survey and Awards in India.

  • 2019

    Vahura’s launches India’s first specialist legal secondment service, Counselect. Vahura and Agami set up a new initiative, the Enterprise Leaders Circle.

  • 2020

    Vahura launches a Covid Helpline for legal professionals which helps over 250 lawyers who are out of work due to Covid. In collaboration with BML Munjal University (BMU), we initiate a new study on Next Gen Legal Professionals. Vahura crosses the 1500 mark of professionals helped.

  • 2021

    Vahura completes 10 years of advancing the legal profession in India. A study on Legal Curriculum Redesign for a Digital World is launched by Vahura and BMU. The Counselect panel crosses 700 members. The Vahura Onboard panel crosses 500 professionals. In partnership with Winmark, Vahura launches the India chapter of the Global NED Network.

  • 2022

    Vahura launches its Tax Recruitment practice to deliver specialist search solutions for permanent tax roles to corporate houses across sectors, funds, law firms and accounting firms in India.

Our Clients

Over the years, we have been entrusted with mandates from leading law firms in India and abroad, private equity and venture capital funds, the Big Four, and Fortune 500 companies.

Initiatives we are involved with

Our commitment to the development of the legal sector is not limited to corporates alone. We also partner with distinguished professionals, firms, and organisations to develop the ecosystem.

Some of the initiatives we are involved in:

  1. Enterprise Leaders Circle (ELC)

  2. Legal Tech Tracker

  3. ReLawnch

  4. Covid-19 Helpline

  5. No Changemakers Left Behind

  6. Winmark Non-Executive Directors Network

  7. Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access

  8. Agami Rural Helpline

  9. Mentorship for Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs with Talentnomics

Leadership Council

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    Ritvik Lukose

    As the CEO and Co-Founder, Ritvik Lukose leads growth and strategy initiatives across all verticals at Vahura.

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    Lee Ignatius

    Lee is the Co-Founder and a Partner at Vahura. He heads the Private Practice and Funds Search Practice Group at Vahura.

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    Karl Fernandes

    Karl is a Partner at Vahura and heads Executive Search and Legal Recruitment for corporate legal departments of enterprises and high-growth companies.

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    Shweta Rao

    Shweta heads Vahura On:Board, our board search and consulting practice, where she focuses on the strategy & governance requirements of the boards of Indian companies.

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    Aneesh Patnaik

    Aneesh’s litigation background and a decade of market-making experience, make him the go-to advisor for firms, chambers, and practitioners looking to scale or upgrade their disputes practices. Aneesh has also helped set up chambers and forge transnational alliances. A deal maker extraordinaire, Aneesh has led some of the largest practice mergers in recent Indian law firm history.

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    Balanand Menon

    Bala is a solution architect, data analyst, and MBA, who loves painting a picture using data. He leads a consulting practice that is at the cutting edge of legal market data, legal operating models, legal technology and innovation. Bala co-conceptualised and led the Vahura Best Law Firms to Work studies (2018 and 2022), and is a sought-after advisor on change management and innovation.

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How can we help?

For over a decade, we have been trusted partners, advisors and recruiters to the Indian legal industry. From strategic recruitment and consulting for law firms, funds and corporate legal and tax departments, to assisting professionals looking to step into the next stage of their career, we pride ourselves on being able to strategically partner with you, every step of the way.

Get in Touch

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