Headquarter In: Delhi, India
Founded in Year: 1990
Employees Headcount: 40+
If a legacy is an endowment, handed down from a predecessor to the next generation, then O.P. Khaitan & Co (the “Firm”) is the true definition of a legacy law firm. It represents an inheritance, not just of the practice of law, but of the practice of law with a purpose — to deliver outstanding legal representation with service tailored to the needs of each client.
The Firm is a leading law firm in India with over 40+ professionals operating out of office located in New Delhi.
The Managing Partner of the Firm, Gautam Khaitan fondly reminisces his father –“I learned from my father, Late Mr. O.P. Khaitan (Founder of the Firm), and he learned from those he worked with. And they all had guidance, mentorship, from the leading professionals. He didn’t start anything new in the Firm, rather, he stepped into a place where he was able to pass on the guidance he was given by so many eminent lawyers. As a child I saw that my father enjoyed his profession – to him it was both work and a hobby. Likewise, for me, my work is my passion”
Today Gautam Khaitan has made his mark with a multi-faceted practice that reflects his distinctive legal experience and unique perspective on the law. At each stage of his career, he has acquired special skills that make him the well-rounded lawyer he is today, one who is highly effective as a business negotiator and a corporate lawyer.
His lengthy stint in the corporate practise, has lot to offer his clients. “I think my transactional experience really differentiates me. I personally worked with partners and associates on numerous agreements over the years.
Gautam Khaitan is able to provide a more individualized and boutique touch for his clients. He takes a hands-on approach and he likes to be more creative and think outside of the box in the style and strategy for each case, contract and transaction. He is a thought leader in the firm and a trusted advisor to his clients. He has been lauded for his professional accomplishments and has received several notable awards.
O.P. Khaitan & Co has earned a reputation for delivering quality solutions through superior service to clients while making it their mission to serve their clients’ needs at a reasonable price while maintaining lasting relationships.
Like Gautam Khaitan, his son Karan Khaitan, is the descendent of generations of lawyers.
As the law profession runs in the Khaitans’ genes, Karan Khaitan, son of Mr. Gautam Khaitan, followed the suit and joined the Firm in the year 2018. His professional and personal grooming had taken place under the guidance and tutelage of some of the best legal minds of the time, including his grandfather and founder of the Firm.
Karan Khaitan, a 2017 graduate from Jindal Law School is carrying on a family tradition and making five generations of lawyers. Karan now is associated with O.P. Khaitan & Co. “I come from a long line of lawyers and legal icons. I guess you could say law was in the very air that I breathed. The mentorship and guidance I received from my grandfather and later from my father is priceless.” says Karan Khaitan. “From my dad, I learned to never give up. He never backed down from a challenge. He’s known for his belief in the judicial system and his willingness to persevere against all odds.” Adds Karan. His grandfather and Founder of the Firm has instilled in him the value of hard work, dedication and networking.
About the Firm:
O.P. Khaitan & Co., is a proprietorship firm founded by Late Mr. O.P. Khaitan in the year 1990. Late Mr. O. P. Khaitan brought a wealth of experience in dispute resolution, corporate and commercial laws. His knowledge and support had been fundamental to the firm’s success.
O. P. Khaitan & Co saw enormous growth over the period from 1990 onwards. The Firm seized the outstanding opportunities that came in the year 1990 with the commencement of the economic liberalization in India. During this time, the country witnessed changes in the investment and corporate environment which provided new avenues of growth to the legal profession. As the activities in India expanded, the number and scope of O. P. Khaitan & Co’s practice areas also grew.
In 1993, Gautam Khaitan (Managing Partner) took over the reins of the firm and in a short span, he took the firm to its new heights. Over the years, O. P. Khaitan & Co has grown in size by developing highly talented partners and associates capable of expanding and diversifying the firm’s areas of legal practice. Today, the firm offers a full range of legal services across a broad spectrum of practice areas that include, Corporate Advisory, Mergers and Acquisition, Disputes Resolution, Human Resources, and labour laws, Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Tax, Banking and Finance.
The firm attributes its growth and success to the combined efforts of its team. The Firm’s success has been exemplified by the long list of awards and recognition the firm continues to receive for client service and legal expertise. O. P. Khaitan & Co has kept on evolving and is today a full-service law firm with reliable global connect.
The firm is a highly reputed, skilled and professionally managed law firm based in New Delhi. The 40 (forty) members of the Firm are qualified from National and International Universities and have vast, extensive and rich legal experience and wide national/international exposure in their respective practice areas. The Firm’s paramount concept of “Client Satisfaction” is the backbone of its work culture and the Firm takes great pride in consistently adopting the highest international standards for clients’ satisfaction.
The Firm recognizes that it is a service organization and that it must meet clients’ commercial needs. To maintain this excellence of service to its clients, the Firm strives to recruit, train and retain lawyers and staff of the highest calibre and professionalism. The Firm has successfully been able to establish its identity dealing with significant depth in complex domestic and international matters. Whether the client is expanding into new markets or dealing with increasingly complex regulation or disputes, we can help.
Due to its good working relations with a number of lawyers and law firms in other jurisdictions and being one of the member of Advoc Asia network, it ensures ready access to formal legal advice in other jurisdictions, whenever needed.
The Firm takes a fresh perspective on situations, exploring whether there are better ways of delivering practical, commercial solutions to the challenges our clients face in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. Clients are top priority, which means putting clients’ interests and priorities at the very heart of everything we do.
O.P. Khaitan & Co is a member of Advoc, an international netwok of leading law firms. Through ADVOC we have access to over 5,500 lawyers in 70 countries, meaning we can assist our clients wherever they go.
The office of the Firm is based in the prime location of South Delhi and it is established in four floors totalling to 12,000 sq. fts. office space. The Firm has paralegal and support staff of more than 20 people and it is equipped with all sorts of latest office automation equipments and facilities. The persistent updating, upgrading and enhancement of overall system facilities allow swift and efficient co-ordination and reporting to the clients and associate law firms worldwide.
The lawyers at the Firm bring decades of combined experience to resolving high-stakes matters both inside and outside of the courtroom. The lawyers of the Firm are equally committed to a philosophy of on-going education and ever-expanding knowledge in their respective fields. The lawyers are among the most highly regarded and recognized leaders in virtually every area of the law.
Our Practise Areas:
Arbitration and Alternate Dispute Resolution, Civil, Criminal and Commercial Litigation, Mergers, Acquisitions, Joint-Ventures and Foreign Collaborations, Corporate advisory and Transactional Documentation, Real Estate, Property and Conveyancing, Insurance, Industrial Disputes & Labour Laws, Infrastructure & Mining Projects, Intellectual Property Rights, Banking and Finance and Taxation.
To know more about the Firm’s practise areas, please visit the Firm’s website www.opkhaitan.com
In a conversation with Mr. Gautam Khaitan, we discussed about the Firm, team within the firm, advise for young lawyers and about his life outside the law.
- How much has your firm grown in the past few years?
GK: I’m proud to say our firm has grown considerably in the past few years. And not just in the number of staff and lawyers, or the number of clients we represent, but our team has also grown professionally, becoming better advocates for our clients to provide the best possible results. The reason for our growth is simple — our clients always come first. It is our job to be there whenever they call, email or text to help answer all their questions, to put them at ease and make them feel confident that they are in the best possible hands, and of course, to get them the best possible result. Our growth and success has always been, and will always be, centered around providing the best possible client service.
2. Tell us about your team and the culture you’ve built in your firm
GK: I am blessed to have a very professional team that has been with me for a long time. Our culture is, “clients first.”. We are driven to get the best results for our client and continuously go above and beyond for our clients. We work as a team, always strive to get to the bottom of the most complex legal issues.
3. How would you describe the team dynamics within your firm?
GK: We all have well-defined roles within the firm and the systems we have in place have evolved over time, so they’ve been fine-tuned and have proven to work well. I don’t believe in micromanaging, so it’s important to have the right people in place that function well in their defined role and that is what has allowed us to be successful. We’ve all been working together for quite a long time. We’re like family and I’m very fortunate to have such a great team.
4. What are some of the most significant changes you’ve witnessed during the time you’ve been in the Firm?
GK: One of the biggest changes I have noticed has been technology. The speed at which the practice moves today is a blessing. It enables us to accomplish significantly more in a much shorter period of time. Related to technology, I also believe the internet and the availability of information have been a game changer.
5. What do you most hope to accomplish in the future?
GK: Expand the firm, continue working hard and mentoring young lawyers at our firm.
6. What advice would you offer young lawyers regarding building a successful career in law?
GK: If there was one piece of advice I could impart to young lawyers, it would be – expanding your knowledge of the law and developing relationships and networking is imperative to career advancement. Mix that with a strong work ethic and positive attitude, and you have the recipe for success.
7. Tell us about your life outside the law.
GK: I’m unsure if it’s really “outside” my work in law, but I never really stop networking, either at events, in organizations, or informally. I enjoy meeting people and learning about their ideas. I also try to find time to read. Traveling of course is a passion and I travel a lot.