ET Legal Awards 2025: Celebrating Excellence in the Legal Field
The second edition of the ET Legal Awards took place at the ET Legalworld’s Convention and Awards 2025, a prestigious event dedicated to honoring excellence, innovation, and leadership within the legal profession. This year’s summit was hosted in Mumbai and attracted a diverse group of legal professionals, thought leaders, and policymakers from all over India.
Event Highlights
The convention served as a platform for showcasing the brightest minds and influential figures in the corporate sector. The awards aimed to spotlight individuals and firms that have demonstrated exceptional performance, impactful leadership, and significant contributions to their respective industries.
Acknowledging Outstanding Talent
The ceremony featured prominent legal luminaries including:
- Justice B.N. Srikrishna, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India
- Lalit Bhasin, President of the Society of Indian Law Firms
- Amit Desai, Senior Advocate at the Bombay High Court
These esteemed guests recognized and applauded the winners for their remarkable achievements across a variety of legal disciplines.
2025 Award Winners
The following individuals and organizations were honored during the event:
- Corporate Lawyer of the Year (Below 40): Rajeev Vidhani, Khaitan & Co.
- General Counsel of the Year (Below 40): Ramu S, Karur Vysya Bank Limited
- Managing Partner of the Year – Female: Meenakshi Acharya, RMA Legal Advocates and Solicitors
- Rising Star of the Year (In-House): Varun Rajesh Israni, Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Limited
- Legal Academician of the Year: Dr. Baij Nath, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES)
- Corporate Lawyer of the Year (Above 40): Vandana Pai, Bharucha & Partners
- Managing Partner of Year – Male: Ravi Singhania, Singhania & Partners
- General Counsel of the Year (Above 40): Hemant Kumar, Larsen & Toubro Limited
- Law Firm Management Professional of the Year (Above 40): Jaayaa Kumarr, Talwar Thakore & Associates
- Rising Star of the Year (Law Firm): Manjul Mantri, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Sector-Specific Excellence
Various sectors were also recognized for their achievements, with awards presented to:
- BFSI – NBFCs: L&T Finance Ltd.
- Real Estate: The House of Abhinandan Lodha
- Energy: Thermax Limited
- BFSI – Insurance: Axis Max Life Insurance Ltd.
- E-Commerce: Nykaa
- FMCG – Food & Beverages: Tata Consumer Products Ltd.
- Pharma: Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd.
- BFSI – Banks: DBS Bank India Ltd.
- BFSI – Consulting: Crisil Ltd.
- Information Technology & Telecom: HCLTech
- Logistics: Blue Dart Express Ltd.
- Excellence in Legal Tech Implementation: Birlasoft Ltd.
- Compliance Initiative of the Year: The Indian Hotels Company Ltd.
- CSR Initiative of the Year: Nocil Ltd.
- Excellence in Legal Tech Solutions: Lexplosion Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
- Compliance & Investigation / White-Collar Crime (Law Firm): Karanjawala & Co.
- Excellence in Infrastructure & Project Finance: S&A Law Offices, LLP
- Excellence in Insolvency & Restructuring: Hammurabi & Solomon
- Partners Excellence in IP Licensing: Khurana & Khurana Advocates and IP Attorneys
- Excellence in IPR (Individual): Safir R Anand, Anand & Anand
- Excellence in Privacy and Cyber Security Deals: Bharucha & Partners
- Excellence in Maritime Law: Bose & Mitra & Co.
- Excellence in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (Law Firm): Karanjawala & Co.
- Excellence in Employment: Tatva Legal, Hyderabad
- Excellence in Deal Advisory: Tatva Legal, Hyderabad
- Excellence in Arbitration (Individual): S&A Law Offices, LLP
- Excellence in IPR (Law Firm): Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan Attorneys
- Excellence in Litigation (Individual): Vivek Kumar Tandon, Chambers of Vivek Kumar Tandon
- Excellence in Mergers & Acquisitions: Majmudar & Partners
- Excellence in Tax Practice (Law Firm): BMR Legal Advocates
Special Recognitions
Additionally, the following prestigious titles were awarded:
- Law Firm of the Year: Khaitan & Co.
- Regional Law Firm of the Year: Think Law Boutique
- Lifetime Achievement Lawyer: K. Parasaran, former Member of Parliament and Attorney General of India.
As the ceremony concluded, the message resonated: fostering innovation and collaboration is essential for driving global growth within the legal community. The awardees embody the commitment to excellence characteristic of The Economic Times Global Convention and Awards platform.
