Veteran attorney Ameet Datta has left his position as senior partner and Telecommunication, Media and Technology (TMT) practice head at IP-focused law firm Saikrishna & Associates, along with a team of eight attorneys, to set up ADP Law Offices.
The firm will focus on the TMT sector, with expertise is disputes, corporate advisory, transactions, trade and regulatory compliance.
Datta, who also led Saikrisha’s policy development and reform practice, is an IP litigator with a specialization in copyright, trademark and design litigation as well as trade and regulatory compliance. He has expertise across the technology, media and entertainment sectors on a variety of issues relating to IP, film, music, technology, e-waste, advertising, and legal metrology regulation.
With 24 years of experience, Datta also advises clients on privacy and personal data protection issues including in relation to the policy development surrounding personal data protection issues in India.
Datta started his career at IP specialist firm Anand and Anand in 1999, making partner in 2005. He then moved to Luthra and Luthra Law Offices, before joining Saikrishna in 2012.
The Indian legal market is witnessing a significant shift in client preferences, with an increasing number of partners breaking away from established law firms to set up their own practices. Earlier this week, in-house and law firm pro Gaurav Gupta set up law firm Bridge Counsels to focus on fractional and external general counsel services to companies. In January, Bengaluru-based attorneys Sneha Nagaraj and Gautham Gururaj set up Frontline Law Partners to focus on cross-border litigation and transactional work.
Last year, Nishith Desai Associates’ international tax and tax litigation practice co-head Dhruv Janssen-Sanghavi left the firm to set up his own boutique, Janssen-Sanghavi & Associates - International Tax Counsel. JSA partner Lalu John Philip left the firm to set up venture capital boutique Boolean Legal. Amit Singhania left the equity partnership at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, to establish cross-border transaction-focused Areete Law Offices. Luthra and Luthra TMT partner Asim Abbas set up technology boutique Spectra Law.
In 2023, the likes of T&A, Counsel & Council, Legal Scriptures, Sarvagya Legal, Kumar & Sardana Associates, First Principles Advocates, YVR Law Offices, and Aendri Legal launched in India.
This trend reflects a change in how clients view legal services, prioritizing individual expertise over firm branding. Clients are comfortable following trusted partners to their new ventures, attracted by competitive pricing and personalized attention. This shift is particularly evident in specialized sectors like private equity, venture capital, technology, media, and intellectual property law, where businesses seek strategic legal partnerships over traditional counsel relationships.
Founders say that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this transformation. With remote working becoming the norm, clients primarily interacted with individual partners rather than experiencing the broader firm environment, leading to stronger personal bonds while weakening institutional loyalty. This digital-first model has made the transition to partner-led boutique firms feel more natural for many clients.
