Principal Associate - Economic Offences

Metalegal Advocates; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Metalegal Advocates in Mumbai seeks a Principal Associate to independently lead complex legal matters, provide strategic advice, and manage client engagements across advisory, investigations, regulatory, commercial, and dispute-related work. The role requires 5–8 years PQE with strong judgment, leadership, and mentoring abilities, in a firm handling economic offences and related litigation.

Senior professionals will mentor teams, drive practice development, and contribute to institutional

Qualifications

• LL.B degree from a recognised university in India.
• Enrolment with the Bar Council of India.
• Approximately 5–8 years of relevant post-qualification experience.
• Experience in Economic Offences including investigations, enforcement proceedings, regulatory matters and related litigation preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent professional judgment and manage complex client engagements.
• Ability to supervise and mentor junior lawyers and coordinate multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex Economic Offences, regulatory, investigation, advisory, and dispute-related matters from inception through completion.
• Develop matter strategy, identify risks, establish execution plans, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality outcomes.
• Mentor Associates and Senior Associates, provide direction and professional growth opportunities.
• Coordinate effectively with regulators, external counsel, forensic experts, consultants, auditors and other stakeholders.
• Strengthen client relationships and identify growth opportunities for the Firm’s practice.
• Support recruitment, training, knowledge management, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Client relations

Drafting

Advisory

Strategic thinking

Education

LL.B degree

Job description

Metalegal Advocates is a litigation and advisory law firm with offices in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The firm provides comprehensive services across economic laws, financial crimes, tax disputes (income tax, GST, black money, VAT, and other taxes), securities laws, FEMA, commercial laws, and related business and mercantile laws. Its clientele includes both businesses and individuals across a wide range of industry verticals.

Job Description

About the Role

Metalegal Advocates is seeking an accomplished and commercially astute legal professional to join the Firm as a Principal Associate at our Mumbai office.

This is a senior professional role designed for a lawyer capable of independently leading complex legal matters, providing strategic legal advice, managing client relationships, and supervising multidisciplinary teams across advisory, investigations, regulatory, commercial, and dispute-related engagements. Relevant experience in Economic Offences will be preferred, particularly experience involving investigations, enforcement proceedings, regulatory matters and related litigation.

As a Principal Associate, you will lead assigned matters from strategy through execution, mentor junior professionals, strengthen client relationships, support practice development initiatives, and contribute to the Firm's institutional capabilities.

SCOPE OF WORK

As a Principal Associate, your responsibilities will extendbeyond the execution of legal work and will encompass leadership of complexmatters, client engagements, multidisciplinary teams, and institutionalinitiatives. You will be expected to:

• Lead and supervise complex Economic Offences, regulatory, investigation, advisory, and dispute-related matters from inception through completion, including matters involving investigations, enforcement proceedings, white-collar crime, financial crimes, and related litigation.
• Developmatter strategy, identify legal and commercial risks, establish executionplans, allocate responsibilities, and ensure timely delivery ofhigh-quality outcomes.
• Exercisesound professional judgment in resolving complex legal and commercialissues while proactively managing risks and escalations.
• Serveas the primary point of contact for assigned clients, providingcommercially informed legal advice and maintaining strong professionalrelationships.
• Coordinateeffectively with regulators, external counsel, forensic experts,consultants, auditors, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless executionof engagements.
• Lead,mentor, and develop Associates and Senior Associates by providingdirection, supervision, constructive feedback, and opportunities forprofessional growth.
• Fostercollaboration, accountability, and knowledge sharing across teams,offices, and practice areas.
• Maintainoversight of legal advice, drafting, documentation, and clientdeliverables to ensure compliance with the Firm's professional standardsand quality expectations.
• Strengthenclient relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and supporting theFirm's market presence through networking, publications, seminars, andthought leadership initiatives.
• Contributeto the Firm's institutional capabilities by supporting recruitment,mentoring, training, knowledge management, capability development, andcontinuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

PREFERRED CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an accomplished legal professional whocombines strong technical expertise with commercial acumen, leadershipcapability, and an institutional mindset. The role requires intellectualcuriosity, professional maturity, sound judgment, and the ability to navigatecomplex legal and commercial issues while consistently maintaining the higheststandards of integrity, quality, and client service.

MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS

• Mustbe LL.B. degree from a recognised university in India.
• Musthave enrolment with the Bar Council of India.
• Musthave Approximately 5–8 years of relevant post-qualification experience .
• Candidates with relevant experience in the Economic Offences practice area, including investigations, enforcement proceedings, regulatory matters, white-collar crime, financial crimes, and related litigation, will be preferred.
• Demonstratedability to exercise independent professional judgment, independentlymanage complex client engagements and matters with minimal supervision,and lead assignments effectively.
• Provenability to supervise and mentor junior lawyers, coordinatemultidisciplinary teams and stakeholders, and manage multiple matters andassignments simultaneously.

PREFERRED BACKGROUND

Preference may be given to professionals possessing one ormore of the following:

• Experiencein a leading law firm, Big 4 firm, professional services organisation,consulting environment, or as an in-house legal counsel within a reputedcorporate organisation.
• Strongunderstanding of accounting principles, financial statements, financialanalysis, and data analytics, with the ability to interpret commercial andfinancial information in a legal and regulatory context.
• Experience in managing client relationships, advising senior stakeholders, and leading cross-functional engagements involving legal, forensic, compliance, investigation, finance, and regulatory stakeholders.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

The ideal candidate should possess:

• Strongability to exercise sound professional judgment while balancing legal riskwith commercial objectives.
• Exceptionaldrafting, research, advisory, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Abilityto translate complex legal and commercial issues into practical,commercially sound solutions.
• Demonstratedleadership, mentoring, and team management capabilities.
• Excellentorganisational skills with the ability to manage multiple complexassignments simultaneously.
• Strongcommunication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability toeffectively manage internal and external stakeholders.
• Abilityto lead assignments by ensuring timely, clear, and effective communicationwith Partners, clients, junior professionals, and support teams, whilepromoting collaboration, accountability, and efficient execution ofmatters.
• Collaborativemindset with the ability to work effectively across teams, practice areas,and offices.
• Highprofessional maturity, integrity, discretion, accountability, and soundprofessional judgment.
• Commitmentto continuous learning, professional excellence, and deliveringexceptional client service.
• PerformanceRecognition: Performance-based fee revisions, bonuses,and enhanced leadership opportunities based on sustained contribution,matter leadership, client impact, and institutional contribution.
• ProfessionalGrowth: Significant opportunities to lead complexengagements, mentor professionals, deepen client relationships, supportpractice development initiatives, and prepare for future leadershipresponsibilities within the Firm.
• Successin this Role : Measured by the ability to independentlylead complex matters, deliver commercially sound legal solutions, buildtrusted client relationships, develop high-performing teams, uphold theFirm's professional standards, and contribute to the continued strengtheningof the Firm's institutional capabilities.

The responsibilities describedabove are illustrative in nature and are intended to indicate the broad scopeof the role. They are not exhaustive and may be modified, expanded, orsupplemented from time to time having regard to the Firm's business requirements, client engagements, operational needs, and the professional's experience, capability, and professional development..