Corporate
The four clauses founders should read twice
Liquidation preference, anti dilution, reserved matters, and vesting decide far more than the valuation on the front page of a term sheet.
Advocates and Legal Consultants in India
Counsel for matters that cannot be rushed
We advise founders, families, and companies on corporate, property, tax, and dispute matters across Indian courts and tribunals. You get a clear reading of where you stand before anything is filed.
Enrolled with the Bar Council of KarnatakaPractising since 2011
The practice in numbers
- Years of combined practice
- 0Years of combined practice
- Matters advised since 2011
- 0+Matters advised since 2011
- Courts and tribunals appeared before
- 0Courts and tribunals appeared before
- Practice areas covered in house
- 0Practice areas covered in house
Figures describe the practice itself. They are not a statement about results in any matter.
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Advising businesses and individuals across
Software and SaaSManufacturingReal EstateHealthcareLogisticsFinancial ServicesHospitalityEducation
2011
The year the firm opened in Bengaluru with two advocates.
The firm
A small practice, deliberately. You work with the advocate who took your first meeting.
NovaLex was set up so that clients would not be handed down a chain of juniors. Files stay with the advocate who took them on, and the person who knows your matter is the person who answers when you call.
We cover ten practice areas in house, from company formation through to trial and arbitration. Where a matter needs specialist counsel or a different jurisdiction, we brief someone we have worked with before and stay on the file ourselves.
Practice areas
Where we are briefed most often
Ten areas covered in house. These six account for most of the work that comes through the office.
Why clients stay
The things that actually make a difference
None of this is remarkable. It is simply what a legal practice should do, done consistently.
You speak to the advocate on your file
Matters are not passed down to whoever is free. The person who takes your first meeting stays responsible for the file, and you have their direct line.
The position in writing, in plain language
After the first consultation you receive a written note setting out where you stand, the options open to you, and what each one costs in time and money.
Fees agreed before work starts
An engagement letter states the basis of charging and what is included. There are no invoices for time you did not know was being spent.
Replies within one working day
Every message gets a response within a working day, even if the answer is that we are still looking into it. Urgent criminal matters are taken outside office hours.
A realistic view, including when to stop
Where a claim is weak or the cost outweighs what is at stake, we say so at the outset. Advising against litigation is part of the job.
Built for clients abroad
Video consultations scheduled to your time zone, documents explained before you sign, and powers of attorney arranged so routine steps do not require travel.
The first duty is to tell a client where they actually stand, even when that is not what they came to hear.
Adv. Rhea Menon, Managing Partner
How an engagement runs
From first call to closing note
Five stages, each with a defined output. You always know what is happening and what comes next.
- 01
Consultation
We run a conflict check, then meet in person or by video. You describe the matter and we ask the questions that decide how it should be approached.
Typically 60 to 90 minutes
- 02
Research
We read the documents properly, examine the record, and check the position against current statute and precedent before advising anything.
Three to ten working days
- 03
Strategy
You receive a written note setting out the options, what each involves, the realistic timeline, and the cost. You decide which route to take.
Written note and a review call
- 04
Representation
We draft, file, negotiate, and appear. You are told what happened after each hearing or exchange, without having to chase for it.
Through the life of the matter
- 05
Resolution
Whether the matter settles, is decided, or closes, we hand over a complete file and set out anything that still needs to be done.
Closing note and file handover
Courts and tribunals
- Supreme Court of India
- High Court of Karnataka
- High Court of Delhi
- High Court of Bombay
- National Company Law Tribunal
- Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority
Firm notes
Writing from the practice
7 min read
Property
What a title search actually checks
An encumbrance certificate is a starting point, not an answer. Here is the wider record a buyer should ask to see before paying an advance.
Disputes
Why so many arbitration clauses fail
Seat, venue, number of arbitrators, and appointing authority. Getting any of these wrong turns a private process into a court application.
Client feedback
What working with the office is like
Published without names, and limited to how the work was handled. We do not publish anything about the result of a matter.
They read our investor term sheet line by line and told us which three clauses actually mattered. The other twenty were noise, and saying so saved us a fortnight.
Founder, B2B software company
Bengaluru · Startup Legal Services
We were ready to pay the advance. The title search turned up a pending partition suit the seller had not mentioned. We walked away and the reason was explained to us in plain language.
Homebuyer
Whitefield, Bengaluru · Property Law
What I value is the honesty about timelines. Nobody told me a commercial suit would be quick. I was given a realistic range at the outset and kept informed at each stage.
Director, manufacturing company
Pune · Civil Litigation
Working from a different time zone is usually the hard part. Calls were scheduled around my hours and every document arrived with a short note explaining what I was signing.
Non resident client
Dubai · Taxation
This page is published for information only. It is not an advertisement or a solicitation of work, and it does not promise or predict any result. Every matter turns on its own facts.
Listings and memberships
- 2025Listed, Legal500 India, Corporate and M&ADirectory listing
- 2024Member, Chartered Institute of ArbitratorsMembership
- 2024Panel counsel, Karnataka State Legal Services AuthorityAppointment
- 2023Contributor, National Law School Business Law ReviewPublication
- 2022Empanelled, Bangalore Chamber of Industry and CommerceEmpanelment
Quoted in
- 2025The Hindu BusinessLineComment on RERA timelines in Karnataka
- 2024Bar and BenchNote on arbitration clause drafting
- 2024MintExplainer on succession for non resident Indians
- 2023LiveLawAnalysis of a commercial courts judgment
Common questions
Asked before the first meeting
If your question is not here, the office will answer it directly.
You describe the matter, we ask questions, and we tell you where you stand and what the realistic options are. Before that meeting we run a conflict check to confirm we do not already act for someone on the other side. If we cannot take the matter we will say so and, where possible, suggest who can.
Yes. A first consultation is charged at a fixed fee, confirmed to you in writing before the appointment is held. If you then engage us on the matter, that amount is set off against the first invoice.
It depends on the work. Advisory and documentation are usually a fixed fee agreed in advance. Litigation is generally charged per appearance together with a drafting fee. Retainers are available for companies that need ongoing availability. Whichever applies, you receive a written engagement letter setting out the basis before work begins.
Advisory and documentation are typically measured in days or weeks. Litigation timelines depend on the forum, the cause list, and the conduct of the other side, and no advocate can control those. We give you a realistic range at the outset and tell you when it changes.
No, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. We can assess the strength of a case on the material available, explain how similar questions have been approached by the courts, and tell you where the risk sits. A prediction of the result is not something an advocate can properly give.
Yes. A significant part of the practice is for clients abroad, particularly on property, succession, and tax matters. Consultations are held by video at a time that suits your zone, and a power of attorney can usually be arranged so you do not need to travel for routine steps.
Start here
Tell us the matter. We will tell you where you stand.
A first consultation is a fixed fee, confirmed in writing before you attend, and set off against the first invoice if you go on to engage us.
Before you write to us
- We run a conflict check before any consultation is confirmed.
- Please do not send confidential documents until we have confirmed we can act.
- Urgent criminal matters are taken outside office hours on the number above.
Sending an enquiry does not create an advocate and client relationship. Disclaimer