some careers are planned. Others are inherited. And then there are those rare journeys where the profession doesn’t arrive as a choice, but as a calling. For Neeha Nagpal, practising law was never a checkbox on a career roadmap. “Honestly, I think the profession chose me,” she says, with the calm certainty of someone who has stopped questioning destiny and started honouring it. “Life chose the legal professional path for me, and I just fell in love with it.”
That single sentence sets the tone for everything that followed later. The way she practises law, the way she leads, and the way NM Law Chambers has quietly carved its place in India’s complex litigation ecosystem, is commendable for sure.
We can trace the journey back in 2019 where Neeha Nagpal and Malak Bhatt came together as co-founder to establish NM Law Chambers. Today, it is not just another full-service litigation firm operating out of New Delhi, but a thinking chamber that blends courtroom rigour with strategic foresight, and legal precision with emotional intelligence. There is a stigma associated with the profession of a lawyer saying the individual is cold, adversarial, and transactional. Well, each lawyer at NM Law Chambers challenges this stereotype and stands out for a different reason.
Under the leadership of seasoned industry leaders, the young and dynamic associates understand that law is ultimately about people and emotional intelligence can make a huge difference in their journey to excel in the field. Let’s dive in this exclusive feature based on a special one-on-one interview session held with Neeha Nagpal:
The firm’s portfolio
Founded in 2019, NM Law Chambers was conceived as a response to the increasing complexity of modern litigation. Based out of New Delhi, the firm operates as a full-service litigation outfit, with a core focus on insolvency laws, commercial litigation, and white-collar crime advisory and defence.
The firm regularly appears before the Supreme Court, High Courts, NCLT, NCLAT, and other judicial and quasi-judicial forums. But its true strength lies not in the breadth of its practice, but in the depth of its thinking.
Clients approach NM Law Chambers at moments of uncertainty, when businesses are under stress, reputations are at stake, or regulatory scrutiny looms large. What they find is not just legal representation, but strategic partnership. Each matter is analysed through multiple lenses: legal, commercial, reputational, and human. From advising companies on restructuring and insolvency proceedings to representing individuals and corporates in criminal trials and regulatory investigations, the firm has earned a reputation for discretion, preparedness, and clarity.
A Lawyer Forged by Experience
Neeha Nagpal’s journey through the legal profession has been anything but line and maybe that is precisely what gives it depth. A graduate of the University of Warwick, England, where she pursued BA (Hons) in Law and Business Studies, Neeha went on to complete her LL.M in International Economic Law from the same institution. Her academic grounding equipped her with a global legal lens early on, allowing her to view Indian law not in isolation, but as part of a larger international and commercial framework. However, it was the courtroom, not the classroom that truly shaped her.
Over the last 17 years, Neeha has worked on cases that demanded endurance, strategy, and emotional intelligence in equal measure. She has been involved in matters right from the initiation of trial to their final conclusion, including the complex and often nerve-wracking appellate stages. Her practice has taken her across the Supreme Court of India, multiple High Courts, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), and the Competition Commission of India.
This breadth of exposure has taught her something law schools rarely do: patience. “It has taught me to be calm under pressure,” she reflects, “but also to approach every situation and every client with empathy and compassion.” In a profession that often prioritises aggression over understanding, Neeha’s belief that law must serve people and not intimidate them, makes her an empathetic and visionary leading force reshaping the industrial norms.
Recognition That Follows Substance
Excellence, when sustained long enough, attracts recognition, and Neeha Nagpal’s career is a testament to that truth. In 2018, she was conferred with the Forbes ‘Tycoons of Tomorrow’ Award, marking her as a leader to watch in India’s evolving legal landscape. This was followed by her inclusion in the Forbes Powerlist 2021 for Top Individual Lawyers with over a decade of experience, an acknowledgment reserved for those who have not only mastered the law, but shaped its practice. Her accolades continued with the BW Legal World 40 Under 40 Award in 2022, and her feature in the UN India coffee table book celebrating women in leadership roles across the country.
But for Neeha, the true definition is not the recognition or awards, it is the impact that she creates in the lives of her clients while guiding the young lawyers to explore their potential. “Be so good, they can’t ignore you,” she says, not as a slogan, but as a living principle. It is this quiet insistence on excellence that has guided every professional choice she has made.
A Partnership Defined by Complementary Strengths
Every strong institution is built on balance and at NM Law Chambers, that balance comes from the partnership between Neeha Nagpal and Malak Bhatt. An Advocate-on-Record before the Supreme Court of India, Malak brings a sharp, structured, and deeply strategic approach to litigation. His professional foundation was laid at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., one of India’s most respected law firms, where he spent seven years navigating complex commercial disputes, white-collar crime litigation, and insolvency matters.
His legal practice spans an impressive range of forums including the Supreme Court, High Courts, District Courts, Consumer Forums, Electricity Tribunals, and Company Law Tribunals. He has advised and represented multinational corporations in high-stakes litigation, promoter groups in sensitive investigations, and clients involved in both international and domestic commercial arbitrations.
What is worth noting is that Malak has represented the Government of India in settlement proceedings arising from a dispute initiated by a Russian telecom company under bilateral investment treaties, work that demands not only legal acumen, but diplomatic sensitivity and strategic foresight. His contributions have been recognised by Legal 500, which named him a “Rising Star” in the APAC region for white-collar crimes, and by Forbes India, which listed him among the Top 25 Advocates-on-Record of the Supreme Court.
Beyond the courtroom, Malak is a prolific legal writer, contributing regularly to platforms such as International Law Offices, Mondaq, and Bar & Bench. He is also a member of the ICC Young Arbitrators’ Group and an Executive Member of the Oxford Cambridge Society of India, roles that reflect his engagement with the global legal community.
Law, Wellness, and the Future of Leadership
Perhaps, the most unexpected and compelling dimension of this story is Neeha Nagpal’s parallel journey into wellness. A certified Gut Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, New York, Neeha represents a new generation of leaders who understand that professional success cannot exist in isolation from personal well-being. In a field known for burnout and relentless pressure, her interest in wellness is not indulgent but an intentional way to touch people’s lives and marketing a difference.
She reads widely. She travels often. She works out. She practises photography. She explores astrology. Most importantly, she keeps learning.
“I see myself as a happy, evolving soul,” she says, “a student of the University of Life.” That mindset permeates NM Law Chambers too i.e. shaping a culture that values balance without compromising excellence.
Where law meets social conscience
For Neeha Nagpal and Malak Bhatt, the idea of responsibility does not end at the courtroom door. Their understanding of the law has always extended beyond statutes and submissions into the lived realities of communities that often remain unheard, unseen, or underserved. Their inclination towards CSR initiatives is an extension of their professional ethics, rooted in access, dignity, and long-term empowerment.
Neeha’s engagement with social causes reflects her belief that law must be both a shield and a bridge. As a member of the Advisory Board of the Keshav Suri Foundation, she works closely with an organisation dedicated to supporting the LGBTQI+ community, particularly in the areas of rehabilitation and mental health.
In this role, she has conducted workshops aimed at educating individuals about their legal rights, demystifying the law for those who often find themselves navigating systemic exclusion. The work is deeply aligned with her belief that awareness is the first step towards empowerment, especially for marginalized communities seeking both recognition and protection.
Her social commitment also finds expression through her association with The Bigger Picture, an initiative focused on addressing food insecurity in and around the National Capital Region. As an Advisory Board member, Neeha supports the organisation’s efforts to raise funds that provide daily meals to approximately 1,100 individuals, including children and hospital patients. Beyond advisory support, her involvement is intensely personal, she directly contributes towards providing daily meals for nearly 50 children. It is this quiet consistency, rather than grand gestures, that defines her approach to giving back.
Education, particularly for young women from economically weaker sections, remains another cornerstone of her CSR philosophy. Neeha works closely with the KARM Foundation, especially through the KARM LAW Fellowship Programme, an initiative designed to support meritorious female students from families with annual incomes of up to INR 5 lakhs. The programme offers not just financial assistance, but also structured mentoring and training to help students pursue their graduate studies at Delhi University.
As a founding member of the advisory team, Neeha played a pivotal role in conceptualising and establishing the fellowship. Today, she mentors these students personally, combining financial support with guidance drawn from her own professional journey, ensuring that talent is not limited by circumstance.
Her commitment to institutional responsibility is further reflected in her role as Chairperson of the CSR Committee at Black Box Limited, a listed entity where she serves as an Independent Director. Under her leadership, the company has initiated CSR programmes supporting old age homes, reinforcing a belief that corporate success must be accompanied by social sensitivity, especially towards the elderly, a demographic often overlooked in mainstream CSR narratives.
Malak Bhatt’s social engagement, meanwhile, is anchored in the principle of accessibility to justice, to institutions, and to opportunity. As a member of the Advisory Board and Delhi Coordinator of the Blind Peoples’ Association of India, Malak actively supports advocacy efforts aimed at securing access rights for persons with visual disabilities. His work contributes to strengthening legal and institutional frameworks that enable greater inclusion and autonomy for the visually impaired.
His commitment to safe and equitable spaces is also evident through his involvement with Internal Complaints Committees under the POSH Act across various institutions, including organisations such as Udayan Care, which works with children in conflict with law under the Juvenile Justice Act, and Sparsh Foundation. In these roles, Malak brings legal rigour and sensitivity to mechanisms designed to protect dignity, ensure accountability, and uphold workplace safety, especially in organisations serving vulnerable populations.
Further reinforcing his role as a changemaker within the legal ecosystem, Malak serves as a Member and Consultant at the Centre for Disability Studies, NALSAR University of Law. The Centre played a significant role in presenting a detailed report to a Parliamentary Sub-Committee, contributing to proposed amendments to the Persons with Disabilities Act. His involvement reflects a rare intersection of litigation expertise, academic engagement, and policy-level impact, demonstrating how legal professionals can shape the law not only through courts, but through reform.
Excelling towards a purposeful journey
NM Law Chambers is not in a hurry to become the biggest firm in the room. Instead, it is focused on becoming one of the most respected law firms in India. Built on the complementary strengths of Neeha Nagpal and Malak Bhatt, the firm reflects a modern legal philosophy that understands new- age disputes are as much about strategy and sensitivity as they are about statutes and precedents.
In a profession where volume often overshadows value, NM Law Chambers has chosen a different route which is thoughtful growth, intellectual integrity, and unwavering commitment to clients.
