"I further noticed how law firms had to adapt to changing times and upgrade internal systems to meet evolving demands for enhanced client service and robust data protection, particularly for sensitive deal information, in addition to making internal upgrades for the law firm itself."
What inspired you to establish SLP Law with a focus towards being an AI/tech-enabled law firm? In brief, please share your journey so far of founding a law firm and providing it with a competitive advantage in the legal industry?
With over 15+ years of experience working with Tier-1 law firms in India, I built deep expertise in M&A and private equity/venture capital (PE/VC) transactions, with a specialized focus on technology and data-driven deals. Throughout my career, I closely observed the evolution and adoption of technology from its early stages to widespread adoption across industries and its transformative impact on reshaping businesses and industries at a cross-border level.
I further noticed how law firms had to adapt to changing times and upgrade internal systems to meet evolving demands for enhanced client service and robust data protection, particularly for sensitive deal information, in addition to making internal upgrades for the law firm itself.
In late 2019, at the peak of a global startup-fuelled world, I felt restricted by the technological resources available and the divide between law and technology growing daily in legal practice. With these issues living rent-free in my head made traditional options like a partnership track in law firms or, moving in-house as a general counsel a less attractive option. As a first-generation lawyer who had saved up a bit, I decided to go back to the lawyer basics of setting up my practice.
During early 2020, when COVID-19 started setting in, most lawyers and law firms were forced to adapt to remote work, virtual collaboration and online courtroom proceedings. This forced me to evolve again and further leverage tech and AI to redefine M&A, deal, data and tech advisory in the legal industry in India.
That’s how SLP Law was conceived, with its initial vision to blend the law and tech gap in legal practice, where I lead the legal advisory arm of the firm, and our CTO spearheads our technological advancements. Rounding out, our team also includes a retired Managing Director from a Government of India enterprise, adding invaluable strategic depth. This diverse blend of legal, technological, and strategic leadership makes our team at SLP Law uniquely robust and intellectually dynamic.
How do you perceive the current landscape of AI integration in legal practices, and where does SLP Law stand in this evolution?
The current landscape is rapidly evolving, and significant developments are occurring with companies/startups in India having recently entered the space of developing specific legal large language models (LLMs) particular to Indian laws and judgements.
Existing external legal research platforms like Lexis Nexis and Manupatra are already providing AI-enabled research. There are very few Indian law firms who are currently adopting technology in a key way in their practise for client deliveries.
At SLP Law, we provide all the traditional services of a boutique law firm specialized in startups and funding advisory, M&A, PE/VC deal advisory, commercial contracts, business laws, IPR, privacy and data protection, technology and innovation. We pride ourselves on our focus and understanding of the technology of the times, as we ourselves are also working and adapting to the same technologies while being in the growth stage ourselves.
This commitment is evident in how we at SLP Law embedded AI into our daily practice by integrating it with our core services. We leverage AI for our internal database searches, specialized legal research, document and due diligence reviews, and contract management by integrating cloud-based LLM functionalities via secure APIs; we ensure data privacy while maintaining full client transparency.
Our team is regularly upskilled to bridge the gap between legal frameworks and our AI tools. This alignment of lawyers trained in AI legal tech tools with understanding and working with the traditional legal industry adds to our strategic advisory and documentation drafting in a dynamic intersection of law, technology, and business, leading to efficiency, innovation and client satisfaction.
However, it is pertinent to mention that what sets SLP Law apart, is that all our AI tools are specific or modified with a focus on startups and funding advisory, M&A, PE/VC deal advisory, commercial contracts, business laws, IPR, privacy and data protection, technology and innovation.
As our work involves navigating complex legal and financial structures, particularly in cross-border transactions, this also enables our team to play a pivotal role in facilitating technology-driven transitions for companies, ensuring they remain competitive in an increasingly digital and data-centric economy.
According to you, how is AI reshaping the future of client relationships in law—transforming not just efficiency, but trust, personalization, and long-term engagement?
I have briefly mentioned above that AI and its tools, much like most online tech services, say CRM tools used in general, are known to be helpful in building trust and transparency while working with third parties, online or offline, due to their familiarity and use across industries.
However, there are other benefits of AI tools like access control and personalization for clients and our internal teams as AI tools help us derive varied results from the existing data and options it provides, post scraping and fine-tuning pre-trained models, including predict patterns for client engagement.
Furthermore, AI tools also help reduce manual data work, which can lead to great time reduction in reviewing documents for a due diligence or contract review. This time-cost benefit can be transferred by the firm to the client, and we at SLP Law can translate this efficiency into cost savings for our clients by limiting billable hours and remaining mindful of our clients’ budgets.
How is SLP Law future-proofing its team, especially in terms of AI and emerging tech upskilling, to stay ahead in the legal-tech revolution?
We are closely following the Government of India’s investment in the AI and tech sector, developing computing infrastructure, and large language models, and supporting AI and tech startups alongside the establishment of a National Data Management Office. Further, our direct experience working with government departments on client matters provides real-time insights into evolving regulations.
Working on cross-border deals, including transactions on data protection, data breach advisory, intellectual property protection, analysing government policies across the global AI regulatory landscape, with countries including India, the EU, the USA, and China and helping companies, startups draft internal policies for data access and control, clearly underscored the burning need for lawyers in India to proactively upskill. History further proves that legislation has always lagged behind innovation. However it should not mean that we, as lawyers cannot leverage our expertise to protect our clients’ evolving businesses and foster their innovative freedom.
Internally, at SLP Law, we are trying to bring this practice to its full implementation as we as a team believe in creating an intellectually fun learning environment that includes tech and law together in our daily practice. We at SLP Law believe this approach will help us attract forward-thinking clients seeking expertise in non-traditional business models, especially in data, tech and AI. As we strive to continue to work on leading the legal M&A, PE/VC startup and data-focused transactions to get bigger and better deals, we at SLP Law also wish to showcase that we are equipped with the tools and training of the time and are ready to advise on complex tech deals of tomorrow.
About Minal Madan:
With over 15+ years of experience in corporate and transactional law, Minal Madan, Founder, SLP Law, is a distinguished legal professional specializing in M&A, private equity, and startup advisory. She has built SLP Law with a focus on innovation, affordability, and high-quality legal support, catering to the evolving needs of startups and emerging businesses.
Before establishing SLP Law in 2020, Minal played a key role in high-profile corporate transactions, having worked with AZB & Partners, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, and BMR Legal. Her deep industry knowledge and hands-on experience have made her a trusted advisor to a diverse clientele, including early-stage startups, incubators, family offices, and venture capital firms across Asia-Pacific, the U.S., and the EU.
Recognized for her contributions to the legal industry, Minal was honored with the National Legal Excellence Award (ASSOCHAM) in 2023. Under her leadership, SLP Law has been recognized by Asian Legal Business, a Thomson Reuters publication, as a “Firm to Watch” in 2022. Through SLP, she continues to pioneer legal solutions that empower businesses and drive growth in the fast-evolving global market.
