Indian firms Fox Mandal and Little & Co. have completed a bold merger that has seen the new combined entity rise to the rank of India's number-one law firm by size.

The new conglomerate, re-branded as Fox Mandal Little (FML), boasts 37 partners from a total of 245 lawyers and fee earners and over 150 support staff.

Fox Mandal contributed 26 partners to the partnership, from a total of 200 lawyers, while Little & Co. brought to the table 11 partners, from a total of 45 lawyers.

The merger means FML can now boast a spot in Asia's top 20 law firms.
In a statement, the new firm revealed the merger is in direct response to pressure being placed on the Indian legal market from international firms.

"It's the beginning of the preparation of Indian law firms to grow bigger and position themselves for the entry of the foreign law firms, which is inevitable in the near future."

Through the merger, the group hopes to copy the business model of the big international firms in providing a wide range of legal services under the one roof.

The firms are two of the oldest in India, with Fox Mandal tracing its origins back to 1896 and Little & Co. even further back to 1856.