Our Associates: Advocates, Associate Counsel and Offices

Who are the advocates at B.K. Singh & Associates?

There are two advocates at the firm: Advocate B.K. Singh (Bagesh Kumar Singh), the founder and principal advocate, and Advocate Sadhna Singh, the partner. We say this plainly because the words '& Associates' sometimes lead people to expect a large office with rows of lawyers. It is a small practice by design. The two of us read every file that comes in, and a client is not passed down a chain of juniors.

Behind the two advocates there is clerical and research support: clerks who handle filing, inspection and certified copies in the court registries, and research help for case law and drafting. When a matter needs an advocate with a particular standing in a particular court, we work with associate counsel and Advocates-on-Record. Those are independent advocates, not employees, and we name them to you before they appear.

Advocate B.K. Singh: founder and principal advocate

Advocate B.K. Singh has been in practice for more than twenty years. He holds an MCA, an LL.B. and an LL.M., and he appears before the Supreme Court of India, the Delhi High Court and other High Courts, the district courts of Delhi, the courts in Noida and Ghaziabad, and tribunals including the NCLT and NCLAT, the DRT and DRAT, consumer commissions up to the NCDRC, the National Green Tribunal and the Central Administrative Tribunal.

His work covers civil, criminal, commercial, corporate, insolvency, banking, consumer, family, service and environmental matters. The MCA matters more than people expect: in cyber crime, disputes over electronic evidence and technology contracts, he can read a server log, a chat export or a software agreement without needing it explained to him. On a new file he usually starts with the documents the other side will rely on, because that is where most cases are decided. His full profile is on the Advocate B.K. Singh page.

Advocate Sadhna Singh: partner and first point of contact

Advocate Sadhna Singh holds an M.A. and an LL.B. and is a partner in the firm. In most matters she is the first person a client speaks to. She reads the papers, asks the questions that fill the gaps, drafts the pleadings and runs the matter from day to day: filing, listing, next dates, compliance with court directions, and telling you what happened at each hearing.

She handles family, consumer, civil, recovery and documentation work directly, and works alongside Advocate B.K. Singh on the litigation he leads. If you have sent us a message on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form, there is a good chance the reply came from her. More about how she works is on the Advocate Sadhna Singh page.

Which advocate will handle my matter?

Both advocates work on most files, but one of them leads. This is how the work usually divides. It is a guide, not a rule; the first meeting settles it for your matter.

Whoever leads, both advocates know the file. If one is in court when you call, the other can answer a question about your case without asking you to start from the beginning.

What does 'associates' mean at this firm?

In our name, 'associates' refers to the people we work with on a matter, not to a list of salaried lawyers. That includes the two advocates, the associate counsel we brief when a case calls for it, and the clerks and research support who keep the paperwork moving. We would rather say this clearly than let you assume a headcount that does not exist.

It also matters for how you deal with us. Your vakalatnama names the advocates who appear for you. If another advocate is to appear, a fresh vakalatnama or a memo of appearance is filed and you know about it beforehand. Nobody should turn up at your hearing claiming to represent you on our behalf without you having been told their name.

When do we bring in associate counsel?

We bring in associate counsel when the law or the practicalities require someone else, not to make a matter look heavier than it is. The common reasons are three. The Supreme Court only accepts filings through an Advocate-on-Record. A case pending in a district court far from Delhi NCR needs someone who can attend short dates without a day's travel. Or a hearing calls for a senior advocate whose standing in that court is worth the extra cost.

In each case Advocate B.K. Singh stays responsible for the strategy and the drafts. The associate counsel does what they are engaged to do, whether filing, appearing on routine dates or arguing a particular hearing, and reports back to us. You do not end up with two lawyers pulling in different directions, because the file and the instructions stay with the firm.

What kinds of associate counsel do we work with?

The outside counsel we work with fall into a few groups. We involve them only when your matter needs it, and never without telling you.

• Advocates-on-Record (AOR). Only an AOR can file a petition, appeal or application in the Supreme Court under the Supreme Court Rules 2013. Other advocates, including Advocate B.K. Singh, can argue once the matter is filed.
• Local counsel in other states. For matters in High Courts and district courts outside Delhi NCR, a local advocate attends routine dates, inspects the record and files documents in the registry, while we prepare and argue the substantive hearings.
• Senior advocates. In a few matters, such as a final hearing in a High Court or a contested Supreme Court admission, a senior advocate may be briefed. That is your decision, made after we explain why and what it will cost.
• Counsel in particular forums. Where a tribunal or a court in another city has its own settled practice, we may work with an advocate who appears there regularly, so that procedural points are not missed.
• Non-lawyer professionals. Chartered accountants, valuers, handwriting and document examiners, and digital forensic analysts are engaged when the evidence needs them. They report to us, and their fees are agreed with you separately.

Why does the Supreme Court need an Advocate-on-Record?

The Supreme Court Rules 2013 allow only an Advocate-on-Record to file matters and act for a party in the Supreme Court. An AOR is an advocate who has passed the Court's own examination and keeps a registered office and clerk near the Court. Any other advocate can appear and argue, but cannot sign the filing or receive notices for the client.

So when we take a special leave petition under Article 136, a writ petition under Article 32 or a transfer petition to the Supreme Court, Advocate B.K. Singh prepares the paper book, settles the synopsis and list of dates, and argues, while an AOR files the matter and is on record. For a special leave petition, the 90-day period from the High Court judgment keeps running while lawyers are being lined up, which is why we bring in the AOR as soon as you decide to go ahead. The procedure is explained on our Supreme Court practice page.

Can you handle a case outside Delhi NCR?

Yes, in many cases, though how depends on where the case is and how often it is listed. Matters in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court we handle directly. Cases in the Delhi district courts, the Gautam Buddh Nagar court at Surajpur and the Ghaziabad district court are within our daily reach. Appeals and revisions from Noida and Ghaziabad go to the Allahabad High Court, and from Gurugram and Faridabad to the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh, so we often work with counsel there.

For a trial in another state, the practical problem is the number of short dates: a witness does not turn up, the presiding officer is on leave, the case is adjourned. Sending an advocate from Delhi for each of those is expensive for you and achieves little. We usually prepare the case here, appear for the hearings that matter, and have local counsel attend the rest. The arrangement is set out on the offices and associate offices page.

How is associate counsel brought into my matter?

The process is the same whether we need an AOR for a Supreme Court filing or a local advocate for a trial in another state.

1. We tell you why

   Advocate B.K. Singh or Advocate Sadhna Singh explains why the matter needs another counsel, what that person will do and what the firm will keep doing. If the need is optional, such as briefing a senior advocate, we say so.

2. We name the counsel

   You are told the name of the advocate we propose, the court where they practise and their role. You are free to ask questions or to suggest an advocate of your own choice.

3. Terms go in writing

   The fee for the associate counsel, and any change to our own fee, is set out in writing before they start. Court fees, travel and other out-of-pocket costs are listed separately.

4. Papers and vakalatnama

   We send the counsel the papers they need, not your entire file unless the role requires it. A vakalatnama or memo of appearance is filed in the court concerned.

5. Reporting back

   After each date the associate counsel reports to us, and we pass the update to you with the next date. You keep one point of contact at the firm throughout.

What does it cost when another counsel joins?

It costs more, and we tell you how much before anyone is engaged. We do not quote fees on this website, but the structure is simple: the associate counsel's fee is agreed in writing, stage by stage, just like ours. You may pay it directly to that counsel or through us, and the written terms say which.

Court fees, process fees, certified copies, typing and paper books for the Supreme Court, and travel are out-of-pocket costs, separate from professional fees. For a matter in another state, the cheapest arrangement is usually local counsel for routine dates and our appearance for the substantive ones. If a matter can be handled by video or on written submissions, we will say that too.

Who sees my papers when associate counsel is involved?

Only the people who need them. Everything you tell us is confidential, and the same duty binds any associate counsel we engage. We share the documents a counsel needs for their part of the work, and we do not forward your full file, your personal financial details or your messages unless the role calls for it.

Before we involve anyone, we also check for a conflict of interest, meaning that the counsel has not acted for the other side, or for someone whose interests clash with yours, in the same dispute. If a conflict comes up, we find someone else. If you have concerns about a particular advocate, tell us; you do not need to give reasons.

Will Advocate B.K. Singh appear in my case himself?

In the matters he leads, yes. Advocate B.K. Singh argues bail applications, quashing petitions, tribunal matters and contested hearings himself, and that is agreed at the start. On routine dates where nothing substantive is expected, such as a date for filing a reply or for the presence of the accused, Advocate Sadhna Singh or a clerk may attend, depending on what the court requires.

When two courts list his matters at the same time, which happens in Delhi more often than clients imagine, we tell you in advance and arrange either a short pass-over request or the other advocate's appearance. What we do not do is send an unknown advocate to argue your case without your knowledge.

Can I ask for a particular advocate?

You can. Some clients prefer to deal with Advocate Sadhna Singh on a family matter; others want Advocate B.K. Singh on every date in a criminal trial. Tell us at the first meeting and we will say honestly whether that is workable for your case, and whether it changes the fee.

The same applies to associate counsel. If you already trust an advocate in another city, or you want a particular senior advocate for a final hearing, we can work with them. We will brief them properly and coordinate, so that the case is argued on one consistent line in every court.

What happens in an urgent matter, like an arrest or a hearing tomorrow?

Urgent matters go straight to Advocate B.K. Singh. If someone has been arrested, an ED or CBI summons is due, or a demolition, possession or recovery notice expires in a day or two, call or WhatsApp rather than filling in the form. The first thing we need is the document: the FIR number, the summons, the notice or the order, and the name of the police station or court.

Where the urgency is in another city, we contact local counsel there the same day if someone is needed to appear, while the bail application, stay application or urgent mention is drafted here. Sending the papers early, even as phone photos, often saves more time than anything else you can do.

Do you work with lawyers abroad for NRI clients?

We advise clients living abroad on matters in Indian courts, and much of that work happens by video and email. What we do not do is advise on foreign law. If your matter has a foreign side, such as a divorce decree passed in another country, a child living abroad or property held overseas, you will need a lawyer in that country for that part, and we can coordinate with them so that the Indian and foreign steps do not contradict each other.

The practical points come up again and again. A power of attorney signed abroad for someone to act for you in India generally has to be attested at an Indian embassy or consulate and then stamped in India within the time the state's stamp law allows. A foreign judgment or decree is not automatically binding here, and whether an Indian court will act on it depends on the law under which it was passed. Ask us for the current requirements before you sign or file anything, because a defective document costs months.

Where are your offices and associate offices?

The firm has two offices: one in Dwarka, New Delhi, and one in Vaishali, Ghaziabad. Between them they put us close to the Delhi district court complexes, the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court on one side, and to the courts at Ghaziabad and at Surajpur in Gautam Buddh Nagar on the other. You can meet us at either office by appointment, or by video call if travelling is difficult.

'Associate offices' is our term for the chambers of associate counsel we work with in other cities. They are independent advocates' offices, not branches of this firm, and we do not hold them out as ours. Addresses, directions, hours and how video consultations work are on the Our Offices and Associate Offices page.

How can I check an advocate's credentials?

Every advocate who practises in India must be enrolled with a State Bar Council under the Advocates Act 1961. You are entitled to ask any advocate, including us, for their enrolment details, and you should. The vakalatnama you sign names the advocate and carries their enrolment number, so you can see on paper who is authorised to act for you.

Be careful with anyone who promises a result, claims a special connection with a judge or an officer, or asks for money in cash without a receipt or written terms. The Bar Council of India rules do not allow advocates to advertise or solicit work, which is why this website gives information only and makes no claims about results. Our disclaimer explains what that means for you.

What to bring to the first meeting

The first meeting goes further if you bring the papers rather than a description of them. Copies are fine; keep the originals with you.

• Any notice, summons, FIR copy, order or judgment you have received, with the envelope if the date of receipt matters
• The order sheets, or the last two or three orders in a pending case, and the next date
• Agreements, receipts, bank statements, emails and chat exports that show what was promised and what was paid
• A one-page timeline in your own words: dates, names and what happened
• Details of any lawyer who acted earlier, and their file or a no-objection if you have it
• Your identity proof and, for a company, the board resolution or authority letter for the person giving instructions
• A list of the questions you want answered before you leave

If you are not sure which documents matter, send what you have on WhatsApp or through the online enquiry, and Advocate Sadhna Singh will tell you what else to bring.

How is this page different from Our Team and About Us?

These three pages answer different questions. This one tells you who the advocates are and who else may work on your matter. The Our Team page explains how a matter is actually run inside the firm: who drafts, who appears, how research is done and how the two advocates divide the work from week to week. The About Us page covers the firm's approach, its values and the Bar Council rules we work under.

If you already know what your problem is, the practice pages are the better starting point. Criminal matters by agency and offence are grouped under criminal law practice, and the broader subject areas are listed under areas of practice.

What we will not do

We will not promise you an outcome or a date by which your case will end. Courts decide cases, and adjournments, vacancies and the other side's conduct are outside anyone's control. What we can tell you is the next step, the deadline that applies, the realistic range of outcomes and what each step will cost in fees and time.

We will also not take a case only to keep it. If your problem is better solved by a firm letter, a settlement meeting, a complaint to a regulator or an ombudsman, or by doing nothing for now, we will say so at the first meeting. Some of the most useful advice we give is a reason not to file.