Maritime & Admiralty · Delhi NCR

From the bridge of a ship to the bar of the court.

Legal Lighthouse is a boutique maritime law firm in Delhi NCR. Our founding counsel commanded ships at sea before he came to the Bar — so a single instruction gives you both the technical reading of the facts and the legal case, from one source. We also advise on civil, commercial and corporate matters and criminal defence.

Founding Counsel

Capt. Pramod Kumar Singh

Master Mariner (F.G.) · 28 yrs at sea & in shipping · Advocate

The firm

A practice built around clarity and judgment.

Legal Lighthouse is a boutique law firm — small by design. The best legal counsel does not begin with a strategy; it begins with listening. Our clients come to us at moments of consequence, and they deserve answers that are precise, not performative.

The practice draws on three decades of experience across courts, tribunals and boardrooms in Delhi NCR and beyond — with particular strength in maritime and admiralty law, alongside civil, commercial and corporate matters and criminal defence.

Being boutique is a deliberate choice. It means every brief is handled personally by senior counsel. It means every client speaks directly to the lawyer running their case. And it means we accept matters selectively — capacity is finite, and so is attention.

Being boutique is a deliberate choice — capacity is finite, and so is attention.
Practice areas

Three disciplines.  One standard of care.

Our work is concentrated in three core areas, led by counsel with subject-matter depth and active courtroom experience — with particular strength in maritime and admiralty law. We accept matters selectively; capacity is finite, and so is attention.

Admiralty & Maritime Law

India-side counsel for casualties, cargo claims and ship arrest — for shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs, FD&D insurers, overseas maritime firms, manning agents and seafarers. Ship arrest and release, charterparty and cargo disputes, marine insurance and P&I, and seafarer matters before the coastal High Courts in their admiralty jurisdiction.

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Civil, Commercial & Corporate Law

Contract and commercial disputes, commercial arbitration, company-law and shareholder matters, and advisory work for businesses across sectors. Counsel for both claimants and defendants.

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Criminal Defence

Trial defence, bail and anticipatory bail, white-collar and economic-offence work, and appellate practice in the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Led by counsel with twenty-five years at the Bar.

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For Clubs, Insurers & Overseas Counsel

India-side counsel and co-counsel for the maritime industry.

We act as India-side legal counsel for P&I clubs and correspondents, defence and recovery support for FD&D insurers, and Indian co-counsel for overseas maritime law firms — on casualty response, cargo claims, ship arrest and security, and recovery actions. You instruct once; we coordinate across India's admiralty jurisdictions and run the matter wherever it needs to be run.

Capt. Pramod Kumar Singh — Founding Counsel
Founding Counsel

Command at sea, then counsel at the Bar.

Capt. Pramod Kumar Singh brings a deep and unusual blend of experience to the bar. Ten years in command of vessels at sea as a Foreign-Going Master Mariner, followed by fourteen years as General Manager of marine operations and four years as Director of Marine & Commercial Operations — nearly three decades of working knowledge of bills of lading, charter parties, marine claims, vessel safety, and shipping commerce before he turned to the law.

His commercial grounding is directly relevant to P&I and chartering work: fourteen years running marine operations and four years as Director of Marine & Commercial Operations, handling chartering, claims, and the day-to-day commerce of running ships. He is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (M.I.C.S., UK). For survey and marine-insurance assessment, the firm instructs IRDA-licensed marine surveyors as each matter requires, under counsel's supervision.

That depth of subject-matter knowledge anchors the firm's maritime practice and informs its civil, commercial and criminal work. Capt. Singh appears before the High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.

AcademicB.Sc. (PCM) · B.Sc. (Nautical Science) · LL.B.
Industry Career10 yrs Command at Sea · 14 yrs GM Marine Operations · 4 yrs Director Marine & Commercial Operations
CertificationsMaster (F.G.) · M.I.C.S. (UK)
Forums & FocusSupreme Court · High Courts · Admiralty Jurisdiction · Arbitration
The bench

Counsel you'll speak with directly.

Adv. Rahul Sharma
Senior Associate · Criminal Practice

Adv. Rahul Sharma

B.A., LL.B. · 25 years at the Bar

Twenty-five years of criminal practice spanning the Delhi District Courts and the High Courts of Delhi, Punjab & Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Trial defence, bail and anticipatory bail, criminal appeals, and Section 482 quashing petitions.

Adv. Devyani Mishra
Associate Counsel · Maritime

Adv. Devyani Mishra

LL.B. · LL.M.

Focused full-time on the firm's maritime practice. Has independently handled ship arrest and release proceedings under the Admiralty Act, 2017, and a range of seafarer matters — wage claims, repatriation issues and MLC 2006 disputes.

Adv. Shivani Jha
Legal Associate

Adv. Shivani Jha

B.A. LL.B. · Gold Medalist

Supports the firm's maritime and civil-commercial matters with drafting, legal research and hearing preparation, including ship arrest and release proceedings and seafarer disputes.

Adv. Chirag Sharma
Advocate · Maritime

Adv. Chirag Sharma

Advocate

Works on the firm's maritime and admiralty matters — ship arrest and release, charterparty and cargo claims, and seafarer disputes. Drafting, research, and hearing preparation in support of the maritime practice.

Adv. Anjali Singh
Associate Counsel · Maritime

Adv. Anjali Singh

Maritime & litigation

Works on the firm's maritime and admiralty matters — supporting ship arrest and release proceedings, cargo and charterparty claims, and seafarer disputes, with drafting, research, and hearing preparation. Careful attention to procedural compliance.

Interns & Fellows

Working with the practice.

Garima Nayyar
Intern · Research & Drafting

Garima Nayyar

Law Student · 3-year LL.B.

Supports the practice with legal research, drafting, and hearing preparation across matters. Works directly with associates and senior counsel.

How we work

A four-step engagement, every time.

Our process is deliberately structured. It ensures that no matter the complexity of the brief, you always know where things stand and what comes next.

i.

Initial consultation

A confidential conversation — in person, by phone, or over video — where we hear the matter, ask the right questions, and tell you honestly whether we can add value.

ii.

Case assessment

Document review and a written opinion outlining the legal position, options, indicative costs, and a realistic view of outcomes. No optimism without basis.

iii.

Strategy & engagement

A clear engagement letter, a defined scope of work, and a single lead counsel who is your point of contact from filing to final order.

iv.

Representation & reporting

Diligent prosecution or defence, with structured updates after every material development. Transparency is not optional — it is the practice.

Careers

Join the practice.

Legal Lighthouse grows by inviting careful, curious, and capable people who want to do serious work alongside senior counsel.

i.

For lawyers

Associate counsel · 0–5 years PQE

We're open to applications from qualified advocates with up to five years of post-qualification experience in any of our three practice areas — with a particular welcome for those drawn to maritime and admiralty work. Clear writing, careful research, and the temperament to work closely with senior counsel.

Please send your CV, a one-page cover note, and (where available) two recent writing samples.

ii.

For law students

Internships · Year-round intake

We accept applications from students in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th year of the integrated five-year LL.B. programme, or the 2nd or 3rd year of the three-year programme. Interns work directly with associates and senior counsel.

Please share your CV along with your year of study, university, and preferred internship dates.

Insights

Notes from the practice.

Short, practical notes on the matters we work on most often — written for clients, in-house teams, and counsel who want a working view rather than a textbook one.

Insights

Ship arrest in India: when can a vessel be detained?

Ship arrest is one of the most powerful remedies in maritime law. A vessel earning thousands of dollars a day in hire…

Read note →
Insights

P&I claims explained: how shipowners and charterers actually protect themselves

Every commercial vessel of any meaningful size carries two layers of insurance. The first is Hull and Machinery (H&M) — cover for…

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Insights

Seafarer wage & contract disputes: recovery under MLC and Indian law

A seafarer’s wage is, in legal terms, an unusual creature. It does not behave like an ordinary employment claim, and it does…

Read note →

Articles publish periodically as the workload allows. For specific questions on a matter — not just commentary — please contact the firm directly.

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Frequently asked

Answers to common questions.

If your question is not here, write to us directly — we typically respond within one working day.

Our practice centres on three areas: Admiralty & Maritime Law, Civil, Commercial & Corporate matters, and Criminal Defence. Our founding counsel's maritime background allows particularly deep work on shipping, charterparty disputes, ship arrest, marine insurance, P&I and cargo claims.

You may request a consultation through the enquiry form on this page, by email, or by phone at +91 98714 19797. We aim to respond to all enquiries within one working day and will confirm a mutually convenient time for the consultation.

Yes. All consultations and communications with our firm are kept strictly confidential and protected by attorney–client privilege under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (formerly the Indian Evidence Act). Information you share is used solely to assess and act on your matter.

Yes. While our principal office is in Delhi NCR, we appear in courts and tribunals across India where the subject matter and forum require — including the Bombay, Gujarat and Madras High Courts for admiralty matters, and the Supreme Court of India where so engaged. For matters in regions where local representation is preferable, we co-counsel with trusted associates.

Fees are discussed transparently at the time of engagement and depend on the nature, complexity, forum and likely duration of the matter. We follow the fee guidance issued by the Bar Council of India. Depending on the matter, we may offer fixed-fee engagements for defined scopes or hourly engagements where appropriate. A written engagement letter sets out the agreed fee basis before work commences.

At engagement we agree a communication cadence with you — typically including written updates after significant hearings or developments, prompt responses to your enquiries, and advance notice of upcoming filings or court dates. Our boutique structure means you communicate directly with the counsel working on your matter, not through intermediaries.

We work in English and Hindi. All written work product — pleadings, advice and correspondence — is typically prepared in English in line with the working language of most courts and tribunals. Hearings and client conversations are conducted in whichever language you are most comfortable with.

No. Submitting an enquiry, sending an email, or other initial communication does not by itself create a lawyer–client relationship. A formal relationship arises only after we have conducted a conflict check, agreed scope and fees, and signed an engagement letter. Until then, please do not send confidential information you would not wish disclosed.

"A good advocate is not the one who promises certainty, but the one who tells you, plainly, where you stand — and what may be done about it." — The practice, in a sentence
Get in touch

Speak with counsel.

Initial consultations are confidential and without obligation. We respond to all enquiries within one working day. Urgent maritime casualty and ship-arrest matters are answered out of hours — call or WhatsApp +91 98714 19797 directly.

Office

New Delhi, India
By appointment only

Phone

+91 98714 19797 +91 98101 16699

Mon–Sat · 10:00 – 19:00 IST

Email

contact@legallighthouse.co.in adv.pramod@legallighthouse.co.in

WhatsApp

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Request a consultation

All fields kept strictly confidential. We typically respond within one working day.