127 Years Of Legacy
Founded in 1896 by John Kerr Fox and Gokul Chandra Mandal, Fox & Mandal (F&M) is one of India’s oldest full-service law firms. Since our incorporation, we have remained committed to the service of our clients, people, and the legal community. At F&M, we have achieved the rare distinction of continued existence for 127 years in an ecosystem where longevity has disappeared.
Our legacy is the cornerstone of our practice. We use our wealth of experience to provide reliable and practical solutions to our clients. We began with two partners in our office by the Calcutta High Court. Today, the Fox & Mandal team serves across India through its offices in Kolkata and New Delhi providing creative and comprehensive solutions to our clients on various issues.
Over the years, Fox & Mandal has transitioned itself from a family-driven entity to a fully professional organisation, which is a testament to its adaptability to the challenges of time in a fast-changing world while retaining its spatial connection to its genesis.
Constantly adapting to client requirements, the firm has recently launched Fox & Mandal Consulting Solutions Private Limited, a division for providing management and financial advice. Our consulting team is led by experienced professionals, including Chartered Accountants, Costs & Works Accountants, management experts and Company Secretaries.
Whilst we continue to expand our footprint across the country, the firm continues to operate from the same office where John Kerr Fox and G.C. Mandal started their journey together in the building which is more than 200 years old now.
Traversing through three centuries the firm has thrived and remains one of the premier law firms in the country.
1896
Our Logo
Our Logo
Fox & Mandal, established in 1896, continues as the original partnership firm established in Calcutta.
It has no connection with any other law firms with similar sounding names, including one established in 1984 and the other in 1996. A wicked branding programme thus remained to be solved by Fox & Mandal leaders when the firm turned 125 in 2021; that was distinguishing the name of the firm and its brand identity from the other similar sounding law firms.
Creating a completely new brand name and identity would have meant abandoning the invaluable goodwill and equity of the Firm built over three different centuries.
To find the answer, we had to return to the original brand questions:
Q: What is the unchanging core of the Fox & Mandal established in 1896?
A: The original co-founders: J.K. Fox and G.C. Mandal, not just Mandals or members of one family.
Q: What belongs uniquely to Fox & Mandal that doesn’t belong to the other two firms?
A: The date of birth is 1896, instead of 1984 and 1996.
Against this backdrop, we articulated in our logo the unchanging core of the brand Fox & Mandal. We stated in such a way that it did not remind ANYBODY of the other firms. We finalized an identity anchored in the faces of the original co-founders and their names with the year of establishment.
Fox & Mandal, which thrived over time, has a core belief that never changes and, on the other hand, the ability to adapt to every change in its stakeholders’ lives.
Here is to another 125 years!
Our Journey
Fox & Mandal was started by G. C. Mandal and J. K. Fox in equal partnership.
John Kerr Fox died on October 24, 1921, at the age of 57.
The partnership was reconstituted in 1922 when R. C. Pyne, Solicitor was admitted as a partner.
G.C. Mandal’s only son, Sudhir Kumar Mandal (SK), was admitted as a partner.
Gokul Chandra died on November 28, 1930.
S.K. Mukherjee (a future Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly) was admitted to the partnership with S.K. Mandal.
Sarashi Bhusan Mandal was inducted as a partner.
R.N. Dhar joined Fox & Mandal as a partner.
The partnership was reorganised to admit Dinabandhu Mandal into the partnership.
The Incorporated Law Society of Calcutta recognizes S.K. Mandal for his fifty years in the legal profession.
S.B. Mandal passed away. Arun Kumar Mandal, Saila Kumar Dhar, and Asoke Kumar Dhar, were admitted into the partnership.
S.K. Mandal retired. He passed away later that year.
Debanjan Mandal joined the firm as an apprentice.
Debanjan enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of West Bengal.
The partnership was reconstituted with the admission of Debanjan as a partner.
Fox & Mandal LLP incorporated as a limited liability partnership by the partners of Fox & Mandal.
A branch of the Firm is started in AJC Bose Road, Kolkata
Dinabandhu Mandal expires.
The Firm turns 125.
The Firm went through an internal restructuring.
Kunal Vajani, a Solicitor of Mumbai entered into partnership with the Firm.
The Firm branches out to New Delhi.
India Post releases Special Cover to commemorate the 125 years of Fox & Mandal.
A. K. Mandal expires.
Our Stamp
India Post’s Special Cover links Fox & Mandal’s past with its continuing story of growth and adaptation in a changing world, while offering a glimpse of the firm’s legal heritage in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata), the former capital of British India. The stamp is a visual metaphor of the journey that has spanned generations of lawyers.
Many of Fox & Mandal’s memorable and defining legal battles were fought in Calcutta High Court. The image of the High Court in the background of the stamp, a part of it fading as if into the past; the picture of Fox & Mandal’s two founders, J.K. Fox and G.C. Mandal; the typography are all part of the attempt to tell a story — a narrative of progress and professionalism shaped by the principles the firm was established in 1896.
The sketches of some of the columns on each side of the main gate of the High Court with its figures signifying justice, reassurance and learning, formed part of the backdrop of the special cover. In this fusion of the past and the present lies the impetus for the future.
Our Vision 
Our Mission 
Our Values To be a multidisciplinary global law firm driven by expertise and to build lasting relationships.
- To be a full-service law firm with expertise across different domains and disciplines
- To deliver exceptional service of international standards, globally
- To consistently collaborate and adapt to achieve client satisfaction
- To provide customized, innovative, and state-of-the-art legal solutions with optimum utilization of technology
- To invest in the development of human capital through learning & development and to build thought leaders.
- To foster happiness and be a socially responsible organization
- Integrity:We conduct ourselves with an unwavering adherence to professional and ethical principles by acting with honesty and transparency.
- Adaptability:We strive to evolve with the times, to emerge stronger and better.
- Collaborative:We value teamwork, shared responsibility and are receptive to ideas and opinions of all stakeholders.
- Commitment:We exemplify dedication with intensity in everything we do.
- Excellence:We deliver exceptional quality to exceed expectations whilst achieving the highest standards.
Culture
Fox & Mandal’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, professional growth, and a vibrant work culture is deeply rooted in the firm’s rich history and its vision for the future, making it an attractive proposition for established legal professionals and aspiring graduates looking to make a meaningful impact in the legal industry.
