For Banks · NBFCs · ARCs · HFCs · All 39 DRTs · Senior-Led

Institutional Empanelment
Debt Recovery — DRT · SARFAESI · IBC · NI Act

Law firm empanelment for banks, NBFCs, ARCs, and HFCs seeking a single-specialty debt recovery firm. Unified Chambers and Associates handles DRT Original Applications, SARFAESI enforcement, IBC Section 7 CIRP petitions, Section 14 CMM applications, and NI Act Section 138 cheque bounce prosecution — across all 39 DRTs, 5 DRATs, and all NCLT benches in India.

Senior Partner Advocate Subodh Bajpai, LLM, MBA (XLRI Jamshedpur), personally handles each matter. Minimum matter value: ₹50 lakhs. No referrals to external counsel for any DRT bench or NCLT bench in India.

39
DRT Benches
Pan-India Coverage
5
DRATs
All Appellate Tribunals
16
NCLT Benches
IBC Matters
₹50L+
Minimum Matter
Institutional Focus
Why Empanel a Specialist Firm

Single-Specialty Practice. Senior-Led.
No Generalists. No Juniors.

Debt recovery practice under the RDDB Act, SARFAESI Act, IBC, and NI Act has become a highly technical, tribunal-specific discipline. A generalist panel counsel — one who also handles property disputes, family law, or criminal matters — cannot deliver the procedural depth and forum familiarity that institutional debt recovery demands.

Faster Turnaround, No Learning Curve

A single-specialty firm knows every DRT bench's procedural preferences, every NCLT bench's listing schedule, and every standard borrower defence tactic. There is no orientation period when a new matter is referred — strategy begins on day one.

Senior Advocate on Every Matter

Unified Chambers does not assign matters to junior advocates or trainees. Advocate Subodh Bajpai personally appears on all panel matters. The institution's legal team has a direct line to the senior partner on every file at all times.

All 39 DRTs — No Referrals

Panel engagements that require external referrals for out-of-bench DRT appearances introduce coordination gaps, inconsistent strategy, and additional fee layers. Unified Chambers covers all 39 DRT benches and all 5 DRAT benches directly.

Consistent SLA and Reporting

A dedicated practice means standardised reporting templates, predictable response times, and a single point of contact for the institution's legal and credit teams across all active matters on the panel.

Scope of Empanelment

Six Practice Areas.
One Empanelment Agreement.

Institutions may empanel Unified Chambers for the full scope or for specific practice areas only. Each practice area is managed with a dedicated matter register, forum-specific reporting, and direct senior advocate accountability.

DRT Original Applications & DRAT Appeals

Filing and prosecution of Original Applications before all 39 Debt Recovery Tribunals under the RDDB Act, 1993. Interim attachment applications under Section 19(7). Recovery Certificate execution. DRAT appeals and cross-objections before all 5 Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals.

DRT Practice Overview

SARFAESI Section 13 Enforcement

End-to-end SARFAESI enforcement: Section 13(2) demand notices, Section 13(4) possession, symbolic and physical possession proceedings, e-auction coordination, and management of borrower challenges. Covers both secured creditors under Section 13 and Assignment scenarios under Section 5.

SARFAESI Practice Overview

Section 14 CMM / DM Applications

Applications before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or District Magistrate for appointment of an advocate commissioner to assist in taking physical possession of secured assets. Management of CMM/DM proceedings to completion, including contested opposition hearings.

SARFAESI Practice Overview

IBC Section 7 CIRP Petitions

Filing of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process petitions before NCLT as financial creditors under IBC Section 7. Committee of Creditors participation, resolution plan evaluation, liquidation proceedings, and representation before NCLAT on IBC matters.

Banking NPA Practice Overview

NI Act Section 138 Cheque Bounce

Prosecution of cheque dishonour complaints across trial courts in Delhi and pan-India. Interim compensation applications under Section 143A. Appeals before Sessions Courts and High Courts. Coordination of cheque bounce prosecution as part of a broader multi-forum recovery strategy.

Cheque Bounce Practice

High Court Writs & Appeals

Writ petitions before the Delhi High Court and Bombay High Court challenging SARFAESI stays, DRT procedural orders, and CMM/DM decisions. Appellate representation in debt recovery matters at High Court level, and Special Leave Petitions before the Supreme Court of India.

Discuss a HC Matter
Empanelment Criteria Met

Credentials and Qualifications
Verified and on Record

All empanelment documentation — enrollment certificates, academic credentials, registration numbers — is available for the institution's legal or compliance team review during the empanelment process.

01
Bar Council of Delhi
Enrolled advocate — Bar Council of Delhi enrollment number on record
02
Delhi High Court
Enrolled as an advocate on the rolls of the Delhi High Court
03
Supreme Court of India
Enrolled as an advocate on record — Supreme Court of India
04
LLM — Master of Laws
Postgraduate degree in law — specialist academic training in commercial and financial law
05
MBA — XLRI Jamshedpur
Master of Business Administration from XLRI Jamshedpur — financial and commercial analytical framework applied to debt recovery strategy
06
Single-Specialty Practice
Practice limited exclusively to debt recovery since enrollment — DRT, SARFAESI, IBC, NI Act 138, and related High Court matters
Geographic and Forum Coverage

All 39 DRTs. All 5 DRATs.
Every NCLT Bench. No Referrals.

Panel institutions do not need to maintain separate empanelment arrangements for different DRT cities. Unified Chambers handles all forum appearances directly, ensuring strategy continuity and a single reporting line regardless of the bench where a matter is filed.

Debt Recovery Tribunals
All 39 DRTs — Delhi (I, II, III), Mumbai (I, II), Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Patna, Guwahati, Ernakulam, and all remaining benches
Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals
All 5 DRATs — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Allahabad
National Company Law Tribunals
All 16 NCLT benches for IBC Section 7 and Section 9 matters — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Allahabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Cuttack, Amravati, Guwahati, Indore, Mumbai (II)
High Courts
Delhi High Court (primary) · Bombay High Court
Supreme Court of India
Special Leave Petitions and Civil Appeals in debt recovery matters

For matters requiring physical presence at outstation DRT benches (outside Delhi and Mumbai), the firm coordinates directly without intermediary referral counsel. Travel and outstation appearance costs, if applicable, are agreed in advance as part of the empanelment fee schedule.

Empanelment Process

Four Steps to Empanelment
Straightforward. No Bureaucratic Delay.

The empanelment process is designed to be efficient for the institution's legal or compliance team. From initial inquiry to agreement execution, the standard timeline is 5 to 10 working days.

01

Initial Inquiry

Submit an empanelment inquiry by email to legal@unifiedchambers.com or via WhatsApp (+91 84008 60008). Include the institution's name, type (bank / NBFC / ARC / HFC), anticipated practice areas, and approximate annual matter volume.

02

Firm Profile Submission

Unified Chambers submits the firm profile package: enrollment certificates (Bar Council of Delhi, Delhi High Court, Supreme Court), academic credentials, matter experience overview, GST and PAN details, and any additional documents required by the institution's empanelment policy.

03

Review and Discussion

The institution's legal or credit department reviews the profile. A call or meeting is arranged to discuss the firm's approach, fee structure, reporting formats, SLAs, and any specific panel requirements. Questions on coverage, minimum matter value, or practice scope are addressed at this stage.

04

Empanelment Agreement

On completion of the review, an empanelment agreement is executed setting out the scope of the panel, fee schedule, reporting obligations, and SLA commitments. First matter referrals may proceed immediately upon execution.

Reporting & Transparency

Structured Reporting for Every Matter.
24-Hour Response Standard.

Institutions empanelling Unified Chambers receive structured, timely reporting on every active matter. Legal teams and credit departments have consistent visibility into matter status without having to chase panel counsel for updates.

Monthly Status Reports

A structured monthly status report for each active matter — covering last date, next date, stage of proceedings, summary of developments, and recommended action. Delivered by the 5th of each month.

Milestone Updates

Immediate updates on key developments — interim attachment orders, possession taken, auction date fixed, NCLT admission, or any adverse order — within 24 hours of the event.

24-Hour Response SLA

All queries from the empanelling institution's legal or credit team are responded to within 24 working hours. For urgent matters — injunctions, possession challenges — same-day response is the standard.

Standardised Reporting Format

Reports are delivered in the institution's preferred format. A standard Unified Chambers format is available and can be adapted to match existing internal legal MIS requirements.

Annual Matter Summary

An annual summary for each matter covering recovery achieved, costs incurred, forum activity, and pending milestones — supporting the institution's internal NPA provisioning and legal cost reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Empanelment — Common Queries

What documents does Unified Chambers provide for empanelment?+
For empanelment documentation, Unified Chambers provides: Bar Council of Delhi enrollment certificate, Delhi High Court enrollment certificate, Supreme Court enrollment certificate, academic credentials (LLM certificate and MBA certificate from XLRI Jamshedpur), PAN card and GST registration, firm profile with matter experience overview, and a draft empanelment agreement for the institution's review. Additional documentation required by a specific institution's empanelment policy — such as income tax returns, audit reports, or professional indemnity certificates — can be furnished upon request.
Is there a minimum matter value for empanelled matters?+
Unified Chambers has a firm-wide minimum matter value of ₹50 lakhs. This threshold applies to all empanelled work. Matters below ₹50 lakhs are not accepted, regardless of the institution or forum. This minimum reflects the firm's exclusive focus on institutional and high-value debt recovery, ensuring that every matter on the panel receives adequate senior-advocate attention and is commercially viable for sustained high-quality representation. Institutions with a large volume of mid-sized matters may wish to confirm their average ticket size before proceeding to an empanelment inquiry.
Do you cover matters outside Delhi?+
Yes. Unified Chambers appears before all 39 Debt Recovery Tribunals and all 5 Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals across India without referrals to external counsel. The firm also appears before all 16 NCLT benches for IBC matters, the Delhi High Court, the Bombay High Court, and the Supreme Court of India. Outstation DRT and NCLT appearances are handled directly by the firm, ensuring consistent strategy, reporting standards, and communication with the empanelling institution throughout the lifecycle of every matter.
How are fees structured for empanelled clients?+
Fee structures for empanelled institutions are agreed at the time of empanelment and may be fixed per-matter, retainer-based, or a combination of both, depending on the volume and nature of the institution's anticipated referral flow. The empanelment agreement sets out the applicable schedule. Fees are billed per matter with itemised invoices and GST compliance. There are no success fees or contingency arrangements — the firm operates on a professional retainer or fixed-fee model consistent with Bar Council norms. Specific fee structures are discussed during the empanelment process after an initial profile review.
Can we empanel for one practice area only?+
Yes. An institution may empanel Unified Chambers for a single practice area — for example, DRT Original Applications only, or NI Act Section 138 cheque bounce prosecution only. Partial or practice-specific empanelment is common among institutions that already have panel arrangements for certain forums and wish to consolidate only specific work streams. The empanelment agreement is scoped accordingly, and the firm maintains separate matter tracking and reporting for each practice area, enabling the institution's legal department to manage panel performance by forum or matter type.
Initiate Empanelment

Empanel a Specialist
Debt Recovery Firm

Complete the inquiry form and a senior member of the firm will respond within one business day with the firm profile and empanelment documentation.

We respond within one business day.
Email
legal@unifiedchambers.com
WhatsApp & Phone
+91 84008 60008
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