Kochhar & Co has started a niche corporate fraud, ethics and integrity practice by hiring expatriate solicitor Abhinav Mohindru as partner and consultant from a UK regional firm.

Mohindru (pictured) joined the New Delhi headquarters of Kochhar & Co a week ago, prior to which he was a practicing solicitor with the Manchester-based law firm Burrows Bussin for two years.

The firm said that Mohindru's PIO (Person of Indian Origin) status and his England & Wales solicitors license entitled him to engage in non-contentious advocacy and consultancy work within the confines of Indian law, although he would not be allowed to appear before a court.

The firm's new department headed by Mohindru will focus on areas such as corporate and commercial fraud, clinical and professional negligence and professional standards.  

While, the ethics and integrity aspects of the practice would include rendering of advice to foreign companies and Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies in their dealings with Indian Government departments and officials, said Mohindru.

It will also involve formulation of anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies and ethics compliance audits for companies.

Mohindru told Legally India: "It's a wonderful opportunity and India is where it's all happening. I've always wanted to have the opportunity - in some shape or form - in my lifetime to come back to where I'm originally from, and to be a part of India's growth."

"I've relocated from somewhere I've lived for 29 years," he said, adding that Kochhar & Co was a pioneering law firm and the first to offer this practice area.

Mohindru completed his bachelors of law from the University of Wales in 2003 and was admitted as a solicitor by the Law Society of England & Wales in 2006. He also worked with solicitors WH Matthews & Co before his stint at Burrows Bussin.

Kochhar & Co now has 21 partners and five senior partners in addition to managing partner and chairman Rohit Kochhar.

Kochhar & Co made two recent lateral hires with ex-Seth Dua and Corporate Law Group partners inductions while technology and media partner Rodney Ryder left Kochhar & Co in June to start his own firm called Scriboard.