Last Monday's buzz was all about Justice Markandey Katju’s retirement, one of India’s most well-known and divisive apex court judges.

Today Court Witness, with tears welling in eyes, looks at one week without the Katju circus and remembers the typical day before his bench that is now the stuff of legends.

In the land of law firms KJSV has rebooted its Mumbai office after the departure of name partner Jayakar who set up his own practice leaving KJSV with the rebranded and catchier name of KS Partners.

Over in Pune a former India Law Services senior associate has expanded his projects boutique start-up, forging a Delhi alliance office and eyeing up Mumbai.

Green energy company Gadhia Solar has hired IP lawyer Vinay Dwarkadas as its first general counsel.

Today also saw the kick-off of the official state visit between Ken Clarke, the UK’s justice secretary, and his various Indian counterparts, talking mostly it would seem about legal market liberalisation – or lack thereof. More later this week on Legally India.

One of the bodies closely involved in all this is the Bar Council of India, which of course also has the duty of organising the next All India Bar Exam. The date has been ‘fixed’ for roughly around December and this time, apparently due to “practical difficulties”, graduates can again sign an affidavit that they will practise but only if they pass the next exam. High pressure stuff for the grads.

Event announcement: Participate in the Bribery and Corruption Seminars: 18th October Delhi, 21st October Mumbai. Speaker and sponsorship opportunities available.

Deals & Cases of the Week

• Singhania & Partners vs Microsoft competition appeal in 10 weeks after prelim green light from Compat

• Naukri-Zomato ties; Fortis mega-restructure; Vishwa Olympus-NEA PE action; Indo-Hispanic hose JV; Cox & Kings-Maharaja Express fight; more…

• Vishnu Jerome’s Alliance with Credit Suisse; Amarchand-Minter-CC’s $1.2bn GVK Oz; Vaish CM; Alstom restructures; Viacom gets John Doe…

Mooting Premier League 3

• 3-moot Sunday: Nalsar, NLSIU, GLC victories at Henry Dunant, B R Sawhney, Surana Trial South; NLU-J, NLSIU in MPL 3 lead

• GNLU wins Surana Trial Moot North, NLU Jodhpur takes early MPL3 lead

Legally Wired

• 5 law firms get stuck into Nat’l Competition Policy; NUJS ties up with IIM; Bombay HC rules against IPL Kochi; Wockhardt FCCB case takes its time…
• Delta Corp’s FDI gambling plans; SILF talks foreign firms in Chennai; Record Maha Adalat; C Achuthan RIP; Pakistan Facebook ban case & more…
• HC pendency increased 2010; CCI clears Wockhardt-Danone; More court CCTV & more…
• SC queries TRAI 2G zero-loss report; Lalit Bhasin fights terrorists; Attempted suicide to be no crime; Bombay HC nulls state Wakf Board; Kasab amicus…

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