Kochhar & Co has hired Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS) partner Rahul Ray as a senior partner, while Ray’s team member Vikram Bajaj joined as a joint partner.

Ray is LKS’ practice head of commercial litigation in Delhi, while Bajaj is a joint partner specialising in original jurisdiction, writ jurisdiction, criminal law and arbitration.

Ray had joined Khaitan in 1997.

Both had joined LKS in 2011 from Khaitan & Co, when Ray and his team joined the Delhi litigation team of LKS with Khaitan senior associate Shahana Farah and their team of five lawyers, including then-senior associates Vikram Bajaj and Anil Dutt, and associate Kumar Mihir.

According to Kochhar’s press release, Nikhil Singhal is also joining Kochhar as a principal associate.

Farah remains a partner at LKS, according to Linked-in.

LKS partner Badri Narayanan commented: “We wish Rahul Ray and Vikram Bajaj the very best for their new endeavour and thank them for their contributions to our firm during their stint with us.”