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Jaipur’s Chir Amrit Legal LLP opens in Mumbai, targets Delhi plus 6 other branches incl. London, Sing by 2020

Launchpad Jaipur?
Launchpad Jaipur?

Jaipur-based law firm Chir Amrit Legal LLP has opened an office in Fort, Mumbai on 7 September headed by its Jaipur corporate practice head and partner Ritu Soni.

Soni, who permanently relocated to Mumbai along with a chartered accountant from the Jaipur office, said: “There is a lot more work here. Bombay has got more scope and there is more variety, every kind of work is here. There is a lot more exposure – we have export houses or trading houses, real estate [among the clients].”

Soni told Legally India that Chir Amrit Legal LLP managing partner Sanjay Jhanwar, who started the firm three years ago, also founded the separate entity Chir Amrit Law Chambers 13 years ago and runs both independently. The Mumbai office is the first branch office opened by Jhanwar who also intends to open a Delhi office next year.

Soni said that two other professionals from the Jaipur office presently shuttle between Mumbai and Jaipur according to the work flow. The firm is looking to have a team of around seven professionals, including lawyers, chartered accountants and company secretaries, by the end of this financial year.

“It is an actual mix. While in Jaipur we have a greater percentage of corporate work, corporate and litigation really blend here [in Mumbai]. Therefore we are keeping the team in perfect blend – we are hiring chartered accountants and company secretaries as well,” she said.

The majority of clients of the firm in the city currently include the real estate sector and trading houses.

Soni added: “Basically in the past our managing partner and others kept on coming to Mumbai for some or the other work but the last entire year was too heavy on travelling to Mumbai.”

Soni graduated as a lawyer from the Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur in 2004, and obtained an LLM from the same university in 2006. She taught contracts and company law at NLU Jodhpur until 2008 when she joined Chir Amrit as an associate.

She was promoted to the senior associate level at the firm in 2010 and made partner in April 2012.

Jhanwar commented in an email: “Immediately upon opening of the Mumbai Branch, we have recruited five more lawyers at our Jaipur Office (and the process of recruiting two chartered accountants is in progress) so that we have enough resources for re-location to Gurgaon, which we plan to open later this year. The present strength of the firm is 22 – which would be 24 in a month’s time. As per ‘vision 2020’ of the firm, it proposes to open about 8 to 9 branches in next five years, including two international branches – probably at London and Singapore.”

Prakul Khurana, based in Jaipur, is the only other partner in the firm in addition to Jhanwar and Soni.

Jhanwar explained that the law firm was set up by him after practicing as a chartered accountant for about 11 years. “However, with the eventual growth, need was felt to have a partnership entity to enlarge the ownership-management base of the law firm and accordingly Chir Amrit Legal LLP was set up three years ago. Needless to mention that this was the very purpose behind bringing in the LLP law.

“Just to clarify, after setting up of the LLP entity, the new professional work is being carried out by the new entity and the existing clients of the proprietorship concern are gradually being shifted to the new entity so that there are no relationship and accounting issues in respect of the work under progress.  We expect that in about a year’s time the entire professional work of the proprietorship concern would be merged with the new partnership entity.  After all, a professional firm is nothing but a pool of professional resources (skills) and any firm with a long term vision cannot sustain and grow without a partnership model. All associates of the firm must have an assurance that if their performance is satisfactory, they are likely to be invited to join the partnership after about four to five years stint with the firm. That’s what is known to even a fresh professional joining the firm.”

The firm had moved into a bigger Jaipur office in 2010, Legally India had reported at the time.

Photo by xiquinhosilva

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