Saraf disputes will be down to half its size. They will find it very difficult to replace Manmeet. He is the 4th from the Luthra set to exit after Gayatri (IP), Sachit (real estate) and Murtaza (capital markets). There is news that post Murtaza’s exit to Trilegal, the partners were asked to sign new contracts which were quite onerous and one sided and Manmeet and his team refused to sign up to those. This reminds me of the time when Mohit Saraf had introduced three year lock-ins in the associate contracts at Luthra which required the associates to claw back 40 percent of their retainers if they left before three years.

Having worked with the team for over 3 months soon after graduating, my assessment is as follows:

1. Electricity partner (Delhi NCR)- Has a small vertical of one associate, who prepares most first cuts, which are then reviewed by the partner. He mainly has discom clients. The volume of the work is good but quality could be better.

2. IBC partner (Delhi NCR)- He mainly works on IBC mandates. Almost all associates, except the ones who directly report to Manmeet/electricity partner/Mumbai team, work under him. The associates staffed in his vertical complain about lack of legal inputs / guidance coming their way from this partner. Many have complained against him in the past but he always got off scot free.

3. Disputes partner (Mumbai)- Although I barely got the chance to work with him, I heard that he is a kind person to work with. Not sure about the team composition now but during my time at Saraf, there was only one SA under him. His vertical was doing the Byju matter, as per B&B.

If you're planning to apply with this team, try working directly with Manmeet. His inputs on the matters are genuinely omniscient. He is respected in the industry and has a good clientele. You will learn much better with him.

I hope this is helpful.

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But none of this matters because CAM is a work factory and will generate enough for Manmeet. Whether he could be a sun in his own right or just be another golden-ish button in the firm is the story. In Saraf, assuming Saraf does become larger, and that is still a developing story notwithstanding the relatively good 3 years, he was always the Sun.

This is classic example of river joining the ocean. MMS has huge clients. He has one of the best practice and insane client base. You name the biggies - L&T, IDFC, JSW, etc. He has them. He is meant to work with big places and synergies. Happy for him.

Now, coming to work culture, it’s difficult. Being in CAM, his team will definitely get good pay (and not discriminatory pay like SP). But, work culture may become challenging given the pressure and cut throat competition at CAM.

Team Sanjeev has the single AOR Sanya Sud who pretty much does all SC filings including those of MMS when he was in saraf. Work wise, he should be able to absorb everything for the firm.

It's also firm wide knowledge that Sanjeev did work from other partners and MS's clients.MS generally had clients of his own, which I am sure he will take with him

The discretionary bonus things is a sham. That was used as a tool to promote favouritism. Only the people who sucked up to the partners/seniors got the extra money. And guess what the funny thing is - the people who got the extra bonus still left the firm and now the partners were left with the people who they underpaid and they are on their way to quit soon (or already have). Karma hit them really hard.

Ha ha!! That's utter nonsense. Team Bikash and Team Vaibhav are the biggest revenue earners at the Firm and that is a fact known to one and all. Team Sanjeev did have a good run last year, but most of it was executing work generated by others. MMS had solid reputation in the market from not only a marketing and strategic thinking perspective. It sure is a hard loss for S&P. Sad that they couldn't retain him

My dear friend, it does one no credit to reveal oneself as an unintelligent donkey. I am neither part of CAM nor anyone's employee. Instead of drinking the water of the usual lala firm narrative that is peddled on this forum, why do you not ponder over why such persons may desire to join such a firm. Once you do you will realise the truth - that people such as yourself and the bumpkin to whom I responded know not a thimble of the reality of the socio-economic dynamics of the profession. I advise you to focus on your work and cease speculating about such issues that are perhaps unfathomable to you. Have a good day.

Thank you for your cogent and perceptive comment. It is unfortunate that people like Manmeet / Manan who have decades of experience, did not have the opportunity to consult you and drink your wisdom prior to taking such a decision. Had they the blessing of even a five minute conversation with you and the benefit of your penetrating intelligence, I am sure they would have chosen differently.

You are so naive. Manan's team at Indus at Indus used to get highest bonus as compared to any other team at Indus. Ask any A2 and above from that team and compare their salaries with similar PQE from other big firms including the so called highest paymaster Trilegal, you will see that earning of people at Indus was more than that of their counterparts in other firms. In Indus cap marks, there was something known as discretionary bonus over and above the annual package, and most of the people above A1, used to get a handsome money through this. THAT TOO with a far better work culture and flexibility.

If my memory serves me right (which it does), isn’t it just adorable how Manmeet couldn’t wait to ditch Saraf after their little escape from Luthra? I mean, who needs loyalty when you can jump to a shiny new venture, right? It’s not like Saraf is barely keeping it together or anything. Classic! Serves the firm right after all.

Insiders, was it a sweet exit or any sour grapes? and I am hearing little chirps about another one coming soon?

[Mod note- Merged from another thread]

Something is really happening at CAM.. people like Manan and Manmeet literally ran the show at their old firms and has huge money with them as well. Still they chose to work under (and not with) Lalaji. Their freedom, their ways to run the practice would be curtailed to a significant extent.

Manmeet is jumping to Cyril after having spent 2 decades with Mohit!

He was part of the management committee, one of the few senior partners, managed to get a freehand on how to run the practice, and enjoyed solid rep in the market.

At CAM, he will be just one of the many litigation partners and doubt will get the same freedom he enjoyed with Mohit.

What’s the juice here?