Former Khaitan & Co projects partner Upendra Joshi has joined Legasis Partners as a partner in Mumbai.

Legasis partner Apurv Sardeshmukh commented: “We have a projects practice which we’re going to build and develop with Upendra joining. He also gives impetus to our corporate practice, M&A, PPP, nuclear power and capital markets.”

A Pune University 1994 alumnus, Joshi had stints with Avinash Ganu & Associates, Little & Co and AZB & Partners before joining Khaitan in February 2005 as senior associate. He was a partner at Khaitan for the last 10 years. He had resigned Khaitan in April 2017, as first reported by us.

Commenting on Legasis, Joshi said: “I’ve been seeing the firm’s progress over the last couple of years and I think it has a unique bench strength in terms of both research capabilities and reach capabilities in terms of the practice areas.

“And on top of everything the way the firm has been driven it’s clear that they are hungry for growth and that is something always very exciting to be part of something which is wanting to grow. So that prospect was really what attracted me to it.”

He said that with his joining there is brand new strategy in place to build up the firm’s existing projects practice as well as focus on corporate, project finance, PPP, and then nuclear energy which he said was a field in itself.

Legasis now has five partners including Joshi, all of whom are in Mumbai. Uday Bopshetty joined in April as partner.

Khaitan executive director Amar Sinhji commented six months ago when Joshi left: “Upendra is leaving the firm to pursue other opportunities. He has been with us since 2005 and has contributed immensely to the growth of the firm. We wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.”

We reported today that Khaitan has hired Trilegal projects counsel Abhimanyu Ghosh in Delhi as an associate partner.