Former Clifford Chance senior associate Rishi Gautam will join AZB & Partners in Mumbai as a corporate partner in January.

Gautam confirmed his joining and said that he looked forward to being part of the firm in the New Year.

Mumbai managing partner Zia Mody commented: “We are delighted that Rishi is coming back home and joining us. We look forward to having him on board.”

The 2001 NLSIU Bangalore graduate had left Amarchand Mangaldas in 2006 to move to the Sydney office of Freehills, which has since merged with Herbert Smith to become Herbert Smith Freehills.

In 2008 he moved to London to join Clifford Chance, where he worked until 2012 and then joined a subsidiary of global e-commerce giant Amazon.

At Clifford Chance Gautam had worked in the team of the firm’s India M&A head Mark Poulton, who is now also London corporate head, and India group partner Sumesh Sawhney, who has since joined Jones Day.