AZB & Partners senior partner and chief executive officer (CEO) Abhijit Joshi will leave by 15 November.

It is understood that an announcement was made to AZB’s partnership yesterday about Joshi’s departure.

Joshi confirmed his leaving and that he would explore entrepreneurial pursuits, but declined to comment further.

Joshi is a Mumbai University graduate who became a Bombay Incorporate Law Society solicitor, completing his articles under Amarchand Mangaldas managing partner Cyril in the early nineties. He also became a qualified Solicitor of England & Wales.

From Amarchand, he joined Dua Associates and as a partner in 2001 he joined the Chambers of Zia Mody, as it was then called, as its first lateral partner when Mody’s chambers converted to a partnership of four.

AZB name partner Bahram Vakil joined shortly afterwards, creating CZB, followed by now-J Sagar Associates (JSA) partner Akshay Chudasama, and a merger with Delhi-based Ajay Bahl in 2004 to create AZB & Partners.

Joshi was appointed as AZB’s CEO in 2011, as reported by Legally India at the time, managing the Western region of the firm – the Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune offices - alongside AZB Mumbai-based managing partner Mody.

He specialises in corporate and M&A, and has led on such landmark deals as the Rs 5,150 crore Tech Mahindra - Satyam Computer Services merger.

Mody commented: “Abhijit has had a long innings with us and has been a valued member of our Firm. He very much wants to pursue his own entrepreneurial path and start up  on his own. We will miss him. We wish him all the very best for the future.”