Rukshad Davar joined last Thursday as the firm's fifth equity partner, taking with him two paralegals who worked with him in his start-up practice Rukshad Davar & Assorunniciates.

Davar had worked at P&A Associates around two years ago, before setting up his own firm. Explaining why he had taken the step at the time he said: "Certain clients approached me and I said, 'Let me give it a shot.'

"Things were working out well and then afterwards, I came across the need that the integration of a bigger practice is preferred. Clients were looking for a full service law firm and I was dealing only with an M&A and corporate practice."

He added that since his firm was a running practice almost all his clients were likely to move with him to Bharucha & Partners.

Bharucha's co-founding partner Alka Bharucha said she was pleased to have him on board. "He's rare in that he's both a chartered accountant and solicitor – he adds to our corporate M&A and tax practice significantly."

She added that the firm would be looking to grow organically and inorganically in future, as a function of the market. "We didn't expect to grow so much in the last year but we have."

Bharucha & Partners was formed almost one-and-a-half years ago when Alka Bharucha and MP Bharucha left Amarchand Mangaldas to set up on their own with part of their former team.

The Mumbai-based firm now consists of five partners, 25 associates and around 10 trainees.