Khaitan & Co has bolted on Delhi technology media and telecommunications (TMT) practice start-up Legal Spectrums and its founder Asim Abbas as a partner and  has hired two lawyers from telecoms major BT's offshore legal centre in Gurgaon.

Abbas (pictured) set up Legal Spectrums in January 2008 as a niche telecoms boutique firm, after having worked as vice president legal at Bharti Airtel.

Abbas said: "This was a next logical step to get scale and size, and Khaitan being a professional organisation and my practice area perfectly fits here. I hope to develop a good telecom practice to develop a good gamut and develop a team with experience."

He added that the operating on his own size with only two or three staff prevented him in getting the big ticket work, despite having had good access to telecom companies and being instructed on smaller matters.

Khaitan & Co partner Rabindra Jhunjhunwala said: "We'll be launching a TMT practice in Delhi."

"We already have a large telecom practice - in fact we've been involved in most of the big transactions – but what Asim is adding is capability on the media and entertainment side and a huge clientele in a specialist niche area."

Abbas joined Khaitan & Co in Delhi as a partner today (1 April) with one associate from his former practice.

Abbas told Legally India last year that when setting up a law firm followed a model with low infrastructure overheads operating out of his residence, to quickly create a revenue stream from clients.

In Mumbai Khaitan & Co has also hired a partner to start up its banking and finance practice and another partner to bolster its infrastructure team.