Law firms

Khaitan & Co projects and energy, infrastructure and resources partner Upendra Joshi has resigned from the partnership it is understood, according to authoritative sources.

HSA Advocates regulatory practice partner Sakya Chaudhuri has left the firm with his team including partner Avijeet Lala and recently promoted associate partner Anand Shrivastava, to start up their own venture.

“BlackBuck, the B2B intercity logistics startup, has raised Series C funding of $70 million in a round led by Sands Capital. Among existing investors, Accel and Flipkart participated in this round, while Tiger Global and Apoletto did not.

Link Legal India Law Services has hired Khaitan & Co Mumbai senior associate Alok Sonker as an associate partner in the corporate practice.

“Private equity firm Multiples has acquired a majority stake in HR technology and solutions provider PeopleStrong with an investment of around Rs 400 crore. Multiples, has made a “controlling investment” in PeopleStrong through a combination of primary and secondary investments, and sources close to the development said the deal value is around Rs 400 crore,” reported PTI.

Bharucha & Partners has promoted Mumbai senior associate Ajai Achuthan as its eighth partner.

Rajani Associates has promoted four principal associates - Amish Shroff, Amit Kolekar, Ankur Singhania and Mayur Shetty - to associate partner level, with effect of 1 April 2017, growing the partnership to a total of 13.

“Mumbai-based non-banking financial company (NBFC) InCred Finance, founded by former Deutsche Bank senior executive Bhupinder Singh, has secured $75 million in a funding round led by Deutsche Bank’s former co-CEO Anshu Jain. The latest investment is one of the largest fintech deals in India this year. The startup focusses on providing SME loans, home loans and education loans,” reported In Shorts.

“Terex Corporation is selling its India-based compact construction business to Manitou BF (Manitou). Manitou is a leader in all terrain material handling products. Terex Equipment Private Limited (TEPL) manufactures and sells backhoe loaders, engages in the sale of wheel loaders and contract manufactures and sells skid steer loaders,” reported Business Wire.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has fully funded a chair in “everyday ethics for the legal profession” at GNLU Gandhinagar for at least the next three years, which, if it succeeds, would become a template for the law firm contributing financially to other universities’ courses.

Platinum Partners Mumbai partner Gautam Bhat with associate Abhik Ghosh and associate Ushma Marwah, and Sidley Austin led by partner Manoj Bhargava, of counsel Vivek Baid, and associate Rishabh Gupta, advised Essar on the sale of its BPO subsidiary Aegis to Capital Square partners.

Berjis Desai, the former senior partner of J Sagar Associates (JSA), has, as long-planned, opted to retire at 60 rather than 65 and now gone independent as a so-called “private lawyer”, as his business card now says, styled on US-based individual lawyers specialising in advising mostly private persons rather than corporates.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) has promoted 11 principal associates to retained (salaried) partner level, reported Bar & Bench:

Trilegal has promoted Delhi disputes counsel Jafar Alam and Ashish Bhan into its all-equity partnership, which now numbers 37.

Boutique IP, tech, media and telecommunications firm, TMT Law Practice, and DPSA Legal, a Delhi-based dispute resolution and corporate advisory firm founded by former additional advocate general DP Singh have merged to become Arthe Law.