Law firms

Luthra & Luthra has come out as possibly the first Indian law firm to publicly announce the names of its new partners, partner designates, managing associates and senior associates (57 names, all in all).

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai partner Vijayendra Pratap Singh will join AZB & Partners Delhi, Singh has officially confirmed.

AZB & Partners has promoted five to partner in Delhi.

Link Legal India Law Services has hired two lateral partners, with Harish Kumar joining from DMD Advocates, and Shubha Karra joining from Argus Partners.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has hired AZB & Partners litigation partner Sidhartha Barua as a litigation partner in Delhi with seven AZB fee-earners.

Luthra & Luthra has hired Samvad Partners corporate partner Apurva Jayant in Mumbai, Bar & Bench has reported.

Luthra & Luthra has promoted 6 to its partnership, and eight to partner designate level.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas partner VP Singh may join AZB & Partners.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas has promoted 16 to its partnership, and internally announced the promotion of ex-Cognizant Anand Bhushan that was first reported by us on 4 July.

"Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax India Holdings Corp. ... said it had agreed to acquire a 51% stake in Privi Organics Ltd for about Rs 370 crore. Privi Organics is a supplier of aroma chemicals to many large fragrance and consumer goods companies globally.” reported Mint.

Pursuant to the liberalisation of foreign investment in the insurance sector, Prism Cement sold 23% out of its 74% stake in Raheja QBE General Insurance Company to an affiliate of QBE Asia Pacific Holdings for Rs 110 crore (AUD 21.5m).

According to a copy of the minutes of the meeting of Society of Indian Law Firms (Silf) members on Monday, the SILF “decided to organise an interaction over dinner” with the recently re-appointed new law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the minister of state PP Chaudhary and law secretary Suresh Chandra, who is spearheading the liberalisation talks.

PDS Legal and Desai & Diwanji together acted for the Wadia group-owned airline GoAir in its order to buy another 72 Airbus 320 NEO aircrafts for around $7.7bn.

Shearman & Sterling, DLA Piper, White & Case and Allen & Overy had the largest number of recorded Indian M&A deals in the first six months of 2016, according to data intelligence provider mergermarket, each with five or four transactions.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has topped the list of 13 domestic law firms’ M&A mandates by value of deals done with $6.2bn worth of transactions, followed by AZB & Partners and Vaish Associates, with stronger performances across the board than at the same time last year.

The Society of Indian Law Firms (Silf) meeting held in Delhi yesterday (11 July) to discuss its response and position to the Government proposal to liberalise the legal market, has seen the body set up a high-powered committee without any fundamental disagreements voiced about the next steps to take, according to several people who were present.