Law firms

Mumbai private equity boutique ARA Law has promoted two principal associates, Rowena De Sousa and Avik Karmakar, to salaried partner level.

Gammon India has sold nine Indian project companies of Gammon Infrastructure Projects to a subsidiary of US asset management giant Brookfield Asset Management for around Rs 563 crore.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) has finished its executive committee election, inducting three new members into the now-seven-strong committee, according to the firm’s press release.

Former Luthra & Luthra Delhi litigation partner Ashish Prasad is now a partner in Economic Laws Practice’ Delhi disputes practice, according to a press release from the firm.

Prasad, who was poached by ELP from Luthra, is the sixth partner in ELP’s Delhi office, after counting associate partners as well, according to ELP’s emailed announcement confirming his joining the firm.

He is a 2003-graduate alumnus of Delhi University’s law school and also had a stint at Lall & Sethi before Luthra and ELP.

His expertise includes commercial litigation, intellectual property, contracts, government and regulatory work in telecom, infrastructure, FMCG, pharma, information technology, media, foreign investments and the defence sector, according to ELP’s press release.

Birla Corporation bought the Eastern cement plants of Lafarge for Rs 5000 crore from Lafarge India following the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order for the French company to divest itself of the units after its Rs $44bn merger with Holcim.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has unveiled its new logo and high-powered strategic advisory board today.

Former MNK associate Abhijit Mittal and his law school friend advocate Dhruv Rohatgi, have started ADAZ Law Chambers.

Former JDS Law Chambers founding partner Jivesh Chandrayan merged his firm into Kochhar & Co and joined Kochhar as a partner in its Delhi corporate practice.

The Delhi university LLB and Cardiff University LLM graduate Chandrayan commented in Kochhar’s press release: “I am excited to be part of the Kochhar team and look forward to significantly contributing to the firm’s growth as part of the Corporate & M&A Practice Group.”

Kochhar & Co managing partner Rohit Kochhar commented: “His experience and impressive professional credentials will be invaluable to our accomplished corporate and commercial practice and will benefit our global clientele.”

After three Kochhar partners left the firm to join Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Kochhar hired banking partner Sumit Phatela in Gurgaon, Gaurav Chatterjee in real estate and litigation in Chennai, Prateush Sharma as indirect tax partner in Mumbai and Saloni Gupta as corporate partner in Delhi.