Law firms

"Why should we need to go outside the country for global arbitration? We shouldn’t think that if foreign lawyers come here, they will take away our jobs,” said prime minister Narendra Modi, for the first time publicly weighing in on the liberalisation debate, adding that fears that foreign lawyers would dominate the local profession were unfounded.

Trilegal counsel Nitish Nair will join multinational hospitality giant Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which owns such hotel brands as the Westin, Sheraton and Le Méridien, as its associate director legal, South Asia.

RSG Consulting’s 2015 ranking of India’s top 40 law firms has seen no change in the six largest Indian firms since 2013, with Amarchand Mangaldas continuing to top the rankings, followed by Khaitan & Co and AZB & Partners tied in second place.

Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai-region managing partner Cyril Shroff is due to acquire MNK Law Offices in Delhi, except for partner Probal Bhaduri who is reliably understood by Legally India to be joining a large accounting firm.

Shardul Shroff today signed a lease for the former office of AZB & Partners in Mumbai.

Amarchand Mangaldas Gurgaon-based partner Ravindra Bandhakavi is in the final stages of discussions to join Trilegal.

The end of mediation between brothers and co-managing partners of Amarchand Mangaldas, Cyril and Shardul Shroff, has been postponed to 1 May, after mediations today failed to resolve remaining outstanding issues.

Economic Laws Practice (ELP) banking and finance partner Jeet Sen Gupta has resigned the firm, as confirmed by managing partner Rohan Shah to Bar & Bench.

Sen Gupta began his career at ELP after graduating from Symbiosis Law College in 2001, joined Amarchand Mumbai as a senior associate in 2007 and returned to ELP after two years where he was promoted as a partner in 2012.

Gokul Rajan, currently consultant at Citibank in Mumbai, and Nikhil Naredi, Singapore-based associate at Jones Day, are both set to be joining the new firm that will be started by Amarchand Mumbai managing partner Cyril Shroff, as partners to beef up the capital markets practice.

The mediation between Amarchand Mangaldas co-managing partners Shardul Shroff and Cyril Shroff over the break-up of the firm may conclude as early as tomorrow, Monday, with both brothers keen to set up their new firms on Tuesday 21 April 2015 - Akshaya Tritiya - which is one of the Hindu calendar’s most auspicious days, according to sources close to the dispute.

J Sagar Associates’ (JSA) intellectual-property-sister firm K&S Partners has promoted four to equity partner level.

Shardul Shroff has hired a third associate partner from Khaitan & Co, with Abhishek Sinha who was promoted to salaried partner last month having resigned.

Kochhar & Co partner Harry Chawla is set to join the new firm expected to be launched by Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai managing partner Cyril Shroff in Delhi.