Law firms

Trilegal has promoted Gautam Singh and Kunal Chandra to its partnership in Mumbai.

Chandra joined the firm in 2006 and specialises in corporate.

Singh joined the firm in 2010 and focuses on corporate M&A and private equity.

Trilegal management committee member Rahul Matthan commented: “Gautam and Kunal are welcome additions to the firm’s corporate practice. They have both been with the firm for a long time and fully imbibe the culture and work ethic of the partnership. They bring strong technical skills and will help deepen our relationship with our clients.”

Vandana Pai Bharucha, former Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai corporate partner who left in July 2014 reportedly for health reasons, will join Bharucha & Partners as a partner.

The Amarchand Mangaldas Delhi-region partnership, led by Shardul Shroff who is in the final stages of a separation with the half of the firm led by his brother Cyril from Mumbai since November 2014, on Tuesday for the first time announced internally that the firm was likely to split, subject to the outcome of the still ongoing mediation between the brothers that is set to conclude at the end of this month.

The global chartered accountancy (CA) firms dwarf even global law firms in revenue and have increasingly been getting into legal services, with PwC’s legal arm now having a headcount of lawyers equivalent to the world’s tenth-largest firm already generating $500m per year from law, reports the Economist:

Those most at risk from the attack of the bean-counters are the profusion of mid-tier legal firms in liberalised markets. Since their profit margins are already low, they cannot afford even a modest loss of market share. Unfortunately for them, much of their business is high-volume, repetitive tasks—just the sort of work that the Big Four excel at standardising and automating.

In India, CA firms have been making inroads into legal too, with Ernst & Young (E&Y) having arguably been the most visible via its close alliance with aggressively growing start-up PDS Legal. Even domestic CA firms such as Mohinder Puri & Co have made forays into legal best friendships, having hired former Amarchand Mangaldas tax head Aseem Chawla in 2012.

The Society of Indian Law Firms (Silf) and the Bar Council of India (BCI) have also been in talks about the growing threat of CA firms, other than just foreign law firms, with the Madras high court having indicated that CA firms might be in violation of the law by practising it.

Amarchand Delhi’s Shardul Shroff is set to take two additional office spaces in Mumbai after mediation will end, including the soon-to-be-ex Nariman Point office of AZB & Partners.

Krishnamurthy & Co (K Law) has promoted five associate partners to partners, effective from 1 April, doubling the number of partners at the firm to 10.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, as the new partnership under Mumbai-based brother Cyril Shroff is set to be known when started from 1 April, has finalised a list of seven new equity partners, and 12 new salaried partners to be promoted in its existing offices.

Khaitan & Co Delhi litigation partner Gauri Rasgotra is set to join Amarchand Mangaldas in Delhi, as part of Amarchand Mumbai managing partner Cyril Shroff’s new Amarchand.

According to authoritative sources, Udwadia Udeshi & Argus (UUA) will separate into what remains of the two pre-merger legacy-firm by next month.

The firm of former AZB & Partners CEO Abhijit Joshi, Veritas Legal, has advised German specialty chemicals company Evonik on its acquisition of Mumbai-based catalyst supplier Monarch Catalyst, which was advised by J Sagar Associates (JSA) partner Sandeep Mehta.

The value of the purchase of the family owned company founded in 1973 was not disclosed. It is expected to close in the first half of 2015, reported Mint.

Rahul Dwarkadas, who had resigned from Wadia Ghandy’s partnership on 4 March, will be joining the Mumbai-based firm of ex-AZB & Partners CEO Abhijit Joshi, Veritas Legal.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) made up eight equity partners in Delhi Gurgaon, Bombay and Bangalore effective 1 April, according to a press release.