Law firms

Chinese law firms Jun He and Zhong Lun are in talks to merge, which, if successful, would create a Chinese law firm with combined revenues of £180m (Rs 1,800 crore), with 400 partners and 1,000 lawyers in eight cities and offices in Japan, the US and London. [The Lawyer]

There was a fire yesterday in Amarchand Mangaldas’ Hyderabad office of around 20 people. No one was injured in the fire and no documents were lost, said Amarchand Mumbai senior partner Vandana Shroff.

The fire did not start in Amarchand’s office and the cause was still being investigated, she said. Staff has now temporarily moved to a business centre.

Update: Hat-tip to commenter for a link to a story in The Hindu about the fire: It started at 5am from an educational consultancy and spread to other floors.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) has merged with Chennai law firm Vichar Partners, which was set up by alumni from Universal Legal, Dua Associates and Paras Kuhad Associates in 2010.

Amarchand Mangaldas Delhi partner Pooja Mahajan, who was promoted in 2013 after joining the firm in 2007, has resigned, telling legal website Bar & Bench that she had not yet made up her mind on her next move, but might teach for a while or do a PhD.

Amarchand Delhi managing partner Shardul Shroff told B&B that he wished her well, and that she would go abroad to study, travel, study Indian music and teach law. Mahajan holds a 2004 undergrad from Delhi University and a 2007 LLM from Oxford University. [Bar & Bench]

One of IndusLaw's co-founding partners, Tapas Misra, who became an of counsel at the firm 18 months ago and headed up its tax practice, has left with his team of two to start a tax boutique firm in Noida on 1 March.

Trilegal and Japanese firm Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (MHM) advised Japanese metal giant Hitachi Metals in buying a majority stake in two Vikas Group entities.

Khaitan & Co advised Indian online fashion shop Koovs on its Rs 224.5 cr listing on the London Stock Exchange’s smaller cousin, with English law firms Osborne Clarke, Foot Anstey and Macfarlanes.

Five lawyers from HSA Advocates, J Sagar Associates (JSA), Luthra & Luthra, AZB & Partners and Zeus IP have started Delhi firm Jupiter Law Partners.

Litigation, corporate, M&A, capital markets and private equity deals in brief from a cross-section of India’s top law firms.

AZB & Partners Mumbai is advising Loop Telecom, which is being acquired by Bharti Airtel that is handling the legal work in-house.

Economic Laws Practice (ELP) has hired Bharti Airtel general counsel Jyoti Pawar to head its telecommunications, media and technology practice (TMT) in Delhi.

NLSIU Bangalore graduates Anindita Phukan, Dinesh Singh and Shekhar Vyas started up a Delhi-Bangalore law firm called Altum Law in December of last year.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) Bangalore has bagged the mandate for global e-auction giant eBay, which took a $133.7m stake in Indian online marketplace Snapdeal, advised by IndusLaw.

Economic Laws Practice (ELP) won for Bharti Airtel, PDS Legal for Ernst & Young (E&Y), Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS) for Ultratech Concrete, and Global Legal Associates for ITC Welcome Group in the Delhi high court on Tuesday against the Service Tax Department.

Economic Laws Practice advised watches and jewellery retailer Titan in hatching a joint venture with luxury goods maker Montblanc International for single brand retail in India.

Khaitan Sud & Partners (KSP) has dissolved its motor accident claims (MACT) vertical with insurance litigation partner Ashutosh Singh and his team of three lawyers, who were handling it, leaving the firm.