Law firms

J Sagar Associates (JSA) advised Info Edge on Rs 57 crore, Themis Associates Sequoia on Rs 170.6 crore investments in Zomato.

Clasis Law has added an energy and infrastructure practice with former Dhir & Dhir Associates energy and infrastructure partner Jay Cheema, who joined the firm as partner in Delhi effective today.

Trilegal competition head Rahul Singh has left to Oxford University for a PhD but will continue to work part time as of counsel.

Desai & Diwanji advised Indore-based steroids manufacturer Symbiotec Pharmalab and shareholders in the Rs 292 crore ($48m) PE investment by Actis Medal Sports, advised by Platinum Partners.

Chennai law firm Vichar Partners advised Chennai-based auto parts manufacturer Susira Industries in its sale to the Japanese Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha, which was advised by Bangalore law firm Crestlaw Partners.

Vichar partner Chitra Narayan with associate Raj Jabakh acted for Susira, according to an email from Vichar, which will now operate as Usui Susira – a 100 per cent subsidiary of Usui Japan.

Crestlaw partners Ravitej Rao and Sundar Raman acted for Usui.

The proposed takeover by Gurgaon-based Apollo Tyres of Ohio-based Cooper Tire & Rubber remained on tenterhooks, as the US company’s bid in a Delaware court to force the deal to close continued unresolved.

Amarchand Mangaldas Delhi and Sullivan Cromwell represented Apollo on the M&A deal, as reported by Legally India in June, with Jones Day having represented Cooper.

Cooper claimed that Apollo was trying to back out of the deal after union and industrial action in the US and China, reported Bloomberg, and that the Indian company agreed that it would use its reasonable best efforts to complete the deal or pay $112.5m in “reverse breakup fees”.

Apollo’s US lawyers wanted Cooper’s case to force a closing thrown out, and claimed in a letter to the court on October 18 that closing conditions to the deal had not been satisfied.

The deal, if completed, would be the largest takeover of an automobile-parts company since 2007.

Delhi’s Singhania and Mumbai’s Rajani & Partners will become one firm of 100 lawyers and 20 partners.