Law firms

AZB, Luthra, Links & Slaughters sell off Indian RBS assets to Ratnakar bank.

The London Court of International Arbitration’s (LCIA) Indian subsidiary resolved real estate giant Hiranandani Group’s family business dispute yesterday after over two-and-a-half years of arbitration.

K&S Partners – the intellectual property outfit of J Sagar Associates (JSA) – promoted three senior associates in its Gurgaon office to partnership effective 1 April 2013.

RDA Legal advised pickles and jams manufacturer Desai Brothers in buying out Savannah Hotels from Sinclairs Hotels, which operates the Savannah-Sinclairs Hotel in Bangalore, and from Savannah’s other shareholders.

RDA managing partner Rohit Das and associates Ushasi Das and Robin Quadros advised on the transaction, while partner Avik Biswas led the due diligence with senior associate Naren BS and associate Soumik Das.

Sinclairs Hotels, which Das advised in its November 2011 acquisition of Savannah, was advised in-house.

AZB & Partners Bangalore partner Shreya Jayasimha has resigned to start up law firm Aarna Law, reported Bar & Bench without official comment from him or the firm.

Jayasimha graduated from NLSIU Bangalore in 2000, worked in the chambers of then advocate and now Delhi high court justice S Murlidhar for a year, and in the offices of Jayaram and Jayaram for another year, setting up Jayasimha Law Chambers in 2003. He joined AZB as partner in 2008.

In 2010 AZB broke up with its Bangalore merger partner of one-and-a-half-years, Anup Shah.

Luthra & Luthra has promoted two M&A and private equity lawyers – Damini Bhalla and Amit Shetye – to its partnership, as the firm has widened its executive committee and management outlined a strategic vision to ditch lower margin work and eschew big headcounts.

Three Luthra & Luthra Delhi partners have left or are leaving, just ahead of the firm’s delayed partnership promos.

Luthra & Luthra is set to announce its long-awaited partnership promotions on Saturday (3 August).

It is understood that a meeting of partners will be held today at 3pm on the topic, with some appraisals still going on through tomorrow.

The partnership promotion announcements are then set to be made at a function in the evening. Apart from Luthra, Amarchand Mangaldas was the last of the big six firms to announce its promotions on 3 July.

Former Mayer Brown JSM Asia COO Jennifer Milford joined AMSS today.

Fox’ lawyers Penningtons asked the claimant to discontinue action in the UK or face paying Fox’s costs.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is examining the terms of the agreement between Ambuja Cements and Holcim.

Fox Mandal has instructed London firm Penningtons Solicitors to defend against the Rs 96 lakh professional negligence default judgment.

Fox Mandal did not appear before court to respond to the claim that the firm gave negligent advice in a patent application.