Law firms

The incumbents continued their rule in the consultancy’s 2013 ranking of law firms, while the ecosystem as a whole has widened.

AZB & Simpsons reprised roles for KKR, with Amarchand and Davis Polk acting for the sellers.

London law firm Candey Parker Solicitors and Advocates looks to go global with new London office and ambition.

Obhan & Associates, which is run by Anand & Anand and AZB alumni, bags deal opposite ALMT.

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy Singapore of counsel Sanjeet Malik, specialising in the India practice group, corporate and disputes, has left the firm to pursue a business opportunity in India.

In a departure email he wrote:

I'm writing to let you know that after more than two enjoyable years at Milbank, I have resigned to return to India to pursue some exciting opportunities in financing of renewable power projects that serve rural off-grid communities in North India.

He has a 2001 law degree from Cornell Law School but is not qualified to practise in India. Malik had joined Milbank in April 2011 from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. He was unavailable for comment by email at the time of going to press.

BMR’s latest recruit, Amit Khansaheb, seals second deal at consultancy’s legal arm.

Economic Laws Practice (ELP) litigation head and equity partner Tarun Gulati has resigned with around 11 associates in Delhi.

PDS & Associates and DLA Piper advised Indian conglomerate PCM Group in its €36m (Rs 255 crore) acquisition of German international railway equipment conglomerate Rail One whose shareholders were advised by Hogan Lovells.

PDS & Associates Mumbai partner Sajid Mohamed, with DLA Piper Germany partner Benjamin Parameswaran and counsel Isaschar Nicolaysen and a raft of other DLA partners acted for the Siliguri-based Indian private company in acquiring the 118-year old German giant.

Hogan Lovells Berlin-based partner Jörg Meissner acted for Rail One shareholders. The €150m company with plants in Germany, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain and South Korea was acquired for €36m reported the Economic Times.

Linklaters partner Dr Eva Reudelhuber acted for the banks for the sellers.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) to go big on media and sports – including the violent kind - with Nandini Mehta.

Clasis Law aviation partner Sidhanth Rajagopal, who joined the firm in Delhi from best friend relationship firm Clyde & Co London where he was a senior associate, has returned to Clydes as an equity partner after less than two years in India.

Clasis partner Vineet Aneja told legal website Bar & Bench that given the transnational nature of Rajagopal’s client base, it was logical for him to return to a global law firm.

Shalini Agarwal, one of the co-founders of Clasis when it broke away from ALMT Legal, which she had also founded, left Clasis at the end of March to set up her own independent practice headquartered in London. The departures leave Clasis with seven partners across Delhi, Mumbai and London.

Magic circle law firm Allen & Overy promotes 2001 NLSIU Bangalore graduate and banking counsel Gautam Narasimhan.

AZB & Partners did the greatest number of deals (13) in the first quarter of this year, according to the mergermarket M&A deal rankings.

Fox Mandal advised US-based GAVIS Pharmaceuticals in its Rs 73.75 crore ($13.6m) brownfield investment in Bangalore-based pharma company Wintac, which was advised by J Sagar Associates (JSA).

Singh will relocate this month to ramp up Mumbai’s disputes practice.

J Sagar Associates’ (JSA) executive committee vote brings together five veterans for the job.

HSA Advocates has elevated partner-designate Harvinder Singh – one of the two people promoted to the firm’s principal associate-equivalent designation last year – to its partnership effective 1 April 2013.