Phoenix Legal has taken on Kochhar & Co Chennai partner Shadaan Mohammed Saipillai as a partner in its Chennai office.

Saipillai had joined Kochhar in 2002, making partner in 2012. He is a 2001 Tamil Nadu Doctor Ambedkar Law University and holds a 2011 LLM from Queen Mary, University of London, and a 1998 company secretary qualification.

He is dual qualified in India and England and specialises in corporate and M&A, including JVs, employment and real estate.

It is understood that the Chennai office will have a total strength of five, including partner Sriram Ramachandran, who spends his time between Mumbai and Chennai.

We have put in a request for comment about Phoenix current strength in Chennai, if any, or if this is a new office for the firm.

Phoenix co-founder Manjula Chawla commented in a press release: “We wanted to augment our presence in Chennai with someone of Shadaan’s credentials.

“His coming on board is an integral move to deepen our pan India presence and also reflects our commitment to our clients to provide them with high quality legal advice and support in the South. Shadaan’s knowledge and experience synergises with our capabilities.

“We are delighted he is joining us at a very exciting time in the firm’s development.”

Shadaan said: “I am excited to be joining a firm with a full-service offering, a diverse client base and a promise to keep exceptional client service at the forefront of everything it does.

“I have been impressed by the firm’s consistent growth year-over-year. They are top quality lawyers, and I am looking forward to being an integral part of the firm’s continued growth and success.”