Khaitan & Co has begun the month-long process of evaluating which existing associate partners will be inducted into the firm’s equity partnership across offices, after promoting a total of five principal associates in Mumbai and Delhi to associate partner level effective today (1 April).

NUJS Kolkata 2005 graduate Joyjyoti Misra from the corporate practice, and ILS Pune 2002 graduate Prateek Kumar and NLIU Bhopal 2004 graduate Susmit Pushkar in litigation, made associate partners in Delhi.

Misra joined Khaitan in November 2010 from Amarchand Mangaldas where he was a senior associate for five years, after a short associate stint of four months at Luthra & Luthra Mumbai. He specialises in private equity and onshore and offshore M&A, according to a statement from the firm.

Kumar joined in September 2011 after three years at Fox Mandal, where six months before his exit he made partner in the litigation team. He practises commercial litigation and alternate dispute resolution before the Supreme Court, the high courts, and the telecom, foreign exchange, mines, consumer and other tribunals.

Pushkar joined the firm in May 2006 after two years at litigation boutique Bajpai & Co. He has acted in the Supreme Court and high courts, and the APTEL, Mining Tribunal, AIIFR, BIFR, TDSAT, NCDRC, international commercial arbitrations conducted by institutions (including ICC, GAFTA) and ad hoc arbitrators, domestic arbitrations and settlement proceedings, stated Khaitan.

There were four other principal associates in the Delhi litigation team, Kumar told Legally India.

Pune University 2001 graduate Adheesh Nargolkar from the intellectual property (IP) group and GLC Mumbai 2003 graduate Niren Patel from the corporate team were made up to associate partner level in Mumbai, as reported on Friday.

It is understood that promotions of lawyers to equity partner level will only be announced after evaluations are completed this month.