Amarchand regains a Kolkata partner with Niloy Pyne leaving Khaitan & Partners and LPO behind

Wednesday, 2 June 2010 By Kian Ganz Law firms

Kolkota
Kolkota

Amarchand Mangaldas has replenished its Kolkata office with a partner, hiring Khaitan & Partners office head Niloy Pyne, who will also relinquish in the legal process outsourcing (LPO) company he has been helping set up in the city.

Pyne, who was heading up Khaitan & Partners as a separate subsidiary partnership under Suman Khaitan & Co. Pyne signed his partnership deed with Amarchand Delhi today (2 June) and will join the office on 16 June by himself, with all associates remaining with Khaitan & Partners.

He said: “I’ve seen the kind of opportunities that are there which are immense actually – we are looking at Kolkata as a gateway to the East, in all spheres, including real estate and a lot of mining work… I will be expanding the business in the East and heading up the arbitration efforts, including international arbitration, litigation mining, real estate, non-core corporate and everything else.”

Amarchand had lost its only Kolkata partner Krishnava Dutt last year, who has since been operating Argus Partners.

In January Pyne was also in the process of starting up an LPO in Kolkata as a joint venture with a US health insurance company. He said that the LPO was currently in its pilot phase but that he had informed his partners that it would not be possible for him to continue. “The LPO is going to take a backseat for me for a while,” he said, adding that hiring of staff had not yet started. “They are of course free to take it forward on their own but I won’t be able to take it forward.”

Suman Khaitan & Co managing partner Suman Khaitan is the main equity partner in Khaitan & Partners and he stated that the office would remain open, despite Pyne’s departure.

Suman Khaitan told Legally India: “Our firm is headquartered at New Delhi having offices at Kolkata and Chennai. Niloy Pyne is the partner in Kolkata Office. We are committed to the Kolkata Office, particularly in view of our Kolkata roots, and shall continue as before without interruption even if the Kolkata Partners or some team members wish to leave our Kolkata Office.”

Pyne said: “[Suman Khaitan] is an excellent lawyer and he’s got tremendous experience and he’s a fantastic human being. No individual is indispensable to a firm and it’s going to survive, and survive very well.” He added that Khaitan & Partners would no doubt soon find a replacement to head up the office.

Suman Khaitan & Co consists of four partners in Delhi and one partner in Chennai.

Amarchand MangaldasKolkataNiloy PyneKhaitan & PartnersSuman Khaitan

Comments

Anonymous guest 2 Jun 2010, 21:27
+1 -0
What about Kalpataru ? Will he come back to Delhi or now AMMSS has two partners in Kolkata ?
Anonymous guest 2 Jun 2010, 23:50
+1 -1
It is indeed correct that there is tremendous opportunity in the east in so far as mining and projects is concerned. There is also a very good scope for litigation arising from the aforesaid areas. However, not many firms have been able to create a significant presence in that market, possibly because of a focus towards MNCs and also because of the lower level of legal fees.

Last time Niloy joined Khaitan & Partners he said similar things. Is he going to stay in AMSS for long having had some degree of independence in his earlier positions.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 15:22
+1 -1
Can Amarchand now replace Khaitan at the top at Calcutta ? Niloy has the credentials & potential but can he do it ? only time will tell.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 15:35
+1 -0
#2 is right, fee structure in Kolkata generally is really pathetic. But why cant leaders like Amarchnd change that. They can certainly bring in lot of quality in the Kolkata field. Once quality is ensured why wouldnt clients pay.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 15:57
+1 -1
Its a pity that the LPO will be discontinued by Pyne. It should have generated substantial lawyer employment that's badly needed mainly in the eastern region, with proper pay packet. Maybe AMSS can get into a LPO service as well!
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 16:12
+0 -0
I know Niloy quite well professionally & otherwise. Initially he shall face problems due to his independent streak and controlling attitude but he is intelligent enough to understand that he can grow very high with the AM platform. Sure he would adjust. Even if he concentrates only on arbitration & litigation, he would make it big. There is so much scope and not so much quality around.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 16:52
+0 -0
Does Amarchand do corporate work in Kolkata also ? Niloy has not mentioned about that. What is non core corporate work ? Is Niloy switching to litigation now ? I thought he was always doing corporate work.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 17:00
+0 -0
#3 - come on, replacing Khaitan wont be that easy. They have been at Cal for such a long time, 100 years I think. But quality wise, AmarChand is far superior, no doubt there and only they can replace Khaitan, nobody else. With his acumen, contacts and marketing skills, Niloy Pyne may actually be able to give that big thrust to AC's Cal practice.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 17:37
+0 -0
I always thought Fox & Mandal was at the top of the heap in Kolkata with Khaitan & Co. following it closely. Is Fox & Mandal not in the running now due to problems last year in its Delhi office and can Amarchand really reach the top in Kolkata? And yes, what is Amarchand's focus in Kolkata?
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 18:18
+0 -0
Kolkata top firm:-
Fox & Mandal
Khaitan & co
Ginodia & co
Sanderson & Morgan & sinha & co

Amarchand is nowhere.People in the hIGh court para dont even know dem.A pity!
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 19:49
+0 -0
Kolkata is ruled by Khaitan & Co, with Fox & Mandal following ....none of the other firms are close to these two firms in Kolkata
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 20:45
+0 -0
Kolkata fee rates are pathetic. Even senior advocates there charge 1/4 of what is charged by their counterparts in Mumbai/Delhi. Further, work has been drying there since the last two decades. It would definitely be a great challenge for Niloy and other firms which seeks to bring in quality professionals with good pay (and at the same time keep their costs low on account of the fee structures)
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 22:46
+0 -0
#12:

They may charge less but the superiority of the top advocates from Calcutta is indisputable. Calcutta is brimming with barristers educated at the Inns of Court in London. You will not find this in other cities. All Calcuttans who have served as the Law Minister of India have been barristers (Ashok Sen, Jolu Mukherjee etc). Even Jyoti Basu did his bar at law from London. Contrast them with Veerappa Moily and Bhardwaj, who cannot even speak English properly! Also, I dare say that students from the top Calcutta schools (La Martiniere, St Xavier's, St James' etc) are far superior to products from other places. I love Calcutta because of its colonial hangover.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 23:19
+0 -0
Why do people from Calcutta only have to fall back on the past ? It shows there is nothing for them in the present. No wonder Calcutta and Bengal is lagging behind everywhere and in all areas.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 23:24
+0 -0
@13 I dont think that the quality of lawyers or students or life in Kolkata is being disputed. It is just that the fee structure in Kolkata is very low as no client there is willing to pay high fees (since there are a lot of quality lawyers who can do the work at lower fees). Therefore, it is difficult to sustain financially there by paying associates at the same levels that they are paid in delhi or mumbai. I know that the leading law firms in Kolkata, Khaitan and FML don't pay their associates at the same levels as in their Delhi or mumbai offices (and not that the quality of work is not at par). As you rightly professed your love for the city..."because of its colonial hangover"...that's what sums up Kolkata...proud of its glorious past...with no industrial or commercial growth or development in sight
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 23:34
+0 -0
Agree with #13 though I do not belong to Kolkata. The Sr. Counsels in Kolkata are amongst the best anywhere in India and certainly better than Delhi. They have the patience to understand the client and the issues involved unlike Delhi counsels who seem too busy all the times. The fact that they charge less fees than their counterparts in Mumbai or Delhi has nothing to do with their advocacy skills or efficiency in acting for the client. The low levels of fees are due to the general business environment and the comparatively cheaper cost of living.
Anonymous guest 3 Jun 2010, 23:36
+0 -0
hey 10 & 11, all the firm names you have supplied, put together their strength and revenue will not be 1/4th of Amarchand. So lets not make frivolous comparisons.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 00:09
+0 -0
we know where #17 works - amarchand kolkata!!!
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 00:15
+0 -0
@17

What does Amarchand Kolkata do that gets it revenue in excess of the combined figures of the firms listed by #10?
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 01:14
+0 -0
quality of hiring and the partners
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 01:57
+0 -0
#14

"Why do people from Calcutta only have to fall back on the past ? It shows there is nothing for them in the present. No wonder Calcutta and Bengal is lagging behind everywhere and in all areas."

Sorry, but the state still churns out some of the brightest people in the country.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 03:26
+0 -0
@21 dude, tell me which are the brightest people WB produced in the last 2 years? and pls dont tell me names of Tagore song singers or poets or NGO heads or other bright people of this kind.... but someone who was instrumental in creating wealth and creating job opportunities...would love to get a response
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 05:17
+0 -0
#19. Ignorance is bliss ! Every literate lawyer knows what quality of work Amarchand does and what revenues they generate so why waste space & time repeating all that. Look beyond these mid-level firms to understand my friend.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 06:17
+0 -0
Kolkata legal work culture is not that great as compared to Delhi or Bombay ..... business is not stagnant but limited .... Firms like Argus, AMSS, Khaitan and upto some extent Fox Mandal can match Delhi or Bombay working standard, but certainly not the volume or big ticket transactions. Compared to law firms, Big 4s are really doing good in Kolkata .... PWC, being the head office already has four offices in Kolkata.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 06:35
+0 -0
@ 22 - dude can you show me one Calcutta High Court judgment (based on principles of law) which has been reversed by the Supreme Court ?? You cant. But there are many Bombay HC judgments or Delhi HC judgments which SC had reversed the decision. This shows the legal acumen which the lawyers and judges of Kolkata are blessed with.

You can rightly criticise the business scenario of Kolkata which is not quite favourable for law firms - thanks to the communist manifesto. But, if you question the talent of Kolkatans then that will be wrong from your part.

Pranab Mukherjee is from Jangipur constituency from West Bengal. I believe everybody not devoid of fine sensibilities, will agree that he is one of the brightest Statesman India have so far witnessed.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 07:50
+0 -0
The subject matter of the article in discussion was Niloy Pyne taking over as Amarchand Kolkata partner. But just look at the varied levels of discussions and references above.Tagore, Ashok Sen, Jolu Mukerjee, Pranab Mukherjee ! That's really the limit !! The moot point is all firms mentioned above with mainly Calcutta background are respectable and must be good also. But it is also a fact that they cannot match up to a Amarchand, a AZB or a Luthra. Let's face it, its unavoidable truth. The gap in terms of client-base, size and revenue is just too much. In fact, Niloy's task is much easier than the people running these mid-level firms. He just has to tap the vast available resources while these guys have to really dig into their heels to make any traceable national impact and earn proper returns.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 09:24
+0 -0
I request Niloy to shift their office to Salt Lake / Rajarhat from the existing Landsdowne Area. The office is just on top of a coaching centre and it looks ridiculous from outside. Nobody knows that even a law firm exists there.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 15:17
+0 -0
Whoever comments that Fox & Mandal and Khaitan at Kolkata are mid-level is grossly mistaken and needs to understand the dynamics of the legal business in the east. These days assignment of most legal work is done from either Delhi or Mumbai, even the big ticket deals in Kolkata or rest of the east. It is likely that Amarchand sources its Kolkata work due to its pro-activeness in Mumbai and Delhi. However, in regard to litigation work, it is doubtful whether any Amarchand Kolkata partner will be able to rise up to Debanjan Mandal in F&M or any of the senior partners in Khaitan & Co. It is miles to go for AMSS in Kolkata. May be some statistics of the nature of work in Kolkata and the role of the law firms will help channelise this discussion.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 18:12
+0 -0
Drafts from some of the firms you exalt are not even readable. AMSS has enough relationships and networks, and not to forget, the competence to break into any market.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 19:39
+0 -0
@sum ppl who dont interpret tings! No body is questioning AMSS Competencies or revenues or any such details:We know tht n we accept and respect that.What we are saying is that Kolkata is not ready to accept them as of now.Kolkata still goes with a Debanjan Mandal of F&M or a Jhunjhunwala of Khaitan.At most Ginodia is trying to come up..sanderson n sinha are d first of firms in Kolkata n dey have a strong client base since den! Argus has jus started so cant comment n so was khaitan n partners!AMSS has to go miles before creatin a bench,ark in Kolkata...It surely will but when .only time can say!
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 20:29
+0 -0
@22 - While I am against the idea of pitting region against region and this thread is on something completely different, your language forces me to respond -

Amar Bose : Founder of Bose Corporation
Raman Roy : Father of BPO industry in India, Founder of Quatrro
Subroto Roy : Founder/Chairman of Sahara India Pariwar
Jawed Karim : Co-founder of YouTube and lead architect of PayPal
Subroto Bagchi : Co-Founder of Mindtree technologies
Bibi Russell : Founder of Bibi Productions
Sadhan Dutt : Founder of Development Consultants of Kuljian Group
Anjan Chatterjee : Founder of Speciality Group of Restaurants
Purnendu Chatterjee : Founder of TCG Group
Prannoy Roy : Founder of NDTV etc.....
I don't think I need mention Amartya Sen, Kaushik Basu, Abhijit Banerjee, Debraj Ray -all world renowned economists.

While I can understand someone having problems with the Communist regime, spewing hatred and trying to prove that a certain community is inferior is something not acceptable. And whether you like it or not, Bengal will continue to produce the brightest minds of this country, irrespective of which political party governs the state.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 21:16
+0 -0
What about Amarchand promotions at associate level...they are out since last three days.... heard they are pretty bad.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 21:22
+0 -0
@31 Ha Ha ... good list...now tell me, how many from that list is based/working in Bengal. They had to go out of Bengal to be successful. I rest my case.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 21:30
+0 -0
Can't believe #31 left out Subir Raha, who turned our white elephant PSUs into profit-making enterprises, proving all the pro-disinvestment fanatics wrong.

It's honest people like Raha who are true heroes and not the Ambanis, who the whole of this mentally retarded country seems to worship for some reason.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 21:34
+0 -0
@ 33 - there are two differen aspects - bong talent and being successful in bengal ... because of political scenario they are forced to go out of Bengal to earn a good name. So you can always blame the political party but not the people of Bengal per se.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 21:51
+0 -0
@33 - Their going out of Bengal becoz of the political scenario there does not make them any less of a Bengali, does it?....Btw this is only an illustrative list. I also rest my case.
@34 - yes Raha should be on the list.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 21:57
+0 -0
@35 Bong talent was never disputed. the point at 22 was creation of wealth and job opportunites in Bengal. And it wouldn't be right to blame a political party, in a democracy. it is the people of Bengal who have been choosing this party for the last 30 years.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 22:23
+0 -0
"in a democracy"....hahaha
There was never any democracy in Bengal......if you did not wear red, you would be killed and dumped in a village pond by Communist cadres, never to be heard of again. So ....no it is not correct to say that 'the people of Bengal have been choosing this party'.
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 22:47
+0 -0
I dont want to make any political statements on this forum and neither is this the forum to discuss a particular community's progress (or lack of it). What started this discussion is that it would be a challenge for any professional (firm or individual) to be as successful as its counterparts in Mumbai/Delhi. After going through the comments above, it is evident that IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE !! Bengalis go out of bengal to be successful, there is no industrial growth there, and now I am given to understand that there is no democracy or rule of law in the state either. Hence, we come a full circle.... either rest on past glory or be a mumbaikar if you want to make it big in your profession!!
Anonymous guest 4 Jun 2010, 23:23
+0 -0
@39 - I am not Bengali and dont give a shit about this thread but wrt your post, thats spoken like a true son of Bal Thackeray. You are either a Mumbaikar or a nobody right?....Well done....
Anonymous guest 5 Jun 2010, 00:01
+0 -0
@ 39 - Ya why not ? Be a mumbaikar and travel in jam packed local trains for half of your life ..... those happy days in Mumbai are gone. There is money but no healthy quality of life. Somebody earning 10K a month travels in a local train and somebody earning 70K a month also travels in the same train ... lolz !! TOI have reported once that people in Mumbai die seven years earlier than national average because of the extra amount of energy wasted in travelling and hyper tension. You get a job but dont have a house to stay ... lolz !! Even if you get, you spend half of your salary on it.

Being a Delhite, I feel Mumbai is not for common man ... no middle class can thrive, only rich and poor - such a pity for the people of the Financial Capital. I know the purpose of the thread have been digressed but still its fun to comment if given a chance ... lolz !!
Anonymous guest 14 Jun 2010, 03:19
+0 -0
What Calcutta thinks first, the rest of India thinks later!
DisplacedBong 14 Jun 2010, 07:25
+0 -0
@13 Sir/Madam you forgot Don Bosco and Loreto House....presuming by La Martiniere you meant..the one across the street as well....cheers!!!
btw change is coming in bengal.....like in 2009 ...after 32 years...it was the first time people "voted" in west bengal....
Anonymous guest 16 Jul 2010, 03:32
+0 -0
@ 31 awesome dude/mam........... hats off to you....am proud of you..... I myself didnt know all that and apologise for my ignorance...........
For 33 and ppl like him - only those who are unsuccessful criticize others as truely successful ones are too busy to do that.........Kolkata was, is and always will be gr8
I personally feel we should think of india as a whole and stop fighting on region v region or religion v religion or city v city... all these petty debates wastes valuable time & hampers prosperity & development. Arent we all proud of Sachin & Sourav/Saina & Leander/Baichung & Pillay? etc
@ 43 ppl always voted in Bengal...read up your history...and I do not want to get into an ugly debate on party politics in Bengal.......ppl felt a change was neccessary so they voted and they vl keep voting as per their wishes......
Commenting is closed for this article.