IC Universal Legal has hired ARA Law private equity and M&A partner Rowena De Sousa as a Mumbai-based partner in corporate, while also making two internal partner promotions in its corporate team - Nitesh Tiwari and Kavita Pancholi - and eight associate promotions.

De Sousa is a VM Salgaocar College of Law, Goa graduate who had joined ARA in 2007, where she had been promoted to partner in 2015.

She specialises in private equity, venture capital, M&A and general corporate work.

ARA managing partner Rajesh Begur commented: “We wish her all the best.”

According to a statement from IC Universal: “These well-deserved promotions and strengthening of teams across offices reaffirm the strong talent base and robust growth of the firm.

“We also take this opportunity to extend our concern and prayers to each of you in these trying times and hope everyone is able to come out of this phase, stronger and more united.”

IC Universal Legal now has 18 partners and around 120 fee-earners.

Partner promotions

• Nitesh Tiwari (corporate & debt transactions team, Mumbai)
• Kavita Pancholi (corporate & transactions team, Chennai)

Principal associate promotions

• Kanishka Bajpai (corporate & transactions team, Mumbai)
• Shreya Deora (corporate & transactions team, Chennai)

Senior associate promotions

• Abhishek Pai (corporate, Mumbai)
• Akshita Ummat (real estate, Delhi)
• Mohammed Sirajutheen (real estate, Chennai)
• Raghavi Raj (corporate, Chennai)
• Ranjitha MR (regulatory, Chennai)
• Sumedha Giridharan (corporate, Chennai)