Khaitan & Co Mumbai competition co-head and equity partner Avaantika Kakkar is set to join Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM), according to several authoritative sources.

Kakkar has been offered to become national competition head at CAM, providing a welcome boost to its competition practice that had seen the loss of competition head Nisha Kaur Uberoi to AZB & Partners (and ultimately to Trilegal).

Kakkar leaving, would however leave a hole in Khaitan’s competition practice, which also includes US-based Paku Khan, Delhi-based Manas Kumar Chaudhuri and Delhi associate partner Sagardeep Rathi.

Her move to CAM, if it goes through, will coincide with corporate associate partner Pooja Patel, and tax practice executive director Daksha Baxi, who we first reported last night to have resigned and would join CAM.

When contacted yesterday for comment, executive director for HR, Amar Sinhji, said Kakkar had not resigned, while confirming the departures of Patel and Baxi, wishing them well.

We could not reach Kakkar and CAM at the time of going to press.

Kakkar is a 2003, ILS Pune graduate, who was promoted to Khaitan’s equity in 2013.

She had joined the firm in 2005 from Nishith Desai Associates, where she had spent one year after a short stint at erstwhile Udwadia & Udeshi.

Kakkar’s, Patel’s and Baxi’s leaving would reduce the number of female partners at Khaitan & Co to 14 from 17, out of a total partnership of 124, a ratio of around 11%.