Bombay solicitors firm Solomon & Co has expanded to Pune after 109 years of operations only from Mumbai.

Solomon managing partner Aaron Solomon commented: “Our focus is to be regional, focusing on the Western region. One reason [of moving to Pune is that] our founding family comes from Pune. And then, Bombay is getting more and more saturated. Every new MNC wanting to set up in India doesn't want to set up in Bombay anymore, all of them are moving to newer cities.

“Even existing Indian corporates - they are all moving to tier B cities. Bombay has too much traffic.”

He added that not only is Pune the “largest destination for new business” but also that none of the bigger law firms have tapped the Pune market yet and that Solomon was a mid-sized law firm with the pricing of bigger Pune lawyers, i.e. “almost half the price of Bombay lawyers”.

Solomon's Pune office will have four lawyers including one associate partner who is due to join the firm in February.

He said that real estate, litigation and intellectual property are the areas of key focus of the firm and are relatively stronger than its corporate commercial practice.

Solomon currently has four partners, all with equity, including its founder's great granddaughter Michelle Solomon Le Page who was promoted on 1 October.

The firm also has six associate partners who have all been with the firm for around 8-10 years, Aaron Solomon said.

Advani & Co, Hariani & Co, Legasis Partners, Khaitan Jayakar Sud & Vohra, DSK Legal, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan and AZB & Partners are the other firms which currently have a presence in Pune.