Law firms

Amarchand Mangaldas Delhi managing partner Shardul Shroff has released a statement explaining the events surrounding the Company Law Board (CLB) imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 and justifying the termination of employment of two allegedly responsible associates, as reported by Legally India yesterday.

Exclusive: Amarchand Mangaldas was fined Rs 50,000 by the Company Law Board (CLB) in Delhi on Friday and the firm today dismissed two associates for the allegedly negligent advice.

ICICI Lombard motor vehicles product manager Keshava Prashanth has joined Khaitan Sud & Partners as the Bangalore office’s partner-in-charge.

His hire would take advantage of the “processes … developed with the help of DAC Beachcroft”, a UK insurance specialist firm, said the managing partner Umesh Khaitan.

Keshava added that he would he was drawn by the firm’s “process driven approach” to servicing the insurance industry [via Bar & Bench]

Dhir & Dhir Associates has appointed former Singhania & Partners chief executive officer (CEO) Manju Mohotra as its first ever CEO on 1 August, aiming to expand its insolvency and restructuring practice, and to set up in Chandigarh.

Former Indigo Airlines senior legal counsel Piyush Gupta joined Kochhar & Co Gurgaon as competition and aviation partner on 6 August. Gupta will set up the firm’s aviation law practice.

Exclusive: Infosys legal head Samuel Mani and senior Infosys legal heads Utham Chengappa and Neil Mathur have quit to start a technology-focused law firm together.

Infosys, meanwhile, is understood to be finalising the appointment of new legal heads as former in-houser Gautam Rohidekar has returned to the company.

Former Trilegal senior associate Nitin Banerjee joined J Sagar Associates (JSA) Delhi’s energy practice as retained partner on 3 August, after five years spent with international oil and natural gas (ONG) major BG Group in India and the UK.

Former DSK Legal partner Jagvir Singh will join HSA Advocates as the third partner in the firm’s project finance practice on 16 August, while also focusing on banking and corporate work.

More deals than you can shake a stick at in our handy round-up of deals activity, with dozens of firms keeping busy.

Exclusive: Former SRGR Law Offices senior associate Akshat Pande and Videocon Group company in-houser Ankit Prakash have started up Alpha Partners in Delhi to focus on corporate and intellectual property (IP) law work.

Singh & Associates (S&A) has seconded a partner and a principal associate to Beijing full-time, to strengthen the firm’s China practice with the help of a non-exclusive client referral arrangement with Guangda Law Firm in China.

Anand and Anand doubled its office space in Chennai last month by securing lease to the property adjacent to its previously existing office premises in AR Villa.

ALMT Legal won a stay on the Maharashtra state government’s order to destroy the gutka and paan masala siezed from tobacco major Ghodawat Pan Masala Products (Ghodawat) and five other gutka makers, in the Bombay high court yesterday.