Law firms

Exclusive: AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co and Desai & Diwanji have topped mergermarket’s M&A league table by volume, each having recorded 11 deals in the first three months of 2011.

ALMT Legal advised UK food services firm Compass Group on its acquisition of two companies, one of which was advised by SNG & Partners.

Exclusive: Amarchand Mangaldas has lost ground in its lead over Luthra & Luthra and surprise performer AZB & Partners in the initial public offering (IPO) league tables for the 2010-11 financial year, while DLA Piper came from nowhere to top the rankings of foreign firms ahead of Dorsey & Whitney and Jones Day.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) has advised New York-based advertising company Interpublic Group on its joint venture (JV) with India’s digital media enterprise Interactive Avenues, which drafted in a niche Mumbai firm for launching Reprise Media in India.

Exclusive: Talwar Thakore & Associates (TTA) has hiked its starting graduate retainer salary to Rs 10.5 lakh alongside base pay-band increases of between 10 and 20 per cent across the board.

Exclusive: Hemant Sahai Associates has rebranded itself to HSA Advocates and hired two later partners, including one Herbert Smith senior associate and senior Delhi litigator Meenakshi Arora, taking the firm up to 10 partners.

J Sagar Associates has advised chemical manufacturers Rhodia Group on its slump sale acquisition of Gujarat-incorporated PI Industries, which hired Delhi firm Neo Juris.

Amarchand Delhi on the demerger of power company into two businesses after Alstom and Schneider $429m buy last year.

IndusLaw has advised Bangalore-based IT consulting company ASM Technologies on its complete buy-out of US company Abacus Business Solutions which had drafted in Californian firm Pacific Law Group in an all-cash purchase.

Exclusive: Against a background of slowing markets in qualified institutional placements (QIPs), Amarchand Mangaldas has retained a strong lead in Legally India’s QIP league table for the 2010-2011 fiscal despite its deal volume dropping by half, while Luthra & Luthra and Crawford Bayley scaled ahead of Khaitan & Co and AZB & Partners.

Insurance specialist firm Tuli & Co has elevated Celia Jenkins to partner, growing its partnership to five including two promotions last year.

Luthra & Luthra has advised Indian multiplex owner PVR Cinemas on its collaboration with Canadian entertainment technology company IMAX Corporation to install and maintain state-of-the-art IMAX theatre systems, which was advised by Agarwal Jetley & Company.

Exclusive: Majmudar & Co equity partner Anoop Narayanan has left the firm with likely plans to start up a new practice, while Majmudar salaried partner Neerav Merchant has been promoted to equity partnership.

Exclusive: Economic Laws Practice (ELP) has hired former KPMG senior manager Ajit Tolani as its first associate partner in Pune, while promoting Aqeel Sheerazi and Ritesh Kanodia to associate partnership in Mumbai.