As billions of dollars of Keralite treasure may ultimately end up exactly where they have always been, India’s lawyers generally do not.

Khaitan & Co’s Delhi office was hit by a mini-exodus of seven lawyers, including a partner and senior lawyers, who are looking to help Lakshmi Kumaran and Sridharan move out of its tax advisory niche into the mainstream.

Another week usually brings at least one new law firm to India. This time Prism Partners, founded by a Platinum senior associate and an ex-SEBI and in-house lawyer, is aiming for that niche that many of the large firms have not quite managed to crack: capital markets deals. Albeit of a different era, if S&R Associates is any indication Prism could be on to something.

Meanwhile Clasis, the offspring of the short-lived marriage between Clyde & Co and ALMT, has sent a clear message: unlike its predecessor, Clasis is happy to be perceived as a pure Clydes captive with a second partner moving to India from its best friend to make an aviation practice – a field Clydes will find useful.

Some senior lawyers claim that all these young firms have also been having an impact on deal flows. This is partly borne out by the latest mergermarket league table for the first half of 2011, where AZB & Partners still managed to pick up the best and biggest of Indian M&A but other firms have been nibbling away at its lead.

If all the associate and partner moves created an appetite for more, click through to the latest associate, senior associate and partner-to-be jobs at some of India’s most promising and up-and-coming law firms, either young or established. Apply confidentially and directly to the firms.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) said this week that the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) is on track and apparently 13,000 have registered to take it on 24 July. Anti-AIBE protests have been oddly muted this time around. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the opposition cases again shortly, does this mean the AIBE will stay where it is?

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Latest deals

• M&A H1 2011 league table: AZB with most but fewer chunky deals, Desai & Diwanji rules volume, TTA-Links strong duo
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