First off, we are pleased to announce Legally India’s content partnership with India’s best quality business daily Mint, which will be featuring a page of the biggest legal industry and law firm news and analysis every other Friday.
Last Friday we wrote about the spat within the Bar Council of Delhi over whether to censure law firms that have converted to limited liability partnership (LLP) structure. One law firm mothballed its LLP in response, others are confused.
And old-school Bombay firm Wadia Ghandy goes global with a Singapore office, a Delhi outpost and expansion in Mumbai.
But the biggest story of last week was actually three stories.
Amarchand, which for the last few years had suffered from precious little senior-level attrition, now appears to experience it all in one go (see Indian law firms, below).
It is difficult to dismiss as mere coincidence that all this is happening only a few months after announcing the ambitious outcome of its second, long-awaited management review (incidentally covered in our previous newsletter, Seeking Amartality).
As usual, also plenty of exciting law school and mooting news, the latest exclusive news and gossip from the courts and much more. Read on below.
At Legally India
Legally India editor Kian Ganz now writes columns in UK legal publication, The Lawyer, and Mint. The first was an introduction to India, the land of ‘approximately’ 1.2 million lawyers. Then an analysis of GDP and the legal market, or how Indian lawyers get by on only $1.4m of GDP.
Legally India also held its first events in Delhi and Mumbai, together with AZB & Partners, UK barristers chamber No5, and BDO. Read more for an Indian corporate governance master class with AZB in the age of Anna Hazare, UK Bribery Act, FCPA & anti-corruption movements.
Finally, the Legally India blogging competition is back, now in a monthly format. Read our blogging section for the latest quality posts.
Indian law firms
Wadia Ghandy has outgrown its venerable solicitors’ firm legacy with new offices in Singapore and Delhi now. In India, three senior lawyers left Amarchand, with two set to join Khaitan, which just keeps growing (see below).
Also, we reveal how much law firms in Delhi and Mumbai pay for the first six years, as top salaries doubled in five years.
- Wadia Ghandy launches Singapore, Delhi
- Amarchand Mumbai partner Ganesh Prasad to join Khaitan & Co Bangalore
- Amarchand comp quasi-partner Paku Khan to join Khaitan
- eBay founder Omidyar fund takes Amarchand Hyderabad head Mahalingam as first India GC
- Law firms pay Rs 8-30 lakh after 6 years, less in Delhi
- Khaitan & Co hopes to hit 30 headcount in Bangalore larger office
- Delhi T20 cricket cup takes off: 13 matches with Trilegal, Saikrishna strong as champs Titus best Amarchand
Overseas law firms
One Indian lawyer, still a minor celebrity in India for his historic win in 1999 of the Jessup moot, made White & Case partnership in record time, while JSA hired another NLSIU legend from international firm Herbert Smith.
Deals & litigation
- Naik & Verus new Hyd partner get all clear for Dirty Picture in writ by Silk Smitha bro
- AIM for Nandan; Laware highways; Goel copyrights assignments; LexCounsel for Laurus-NSDC; 3 save airlines from CCI; and 6 M&A
News at the bar
Also, the advocates-on-record exams with an 18 per cent pass rate, Mint lists the 10 most important Supreme Court cases of the year, and undercover research that revealed a private online censorship regime in full swing in India, already before Kapil Sibal’s controversial comments on online content.
Court Witness also concluded his four-part epic on the eternal life of a special leave petition (SLP), while Supreme Court Insider documents the brickbats of advocates at the height of their powers, Raja’s stay in Tihar and LI interviewed Jethmalani on cross-examination and why political parties don’t appear to care about foreign law firms.
- Kapadia losing Pendency Project? SC case mountain largest ever
- Lawyers & systems cause 71% of Supreme Court delays - academics comment
- 10 most important Supreme Court cases of 2011
- 18% pass advocates-on-record (AOR) exam as HC writ challenges ‘suffering’ of AOR system
- Kapil Sibal to sterilise Net but undercover sting shows 6 of 7 websites already trigger-happy to censor under ‘chilling’ IT Act
More court stories
- 10 most important Supreme Court cases of 2011
- Advocate brickbats: ‘Hysterical’ Jaising v ‘historical’ Jethmalani
- SC Insider: With most out on bail, does Raja enjoy Tihar or is he safer there?
- ‘Perjury is rampant’: Ram Jethmalani on art of cross-examination & why parties don’t care about foreign law firms
Court Witness’s terrifying special leave petition (SLP) Quadrilogy
- Part 1: Giving birth to an SLP
- Part 2: It learns to walk
- Part 3: First day of school, SLP gets educated
- Part 4: SLP graduates, turns SEP and joins the undead
Careers Counsel
Careers Counsel is back, now with the experienced Aunty and Uncle ready to answer reader’s questions.
- How do I move from 3rd to 1st tier law firm?
- I’m a great lawyer but my partner treats me like a dumb doll!
Law school
NUJS gets a new VC, Indian LLM recruitments look bleak, only one law Rhodes scholar this year & more.
- LLM recruitments: Shunned by law firms top NLU LLM grads go in-house, teach
- Mysore Univ’s Prof Bhat to be next NUJS VC in surprise decision
- NLSIU’s Vrinda Bhandari only Indian lawyer to win Oxford Rhodes
- NLS music fest Strawberry Fields features copyright panel discussion
- BCI extends Jan AIBE registration deadline to Dec 15
Legally News Wire
- HC & SC judges allotted land illegally; Bhushan ‘contempt’ goes to constitutional bench; Rupee RTI; Crusader Kapadia; CBI ‘interferes’ with 2G witnesses; Ex-husband’s name seems like IP? & more…
- Katju well-wishes media: clarifies earlier criticism, slams Times Now SC order; Pakistan mooters win Kashmir-India accession case; CBI claims lawyer in judge-daughter bribe case; Milk, tyre cartels? And more…
- Times TV to pay to appeal accidental judge slander; AP HC prompts CBI CM probe; Gay at law school, survival guide; NLSIU kids debate; AP new CJ…
- Wired: Madras HC judge Dalit discrim claim; Rs 1L fine for frivolity? Katju Press powers; New bench for Tata Singur…
- New CCI chair; Katju shares opinion of press as PCI chairman; HCs stop Mayawati, Adani; Bail for Rajus?
- SAT hits Sahara; ‘Bribing’ HC judge daughter granted bail; NLIU under fire…
Mooting Premier League
- NLSIU Bangalore crosses 100 MPL 3 points with Stetson South mooting success over VM Salgaocar
- Exclusive: To celebrate jubilee, BCI splits top moot into 3 at Nirma, NLU J and NLU D
- NLU Jodhpur notches up 3rd MPL win at Stetson North, bests RMLNLU, can see NLSIU
- MPL Sunday: Live blog from NLIU - Juris Corp Moot
- MPL 3: NLU Jodhpur stays ahead of NLSIU, both shine at Nani Palkhivala and Hidayatullah moots
Featured Blog Posts
- How do we fix the parliament? by therationalone
- DISSECTING A CAREER IN LAW: FIRST HAND FEEDBACK FROM ASPIRANTS by Annu
- What does 51% FDI in multi-brand retail mean? by napster
- "I can't afford an internship." : A take on Unpaid Internships in India by napster
- After graduation: Why this Kolaveri Di? by sss
- The Sharad Pawar Slapping Incident: Why should you be scared? by legalbird
- Following due process with Kasab is in your own interest! by therationalone
- Dilemmas of a middle-aged, non ranked law school student by legaloldie
- Reform of the Indian Civil Service by Lex Fakes
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