Vidhii Partners is wasting no time in its plan of national conquest and has opened up in Delhi – now its fifth office in not even two years. In addition it has roped in two senior industry insiders to help on strategy and client acquisition. And on increasing the cake.

MDP Partners – fresh out of a merger with the practice of Ashok Paranjpe reported last week – has taken on two more lateral partners to boost its corporate strength from JSA.

Juris Corp has merged a Bombay solicitor and his team into its practice, strengthening its senior ranks.

Meanwhile, in the first of our series of law firm profiles, still young firm Induslaw is coming of age and stands at the cusp of creating a large egalitarian partnership.

Thomson Reuters-owned legal process outsourcer (LPO) Pangea3 has now delivered on its long-planned entry into the US with non-Indian fee-earners on the ground. But surprisingly the destination of choice was Texas rather than an American backwater.

This week’s analysis looks at the wide-reaching new cyber law that is currently making the rounds in India, giving carte blanche internet censorship powers that are practically on par with China.

Law schools circuit

The long, intense battle for Indian mooting dominance is finally over after Indian law school teams performed incredibly at the Manfred Lachs Asia rounds, with three of them making it to the semis.

The last competition of the Mooting Premier League 2 generously sponsored by Allen & Overy is now over and the winners are now clear. Read on to find out who the five best mooting law schools are in India.

Legally India also continued its in-depth analysis of this year’s law school recruitment season with NUJS Kolkata and NLU Jodhpur graduates picking up high-paying jobs in the dozens.

That august institution of GLC Mumbai showcased a more traditionally balanced recruitment mix for its 400 odd graduates: some law firms, some corporate houses, some Bombay solicitor clerkships, many litigators, some LLMs and more. It does raise the question, have many national law school aspirants become too spoiled by the law firm jobs to remember what the majority of lawyers in India do?

Probably more rewarding than almost any job, NLU Delhi students worked hard and won a man his freedom. The prisoner, who was accused of the plain theft of a wallet worth no more than Rs 1,000 ($20), had languished in jail for two years waiting for his hearing. The students took up his case and won.

Priceless, even when compared with a multi-lakh salary.

Meanwhile, Legally India will enjoy a quiet cake to celebrate the 100th newsletter.

Deals of the week

• ATM biz gets $32m cash with Khaitan, AZB/Milbank
• Majmudar, Gagrats arrange $20m German auto parts-maker entry
• ICICI $1bn Dubai bond issue led by Amarchand, Lathams
• Spanish-Indian 14-year-long solar project loan shines on SNG, Trilegal

Blogs of the Week

• Jindal Law School to start student exchanges with New York’s Cornell
• NLS Assam Guwahati postpones entrance test, deadline after solving mysteries
• Breaking: CLAT college selection site online; 3,000+ to make their choice

At the bar & the bench

• Advocate files PIL challenging anti-Baba Ramdev police action
• Breaking: Indian advocates can practice in every Indian court within a week

Blogs of the week

• What is the purpose of a Law School? Fighting or Learning? by cogitasocietatis
• HNLU- what a post CLAT prospective NLU-ite wants to know by anubhuti.mishra
• NALSAR- City of Justice (Part II) by Pacman
• Capacity of Special Non-State Entities to Conclude Treaties by aralyah
• Critical Analysis of Constitutive Theory of State Recognition by aralyah

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