Kochhar & Co

Kochhar & Co Chennai-based partner Hufriz Wadia has joined AZB & Partners as counsel in Mumbai on 16 October.

Former Khaitan & Co Bangalore partner Abhilekh Verma, whom we had reported as leaving in July, is joining Kochhar & Co as a senior partner according to a press release from the firm.

Angel Investors, The Chennai Angels and Lets Venture have made an investment of Rs. 3 crores in Pre Series A Funding in Netree E-services Pvt. Ltd, engaged in creating a retailer oriented networking platform, as reported by Business Standard.

Phoenix Legal has taken on Kochhar & Co Chennai partner Shadaan Mohammed Saipillai as a partner in its Chennai office.

Kochhar & Co partner and head of IP litigation Neeraj Grover has left the firm after a stint of four years with it, to go independent.

Kochhar & Co has forced the makers of the Jolly LLB 2 to partially back down over its allegedly disparaging use of Bata in a trailer and scene, which we had first reported on 22 December 2016.

Kochhar & Co has sent a legal notice to the makers of Bollywood sequel The State vs Jolly LLB 2 on behalf of footwear empire Bata, asking them to remove and apologise for an allegedly disparaging trailer of the movie in which the reputation of Bata as a brand is allegedly damaged.

Asian Legal Business (ALB) magazine last month released a listing of Asia’s biggest law firms, including a round-up of the 25 largest Indian firms by total headcounts.

Kochhar & Co Delhi partner Ricky Chopra has gone independent again, setting up Ricky Chopra - International Counsels in Gurgaon with immediate plans to expand with tie-ups in New York and Chandigarh, possibly followed by Mumbai.

Kochhar & Co added ALMT Legal partner Gautam Bhatikar as a senior partner and co-head of the Mumbai office of the firm. Bhatikar has joined the firm with ALMT senior associate Zoeb Cutlerywala.

Kochhar & Co has added Gulf-based lawyer Nikhat Sardar Khan as a partner in its Dubai office.

Kochhar & Co has hired Sarika Raichur as a partner in Delhi focusing on corporate and private equity, merging part of the firm she had started.

Kochhar & Co partner Saloni Gupta has joined Link Legal India Law Services as a partner, reported Bar & Bench.

Senior litigator Zulfiquer Hansi joined Kochhar & Co in Bangalore as a partner in its labour and employment practice.

Kochhar & Co has hired Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS) partner Rahul Ray as a senior partner, while Ray’s team member Vikram Bajaj joined as a joint partner.

Kochhar & Co Hyderabad head and partner VVSN Raju, who had merged his firm Juris Prime Law Services with Kochhar in July 2011, demerged from Kochhar in September.

Former Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla senior associate Faizal Latheef joined Kochhar & Co as a partner in its Dubai corporate practice.

Former JDS Law Chambers founding partner Jivesh Chandrayan merged his firm into Kochhar & Co and joined Kochhar as a partner in its Delhi corporate practice.

The Delhi university LLB and Cardiff University LLM graduate Chandrayan commented in Kochhar’s press release: “I am excited to be part of the Kochhar team and look forward to significantly contributing to the firm’s growth as part of the Corporate & M&A Practice Group.”

Kochhar & Co managing partner Rohit Kochhar commented: “His experience and impressive professional credentials will be invaluable to our accomplished corporate and commercial practice and will benefit our global clientele.”

After three Kochhar partners left the firm to join Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Kochhar hired banking partner Sumit Phatela in Gurgaon, Gaurav Chatterjee in real estate and litigation in Chennai, Prateush Sharma as indirect tax partner in Mumbai and Saloni Gupta as corporate partner in Delhi.

Kochhar & Co advised global clinical research conglomerate the Parexel Group and its Indian group company Parexel India on buying for $100m pharma-covigilance company Quantum Solutions India, which was advised by Platinum Partners.

Kochhar senior Delhi-based partner Vijay Ravi, partner Chandrasekhar Tampi and senior associate Sumant Srivastava acted for Parexel India and the Parexel Group.

Platinum’s recent Wadia Ghandy Bangalore joinee and partner Ankit Majmudar and associate Rohan Kumar acted for Quantum and its proprietor Apurva Goswamy.

The acquisition will not significantly impact Parexel’s fiscal year 2015 revenue, reported Mint.