Lawyers Collective

Still flying high after his barnstorming speech on Sunday at the NLSIU Bangalore convocation, Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has stood up for the noble profession yet again and hit back at the government, which has floated an oft-attempted but never-achieved proposal that would drastically shake up legal education in the country.

At NLSIU Bangalore’s first convocation under its freshly-baked vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy on Sunday also in attendance, alongside dignitaries galore, was Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman and senior counsel Manan Kumar Mishra, giving a rousing 10-minute speech.

Former J Sagar Associates (JSA) Mumbai principal associate Shaswata Dutta joined Trilegal Mumbai as counsel this month.

>We are back to the intolerance of challenge. The Lawyers Collective posed no political challenge to the NDA, it cannot, but it seems that there is an intolerance of legal challenge within the NDA <

Lawyers Collective (LC) – the NGO founded by senior advocates and spouses Indira Jaising and Anand Grover – responded to the home ministry’s 6-month ban order on it receiving foreign funds, by claiming that the ban order was “a malafide act and an act of vindictiveness on the part of the Government” against which the NGO had fought several cases.

The Union Budget has withdrawn the service tax exemption of senior advocates providing services to other advocates or law firms, effectively increasing the cost of instructing senior counsel by 14 per cent.

The Indian judiciary has been grappling with the question of whether to permit foreign lawyers to practice in India for more than two decades. After yesterday’s hearing in the Supreme Court, it doesn’t look like any end is in sight.

Davis Polk & Wardwell registered foreign lawyer Amit Kataria has joined Morrison Foerster (MoFo) as an of counsel in Hong Kong.

He specialises in cross border M&As and disputes and enforcement in India, according to MoFo’s press release, which added that he will help the firm grow its India practice.

The Delhi University 2004 LLB alumnus who obtained his LLM from Columbia Law School in the US in 2007, began his career as an associate in 2007 with Debevoise & Plimpton from where he joined Davis Polk in 2011.

MoFo managing partner Eric Piesner said in the release: “MoFo has seen an increase in demand for assistance from Asian and international clients seeking to invest in India as changes in government and various macroeconomic factors make India a more attractive investment target.”

The firm has an active corporate presence in South Asia with many clients including long time client SoftBank, added the release.

The Women’s Rights Initiative of the Lawyers Collective NGO has filed a petition as amicus curiae (friend of the court), requesting the Supreme Court bring its internal sexual harassment guidelines into compliance with the rules laid down in its own Vishaka judgment, to regulate court internships, invite a notice requesting other victims to come forward confidentially, and more.

Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) hired NLSIU Bangalore 2004 grad Hari Krishna.

UBS India executive director and country counsel Nischal Hindia, who joined the financial institution from Allen & Overy London in 2011, has left to head of Diageo India’s legal team, reported Bar & Bench.

Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai principal associate Satyam Sharat will join Ashurst’s Jakarta office as a foreign legal consultant in a month.

He specialises in banking, having joined Amarchand in 2006 from JurisCorp after graduating from NLIU Bhopal in 2005.

Ashurst India head Richard Gubbins said: “We were looking for a common-law trained associate to assist in dealing with our foreign clients in Indonesia. The fact that Satyam is an Indian national from an Indian law firm is a bonus since Indian investors are quite active in Indonesia. 

“The work that our Jakarta Office  has done for Indian clients includes work for Essar, [TVS Motor Company], airport developers [such as GVK] and mine investors. Satyam will be a great asset for us to attract additional work from India because he comes to us with excellent credentials.”

Finsec Law Advisors has hired Anil Choudhary from Trilegal as a senior associate to shore up its securities transactional practice.

Choudhary graduated from Harvard Law School’s LLM programme in 2010, joined Nishith Desai Associates (NDA) in January 2011 and was at Trilegal between July 2012 and May 2013. He had worked at Luthra & Luthra in Delhi after graduating from Nalsar Hyderabad in 2006. Choudhary is dual-qualified in New York and India. Trilegal was not reachable for comment at the time of going to press.

Finsec founder Sandeep Parekh said in a statement that Choudhary would substantially strengthen the firm’s financial sector transactional practice. In May, one Finsec partner and senior associate had joined IC Legal as partners.

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy Singapore of counsel Sanjeet Malik, specialising in the India practice group, corporate and disputes, has left the firm to pursue a business opportunity in India.

In a departure email he wrote:

I'm writing to let you know that after more than two enjoyable years at Milbank, I have resigned to return to India to pursue some exciting opportunities in financing of renewable power projects that serve rural off-grid communities in North India.

He has a 2001 law degree from Cornell Law School but is not qualified to practise in India. Malik had joined Milbank in April 2011 from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. He was unavailable for comment by email at the time of going to press.

Exclusive: Khaitan & Co Mumbai counsel Mukund Puranik and senior associate Atman Desai will be joining Amarchand Mangaldas as principal associate in corporate and senior associate in the projects team respectively.

Puranik was the first to have been promoted into the new counsel alternative to partnership during Khaitan’s partner promotion round in 2011, reported legal website Bar & Bench at the time.

Puranik, who became a lawyer in around 1997 and also holds an LLM, and Desai, who has been with Khaitan for four years after completing his LLB at MSU Baroda, company secretarial qualification, and Australian LLM in 2007, were not reachable for comment.

Amarchand Mumbai partner Vandana Shroff confirmed that they would join, and added that the office had recruited at least 12 lateral hires since January.

Khaitan & Co Mumbai partner Rabindra Jhunjhunwala commented: “We wish them well in their new endeavour.”

Exclusive: Talha Salaria, co-founder and partner at Bangalore firm MMB Legal, has set up an independent firm called Lawyers at Work.

Senior associate and partner promotions at 5 firms, including three new partners HSA Advocates, one partner promotion at Bhasin & Co, two new Vaish senior associates, one MV Kini partner and two FoxMandal laterals and 10 senior-level associates.