partner hires

Herbert Smith Freehills London senior associate Rajesh Chavda, will join Luthra & Luthra as a partner in its Delhi infrastructure and natural resources practice in April 2015.

Juris Corp capital markets partner Sonali Sharma has left the firm, leaving only five partners after years of senior level attrition.

Khaitan Sud partners Mrinal Ojha and Trinath Tadakamalla joined Phoenix Delhi in lit, while in Mumbai it promoted counsel Kartikeya Singh to partnership.

PSA Legal partner Neeraj Dubey joined Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS) as a joint partner in the Bangalore office on Thursday. He will head Bangalore’s corporate practice.

AZB & Partners Mumbai partner Essaji Vahanvati will go part-time at the firm from tomorrow (15 January).

Veritas Law Offices is advising Delhi-based non-banking financial company (NBFC) Intec Capital in its privately placement of Rs 50 crores of BSE-listed non-convertible debentures.

Khare Legal Chambers partner Abir Roy joined Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan as a joint partner in its Delhi competition practice on 2 January.

DSK Legal Delhi corporate, competition and litigation partner Balbir Singh has resigned from the partnership to begin counsel practise in Delhi.

J Sagar Associates (JSA) has opened its seventh office in Ahmedabad on 1 January after hiring Bijal Chhatrapati from Singhi & Co as an equity partner to head up the office.

Senior partner Berjis Desai said in a press release: “For a few years, we had actively considered establishing our offices at Chennai and Ahmedabad these being cities where significant national law firms have not been present. Chennai office commenced operations in April 2014 and we are truly excited to open in Ahmedabad, in a State which has become a beacon for the economic development of the country.”

Chhatrapati focuses on dispute resolution, M&A and corporate commercial work and is a qualified Bombay solicitor, and commented in the release: “I am proud to be a part of a national law firm which is ahead of the fundamental changes that occur in a market. I have always admired JSA’s commitment to building a sharing, merit-based, empowering, and nurturing institution focussed on client servicing.”

JSA has six other offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, with over 340 lawyers and 80 Partners, according to the release.

The only other of the country’s six largest firms - the Big Six - with an office in Ahmedabad is Amarchand Mangaldas.

Former Clifford Chance senior associate Rishi Gautam will join AZB & Partners in Mumbai as a corporate partner in January.

Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan has hired former BMR Legal partner Raghavendra Rao as an executive director to head its direct tax practice.

Clasis Law Mumbai partner and shipping and international trade head Harsh Pratap has left the firm, shortly after the exit of four other partners of the firm in Mumbai and London, including three co-founding partners.

Wadia Ghandy Bangalore partner Ankit Majmudar is set to leave the firm early next year.

Majmudar & Partners equity partner and infrastructure and projects practice head Prashanth Sabeshan left the firm today to join AZB & Partners as a partner next week.