partner hires

Dorsey & Whitney London special counsel Jamie Benson, who has played a key role in several of the firm’s Indian capital markets transactions, has moved to the Singapore office of US law firm Duane Morris & Selvam to co-head its India practice.

Benson, who specialises in US securities and capital markets law, said: “It will be much easier to run my India practice from Singapore compared with London. Also, if you are serious about servicing Indian clients I think you need to be in Singapore.”

The India group at the 700-lawyer firm with more than 20 offices, the majority of which are in the US, is co-headed by funds and private equity partner Parikhit Sarma and M&A partner Krishna Ramachandra.

Exclusive: Vineetha MG, who has been at AZB & Partners for 11 years and made partner there in 2006, will leave the firm at the end of this month to consider career options.

Exclusive: Fox Mandal Delhi’s London founding partner Ajit Mishra has resigned from the firm, as the firm has left its old office and moved into a new one in the UK’s financial capital.

Exclusive: Advaya Legal, the two-and-a-half-year-old firm started by former GVK in-houser Ramesh Vaidyanathan, has hired its third partner with ex-BG in-house counsel Smriti Subramanian, as the firm hopes to spread its footprint beyond Mumbai.

Exclusive: ALMT Legal co-founding partner Ananjan Mitter will retire at the end of this month to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions unrelated to the legal field.

Exclusive: Khaitan & Co Bangalore partner Anindita Phukan has set up a new office for Hyderabad-headquartered, four-year-old firm Tempus Law Associates, which opened a Pune office earlier this year.

Exclusive: Zia Mody and Goodwin Procter alumnus Anuradha Lall has joined PSA yesterday after seven years of independent practice, becoming its first partner other than founding partner Priti Suri.

Former Indigo Airlines senior legal counsel Piyush Gupta joined Kochhar & Co Gurgaon as competition and aviation partner on 6 August. Gupta will set up the firm’s aviation law practice.

Former Trilegal senior associate Nitin Banerjee joined J Sagar Associates (JSA) Delhi’s energy practice as retained partner on 3 August, after five years spent with international oil and natural gas (ONG) major BG Group in India and the UK.

Former DSK Legal partner Jagvir Singh will join HSA Advocates as the third partner in the firm’s project finance practice on 16 August, while also focusing on banking and corporate work.

Exclusive: J Sagar Associates (JSA) senior associate Srishti Ojha will join Desai & Diwanji as a partner in Mumbai, ramping up the capacity of specialist capital markets partners at the firm to two after Sumes Dewan joined in Delhi earlier this month.

Luthra & Luthra managing associate Ravisekhar Nair has replenished the ranks of Economic Laws Practice (ELP) competition team as an associate partner, after partner Samir Gandhi left ELP last month.

Exclusive: Ex-Amarchand Mangaldas tax head Aseem Chawla has started a tax, business and corporate advisory law firm called MPC Legal with two co-founding partners, as the “best friend” firm of chartered accountancy (CA) firm Mohinder Puri & Co.

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Exclusive: Fox Mandal partner Sumes Dewan will join Desai & Diwanji as its second Delhi partner on 7 July, after he had resigned last week.

Exclusive: Fox Mandal Delhi corporate and capital markets partner Sumes Dewan, who joined the firm two-and-a-half years ago, has resigned, leaving only around four non-family partners in the firm’s Delhi office.

Exclusive: Economic Laws Practice (ELP) Mumbai indirect tax associate partner Ritesh Kanodia resigned last month after more than six years at the firm, to start up an independent tax practice of two or more partners.

Exclusive: Luthra & Luthra intellectual property (IP) and media partner Ameet Datta has left the firm for entrepreneurial opportunities, including the option of joining boutique IP firm Saikrishna & Associates.

Exclusive: Economic Laws Practice (ELP) competition and trade law partner Samir Gandhi is joining AZB & Partners in Delhi as the first partner at the firm to focus on competition law full-time.