Clyde & Co
Following the break-up between Clyde & Co and Clasis Law, which we had first reported on 22 March, UK-international firm Clydes has now tied up with former Clasis partner Sumeet Lall’s new firm CSL Chambers, according to sources.
Sumeet Lall, who is the longest-surviving lateral partner hire at Clasis Law which under managing partner Vineet Aneja has lost its partnership several times over in the last years, has resigned, according to authoritative sources.
The nearly 7-year-old best friendship between Clyde & Co and Clasis Law is on the rocks, and due to not continue after 31 March of this year, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the development.
The Indian capital markets have a new international king, at least going by law firms and volumes of initial public offerings (IPO), and it’s Sidley Austin, in a league table dominated by a completely new list of firm names after a swathe of some big-name partner moves in the past years.
“State-owned reinsurance company General Insurance Corp. of India (GIC) filed the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) for its initial public offering (IPO). The IPO will see a total stake dilution of 14.22%, according to the DRHP available on the website of one of the investment banks managing the share sale,” reported Mint.
Clasis Law co-founding partner Sakate Khaitan and three Clasis senior associates have started Khaitan Legal Associates, a law firm with offices in Mumbai and London.
Clyde & Co Dubai aviation partner Sidanth Rajagopal joined the London office of Kaye Scholer with the same designation, reported Bar & Bench.
The ILS Pune alumnus, who had also briefly worked at Clyde’s Indian best friend firm Clasis Law, told B&B: “This was a fantastic opportunity to be part of a top rated Aviation Finance & Leasing Practice that is expanding its global reach.”
We have reached out to Clydes for comment.
Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) hired NLSIU Bangalore 2004 grad Hari Krishna.
Clasis Law aviation partner Sidhanth Rajagopal, who joined the firm in Delhi from best friend relationship firm Clyde & Co London where he was a senior associate, has returned to Clydes as an equity partner after less than two years in India.
Clasis partner Vineet Aneja told legal website Bar & Bench that given the transnational nature of Rajagopal’s client base, it was logical for him to return to a global law firm.
Shalini Agarwal, one of the co-founders of Clasis when it broke away from ALMT Legal, which she had also founded, left Clasis at the end of March to set up her own independent practice headquartered in London. The departures leave Clasis with seven partners across Delhi, Mumbai and London.
Exclusive: ALMT Legal, following its split from Clyde & Co and a number of partners in April, has re-started offices in London and Delhi with two lateral hires joining as partners while Mumbai partners Sameer Tapia and Hitesh Jain will relocate part-time.
Clyde & Co senior associate Sidanth Rajagopal has left to become a Delhi-based aviation partner at Clasis Law, the UK firm’s new Indian best friend law firm that split from ALMT Legal in April of this year.
The best friendship bandwagon has not yet crashed and burned but it is clearly smouldering.
Exclusive interview: ALMT will re-build its Delhi and London offices after its split from foreign best friend firm Clyde & Co and five partners, vowed ALMT Mumbai partner Aliff Fazelbhoy.
Breaking exclusive: ALMT Legal has ended its best friendship with Clyde & Co as it is parting ways with five partners across Mumbai, London and Delhi who will create new start-up firm Clasis Law with a partner joining from the international firm.
For an Indian firm, going under the wing of an international firm is not necessarily as appealing as some might suppose and could even be downright dangerous.
ALMT Legal has formed a best friends relationship with UK international firm Clyde & Co.
In a joint statement the firms said that they would share information, harmonise training and set in place an extensive secondment programme.
ALMT partner S R Arun (pictured) said: "We anticipate that we will have access to the markets where Clyde is and that not many of the large magic circle firms have got access to."