AZB law firm news

Boutique Australian firm Rockwell Bates has announced a mutual referral and preferred partner relationship with Mumbai-based firm Rajani Associates.

Leading intellectual property lawyer and founder of India’s oldest and most established intellectual property firm Remfry & Sagar, Dr Vidya Sagar has passed away last week at age 85.

Following a rough few months during which it has lost not only two key firm alliances but also significant numbers of lawyers, Indian firm AZB & Partners has been highly active on the recruitment front.

As hopes for Indian legal market liberalisation in the near term fade, Clifford Chance has downgraded its ‘best friends' relationship with AZB to ‘good friends’ this month in a bid to spread its India eggs across a variety of baskets.

Amidst the turmoil of 31 international firms being sued for practising illegally in India, Clifford Chance joined the growing ranks of firms making India-relevant hires in Singapore as it appointed Geraint Hughes, 43, as head of its India practice.

oubled Korean automaker Ssangyong appears closer to finalising what has been an arduous restructuring process after Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra signed a deal to purchase a 70 % stake in the company for US$464m.

A 20-month rupee rally, rapid infrastructure development and falling borrowing costs have driven clear growth in Indian M&A in recent months, according to Phoenix Legal partner Abhishek Saxena.

AZB loses another partner and associates as Sharma joins Khaitan

India’s AZB & Partners, Singapore’s WongPartnership and Korea’s Kim & Chang have benefited from a resurgence in Asian (ex Japan and Australasia) M&A in the first half of this year by claiming the top three spots on legal advisory leader boards, according to data released by mergermarket.

Indian firm Khaitan & Co has gained three new partners from rival firms

Skadden has appointed Audrey Sokoloff as co-head of its Asia-Pacific practice.

A landmark decision recently handed down by the High Court constitutes a setback for foreign law firms looking to enter India

Luthra & Luthra, AZB & Partners and Skadden return on the US$82m IPO of Indian media company DB Corp, after advising on the company’s delayed IPO in 2007.

The Indian capital markets continue to heat up and Hindalco Industries, the fifth largest aluminium producer in Asia in terms of volume, is the latest company to take advantage of a surge of interest in Indian equity to fund the development of its aluminium production facilities and access to mineral reserves.

More players, more sophistication

Two partners from Linklaters’ India group have moved to join the firm’s referral partner in India – Talwar Thakore & Associates (TTA).

AZB & Partners has been caught up in the public feud between billionaire brothers, Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Anil Ambani of Reliance Natural Resources.

Tata Motors, the first company from India’s engineering sector to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has raised US$750m as part of a long-term financing strategy for its 2008 acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor.

Singapore firm Dacheng Central Chambers (DCC) and Indian firm Vaish Associates Advocates (VAA) have entered into a best friends agreement.

Revenue from Clifford Chance’s Asia offices grew by 4% this year, according to audited financial results the firm released last week.