Former Syngenta India lead counsel for South Asia Sanjit Nagarkatti has joined Johnson & Johnson as legal director last month.

Former Khaitan & Co projects partner Upendra Joshi has joined Legasis Partners as a partner in Mumbai.

Trilegal Delhi-based counsel Abhimanyu Ghosh will be joining Khaitan & Co in its energy, infrastructure and resources practice as an associate partner next week.

Cognizant Technology Solutions India and APAC general counsel (GC) Deepa Baburaaj has joined Guardian India Operations as GC in June.

Link Legal India Law Services has hired the former senior partner and chairman of UK-headquartered firm Pinsent Masons, Martin Harman, as its “chair - international business”, according to a press release from the firm.

Panindia Legal has launched an office in Mumbai to be headed by former Indialaw senior partner Premlal Krishnan, who had first co-founded Indialaw as Sreeji & Law.

Former Infosys deputy general counsel (GC) and NLSIU Bangalore 1999 alumnus Gopi Krishnan, who had been acting as Infosys’ global GC since January 2017, joined WNS Global Services as group GC in June.

Smaaash Entertainment, a gaming and entertainment company co-owned by Sachin Tendulkar has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100% stake in bluO entertainment, PVR’s JV with Thailand-based Major Cineplex Group, B, through a cash acquisition deal for Rs 86 crores ($13.46 million), as reported by Livemint.

DMD Advocates added S&R Associates counsel Jeremy Lynn Chagas Pereira as a partner in its litigation practice, and promoted Amity Delhi 2007 alumnus Sachit Jolly to partner in its direct tax practice.

ASDA Media & Entertainment Private Limited (ASDA), an INDASDA Group entity, has acquired a significant stake in Moshe’s Fine Foods Private Limited from South Asia Gastronomy (Mauritius) Enterprises LLC, a food and beverage portfolio company and platform of private equity firm, New Silk Route, as reported by The Economic Times and Deal Street Asia.

Tatva Legal Delhi-based former managing partner Shishir Sharma and two non-equity partners - Seher Ali and Natasha Tuli - are rejoining Dua Associates, the firm Sharma had left seven years ago with 50 other lawyers from Dua in one of the largest-ever breakaways in the Indian legal market.

NUJS Kolkata 2015 alumni Jay Sayta, who reports on India’s gambling laws on his website glaws.in, and The Wire, are facing E-Cool Gaming Solutions’ criminal defamation case in far-flung Mizoram for Sayta’s story reporting on a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the complainant, reported Medianama.

Engineering major, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has entered into a definitive agreement for the divestment of its entire stake in its unlisted and wholly owned subsidiary L&T Cutting Tools, to IMC International Metalworking Companies BV, owned by the Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway Inc. for Rs. 174 cr ($27.18 million USD) as reported by Business Standard, Livemint and others

“International Finance Corp (IFC), the private-sector investment arm of the World Bank, will sell its entire 7.5% stake in Analjit Singh-led Max Group’s healthcare business for Rs 423 crore ($65.3 million),” reported VCCircle.

The commerce and law ministries are unequivocally in favour of opening up the legal sector to foreign lawyers as soon as possible, reveal the full minutes of the July meeting between ministries and lawyers, though the details of how this will be done remain uncertain.

“Mars Food, part of Mars Inc said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Connecticut-based Preferred Brands International, known for its ready-to-heat Indian and Asian food products sold primarily under brand Tasty Bite,” reported The Hindu Businessline.

A Delhi district court today heard the appeal of publishing house Juggernaut against an order restraining it from publishing the book “Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev”.

“Non-banking finance company Five Star Business Finance has raised Rs 333 crores (about $50 million) in its Series C round led by Norwest Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital. Existing investors including a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia and Matrix Partners also participated in the round. The round saw Five Star raising Rs 318 crores through primary infusion with about Rs 15 crores coming in via a secondary sale of shares,” reported the Economic Times.

“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.

“Dollar Industries Limited announced an equal joint venture with Pepe Jeans Europe BV. Pepe London would pump in ₹36 crore worth of equity as its contribution over four years,” reported The Hindu.