Exclusive: J Sagar Associates (JSA), Nishith Desai Associates (NDA), Fox Mandal, international law firms Linklaters and two European firms, advised a consortium of investors led by Dutch pension services provider APG, in their Rs 770 crore ($141m) co-investment in Godrej’s Indian residential projects.

Exclusive: Twelve-year-old intellectual property (IP) boutique Saikrishna & Associates aims to convert from a sole proprietorship to an equity-sharing by April 2013 and will aim to become a full service firm, said its founding partner Saikrishna Rajagopal, as ex-Luthra & Luthra partner Ameet Datta joined yesterday.

After joining The Walt Disney Company India as associate principal counsel from J Sagar Associates (JSA), Naina Chhugani was quickly disabused of the notion that in-house is nothing but a post box. Instead, as studios and TV content head, she now knows the media business “inside-out”, practices cutting-edge law and has seen a half-billion dollar takeover first hand.

And Disneyland is apparently not half-bad either.

Aiming to rekindle a “constructive debate” on the liberalisation of the Indian legal sector, UK headquartered magic circle firm Allen & Overy (A&O) has started a public relations (PR) offensive with an independent survey that confirmed overwhelming support for the entry of foreign law firms among Indian corporate lawyers and clients.

Breaking: Fox Mandal advised nine international cricketers who yesterday filed in the Bombay high court to liquidate ALMT Legal-advised Essel Sports (ESPL), the sports-entertainment wing of business conglomerate Essel Group.

Juris Corp, I&S Associates, Indus Law, MDP & Partners, along with Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co, Luthra & Luthra, Trilegal and others kept busy on 15 selected deals.

M&As and capital markets transactions take a marginal lead over litigation, competition and private equity and venture capital deals, in our three-week roundup.

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: J Sagar Associates (JSA) yesterday effectively promoted Mumbai retained partner Aashit Shah as its twenty-third equity partner, becoming an “equity partner elect” to sidestep the 20-equity-partner limit per firm, while Germany-India returnee Anish Mashruwala was made a retained partner.

Exclusive: Economic Laws Practice (ELP) is considering implementing a bespoke report by a global human resources (HR) consultant, as the firm lifted four partners into the equity pool alongside its founding partners, while eight associate partners were promoted to non-equity partnership.

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.

Breaking: Following the recent trend set by the Delhi high court since 2011, the Bombay high court passed its first ex parte, unconditional “John Doe” order to pre-emptively ban the piracy of Viacom 18 Motion Pictures film Gangs of Wasseypur, said the company’s lawyers Naik Naik & Co.

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.

Exclusive: Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS) moved to a new 15,000 square feet Bangalore office in the World Trade Centre (WTC) from its Anand Rao Circle office on Friday (8 June).

Exclusive: DH Law Associates will open greenfield offices in Delhi and Patna on 1 July.

This fortnight’s deals package conspicuously features international investors, not only in terms of cross-border M&As and investments but also on the litigation side.

Boutique competition firm Dhall Law chambers won the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) approval for Reliance Industries (RIL) in its purchase of stake in media entities Network 18 and TV 18 Broadcast, which were advised by AZB & Partners and Khaitan & Co on the transactional aspects ...

Economic Laws Practice (ELP) Delhi corporate and intellectual property (IP) partner Tushar Chawla has joined ALMT Legal’s Delhi office.

Exclusive: Delhi litigation firm Karanjawala & Co has promoted its first partner in around seven years, with Meghna Mishra joining the partnership to head the Delhi high court practice after 11 years with the firm.

Exclusive: Crawford Bayley associate partner Krishna Venkat will join AZB & Partners in Mumbai from 1 June as a senior associate in the M&A and corporate practice.