Luthra & Luthra is advising ArcelorMittal on its Rs 500 crore ($103m) stake acquisition in Mumbai-based Steel company Uttam Galva Steels.

Delhi firm APJ-SLG Law Offices has hired a non-lawyer as a “principal advisor” in its trade law practice.

Trilegal has recruited seven final-year students from National Law University (NLU) Jodhpur, almost filling up its fresher quota for the year.

AZB & Partners Delhi has hired an indirect tax partner and his team from accountants KPMG, hoping to grow the tax advisory business at the law firm which will compete in the traditional domain of accountancy firms.

For the past 11 days Mumbai has been celebrating Lord Ganesh’s birthday in the festival of Ganesha Chaturthi. Environmental concerns aside, Ganapati unites Mumbaikars and largely manages to bridge religious affiliations, castes and professions.

Legally India takes a peek at some Mumbai law firm Ganeshas and a very special legal collection.

The Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) is hoping to widen its appeal outside of its traditional centre Delhi by strengthening local metro chapters and inducting new committee members.

SILF’s Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and other regional chapters will be headed by prominent local lawyers.

Covington & Burling and Trilegal have co-operated on the IPO of Indian Energy on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), which is only the fourth successful listing this year on the London Stock Exchange-owned smaller market.

Kochhar & Co is embarking on a mission to make a best friend in the Middle East.

Vaish Associates has started a competition law practice with the hire of former Jindal Steel in-houser and Competition Commission of India (CCI) registrar M M Sharma.

Luthra & Luthra has made 10 pre-placement offers (PPOs) to final year law students at three national law schools. The firm has also hired six lateral associates, with the fresh batch of seven new law school graduates now starting.

Luthra & Luthra has hired two more India-returnees, making up four international hires in only three months. Ashwin Sapra joins as a group head from an in-house position at a US pharmaceutical company and Piyush Mishra has rejoined the firm as a group head from Allen & Overy (A&O).

Wadia Ghandy & Co has opened its Chennai office with its local managing partner reporting a buoyant and untapped market.

Amarchand Mangaldas has acted for Wockhardt in selling 10 hospitals for Rs 909 crore ($186m) to Fortis Healthcare, which was advised by Vaish Associates in Mumbai.

Khaitan & Co has benefited as tour operator Cox & Kings overhauled its roster of IPO advisers, dropping J Sagar Associates (JSA), which had advised on the aborted 2008 flotation.

India’s largest mortgage lender Housing Development and Finance Corporation (HDFC) has issued India’s first ever dual warrants and bonds instrument, which was structured by AZB & Partners, Amarchand Mangaldas and Linklaters Singapore to raise Rs 4000 crore ($822m) for the company.

Khaitan & Co has won a temporary victory against alleged Bollywood plagiarism in the Calcutta High Court. The firm is representing movie producer Vipul Shah against Sri Venkatesh Films over the currently screening Bengali movie Poran Jay Joliya Re, which Shah alleges is a scene-by-scene “copy-paste” of his film Namastey London.

A raft of law firms have picked up mandates on the four latest initial public offer (IPO) proposals to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), with Amarchand Mangaldas taking two issuer mandates, Luthra & Luthra acting for one company and Rajani Associates for the fourth.

AZB, DSK and Trilegal have done well in Asia Pacific private equity deal rankings despite heavily depressed values and volumes this year.

Trilegal has hired a capital markets partner from its best friend Allen & Overy (A&O), to join the firm’s Mumbai office and strengthen the referral relationship.

FoxMandal Little’s Delhi office has paid its fee-earners the salaries it owed them, after the firm was unable to pay for two months due to cash flow difficulties.