New Attorney General is second AZB-related A-G appointment

Friday, 12 June 2009 By Kian Ganz News

AZB_-_ZiaMody
AZB_-_ZiaMody
Former Solicitor General Goolam Vahanvati was appointed Attorney-General of India on Monday (8 June), giving AZB & Partners the second close family connection in that post.

Goolam Vahanvati’s son Essaji Vahanvati has been a corporate lawyer with AZB for around six years and was made a partner at AZB Mumbai in April of this year.

The father of AZB founding partner Zia Mody (pictured), Soli Sorabjee, was also India’s Attorney-General between 1998 and 2004.

Goolam Vahanvati is the first Muslim to be appointed as Attorney-General and will act as the top legal and constitutional adviser to the government, having the power to appear for it in all court cases.

The decision on liberalisation of the Indian legal market is not directly within the Attorney-General’s ambit, although he is likely to be an influential voice in the government on all matters related to law.

Sources confirmed to Legally India that Goolam Vahanvati is known to be in favour of allowing the controlled entry of foreign firms to India, subject to appropriate safeguards to protect smaller practitioners.

Goolam Vahanvati replaces the former UPA-appointed Attorney-General Milon Banerjee.

The former Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian will take up Goolam Vahanvati’s former post of Solicitor General. The Solicitor General is the second highest ranking law officer in India, reporting directly to the Attorney General.

[ed: The Indian Express published a detailed profile of Goolam Vahanvati on Sunday 14 June 2009]

Goolam VahanvatiAttorney-GeneralSolicitor GeneralAZB & PartnersEssaji VahanvatiZia ModySoli Sorabjeeliberalisationforeign firmsforeign law firms

Comments

Guest 12 Jun 2009, 11:58
+1 -1
Milon was appointed by the previous UPA (Congress) Government. BJP government had appointed Soli Sorabjee as their Attorney General.
[ed: Apologies for the error, we have amended the story.]
Anonymous 13 Jun 2009, 09:08
+1 -1
All the more vindication of Clifford Chance's choice of its Indian "Best Friend".
Guest 13 Jun 2009, 11:27
+1 -0
Anonymus at 14.38.50: Either you are an insider or being sarcastic. anyways your attempts at linking issues is putting it strongly, childish. Say what you have to say openly and let us hear it loudly here.
The Washerman\s Dog 13 Jun 2009, 20:01
+1 -1
Why pick on poor Essaji Vahanvati? ....Wait a minute! Well done actually! Saved him from an insidious plot - if vini vidi whatever is on to something here. Care to clarify?
Vini Vidi ... 14 Jun 2009, 11:14
+1 -1
Vini Vidi ...erm on a tourist visa if you please!

Ooof! That hurt! Whaddyathink now? re --"Clifford Chance sends senior partner to live with AZB in India". Is this timing or is this timing?! My take is that the "flagrant backdoor entry" plan (for those of you following this issue in lawyer.com) will come a cropper. Methinks its time for backdoor man to abort Indian safari big time, bwana. Wonder what the "official" line will be? Will certainly raise a few laughs if we could get a response.

Whats biting anon at 16:57? What if Anon 14:38 is actually an insider or sarcastic, or even better, a sarcastic insider? (S)he has linked the issues accurately - well done. Anon 16:57 - isnt that loud enough for you?
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