AZB & Partners Mumbai headquarters will be moving from its South-Mumbai Express Towers base into Lower Parel by next year.
The firm will move into a standalone building of around 40,000 square feet in Lower Parel’s Peninsula Corporate Park.
What will be called AZB House, is expected to be complete by April.
“We intend for it to be spectacular,” said managing partner Zia Mody.
Commenting on the old Express Towers office, she said: “We love the place, we love the view, we love the location but the reality is that the city has moved in that sense. A lot of clients and intermediaries and banks are now in the middle area – the Parel area and BKC [Bandra Kurla Complex] - and therefore we don’t mind going to them, but we feel it is becoming more of an effort for them to come to us.
“It’s not so much, not loving where we are, which we do, but really an opportunity that we probably need to be more in that space and that area than this.”
The litigation team would remain near the Bombay high court in South Mumbai, explained Mody. “Litigation we will have new space in town but we also have space for them to be part of the main office as well because we don’t want it to be an isolated set up.”
Though most have litigation chambers in South Mumbai, after AZB, the only Big Six national firm with its main office in South Mumbai will be J Sagar Associates (JSA).
Amarchand Mangaldas was the first to set up shop in the Peninsula Corporate Park, with Khaitan & Co paving the way for nearby Indiabulls in 2009, followed by Trilegal the same year, S&R Associates in 2010, and Luthra & Luthra in 2011.
Law firms, such as AZB and ALMT Legal, have been scrabbling for floor space in Express Towers for years as they expanded, with DSK having moved out to Indiabulls in 2010.
Comments
While Parel is just a fancy concrete jungle!!
I don't think the old 4 i.e Mulla & Mulla, Crawford Bayley, Kanga & Wadia Ghandy will ever shift from SoBo as they have a strong litigation practice.
For the staff i'm sure most of them would prefer BKC or Parel!
So with the creation of "Cyril & Zai & Associates (Registered)" or CZAR, Mumbai will be captured by this ruler.
[i]“We intend for it to be spectacular”[/i] -[b] Zia, please don't steal the lines we use year after year for selling our latest range of iPhones. Your [i]locus[/i] ends with AZB using BlackBerries even un this era! [/b]
[b]Zia, you also just stole our choice of words that were intended to be used for selling the iPhone 6C: [/b]
[i]“We love the place, we love the view, we love the location but the reality is that the city has moved in that sense. A lot of clients and intermediaries and banks are now in the middle area – the Parel area and BKC [Bandra Kurla Complex] - and therefore we don't mind going to them, but we feel it is becoming more of an effort for them to come to us.
“It’s not so much, not loving where we are, which we do, but really an opportunity that we probably need to be more in that space and that area than this.”[/i]
T[b]hose lines don't make you think so? Here's how: unaplolegitcally plastic - unaplolegitcally BKC;)[/b]
[quote name="Steve"]Cease and Desist Notice for Smt. Mody:
[i]“We intend for it to be spectacular”[/i] -[b] Zia, please don't steal the lines we use year after year for selling our latest range of iPhones. Your [i]locus[/i] ends with AZB using BlackBerries even un this era! [/b]
[b]Zia, you also just stole our choice of words that were intended to be used for selling the iPhone 6C: [/b]
[i]“We love the place, we love the view, we love the location but the reality is that the city has moved in that sense. A lot of clients and intermediaries and banks are now in the middle area – the Parel area and BKC [Bandra Kurla Complex] - and therefore we don't mind going to them, but we feel it is becoming more of an effort for them to come to us.
“It’s not so much, not loving where we are, which we do, but really an opportunity that we probably need to be more in that space and that area than this.”[/i]
T[b]hose lines don't make you think so? Here's how: unaplolegitcally plastic - unaplolegitcally BKC;)[/b][/quote]
[quote name="Concerned"]But Zia still uses that Pencil Box Nokia..communicator-terminator whatever.[/quote]
The move is primarily due to the need for more space and to make a move to an area which is more central and highly valued in terms of real estate. There's a reason most corporates and several firms are moving there. Thought of that Einstein?
who had a small organ of sex,
when charged with indecent exposure,
he said with great compusure,
De minimus non curat lex.
I hear Coke and Pepsi are moving in too.
Also, to dissapoint you Sheldon, Im a 'He'.
@Alias- Always had a job, still do. Just livening up everyones dreary day, including mine.
Holmes, what you say is as logical and vaguely correct as it can be. I'll kill one variable out of the picture. I am a lawyer.
But yes, it's certainly the best view.
And we do look (literally) down on other people (especially people like Vakil Babu sitting under his umbrella outside the Small Causes Court merrily typing away an affidavit on his typewriter).
Before the hate letters start, I'm just joking - we actually look down upon all other lawyers and firms. Yes, Vakil Babu, we are the very personification of arrogant. Let's continue to keep this image of AZB alive in the hearts and minds of everyone who applied here and didn't get through.
[quote name="AZB#tch"]Yes it does. And pretty much just the sea. But on the right side? Completely blocked by that monstrosity known as the Air India Building.
But yes, it's certainly the best view.
And we do look (literally) down on other people (especially people like Vakil Babu sitting under his umbrella outside the Small Causes Court merrily typing away an affidavit on his typewriter).
Before the hate letters start, I'm just joking - we actually look down upon all other lawyers and firms. Yes, Vakil Babu, we are the very personification of arrogant. Let's continue to keep this image of AZB alive in the hearts and minds of everyone who applied here and didn't get through.[/quote]
Maybe you were low-balled in your offer, perhaps because you weren't making that much at your current workplace. They do that sometimes. But you make it up eventually if you prove yourself. I won't say the work culture is superior to any other place, it has its ups and downs, as all places do. But it's still a great place to be. There are several myths about the place floating around which aren't true anymore. They were sometime ago, but things have definitely changed for the better. And while there's still a lot of scope for improvement, I'd still rather be here than any other firm. Personal choice of course :)
But I'm sure Litigation team in a big firm are paid well & its comforting!
Kian be sporty .... There is nothing demeaning in this post. So kindly review and post it. Don't delete and make my effort go waste.
Express Towers was a pain
who wished he had never been born,
and he wouldn't have been,
if his father'd seen
that the tip of the rubber was torn.
Town is a quaint place, where Bombay lawyers with their quaint quirks fit in quite well. Personally I am glad the corporate firms are moving to Lower Parel. Its more suited for their salaries and work hours.
For litigators though, if you move your chambers out of town, its as good as giving up practice.
I can't imagine running for a 3:00 PM mentioning from Lower Parel. Even if one took the train nothing beats the five minute cab ride (From Nariman point) or the five minute walk (From anywhere within Fort) to the High Court.