Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai-region managing partner Cyril Shroff is due to acquire MNK Law Offices in Delhi, except for partner Probal Bhaduri who is reliably understood by Legally India to be joining a large accounting firm.
Partners Gyanendra Kumar, Anuradha Mukherjee and Srinivas Kilambi will be joining the upcoming Delhi operation of Shroff, who is due to compete with his brother Shardul Shroff in Delhi. Shardul Shroff is in turn setting up an office in Mumbai.
Bar & Bench first broke the news late last evening, though it reported that “confirmed by our sources” all four partners – including Bhaduri – would join Cyril Shroff.
MNK was set up in 1996.
Kumar, a corporate, real estate and labour lawyer, graduated in 1994 from NLSIU Bangalore and had worked at Arthur Andersen’s tax and business advisory department before setting up MNK.
Mukherjee is a 1993 NLSIU grad and specialises in litigation and arbitration.
Kilambi joined MNK in 2013 from KSB Partners, where he was a co-founder. He is also a 1994-NLSIU graduate who was formerly senior legal counsel at GE Capital India and GE Commercial Finance.
Badhuri, who will not be joining the firm that is expected to be called Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, is also an NLSIU graduate and a corporate, M&A and private equity lawyer.
MNK partner Nivedita Tiwari, who had joined MNK in 2013 from Luthra & Luthra, had joined Platinum Partners in 2014.
MNK partners Kilambi and Bhaduri did not respond to an email seeking comment at the time of going to press. Cyril Shroff did not respond to a request for comment.
| Team (Cyril) Amarchand Mangaldas (Delhi) | Team (Shardul) Amarchand Manganldas (Mumbai) |
|---|---|
| Citi consultant Gokul Rajan & Jones Day associate Nikhil Naredia Kochhar & Co partner Harry Chawla Gnarus Partners founder Rishi Anand Khaitan associate partner Harsh Kumar Raghuram Raju (ex-Dua Associates partner, ex-GC of Religare) Luthra & Luthra partner Piyush Mishra Khaitan & Co Delhi partner Gauri Rasgotra; and Economic Laws Practice (ELP) partner Kirat Singh Nagra. | <a style=“href: “https://www.legallyindia.com/Law-firms/shardul-amarchand-plunders-khaitan-associate-partner-ranks-again-for-recent-promotee-abhishek-sinha;“>Khaitan associate partner Abhishek Sinha Dudhat Pereira & Associates founder and former Udwadia Udeshi partner Radhika Pereira. Khaitan associate partner Iqbal Khan Khaitan & Co associate partner Deepto Roy |
Comments
The location of Cyril's delhi office is also much better. saket's mall area is very upmarket, alive and central (not close but also not very far from Gurgaon, Central Delhi or airport) as compared to Shardul's Mumbai office which is in a dying locality of express towers (think staying close to office at exorbitant rent or travelling for more than an hour- and no lifestyle benefits).
Lawyers will find Saket a much better place to stay close to office and have a quality life (if there is such a thing at law firm!) with everything (malls, grocery store, gym, swimming pool, numerous restaurants (from food court to fine dining to five star), movie theatres, golf course, cheap rentals) at s stone's throw from office.
Maybe it symbolic of the future for Shardul and Cyril's firms! Although I hope both prosper as it will help the industry and the lawyers who earn their livelihood due to them.
I feel very soon we may witness mass exodus from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas. After all, Rabindra Bandkavi leaving despite being offered equity (along with a principal associate who was offered partnership) speaks volumes about how the place is run!
PS: I don't work for either of the brothers and am happy in my firm. But having seen the profession for some 9 years both in Mumbai and Delhi, I thought my observations may help someone!
But who has CAM really hired?
Lawyers from tier 3 and 4 firms and ex SAM lawyers who left [...]. So what are we talking about?
You cannot compare any of the Delhi hires with the existing Mumbai partners of CAM.
This shows the reputation all hit that CAM has taken over the last few months. No tier 1 or Band 1 partner in the CAMp!
Self goal perhaps, definitely not game. Set. Match!
In the end, I continue to have an amount of new-found professional respect that they're finally taking law firm news reporting somewhat seriously, and I'll continue giving them credit for scoops. That said, I'll happily point out where I believe something is inaccurate too.
At the end of the day, news journalism is dog-eat-dog. My job, at most, is to be professional and fair to the competition, but I don't have to be extra nice to them. :)
i.e. the Public Distribution System? Why will he open a ration shop?
1. You know from your experience with the above named partners that they are not good and worthy of the praise; or
2. The 21-22 years of experience simply doesn't register with you and you would rather have a 2 year old NLS graduate (cause that gives you a sense of proportion) make a partner at CAM rather than someone with 22 years of experience.
Rohan, you are among intellectuals, such comments may go unnoticed as people might not find your comments worth of a reply, but every now and then you'll have a Mr. Common Sense reply to your non-nonsensical attempt at an insult (to anyone for that matter, cause i think of myself as an LI vigilante!!), so that the next time you raise that little innocent finger of yours towards the harmless enter key, you'll know i am waiting here with my lols!!
And has it been proved that there is any nexus between having a Kit Kat and getting over your NLS syndrome.
Do they have a Mumbai setup?
If you are a lawyer, I would like to question your sense of relevance.
For you: How does the annual turnover of MNK Concern you as a non-party.
Relevant: I am sure CAM would have take the figures in account while deciding it, in any case they didnt feel it appropriate or necessary to discuss that with you. Why should they now? or for that matter any one.
For you: CAM already has a full-fledged office in Mumbai, what they were looking at was Delhi.
Relevant: MNK has a office in Delhi. i dont think Shardul would be looking to merge a Delhi firm with his Delhi office.
In any case were you really expecting to get a number against your question? Grow up man.
Mr. Cyril Shroff and MNK has far greater vision, experience and foresight than probably your age. You do not seem to have either of the above along with competence intelligence and respect for people in this profession.
You are not entirely wrong on that. But times are changing and these firms are now focusing on the quality and among the new recruits a lot of people are non national law schoolites. Yes, they do have a national law school bias. But its slowly changing.