PKA Advocates litigation partner Amit Jajoo, associate partner Sushmita Gandhi and three lawyers are joining HSA Advocates in Mumbai.

The hires will increase HSA Mumbai’s litigation capacity to three partners, together with ex-J Sagar Associates (JSA) partner Abeezar Faizullabhoy who had joined in 2014.

HSA managing partner Amitabh Sharma confirmed his joining, but declined to comment further. We have reached out to Jajoo for comment.

It is understood that Jajoo and Gandhi are the only remaining partners in PKA’s Mumbai office, though the firm still has offices in Delhi, Jodhpur, Kolkata and Jaipur.

Update 1 September, 16:19: In HSA’s press release, Jajoo commented:

What really stood out in HSA for me is their single-minded focus and dedication in creating an alternative platform for the clients and colleagues, devoid of any individual and family ownership.

This, coupled with their HSA 2021 strategy and the strides that they have made in last few months, really helped me close the discussion of my coming on board.

HSA 2.0 vision strategy is both integrated and dynamic and I am excited to be a part of the next phase of this growth together with Sushmita and my team.

Amitabh Sharma added in the press release:

The last 3 months at HSA have seen rapid growth and change. The firm is moving from strength to strength in enhancing its team, capabilities and capitalising on growth opportunities.

With HSA 2.0, we have embarked on a journey to realize the HSA 2021 vision of creating a world class institution providing exemplary legal services and at the same time inspiring, energizing and connecting with our colleagues, clients and communities alike.

Our aim is to add value not just to our clients, but also to our people and the world around us by being innovative, solution oriented, knowledge driven and at the same time, socially responsible. We are driven to bask in the shared success of each of our attorneys. And in order to realize our HSA 2021 vision, we have been cherry-picking the ablest of lawyers – Amit and Sushmita being the latest to be invited to partnership collegium.

Amit comes in with impeccable credentials within the Dispute Resolution space, a strong client following and a great reputation in the Mumbai litigation circles. Having known him over last several years in Mumbai, I have witnessed him growing professionally and achieve such an impressive client following in just over a decade practice. On behalf of the HSA partnership collegium, I extend a very warm welcome to Amit, Sushmita, Victor, Anaisha and Anamika to HSA.

We have reached out to senior counsel Paras Kuhad for comment, who had founded the firm that was known as Paras Kuhad Associates before he took the senior gown.

Update: Kuhad said that he could not comment as he was not involved at all anymore in PKA due to his having taken the seniors gown.

HSA has hired aggressively since ex-Khaitan & Co partner Amitabh Sharma took over as managing partner in April.

Some history

Paras Kuhad and Hemant Sahai Associates (as it was then known) had merged in 2009 for less than three months, breaking up by December.

The merger had unravelled rapidly, following the departure of two co-founders of PKA’s Mumbai office, Sowjanya Menon and Manish Desai, who were unhappy with the merger.

Both Menon and Desai started new firm Vidhii in Mumbai.

This was followed, in 2010, by Vaish Associates hired Paras Kuhad Mumbai indirect tax partner Shilpa Sharma, and in 2011 DSK Legal hiring Delhi disputes partner Ravi Prakash with a team of 14.

When in 2012 PKA founder Paras Kuhad was appointed senior counsel, Kuhad had to leave the firm under bar rules, which had by then already shrunk to a fraction of its former size.

In 2015, PKA Delhi partner Bhumesh Verma joined DGS Associates.