Khaitan & Co buys out three PXV Law founding partners, some associates

Abraham, Roy
Abraham, Roy

Three co-founding equity partners of PXV Law Partners, Deepto Roy, Mohit Abraham and GT Thomas Phillippe, are set to join Khaitan & Co as associate partners by 1 August, according to five authoritative sources from both firms and others with knowledge of the move.

Phillippe would join the Delhi corporate team, Abraham in Delhi litigation and Roy will be based in Mumbai specialising in infrastructure.

Khaitan & Co was not available for comment and PXV declined to comment when contacted.

PXV equity partner Pingal Khan is understood to be be starting a new firm with non-equity partner Souvik Bhadra in Kolkata, with PXV as a partnership and brand ceasing to exist.

Legally India could not confirm whether non-equity partner Anuj Sahay in Delhi would be joining Khaitan. Around half of the departing partners’ teams of roughly 15 associates are expected to be taken on by Khaitan after interviews.

PXV was started as RDA Legal, which was started in 2008 by Rohit Das and Pingal Khan, rebranding in 2011 as PXV with Philippe, Roy and Abraham becoming as equity partners. In 2012, PXV split over differences in vision, with Das separating back into RDA Legal and partner Arindam Pal in Kolkata splitting off into Augustus Law Chambers.

All of the erstwhile firm’s partners are graduates from NUJS Kolkata, with the three joining Khaitan all having graduated in 2005.

Abraham, who is an advocate-on-record, began his career at Amarchand, practising at the Supreme Court advocate from 2008 until joining PXV in 2010.

Roy also joined Amarchand after graduating in 2005, leaving in 2011 to join PXV.

Phillippe began his career at Trilegal, moving to AZB in 2008 and joining PXV in 2011.

Story updated with details of Pingal Khan and Souvik Bhadra’s start-up.

Comments

Mr. India 8 Jul 2014, 15:50
+12 -15
Was PXV doing that bad that the co-founders had to jump to another firm or was the offer by Khaitan & Co. That awesome? I wonder what will happen to the remaining partners and associates working there
NUJS alumnus 8 Jul 2014, 16:38
+12 -8
FYI the offer was made by Khaitan.
And... 9 Jul 2014, 11:54
+8 -8
And they had five offers to juggle..
happy lawyer 10 Jul 2014, 07:39
+4 -3
u wish!! khaitan heading for a political upheaval
Britney b**** 8 Jul 2014, 15:52
+14 -6
Oops, they did it again! This is a match made in heaven.
manolin 8 Jul 2014, 16:16
+37 -10
before the trash talking starts - just to set the tone - deepto and others - irrespective of the amounts of salary they may have lost by branching out, will have learnt a lot invaluable stuff through this start up process, which will pay off once they are partners. Client building and acquisition is not something which is well taught when you have the protective shields of managing partners. The only real way to learn it is to throw yourself in the deep end, which is what these guys have done. Wish them all the very best.
Hemmingway 8 Jul 2014, 17:44
+2 -3
True that
dumdum 8 Jul 2014, 16:17
+16 -22
RDA Legal is the best.
RDA s**ks 9 Jul 2014, 04:40
+10 -7
Tell RDA to pay me first!!

Khaitan & Co. bought out PXV because of the quality and talent. RDA tried to merge with another law firm and it bombarded on its face badly because RDA is running in terrible losses and they have no clientele or work whereas PXV had retainers with some of the best companies and banks!!
Peach 9 Jul 2014, 05:18
+14 -10
Someone's totally disassociated with reality it seems. What quality and talent? If you mean stabbing people in the back, I agree that's a major talent and not everyone possesses the same. AND as far as RDA is concerned, the last I heard it was doing GREAT. Lastly, in the battle amongst these NUJS Grads.. it seems to me that the guy who had originally started up the Firm way outlasted the people who came in and asserted that they could run a Firm and then backtracked when failure was certain.
What RDA? 9 Jul 2014, 05:59
+5 -7
[quote name="Peach"]Someone's totally disassociated with reality it seems. What quality and talent? If you mean stabbing people in the back, I agree that's a major talent and not everyone possesses the same. AND as far as RDA is concerned, the last I heard it was doing GREAT. Lastly, in the battle amongst these NUJS Grads.. it seems to me that the guy who had originally started up the Firm way outlasted the people who came in and asserted that they could run a Firm and then backtracked when failure was certain.[/quote]

Doing "GREAT"?? Why are some from Kolkata office moving out and joining other start ups? Where is the payment of current employees? They do not even have work right now...

"Outlasted"? No one really wants to be associated with RDA. He tried to merge with another firm started by his friend, even THAT did not work out!! Smart move by the other firm to not take on the liability of RDA.
GameOfFirms 9 Jul 2014, 07:37
+2 -5
Who moved out of the Kolkata office and joined another start up? It was heard that there are only one or two guys in that office. So will there be anyone left if an associate leaves?
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 07:44
+6 -5
Again as far as I know, RDA did not try to merge with anyone. The so called other gave the offer which was not acceptable to RDA. AND people who claim to have left RDA would care to remember WHY they were asked to leave. Lastly, the payment of current employees is an area which is best left to be answered by current employees and not by YOU.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 10:48
+4 -3
[quote name="Guest"]Again as far as I know, RDA did not try to merge with anyone. The so called other gave the offer which was not acceptable to RDA. AND people who claim to have left RDA would care to remember WHY they were asked to leave. Lastly, the payment of current employees is an area which is best left to be answered by current employees and not by YOU.[/quote]

I guess the present employers at rda need to give answers with respect to the unpaid salaries. Surojeet and rohit are answerable.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 11:45
+4 -3
The only people who did not get paid were people who did NOT deserve the same. One cannot be expected to sit on their bums and get paid for doing nothing. I am sure RDA was not formed for charitable and benevolent motives and/or purposes.
Starship Enterprise 9 Jul 2014, 12:17
+5 -3
Ummm... why did Rohit hire people who were sitting on their bums?
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 12:38
+1 -3
Somewhat Generosity I believe
Curious Cat 9 Jul 2014, 16:41
+2 -1
What else should they sit on?
RDA 9 Jul 2014, 17:22
+0 -2
[quote name="Curious Cat"]What else should they sit on?[/quote]

What does RD sit on?
Non Sequiter 9 Jul 2014, 19:51
+0 -0
A Chair!
Low IQ 9 Jul 2014, 12:37
+8 -0
lOls! Typical of Noida and Kolkata arguments!
VP 9 Jul 2014, 14:04
+9 -3
Dude; smell the coffee! It is not associates who are expected to find work if that's what you were alluding to. If not, if an associate slacks or has performance issues, you sack him/her by all means but by no means retain any salary for the days when that person has attended office!

Let it happen to you and you will sing a different tune!!

IDIOT.
MP 9 Jul 2014, 19:52
+0 -0
What if they didn't attend office?
unknown 4 Sept 2014, 12:48
+0 -0
the only problem with your comment is: when you take employees the responsibility of ensuring they have work is on the employer..on one hand you dont have work to keep your employees occupied and on the other accuse them of doing nothing. in any case if you want to fire people you can do that but after clearing all the dues promised under employement contract with them. if you dont work at AMSS and sit whole day..sure you get fired but with after getting your pay. i dont know the people at RDA or what goes on but from all of this..it seems they really dont have money or work but then again kingfisher was flying high for a long time on borrowed money so you never know how long before this flight is grounded.
happy lawyer 10 Jul 2014, 07:41
+2 -0
heard that the merger did not happen as RDA refused to abandon its associates..take all or take none policy and the firm did not belong to a friend!
Guest 10 Jul 2014, 11:18
+1 -0
Absolutely agree
Plum 9 Jul 2014, 10:44
+4 -1
Why dont you ask Rohit Das's clients how GREAT they are doing?
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 07:42
+0 -6
Even I was part of Rda for a short time but I'm not aware of rda trying to merge with any other firm. Can you throw some light on it. I also call upon surajit da to enlighten us on this issue.
Guest 8 Jul 2014, 16:18
+5 -5
So now will it be just Pingal and Anuj running the show? And which all associates are moving to Khaitan?
Another noojie 8 Jul 2014, 16:47
+2 -0
No, anuj is going to khaitan with the 3. pingal is not. bombay and delhi associates are moving. don't know their names.
Noojie 8 Jul 2014, 16:19
+27 -36
Heard they handed out a raw deal to the associates who were working with them by asking them to fend for themselves. The least that Roy, Abraham and Phillipe could have done is to have taken the associates and associate partners (who stuck by them through the rough ride as a start up) to KCo. Understand that they asked these associates to individually interview with KCo. Very sad and unfortunate!
NUJS alumnus 8 Jul 2014, 18:08
+25 -15
Don't know where you heard this shit but lemme assure you that the associates were not asked to 'fend for themselves'. When Khaitan approached PXV, they only wanted the partners but Deepto, Thomas and Mohit were adamant that they wanted their team of associates to tag along. The interviews did happen, yes but that was only a 'getting to know the associates better' interview. Get your facts right, dude!
Gnx 8 Jul 2014, 19:31
+10 -2
[quote name="NUJS alumnus"]Don't know where you heard this shit but lemme assure you that the associates were not asked to 'fend for themselves'. When Khaitan approached PXV, they only wanted the partners but Deepto, Thomas and Mohit were adamant that they wanted their team of associates to tag along. The interviews did happen, yes but that was only a 'getting to know the associates better' interview. Get your facts right, dude![/quote]

This is the version even I got from my batchmate who has already finished her interview with KCO.
NUJS alumnus 9 Jul 2014, 10:15
+8 -0
"Their team of associates". So you do admit that they were cherry picked.
And... 9 Jul 2014, 11:57
+2 -1
Its everyone who is in Mumbai or Delhi Office - since those offices are merging.
VP 9 Jul 2014, 14:08
+4 -0
You have any clue what 'merger' means??
Guest 8 Jul 2014, 16:21
+13 -9
Pingal khan is the best!!
He will take PXV to new heights.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 05:20
+11 -1
Just Hillarious.
RDA 8 Jul 2014, 16:25
+13 -6
lol.. What does RDA say about this? They still do not pay Associates. Where the PXV guys make it to Khaitan, RDA guys constantly leave. It shows and proves for a fact which was the better firm. Hence, RDA was told to leave PXV i.e. to keep quality high!!
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 05:23
+5 -1
I guess facts are real messed up here. RDA was not asked to leave PXV. Rather, it decided to leave since it was of the vision that it did not want to have anything to do with PXV. And today's news only reinforces this decision as a good one. As of today, PXV is no more and RDA still lives. Takes more than excellence to start and continue a Firm.
Vision? 9 Jul 2014, 06:02
+6 -6
[quote name="Guest"]I guess facts are real messed up here. RDA was not asked to leave PXV. Rather, it decided to leave since it was of the vision that it did not want to have anything to do with PXV. And today's news only reinforces this decision as a good one. As of today, PXV is no more and RDA still lives. Takes more than excellence to start and continue a Firm.[/quote]

Vision? I think the vision of the MP of the then PXV was on some other person and it was an entire mess up in Delhi. RDA was hence told to separate to not cause an embarrassment to PXV because of internal "love"-hate relationship.. I think you do not even know any fact! "Vision" my a*s
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 07:47
+4 -1
How can the person who starts the entity itself be asked to leave the entity? It is but obvious that people joined the Firm and wanted to keep it all for themselves and what happened next is known to all. But at the end of the day, PXV is NO MORE.
Explain 9 Jul 2014, 08:38
+0 -1
for the benefit of those who do not know...
General K 9 Jul 2014, 11:19
+6 -4
Yes it takes more than excellence... it takes sheer bloody mindedness in keeping the firm floating month after month when it cannot pay salaries to its associates, and sets billing and recovery targets for first year associates... is it really worth dragging on a firm (RDA) which is an associate's graveyard? Ask Nazish... Shubhojit... Mrunmoyee... if RDA still lives then why did Ushasi Das leave?
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 11:48
+3 -3
That is for the couple to answer but simple answer to that is.. No sane couple puts all their eggs in one basket. Read up a bit about investments I suggest.
Old Friend 8 Jul 2014, 16:33
+38 -9
Even when it is getting dissolved, the success of PXV as a firm should not be forgotten. It attracted excellent mid level talent from established law firm to entrepreneurship, fought and bounced back after a messy restructuring, got itself a very slick name,did several deals which any law firm would be proud of, maintained an excellent blog and, of course, made an extraordinary effort to build a practice. I am sure all of these and much more will be reasons for its partners to always feel happy about the PXV days. They put their money to do something that many will never dare to touch. All the best to those who are returning to Biglaw and other places to take their careers forward. Cheers!
Older Friend 8 Jul 2014, 18:02
+9 -1
Agreed. Then why are they joining as "Associate Partners"!? Surely they should come in as equity partners if just last week Bhattacharya has joined as equity partner!
Armchair Entrepreneur 8 Jul 2014, 19:24
+26 -0
I think these guys did not have as much negotiating power as Bhattacharya. It's not like they have (or could have for that matter) blossomed into the next trilegal in the short time they have been around. Unfortunately, free market does not recognize the nobility or bravery behind entrepreneurial endeavours - it only rewards or punishes based on outcome. So yes, had these guys stayed on at Biglaw all this while, they could have cut the same deal as Bhattacharya. Plus KCO is absorbing their teams into already well staffed infra, corp and lit practices so that also is very likely to have had a bearing on the deal they could secure for themselves.

Overall, this is rather sad though it is clear these guys will go on to do very well professionally. In its avatar as PXV, this was perhaps the most promising startup firm among the various outfits that have mushroomed almost every other month over the last couple of years and I really thought they were going to make it big on their own. Anyway, what I had personally thought of as THE most promising startup firm (Alliance) folded in 18 months.

PXV was one chance to vicariously experience the ups and downs of entrepreneurship without risking a penny or opportunity by reading about their splits, more splits and good deals. Hats off and thank you to you guys on behalf of LI comments authors and readers - some of us certainly will miss your existence as PXV. And now that the trolls are already here, let's have one last summerslam of PXV v. RDA fanboy flamewars!
Analyst 10 Jul 2014, 02:50
+3 -0
Please reiterate WHO put their money into PXV again??? AND who enjoyed the fruits of others' money put in it?
Not news 8 Jul 2014, 16:35
+7 -1
This has been floating around for a month or so now. Equity partners and bombay and delhi salaried partners and associates are going to khaitan. kolkata salaried partner and 2 associates wants to run their own show. bangalore shop split from pxv last year though there was some brand and resource sharing arrangement.
Guest 8 Jul 2014, 17:07
+2 -0
What news of Pingal and Kartik?
news!! 8 Jul 2014, 17:15
+2 -0
Kian...check your facts before publishing news. This article is constantly being updated. This is what happens when news is based on hearsay!
typical NUJS H 8 Jul 2014, 17:34
+24 -3
Bhatta AMSS through and through (NUS aside), joins as equity. Batchmates start a law firm and have to join as associate partners? Somethings not right with the maths... All 4 of them BTW are equally brilliant in their own right. It probably shows that the start-up market was a little uneven a playing ground...definitely its a damn tough world... Especially for ppl coming out of premier law firms. This story is disheartening for a lot of us sitting outside and judging, yet not discouraging. These guys tried and tried at the right age and to my mind, never failed - just didn't get where they wanted to. And for all of it, they are probably far richer in experience. Gentlemen, I offer you a standing ovation. Well played.
Yet another noojie 8 Jul 2014, 17:36
+2 -4
Kian, pingal ceased to be a partner at pvx from 2013. he is just an "advocate" at pxv. check his linkedin profile.
thankgodnotanoojie 8 Jul 2014, 17:52
+9 -1
and you cease to be an advocate once you become a partner, eh? genius, my noojie brothah!
kianganz 9 Jul 2014, 10:07
+4 -1
I think that's not correct, from what I understand he is still a partner but just decided to write advocate instead of partner on Linkedin, business cards, etc...
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 11:18
+1 -3
Have you verified this with anyone at PXV?
an excellent plan 8 Jul 2014, 17:56
+9 -1
By the communists to take over the marwaris
So what 8 Jul 2014, 18:02
+69 -6
Khaitan's strategy is clear.. Induce people with a higher pay and after khaitan has taken all their clients and used whatever they are worth their growth within the organisation is stopped.. Khaitan has a inner circle which is very insecure.. This is why people whose entry in khaitan had made news in the recent past left Khaitan within a few years.. There is no doubt that history will repeat itself!
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 15:24
+15 -0
This is an excellent observation...absolutely correct...recent examples are Murali, Vaishali, Prabhjot...
Been There 8 Jul 2014, 18:32
+18 -9
PXV is an amazing place to work. The partners invest quality time in training associates. So even if the associates need to fend for themselves, they have no reason to worry. And yes- Congratulations KCO. Intelligent move.
Happy Banker 8 Jul 2014, 18:39
+19 -1
Agree with "So What". Really difficult to understand where KCO is going with this. Induction of so many partner level laterals at such a rapid pace with not much of a market share to talk about!! The laterals joining KCO should be wary of KCO management unless the firm has hit a jackpot! And I dont know what their in-house partners would be going through seeing a new partner walking in every morning!!
Older lawyer 8 Jul 2014, 19:06
+24 -8
What were these guys thinking when they had joined a startup, that they will have success in 3 years? People need to stick it out for years and deliver at a consistent level to be taken seriously - just brand names of NUJS, AMSS, AZB doesn't matter. Unfortunately people setting up firms nowadays try for readymade success and then give up easily. PXV could have done much better only if the guys were more determined to rough it out, but it seems they decided to swap their dreams for a well paying job at a sweatshop. It is indeed a sad story. But hope that we will see some more determined lawyers to build longer lasting legacies.
Market Watcher 8 Jul 2014, 20:17
+12 -12
Agree with Older Lawyer. In fact RDA was founded by Rohit in 2008 then was rebranded in 2011 to PXV with Deepto, Mohit and Thomas joining. They caused a split after a brief period and Rohit went back to continuing as RDA. In the settlement, PXV got the Bangalore and Delhi office while RDA retained the Mumbai and Kolkata office. After the split PXV lost its Bangalore office with Kartik splitting and now the firm itself is winding up with Deepto, Mohit and Thommas joining KCO. On the other hand, except for the brief interlude as PXV, Rohit has continued with RDA, which has now been in the market for the last 6 years. Its interesting that RDA is still continuing and has got back presence in all the four cities. In fact it has taken on board an ex-KCO Senior Associate as a Partner in Mumbai and an ex-Poovaiya Senior Associate as a Partner in Bangalore. While RDA seems to have gone through a rough time after the split and still has a way to go as a young start-up firm, it will be interesting to see for how long RDA continues, and how far it is able to make it in the market. Hats off to Rohit.
watching the watchmen 9 Jul 2014, 06:45
+1 -3
Who heads RDA's Delhi practice? Is Kunal Chatterjee still there? And who is in charge in Kolkata?
Much younger lawyer 8 Jul 2014, 20:46
+4 -9
Since you seem know exactly what is required to build a successful and lasting law firm, why wait and hope as a spectator for some other determined lawyers to come along? Why don't you do it yourself? Nearing retirement age at the sweatshop where you work? Failing eyesight, worsening back or deteriorating control over prostrate? Or is it that kids' tuition and house, car and whatnot EMIs giving you weak knees when you think about starting? Any mouse can pretend to have big cojones when they talk.
Older lawyer 9 Jul 2014, 06:58
+12 -2
Maybe I am doing something kid.....maybe I was never in your rat race.....maybe I am not in the sweatshop that obsesses you.....or maybe I am just an old man whose time has passed by. But why don't you do something with your vigour and energy instead of picking on oldies? I am sure you have a bright future ahead :)
younger lawyer 8 Jul 2014, 22:22
+1 -8
Go forth old man and build some legacy... Commenting on LI wont get you there
younger lawyer 8 Jul 2014, 22:23
+3 -9
Also brand names of NUJS AZB and AMSS matter a LOT. take my word for it. :)
moneymoneymoney! 9 Jul 2014, 05:20
+6 -7
We all accept that Rohit is doing a commendable job... sticking to his dream of having his own successful firm. But in the process he can't ignore the need of his associates. Can't go on not paying his associates. That ways all his good workforce will leave Rda to fend for themselves.
VP 9 Jul 2014, 14:11
+0 -5
Who's the "we all" dude??
Individual Law Practioner 9 Jul 2014, 13:41
+3 -3
Agree with you....I have even started my own practice, invested savings in doing up a small office instead of going grand way or doing pomp and show and then falling flat without having sufficient earnings to cover costs or overheads, is a stupid idea. i think one build practice slowly and take all work that comes to you initially. Other firms didnt become successful in one go....
Law Firm Promoter 9 Jul 2014, 20:09
+4 -1
While it is commendable that you have started your individual practice, it is also important not to downgrade law firm entrepreneurs who create organisations. Start ups have a huge element of risk but it is important that some people do take this risk. New firms bring new ideas and innovation to the market, generate employment and ensure that few big firms do not create an absolute monopoly in the market. All the big firms, whether KCO, Amarchand or AZB started when individual entrepreneurs took the risk. We wouldn't have these firms, if they didn't. The sad reality is 9 out of 10 start ups fail. But this is necessary for a healthy and competitive market.
Just filling in the gaps? 9 Jul 2014, 02:08
+8 -0
Have we forgotten that only recently quite a few partners of KCO resigned! They are obviously just filling in the gaps and not expanding as such.
LOL 10 Jul 2014, 06:58
+2 -0
2 equity partners and 1 associate partner left KCO. I will not comment on the AP, but are you suggesting that Vaishali Sharma and Murli can be replaced by 2005 grad APs, even in the ratio of 1:2? Really? In that case, should we start law firms consisting of 50 freshers?
Yo Yo 9 Jul 2014, 05:37
+6 -1
and here we are again....karma is a bitch!
Judge & Jury 9 Jul 2014, 07:02
+13 -10
It remains to be seen whether RDA can go on to be a force in the near/distant future. They seem to have taken stock over the last year or so and working away without much fanfare. But that's not the point here though. My objective question is that isn't this back to square one for PXV partners. I mean they came away from big firms to do something of their own and now going back to exactly that. Is this return by design or by compelling circumstances?
Critic 9 Jul 2014, 07:31
+24 -11
We can make some informed guesses as to why they joined KCO

1. Whatever spin this trio may provide, it is reasonably certain that their business was not working well. Even moderately sucessful owners will not sell their business *and* seek employment with the buyer. Not in a sector like law where overcoming the initial client getting hurdle is the biggest problem startups face.

2. Once again, having worked at big firms like AMSS (Deepto) and AZB (Philip), it is very unlikely they would want to once again join a firm of that type unless it was for reasons of financial security.

3. When it was known that they were starting their own firm general expectation was that either they would stick around to make a successful practice or they would sell out to a foreign firm (TTA/Trilegal model)or at the least a reputed Indian firm. Now KCO is not a synonym for lala dukan as it used to be but its still some way off from being an AMSS or an AZB. To sell out to KCO is like a successful Indian IT startup selling out to Satyam instead of Apple/Microsoft/Google.

4. Whatever be the reasons I predict it is only a matter of time before they leave KCO, maybe one by one or maybe together. Abraham and Philip are prolific job changers and after running their own firm it will be a bitter pill to swallow performance pressure from the Khaitans and Jhunjhunwalas no matter how sugar-coated it may be. Haigreve is not running a charity and at some stage will have to crack the whip.

Most likely it was a distress sale of a poor business and an attempt at getting some financial benefit for a while before moving on...
watching the watchmen 9 Jul 2014, 08:09
+1 -1
Are they even interested in giving a justification? So what if its a distressed sale? Are all commercial ventures successful?
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 11:32
+1 -1
If it is indeed a distress sale, then these chaps have been very smart about their decision and have secured a sweet deal for themselves and their teams. Far better than what mallya could do with kingfisher :-D This is a commercial venture and there is no sense in dragging on just for philosophy, ego or foolish bravado's sake, promise golden days ahead, then not pay salaries, ruin one's reputation, or ruin associate and potential partners' careers - all for the sole tangible result of poetic words of praise from one's fanboys from law school days.
Critic 9 Jul 2014, 14:39
+5 -5
[quote name="Critic"]We can make some informed guesses as to why they joined KCO

1. Whatever spin this trio may provide, it is reasonably certain that their business was not working well. Even moderately sucessful owners will not sell their business *and* seek employment with the buyer. Not in a sector like law where overcoming the initial client getting hurdle is the biggest problem startups face.

2. Once again, having worked at big firms like AMSS (Deepto) and AZB (Philip), it is very unlikely they would want to once again join a firm of that type unless it was for reasons of financial security.

3. When it was known that they were starting their own firm general expectation was that either they would stick around to make a successful practice or they would sell out to a foreign firm (TTA/Trilegal model)or at the least a reputed Indian firm. Now KCO is not a synonym for lala dukan as it used to be but its still some way off from being an AMSS or an AZB. To sell out to KCO is like a successful Indian IT startup selling out to Satyam instead of Apple/Microsoft/Google.

4. Whatever be the reasons I predict it is only a matter of time before they leave KCO, maybe one by one or maybe together. Abraham and Philip are prolific job changers and after running their own firm it will be a bitter pill to swallow performance pressure from the Khaitans and Jhunjhunwalas no matter how sugar-coated it may be. Haigreve is not running a charity and at some stage will have to crack the whip.

Most likely it was a distress sale of a poor business and an attempt at getting some financial benefit for a while before moving on...[/quote]
[quote name="Guest"]If it is indeed a distress sale, then these chaps have been very smart about their decision and have secured a sweet deal for themselves and their teams. Far better than what mallya could do with kingfisher :-D This is a commercial venture and there is no sense in dragging on just for philosophy, ego or foolish bravado's sake, promise golden days ahead, then not pay salaries, ruin one's reputation, or ruin associate and potential partners' careers - all for the sole tangible result of poetic words of praise from one's fanboys from law school days.[/quote]

LOL Yes. While there are big question marks over the professional competency of all the 'founders' other than Deepto Roy one thing everyone can agree on is that they have (with a little bit of help from Kian) made a distress sale sound fashionable!

I can't think of any other [b]successful [/b]entrepreneur who [b]sells his company and then becomes an employee of the buyer[/b]. I'm guessing that no amount of financial compensation (assuming there was any) can make up for the change from malik (owner) to naukar (servant).

I'm frankly surprised that LI has written this piece without considering some of these aspects and made PXV look like its doing well. Kian would do well to look at business reporting by Forbes, etc. where such takeovers are inspected and commented upon with a view to know whether they make sense or whether it was a bail-out. Without that this story is just a bit of gossip
kianganz 9 Jul 2014, 14:56
+10 -2
According to another commenter above, I thought I was vicious to PXV in this report... Sigh.

But actually, since you want some analysis, in my opinion your example is way off on many counts. Look at the acquisitions Google or Yahoo or other large tech companies have done in the last year or so - a significant percentage have been purely for the (coding) talent within the start-ups, rather than the product or assets of the start-up. That talent then usually gets a lump sum and a lucrative job at Google.

Simplifying a bit, in law firms, the only real assets are the people and the book of business, so law firm takeovers are, to a large part, about taking the partners and other talent and 'employing' them (or 'partnering' them) in your law firm.

And if each partners' book of business is huge, then they bring enough to the table to demand more rights in the new law firm, so the only way to get them to join might be equity partnership, which at Khaitan is probably not that different a deal anyway.

If the book of business is perhaps a bit smaller, as it is in many start-ups, the original take-home pay of some of the start-ups' partners is likely to be less, and therefore an offer of associate partnership could have meant a pay-rise, plus potential access to a larger book of clients, and a possible promise of promotion to equity if they find their feet in the new surroundings and convert some of their books of business.

But I don't think even this can necessarily be applied in this case, since we don't really know all the financials and agreements behind this deal.
Analyst 9 Jul 2014, 20:21
+6 -2
Completely agree with Kian. Forbes deals mostly with public companies, mostly listed, whose financials are publicly available. Kian has to deal with a sector where 100% of the market comprises of private partnership firms whose financials are not publicly available. Most deals in the sector are confidential, so predictions on financial aspects of the deal are nearly impossible. Given the constraints, Kian has to report information based on judgement calls from what he believes to be the most reliable source. I think Kian's analysis is quite accurate. KCO's intent in this deal appears to be to acquire individual talent from PXV and not an acquisition of or merger with PXV as a going concern.
Ullu Banaoing 10 Jul 2014, 10:15
+0 -0
well said Kian Bhai
Critic 10 Jul 2014, 19:13
+3 -6
Kian, kian, Kian, you have bothered to reply to me so I will give you the courtesy of a rejoinder. First off, you are somewhat naive in saying that large public firms are different from law firms and focusing on the apparent differences. The differences are well known, but business sense is the same all across. You can take Cyril Shroff and he may still run a forbes 500 company decently even though it is a totally different type of business.

My point was on whether a study of the basic differences between KCO and p15 read with the known facts (ie founder partners of p15 becoming ass partners of Kco) makes economic sense. You dont need financials of the two to arrive at a conclusion that p15 was not doing well and this is pretty much a distress sale. Look at the indicators: lawyers who quit giant 100 year old firm to make their own tiny firm quit their tiny firm to join another 100 year old giant firm that too at a mid level only. Can there be any doubt? Maybe khaitans have promised them the moon or maybe not but there is no denying that something major must have made these guys change their minds and take such a darstic decision as well as swallow the bitter pill of having to work for a new master and become one of dozens of ass. partners. If it was a successful business and Kco oferred them a good payment they would simply have left and started another firm/gone on a holiday/whatever
kianganz 10 Jul 2014, 20:43
+7 -1
You're partly right, but there can be all sorts of reasons a start-up sells out to a bigger firm and many different definitions of success.

1. It could be money. It's hard to build up a practice from scratch, particularly in this market, where you get the really big ticket mandates that make leverage and profitability really come into their own.

2. Making that leap to big ticket and more complex work can be tough, since a lot of the big name clients are sewn up by the big guys and pre-existing relationships and brand names. Buying into a bigger firm can be an avenue to access that.

3. Maybe scaling up is a challenge that the founders were not as interested in tackling. Not everyone (in fact, most lawyers) can't be bothered or aren't interested in growing an organisation from 10-20 to 100. The latter is very different work, takes a lot of management time and headaches, and probably isn't why most lawyers sign up to law. Many start-ups might not be aware of the full extent of this, or perhaps only realise after having done it, that they'd rather spend their careers doing transactions and taking home a salary than worrying about all the nitty gritty all the time.

4. People get older and their priorities change.

5. The experience you make starting out on your own could actually be of great value in a larger law firm and perhaps let you grow faster with more opportunities than you would have on your own. Refer to some of the tech talent acquisitions by Google and the like I mentioned earlier.

Just some thoughts, but there could be many other reasons.

In this case, I'm not sure why this needs to be labelled a success or failure. It all depends on where you're standing, really.
Critic 11 Jul 2014, 18:22
+2 -5
Kian, it's funny how you refuse to acknowledge your bad analysis. Please don't be compelled to do so, you will gain more respect from readers by calling a spade a spade. I have replied to your "reasons" point-wise. Hopw you can sportingly accept your points were just a stab at saving face.

[quote name="kianganz"]

1. It could be money. It's hard to build up a practice from scratch, particularly in this market, where you get the really big ticket mandates that make leverage and profitability really come into their own.
[/quote]

If they were adept at building a practice from scratch they would not have sold their practice to KCO. Would you Kian? Would you sell a very successful Legally India that you built from scratch for $$$ and then start "Legal Today" ???

[quote name="kianganz"]2. Making that leap to big ticket and more complex work can be tough, since a lot of the big name clients are sewn up by the big guys and pre-existing relationships and brand names. Buying into a bigger firm can be an avenue to access that.[/quote]

So what you're saying is that p15 could not do more complex work and therefore their founders said "Hey guys, we're not able to get anything more complex than drafting a sale deed so lets join KCO". Looks like a polite way of saying they failed to build a firm.

[quote name="kianganz"]3. Maybe scaling up is a challenge that the founders were not as interested in tackling. Not everyone (in fact, most lawyers) can't be bothered or aren't interested in growing an organisation from 10-20 to 100. The latter is very different work, takes a lot of management time and headaches, and probably isn't why most lawyers sign up to law. Many start-ups might not be aware of the full extent of this, or perhaps only realise after having done it, that they'd rather spend their careers doing transactions and taking home a salary than worrying about all the nitty gritty all the time.
[/quote]

In other words these lads founded p15 to be a tiny firm knowing full well that they would not scale up!? How naive are you Kian to make up a theory like this? Your own reporting on p15, says "PXV Law Partners, which started as RDA Legal only three years ago with its founder just about two years out of NUJS Kolkata, can now boast four metro offices, [b]a lockstep equity partnership model, bi-yearly managing partner elections and ambitious plans to give the legal world’s top brass a run for its money in the next five years.[/b]"

suddenly today you realise that they wanted to the exact opposite. LOL

[quote name="kianganz"]4. People get older and their priorities change.[/quote]

Seriously??? 3 years older ???

[quote name="kianganz"]5. The experience you make starting out on your own could actually be of great value in a larger law firm and perhaps let you grow faster with more opportunities than you would have on your own. Refer to some of the tech talent acquisitions by Google and the like I mentioned earlier.
[/quote]

You have reported lots of promotions within the top tier firms Kian. If there's one thing they have in common its rewarding old faithfuls, not laterals. If these p15 guys seriously wanted to do well in an AMSS-type firm (and I'm flattering KCO by saying that) than they would have stuck around in AMSS and AZB (as least Deepto and Thomas would have). Setting up your own firm to "gain experience" with a view to rejoin biglaw is the dumbest theory anyone's come up with till now

The more you analyse this , the more apparent it is that p15 was a pathetic failure. Theres no harm in failing in business so why are all the holy cows getting their knickers in a twist.
kianganz 11 Jul 2014, 21:25
+9 -1
I have tremendous respect for anyone who starts their own business and unless you've done the same, your comment is academic at best.

If your only yardstick is opportunity cost, then most law firm start ups are a failure.

As is LI, for that matter, because I would have made a lot more money staying at a magic circle firm rather than coming here and taking a risk. And if I exit and take a job in a law firm again, is the experience I've had here any less personal or valuable?

Is a start up law firm a failure because if the lawyer had stayed in a comfortable law firm job he or she could have been a partner earlier and made more money? Only if the extent of your horizon is money and a certain career path.

Part of the point of starting up is that it's an adventure and you're doing your own thing, and even getting to the point of building a firm where you have a team, steady clients and your first profits, is something 90% of lawyers won't ever get to do or are incapable of doing, and should therefore be counted as a success.

I know nearly nothing about PXV or the people involved or the actual reasons they decided to quit the start up life, and I expect neither do you beyond hearsay and conjecture.

Not everything may have gone to plan, because things rarely do in start ups, but they seem to have had a good run and found a home in a good law firm with experience that no one can ever take away.

Your judgment of success or failure is ultimately just your opinion, which you're entitled to, but which I wouldn't share until I know all the facts.

All you can really ask is whether knowing what they know now, they'd do it again. And that's something that neither of us know or can predict without asking them.

Until then, I (and LI) particularly salute any lawyers setting out on their own.
Critic 11 Jul 2014, 22:47
+4 -5
I find your replies more and more defensive Kian, and more and more naive.

Success or failure is very easy to judge provided we know what the objective is. As of now, we can say that either the p15 boys aspired to be ass. partners at a Biglaw firm (a 'comfortable home' as you describe it) or they aspired to be successful owners of their own firm. Neither objective is especially laudable over the over and I offer no value judgment (unlike your 'salutes'). Now if they wanted to be ass. partners in Biglaw, they've chosen a poor route to go about it. Not only have they missed the seniority bus but it is unlikely their subject matter experience at p15 would greatly help them much. Maybe things work differently in the UK where you come from but most lawyers in India who've been around for a few years in Biglaw would unanimously tell you that loyalty and staying put in indian firms is the best way to reach the top.

If their objective was to successfully run a firm, its a clear failure if they've folded shop in 3-4 years.

I dont see any shame in being a failure but you seem to attach a stigma to it and are refraining from acknowledging so. A good magazine like Forbes would have bluntly called out this 'takeover' for what it is - a distress sale. Instead you seem to believe politeness is preferable over honesty. I guess that's LI's policy.

Returning to your very poor example, I think it is more than fair to say that your experience running LI (and even succeeding for that matter) is of limited value if you were to join a magic circle firm today. Certainly you cannot be at par with someone who's been at a magic circle firm for the last xx years and no doubt the magic circle firm you return to will not fit you higher than him/her. Again, nothing wrong in acknowledging it. It's only natural that LI-management can never substitute magic-circle experience wholly.

You seem to have a misplaced sense of chivalry. Each person should work to his strengths. If someone is good at a biglaw job, kudos to him if he realises it and sticks there. If someone is good at being in-house counsel kudos to him for maximising it. But no kudos to someone who gambles and loses. I consider someone like Deepto a failure (and even unreliable) for abandoning a successful job at AMSS to set up this p15 and then fold up within 3-4 years and joining Khaitan. What has he proved? Certainly not persistence, certainly not wise career choices. He would have been far more deserving of your 'salute' had he persevered for a decade which would have shown his commitment. 3-4 years is barely enough time to grow a legal practice.

In the end please remember that one does not need to know people personally to analyse and judge their actions. If that were true our present system of justice would be useless. An experienced lawyer can easily judge just how 'successful' this p15 enterprise was. But you've not really had much experience working as a lawyer in India (or anywhere else for that matter) have you ... so cant blame you for not understanding how the business works I guess.
kianganz 12 Jul 2014, 06:07
+11 -1
[img]http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/288/186/d7d[/img]

In your view and by your definition of success, which is climbing the career ladder more quickly, maybe you're right. Or maybe they'll have a
good more thriving practice than their classmates in a few years at Khaitan.

Plus you seem to view life / career as a zero sum game, which suggests you're not the kind to take risks.

However, it'd be unwarranted, not to say very bad journalism, for me to call a start-up a failure using only your subjective metric, without being in possession of most the facts, which neither of us are. Unlikely, but for all you know maybe they'll get paid Rs 10 cr rupees cash as a signing bonus. They were courted by around 5 law firms for a merger as far as I know, so good terms are certainly a possibility.

So, like I said, you're welcome to your opinion, just don't expect me to endorse it or write a column or something doing so.
Critic 12 Jul 2014, 12:33
+2 -6
[quote name="kianganz"][img]http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/288/186/d7d[/img]

In your view and by your definition of success, which is climbing the career ladder more quickly, maybe you're right. Or maybe they'll have a
good more thriving practice than their classmates in a few years at Khaitan. [/quote]

My definition of success is climbing quickly any ladder that you want to climb and not a corporate firm ladder. The p15 boys did not succeed at either and were by all accounts more of rolling stones than anything else.

[quote name="kianganz"]Plus you seem to view life / career as a zero sum game, which suggests you're not the kind to take risks. [/quote]

I have said nothing related to balancing life and career. Dunno where you got that impression. All my comments were on the abilities
of the p15 boys as lawyers and owners of a firm.

[quote name="kianganz"]However, it'd be unwarranted, not to say very bad journalism, for me to call a start-up a failure using only your subjective metric, without being in possession of most the facts, which neither of us are. [/quote]

That's only to be expected I guess Kian when all you do at LI is encourage, source and publish gossip. Until you analyse your 'news' and offer a take on it, preferably by someone experienced (and not you and your tiny staff none of who have spent any real time slogging it out in the Indian legal profession and have zero perspective on how law firms / lawyers work in this country beyond hearsay), LI will be at best..a Mid-Day / Mumbai Mirror like tabloid. But don't worry, it takes skills even to run a gossip and I 'salute' you for that.

[quote name="kianganz"] Unlikely, but for all you know maybe they'll get paid Rs 10 cr rupees cash as a signing bonus.[/quote]

KCO would not pay them a 10cr bonus if their business and clientele wasn't worth that much and if it was indeed worth that much they wouldnt have sold their business *and* joined KCO at the level you have reported them to have joined.

[quote name="kianganz"] They were courted by around 5 law firms for a merger as far as I know, so good terms are certainly a possibility. [/quote]

I dunno what kind of law firms you refer to but AMSS and AZB have certainly made no such attempt and I know of one smaller firm (Delhi-based) that shooed them away. [...]

[quote name="kianganz"]So, like I said, you're welcome to your opinion, just don't expect me to endorse it or write a column or something doing so.[/quote]

I am not as naive as you to expect you to endorse my opinion. But I trust that our exchange makes you aware that informed readers of LI can see through your very superficially written reporting and opinions that are disconnected from reality.
kianganz 12 Jul 2014, 13:01
+3 -0
Critic, it truly saddens me to say so, but maybe LI is simply not the website you should be reading, if:

a) you're still looking for a half-baked, perception-based hatchet job under the guise of 'analysis' in a straight up news report, and
b) you're unable to consider that one's life and career could ever be more than just a zero-sum snakes and ladders game where you count the bank balance on the day you die to find out whether you've won.

Best wishes,
Kian
Critic 12 Jul 2014, 15:47
+0 -4
[quote name="kianganz"]Critic, it truly saddens me to say so, but maybe LI is simply not the website you should be reading, if:

a) you're still looking for a half-baked, perception-based hatchet job under the guise of 'analysis' in a straight up news report, and
b) you're unable to consider that one's life and career could ever be more than just a zero-sum snakes and ladders game where you count the bank balance on the day you die to find out whether you've won.

Best wishes,
Kian[/quote]

Sorry Kian but nowhere have I mentioned that life is a zero-sum game (assuming you know what that means). Neither have I made any reference to a bank balance as being the only yardstick for success. What we have been posting here is about whether it is possible to take a view as to the success or failure of p15 based on the info we have and contrasting your style of journalism with reputed industry-watchers. Instead of welcoming suggestions you take an ostrich-like view and issue denials (not too different from all those managing partners we love to hate). Well...sad.

And for all its faults, even a 'half-baked, perception-based hatchet job under the guise of 'analysis' in a straight up news report' is better than an uninformed unverified unanalysed bit of tabloid gossip trying to masquerade itself as a 'news story' and an editorial team that has not a single person who has any experience of working as a lawyer in India trying to pass themselves off as "journalists".

You are only getting riled up at being criticised and exposing your weaknesses further. Don't take my comments too personally, at most they are about your professional ability and I'm sure you're a great guy and nice human being, (at least the last bit of which your ex-colleagues at Bloomberg have vouched for).
kianganz 12 Jul 2014, 20:37
+6 -1
Ok Critic, thanks for your feedback, you've had your say and repeated the same trolly points many times over, you win the special prize.

Love,
Kian
Scum patrol 13 Jul 2014, 05:47
+6 -0
Critic, having just read all your tedious comments, I have realised that you're an example of a particular scourge that our legal fraternity has produced: over educated and over privileged from birth, frustrated and therefore perennially underachieving product of his own insecurity, knowing he'll never amount to more than the naukar that he was intellectually and creatively born to be.

On the bright side, I'm sure managing partners love having you around as their little lapdog. Keep it up!
naves 12 Jul 2014, 15:54
+11 -1
I think critics comments are one of the worst uncensored comments on LI ever...froma perspective of being motivated by hate for the pxv chaps and the most stupid and biased arguments ever. Good on Kian to slam you. And then of course you slam kian! Why do t you identify yourself critic? We will then know where your arguments originate from. At the moment you just come out like a major ass****. Chill kar yaar. Dil pe maat le. Haath me le :D
Haha 13 Jul 2014, 03:49
+2 -0
Dear Critic, get a life.....posting comments at 4 am!
Sword of Kian 12 Jul 2014, 06:20
+6 -1
Dude - Critic, get a life man... seriously, do you have NO other work? Do you think anyone honestly cares about your novel length diatribes... man liya PXV is a failure... ab aur kuch kar....
Really? 13 Jul 2014, 04:11
+2 -0
Critic, why dont you spend some more of your useless time and give us few examples of law firm consolidations where a young firm has become part of a law firm of the size of kco along with its entire team? And dont give examples of individual partners joining as equity partners because in the instant case everyone , including clerks and office staff is joining kco..... I can imagine that there would be quite a bit of cost associated with it, right! Perhaps the guys at pxv took a position ( which in your view is a 'failure') so that the interests of others in the office could be taken care of.....

And how big is the difference between a salaried partner and an equity partner with limited rights in a big firm anyway! Please elaborate....and dont mention money please.
icici 13 Jul 2014, 15:27
+0 -0
Hi critic .... By your logic even pramod rao is a failure and unreliable, left successful job in icici ... Joined a law firm and then went back to citi... No?
hyperloop 12 Jul 2014, 12:37
+3 -0
Dear Critic, you represent the perfect embodiment of the following phenomenon:

[img]http://www.cshughes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Bucket-of-Crabs-lg.png[/img]

now get a life (even a professional one would do)
doesnt matter 11 Jul 2014, 05:10
+3 -1
"I can't think of any other successful entrepreneur who sells his company and then becomes an employee of the buyer. I'm guessing that no amount of financial compensation (assuming there was any) can make up for the change from malik (owner) to naukar (servant)."

I have never read anything more ridiculous. PXV is not an 'enterprise' which is selling its assets to KCO and getting money in return. Its assets are in fact the partners who are joining KCO as partners alongwith their clients.

Get your basics right before giving so much gyaan.
K49 9 Jul 2014, 09:12
+1 -6
The tenor, tone & language of reporting by Kian is quite unfair. The way I see it, PXV merged with KCO; and it is a kind of consolidation that we have recently witnessed in the legal services sector. What is the great problem with that? LI reported similar mergers, albeit far less viciously, about Acuity-BMR, Prism-ELP, Vichar-JSA, Rajani-Singhania etc. The reporting of those stories is far more generous than what has been meted out to the PXV-KCO merger. This merger is being projected as if it is a calamitous situation for the PXV partners—which it is not. It is not different from any of the other mergers except for that PXV is bigger than Acuity or Vichar or Prism. The legal services sector will see a phase of consolidation where the players in such mergers or takeovers see a win-win situation for both. Then why such vitriolic reporting?
kianganz 9 Jul 2014, 10:02
+4 -1
Sorry, what exactly is vitriolic or vicious or unfair about this report?

This is a somewhat complex deal that's clearly resulting in the break-up of the PXV firm / brand because only some partners / associates are joining Khaitan. Nothing vicious about that...

And the colourful history of RDA/PXV, which is all factual and has been documented in the past, is relevant background surely...?
New to this 9 Jul 2014, 11:02
+2 -6
Kian, from what I have got to know (and mine are authoritative sources too), only some partners/associates are NOT joining Khaitan. But that's not what comes across from your piece. So wonder if one of us has sources not so authoritative after all, or there's more than reporting going on here. Again, my sources tell me that Pingal Khan is a non-equity partner, contrary to what you have understood. If so, I don't even see how this is a 'break-up' of the firm when all equity holders are moving together, taking along the majority non-equity stakeholders with them.

Anyway, I very much appreciate your efforts in bringing 'colour' to the dull and boring lives of us Indian lawyers by filling us on relevant historical background from time to time! This profession needs you at the end of the day.
ANON 9 Jul 2014, 11:27
+2 -0
To the best of anyone's knowledge Pingal Khan was a co founder of the firm. Wonder who your authoritative sources are.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 12:28
+1 -4
Co-founder and all that he may have been but I have primary sources that tell me pingal ceased to be a partner since 2013. And having been co-founder means jack especially with RDA/PXV where the number of people who claim to be co-founders is ludicrous. There are other examples as well of co-founders who are no longer with the firms they founded so...Only Kian can confirm with accuracy, but then he will have to correct this report yet again so I can understand the reluctance.
kianganz 9 Jul 2014, 12:51
+2 -0
Ok, so this is what I've pieced together, so everyone is kind of right a little.

It's a bit complicated, but in essence Pingal Khan is currently a non-voting equity partner. I.e., he holds equity in the firm but does not vote on firm partnership type decisions.
General K 9 Jul 2014, 11:10
+4 -4
Kian is obviously a pal of Rohit Das's- his hostility to PXV is well known
Biased 9 Jul 2014, 11:27
+2 -2
[quote name="General K"]Kian is obviously a pal of Rohit Das's- his hostility to PXV is well known[/quote]

also non reporting of anti-RDA comments ;)
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 11:51
+6 -0
Pal or no Pal I see both anti-RDA and anti-PXV comments here. So, it is but obvious that both sides are being fairly reported here. Commendable.
Host 11 Jul 2014, 04:57
+0 -0
[quote name="Guest"]Pal or no Pal I see both anti-RDA and anti-PXV comments here. So, it is but obvious that both sides are being fairly reported here. Commendable.[/quote]

We are being sarcastic here... Don't get too serious dear. Be our Guest...
blah 9 Jul 2014, 12:16
+4 -3
We all know this. Guys who are not moving are guys who were not performing. PXV is being kind to them by not publicly disclosing the reasons for not taking them along. Use logic. If first year associates are moving to kco but some so called "seniors" are not then their must be a good reason for that.
shah of blah 9 Jul 2014, 13:56
+5 -1
...or maybe there are people who don't think a KCo job is the ultimate aim of human existence, which you certainly seem to do. maybe KCo will offer you a job sometime in your life. all the best!
VP 9 Jul 2014, 14:13
+0 -1
Are you a lawyer? Know what 'merger' means??
joey 9 Jul 2014, 09:59
+3 -1
Does khaitain has enough work to keep all busy
None of our business 9 Jul 2014, 10:27
+2 -1
It is incredible how people ask for justifications for what is essentially private decisions of individuals. Why do anyone in KCO or PXV need to justify anything. Their careers , their call. Also it is rank unfair to say that the associates have not been looked after as the fact is most of them have been provided the opportunity to join KCO and on good terms.
Lawman 9 Jul 2014, 10:49
+1 -0
Every discussion forum reaches a point where one has to write (and this is my response to "None of our business") -

If it is none of our/your business, why are you wasting time on this forum reading comments. Everyone and anyone has the right to comment.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 10:50
+43 -7
This wanna be firm called khaitan is soon gonna be another pxv .. No work and spending money constantly to just be in the news all the time is not going to end well!
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 11:45
+9 -10
Oh yeah, HK makes his decisions based on the number of hits the report will get on LI and BB!! You have to be some law school student whose internship application got rejected by KCO.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 12:18
+73 -0
I had heard that there is a partner in KCO who spends all day on LI rebutting anti KCO comments..
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 13:15
+11 -8
Then he is certainly not doing his job :-D
VP 9 Jul 2014, 14:27
+9 -0
Moral of the story - choose your partners wisely; having the right set of partners means half job done already!
Astute 9 Jul 2014, 15:59
+9 -10
Khaitan is the closest that Indian law firms. Come to the Dewey strategy before they went down in flames
They should rebrand. As Dewey Khaitan and co
Actually 9 Jul 2014, 16:52
+3 -2
Khaitan strategy is to catch up with Amss and to replace azb as the number two firm.
Hk will largely achieve the azb part but can never achieve displacing Amss as the number one firm by buying mediocre partners at exorbitant rates . And constantly low balling in market. The math does not add up. The quality of the Amss bench and K co bench are chalk and cheese.

But zia. Needs to worry as there is no doubt that she has lost steam and the firm is floundering to retain talent. Apart from a few partners there is nothing left in azb .

The comment about Dewey Khaitan is indeed astute. This is exactly what happened from the reckless expansion that. Dewey did. It's just a matter of time before k co implodes. Interesting to see how the market is evolving .

Amss biggest risk is that the delhi and Mumbai offices run as two firms and compete . If they became a unified firm they will wipe out every one by a long lead. Sad .

Looks like. J s a and tri legal are doomed tobe second tier for ever.
PXV 9 Jul 2014, 18:11
+4 -2
[quote name="Actually"]Khaitan strategy is to catch up with Amss and to replace azb as the number two firm.
Hk will largely achieve the azb part but can never achieve displacing Amss as the number one firm by buying mediocre partners at exorbitant rates . And constantly low balling in market. The math does not add up. The quality of the Amss bench and K co bench are chalk and cheese.

But zia. Needs to worry as there is no doubt that she has lost steam and the firm is floundering to retain talent. Apart from a few partners there is nothing left in azb .

The comment about Dewey Khaitan is indeed astute. This is exactly what happened from the reckless expansion that. Dewey did. It's just a matter of time before k co implodes. Interesting to see how the market is evolving .

Amss biggest risk is that the delhi and Mumbai offices run as two firms and compete . If they became a unified firm they will wipe out every one by a long lead. Sad .

Looks like. J s a and tri legal are doomed tobe second tier for ever.[/quote]

JSA is not second tier. It has Berjis, Dina, Amit. Akshay, Farhad, Som. Six heavy weights, Even AMSS does not have six beyond shroffistan. True growth is not who has more number of associates but who has market stature partners. JSA does. Not sure about AMSS. Even AZB has Abhijeet, probhal, Gautam, shuva, percy, essaji.
Scooter- 14 Jul 2014, 08:25
+1 -0
Ignorance is bliss isnt it? Fall back on Chambers and Partners once in a while and you'll know better. (and yeah, that's not a paid for publication)
Abc 9 Jul 2014, 17:16
+7 -13
Credit to Khaitan for garnering market share, poaching partners who will increase business and thinking ahead. Haigreve and RBJ are visionaries they have moved Khaitan into the big league in less than 10 years. Khaitan is now comparable to AMSS and AZB. All the law directory rankings of Khaitan partners and practices and league tables support this. Also fail to see the fuss on associate partners . How many equity partners are there in AMSS and AZB.. Luthra doesn't have more than 3 equity partners.
dewey 9 Jul 2014, 17:33
+9 -8
The primary reason why dewey failed was because they recruited Partners by guaranteeing massive partner bonuses. Bonuses which they didnt have the money to pay for but for which they took bank loans. KCO is not borrowing money to get these new Partners or promising anything whivh they cant give through regular revenue s. This dewey comparison is just a lame one. The indian market has enough space for 2 more amarchands at least and KCO is on its way.
Guest 9 Jul 2014, 18:59
+36 -1
Knowledge abt KCO finances? .. U must be the KCO rebuttal partner! There may be place for 10 other amss but sorry to burst ur bubble KCO with all its spending will never be a amss as KCO lacks all the essentials - exceptional talent, class and culture!
gg 9 Jul 2014, 21:59
+4 -1
Good one AP! well done.
observer 10 Jul 2014, 02:38
+8 -11
U mean to say AMSS has class and culture?

Ur kidding rgt?
mercy 10 Jul 2014, 06:05
+18 -7
Enough Kian. You got your kicka by having these guys kicked around in public. Your comments section is just slightly better than a slaughter house. Comments on peoples wives..credibility..competence.motives..it all flies in your house. And you obviously love it and encourage it. Morally vacant.so disgusting.these are not celebrities but regular people. And its not just this story..its so many others. You are just a symptom of what ails society. And lawyers are the vipers..and you their cheerleader.
No mercy 10 Jul 2014, 06:40
+5 -4
[quote name="mercy"]Enough Kian. You got your kicka by having these guys kicked around in public. Your comments section is just slightly better than a slaughter house. Comments on peoples wives..credibility..competence.motives..it all flies in your house. And you obviously love it and encourage it. Morally vacant.so disgusting.these are not celebrities but regular people. And its not just this story..its so many others. You are just a symptom of what ails society. And lawyers are the vipers..and you their cheerleader.[/quote]

I really doubt it. You must be someone from the group getting bashed. The reason all this is happening is because certain people mentioned in these comments showed no mercy towards other younger legal brains. The connections regarding a wife joining and leaving a firm in merely 4 months proves the point being made above. No one writes something bad unless something bad is done. The are not ordinary people but ones in charge of a law firm!! I think worse have been written about Luthras and Khaitans and even Shroffs who have not bothered. Why is the Das so bothered? Truth pinches right??
kianganz 10 Jul 2014, 06:56
+8 -1
We are actually trying to moderate any personal comments quite strictly but I don't think it's reasonable to moderate comments dealing with the professional elements of the partners.

There's certainly a lot of rivalry and some bad blood evident in this thread but if we were to moderate anything critical, we'd basically only have comments that say: "Nice move, congratulations." And then we might as well disable comments completely on all stories.

Also, some of the comments on LI are clearly meant as jokes, so if you're taking those seriously as vitriol, then that could be the problem.

But sometimes the talk is so insidery that we might miss insinuations. If there's any comment that you think is not cool, please use the "Report to LI" option underneath the comment with your objection and we will take a look, promise.

Finally, far from cheerleading, I'd personally prefer the commenting to be a little more mature and [less] bitchy. However, we've made this space available for readers and created it as a sort-of echo chamber of the profession, which I think is useful in an industry where few are ever able to say what they really think for fear of their seniors wrath.
ES AMSAS 10 Jul 2014, 07:24
+2 -3
If only you used the same standard for AMSS related comments... and "more mature and bitchy" how do you achieve that?
kianganz 11 Jul 2014, 21:37
+0 -1
Sorry, mobile phone typo - "less* bitchy"
Guest 10 Jul 2014, 11:26
+4 -0
AND you must be the extreme mud-slinger out there trying tobe the HERO and the Saviour of all those apparently-disadvantaged victims of these Villains who completely desecrated the careers of such promising young talent. What I can sum up from your comment is that you are just another wanna be who could never make it in the professional field and who was rejected an interview let alone a promotion in one of these Firms. At least these people tried ... instead of sitting like a duck and trolling on LI in order to be the Champion mud-slinger. Talking about people's wives joining or leaving? It is SO much of a personal matter. Should we just leave it for the couple to figure out why that happened?
No mercy 10 Jul 2014, 12:21
+3 -4
[quote name="Guest"]AND you must be the extreme mud-slinger out there trying tobe the HERO and the Saviour of all those apparently-disadvantaged victims of these Villains who completely desecrated the careers of such promising young talent. What I can sum up from your comment is that you are just another wanna be who could never make it in the professional field and who was rejected an interview let alone a promotion in one of these Firms. At least these people tried ... instead of sitting like a duck and trolling on LI in order to be the Champion mud-slinger. Talking about people's wives joining or leaving? It is SO much of a personal matter. Should we just leave it for the couple to figure out why that happened?[/quote]

There is enough written about Vaishali after she started Agram. Her shifting around, not being able to stick, will end up as a bad lawyer, etc.

So much written about Indus law and P&C Legal during their break and their capability. So much about Abhimanyu and Deepto and their capabilities and shifting jobs and starting firms. Why is Ms. Ushasi so insecure about her shifting jobs and how is it personal. I have seen worse personal comments being made. I think these comments consist entirely professional and professional capabilities which is fine. I do not see any personal comments here. I now see truth does pinch a lot!! And I have seen every RDA Associate leave due to no pay and have joined the bigger and best firms.

What does RDA have to comment about their new policy at GLC? The want "Articles" who are graduates, for 6 months, with no pay and no job guarantee!! Am I wrong RDA? Isn't this another way of fooling young grads? Why would a grad join as an "article" after graduation for NO pay? Articleships is Bombay is synonymous with Solicitors exam. Does RDA have ANY solicitor?? Who is RDA trying to fool now? This comment must be out in public domain that young GLC-ites are not fooled like other Associates were in the past! Will RDA explain this "Articleship"?
XYZ 10 Jul 2014, 08:42
+30 -3
Khaitan can never compete with JSA,AZB Or AMSS. They only do a lot of marketing. Delhi office is a bunch of insecure partners who only talk and do nothing. Anybody who works hard and has some edge and has experience to that of Partners (say 15 ysr or above) is thrown out by the Partners for some reason or the other as they don't want any competition. One partner sits at home and does household chores and all work is done by juniors including writing mails (just an example of KCO partners) Its a funny place. KCO will eat all the new Partners clientele and these guys will leave in max 2 years. The one joining the Corporate team will face the music first.
BEST OF LUCK
Agreed 10 Jul 2014, 09:25
+26 -0
Calcutta Khaitan is much worse!!..firstly its filled with khaitans and Jhunjhunwalas (ten times more family members than AMSS has ever had in its firm!) who get a lot of preference including obviously for promotions (different rules apply to them) and its truly a very unprofessional set up!
kianganz 10 Jul 2014, 09:32
+1 -6
Soo... Amss has at least 10 family members in Delhi and Mumbai. You're therefore saying that literally a third of [the Khaitan firm] are based in Cal and are all members of the same 2 families? Nice... :)

[Corrected: there was a typo with respect to firm /family]
? 10 Jul 2014, 09:54
+7 -0
Kian your comment dosent make sense! we all know that the Khaitans are based out of Calcutta so the entire family is there (except for a few) and Khaitan and Junjhunwallas (who are also based in Cal) are two clans who own KCO!
kianganz 10 Jul 2014, 10:01
+1 -6
10 times 10 would equal literally 100 Khaitan and Jhunjhunwala's in Cal. Highly unlikely.

And whoever said there were 6 Khaitans and Jhunjhunwalas in Mumbai - please list names, seems unlikely too...

[Sorry, just realised that my earlier comment indeed didn't make sense - I meant, it's unlikely that 1/3 of the entire firm's headcount are family members in Cal?]
here you go 10 Jul 2014, 10:29
+8 -4
Kian we are not to do the fact finding for you! then also here you go, names of ppl I and my friends know that are in the Mumbai off
(1)Haigreve Khaitan, (2) Rabindra Jhunjhunwala, (3) Rishi Shroff (nephew of Haigreve), (4) Radhika (niece of Rabindra), (5) Kinshuk Jhunjhunwala, (6) Vidushi Jhunjhunwala, etc.
kianganz 10 Jul 2014, 10:40
+1 -6
Ok, admit that I'm not aware of all the family trees, nor is it part of my beat, but apart from 1, and 2, according to Google, 5, and 6 are in Mumbai, but 3 is apparently in Bangalore and 4 might not be enough information to Google with.

In any case, I stand by my earlier comment that 100 family members in Calcutta are highly unlikely, even if you could just get to a count of 5 in Mumbai, including extended family and the like. :)
its true 10 Jul 2014, 10:51
+2 -0
I and my friends interned at Khaitan sometime back.. and that's how we know that they are there! we have worked with 3 and 4 and trust me everyone in the Mumbai office knows who they are!.. may be better research next time:)
homework 10 Jul 2014, 10:54
+12 -1
why don't you look into it and tell us exactly how many Khaitans and Jhunjhunwallas are there in the Cal office?
No answer? 10 Jul 2014, 12:35
+0 -0
Kian: will you be doing this search and post the correct numbers?
kianganz 10 Jul 2014, 12:43
+4 -13
I'm not sure there would be so much point in it when there are more interesting and important stories to be doing...

Gut feeling I'd estimate no more than 10 partners from those 2 families at most, though I admit I don't know much about Cal or how many niece or nephew associates there are, nor does it really matter so much.

I'm sure some insider could share it here if it's so important.

What's more interesting is the management structure at Khaitan, where I understand the family is in the minority and doesn't enjoy and vetoes? Maybe someone can confirm.
interesting 10 Jul 2014, 13:04
+18 -1
Sounds like an invitation from Kian to the Khaitan rebuttal partner to give a justification!.. how would others know how management decisions are taken at Khaitan?.. Kian you post something or the other about Khaitan almost everyday I am sure you know an insider who could confirm this without wasting much of your time. ?
Idiot! 10 Jul 2014, 11:02
+3 -12
2 partners! you've listed 2 partners! rest are junior associates. Another thing is, are you suggesting kids of lawyers who are lawyers should (as a matter of principle) work in other firms?

And if i am right, (6) isnt even related. Complete joke you idiots are!!
Different Standards 10 Jul 2014, 11:40
+22 -2
How is the AMSS situation any different? in Mumbai office they have only 2 partners from the family.. different standards for judging different firms?
Non partner 10 Jul 2014, 14:54
+4 -6
And a non-partner who has a cabin- when principal associates do not
Guest 11 Jul 2014, 03:36
+8 -15
[quote name="here you go"]Kian we are not to do the fact finding for you! then also here you go, names of ppl I and my friends know that are in the Mumbai off
(1)Haigreve Khaitan, (2) Rabindra Jhunjhunwala, (3) Rishi Shroff (nephew of Haigreve), (4) Radhika (niece of Rabindra), (5) Kinshuk Jhunjhunwala, (6) Vidushi Jhunjhunwala, etc.[/quote]

It is absolutely shocking that names of associates are being written on public platform. They have their career ahead, and this is not public life. Out of the names mentioned (2), (3) and (4) are from NLS and (5) is from NUJS. They would have got jobs in any other Indian / international firms. As regards (6), she is not family.

From this perspective, any Khaitan or Jhunjhunwala will be family. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala....are you listening? You may have heirs here!
Guest 11 Jul 2014, 06:16
+14 -1
I don't want to comment on why names have been shared.. I think kian had asked for them.. But from reading previous posts (unless I have missed something) I don't think there is any intent to defame the persons named... The underlying point.. Which I agree with is that Khaitan has always tried to show that they are different from amss as they are not family dominated.. But from reading these posts I understand that amss in all (Delhi and Mumbai) has 10 family members and Khaitan (from what we know - there may be more) has at least 5 in mumbai, 10 in cal (as per Kian) and so even going by this assumption and not counting the other family members in these or other KCO offices (Delhi), they definitely have more family members than amss and they are obviously a much smaller firm than amss.
Sword of Kian 11 Jul 2014, 07:14
+8 -12
The question is not how many Khaitans and Jhunjhunwalas work for KCO, its how much equity the two families hold between themselves. For example, the Shroffs are widely understood to hold more than 80% of the equity in AMSS, whereas I have heard that the Khaitan/ Jhunjhunwala holding in KCO is much lower. The second is the way in which the family is treated. Whereas Justin Bharucha (when the Bharuchas were with AMSS) sat in the Associate area and worked his way up, the same has certainly not been true of Rishab...
stoplying 11 Jul 2014, 10:53
+0 -14
Vidushi is not even remotely connected to the family....and Radhika never came through family route :) :) :)
Not a JJW 18 Jul 2014, 07:50
+0 -0
Vidhushi is not a part of the "clan".
fending for KCO 10 Jul 2014, 10:30
+9 -1
Kian why are you batting for KCO???
Family! 10 Jul 2014, 09:49
+14 -0
Khaitan Mumbai also has atleast 5-6 Khaitans and Jhunjhunwalas!
Tory 10 Jul 2014, 09:41
+2 -1
If one analyses Kian's writing (both in the article and his comments), it becomes apparently clear that he is one of those looney lefty liberals who reads the guardian.
Ron Swanson 10 Jul 2014, 09:44
+0 -2
Doesn't the law say you can only have 20 partners in a non-banking partnership?
Guest 10 Jul 2014, 11:00
+1 -1
Companies Act 2013 my friend!
Yo 10 Jul 2014, 19:05
+2 -3
They are partnership and not companies my friend
Optimus Prime 11 Jul 2014, 13:13
+0 -0
Seems the ebate [debate] has changed course from RDA - PXV bashing to Khaitan bashing!! Attaboy!!
Transformer 13 Jul 2014, 17:41
+0 -0
All Anti-RDA comments and Ushasi Das comments have been deleted. How will it still go on? Really LI is pro RDA
Curious Kitten 13 Jul 2014, 16:12
+1 -0
Kian, as i write this comment, I see there are 162 comments!! This must be some sort of a record in LI. Just for the record, it would be interesting if you could list out the top five articles/reports which fetched the maximum comments (excluding the law school reports like VC resignations etc)! (I am sure RDA/PXV would might be featuring more than once on that list!)
WWW 14 Jul 2014, 08:32
+0 -0
What happened to Anupam Prasad who recently left KCo to join PXV?
kianganz 14 Jul 2014, 08:35
+0 -0
Anupam Prasad joined RDA, not PXV, FYI.
Curious George 15 Jul 2014, 12:27
+0 -0
So many comments?! Kian, whats the highest number of comments on an LI article?
kianganz 15 Jul 2014, 12:31
+0 -0
I thought this one and another had more, but not anymore looks like:
http://www.legallyindia.com/201308223929/Law-firms/luthra-cap-markets-head-madhurima-mukherjee-quits (156 published comments).
CK 16 Jul 2014, 00:56
+2 -1
Phew!! This one has 170 comments!!!!More than any other LI article. They should aim for the 200 club.
Finance Lawyer 16 Jul 2014, 10:13
+0 -1
woo hoo... 172!
Legal Opinion 30 Jul 2014, 14:37
+0 -0
From my 4 years limited experience in legal profession, what I can gather that the profession runs on "Brand Name" of lawyers and law firms. This goes with the philosophy of "old is gold". No matter how much educated, qualified or expertise and skills you possess in the skill profession, the big clients will only choose to prefer the old firms who have established brand name. So, it becomes very difficult for start ups to survive in the long run. I guess the same problem occurred with PXV.