Wadia Ghandy shuts South India operations as Chennai partner Shona Malvi goes independent

Setting sun in Chennai
Setting sun in Chennai
Wadia Ghandy has shut its office in Chennai as the firm’s partner heading the Chennai practice, Shona Malvi, is going independent.

The four non-partner level lawyers who comprised the firm’s team in Chennai had already left to head their separate ways and Malvi was the last one to leave.

The firm opened up in Chennai in 2007 because Malvi, who was then a partner in its Mumbai office, had relocated to Chennai.

Malvi joined Wadia Ghandy in 2001. She was not reachable for comment at the time of going to press but an authoritative source within the firm confirmed her exit.

Wadia co-managing parter Dhawal Mehta confirmed the development but declined to comment further.

Wadia had also shut down its Singapore office in November 2014. The firm now has offices in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Delhi, with the Delhi office focussing on litigation. An authoritative source within the firm said that the firm will only keep these existing offices and not expand to any other cities.

Note: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated that Wadia Ghandy now only has offices in Mumbai and Delhi. This has been now corrected to state that the firm has offices in Ahmedabad and Pune also, but does not plan to expand any further than these offices.

Picture by Vinoth Chandar

Comments

Insider 1 Mar 2016, 15:53
+7 -0
Wadia also has offices in Pune and Ahmedabad. Not sure how you forgot those! They are older than Delhi and Chennai.
kya huwa? 1 Mar 2016, 16:02
+6 -6
When is the Bombay office shutting?
Aonion 2 Mar 2016, 06:58
+5 -2
When you become a successful lawyer (i.e. never)
Watching from Bombay 1 Mar 2016, 18:14
+15 -10
Wadia Gandhy is not down or out by a long shot. Anyway will bounce back. It's a great firm. It has a great line up of some great lawyers who are partners and some really great associates. It's one of the best firms in Bombay and it has a really great future.
Shrewdul 2 Mar 2016, 06:36
+10 -3
five times - word 'great' used in 3 lines!
Watching from Bombay 3 Mar 2016, 04:33
+0 -1
Why is that a problem?
Lp56 3 Mar 2016, 05:49
+0 -3
It is a well settled firm & has a good pay(offcourse not as much as the Big 6)with a good clientele !
Anon-non 2 Mar 2016, 07:07
+4 -0
this was long overdue. Btw, WG has offices at Ahmedabad and Pune which are up and running. Something as fundamental as checking up on how many offices does the firm have before reporting on how they have shut one of their (many) shops is shoddy reporting at it's very best
Shoddy Bhai 2 Mar 2016, 11:29
+3 -3
Legally India or Shoddily India?!
Guest 2 Mar 2016, 07:12
+4 -2
I don't know if you have deliberately left out on reporting that wg has offices at Ahmedabad and Pune or it is out of your habit of misreporting, but it's a humble request that please do your homework.
WG Grace 2 Mar 2016, 07:18
+3 -3
what happened to their Bangalore office after Ankit Majmuder left? Did they not continue with their Bangalore presence?
Wadia surely is a dying firm. what a fall, considering where they were in the early and mid 2000s.
Guest1 2 Mar 2016, 07:31
+3 -0
"The firm has offices 'ONLY'in mumbai and Delhi..." janta maaf nahi karegi.
For and by dummies 2 Mar 2016, 07:45
+7 -1
For: so that they can go on a 'when is bombay shop shutting? Is the firm bankrupt? Do the lawyers at this firm sit on their and stare at the walls and their computers?

By: When reporting on something as significant (not so in a good way) as one of the offices of a law firm has shut, the least you can research on how many offices does the firm actually has. One would understand if you leave out on mentioning about pune and Ahmedabad but when you go on to state that they have offices only in pune and Ahmedabad that is when it becomes misreporting which shouldn't be because you guys have a wide audience and this creates a false impression about the firm. Meaning: you make the matter sound worse than it actually and facutally is.
Alias 2 Mar 2016, 08:47
+3 -3
Kian please report when someone joins Wadia Ghandy!
the law is an ash 2 Mar 2016, 11:39
+1 -3
rip wadia the land of early partnerships(sas with partner tags), wooden furniture, snobby attitude based on daddy net worths, one nls uncle who wants a puddle to be king of not a fish in a pond etc.
bolna kya chahte ho? 3 Mar 2016, 11:05
+0 -2
1) land of early partnership
2) 'sas'
3) daddy net worths

rip english and rip coherent sentence construction (thanks to you @the law is an ash), before wadia rests in peace!
Alias 8 Mar 2016, 09:19
+0 -1
Also, if NLS uncle is king of a puddle, if he were placed in a pond, he would be a fish in a pond.. I don't see any extra achievement.. unless you think a king of a puddle is not a fish to begin with.. in which case he would have to shape shift and stuff to be a fish, having become which he would be a fish in a puddle, and upon the puddle being transposed to a form, he would achieve the said state of being a fish in a puddle.. maybe you can help NLS uncle with this.. I got a headache just typing this out..
High court lowling 2 Mar 2016, 17:35
+2 -1
A bit surprising that LI hasn't even bothered to correct the information about the number of this. They have probably figured that they get more hits by keeping alive the controversy. Sad!
Prachishrivastava 3 Mar 2016, 05:30
+1 -3
Thank you for your comments pointing out the existence of the Pune and Ahmedabad offices.

We checked with the firm and have made the correction.

Best wishes,
Prachi
Alias 3 Mar 2016, 09:21
+5 -1
Thank You for acknowledging our existence. We are deeply indebted to you.
Guest 3 Mar 2016, 10:08
+1 -1
"Does not plan to expand any further than these offices" Who would in his right mind confirm that the firm is not going to expand any further (even if it were true no managing partner would confirm that they are not going to expand) It seems highly unlikely that this is an official confirmation [and also if one were to go by the standard of reporting on this website, it (the statement that the firm does not plan to expand any further) is not very believable.