Clifford Chance sends senior partner to live with AZB in India

Saturday, 6 June 2009 By Kian Ganz Law firms

Clifford Chance is seconding the head partner of its India practice group to its best friend AZB & Partners.

Clifford Chance project finance partner Chris Wyman (pictured) will relocate to AZB’s Mumbai office this month and will spend at least several months there to improve the integration between the firms.

Wyman said that he would stay “as long as it takes” and added: “It is all about maximising the opportunities – if you just say nice words and do nothing else, you will soon cease to be useful.”

The main focus of his stay will be on training, getting systems to work together and strengthening contacts between people at both firms, he told Legally India. He will be permanently based in Mumbai but will also travel to other AZB offices.

AZB co-founding Mumbai partner Bahram Vakil said: “I think it will be terrific to have him here on the ground.”

Vakil said that he could imagine Wyman staying for at least three months, although it could also be indefinitely longer.

Vakil, who is also a projects partner, added that he was also looking forward to co-operating and meeting clients with Wyman in the projects area.

Wyman’s move to India is the first reported high-profile partner secondment from a UK firm to its Indian best friend.

Clifford Chance and AZB have been best friends since the beginning of this year.

Comments

Lawyer` 6 Jun 2009, 13:05

+0 -0

This was expected. CC is entitled to look for business opportunities in India. With the increasing number of tie-ups being stitched with Indian firms it is becoming more certain that business from India wont come while sitting outside India. Links and Freshfields are already way ahead of CC, despite CC tying up with a market leader in India

lawyer2 7 Jun 2009, 10:00

What makes you say that?? CC has probably the best tieup you can have in India and if it works they will soon have overtaken links and ff.

i think FF and links should be worried about their best friends.

Guest 7 Jun 2009, 13:26

I tend to agree with Lawyer and mildly disagree with Lawyer 2. While no one can predict who will eventually lead in India, Links, Freshfields and A&O have structured theri Indian allies and have high level of control over their affairs while CC can never hope to even interfere with Zia. No wonder that Freshfields has bagged the entire MTN deal while CC is out of picture.

anon 7 Jun 2009, 16:21

I see what you are trying to say but its not like Freshfields got the MTN instruction (which is a south african company anyway) through Plaitnum partners or whatever. And what has Linklaters gotten from TTA?
These firms have great India practices but they have those in their own right and their allies are basically just value-add services. AZB is much more valuable as an ally, to any firm.

Guest 7 Jun 2009, 22:33

+1 -0

"To live with AZB in India" - thats pretty rich mate! Then there are 50 ways to leave your lover (and maybe skin a cat). Heres a thought - CC ought to talk to FF and get a mandate from MTN. A BT call is far cheaper than a BA ticket (hopefully return).

Best regards 23 Aug 2009, 11:54

i think tying up with a large indian practice (ex. AZB) or a medium size indian practice (such as Trilegal) has its pros and cons. The big firms only provide greater access to more experienced lawyers and reduncancy to do big deals, the small practices concentrate and execute product delivery much more effciciently keeping in mind best practices unlike bigger firms which have just become profit centers with no regard to client satisfaction.

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