Khansaheb, who had set up Desai & Diwanji’s Delhi office, said: “For me it’s an exciting opportunity and I’ve been working with BMR for a number of years. It was basically an extremely smooth transition.
“I’ll be essentially integrating and establishing the corporate M&A and private equity legal business [at BMR] basically. A large part of my work in life has been in M&A and private equity.”
His joining will grow the size of BMR Legal’s partnership to five and several Desai & Diwanji associates are expected to join, although Khansaheb would not confirm the precise number. BMR Advisors chairman and co-founder Mukesh Butani continues as the law firm’s managing partner.
Khansaheb explained that while the firm was part of the BMR group, only lawyers were partners in BMR Legal. “We are a legally independent entity – I can’t actually join BMR Advisors,” he explained.
Managing partner Butani is qualified as a lawyer and accountant and set up BMR in 2004, after having been a partner at Big Four accountancy firms Ernst & Young and the now defunct Arthur Andersen. He started up BMR Legal nearly three years ago.
Butani was not reachable for comment at the time of going to press but in a press release issued to legal website Bar & Bench, which first reported the move, he said that having Khansaheb on board “will enable the firm to expand its tentacles, and deepen our capabilities to build a stronger franchise and expertise in our business dealings”.
BMR Advisors now has 28 partners and according to a press release, “BMR is a professional services firm offering a range of tax, M&A and risk advisory services for domestic and global businesses of all sizes”.
In July 2012, the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) resolved that many accountancy firms were providing legal advice to clients in violation of the Advocates Act and a Supreme Court’s decision on the practice of law in India by foreign firms.
In 2011 around 35 lawyers were based in Desai & Diwanji’s Gurgaon office, with the corporate practice headed up by Khansaheb and four associate partners, with one associate partner specialising in litigation from central Delhi.
Desai & Diwanji was not available for comment at the time of going to press.
Comments
Grapevine suggests that Amit was much better in terms of revenue generation than many of the Mumbai partners. Therefore, your comment does not make lot of sense. However, Vishwang, Apurva, Jai and Vihang are class apart.
Your comment is hilarious. Stop dreaming and wake. Apart from the lawyers who are part of the Desai/Diwanji family, there are no featured lawyers/partners in D&D (must be a deliberate step). So there is nothing like 'If a Mumbai partner moves out'. My two cents
I have always been amused when people use essentially and basically too often and in every sentence.
Which Madhavan?
Let me respond to your question with another question. If he was an equity partner in D&D which rankings list as no 1 in number of deals, would he leave for a firm which is nowhere in the rankings? Think.
Convertible preference actually.
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