DSK Legal has hired former AZB & Partners Mumbai corporate partner Shyamali Singh as head of knowledge management.

DSK managing partner Anand Desai commented in a press release: “Knowledge management has become critical to a law firm’s growth and competitiveness in the market.

“Being an experienced M&A lawyer herself, Shyamali is in an excellent position to understand what KM support lawyers need. Together, we hope to build a robust and valuable KM system for our firm.”

The 2004 GLC Mumbai graduate was formerly M&A and private partner at AZB & Partners, having joined in 2016 from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, where she was a principal associate.

After having gone on maternity leave at AZB, she had decided to move on to DSK. According to DSK’s press release, “having recently had a child, Shyamali was excited about this new role that will help leverage her experience as an M&A lawyer, as well as give her the flexibility she needs at this stage of her life”.

According to our sources, it is understood that AZB had declined to accommodate Singh’s request to work part-time in the M&A practice, but she will be working flexibly at DSK in KM, including time spent working from home.

Desai noted in the release: “DSK Legal has always encouraged women to be, and remain, part of the workforce, with a balance as may be required for their work-personal life.

“We are proud to include yet another experienced lawyer in our team!”

We have also reached out to AZB for comment.

Update 17:17: AZB managing partner Zia Mody said she wished Singh well.

Singh had begun her career at Desai & Diwanji and moved to Trilegal from 2006 to 2008 before joining what-was-then Amarchand Mangaldas in Mumbai.

As we had reported last month, AZB corporate partner Bhavi Sanghvi meanwhile had moved from full-time fee-earning to head AZB’s KM function on a part-time basis, while retaining her partner tag.