IC Universal bets on corp: Hires ARA partner Rowena De Sousa, promotes two partners, 8 fee-earners

Friday, 1 May 2020 By Legally India Law firms

IC Universal Legal has hired ARA Law private equity and M&A partner Rowena De Sousa as a Mumbai-based partner in corporate, while also making two internal partner promotions in its corporate team - Nitesh Tiwari and Kavita Pancholi - and eight associate promotions.

De Sousa is a VM Salgaocar College of Law, Goa graduate who had joined ARA in 2007, where she had been promoted to partner in 2015.

She specialises in private equity, venture capital, M&A and general corporate work.

ARA managing partner Rajesh Begur commented: “We wish her all the best.”

According to a statement from IC Universal: “These well-deserved promotions and strengthening of teams across offices reaffirm the strong talent base and robust growth of the firm.

“We also take this opportunity to extend our concern and prayers to each of you in these trying times and hope everyone is able to come out of this phase, stronger and more united.”

IC Universal Legal now has 18 partners and around 120 fee-earners.

Partner promotions

Nitesh Tiwari (corporate & debt transactions team, Mumbai)
Kavita Pancholi (corporate & transactions team, Chennai)

Principal associate promotions

Kanishka Bajpai (corporate & transactions team, Mumbai)
Shreya Deora (corporate & transactions team, Chennai)

Senior associate promotions

Abhishek Pai (corporate, Mumbai)
Akshita Ummat (real estate, Delhi)
Mohammed Sirajutheen (real estate, Chennai)
Raghavi Raj (corporate, Chennai)
Ranjitha MR (regulatory, Chennai)
Sumedha Giridharan (corporate, Chennai)

Comments

Best Wishes 1 May 2020, 07:54

+5 -1

Congratulations to the new Partners and all others who have been promoted. Good to see IC Universal Legal growing by leaps and bounds in a short span. All the Best.

Guest 1 May 2020, 08:22

+2 -1

Congrats Rowena. Well deserved!!

Take home 1 May 2020, 08:25

+1 -1

Approx what is the take home lf partners in firms like IC Universal Legal and other Tier 2 firms.

Woah 1 May 2020, 08:26

Wow... That's a big pick. Rowena has been at ARA since forever. Unexpected move!! Anyway IC Legal were ex ARA with Tejesh etc.

Backlash 1 May 2020, 09:09

+9 -2

If ARA couldn't retain Rowena, wonder whom can they ever retain. [...]

Guest 1 May 2020, 09:10

+2 -7

LI please stop behaving like corporate media and giving only "good news". The reality is that we are in the middle of the most serious economic recession in human history. Unemployment and poverty will skyrocket and even upper middle class will struggle to get by. No jobs for lawyers.

Guest 1 May 2020, 10:24

+0 -0

Clearly there isn't any job for you already, seeing as how you have been making the same comment on every post for the last two months.

Good to see 1 May 2020, 11:07

Good to see Universal Legal in the news. Had almost forgotten that this first was still around.

Bhakt 1 May 2020, 11:20

+5 -5

Universal legal only has a name because of IC Legal. merger of 2 mediocre firms gives rise to a mediocre firm itself.

Bhoot 1 May 2020, 12:48

+11 -4

Pyaare Bhakt, an organisation is clearly progressing so well..wishing them luck n more power..

??? 1 May 2020, 15:24

+6 -6

which firm is IC Legal??never see them in prominent deals

Remember the Name 1 May 2020, 16:47

+13 -10

Seems to be some firm which does the highest amount of asset management and regulatory work in the country, both in terms of volumes and deal size. A simple Google search would do. For more information, check with anybody in a good financial services law firm, or a large PE/VC/Hedge Fund/Mutual Fund or a Big4 or a market intermediary or the regulator, if you have a reach there. Market ki knowledge rakho dost.

Highest 1 May 2020, 22:37

+9 -1

if whatever you have written is true, they must be charging kurmura's as fees in lieu of their services.

Popcorn 2 May 2020, 04:55

+2 -8

Bingo..In fact I have heard they dont charge any fee to any of their clients and the employees also work for free in the firm.. CSR all the wayy

Hmmm 2 May 2020, 08:55

+12 -4

These folks dented the high billings of lot of Tier-1 firms by undercutting but you still make money because of sheer volumes. Firms like Indus did that on the transactional practice and made a market for themselves and so did these guys on the asset management and funds front. Clients are the ultimate beneficiaries as Tier-1 firms start competing on rates at some point after losing lot of business and the tier distinction starts vanishing on a practice area. After capturing the market and creating a monopoly start charging a premium like S&R does in Cap Markets despite other biggies being there. Not a bad business plan by these mid-sized firms by going big on a specific practice area and then aspiring to play in Majors league someday.

Pihu 4 May 2020, 06:43

+5 -6

Asked my friend who is a GC in one of the largest PE firms. She has no idea about IC Legal. The conversation was quite amusing honestly after your comment.

Pihuuu Pihuuu 4 May 2020, 07:24

+8 -3

You have spare time is evident but GC that too in one of the largest PE Funds finding time for you to discuss about a firm and then showing her ignorance..then you showing up again post cross-checking a LI comment to tell your truth..this conversation is quite amusing and honestly unrealistic!!

Luv Dey 1 May 2020, 23:07

+12 -11

A bunch of smart and solution oriented lawyers. I sincerely wish them goodluck and hope to read a lot more about them in coming days.

LoveDay 2 May 2020, 07:26

Ur wish will be panvati for IseeUL We will all see...

Post 2 May 2020, 04:19

+7 -0

Going by the likes and comments, this post has only two sets of readers and commentators. All employees of IC Universal Legal and jobless people like me.

Dhansu 2 May 2020, 05:17

+8 -0

True for most of the LI posts. But what a candid jobless admission, kudos. Hope you get a job soon.

Jajbaa 2 May 2020, 07:28

+9 -0

Thanks but No Thanks. I work at IseeUL.

LuvDais 2 May 2020, 07:27

+8 -1

Tier 2 shops are jobless.

Crazy 3 May 2020, 17:37

+6 -0

Wow. Cannot believe Rowena has moved! IC Legal is a good firm. Cut throat pricing. Nice to see Kanishka and Akshita promoted. Congratulations guys.. I was an intern with you all once. Good chill times.

Samrat 4 May 2020, 06:50

+2 -3

So what you are saying is that IC discloses it pricing and cut throat pricing with interns? That seems like some major breach of information/ confidentiality that happened at IC or again jobless associates are posting as interns to self praise themselves. Either way this is really bad.

[img]https://media0.giphy.com/media/9Q249Qsl5cfLi/200.gif[/img]

Sam-Rat 6 May 2020, 10:18

Its a public knowledge that several firms are competitive with pricing. From where is the breach of confidentiality arising :) :) And how can an Associate be jobless??

Samrat Ashoka!! 6 May 2020, 10:43

+1 -0

[img]https://i.redd.it/w02jlbmiqd541.jpg[/img]
All I can say !!!

Akbar The Great 6 May 2020, 14:33

+1 -2

Well, it's a known fact that a firm would only under quote or have low pricing if their quality is bad. I have never seen any top tier firm talking about pricing or cut throat pricing on public forums because they anyway get work irrespective of the pricing. So I don't understand why would someone or anyone for that matter be jealous about an ordinary firm charging less. Not that we see them representing any major clients or funds too. May be they cater only to such clients who don't pay much, but pass it off as themselves charging low. If this one article keeps the firm and associates happy and feel valued, then great for them!

Tantri the Mantri 6 May 2020, 16:03

Such an emotionally strong appeal to consider a firm as bad..if India would have put half of the effort you took in writing this message, in world cup semis against Kiwis, they would not have lost. Congrats to this firm for creating such a follower!!

Corona 5 May 2020, 17:29

+3 -3

Many Congratulations to Kanishka and NItish. Kanishka is one the most hardworking person i have ever worked with. Wish you all the luck going forward.

Commenting is closed for this article.