The general counsel (GC) of Tata Sons, Shuva Mandal, is set to exit for Mumbai-based start-up law firm Anagram Legal, which we understand he has been instrumental in setting up, according to three sources with authoritative knowledge of the news.
The first public mention of Anagram had been in April, with Nishith Desai Associates (NDA) leaders Simone Reis and Rajesh Simhan apparently starting the new firm.
However, the rumour mill - which has been churning for at least a month on this front - suggests that Mandal has been responsible for bringing the NDA pair on board and has been interviewing lawyers and partners to join the firm, of which he might be a managing partner once it becomes official.
Reis and Mandal have not been reachable for comment.
Anagram’s Reis - who does M&A - and Simhan - who does international tax - have both been tight-lipped so far, despite some press coverage of Anagram, apparently not having given any comments or interviews about what they were planning.
Similarly, we understand that no official resignation announcement of Mandal has been made at the Tatas to date - one source speculated they might want to wait until a successor for the role has been finalised.
We have reached out to the Tata group for comment.
Mandal, a 2000 NLSIU Bangalore graduate, had worked at AZB & Partners as one of the busiest M&A partners until he joined Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas’ new Mumbai office in 2015.
In 2017, we had first reported that he would join Tata Sons as its new GC, succeeding Bharat Vasani.
Since then, Mandal had in 2018 heavily hired into the Tata Sons in-house team from top law firms and corporates but by 2019 the team had shrunk back to around six after multiple exits to other companies.
Comments
'Bade be-aabaru ho kar tere kuche se hum nikale..'
Any idea how he is doing at CAM?
Transactional work - Brings in decent business; but refers them to other partners.
Some ppl are going to be very nervous...
The guy has already achieved a lot in diverse roles..he will excel in this final frontier....while his peers continue in their cushy “jobs”..
Ever heard of one Nani Palkhivala who used to sit at Tatas’ Bombay House?
Forget it. Join Anagram. Aspire to become Harvey Spectre.
Netflix is much much much older than Suits. It used to be Blockbuster's competitor. Ever heard of it?
Also, who wants to be Harvey Spectre when you can be Alan Shore or better yet, Bobby Donnell?
Not everyone is like Ashwath whose (almost) entire team moved along with him. [... ]
Dhruv Singhal, partner went back to CAM.
Anu Tiwari, partner went back to CAM.
Ganesh Rao, partner and team. Now in Trilegal.
Aditya Jha, partner now in Trilegal
Aditi, went back in CAM.
A dozen associates. In CAM and Trilegal.
Ashes to ashes. Ashwath was a better leader in CAM. Now has massive retention issues.
SM has achieved enough that we are sitting here and commenting on his next move. All you seem to be doing is trying to cheapen two good lawyers in one comment.
When Tata wins at SC - it is salve
Make up your mind.
It is unfortunate that in all this so many junior lawyers who worked tirelessly day and night are forgotten. The credit should go to the entire team and it’s captain the TATA GC.
You are right abt one thing though. There are some lawyers who worked on this matter tirelessly...quietly..without trying to be Harvey Spectre.
P.S: On this case quite a few thought they are the captain. But...................the action was elsewhere.
Wait for the announcement:) :)
And just to be clear, Kunal Thakore from TT&A is the Indian (sanskaari) Harvey Spectre, naa aur koi thaa naa aur koi hogaa!!!
Love you LI.
Shuva is a stellar lawyer in his own right and a person with a big heart.
He had transformed the legal team at Tata and that was widely recognised in the international legal circles.
For those who don't trade in volatile stocks esp the newcomers, it would be prudent to wait n watch how he fares actually (instead of the propaganda/ hype) before deciding to jump the ship.
In a service industry replete with stellar lawyers across so many firms, he would be one of the many 'options'.
I think some people keep living in la la land. May the force be with you friend.
Hold your associates tight otherwise they may leave. Treat them well.
Thank you
ICUC we will all C
20Rs.
CAM - join if you think “law” is a “lady” and the practice of law is service to a family.
SAM - join if you have JSA nostalgia.
KCO - good place for first year’s to join as partners. Yes they are offering that as well these days.
Trilegal: as the name suggests they are the real try(ers). If you do not get equity anywhere this is your place.
No tax in GIFT IFSC working from Anywhere. Andheri is upgrading.
anyone who has worked with the tata group in the last few years will tell you that Shuva and his team were involved in all the major deals of the Tata group. The in house team there plays a role that even foreign in house counsels would be envious of.
Not out of favour since the beginning but 'fell out of favour'.
Also fact check from what I know he had 6 senior lawyers before he decided to quit.
After you deliver at so many levels wonder who can be out of favour. Can you explain how he fell out of favour. Did you speak to RNT or tata chairman personally or this is what you dreamt of yesterday:):) bad dream.
Work speaks more than the nervous rumour mongers!
kian can you get Big mumma’s comment on this story?
All the best to the team.
Anyone knows why they have not made an announcement till now unlike other firms who announce senior associate promotions and pseudo partnership promotions!
:
:
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for Tatas.
CJ House (of Jaguar showroom fame) is good for Harvey Spectres
The Bombay House (of Palkhivala fame) needs ppl with more depth.
Ram milaye jodi....:)
I reckon the only other time LI threads gained traction when Ashwath Rau made a move to AZB & Partners from SAM. While a Partner move within Tier I obviously grabs press and makes a good read, this seems to be the move of the decade as the GC move with one of the largest conglomerates was a recipe to be at the helm of affairs(read: CEO) as someone had mentioned in the above threads.
It will be interesting to see if any of the Tier I's now again try to get him back as his reputation as a Rainmaker precedes him. Any news of a formal press release from Tata Sons as he is a Director in some Tata companies which will mandate a disclosure to SEBI.
have to give it to some of the comments above(unless i am deciphering it wrong) that talent without zilch leadership skills will not take you to places.
Kahaan Ashwath babua ko SAM ki godh mein bhar diya.
Kuch bhi..
Paida hua nahi theek se abhi and you’ve started using superlatives like “most prestigious....”
“Vishwa Guru” hi bol do phir.
Just when all the fun was going to start -- Tatas buying Air India. And Corus redux. There's only one TCS for such vainglorious misadventures.
And with automation the cash cow could turn dry unless the entire labour arbitrage model is completely overhauled.
Anagram = there's a hidden, ominous code in the startup's name. "Let him who hath understanding reckon...."
Growth and revenue at the cash cow elevated his status, notwithstanding his temperament.
The protagonist is a cost centre and quite dispensable, notwithstanding his talents.
Ok now Bejan Daruwala tell us if there will be a third wave?
Bombay House loves him and he will surely continue to advise Tata’s on every key matter. The market is welcoming the OG King with open arms and respect.
And if he was just a cost centre then well he must be the best cost manager ever- he had 3- 4 lawyers to handle all the top matters of the group.
Also wonder why if the group wanted him out then they would wait for the SC victory and not do that after the NCLAT ruling. Defies logic because rumours have no logic.
The group was in good hands with him.
But it is true he does drive his people hard.
Shuva by any stretch was successful at AZB. But he managed barely two years at SAM at a prestigious designation of National M&A Head and then lasted a mere 3.5 years at the Tata Group (rumours of his departure were in the air for the last year or so, he was likely preparing to leave sooner but covid came in the way).
This says a lot about his skills as a leader. It's obvious that his success at AZB was due to some mollycoddling by Zia, that was no secret. Unfortunately his shortcomings were/are too large to get him any where meaningful outside of that comfort zone. Overall he's a poor leader no matter how well he negotiates a shareholder contract and this Anagram startup is surely the end of the road for him. I'd be surprised if his abrasive personality permits Anagram to even overtake Rajaram Legal.
Now, I'm not joining Anagram any time soon, not really bothered about his style of working. But some observations which are relevant to all need to be made.
1. Given he made a name for himself at AZB and also worked at SAM for some time, it speaks a lot about these firms and other law firms in general. It is clear that these law firms don't really care about how bad a person may be with his juniors, as long as that person is a big name and can make them money. Now, fundamentally there is no issue, a Firm's management can do as it pleases and can run the business however it wants and profitability may be all that matters. But if that's the case, please stop paying lip service to stuff like mental health and other such matters. As a bare minimum, be honest. If that's not possible, at the very least, do not put on a fake show like you care.
2. Shuva Mandal would have started his career as an associate and progressed through different levels before he became a big shot partner. During this period, he would have had juniors. Pretty safe to assume that his bad temperament would not have developed over a day and that his juniors (even when he was not a partner) would have had to face his temper issues even then. And that these juniors would have flagged the issues to Shuva's superiors at the firm. What is evident is that none of his actions or his behaviour was condemned by any of his superiors, which is why he continued like he did.
Bear in mind this is not a Shuva specific issue. I have worked for a long time in a team where the junior partner is, by all accounts, a man who has temperament issues, bad working habits, negative attitude and untrustworthy. But the senior equity partner refuses to condemn this junior partner, despite several people having quit their jobs thanks to the junior partner and having reported concerns about the junior partner's behaviour. Moral of the story, even if the senior person may himself be a nice person, if he refuses the condemn the horrible behaviour of the junior person, the senior is equally to blame. Again, the senior partner is free to make money for the firm in any manner. But do not maintain the fake pretence that you care about every junior in the team.
Bottomline : (1) If you want peace of mind and better mental health, avoid horrible bosses, irrespective of how well known they may be in legal circles. (2) Law firms and partners can only pay lip service to mental health and cannot walk the talk.
[...] Most senior partners pass through a similar phase as PAs or salaried partners when execution is the most important deliverable. By the time they become senior partners its understood that talent retention and client management are more important. [... ] n contrast Bharat Vasani was a very genial gentleman who certainly would not create havoc or humiliate juniors.
No one else can say what you have said- with honesty and sincerity!
Period.
Firstly, even if what you state is true- only the managing partner should be knowing about it. Just in case you are one of the partners- knowing the MP personally, he will never speak about it. Assuming (which is very likely) you are one of the partner-pets- you must have heard it from a gossip monger partner (there are many, who love to just love character assassination- because they are just jealous or insecure). So, its better you don’t talk about “cultural fit for KCO”. Have stories (some known and some known) :) right mate, go and attend to your transaction documents and your on daily meetings.
I am still laughing at your assertive comment. There are high chances its just the opposite- he rejected KCO. Knowing him personally, he would have joined only a quality firm. If you have a comeback of “revenue generation = quality” and “the 600cr band”. “100+ partners” “Highest salary for freshers”. I won’t engage in any discussion, because you will then fall in the category of “bhakts”.
Just FYI- as you are currently working there (presumably at the mid-level or even higher), take out some time- and read the definition of “Culture”- then anlayse the facts with the components of culture.
Also, before commenting on someone’s character and behaviour (not being ‘culturally fit’)- look at their achievements. Just because someone’s bad mouth him- he doesn’t become bad. Or may be he does- forgot you are KCO. It’s the culture there.
Yes, I am super annoyed- because I have worked with guy. Even if he’s 50% as bad as you say. Learn from the balance 50%.
We can get into whether that is generally emblematic of the country as a whole, but that’s a whole other issue.
So it’s not surprising that most people can’t work with him. His clients don’t have this issue at all.
If I was a client in a high stakes matter (corporate or litigation), I would choose Shuva over most other lawyers in this country (if you go to CSS or Zia, you know they won’t be fully involved).
If he can hire the right people, I think Anagram will go far.
What you have articulated about transactional lawyers in India- the 90% figure is absolutely right. And majority sitting in mid and partner Level.
Speak with them and spend the entire week thinking- “how the heck he is a partner” ! QC- pathetic in big law in India.
Ohhh- you worked for 10 years with us- you are a partner. The significance of this designation- “partner” has gone down the drain. Every TDH is a partner.
Some partners deserve to be partners and having a conversation with them is always a learning experience.
#notspeculating #beenthere #andknowit #partnerformorethan6years #biglaw
Jealous much.
One unsolicited piece of advice: ‘risk taker’ ‘start up’ etc are all fine..but it also shows confused state of mind. Age is still on his side but now he should sick to this AnaGram or else his status will become that of ‘Aaya Ram...Gaya Ram.’
It doesn’t matter a thing to the world of law and serious lawyers though.
Ps: please follow “Covid appropriate behaviour”
What will happen to his team- will they hire a nee boss? I don't think promotion can come from within. Flat..
A Lot
Kian, perhaps you should go beyond reporting this ‘massive’ move and do some research or a survey or whatever, and come out with a TRUTH vs. HYPE story. On this very LI platform ppl had commented that how BIG was this GC role at Tatas and how BIG an accomplishment was it for SM to get it at such a young age. Indeed it was. Why SM did not make it big? Why he couldn’t become the Palkihivala of Bombay House? Don’t dismiss it by saying that was a different era. Don’t also try to find an alibi in the (misplaced) notion that if one is in-house he or she cant be a great lawyer.
The theory that he was there for Tata-Mistry and now that it’s over he is going to do better things, appears to be bu@l sh#it . He didn’t need to be in GC role to do this case. If he did get into this role because of or only for the case then it shows immaturity and lack of clarity on what one wants to do. That, for a man of his age & experience, is not a desirable thing. Good luck for Anagram or whatever it is. But introspection is in order.
Please dont pounce on me..i am one of you. But do we really feel it matters to a Ratan Tata or N Chandrasekaran or Mukesh Ambani which lawyer is working on their ‘deals’? Those deals will happen regardless. Unless the ‘law’ aspect of PE deals has been evolving like Art 14 jurisprudence and we contribute to that, what exactly we do to call ourselves a stellar or great lawyer?
Whether the move is voluntary or involuntary is not the issue. What’s clear is that it doesn’t matter to Tatas. Why is it that? Do they not value “great’ or ‘stellar’ lawyers if Shuva was one? or is it that he was not. It’s not about him. The truth is that none of us are, or even getting there. Most of us are operating at a superficial level. We have somehow got more interested in the business of law and that’s why being a ‘money spinner’ is a quality that matters to us. But perhaps that’s not a quality that would impress Tatas or others like them. They have many in their business teams who will spin the money. May be they look for something else in lawyers to command their respect.
How many of us are even closer to being in a position even 10-15 yrs from now where Tatas or Ambanis will send their private jets to fetch us for a consultation or a Ratan Tata or a Mukesh Ambani would personally come to our office to seek advice, as they would do for a Harish Salve or a Darius Khambata?
Did SM, who supposedly “delivered” the victory in Tata-Mistry case for Tatas, really go into the depth of how the jurisprudence of oppression & mismanagement remedy has evolved? I doubt he did. Can he do a serious piece of drafting or legal writing? Does he have the skills of articulation and persuasion to stand up in a court and hold the ground even for 5 minutes? What other areas other than PE deals and M&A on which he can speak with depth and influence or inspire an audience? Will his clients consult him or rely on him for the finer aspects of the law? Again, it’s not about him. It applies to many of us.
It is not about litigation vs transaction lawyering ..it is also not about in house vs. private practice. It is about being truly a great lawyer. If SM was truly stellar and wanted to do private practice may be tatas would have allowed him to do that and given him a senior board position. Palkhivala was a practitioner (perhaps the greatest lawyer ever) but also on the board of tata sons and chairman of several tata companies. So being with Tatas did not come in the way of being a great lawyer.
We may not want to accept it but truth is that most of us are interested in making a career and that’s why we get excited about becoming Partners, or even PA, SA, PAD, etc (God, these sound like transaction documents:-) ) We find alibis like in-house is not that great or we are working on big deals, or now this hype abt setting up a start up. (By the way the legal profession is perhaps the oldest space for startups. All those who are working hard in the litigation space with small set up are in a way startups. So it’s not a new thing).
We will live comfortable lives, work on big deals, have office in the most fancy building and bask in being a ‘money spinner’ but we will not be able to earn a place in the world of law for being a “great” lawyer. This is the HYPE and TRUTH of it — whether we like it or not.
I see from some comments on this thread the fascination for being in the league of Harvey Spectre. I shudder to think if many of us are learning our law by watching Suits and not by reading Seervai.
SM should introspect. All of us should.
Well, you certainly pounced on him! 🤣
You have a lot of negativity and unhappiness inside you young Padawan. Over from the dark side of the Force, come, you must.
Most of the legal treatises and practitioners handbooks were written a century, half a century ago. Only updates are today's generation's contribution.
This is not the case in England for example. Senior barristers (QC) are making serious contributions, writing detailed commentaries in various legal publications -- and concise articles in popular press.
Here we are facing famine, such is the dearth of high quality legal output.
And for the comments claiming that Zia mollycoddled Shuva to fame – I don’t even know where to start with that one. Mollycoddle just doesn’t fit in the same sentence with these two formidable personalities.
This is not to belittle anyone’s negative experience. This is just to share that my experience was positive and the potential for growth from working with Shuva is infinite. And no, I wasn’t the only freak who felt that way :)
If Big Law /‘law firm’ culture is too toxic, please do start out on your own. Once you’ve mastered winning clients while keeping your team happy, motivated and challenged (not to forget well compensated!), do let us all know what the magic formula is so we can bring out much needed change. It’s a learning curve and so much easier said than done.
Having worked with Rajesh and Simone during my time at NDA + Shuva while at AZB, it is beyond fantastic to see them join forces. Clearly they’ve taken the legal world by storm before they’ve even started. Congratulations!
happen to the team he leaves behind? One has changed cities when she got this job.
let us not always be looking to find sorrow and failure when there is none
Ok now i have to stop dreaming and go finish my DD report because my Partner does not know the meaning of the word give me a break dude.... oh the things i have to do to pay for my Also!!
Sigh!!! Mera number kab ayega!!