Two more Link Legal partners leave: employment Raunak, disputes Nikhil Rodrigues

Monday, 18 June 2018 By Legally India Law firms

Link Legal (DH) partner Raunak, Nikhil Rodrigues leave

Two Link Legal India Law Services partners have resigned from the firm: Raunak in Gurgaon, and Nikhil Rodrigues in Mumbai.

Raunak had since 2011 been with DH Law’s satellite office in the National Capital Region (NCR), which had merged into Link Legal India Law Services in November 2017.

The 2008 ILS Pune graduate specialises in employment, general corporate commercial, hospitality and real estate work.

Rodrigues’ firm RM Partners Advocates had combined its two-partner practice into the combined DH Law Link Legal entity around the time of that merger, integrating primarily into the DH Law side of the combined firm.

He is a 2003 SDM Law College Mangalore graduate, who had begun his career at DH Law, followed by Desai & Diwanji, Kochhar & Co and five years of running RM, with co-founder Jyoti Maheshwari, who had also moved to Link Legal with Rodrigues. We understand she has not resigned.

We have reached out to Raunak, Rodrigues and Link Legal but are yet to hear from them about their future plans and/or for comment.

Update 18:49: Link Legal CEO Jayanarayanan NR commented: “Raunak has taken a break for health reasons. We will continue to engage with him as an of counsel.

“Nikhil is moving in-house and we wish him all the very best and we hope to continue our association with him in his new role.”

Raunak and Rodrigues are the third partners to be departing Link Legal in a month, with us having reported on Delhi partner Saloni Gupta’s departure to Apple’s in-house team in early May.

Comments

Guest 19 Jun 2018, 10:08

+0 -0

Two more see the light.

Guest 19 Jun 2018, 11:54

+3 -0

One after another LL is loosing good lawyers. Heard about this Gurgaon partner that he has amazing client handling skills.. any idea where he is moving?

Chaiwala 19 Jun 2018, 13:49

+4 -1

Please add 2 more names in this growing list. Heard Ashutosh from Bombay office has already moved out to an in-house position and Alok is on his way back to "Lower Parel"...They just cannot retain good people

CC 20 Jun 2018, 11:21

+3 -1

So it means 5 partners in last 2 months have left. That says a lot about the state of affairs to this Lala firm.. this is a warning to all who are looking to join this firm…

BCC 20 Jun 2018, 14:53

+2 -0

6 Hasit Seth left few months back.

Dilbura 19 Jun 2018, 12:59

+0 -0

So, RM merger is dusted and busted. Many more in the queue to get out, just waiting for the confirmation letter from new employer .. all the padding up that DH did before merger is peeling off.

Netajee 19 Jun 2018, 19:27

+0 -0

What else you can expect. This is bound to happened. All Topiwalas are concerned about themselves.

Netajee 20 Jun 2018, 05:45

+0 -0

If they are topiwala, at all

Sacchi Bolta Hoon 20 Jun 2018, 03:46

+38 -4

Is it because their CEO is a HR guy?

Is this what happens when you get a non-business oriented CEO, whose strengths are hiring and firing people, instead of running businesses?

Can HR dept. staff ever hope to become CEOs? And if they do, is this what happens?

Jhunjhun 20 Jun 2018, 12:27

+12 -2

You are hitting the nail actually ... hope Sharmaji can smell the coffee, even when the good horses have bolted.

Chunchun 24 Jun 2018, 19:32

+0 -0

ha ha!! very funny. Keep entertaining.

Rupchik 21 Jun 2018, 07:31

+7 -0

You run a law firm like a BPO and this is what happens. Today Link Legal has less partners than it had before all the much-flaunted mega mergers. You treat fee earners and new big hires as your subjects, do not provide any support to them, do not even pay them the promised amounts, only talk and feed negativity, etc etc. The going is good so far so only this one person, who is behind this fall from grace. All the ones leaving are unanimous - no body in his senses should ever join this firm. But isn't it what happens at other law firms - Luthra, Classis and so on .... One person enjoys while the firm is on a depleting spree.

Client 24 Jun 2018, 04:40

+3 -0

It’s time law firms realise less is more and productive. Some only perform on blaming and badmouthing firms..

Reality check 21 Jun 2018, 11:05

+4 -7

Hey, hold your horses.You can’t attribute attrition to the CEO. The guy has done a lot of work for the betterment of the firm and has played an important role in its progression. Partners deciding to leave, starting their own practise or shifting in-house is fairly common in law firms.why corner the CEO for all this.He is doing his job.

And just to douse your curiosity.Yes I am an insider. Go figure

Rupchik 22 Jun 2018, 06:16

+5 -0

Please confirm one new partner out of 15 odd hired in last 2 years, who has stayed on for more than a year. Either all the hires are bad or the buck should stop somewhere else. The CEO would have been the first one to be fired in such a situation. Agree with you, if you mean depletion = betterment of the firm.

CC 23 Jun 2018, 03:34

+12 -1

I think Link Legal would have made a record in Partner level exit in last 2 years ...with 7 partners exit in last 6 months (counting 1 more young newly promoted Partner from Delhi who is on in way out) makes it odd 25% exit at partners level..which if our CEO (or his chamchi) thinks is normal then I think he has a clear vision to take this firm down the drain..one more firm with such a potential will end up stagnating at tier 3 or 4 at best..what a disappointment.

Reality Check 24 Jun 2018, 03:55

+1 -3

now that you know you are not missed, go badmouth your new firm. Didnt they hire you to give them also some attention. LL is fine, despite your best efforts..

Black Buck 30 Jun 2018, 03:12

+1 -0

Fine my ass..these exits have happened even prior to these partners waiting for their bonus payouts...that says volume about the firm's performance...have know some of these poeple.. specially the Mumbai ones..there movement will definitely hit our Mumbai foot print..rest about me...I may still be a part of the firm...may the one with whom you had lunch last Monday or Tuesday :)

Sallu Ka Ballu 23 Jun 2018, 08:24

+21 -3

CEO: This is preposterous! Next thing I know, they'll demand as CEO I take accountability for the firm! Preposterous!!

Also CEO to LI: Our business is our business, none of your business!

Black Buck 24 Jun 2018, 05:32

+5 -1

Hope you understand meaning of CEO? This statement seems to suggest that you have no idea... It is a pilot position..and even if you reposition your self as HR Head, loss of human resources is something for which you are accountable..have personally seen you as CEO taking credit for increased revenue and billing (obvious for which you had done nothing).[...]

There you go 26 Jun 2018, 04:38

+1 -3

Finally an admission that link legal has been growing.had to scroll down all the way to see this. What was the need then for all the misleading trolls..

Black Buck 25 Jun 2018, 07:46

+2 -0

LI not printing my comments. Please dont be scared of Sallu Bhai

What matters 20 Jun 2018, 06:06

+3 -5

I see only Manish, keeping the boat afloat at least in corp practice. Wonder how long will he be able to survive..

Jhunjhun 20 Jun 2018, 12:26

+4 -3

He has to continue cz he doesn't have a book of his own. Anyone with dignity cannot survive the one and half man show ...

Buffet 20 Jun 2018, 17:39

+0 -0

LSIP and L&T Sharma ji ke client hai?

Guesr 20 Jun 2018, 19:45

+1 -0

Yes.

Buffet 1 21 Jun 2018, 05:26

+0 -0

all Sharma ji's put together can not hold LSIP and L&T

Jhunjhun 21 Jun 2018, 05:50

+0 -0

Of course. What do you smoke ?

IMDBOSS 22 Jun 2018, 05:42

+0 -0

Wait and watch.. sooner or later it will fall a a pack of cards...Sharmaji or Anand have to take charge of such matters

Guest 22 Jun 2018, 14:13

+0 -0

Anand Ji has gone for further studies. In the meantime younger Sharma Ji can take charge. ‘Ji’ is genuine respect.

CC 23 Jun 2018, 03:36

+2 -0

And everyone who has even little potential and spine will move out

Outsider 23 Jun 2018, 19:01

+3 -10

I think Linklegal is the most targeted firm after Luthra. There is so much negative publicity against the firm that i have started to have doubts about the firms capability. They may have their issues but they have hung around for around more than 10-15 years now, so let them get the due. Partner exits may happen for various reasons - primary reason being partner or the firm not being able to deliver what they inter se promised; second - partners moving for greener pastures. As far as the present exits are concerned, I think the exits are being hyped. The CEO has issued a formal statement that exit is because of health reasons. Unless, anyone has confirmed news that the existing partner is joining somewhere else, the criticism will not stand ground and seem imcongruent

CC 24 Jun 2018, 06:19

+2 -0

All 7 partners have either joined somewhere or are just waiting for cool off period to get over before they join new places

GC 24 Jun 2018, 19:25

+1 -5

Too much link legal bashing and hype on exits..
totally unnecessary. I work with them and know them well. I have always had great experience. They have managed to retain their key talent over the years. Many who left have come back. I think it’s their best time and they will only get stronger.

being neutral 25 Jun 2018, 11:20

+1 -4

Partner exits are normal in law firms.. why spread such negativity about any firm? I have seen LL giving opportunities to young people, very few firms take such risks, it is a good platform, but it may not work out that way all the time, for various reasons. Also look at how many have come back after experiencing greener pastures.and I hear many more are coming back. LL has grown amazingly well in last few years. They deserve credit and are now becoming more prominent. They are changing with time and doing a lot of things right. My vote is for LL.

lallubhai 28 Jun 2018, 08:12

+0 -0

Alok Sonker too has bolted. Wonder how many more in waiting ...

Guest 2 Jul 2018, 00:27

+1 -0

Don’t know much about LL however have worked with Raunak and have known him to be highly professional guy with excellent legal acumen. I am sure he will be asset to any firm he joins.

Twitter 2 Jul 2018, 08:06

+2 -0

It is sad to see mid-size firms struggle in a weak economy. They hire people at AP level hoping they will bring in some work. Those joining think the firm's brandname will help them build a book. There is an expectation mismatch right at the inception. Then the top partners play games where their favourites get crumbs of work. Top partners at such mid-firms first have to watch their own revenue numbers by cornering all lucrative work, hence they make sure their own numbers look good first (CEO at one particular mid-size firm makes sure this happens by fudging fee split numbers) and then pass on the crumbs to favourites.

The whole law firm field in India is ripe for foreign law firms to come with professional setups and processes. This desi version of their firms combined with native cunningness isn't taking any of them too far. They continue to lurch from one crisis to another.

melaram 3 Jul 2018, 03:01

+2 -0

This is exactly what has happened with all the new hires at LL. They were not engaged in any existing workload at the firm nor did the firm support them in any sort of BD. The CEO only keeps exerting pressure and asks the ROI before spending a penny on any effort (counting chickens ... you know). How can one grow any work in such atmosphere? Those who can generate work on their own have started boutique firms - why would they work under 2x or 3x targets if there is no firm support and all the money goes in pockets of dud oldies there who are thriving with no business of their own and just surviving by ....

Twitter 3 Jul 2018, 11:35

+1 -0

I agree wholeheartedly.

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