Wakhariya & Wakhariya has hired former UBS India legal head Neeta Sanghavi as partner to head the financial institutions, investment banking and private equity practices.

Sanghavi left UBS in March, where former Allen & Overy lawyer Nischal Hindia has taken over her role, and joined Wakhariya on 1 September as its third partner.

Commenting on her move to Wakhariya, she said that there were a lot of opportunities in private practice and that the firm would work on building a larger team for her practice. “Having seen both sides, being external counsel and in-house, I think I can add more value to clients.”

“As general counsel there are certain issues that are looked at more closely and weigh the risks and rewards more carefully,” she added. “I am hoping to make a difference in delivering transactions and documents and executing them.”

Before joining UBS Sanghavi was head of legal at Lehman Brothers in India until September 2008, before which she was at DSK Legal in Mumbai and Simmons & Simmons in London. She started her career at Crawford Bayley in 1996.

Wakhariya has a best friend relationship with US firm Kelley Drye & Warren.