PDS Legal partner Deepak Chopra will join AZB & Partners in Delhi as a partner and the head of its tax litigation practice, according to a press release from the firm.

AZB & Partners has re-hired Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas corporate senior consultant Jasmin Karkhanis as a counsel, reported Bar & Bench and we have confirmed.

AZB & Partners Mumbai has promoted Harsh Maggon and Sugandha Asthana to its partnership, according to a press release.

AZB & Partners recent lateral partner Nisha Kaur Uberoi has on 8 August obtained phase 1 merger clearance from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for Ultratech Cement’s Rs 16,189 crore ($2.4bn) acquisition of the cement assets of the Jaypee Group.

“Piramal Fund Management Pvt. Ltd will invest Rs 2,320 crore in Lodha Developers Pvt. Ltd’s signature World Towers project in central Mumbai, it what is probably the single largest debt financing deal in Indian real estate. A part of this money will be used to repay debt and the remaining will be used to complete construction of the project.”

“In what could be termed as the biggest news in the gaming industry this year, Delta Corp Ltd., India’s largest gaming and hospitality company announced its foray into the online gaming space in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. In its note to the stock exchanges and shareholders, Delta Corp informed its intention to acquire 26% shares in Gauss Networks Pvt. Ltd., the holding company which owns and operates Adda52.com and is saide to be the market leader in the online poker space in India,” reported gaming industry law blog GLaws.

“India has a new tech unicorn. Hike, a four-year-old messaging app, today announced that it has closed $175 million in funding led by new investors Chinese internet giant Tencent and manufacturing firm Foxconn. The Series D round values the company at $1.4 billion, founder and CEO Kavin Bharti Mittal confirmed to TechCrunch,” reported Techcrunch.

Japanese healthcare media giant M3 has acquired a stake in Health Impetus Private Limited - which offers disease management services - from its existing shareholder, Health Care at Home India Private Limited, and by subscribing to equity shares in the target for an undisclosed amount.

“Tata Chemicals Ltd has agreed to sell its urea plant in Babrala, Uttar Pradesh, to the Indian unit of Norway-based Yara International ASA for Rs 2,670 crore, as it seeks to position itself as a maker of consumer products rather than fertilizers,” reported Mint and others.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) general corporate partner designate Prerak Ved will join AZB & Partners as a counsel in Mumbai, we have confirmed from authoritative sources.

“State Bank of India (SBI) has kick-started the formal process of merging associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank, which would create a banking entity with total assets worth about Rs 29 lakh crore. The bank has appointed merchant bankers, valuation consultants and law firms to complete the process,” reported The Economic Times.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai partner Vijayendra Pratap Singh will join AZB & Partners Delhi, Singh has officially confirmed.

AZB & Partners has promoted five to partner in Delhi.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has hired AZB & Partners litigation partner Sidhartha Barua as a litigation partner in Delhi with seven AZB fee-earners.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas partner VP Singh may join AZB & Partners.

“Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax India Holdings Corp. … said it had agreed to acquire a 51% stake in Privi Organics Ltd for about Rs 370 crore. Privi Organics is a supplier of aroma chemicals to many large fragrance and consumer goods companies globally.” reported Mint.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has topped the list of 13 domestic law firms’ M&A mandates by value of deals done with $6.2bn worth of transactions, followed by AZB & Partners and Vaish Associates, with stronger performances across the board than at the same time last year.

Nirma will buy Lafarge India’s assets for $1.4bn from LafargeHolcim according to reports, with several law firms getting a slice of the action including Ashwath Rau’s old and new firm.

The notice period of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) partner Ganesh Rao, who has been handing over matters at the firm since resigning together with partner Ashwath Rau, Anu Tiwari and Dhruv Singhal for AZB & Partners around 23 April, is now also over.

Taxi aggregator Uber started a joint venture with Tata Motors, which envisages Uber drivers buying Tata cars financed via Tata Capital Financial Services and Tata Motors Finance loans with insurance from Tata.