The Ambanis yet again dominated the national headlines as the multi-billion dollar dispute between brothers Anil and Mukesh began limping through the Supreme Court.

Then, as though there was not nearly enough drama in the saga, one of the three judges discovered that his daughter was a partner at AZB Bangalore.

Practising lawyers have largely expressed support for AZB & Partners and Justice R.V. Raveendran’s shock recusal in the Ambani brothers’ dispute, although several have questioned the timing and causes of the decision.

A Supreme Court judge on the Ambani brothers’ gas supply dispute has stepped down, fearing a conflict of interest because of his daughter recently joining AZB & Partners in Bangalore as a partner.

Luthra & Luthra, AZB & Partners and S&R Associates have pushed up the IPO league tables this October, as J Sagar Associates (JSA) and capital markets specialist firm JurisPrudent Consulting Partners make their entry into the rankings.

Hemant Sahai Associates has recruited an AZB senior associate as a partner in Mumbai, after recently merging with Paras Kuhad & Associates to create a national firm called PHA Advocates.

Clifford Chance senior partner Stuart Popham has always exhibited infectious enthusiasm for India. Legally India talks to him about the perennial joke of liberalisation, offshoring, India’s legal future and nine months of best friendship with AZB & Partners.

The Indian festival season is now in full swing and almost everyone seems to be celebrating already. We will therefore keep this one brief and joyous.

Clifford Chance and AZB have entered a new stage in their friendship as CC has opened up its training academy for a potentially limitless number of AZB associates. Expect queuing.

Legally India research has revealed Amarchand Mangaldas as the top IPO dealmaker of this financial year so far, while Khaitan & Co and Luthra & Luthra are in close contest for the runner-up spot. International and domestic firms are competing in a tightly bunched mid-field of the ranking.

AZB & Partners is sending four associates for training at Clifford Chance’s European training centres as the start of a more organised “knowledge transfer” programme between the best friend firms.

For the first time this year, Desai & Diwanji and Khaitan & Co are leading the third quarter Indian M&A rankings both by value and volume of deals, pushing Amarchand Mangaldas two places down mergermarket’s value league table compared to three months ago.

Amarchand Mangaldas has acted on 70 per cent of qualified institutional placements (QIPs) in the first half of this financial year, with international firms, AZB & Partners, J Sagar Associates (JSA), Luthra & Luthra, S & R Associates and Crawford Bayley mopping up the rest.

AZB & Partners has promoted its first new partner after its Bangalore merger and vowed to grow its fledgling Chennai and Hyderabad presences after moving into a new office in Chennai.

Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners and Luthra & Luthra have benefited the most from the dash to hit the markets by month-end, as 16 companies filed draft initial public offering (IPO) prospectuses in the last two weeks.

AZB Mumbai partner Shuva Mandal led the team for DSP Merrill Lynch and Citigroup, which were mandated by the company for the share sale.

Lawyers in Clifford Chance’s Gurgaon “knowledge centre” have earned 12,000 hours of work in the last financial year, according to the firm’s annual report which was published this week.

AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co and Jones Day’s Hong Kong office have advised Jai Balaji Industries on its proposed Rs 450 crore ($94m) qualified institutional placement (QIP), which is yet to be announced.

Kochhar & Co’s Singapore and Delhi offices and AZB & Partners advised news wire Bloomberg and media company UTV on their joint venture to launch a new co-branded Indian business TV channel.

Desai & Diwanji has scored the first instruction for the merged Tata Quippo towers business, after having originally advised Quippo Telecom on its joint venture (JV) with Tata Teleservices, which was advised by AZB & Partners.

AZB & Partners Delhi has hired an indirect tax partner and his team from accountants KPMG, hoping to grow the tax advisory business at the law firm which will compete in the traditional domain of accountancy firms.

India’s largest mortgage lender Housing Development and Finance Corporation (HDFC) has issued India’s first ever dual warrants and bonds instrument, which was structured by AZB & Partners, Amarchand Mangaldas and Linklaters Singapore to raise Rs 4000 crore ($822m) for the company.