Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has started arbitration proceedings against Chennai partner Dorothy Thomas, who is due to join Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, filing in the Bombay high court yesterday for interim measures.

Khaitan & Co topped the list of 13 domestic law firms’ M&A mandates by value of deals done with $18.7bn worth of transactions, followed by AZB & Partners which topped the list of deals by value, with 43 transactions worth $15.4bn.

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

“In an attempt to boost capacity and expand its footprint into new markets, Orient Cement Ltd has struck a two-pronged deal with Jaypee Group to purchase a pair of cement businesses at an enterprise value of Rs1,950 crore,” reported Mint.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) Chennai head and corporate partner Dorothy Thomas and her team are set to be joining Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM), according to authoritative sources.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) advised ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and ICICI Bank on Rs 60,568 million initial public offer. S&R Associates and Davis Polk & Wardwell advised the lead managers to the issue: DSP Merrill Lynch, ICICI Securities, CLSA India, Deutsche Equities India, Edelweiss Financial Services, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India), IIFL, JM Financial Institutional Securities, SBI Capital Markets and UBS Securities India.

“German drugs and crop chemicals company Bayer AG has won over US seeds firm Monsanto Co. with an improved takeover offer of around $66 billion, ending months of wrangling after increasing its bid for a third time. The $128 a share deal, up from Bayer’s previous offer of $127.50 a share, is the biggest of the year so far and the largest cash bid on record. The deal will create a company commanding more than a quarter of the combined world market for seeds and pesticides in the fast-consolidating farm supplies industry,” reported Mint.

“Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Communications Ltd (R-Com) has signed a definitive agreement to merge its wireless business with smaller rival Aircel Ltd to create India’s third largest telecom operator by users,” reported Mint.

Former Amarchand Mangaldas private client practice (PCP) director Mugdha Sahal, who had started her own practice Metasis Legal two years ago, has joined Sanctum Wealth Management as head of wealth planning in Mumbai, 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.

Three Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) Delhi partners will be leaving the firm, according to multiple authoritative sources.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) advised Prime Focus Technologies and Prime Focus whereby on Ambit Pragma Fund II’s investment into Prime Focus Technologies. Ambit was advised by Nishit Desai Associates. CAM Mumbai corporate partner Ravi Kumar acted for Prime. NDA’s Huzefa Tavawalla and Nikhil Joseph...

K Law has hired Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas Delhi senior associate Sharad Joshi as an associate partner in Mumbai.

“Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) on Wednesday announced the sale of its sports network TEN Sports to Sony Pictures Network (SPN) in an all cash deal for $385 million,” reported Mint.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) Mumbai corporate partner Gurpreet Vasir Ashar has resigned.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) Mumbai financial regulatory partner Ipsita Dutta has left the firm, according to authoritative sources, and is understood to be joining Morgan Stanley as an executive director in the legal department.

“Courier service provider Pigeon Express Pvt. Ltd is in advanced talks to acquire e-commerce focused logistics service provider GoJavas (Quickdel Logistics Pvt. Ltd), which suspended operations last week amid an organisational overhaul, in a cash and stock deal, said two people aware of the development,” reported Mint and others earlier this month.

“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.

“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.