Dear final year students worried about not cracking BigLaw: Do you want to build a diverse work profile, show the confidence to go solo a few years on, have senior lawyers as friends and not just colleagues, and maintain work-life balance while you’re at it? Give small law firms a shot and continue ...

Breaking: The Union Budget has widened contentious law firm service tax to apply to court-based, tribunal and arbitration advice by lawyers and has been further expanded to include advice by law firms to individuals too.

Few were surprised when the Bar Council of India (BCI) had too much to do and too little time last weekend, and worked its way through only a few points on its long list.

A poem on how law students make a beeline for the Big Law and get CAUGHT. DASAMAR CHANDMANGAL SWEETS: Are law students an insect creed? ‘DasAmar ChandMangal Sweets’. Proclaims the shop; a proud tweet! However, it is unhygienic. Hyped flies get hyperactive Over its over-sugary syrup. On sugar they ar...

Picking interships is probably the most important step in a budding legal career, particularly as CVs without internship experience are likely to end up in the bin. An increasing number of firms are also beginning to exclusively recruit from their batch of interns.

However, applying for internships is also a potential minefield. We will attempt to deal with some common questions.

Lawyers have threatened legal action over the Government’s new service tax as Delhi litigators are going on strike over the issue today.

The 2009-10 Union Budget has extended service tax to lawyers, which could directly increase legal bills to clients and result in downward pressure on fees.

Clifford Chance is seconding the head partner of its India practice group to its best friend AZB & Partners.

Clifford Chance project finance partner Chris Wyman (pictured) will relocate to AZB’s Mumbai office this month and will spend at least several months there to improve the integration between the firms.

Wyman said that he would stay “as long as it takes” and added: “It is all about maximising the opportunities – if you just say nice words and do nothing else, you will soon cease to be useful.”

ALMT Legal has formed a best friends relationship with UK international firm Clyde & Co.

In a joint statement the firms said that they would share information, harmonise training and set in place an extensive secondment programme.

ALMT partner S R Arun (pictured) said: “We anticipate that we will have access to the markets where Clyde is and that not many of the large magic circle firms have got access to.”

FoxMandal Little has hired a partner to head its New Delhi intellectual property (IP) practice of three lawyers.

Vinay Dwarkadas joined from Khaitan & Co’s Mumbai office where he was a senior associate.

Dwarkadas (pictured) said that he hoped to greatly expand the existing IP practice at FoxMandal: “I have to be its backbone and want to take it forward for years to come. I plan to be here for a long time.”

Private equity boutique firm Lexygen has opened a new office in Singapore, on its third anniversary of founding.

Two lawyers from Lexygen’s Bangalore headquarters have temporarily relocated to Singapore and are hoping to recruit a local lawyer to head the office within the next six months.

Lexygen founding partner Vijay Sambamurthi said: “We aim for our Singapore office and the team that will be built, to act as the Asia hub for our firm.”

Khaitan & Co has continued its aggressive lateral hiring strategy, taking partner Prabjot Singh Bhullar from AZB & Partners.

Bhullar (pictured) was based in AZB’s Mumbai office but will relocate to Delhi, where he will significantly bolster Khaitan’s infrastructure and projects capacity.

Khaitan partner Rabindra Jhunjhunwala said that the firm was keen to expand in infrastructure and tax, in order to improve cross selling opportunities to the firm’s domestic clients.

Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co has poached two Mumbai partners from competitors as it hopes to widen its partnership.

The firm has hired Luthra & Luthra corporate partner Ashish Jejurkar and Mulla & Mulla & Blunt & Caroe infrastructure partner Tushar Mavani.

Amarchand managing partner Cyril Shroff (pictured) told UK legal magazine The Lawyer: “These two people have the right temperament and drive to be part of our vision.

Legally India reports news and information relevant to Indian law firms, the Indian legal profession, Indian lawyers, law students, and international law firms and lawyers doing business in India. Started in March 2009, Legally India was the first publication to cover the Indian legal market in a re...