On 9 December 2020, the Delhi high court reserved its judgment in the saga of the acrimonious split between the co-founders of L&L Partners, Rajiv Luthra (often referred to as RKL) and Mohit Saraf (referred to as MS in court filings).

L&L Partners managing partner Rajiv Luthra has written an email to clients notifying them that senior partner Mohit Saraf was “no longer authorised” to act on behalf of the firm. The email follows the removal of Saraf’s name from L&L’s website and the posting of armed guards outside the doors of the firm’s corporate office in Delhi.

Senior partner Mohit Saraf, who holds a 33.4% equity stake in L&L Partners, has internally announced that managing partner Rajiv Luthra has effectively “retired” and “withdrawn” from L&L Partners and that Saraf would “reconstitute” the firm without him. This latest shot in the war of words follows managing partner Rajiv Luthra’s previously telegraphed announcement that he had

L&L Partners senior partner Mohit Saraf has accused managing partner Rajiv Luthra of “misconduct and subterfuge”, “malafide actions” and breaching “fiduciary duties”, in his response to a public 24 hour deadline sent by Luthra in an email on Sunday evening.

The managing partner and 66.6% majority equity holder at L&L Partners, Rajiv Luthra, has made an offer to the firm that he would be willing to dilute his equity unilaterally and without the agreement or dilution of 33.4% co-partner Mohit Saraf under a 1999 deed, if the latter does not respond by 6pm today.

Just before 3pm yesterday (Thursday, 24 September), all staff and fee-earners at L&L Partners received an email from managing partner Rajiv Luthra, announcing a virtual townhall for 5pm that day.

Exclusive in today’s Mint: Revealing two years of research, over 20 interviews with current and former lawyers, and never-read-before insider details and accounts, read the most definitive and balanced account published so far of Fox Mandal Delhi’s financial woes and how the merger between Fox and Little & Co Mumbai unravelled.

Exclusive: The Bombay High Court today ended the mediation between Fox Mandal & Co Delhi and Little & Co, which also lifted the court’s earlier stay order, opening the way for continuing Som Mandal’s criminal complaint in Noida against three Little partners and the pre-existing arbitration between the firms to de-merge.

Delhi and Kolkata-headquartered FoxMandal and Bombay solicitors firm Little & Co attempts to rescue their 2006 merger have failed, ending up in the High Courts.