Indian firm Khaitan & Co has gained three new partners from rival firms. Foremost among them is telecommunications specialist Assim Abbas, who has been appointed partner in charge of Khaitan & Co’s telco & media practice based in New Delhi. Abbas has actually agreed to merge his own boutique law practice – Legal Spectrums – with Khaitan’s telco & media practice.
Legal Spectrums was set up in 2008 after Abbas (pictured) left his post as vice president of legal affairs at Indian telco giant Bharti Airtel (currently being represented by AZB & Partners on its US$10bn bid to acquire Zain’s African assets). Prior to that Abbas was a senior associate as J Sagar Associates.
Also from J Sagar Associates is infrastructure specialist Amitabh Sharma, who is joining Khaitan & Co’s infrastructure & projects practice in Mumbai. Sharma’s addition will be the second hire from J Sagar Associates for the firm in less than six months, following the appointment of competition partner Manas Kumar Chaudhuri in December.
The firm’s Mumbai office will also see the addition of former White & Case associate Shishir Mehta. His arrival in the banking & corporate practice is a strategic coup for the firm and intended to build its capability in cross-border transactions-Mehta is admitted to practice in New York, Gujarat and the UK.
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