Indian firm Khaitan & Co has boosted its partnership with the hire of former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer London senior associate Bharat Anand.
Indian firm Khaitan & Co has boosted its partnership with the hire of former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer London senior associate Bharat Anand.
Anand joins the Indian firm as a corporate partner in New Dehli. Freshfields remains the only magic circle firmed not to have tied down an Indian ‘best friend’ firm.
Clifford Chance has a non-exclusive relationship with AZB, Allen & Overy has an alliance with Trilegal and Linklaters uses Talwar Thakore & Associates.
Freshfields has been strengthening its ties with both Platinum Partners and Bharucha & Partners, but Anand’s move will give the firm an opportunity to foster links with one of the country’s largest firms.
Khaitan & Co was launched in 2001 and has rapidly climbed the Indian M&A tables, according to Mergermarket data (16 February).
A Freshfields spokesman said: “We wish Bharat the best for his future in India and look forward to keeping in contact with him.”
While Indian law firms may be happy to recruit lawyers returning from UK/US, they must not forget that most of these people are returning only in desparation after being retrenched. They will soon prefer to go back once the market improves, because the reasons for their initially leaving Indian law firms will not change in near future. This is obviously not a long term approach for Indian firms.
I completely agree with the anonymous comment above. The people returning to India at this time are mostly (not all of them) those who are doing so in desperation. It might be worth for Indian firms to look for talent within the country or employ those who actually have scope in UK as well India but choose to come to India due to the job prospects there.