Delhi-based law firm Link Legal has merged with India Law Services in Mumbai to create a new firm aptly named Link Legal-India Law Services.
The combined firm has 14 partners and 73 lawyers and offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. It will be led by Link Legal’s managing partner, Atul Sharma, who is based in Delhi. AG Karkhanis, who was the managing partner of India Law Services, will be the co-managing partner and will run the Mumbai office.
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Link Legal and India Law Services were both known for their project finance and infrastructure work and the merger creates a national firm with strong capabilities in this field.
“India Law Services has been a project finance practice,” explained Tushar Desai, a partner with the Mumbai-based firm. “Link Legal also has an acknowledged presence in projects and project finance, but has established a presence in other practice areas like dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, corporate commercial law and securities markets. The merged practice will be able to service clients in all these areas.”
Asked about the possibility of the firm undertaking further mergers, Desai said it was unlikely: “As of now there is no such move. We first need to complete the current integration and utilize the full potential of this coming together before we think of any further steps.”
Desai also thought it unlikely that other Indian law firms would follow Link Legal and India Law Services down the merger route in the coming months: “The virtues of consolidation will be recognized gradually and mergers between Indian firms this year are unlikely unless something develops suddenly,” he told India Business Law Journal.
Link Legal-India Law Services is one of the winners in the energy, projects and infrastructure category in India Business Law Journal’s 2012 Indian Law Firm Awards.
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