Hyderabad-based full law firm Legal Matrix has merged with corporate law firm Kochhar & Co, according to a company statement. Legal Matrix founding partner Aruna Kumari along with her team of five lawyers has joined Kochhar & Co's Hyderabad office as part of the agreement.
Aruna, who has an experience of around 15 years in the legal profession, focuses on real estate laws, civil and criminal litigation, corporate and commercial laws, intellectual property and labour & employment laws. She will be the second partner at the Hyderabad office, along with VVSN Raju, branch head & resident partner of the Hyderabad office.
“Aruna brings on board a rich experience of representing leading domestic and multinational corporations and her induction has enhanced the strength and expertise of the Kochhar Hyderabad office. I look forward to working with Aruna and her team in further strengthening our client portfolio and as well as our deliverables,” Raju said in the statement.
Aruna has so far advised and assisted several companies on diverse transactions, including acquisitions, joint development ventures and routing of foreign investments into India in the real estate sector.
She had set up Legal Matrix in 2011. Before this, she worked with Fox Mandal for around six years.
Rohit Kochhar, chairman and managing partner, Kochhar & Co, said, “With Legal Matrix’s merger with Kochhar & Co., our Hyderabad office is now one of the largest full service law firms in Andhra Pradesh.”
Kochhar & Co has a full service presence in the six prominent Indian cities namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon and Hyderabad in addition to five overseas offices –Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, Atlanta & Jeddah.
Large firms have been merging small units with themselves to expand their presence in various cities. Early this year J Sagar Associates merged four-year old law firm Vichar Partners with itself to expand in Chennai. This transaction created JSA's sixth office besides its existing presence at New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Last year, Mumbai-based Rajani Associates merged with Delhi- and Bangalore-based Singhania & Partners to create a pan-India network of nearly 100 lawyers. The new firm, Rajani, Singhania & Partners, has 20 partners with a national presence in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
