Law firm Luthra & Luthra Law Office has hired Akhil Anand as litigation partner from Delhi-based rival Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
This is a sort of homecoming for Anand, who had started his career with Luthra & Luthra as an associate.
Anand has almost 15 years of experience. After starting with Luthra & Luthra, he had joined the Delhi office of Bengaluru-based Poovayya & Co to head its litigation and dispute resolution practice.
Later, he moved to the Shardul Shroff-led firm as litigation partner.
Anand is an alumnus of the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi from the 2003 batch. He has handled matters relating to Information Technology Act, Companies Act, Arbitration Act, and criminal laws.
This is the second major hiring by Luthra & Luthra within a month. In April, the firm had hired Pallavi Bedi, a project finance partner at J Sagar Associates Advocates and Solicitors, for its New Delhi office.
Rajiv Luthra, managing partner at Luthra & Luthra, said in a statement that Anand’s experience in Information Technology Act and criminal laws will strengthen the firm’s litigation team.
The firm is beefing up its litigation team at a time when changes in many laws and regulations related to indirect tax, real estate, bankruptcy and other sectors are likely to increase litigation among companies as well as between the government and the corporate sector. Demand for litigation lawyers as well as counsels who can represent clients have increased, prompting many senior partners and even founders of law firms to leave their cushy law firm jobs and take up counsel practice.
“The law firms are looking to recruit more and more senior-level litigation partners with specific knowledge of taxation, securities and competition practices among other things,†said a Mumbai-based recruiter. “Many firms are getting work but lack of experienced lawyers who can lead the team and execute are difficult to find.â€
