Mumbai-based boutique corporate advisory and dispute resolution firm MDP & Partners has recruited two partners from law firms HSA Advocates and ALMT Legal to enter into new practice areas.
The addition of Malav Virani and Pranav N. Jain takes MDP's strength to six partners and 34 lawyers, it said in a statement.
For Virani and Jain, joining MDP is a sort of homecoming as both had previously worked at the law firm.
Virani is an alumnus of Mumbai's KC Law College from the 2011 batch and a solicitor from the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. He had joined MDP in 2010 as a senior associate, before moving to HSA Advocates in January 2017. He is also a co-founder of a startup, Three Wise Men Pvt. Ltd.
Virani specialises in real estate, banking and finance, and project finance sectors.
Jain is an alumnus of Government Law College (Mumbai) and NL Dalmiya Institute of Management Studies & Research. He had started his career with Sutherland Global Services as technical executive in 2003. Subsequently, he worked at JP Morgan Chase, BDO India, Haribhakti & Co, MDP, Clove Legal and ALMT Legal.
Jain’s key practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital deals.
Nishit Dhruva, managing partner at MDP, said Virani and Jain will help the firm diversify its offerings to clients. “With two new partners and a new office in Bandra Kurla Complex (Mumbai), we are better equipped to serve our clients, not only in terms of expertise brought to the table but also in terms of physical accessibility,†he said.
Ashok Paranjpe, another managing partner at MDP, said both Virani and Jain will mentor and groom younger lawyers at the firm.
MDP has beefed up its bench strength over the past year or so. In November last year, MDP had hired Ashok Kumar Mishra, a former debt recovery tribunal judge, as a senior partner for its banking practice. In late 2016, the firm had appointed Rakesh Puri, former global head of legal and compliance practice at investment bank Elara Capital (India) Pvt Ltd, to head its capital markets practice.
