Source: www.law.com
There’s a picture of Dubai’s giant Burj Khalifa skyscraper on the cover of the PowerPoint presentation that Cyril and Shardul Shroff use to explain the far-reaching reorganization that they’ve planned for their law firm, Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co.
Not that the Shroffs, who are brothers and Amarchand’s co–managing partners, have any plans for a big Middle East push. It’s just that the world’s tallest building, rising dramatically out of the desert, was the image that the men decided best captured what they hope to accomplish. “In the Indian legal profession, we want to tower like the Burj,” says Shardul.
There is a fair argument that they already do. From around 30 lawyers 15 years ago, Amarchand has grown to 550 lawyers today, making it one of the largest firms in Asia and more than twice the size of Indian archrival AZB & Partners. The firm enjoys close ties with the country’s biggest conglomerates, including Tata Group of Companies and Reliance Industries Ltd., and regularly leads on India’s highest-profile transactions.
The firm is currently advising mining giant Vedanta Resources plc on the $14 billion restructuring and merger of its largest subsidiaries. For international law firms looking to refer India work, Amarchand is almost always on the list. “They are one of our go-to firms,” says Rajiv Gupta, the Singapore-based head of the India practice for Latham & Watkins. “They’re definitely top-quality, and they’re very focused on maintaining that.” More info
