Following a rough few months during which it has lost not only two key firm alliances but also significant numbers of lawyers, Indian firm AZB & Partners has been highly active on the recruitment front.

AZB has just lost its “best friend” tie-up with Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance, and in early January saw its still nascent merger with Bangalore-based firm Anup Shah fail; and in the six months leading up to the October departure of promising corporate partner Vaishali Sharma to Khaitan & Co, approximately 19 lawyers left its Mumbai office.

The firm is now attempting to turn things around and has hired 26 new lawyers, including fresh graduates, to bring its total numbers back to approximately 110. The latest of these is UK-and-India-qualified Simpson Thacher lawyer Manas Chandrashekar this week. Chandrashekar, who spent a number of years in the London office of Simpson Thacher and previous to that was an associate with Lovells in London, will join the banking & finance practise of AZB’s Mumbai office as a senior associate.ALB

• AZB loses second partner in month (3 Nov 2010)
• Clifford Chance shifts India approach, downgrades AZB alliance (1 Feb 2011)