Indian law firm Khaitan & Co has announced plans to open an office in the southern metropolis of Chennai. It will be the firm’s fifth domestic branch, and the announcement comes on the heels of its plan to establish its first international outpost in Singapore.

The Chennai office will be led by corporate/M&A partner Vivek Sriram and dispute resolution specialist Arva Merchant. Merchant, who recently joined Khaitan as a partner, had been running her independent law practice for nearly seven years. She was also previously a partner at Chennai law firm Arunkungumaraj & Associates

In a statement, Khaitan said that the “opening of the Chennai office is aligned with the firm’s broader strategic view of the southern states of India being a solid base for a number of large and medium scale conglomerates and industries comprising of diverse sectors such as automobiles, textiles, cement, engineering and pharmaceuticals among others.”

Founded in 1911, Khaitan also has offices in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi.

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