Nitin Jain has quit as the legal counsel at Tata Chemicals Ltd to join Mumbai-based boutique corporate advisory and dispute resolution law firm Agama Law Associates as managing partner.
Agama Law was founded by Archana Balasubramanian, a former associate at law firm AZB & Partners, in 2013.
Balasubramanian said in a statement that Jain comes in not just as an equity partner but as a partner with a wide perspective of offerings in the legal services market.
An alumnus of the University of Mumbai, Balasubramanian had started her career at the chamber of senior advocate S. Venkiteshwaran in 2005. In 2007, she joined litigation firm Udwadia & Udeshi as an associate. She moved to AZB & Partners in 2010 as an associate, before starting her own firm in January 2013.
Jain is an alumnus of the Government Law College, Mumbai. He started his career as an advocate with the Bombay High Court. In January 2009, he joined Mahindra Logistics Ltd as legal manager. He moved to Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in 2012 as legal manager and joined Tata Chemicals as legal counsel two years later.
Jain has advised on legal issues ranging from cross-border mergers to execution of a decree in a trial court. His appointment is one of a handful of instances in India where the founder of a law firm hired a professional to run the firm and separate leadership from day-to-day execution and administration activities. The trend is relatively new in India, though it is normal in mature markets like the US and the UK.
In April 2016, Hemant Sahai, founder and managing partner of HSA Advocates, had appointed Amitabh Sharma as managing partner of the firm. Sharma was earlier energy, infrastructure and corporate partner at Khaitan & Co.
Similarly, in May 2015, Akshay Chudasama had joined Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co as managing partner for the law firm’s Mumbai operations from rival J Sagar Associates.
