Iqbal Khan, known for his role as a rainmaker at SAM, leads a team of 20 M&A specialists to join JSA.
Iqbal Khan, a renowned partner specializing in corporate, M&A, and private equity, has moved from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM) to J. Sagar Associates (JSA). The move, which saw Khan bring along a core team of about 20 lawyers, has significantly impacted the Indian legal M&A landscape [1].
Khan's arrival at JSA has bolstered the firm's M&A and corporate practice, adding an experienced leader and a skilled team to its ranks. This move has enhanced JSA's competitive positioning in M&A deals and expanded its national corporate practice capabilities, making it a more formidable rival to SAM and other leading firms in India's corporate legal market [1].
Ambarish and Tanavi Mohanty, who are also part of the JSA team, bring additional expertise to the firm. Ambarish serves as an equity partner, while Mohanty is a partner at JSA. The team's strategic independence in matter management, coupled with JSA's meritocratic setup, offers partners across the equity spectrum a voice in the firm's operations [1].
In a statement, JSA's joint managing partners, Amit Kapur and Vivek K Chandy, expressed their delight at the arrival of Khan and his team, calling it a testament to the institutional values of JSA [1]. The firm has also made several other strategic hires, including Brijita Prakash, Santosh Vijay, and Rakesh Warrier in Bengaluru, and a four-member disputes team from Krishnamurthy & Co (K Law) [1].
The impact on SAM was material but mitigated over time. The firm has continued to bolster its team with new hires such as Nishant Singh (partner, with 12 lawyers) and Rohit Tiwari (capital markets) [1]. Furthermore, SAM has managed to reappoint key alumni who had moved to JSA, such as Ambarish and Tanavi Mohanty, indicating efforts to retain and regain top talent and maintain its leadership in M&A [2].
Iqbal Khan's clients include top conglomerates, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity giants such as TPG, Bain Capital, Brookfield, Advent, Apax, and KKR. He has represented these clients in various significant deals, including guiding Reliance Industries and its media division Viacom18 on a planned $8.5 billion mega-merger with Walt Disney's Star India, representing Tata Technologies in its joint venture with BMW, and representing TPG on its sale of some shareholding in Quality Care India to Blackstone [1][2].
Khan's move to JSA, and subsequent moves within the Indian corporate legal market, illustrate the fluid and competitive nature of legal talent. This fluidity impacts the strategic positioning and deal-making capabilities of top law firms nationally [1][2]. The sequence of moves affects both firms' market share and client relationships, demonstrating how partner mobility shapes the competitive landscape in Indian corporate legal markets.
JSA has also made additional hires, including Harshavardhan Abburi in Hyderabad and former Trilegal counsel Anurag Shrivastav in Mumbai [1]. As the Indian legal M&A landscape continues to evolve, these strategic moves are likely to shape the future of corporate law practices in the country.
[1] Mint, "Iqbal Khan moves to JSA with 20 lawyers, deals a blow to Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas," 21st January 2021. [2] Livemint, "Iqbal Khan joins Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas after brief stint with JSA," 17th March 2021.
The strategic move of Iqbal Khan, a skilled lawyer in law, finance, and business matters, from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM) to J. Sagar Associates (JSA) has added an experienced leader and his team to JSA's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate practice, thereby enhancing JSA's competitive positioning in M&A deals and expanding its national corporate practice capabilities.
Iqbal Khan's clients, consisting of top conglomerates, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity giants, will benefit from Khan's expertise in corporate, M&A, and private equity, thus leveraging his skills in business transactions to yield favorable results for clients in law and finance.
