Advani & Co partner Kshitij Sancheti has joined Seth Dua & Associates as a corporate partner in its Mumbai office, following two new associate partners having joined the firm last year after four partners left.

Seth Dua’s Sunil Seth and Atul Dua, respectively founding and senior partners, told Bar & Bench in a press release:

“This is part of our Pan India growth strategy and to boost our local presence in Mumbai. This will provide further support to our clients…We were increasingly feeling the need to have a larger team and Kshitij Sancheti’s experience in handling corporate and commercial matters will strengthen our existing practice in the west.

The firm would move into new offices in Nariman Point from next month.

Sancheti had acted for Advani for www.legallyindia.com/Private-equity-/-VC/advani-acts-on-2m-oliphans-pe-in-indian-toy-making-start-up Oliphans Capital on a $2m investment in toy maker Prothom industries, and for Avan Projects in a deal opposite the Indian Papa John franchisee.

Seth and Dua did not respond to an emailed request for comment by the time of publication.

Update 4 February: Sunil Seth commented via email:

I would like to factually correct this statement and set the record straight as follows:.

Exits -“Two Partners” (Salman Waris & Gautam Chopra) and “Two Associate Partners” (Taru Gupta & Sharad Tyagi).

New Hires -  “One Partner” (Kshitij Sancheti ), “Two Associate Partners”  (Gaurav Dhwaj & Upvan Gupta) and “One Senior Associate” (Monisha Cardoso).

We are doing more hiring’s at all levels = partner, associate partner & senior associate = to further strengthen our various practice areas.

This is part of our on-going re-organization strategy and in line with the developments in the legal industry.

Advani & Co managing partner Hiroo Advani commented: “Kshitij is an excellent lawyer and worked well with us. We wish him all the best in his new job.”

Sancheti’s joining follows the departure of four Seth Dua partners in 2015.

Former Seth Dua corporate partner Sharad Tyagi is understood to be joining Vaish Associates.

Update: Vaish partner Satwinder Singh commented: “We are happy to welcome Sharad on-board our firm as a principal associate. He will surely be a valuable addition to our Corporate team at Vaish Associates.”

Salman Waris, technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) and intellectual property partner at Seth Dua, and tax partner Gautam Chopra both left Seth Dua late last year to set up their own practices.

Litigation partner Taru Gupta had left in July 2015 and has started up a new law firm.

In October 2015, Seth Dua had hired Khaitan & Co senior associate Gaurav Dhwaj and former Vaish senior associate Upvan Gupta as associate partners into their TMT practice after the departure of Waris.

Picture by Dan4th Nicholas