Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas hires Nishith Desai's ex-office head, opens in Singapore

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas hires Nishith Desai's ex-office head, opens in Singapore

Indian law in international arbitration and private client to offer in first base outside home country

Leading Indian law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) hires the former head of Nishith Desai Associates' to open an office in Singapore, thereby expanding outside its home country for the first time.

After working for 18 longs years, Vivek Kathpalia left Nishith Desai in September 2021. He takes up the role of managing director and CEO of his new firm's Singapore branch. It will operate as a licensed foreign law practice offering Indian law advice for international arbitration, corporate advisory and private client.

He will work together with director, Dipti Bedi, who has re-joined CAM in February leaving Cairn Oil and Gas as principal counsel. Prior to that she had gained seven years of experience at one of the firms in New Delhi as a senior associate. The firm predicted the growth of the Singapore team in the approaching months.

The decision to open in Singapore was part of the firm's larger strategic view of the city-state as a thriving hub for Asia Pacific, according to Cyril Shroff, managing partner, CAM for its domestic and international clients.

"Singapore remains a key focus for us with massive probability and growth prospects," he further added.

According to Rishabh Shroff, CAM's head of international business development and co-head of its private client practice, the move is termed as a "logical step" in the firm's development strategy given Singapore's appeal for high-net-worth individuals.

Kathpalia is the present vice chair of the banking, finance and securities committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. The practice focuses on M&A and private equity dealings, particularly in the technology and education sectors.

"Observed Singapore developing into a key economic and business hub for India over the last 14 years, hence am here," he informed. The CAM brand is well established in Singapore and the existence of CAM Singapore on the ground will have substantial impact."

Bedi's practice, in the meantime, emphases on banking and finance, international arbitration, disputes and employment.

The new office is CAM's seventh bureau after its six locations across India including its headquarter in Mumbai and the recently-opened office in GIFT City in Gandhinagar.

The firm said the Singapore office will also emphasise on fintech, investment funds, private equity, capital markets, banking and finance, technology and data protection and cross border bankruptcy.

Fellow Indian firm, Khaitan & Co has launched its first international office in Singapore early 2021, likewise CAM functions it as a licensed foreign law practice offering Indian law advice, including international commercial arbitration.

In the meantime, Nishith Desai is a Singapore resident for long, having opened its office led by disputes specialist, Ashish Kabra in 2005.

In a survey of more than 1,200 in-house lawyers, arbitrators and practitioners, the city-state ranked jointly with London as the world's favourite arbitration centre early 2021. It has become the centre of attention for innumerable international firms.

One such firm is Squire Patton Boggs. It has hired Rodman Bundy, a former co-head of arbitration at Eversheds Sutherland, as part of local firm team, Harry Elias Partnership, early 2021.