Managing Partner Rohit Das (pictured) of PXV Law Partners has decided to leave PXV to restart his firm under the banner RDA Legal along with co-founder partner Arindam Pal. Arindam Pal had left PXV in October last year.

The firm was originally started under the ‘RDA Legal’ banner and later (in January 2011) rebranded as PXV Law Partners with three lateral hires from AZB, Amarchand and P & A Law Offices.

The settlement agreement between the two firms is effective from February 15, 2011. PXV Partner Deepto Roy while confirming that the settlement agreement has become effective from February 15, declined to comment any further.

Speaking to Bar & Bench, Rohit Das confirmed that he would retain the current Kolkata and Mumbai offices of PXV while the other six partners of PXV will retain the Delhi and Bangalore offices.There is a transition period of three months for the implementation of the settlement agreement.

Das further stated that all the associates were given a choice to either join RDA Legal or continue with PXV. Most of the associates in Bombay and Kolkata chose to work with RDA. He added that all relevant facts have been disclosed to their clients and it shall be up to the clients to decide them whether they want to work with RDA Legal or PXV.

Das also told Bar & Bench that RDA Legal shall soon be starting Delhi and Bangalore offices with the goal of building a a national level firm.

RDA Legal now has three partners including Rohit Das, Arindam Pal and Adwitiyaa Das, who joins them from PXV. She has been with the firm since its inception and will be based in the Kolkata office. She will be in charge of the banking & finance practice along with the debt recovery practice.

Das also told Bar & Bench that RDA Legal now has eight associates; four each in Mumbai and Kolkata and will be recruiting more lawyers soon.

Explaining the reason for split Das said, “There was a difference in terms of the vision for the firm. After working together for one year, we realized that the way we were looking at the growth and development of the firm was different from the way the rest of partners were looking”.

The remaining six partners – Deepto Roy, Mohit Abraham, Thomas Phillippe, Pingal Khan, Souvik Bhadra and Anuj Sahay would continue as PXV. It is believed that PXV will soon establish offices in both Kolkata and Mumbai and retain the best friend relationship with French law firm DS Avocats.