Link Legal absorbs Zenith India to boost its Capital Markets practice in Mumbai

Link Legal has absorbed Zenith India Lawyers, to focus on its Capital Markets practice in its Mumbai office. Co-founder of Zenith India Lawyers Raj Rani Bhalla joins as a Partner in Mumbai. Link Legal in Mumbai presently has Partner Ajay Sawhney running the show and now with the merger, there will be two partners working towards upscaling the Capital Markets portfolio in Mumbai..Link Legal has absorbed Zenith India Lawyers, to focus on its Capital Markets practice in its Mumbai office. Co-founder of Zenith India Lawyers Raj Rani Bhalla joins as a Partner in Mumbai. Link Legal in Mumbai presently has Partner Ajay Sawhney running the show and now with the merger, there will be two partners working towards upscaling the Capital Markets portfolio in Mumbai..Speaking with Co-founding and Managing Partner Atul Sharma of Link Legal on the merger, he said, “We had been wanting to strengthen our abilities in Capital Markets and Zenith is a boutique firm specializing in Capital Markets and has done the largest number of IPOs last year. We had been in discussions with them and they have decided to come on board with their team and the Managing Partner of Zenith i.e. Raj Rani Bhalla, will be based out of Mumbai because that’s where the Capital Markets team will be located..On the reasoning behind the merger, Atul said, “We are trying to do quality work and have done some high profile securities market related transactions, but we have not done a large number of IPOs and now we want to increase our capabilities in that area. Since we are known as a Delhi based firm, we also want to strengthen our Mumbai practice now as well”..Raj Rani Bhalla speaking on her new role as a Partner said, “Link Legal in Mumbai had opened last year and they wanted to focus more on Capital Markets. We have the experience, as we have done a lot of work in the securities market and I too wanted to strengthen my office. I was with SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) for ten years and then Co-founded Zenith India Lawyers with a US attorney Mr. Advani. I will be based mostly in Mumbai and this is a win-win situation for both the firms. Link Legal is great in Aviation and Infrastructure, the experience which we do not have at all and we are doing well in Capital Markets, where Link Legal does not have much strength. With this merger we get strengthened and with this big banner, I feel we will grow better as this is a good jump for the Zenith team”..Raj Rani Bhalla served SEBI as Division Chief (Legal) and was responsible for drafting of statutory rules and regulations relating to various capital market intermediaries, conducting adjudication proceedings and inquiries in the capacity of an Adjudication Officer, examining the violations of various mandatory regulations and issuing orders imposing monetary penalties and making recommendations to the SEBI Board for imposing minor/major non-monetary penalties, representing SEBI in Court proceedings..According to Bar & Bench’s Half yearly Capital Markets Report, Zenith India Lawyers has done five IPOs beginning of the financial year, between April to September 2010..Link Legal has nine Partners in total and 42 associates. Zenith’s team is currently based out of Delhi. Two of the associates will be in Delhi and one will be moved to Mumbai (in a month’s time) to strengthen the Capital Markets team.