DSK Legal opens in Bangalore and joins hands with AKS Law Associates

AKS Law Associates, Bangalore has merged with DSK Legal and resulted in DSK opening its offices in Bangalore with AKS head, Ajesh Kumar bringing along with him a team of 14 lawyers. Ajesh Kumar joins as a partner and will be heading the operations for DSK Legal from its present location in Ulsoor, in Bangalore..AKS Law Associates, Bangalore has merged with DSK Legal and resulted in DSK opening its offices in Bangalore with AKS head, Ajesh Kumar (pictured right) bringing along with him a team of 14 lawyers. Ajesh Kumar joins as a partner and will be heading the operations for DSK Legal from its present location in Ulsoor, in Bangalore..Speaking with Bar & Bench, Ajesh Kumar said, “We have been working with DSK for the past 6 to 8 years and as we share a great relationship, it was just how we take the relationship further and the natural progression is come together with DSK. Thereby, the clients will have a larger portfolio of people to advise them with access all over the country”..On the Bangalore office, Ajesh said, “Presently we have one office in Delhi, two in Mumbai and one in Bangalore. Now, initially we will operate out of this office and then god willing with the growth being good, we can always relook at the requirement of a larger space within the present premises or moving in to a new place. For the time being it’s pretty adequate”..Conversation with Managing Partner Anand Desai (pictured left) on Bangalore as a standalone market:.Speaking with Bar & Bench, Managing Partner Anand Desai said, “We have finalized with AKS Law Associates as we have been working with Ajesh now for about close to 6 to 7 years in Bangalore. This included pretty much all of litigation and real estate work in Bangalore. We have been discussing this for some time, and finally it made sense to take this decision”..On office premises being the same where AKS Law Associates is presently located, Desai stated, “It’s the same building where Khaitan & Co. is, and Dua Associates is located in the next building. It’s a good area and if we need to expand we can see whether we can get more space in the same building or then move out. As of now, we have the space and we can bring it in, as it is”..Bangalore as a standalone market, Desai said, “There is continuously a lot of interest in Bangalore in fact we have had clients asking us, when are we starting a office because they would like to be directly in touch. We have clients in Bangalore who give us work in Mumbai and Delhi and it makes more sense to try and sort them out from Bangalore so that they can avoid travelling and the long calls. Bangalore is a standalone market with real estate and real estate is a big part of our practice and so is litigation, and we have some corporate clients there already. Initially we have to try and see how to grow that and I don’t think the intent is to currently have one office in the south, but I felt that one was important because you know that Ajesh will see to it, and make the most of it”..Expanding to Hyderabad and Chennai, Desai added on to say, “No Idea as of now. We have moved offices in Mumbai and Delhi and have started Bangalore all in the last 4 to 5 months and I have been extremely busy”..No lawyers will be moving from Delhi or Mumbai to Bangalore office of DSK. Desai said, “We will be coordinating in a manner that we are able to get everyone on the same page, by doing whatever it takes whether sending people short-term or getting people from Bangalore for a short-term. The aim is to keep growing in the near future. We grew from 2001 to 2007 and then settled for some time and last 6 months we decided now it’s time to expand again”..DSK Legal recently in February 2011 expanded operations in Mumbai, and in Delhi with a partner and 11 associates from Paras Kuhad.