AZB & Partners

AZB & Partners is a corporate law firm in India, with offices spread across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Pune. The firm comprises over 90 partners specialising in General Corporate, M&A and Banking and Finance practice and other specialised verticals such as Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Competition Law, Intellectual Property, Capital Markets, Compliance & Investigations, Funds, Employment Law etc. AZB & Partners' domestic and international clients range from privately owned to publicly listed companies, including Fortune 500 entities, Multinationals, Investment Banks and Private Equity firms.

AZB & Partners
TypePartnership Firm (90+ partners)
IndustryLaw Practice
Founded2004
Number of locations
6
Key people
Zia Mody (Founder & Managing Partner)

Bahram Vakil (Founder & Senior Partner)

Ajay Bahl (Founder & Managing Partner)
Number of employees
500+
Websitewww.azbpartners.com

History

Zia Mody, an alumnus of Cambridge University and Harvard Law School who had worked with Baker & McKenzie in New York established her own Litigation practice in Mumbai as the sole proprietor of the Chambers of Zia Mody.[1] She had been friends with Bahram Vakil,[2] a graduate of Columbia University who also practiced for 2 years in the United States before returning to India and working as a partner at Little & Co.. The two chose to partner and established CZB (Chambers of Zia and Bahram). Ajay Bahl started his career as a Chartered Accountant but was persuaded by N.K.P Salve to study law and intern with prominent lawyer Soli Sorabjee (Zia's father), after which Ajay set up his own practice in New Delhi.[3]

AZB & Partners was formed in 2004 when CZB & Partners in Mumbai merged with Ajay Bahl & Company in Delhi. The firm has moved away from the traditional family-style set-up, however, and has a clear partnership track in place, which has led it to be credited for the modernity of its practice.[4] The firm entered into a "best friends agreement" with UK-based Clifford Chance in early 2009,[5] which was terminated by mutual agreement in January 2011.[6]

Locations

The Firm has a total of 6 offices in India: Two each in Mumbai and Delhi NCR and one each in Bangalore and Pune.[7]

Practice Areas

The major practice areas of the Firm include:[8][9]

  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Joint Ventures & General Corporate
  • Private Equity & Funds
  • Banking & Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Insurance
  • Competition
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Capital Markets
  • Employment
  • Compliance & Investigation
  • Tax
  • Technology, Media & Telecommunication
  • Intellectual Property
  • Projects & Energy
  • Funds
  • Private Client Practice

Partners

The firm has more than 100 partners.[10]

Awards

AZB & Partners has received wide national and international acclaim within the legal sphere, some of which include 'Ranked No.1' by RSG Top 40 India law firm ranking in 2019 and 2017,[11] 'Best Overall Law Firm of the Year- 2017' at India Business Law Journal's Indian Law Firms Awards, 2017–18,[12] 'Law Firm of the Year- 2017' by VC Circle (topping the tables in both deal count and volume)[13] 'Client Service Law Firm of the Year - 2017' by Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific Awards.[14] For the first quarter of 2018, the firm was ranked on top in both M&A deal count and volume on the league tables published by Merger Market, Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters.[15]

References
  1. Mukherjee, Udayan (12 June 2022). "Ace Lawyer Zia Mody on Why She Became a Lawyer". www.businesstoday.in. p. 1. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  2. Sai, Aparna (4 February 2021). "ALB CONVERSATIONS: BAHRAM N. VAKIL, CO-FOUNDER AND SENIOR PARTNER, AZB & PARTNERS". www.legalbusinessonline.com. p. 1. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  3. "Ajay Bahl's Profile".
  4. "Indian Lawyer 250 - Firm Profile - AZB & Partners".
  5. "Reuters India AZB - Clifford Chance agreement". Reuters. 16 January 2009.
  6. "AZB - Clifford Chance end best friendship".
  7. "Chambers & Partners Profile- AZB (see: offices)".
  8. "Chambers & Partners - AZB Profile (See: Practice Areas)".
  9. "Legal 500 - Firm Profile - AZB & Partners".
  10. "AZB promotes 15 to partner (40% women) • Grows to 105 • Symbi most, 2 each from NUJS, NLU-J, GNLU".
  11. "RSG India Law firm Rankings (2017)". Archived from the original on 2020-08-09.
  12. "IBLJ Indian Law Firm Awards". 15 March 2018.
  13. "VC Circle Flashback 2017". 27 December 2017.
  14. "Chambers APAC awards 2017".
  15. "M&A league Q1 2018 Legallyindia".
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