News in Brief

Co-founder starts disputes firm

Arush Khanna, the co-founder and a partner at Trinaya Legal, has started Numen Law Offices with lawyers George Thomas, Lakshmi Raman and Chaitanyaa Bhandarkar. The firm is a dispute resolution and criminal litigation practice with offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. It will cover commercial law, insolvency and bankruptcy, arbitration, real estate, antitrust and serious criminal offences including white collar crime.

Thomas has seven years of experience and joins from the Chambers of Gaurav Agrawal. He will manage the firm’s Supreme Court practice. Raman will manage the firm’s criminal practice. Bhandarkar previously worked at the Chambers of Chaitanyaa Bhandarkar and has seven years of experience. He will manage the real estate, commercial and insolvency practices.

JSA competition chair leaves

Amitabh Kumar, a partner at J Sagar Associates (JSA), has retired from the firm. Kumar served as a member of JSA’s executive committee and was the chair of the competition law practice.

He served as the first director general of the Competition Commission of India, from 2004 to 2009, was involved in setting up the policy and regulatory framework during the first years of the competition authority, and also drafted the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2007.

“His contribution to both the firm’s overall growth and the competition law practice has been invaluable over the years. His counsel and presence will be missed,” the firm said in a statement.