Indian boutique Chandhiok & Mahajan (C&M) has opened an office in the southern city of Hyderabad as it moves to build its presence across the country. 

The Delhi-based firm, which has worked on deals including the $20bn mega-merger of chemicals giants Clariant and Huntsman, also has bases in Mumbai and the southern city of Bengaluru and said the launch would enable it to better meet client need across the country’s south. 

“C&M has been serving clients in Telangana [where Hyderabad is located] and Andhra Pradesh remotely,” said Sujoy Bhatia, partner and head of corporateat C&M. “The opening of the Hyderabad office is in response to our clients requesting us to be closer to them both on transactions and litigation.”

Competition and disputes partner Avinash Amarnath has relocated from the Bengaluru office to take over as resident partner in Hyderabad. An advocate-on-record with the Supreme Court of India, he works with clients on matters including abuse of dominance, vertical agreements, cartels, Supreme Court litigation and insolvency. 

The firm said it was looking to recruit new talent for the office in Hyderabad, which can accommodate up to 10 lawyers and staff. 

Since its founding in 2013 as a competition boutique by former Luthra & Luthra managing associate Karan Chandhiok, C&M has grown to house upwards of 45 lawyers including nine partners. 

The firm’s scope has similarly broadened and its competition/antitrust, corporate/M&A and restructuring/insolvency practices are all ranked by Chambers. The firm also highlights dispute resolution, banking & finance, arbitration, employment, aviation and real estate as main areas of practice.

As well as advisiong Clariant on its merger with Huntsman, standout work for the firm on the deal side has included advising Wirecard on its purchase of Citibank’s merchant acquiring business and Integra LifeSciences on its $1bn buyout of Johnson & Johnson’s neurosurgery business.

“With Bengaluru and now Hyderabad, we are better placed to serve our clients in the wider Southern region, said managing partner Pooja Mahajan, adding: “Avinash is an exceptional colleague. We are grateful to him for taking up the responsibility of leading the firm in Hyderabad.”

In other India legal news, Dentons announced a combination with Link Legal last month making it the first international law firm to combine with a law firm in India. India’s legal sector remains one of the most restricted of any major market economy as a result of a 1961 law that prohibits non-Indian law firms from practicing in the country. 

And back in August Allen & Overy hired the co-head of corporate, Harsh Pais, at India relationship firm Trilegal as it targeted inbound investment work generated by the fast-growing economy, with Pais relocating from Delhi to London to lead the UK firm’s India corporate practice.