In a significant development within India’s top-tier law firm ecosystem, a group of five partners from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) has exited the firm to join rival AZB & Partners (AZB), signalling yet another high-value lateral shift in the competitive corporate legal market. The move, first reported by Bar & Bench, underscores the intensifying talent consolidation among India’s leading full-service firms.
The departing cohort includes disputes partner Kapil Arora, who is set to join AZB as an Equity Partner, alongside Ajay Sawhney, who headed CAM’s Northern Region. In addition, project finance and infrastructure specialists Aditi Misra and Bhupendra Verma, along with energy and infrastructure partner Rachika Sahay, have also resigned to join AZB in partner roles.
This cluster hiring is not merely a routine lateral transition but represents a calibrated strategic acquisition by AZB. By onboarding a full team spanning disputes, project finance, and energy infrastructure, AZB appears to be strengthening its already formidable presence in high-value transactional and contentious work. Such integrated lateral hires where practice synergies are preserved often yield immediate client portability and revenue continuity, making them particularly attractive in the upper echelons of law firm competition.
From CAM’s perspective, the exit is notable given the seniority and tenure of the departing partners. Reports indicate that several among them had been associated with the firm for over a decade, reflecting deep institutional knowledge and long-standing client relationships. The departure of Ajay Sawhney is especially significant, as he led CAM’s Northern operations and played a key role in its Delhi-NCR practice expansion.
The move also highlights a broader trend reshaping India’s legal market—aggressive lateral hiring among top firms to capture sectoral dominance. Practices such as infrastructure, energy, and project finance have seen heightened activity due to regulatory shifts, public-private partnerships, and large-scale capital investments. Law firms are therefore increasingly investing in lateral talent capable of immediately servicing complex, high-stakes mandates.
AZB’s Managing Partner Ajay Bahl publicly welcomed the incoming partners, signalling confidence in their integration and contribution to the firm’s growth trajectory. This aligns with AZB’s recent expansion moves, including internal partner elevations and increasing involvement in marquee transactions across sectors. The firm has consistently featured in high-value deals and disputes, reinforcing its competitive positioning against peers like CAM, Khaitan & Co., and Trilegal.
At a structural level, such lateral movements also reflect the evolving dynamics of law firm economics in India. With rising client expectations, cross-border deal complexity, and sectoral specialization, firms are increasingly prioritising scale, bench strength, and domain expertise. The “team lift-out” model where entire practice verticals move together minimises integration friction and maximises strategic value.
From a market standpoint, this development is likely to have ripple effects. CAM may recalibrate its leadership structure and reinforce its project finance and disputes verticals, while AZB could leverage this acquisition to deepen its foothold in infrastructure and energy mandates, especially in the Delhi market.
Ultimately, the lateral shift exemplifies the consolidation of expertise at the top of India’s legal hierarchy. As firms compete not just on reputation but on execution capability and sectoral depth, such high-profile partner movements are set to become more frequent reshaping alliances, client loyalties, and the very architecture of the Indian legal profession.
