Iqbal Khan, known as the SAM rainmaker, leads a team of 20 M&A specialists in joining JSA.
Iqbal Khan, a renowned M&A and private equity partner, has made a significant move in the Indian legal market. Along with around 20 lawyers from his team, Khan has joined J. Sagar Associates (JSA), marking a strategic repositioning in India's M&A advisory sector [1].
This move, which also includes fellow partner Ambarish, represents a notable shift in the corporate and M&A segment [1]. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, a leading full-service law firm in India, has seen the departure of one of its star partners. The transfer of talent to JSA, another key player in the Indian legal space, underscores the intensified competition among firms to build strong corporate practices [1].
Khan's clients include top conglomerates, sovereign wealth funds, private equity giants, and multinational corporations such as TPG, Bain Capital, Brookfield, Advent, Apax, and KKR [2]. His M&A vertical is one of the most sought-after corporate practices in the market. Notable deals under his belt include Advent's acquisition of majority shareholding of Suven Pharmaceuticals and TPG's sale of some shareholding in Quality Care India to Blackstone [2].
JSA's joint managing partners, Amit Kapur and Vivek K Chandy, have expressed confidence in the firm's PE & M&A practice, stating that it will now be the finest in the country [3]. The firm has also hired a four-member disputes team from Krishnamurthy & Co (K Law) in April and May, and partners Brijita Prakash, Santosh Vijay, and Rakesh Warrier in Bengaluru, as well as former Trilegal counsel Anurag Shrivastav in Mumbai [4].
The addition of Khan and his team to JSA is expected to strengthen the firm's profile and capacity in high-value and complex M&A deals, potentially enabling them to capture more sizeable mandates and challenge the dominance of firms like Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas [1]. The move can lead to recalibration in client allegiances and may accelerate competitive innovation in this market segment [1].
In Hyderabad, JSA has hired Harshavardhan Abburi, while in Bengaluru, the firm has onboarded partners like Brijita Prakash, Santosh Vijay, and Rakesh Warrier [4]. The team is led by Iqbal Khan, who will lead JSA's national corporate/ M&A practice [5]. JSA operates under a meritocratic structure, where all partners are heard and involved in the firm's running [6].
This strategic move by Iqbal Khan and his team is a testament to the fluidity and competitive nature of the Indian corporate legal market. The implications for deal-making leadership and talent consolidation are significant [1][3]. As the market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this move impacts the landscape of India's M&A advisory sector.
[1] The Economic Times, "Iqbal Khan moves to JSA with 20 lawyers", 14th June 2023. [2] Livemint, "Iqbal Khan joins JSA with team of 20 lawyers", 14th June 2023. [3] Bar & Bench, "Iqbal Khan moves to JSA: What it means for the Indian legal market", 15th June 2023. [4] Business Standard, "JSA hires 20 lawyers from SAM, expands team with new hires", 16th June 2023. [5] J. Sagar Associates, "Iqbal Khan joins JSA as National Head of Corporate/M&A Practice", 17th June 2023. [6] J. Sagar Associates, "JSA: A meritocratic law firm", 1st January 2020.
- The strategic move by Iqbal Khan and his team, who join J. Sagar Associates (JSA), is anticipated to bolster the firm's capacity in high-value M&A deals, leveraging Khan's expertise in finance, technology, and business, particularly in the M&A sector.
- With the addition of Khan, a renowned partner in private equity and M&A, and his team, JSA aims to enhance its profile in the Indian legal market, acts of recruitment indicating a focus on dealing with complex M&A transactions and competing with leading firms like Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, thus pushing the boundaries of the competitive financial industry.
