Latest news with #Chandy


Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Rising stars secure equity stakes at top law firms
Top law firms are increasingly promoting their star professionals as equity partners, rewarding performance and retaining loyalty as a talent war rages. While a salaried partner earns fixed fees and variable pay linked to performance, an equity partner is a part-owner with a role in the direction and management of the firm, sharing its fortunes. The trend marks a change from the earlier practice of law firms rewarding only their veteran partners with an equity stake. 'We have significantly increased the number of equity partners in the firm," said Vivek K. Chandy, joint managing partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors. The law firm now has 62 equity partners, up from 46 over the past fiscal year, reaching an overall partner count of 154. 'Our growth strategy focuses on partners who align with our values. Most equity partners are groomed from within the firm," Chandy said. Over the past year, India has witnessed several high-profile partner movements. JSA bolstered hired a 20-lawyer team from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, including equity partners Iqbal Khan and Ambarish. In June, Khan stepped down to join Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM). Meanwhile, Khaitan & Co saw partners Kalpana Unadkat and Shishir Mehta depart to co-head Ashurst's India practice in London, underscoring the global appeal of Indian legal talent. At Trilegal, one of India's newest law firms founded in 2000, all partners hold equity stakes. 'Every partner promotion—internal or lateral—is evaluated based on the candidate's calibre, track record and capabilities. Each addition must enhance profitability and be net accretive to the equity in near to medium term," said Sridhar Gorthi, partner and member of the management committee at Trilegal. The law firm had 134 equity partners at the end of FY25, up 14% from the previous year's 117. Since then, it has added 10 more, taking the total to 144. The trend reflects a broader talent war fueled by India's evolving legal landscape, the emergence of specialized practice areas, and a surge in demand for niche legal counsel in a growing economy. While a young lawyer earlier slogged for nearly two decades to become a partner, many law firms these days promote their talented lawyers as partners even in their early thirties, Mint reported in October. "In my firm, clearly there is a preference for equity partners over salaried partners," said Mohit Saraf, founder & managing partner of Saraf and Partners. "Both salary partner and equity partner get compensated on the basis of his/her team's performance - fixed fee and variable fee. Equity partners, in addition, also get a portion of the firm's profit share," Saraf said. Saraf and Partners has 42 partners, out of which 21 are equity partners. According to the law firm, three have been made equity partners last year. Meanwhile, CMS Induslaw does not have any preference for equity partners, co-founder and senior partner Suneeth Katarki said. 'We are open to adding senior talent to the equity pool, especially those who can expand our market offering," said Katarki. While the firm has not yet announced its latest round of promotions, it maintains a balanced approach. 'Our decisions are based on talent needs," he added. CMS IndusLaw expects the number of its equity partners to grow 15-20% in the near term, driven by both internal promotions and senior lateral hires, Katarki said. While having more equity partners leads to ownership getting divided among more individuals, CMS IndusLaw is not worried. "Some dilution is a natural and necessary step if it leads to a larger profit pool and a stronger, sustainable partnership. Senior talent today expects equity—offering it is critical for long-term stability," he said. A senior partner at a rival firm said that awarding equity partnerships is no longer based on tenure alone. Many firms are now betting on expertise in emerging sectors like Artificial Intelligence, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), technology, and environmental law, anticipating these will drive future growth. "Equity promotions are being used as a tool to retain talent and deepen partner engagement. It's also a sign of the legal market's growth, allowing more firms to afford expanding their equity pools," the partner said on the condition of anonymity. In May, the Bar Council of India permitted foreign law firms to practice foreign and international law in India in a regulated, non-litigious capacity. However, after a pushback from local law firms, the council has set up a committee to conduct a review of the plan.


New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘No guarantee Leader of Opposition will become CM face'
But shouldn't a government overcome such protests? Yes. We've done that. That's how major development projects like metro rail, airport, and Vizhinjam were brought in. You all know how CPM opposed the Kochi airport project. The Chandy government had once decided to develop NH stretches with a width of 30m , while the then Opposition CPM demanded 45m. It was a collective demand that came up at an all-party meeting. Since land acquisition in Kerala is difficult, the all-party meeting demanded to reduce the NH width. CPM too demanded the same. Pinarayi had publicly demanded a 45m wide NH. Shouldn't you speak factually? Yes, I was stating facts. Will the KPCC president contest the next election? That's for the party to decide. Will sitting MPs contest in the assembly polls? That too is for the party to decide. During the bypoll, the party got into several controversies because of new MLA Rahul Mamkootathil... Though the media highlighted certain things, there were no issues that harmed the party. Leader of Opposition had claimed Rahul would be admonished... I won't use the word admonish. Rahul himself rectified his stand and admitted there were certain lapses on his part. So, individuals like Rahul enjoy certain privileges in the party... It isn't a privilege... I'd say a certain consideration. You mean the consideration that he's Satheesan's close confidant? He's a close confidant of all of us, including me (smiles). If elected to power, will UDF conduct a caste census? We haven't thought about it. Those are things we will discuss later. The party had also spoken about introducing a Faith Protection Legislation in 2021... We need to think about it. Such a matter hasn't come before me. How do you assess the Chief Minister? The CM is autocratic in his approach. Even within the assembly, what's his approach towards the Opposition? Has any CM behaved like this in the past? Does he conduct press conferences, does he respond to your questions? He has been holding press conferences... But nobody asks questions... maybe they ask as he gets up to leave. We haven't heard anyone ask questions. Can we expect a more assertive KPCC president in future? (Smiles) That depends (on various factors). I won't speak about myself. Any plans to exercise power? I will never be a KPCC president who imposes authority. I'll be a KPCC president who seeks everybody's cooperation... a chief who discharges responsibilities. But I have my own opinions.


Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MarTech Day: Integrating AI in the MarTech Stack
HighlightsShawn Chandy, Chief Marketing Officer of Paragon Footwear, emphasized the use of Artificial Intelligence in creating diverse content for social media, significantly reducing the time and costs associated with traditional photoshoots. Preetam Jena, Chief Marketing Officer of Fixderma, explained how Artificial Intelligence is enabling personalized engagement with customers by building cohorts based on unique skin characteristics. Fixderma utilizes machine learning to adapt marketing campaigns in real-time, allowing for the swift launch and adjustment of campaigns without needing external agencies. Jena highlighted the importance of creating specific customer cohorts for targeted marketing, which leads to more personalized skincare solutions and cost-effective customer retention strategies. AI is transforming every facet of marketing today, from personalisation and customer cohorting to content creation. On MarTech Day , an esteemed panel of speakers, including Preetam Jena, CMO, Fixderma, and Shawn Chandy, CMO, Paragon Footwear, shared their thoughts on how marketers are leveraging AI in their operations. Chandy opened the session by discussing how Paragon Footwear is using AI for content creation. He said, 'We use AI to produce diverse content for social media and other digital platforms. Each month, we launch 20 to 30 new footwear designs. Previously, physical photoshoots for these designs were both time-consuming and costly. Now, AI enables us to create compelling content, showcasing our products in imaginative settings with creativity, in a cost-effective and efficient manner.' While Paragon Footwear is harnessing AI for content generation, Fixderma is using it to build meaningful cohorts based on different skin types, allowing marketers to target these more effectively. Elaborating on this approach, Jena said, 'AI is crucial for us, as it enables personalised, one-on-one engagement with customers. While everyone's skin is unique, shared characteristics allow us to create cohorts using AI. Our facial analysis software, for instance, uses a camera to capture detailed facial structures, identifying current skin concerns and predicting future needs. This allows us to build cohorts for different skin types and target them effectively in campaigns.' Another use case for AI at Fixderma lies in campaign management. It enables the brand to launch and adapt campaigns swiftly without relying on agencies for real-time adjustments. By leveraging machine learning, Fixderma can refine existing campaigns on the fly. Over time, AI has also become an integral part of the MarTech stacks of brands. Consider the case of Fixderma, which aimed to promote its Nigrifix cream, a product that already had a vocal user base and turn it into a revenue generator. Expanding on this example, Jena said, 'With our database of customer purchases over the past two to four years, we successfully mined data on customers who were using our products. This enabled us to create distinct cohorts based on user behaviour, such as Nigrifix consumers with acne-prone skin or male Nigrifix users. These cohorts were then integrated into automated campaigns on Facebook and Google, with bid management also automated for efficiency. This streamlined customer journeys and significantly reduced costs at every stage. Retaining existing customers — who are acquired at a fraction of the cost of new users — proved highly cost-effective, approaching near-zero additional expense.' Jena concluded the session with his thoughts on the future of MarTech and the growing role of AI within the skincare category. 'Every individual's skin is unique, yet shared traits create identifiable cohorts. Larger cohorts yield more generalised data, reducing precision. To counter this, we need to use AI to build numerous, highly specific cohorts. This enables deeper, intent-driven conversations and more personalised skincare solutions,' Jena concluded. Watch the video here:


The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
On Vizhinjam opening day, Congress recalls Chandy's key role
The Congress seemed to seek refuge in political symbolism and rhetoric to deny the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government 'credit' for the Vizhinjam International Port. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Vizhinjam on Friday to officially commission the port, Congress leaders congregated at district centres across the State to lionise late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as the driving force behind the mega infrastructure project that advantageously positioned Kerala on the global maritime trade map. Congress legislator M. Vincent paid floral tributes at Chandy's tomb at Puthupally, Kottayam, before returning to Vizhinjam to attend the commissioning. In Kozhikode, United Democratic Front (UDF) convener M M Hassan alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had conspired to eclipse the Oommen Chandy government's seminal contributions to make the Vizhinjam port a reality. Mr. Hassan stated that the Centre and State governments deliberately sidelined Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan from the commissioning venue. At the same time, he said both administrations showed no hesitation in violating protocol to seat BJP State president Rajiv Chandrasekhar, who does not hold any Constitutional or elected office, on the stage. In a Facebook post, Mr. Satheesan flagged a nefarious bid to erase Chandy's contributions from the public mind. However, he said such machinations would come to nought. 'Such forces feared even the memory of Oommen Chandy,' he said. He said the CPI(M) had tried to kill the Vizhinjam project when it was in its embryonic stage. Chandy endured street protests and accusations of corruption. The late Chief Minister cleared a significant hurdle for the project by prevailing on the then Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Mahesh, to sanction it. In New Delhi, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (Organisation), K.C. Venugopal, said the CPI(M)-BJP bonhomie was evident at the port's commissioning. 'On seeing his closest friend, Pinarayi Vijayan, the Prime Minister broke protocol to target Rahul Gandhi politically for exposing the Modi-Adani nexus,' he said. CPI(M) State secretary M V Govindan stated that Chandy had merely signed away Kerala's substantial investment, including land, to a private entity to profit at the public exchequer's expense. He said the LDF government revised the original agreement, tipping the scales in the State's favour. It expedited the Vizhinjam port work, operationalised the international transhipment anchorage, and set 2028 as the deadline for completing the expansion. 'Vizhinjam is a testimony to LDF's political will and unshakable commitment to Kerala's development and welfare,' he added.