Delhi-based boutique firm TMT Law Practice has recently merged with Chennai-based firm APR Associates to expand its presence in South India.

With this merger, TMT will now have a 13-member team  (including 9 lawyers) in Chennai, headed by TMT Partner Rajesh Ramanathan.

“We are very excited about this merger. TMT Law Practice will now become a prominent player in the South Indian legal market, and one of the leading litigation firms in the area,” Ramanathan said in a statement.

TMT Law Practice, set up by National Law School of India University, Bangalore graduate Abhishek Malhotra, is a boutique firm specialising in technology, media and telecommunications.

Abhishek, who also holds an LL.M. from UNH School of Law in Intellectual Property Law, initially worked with Anand and Anand for three years after which he joined DSK Legal in 2004 setting up their IPR practice. In July 2008, he left DSK and set up his own firm ‘TMT Law Practice’.

In November 2011, TMT’s Chennai office was started with Ramanathan joining the firm to head its Chennai office.

APR Associates is headed by Adala Prabhakara Reddy, who will be the fourth partner in TMT along with Abhishek, Kaushik Moitra and Ramanathan. APR was set up about 10 years back and specializes in IPR, commercial litigation and prosecution.

The TMT Law Practice Chennai office will focus on IPR, general civil, commercial, contentious and non- contentious litigation, including arbitration, according to the release.