Clyde & Co has ended its relationship with India best friend ALMT Legal and set up ties with a breakaway group of partners from the firm.

Five partners have left ALMT to set up a new boutique, Clasis Law, with Clydes set to continue to operate in the region via a relationship with the new firm.

In addition, Clydes Dubai corporate partner Abhimanyu Jalan is leaving the firm to join Clasis, which opened on 1 April this year with three offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and London.

ALMT corporate and commercial partner Aliff Fazelbhoy said: "Given the views of the majority of the ALMT partners, we felt it best to help facilitate this separation so both groups can focus on their different objectives. While we are sad to lose some of our friends as partners we believe that this separation is in the best interest of all. We wish Clasis every success."

The five ALMT partners breaking away are Ishtiaq Ali (project finance and banking) and Renu Parekh (litigation) in Mumbai, Vineet Aneja (corporate) in New Delhi, and Sakate Khaitan (corporate) and Shalini Agarwal (corporate) in London. The departures leave ALMT with 12 remaining partners.

Clydes first set up its best friends relationship with the firm in June 2009. Chief executive Peter Hasson (pictured) said: "We are pleased that the formal association that Clydes had with ALMT will transfer to the new firm Clasis Law and that we will continue to work with partners and lawyers for whom we have formed great respect.

"We believe in the model of an international Indian law firm and are pleased that the Clasis Law partners remain as convinced of this as us.

"From the perspective of Clydes, our focus on emerging markets means we cannot ignore the Indian market and our established working relationships and client referrals with Clasis Law partners will continue to enable us to provide a distinctive offering to Indian and international clients."

The news comes after Clifford Chance ended its 'best friends' relationship with Indian outfit AZB & Partners in January this year, with the decision taken due to fading hopes for the liberalisation of the Indian legal market.