Tata dipute: Lawyers Singhvi, Salve now on opposing sides

MUMBAI: In the ongoing Tata dispute, once united lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Harish Salve have now taken opposing stances. Singhvi, championing Tata Trusts, disputes Tata Sons' decisions, while Salve staunchly defends the group and its chairman, N Chandrasekaran.

This shift represents a marked contrast from their collaborative role during the Tata-Mistry saga, when both lawyers supported Tata Sons and advocated for the Trusts' influential position within the conglomerate. While Salve has publicly backed Chandrasekaran's return and the prospect of listing Tata Sons, Singhvi has leveled accusations against Tata Sons, claiming they have compromised shareholder rights and disregarded time-tested governance principles.

Singhvi, in a recent post on X, emphasized that the matter requires legal resolution, lamenting the apparent selective dismissal of the Supreme Court's Tata-Mistry ruling, which he contends granted the Trusts preeminence over Tata Sons. In an interview on television, Salve argued that forcing a public listing on Tata Sons would render the restrictive private-company clauses at the heart of the dispute obsolete, potentially easing tensions within the boardroom.

He suggested that such resistance might reveal underlying private ambitions and individual interests rather than genuine concerns about corporate governance.