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Congrats Vijay. Now how about doing something to reverse the Bombay High Court Judgment? Foreign law firms are not necessarily a bad thing. There are pros and cons to anything...and perhaps we should consider allowing foreign law firms to enter in a regulated manner. We could learn a lot from their efficiency, professionalism, competitiveness and approach. Enter foreign law firms - and you'll find each of us pulling up our socks to give a better product to our clients and enhance our skills. Salaries will perhaps improve, and other benefits could be available to lawyers. Secondments, and travel (global and not just local) may kick in - and one must consider that travelling in itself opens one's mind and is an educator in more ways than one whether domestic or global.

A judgment like the one made, seems to have stemmed from a basic insecurity that we, Indians may get phased out of our professions in our own country but thats where regulated entry should come in, in a well thought out manner.

People who perhaps have not read the judgment have said that best friends should also be done away with based on the judgment. But little do they know that a 'best friends' is really just that....'A' from India is friendly with 'M' from UK or timbaktoo.....meaning that if A has any clients in timbaktoo...it will prefer to refer the matter to be handled by M and vice versa. There is no profit sharing from such an interaction. Additionally, the Bombay High Court judgment has said that non-litigous corporate work cannot be done by someone who is not enrolled with the bar Council of India....so the point really is in a 'best friends' relationship.....the lawyers in India who are practising are enrolled with the relevant bar councils....so really where does the point of illegality come in here? Everyone should take a deep breath.....read into all the facts before making sweeping statements and barring entry to foreign law firms....

The judgment is by far regressive. The approach really should be that foreign law firms should be allowed to enter subject to reciprocity and equal benefits and opportunities available to Indian lawyers abroad.

If you are saying that best friends mean that one firm will only 'cajole' its clients to look at another firm with which they have a 'co-operation' agreement with, then why is that there is secondment going around from one foreign master to its Indian best friend and vice versa. Secondly why is it that foreign partners resign and join their 'best friends' as partners without ever working with their Indian best friends before. In that they have not put in any years in their Indian best friends (by working as associates etc) which more or less have been around only for a few years, and yet they are taken in as partners. Why is this?

Also why is it that foreign partners come down to India to impart training to their Indian best friends including but not limited to sharing their IT by which I mean precedents etc.

Also so far as billing are concerned I wouldn't for the least bit be surprised if a foreign master is controlling how much its Indian best friend can bill to its clients i.e. the foreign firm's client. I am sure if the Income Tax authorities look at this angle it may surely open up a Pandora's box. Surely on the face of it, the look is that of an 'arms length' dealing but lift the veil and you will see or realize that they are nothing but foreign law firms in India which are hoping for the laws to relax so that they can change their name the very next day.

I beg the authorities to take stringent action against the partners and the associates. Debar them and initiate legal action, it is high time that 'goras', 'firangs' and their Indian slaves who more often than not are refugees from the 'Persian gulf' are booted out of the profession at least the Indian legal profession, I say.

#1 are u joking! Vijay and his firm are well known for their stand not to open the sector! They have grown but they do not want you and me also to grow.

i fully agree. the legal profession in the country can only help improve its image- in consonance with the emergence of a globally resurgent India- by welcoming FAIR and Equitable competition. it can and must also learn from the experieince of other professions like Accountancy in this regard.
in my view, the principle of reciprocity is important though one must provide for the relative stature of our legal education system while insisting on its implementation.
with due respect, the judiciary in our country is still taking time to evolve itself in the era of globalized world. it can take a leaf out of our bureacracy which- after a strong and very understandable initial resistance- has learnt to deal with the nuances of an open economy. while there can and should be healthy debate about the way to deal with such issues, the extent of regulation etc., the fact remains that we have no choice but to change with the times.
Lastly, we must not forget that the larger stakes involved here are not aof a handful of lawyers but of the masses who practice in local courts also and of the millions of people who pay for their services so that we can live in a fair and just society. therefore, there is absolutely no reason to feel insecure or threatened but we must be prepared to look inwards and see where we must improve, be more efficient and productive.
Anand

No. 2 at 3 i wish you would check your facts and not be like your name

Dear Abhay Verma,

Congratulations on your splendid victory. Your victory is unprecedented. Never before in the history of Bar Council election, any candidate has secured 823 first preference votes in the first round of counting itself as you have done and got elected in the first round itself.

Hoping you will uphold the tradition of legal profession high and duly represent the interest of legal professionals in bar council.

I agree with No.5