This week J Sagar Associates (JSA) partner Nishith Dhruva left the firm to set up his own practice. And on good terms too, throwing a party last Friday where most of the firm and partners put on their dancing shoes.

Now that is what is called "amicable".

Other happy lawyers last week were:

    * Vaish Associates, which is attacking South India through a new office in Bangalore,
    * SN Gupta, which is starting up a litigation practice in Mumbai,
    * FoxMandal Delhi, which has tightened its relationship with an environmental lawyer,
    * a raft of firms getting on with deals, and
    * ALMT Legal partner Hitesh Jain who, despite missing his target in early counts, remains optimistic about the outcome of the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council elections.

Less happy lawyers were found in the pro-liberalisation camp this week, however.

SILF chairman Lalit Bhasin argued to keep the status quo and foreign firms out, in response to last week's opinion piece calling for liberalisation.

More than 30 comments were posted in reply, of which a large number were vocally opposed to Bhasin's arguments and not amused.

But does it have to be so black and white?

One Indian lawyer with close ties to a UK firm told Legally India earlier today that he honestly finds himself caught somewhere in the middle. Although his purely financial self-interest would require him to be pro-liberalisation, his sentiment is not quite convinced that there needs to be this great hurry about it. Let the Indian legal market evolve, he said, instead of transplanting foreign systems and 'best practice', which might not even work well in the Indian context.

The issue is emotive for both sides and can touch on sensitive issues such as colonial past and distribution of wealth. But ultimately 'for' and 'against' both have one equally valid concern: self-interest.

In short, many young lawyers want foreign firms because they feel they would have better and more lucrative careers.

Many of the older generation are happy with the way things are without the added and in some senses unfair competition.

It is an age-old conflict of interest and whatever happens or not, one side or the other will always feel to be losing out.

As is often said, perhaps the entire profession really does need to sit down amicably one of these days and have that honest talk to itself.

Neither side will fully accept the others' demands but the alternative is to risk a real rift between the generations.

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No love lost either on the mooting circuit as an arch-rivalry is born between NLSIU Bangalore and Nalsar Hyderabad.

And if the Mooting Premier League competition was not hot enough, plenty more of "my college is better than yours" in these comments.

Meanwhile our blogging competition is gathering full steam.

Have ever been punched in the Blackberries before, asks Legal Popat and advises how to achieve connubial bliss, contractually.
Also, international law - fact or fiction?, litigation/law firmite identity crisis, a 'recurring clash of priorities' and some heavy jurisprudential poetry.
From Legally India in-house blog: a survey says no students want to work at the Bar, and law schools compete with balls at NLSIU Spiritus.
Click here for all other blogs.

Also:
Careers Counsel: how to write the perfect application cover letter and Rainmaker's interview on silver spoons and more with MP and senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi

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