India's Solicitor General has confirmed that foreign law firms will be allowed into the Indian market.
Gopal Subramanian was down under for meetings this week with the Aussie AG, Robert McClelland. Subramanian, told the Australian that Aussie firms "must look at us with enthusiasm and optimism ... We are going down the path of change, that is clear." Although he also added that "we need to do more work internally...any decision must be taken after scrutiny, after preparation and after consensus." So it's probably not an idea to start packing the mosquito repellant just yet.
If Subramanian is serious about allowing Aussie firms to open up in India, it's a serious volte face. Earlier this month he ruled it out, on the basis that "lawyers of this country have sacrificed a lot for freedom and we cannot compromise by allowing foreign law firms to practice" according to the Times of India.
With an internal stakeholder base bigger than the Brisbane (there are over two million lawyers in India), the mixed messaging is perhaps excusable. AG McLelland told the Australian that many of India's lawyers were sole practitioners, many of whom were "apprehensive about foreign lawyers coming in and setting up a shingle on the street corner and appearing in court and taking their work ... We were able to tell him and other members of the bar that wasn't the goal of the Australian legal market... It's really to form partnerships to do international legal work that relates to business occurring in India. They were receptive to that."
RollOnFriday surmises that it will be a while before Subramanian convinces his countrymen that international lawyers will spend the bulk of their time squaring away cross border transactions rather than invading the court lists.
Tip Off ROF
Gopal Subramanian was down under for meetings this week with the Aussie AG, Robert McClelland. Subramanian, told the Australian that Aussie firms "must look at us with enthusiasm and optimism ... We are going down the path of change, that is clear." Although he also added that "we need to do more work internally...any decision must be taken after scrutiny, after preparation and after consensus." So it's probably not an idea to start packing the mosquito repellant just yet.
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That's one small step... |
If Subramanian is serious about allowing Aussie firms to open up in India, it's a serious volte face. Earlier this month he ruled it out, on the basis that "lawyers of this country have sacrificed a lot for freedom and we cannot compromise by allowing foreign law firms to practice" according to the Times of India.
With an internal stakeholder base bigger than the Brisbane (there are over two million lawyers in India), the mixed messaging is perhaps excusable. AG McLelland told the Australian that many of India's lawyers were sole practitioners, many of whom were "apprehensive about foreign lawyers coming in and setting up a shingle on the street corner and appearing in court and taking their work ... We were able to tell him and other members of the bar that wasn't the goal of the Australian legal market... It's really to form partnerships to do international legal work that relates to business occurring in India. They were receptive to that."
RollOnFriday surmises that it will be a while before Subramanian convinces his countrymen that international lawyers will spend the bulk of their time squaring away cross border transactions rather than invading the court lists.