Law firms oppose entry of foreign players

The Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj's efforts to build a consensus on opening the legal services in the country to foreigners have run into hurdles as lawyers have raised opposition citing legal and Constitutional reasons.

"We are totally opposed to opening to legal services to foreign law firms," said the President of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) and Supreme Court lawyer Lalit Bhasin, adding it is "absolutely incorrect" to say that we are agreeable to such a move.

The President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) P H Parekh suggested that government should constitute a panel comprising representatives of Bar Council of India (BCI), state bar councils and SCBA to look into the whole gamut of opening of legal services to foreign law firms.

"The government should amend Partnership Act and allow law firms to do marketing before allowing foreign firms to enter India," said senior partner of the law firm Titus and Co Advocates, Diljeet Titus, underlining the need for a level-playing field.

Titus added, "whatever the government does, it should be in consultation with the Bar Council of India (BCI) and SILF, the only representative body of law firms in the country."

Bhasin says Indian legal system is about administering justice and hence it would be against the Constitution and the Advocates Act to open it to foreign law firms.

Parekh said that government should ensure reciprocity before permitting foreign firms to practice law in India.