UK law firms sign MoU with Bar Council of India

The Law Society of England and Wales, the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Bar Council of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday (5) to strengthen cooperation and legal exchange, a statement said.

By signing the MoU, the Bar Council of India has committed to the implementation of its recently announced regulations to permit the practice of home jurisdiction law by English and Welsh lawyers and law firms in India, on the basis of reciprocity.

It also formalises an agreement reached in March between the Law Society of England and Wales and the Indian Bar Council, the statement added.

The event was hosted jointly by the Law Society and the Bar Council of England and Wales.

“We are delighted to have signed the MoU with the Bar Council of India. Its decision is a significant step forward in this much anticipated development and will create huge opportunities for solicitors and Indian advocates in both countries. It will also give a boost to India’s wider economic ambitions," said Lubna Shuja, president, Law Society.

“We thank the Bar Council for their support in reaching this agreement and look forward to engaging further on the implementation of the regulations.”

Nick Vineall KC, chair of the Bar of England and Wales, said, “We very warmly welcome the signing of the MoU and see it as the first step in a process, and an important step in the right direction. At the Bar we hope that clarification of ‘fly in, fly out’ rights will give us more opportunities to work with our Indian legal colleagues in international arbitrations.”