A delegation of leaders from the bars of India returned home from the UK last week with positive messages of encouragement for liberalisation of practice rules in the subcontinent, where foreign lawyers are still banned from working.

The nine-strong delegation - headed by Adish Aggarwala, the chairman of the All-India Bar Association and former vice-president of the Bar Council of India - visited under the auspices of the Law Society for a week of liaison with solicitors, barristers, law schools and the judiciary.


During the week, they met David Lammy, minister in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, outgoing and incoming Law Society Presidents Peter Williamson and Ed Nally, and partners from ten City firms including Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance.


At a press conference last week, Mr Aggarwala said: 'The Indian bar associations have made a request that foreign lawyers should be allowed to practise on a reciprocal basis. But this means strict reciprocity. We know that it is a must for foreign investors in India to have their choice of lawyer working for them.'


But he stressed that final decisions about liberalisation would require consent from the Indian legal community and legislation approved by the Indian government.


He said that there were outstanding issues to be dealt with - including difficulties experienced by Indian lawyers in obtaining visas to travel to the UK on legal business.


Hugh McDermott, the Law Society's international policy executive for south Asia and the Pacific, said: 'This is the first time such a delegation has come to the UK to discuss liberalisation. It's a major step forward from the anti-foreign lawyer demonstrations of India's past. The dialogue will continue with David Lammy visiting India in September and Edward Nally making the trip in October.'


Chris Perrin, executive partner and general counsel at Clifford Chance, said: 'It was good to meet them and allay their fears about a number of issues concerning foreign law firms. For example, the fear that UK firms opening would deprive local lawyers of their jobs, when in fact what happens when UK firms open is that they employ local lawyers.'