PROGRESS: trade minister talks promising despite 'aggressive' resistance from indigenous firms


UK lawyers made further progress in their bid to open up the Indian legal services market to foreign firms last week - despite 'aggressive' resistance from Indian firms.



A government trade mission, which included the Law Society, reported 'promising' and 'encouraging' signals from the Indian government.



A spokesman for UK Trade Invest, which organised the mission, led by trade minister and former solicitor Lord Digby Jones, said Lord Jones had raised the issue of removing restrictions on foreign law firms with the Indian trade minister.



He said: 'The Indian government sees the benefit of foreign firms working in India... as Indian companies extend their global reach, the need for sophisticated legal advice will be met by outside firms.



'We now have to push forward and speak to people like the Bar Association of India.'

The spokesman stressed that UK firms will not be looking to take the 'bread and butter' domestic work away from Indian practices.



Alison Hook, head of international at the Law Society, who attended the meeting with the Indian trade minister, said that while there were positive signs from the government, there was still considerable resistance from Indian law firms, which are concerned that international firms will poach their most talented lawyers.



She said: 'We are encouraged by the Indian government's commitment to opening the legal market in the face of quite aggressive - but not unexpected - resistance from some Indian law firms, which benefit from keeping the market closed.'



Meanwhile, India's largest law firm, FoxMandal Little, is to open its first overseas office in London next month. The two-partner office, which will include a qualified solicitor, will advise multinational companies on Indian law.



Rachel Rothwell