OPENING MARKETS: Law Society makes overtures to key targets India and Malaysia

The Law Society will this week seal a friendship agreement with the largest commercial bar association in Tokyo to solidify relations ahead of proposed liberalisation of practice rights in Japan.

The agreement will be signed in London by Law Society President Peter Williamson and the vice-president of the Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association, Kenji Hashidate.

Lasting five years, the deal will provide for free exchange of information between the bodies, annual visits and exchanges, joint seminars and a range of initiatives to help executives gain a greater understanding of each other's culture.

A Law Society spokesman said the Japanese government has given commitments to the British embassy in Japan that it would shortly endeavour to open Japan's legal market, enabling foreign firms to go into partnership with and to employ Japanese lawyers.

Many City firms have offices in Japan, including magic circle firms Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters.

Meanwhile, following recent meetings between the Law Society policy executive for south-east Asia, Hugh McDermott, and the chairman of the Indian Bar Association, DV Subba Rao, both bodies are soon hoping to agree to a joint education project which would see UK training institutions assisting Indian lawyers with continuing education.

It is hoped that City firms could also assist with such a scheme - the Indian legal system currently has little continuing professional education.

Mr McDermott and Mr Rao hope to plan the scheme this December when a Law Society delegation - headed by Mr Williamson - will visit New Delhi at the invitation of the Indian Bar Association, the first time such a formal invitation has been extended.

India is another key jurisdiction City firms hope to open up.

From India the delegation will continue to Malaysia, where Mr Williamson and Mr McDermott will address the annual conference of the Malaysian Bar Association on globalisation and liberalisation within the legal profession - becoming the first European lawyers to be invited to do so.

Malaysia's practice rights regime is highly restrictive but there are liberalisation moves afoot.

Mr McDermott said: 'The purpose of these visits is to build a stronger working relationship with these two bars' countries and markets, and to make them more aware of British legal services and the benefits of the globalisation of legal services.'

Jeremy Fleming