The Law Society of England and Wales, the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Bar Council of India last night signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation and legal exchange in light of the opening up of India’s legal services sector to foreign lawyers.

The memorandum formalises an agreement reached in March this year between the Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council of India. The signing ceremony in Chancery Lane was hosted jointly by the Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council of England and Wales.

MoU

Chairman of the Bar Council of India Manan Kumar Mishra (right) with Law Society president Lubna Shuja and Bar Council chair Nick Vineall KC last night

Source: Law Society

Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: 'We are delighted to have signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Bar Council of India. The Bar Council of India’s 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.

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

Bar chair Nick Vineall KC added: '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.'