Bar Council of India to appeal fly-in-fly-out ruling

International law firms have looked longingly at the booming legal services market in India for decades, but the country remains largely off limits for foreign lawyers. In February this year the Madras High Court in Chennai determined that foreign lawyers who “fly-in, fly-out” of India to give legal advice on foreign law did not thereby contravene India’s Advocates Act 1961. Now, the Bar Council of India has filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of India, and BCI counsel Ardhendumauli Kumar Prasad will be arguing that the matters dealt with in the Madras High Court had already been ruled upon in Bombay - something that the Madras judges disagreed with. Many within India hope that the judgment on fly in, fly out lawyering will stand, since it means that local firms have access to the expertise of international firms on foreign legal issues without the expense of travel.

Bar Council of India to appeal fly-in-fly-out ruling thelawyer.com Tue, May 15, 2012