Lubna Shuja has stated her opinion that the arrival of foreign law firms and lawyers into India is something to be celebrated, highlighting the potential advantages of working with legal professionals from other countries.
At the International Lawyers’ Conference hosted by the Bar Council of India (BCI), Lubna Shuja, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, reassured Indian lawyers that this change would not result in the displacement of their court work during a technical session on “Global Law for Global Issues.”
Shuja said, “I want to reassure all of you that English and Welsh lawyers have no intention of taking your court work away from you,” highlighting the importance of the BCI’s regulations regarding foreign lawyers and law firms operating in India. They have no intention of following Indian law. They are solely focused on international law, international business, and international arbitration. They plan to open up shop in India so that they can better serve clients in India who need assistance with matters of foreign law. She went on to say that most of this kind of work is already being done, but it’s happening in places like Dubai, London, and Singapore rather than in India. The new rules would make it possible for this work to be done in India, which would be good for the country’s economy and legal system.
According to Shuja, businesses in England and Wales are eager to work together with their Indian counterparts in a variety of fields, such as the exchange of referrals on matters pertaining to Indian law, employment, and partnerships. She emphasised the value of consulting with solicitors who are familiar with the Indian legal system.
Shuja specifically brought up the extensive legal, economic, and cultural ties between India and the United Kingdom. She made light of the fact that Indian businesses and lawyers have been welcome in the UK for quite some time by bringing up topics like Bollywood films and Indian cuisine.
As a global leader, the United Kingdom is a source of great pride for Shuja because of its welcoming attitude towards foreign talent. She argued that, given the ongoing UK-India free trade agreement negotiations, India, as an open jurisdiction, could achieve similar success.
Supreme Court Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, MM Sundresh, and Bela M. Trivedi, Senior Advocate and Rajya Sabha member P. Wilson, and senior lawyer Nishith Desai of Nishith Desai Associates were among the seven presenters at the session. Earlier that day, notable figures such as Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi gave keynote addresses at the BCI conference, which was followed by the first of ten technical sessions.
