In a significant move aimed at addressing the growing concerns of Indian legal practitioners, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has constituted a high-level committee to examine apprehensions related to the recently notified rules permitting the regulated entry of foreign lawyers and law firms into India.
The committee will be chaired by Cyril Shroff, Managing Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, and includes other eminent names from top Indian law firms: Ajay Bahl (AZB & Partners), Suhail Nathani (ELP), Sandip Bhagat (S\&R Associates), Mahesh Agarwal (Agarwal Law Associates), and Amit Kapur (JSA). BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra will be a special invitee, while Srimanto Sen, Principal Secretary to the BCI, will act as the Committee’s Convenor.
The BCI clarified that the rules are still in force and have not been suspended:
“The aforementioned Rules, having been duly notified and published in the Gazette, remain fully in force and this Committee’s mandate is not to stay or suspend their operation, but rather to further assess their implementation and address the apprehensions of these few Indian law firms in a constructive and consultative manner,” the BCI said in its resolution dated June 12.
The committee has been tasked with a comprehensive mandate:
- To assess the clarity and efficacy of the rules and suggest improvements.
- To recommend safeguards preventing indirect or structural circumvention of restrictions by foreign firms.
- To ensure Indian firms are not competitively disadvantaged, especially in areas like training, tech adoption, infrastructure, and access to capital.
- To uphold the integrity of legal practice in India by reinforcing its fiduciary and professional nature, distinct from a commercial enterprise.
- To propose actionable steps that enable Indian firms to scale globally while remaining within constitutional and professional norms.
The BCI underscored that the move is in line with its commitment to “safeguarding the rights, interests and privileges of the Indian Bar… while promoting clarity and coherence in regulatory enforcement.”
Meetings of the committee will be held at the BCI premises, and the committee may consult stakeholders including Indian and foreign law firms, senior lawyers, and former judges. The BCI has requested the committee to submit its report within 30–40 days, after which final decisions will be made in consultation with stakeholders.
A meeting of law firms is tentatively scheduled for August 2025, marking the next stage in what the BCI describes as a “constructive and consultative” approach to balancing global integration with domestic legal safeguards.
