Dear Sir,
Som Mandal’s letter (Inbox, July/ August) is an apt reply to my article (Vantage Point, June).
He has raised vital issues that merit serious consideration. The rationale of my article was to give one point of view and Mr Mandal has given a befitting response.
There are others who share or oppose these two views. We have successfully started a debate and this will be carried on at national level involving representative bodies of the profession such as the Bar Council of India, the bar associations, the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), the Ministry of Law and others.
This is an internal matter for our profession and that is why I do not appreciate your intervention by way of your editorial Doors will open (Leader in the July/August issue).
Doors may still not open but in the process you have exposed the intent and purpose of bringing out India Business Law Journal – being the mouthpiece for foreign law firms.
You have openly and blatantly advocated the entry of foreign legal professionals into India. As editor of IBLJ you ought to have kept yourself out of this controversial topic, which essentially concerns the Indian legal profession – whom you do not represent.
Your conclusion “the debate over the entry of foreign law firms is no debate at all. Sooner or later they will arrive. And with them they will bring services that are much in demand in today’s increasingly-complex world,” is a pronouncement which is devoid of any merit and ought to be contemptuously ignored.
You have tried to belittle the Indian legal profession by observing that foreign law firms will bring “services that are much in demand” as if Indian law firms are not equipped to provide these services.
Indian law firms are second to none either in terms of competence, speed, efficiency or in terms of expert manpower and infrastructure.
Indian legal expertise is being sought by foreign law firms and even by multinational corporations directly for high end legal work which is being outsourced to India in a big way.
The LPOs tell their own story. You will be disappointed. The doors will not open for the same reason as set out in the last few words of your editorial – no one knows how to open the doors.
Lalit Bhasin
President
Society of Indian Law Firms
India Business Law Journal welcomes letters to the editor. If you would like to have a letter published here, please write to The Editor at editorial@indilaw.com. Letters may be edited for style, readability and length but not for substance. It may not be possible to publish all letters that we receive.
