Cyril Shroff To Lead BCI Committee Reviewing Rules On Entry Of Foreign Lawyers In India
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The committee will be led by Cyril Shroff, the Managing Partner of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has formed a special committee to look into concerns raised by Indian lawyers and law firms regarding the recent rules that allow foreign lawyers and law firms to enter and work in India in a regulated manner.
This move comes after “certain apprehensions raised by a few Indian law firms” about the impact of these new rules.
Who is in the Committee?
The committee will be led by Cyril Shroff, the Managing Partner of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. Other senior members include:
- Ajay Bahl (AZB & Partners)
- Suhail Nathani (ELP)
- Sandip Bhagat (S&R Associates)
- Mahesh Agarwal (Agarwal Law Associates)
- Amit Kapur (JSA)
BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra will be a special invitee, and Srimanto Sen, the Principal Secretary of the BCI, will serve as the Convenor of the Committee.
Why Was This Committee Formed?
In its official statement dated June 12, the BCI said:
“The BCI is committed to safeguarding the rights, interests and privileges of the Indian Bar…which includes Indian Law firms, while promoting clarity and coherence in regulatory enforcement. Accordingly, a committee is constituted to examine the concerns raised, and to recommend practical clarifications or additions within the framework of the current Rules.”
What Will the Committee Do?
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The committee has been given several important tasks:
- Check how the new rules are working, and suggest changes if needed to make them clearer and more effective.
- Stop misuse: Recommend safeguards to ensure foreign lawyers don’t misuse legal loopholes to practice Indian law indirectly using partnerships, referrals, or alliances.
- Protect Indian law firms: Suggest steps to protect Indian law firms from being unfairly affected during this transition period. This includes support in areas like training, technology, growth strategies, and infrastructure.
- Ensure equality: Look into giving Indian law firms similar freedoms in their business structure, capital access, and operations, so that they can compete equally with foreign law firms.
- Help Indian firms go global: Propose steps to help Indian firms become globally competitive while following professional ethics and constitutional values.
- Protect legal ethics: Make sure that legal services continue to be treated as a personal and ethical profession, not just a business.
- Listen to law firms: Hold consultations with Indian law firms to understand their feedback on how the new rules are affecting them.
- Handle any new issues: Look into any other issues that may come up while working on this matter.
The BCI also mentioned:
“The Chairman, Bar Council of India may nominate any of its members, representatives of any foreign or Indian law firms, Senior Lawyers, former judges or other experts as special invitees to assist the Committee in its deliberations.”
When Will the Committee Submit Its Report?
The committee has been asked to submit its final report within 30 to 40 days. Once the report is received, the BCI will make a final decision after consulting both Indian and foreign law firms.
“The meeting of the law firms will be endeavoured to be held in India in the month of August, 2025.”
Importantly, the BCI clarified that the new rules allowing foreign law firms to enter India are still active and have not been stopped:
“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.”
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