NEW DELHI, JUNE 30, 2025 — The Bar Council of India (BCI) has accused the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) of professional misconduct, alleging that its office bearers have issued “misleading public information” regarding the entry of foreign law firms into India.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, the BCI revealed that it is seriously considering issuing notices to the individuals responsible for these press releases.
“Issuing sensational or deceptive press releases in the name of protecting law firms, when in reality aimed at safeguarding private commercial interests, constitutes using the profession for personal or sectional gain, which is strictly prohibited,” the BCI said.
“In light of this, the BCI is seriously considering issuing notice to the individuals responsible for these press releases to explain their conduct. If found guilty, appropriate disciplinary action may be taken, including reprimand, suspension, or even removal from the roll of Advocates.”
ONGOING DISPUTE OVER FOREIGN LAW FIRMS
The BCI and SILF have been at odds over recently amended rules allowing foreign lawyers and law firms to practice in India. While SILF claims it supports the liberalization of the Indian legal market, it has expressed concerns about the manner of implementation.
In a June 28 press release, SILF questioned whether the BCI’s intention behind welcoming foreign law firms was to “demolish Indian entities.”
Responding strongly, the BCI stated that the language used by SILF amounts to professional misconduct.
“Public sentiment and media feedback overwhelmingly support the BCI’s reforms as necessary to modernize and globalize the Indian legal profession. The continued resistance of this Society, representative of negligible number of law firms, is widely seen as an attempt to protect narrow monopolistic interests rather than the welfare of the legal community at large,” the BCI added.
ALLEGATIONS OF MONOPOLISTIC INTERESTS
The BCI accused SILF of protecting monopoly interests and hindering the growth of smaller and mid-sized firms.
“It is a well-known fact that almost all the members of SILF have already established foreign offices and informal tie-ups with foreign entities while denying such opportunities to smaller and emerging Indian firms,” the BCI pointed out.
The BCI argued that the reforms aim to break the monopoly of large firms over corporate and arbitration work and to open cross-border opportunities to a wider group of Indian firms.
“They precisely restrict foreign lawyers to non-litigious advisory work, explicitly prohibiting them from practicing Indian law or appearing before Indian courts and tribunals (Rules 8(2)(b) and 8(2)(c)). The claim of these Regulations being ultra vires is therefore unfounded and without merit,” the statement clarified.
COMMITMENT TO CONSULTATION
The BCI emphasized that the amendments were carefully crafted in line with Supreme Court judgments and subjected to rigorous legal scrutiny. It also plans further reforms related to advertising, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and other regulatory aspects to empower Indian law firms.
“There is ample scope and potential for this growth, however, driven by their vested interests, a handful of individuals operating under the name of SILF have actively sought to hinder the progress of thousands of law firms and lakhs of lawyers. This has also resulted in substantial financial losses to the government. Therefore, this is a serious matter, which the BCI views with utmost concern,” the BCI said.
To ensure a democratic decision-making process, the BCI announced plans to convene a large meeting in Mumbai to hear the views of law firms from across the country.
“The BCI shall carefully consider all letters and opinions received from law firms, following which a large meeting will be convened in Mumbai. Representatives of all law firms will be invited to this meeting, and only after hearing their views in this forum will the BCI take any final decision on the matter.”
