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Informist, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025

 

 

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the Bar Council of India to not take any decision on the show cause notice the council had sent to Dentons Link Legal over alleged violation of regulations regarding entry of foreign law firms in India. The high court issued a notice to the Bar Council on Dentons Link Legal's Executive Chairman Atul Sharma's plea against the show cause notice, and placed the matter for hearing on Aug. 28.

 

"Issue notice to the respondents. List this matter on Thursday (Aug. 28) to enable the counsels for respondents to seek instructions as to how the press release has been issued specifically naming the petition/firm. Prima facie we find that such a press release could not have been issued keeping in fact that a show cause notice has been issued in respect of the same issue. In the aforesaid view, we require the Bar Council of India to revisit the press release. The petitioners may submit a reply and the proceedings may go on, however a final decision cannot be taken till the next date of hearing," said the high court.

 

The Bar Council of India has objected to the recent tie-ups between Indian law firms and international counterparts, stating that the arrangements violate India's foreign law firm regulations. Both CMS INDUSLAW and Dentons Link Legal have recently entered into such alliances.

 

"These combinations are structured through alliances or joint branding, and are promoted under combined identities such as Dentons Link Legal and CMS IndusLaw, creating the impression of an integrated legal practice in India," the BCI had said in a statement earlier.

 

Sharma, in his petition, challenged the show cause notice that asked its law firm to disclose its collaborations with Dentons, a multinational law firm based in the US. Further, Sharma challenged the validity of the Bar Council of India's regulations governing the entry of law firms in India. 

 

Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sharma, said that his client's firm was Indian with Indian lawyers and they were not practising any form of foreign law. It is a system where firms form associations to maintain standard of excellence in terms of technology, office, level of employment, information technology sharing, said Singhvi.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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