The Bar Council of India (BCI) notified the Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2022
Now, foreign lawyers and law firms to practise foreign law, international law, international arbitration, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property matters etc on a reciprocal basis.
Also, the BCI has the right to refuse to register any foreign lawyer or law firm.
On March 13, 2018, a division bench of Justices had ruled that foreign law firms or foreign lawyers cannot practise law in the country either on the litigation or non-litigation side.
However, the court said that there was no bar on foreign law firms or foreign lawyers visiting India for a temporary period for giving legal advice to their clients.
BCI is a statutory body and it governing legal practice in India.