Brus Chambers, a Mumbai-based law firm has opened a subsidiary firm headquartered in New York.
Brus Chambers LLC was incorporated as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in New Jersey in March 2015, and opened its New York office on 26 May 2015, which now serves as the head-office with branch offices located in New Jersey, Washington and Missouri, said the firm’s managing partner Shrikanth Hathi.
Hathi said via email that the New York office on the fifth floor of 830 Third Avenue already housed 32 US-qualified lawyers and paralegals, while New Jersey, Washington DC and Missouri employed nine US-qualified fee-earners each.
Hathi, who is also the president of Brus Chambers LLC, said that the firm was approved by the New York Bar for practising in the state’s courts. He said that the process of obtaining approval was relatively simple and took only two to three months.
Asked about foreign law firms coming into India, he said: “I think Indian lawyers should be ready for that. What are they afraid of? Are they afraid of doing good quality work? Because competition will improve quality, at least that is what I believe.”
He added that foreign law firms were not looking to come to India for the litigation market, because it did not make business sense for them. Their main interest would be in legal outsourcing where they could save big money by getting their work done in India.
As for Brus’ prospects in the US, Hathi was upbeat, noting that the office would focus on commercial litigation, international arbitration, documentation and shipping work as well as some criminal defense work primarily on the white collar side. “We had established ourselves in March and we have got very good work there. In fact we have got work from law firms as well.”
According to Brus’ press release announcing the new office, “Dr Hathi is of the view that if United States can [allow] setting up foreign law firms in their country; even India should consider allowing setting up foreign law firms in India after considering all other factors including reciprocity between the countries.”
Picture by terabass
Comments
The sole listed party who has academic credentials that might qualify her to sit for the New York Bar (but not New Jersey) is Afia Sengupta, a 2013 LLM grad from the University of Missouri Kansas City. The website uses a string of praise that would be very unusual for a two-year practicing attorney to earn.
'Strong in litigation and arbitration'
- ABA Journal
'highly effective'
- Worldlawyers.NET
'leadership and advice on complex transactions'
-Mitsui & Co
'solid for shipping work '
-Tradewinds
'superb value for money'
-NOG Shipping
She is listed as a "Practicing Partner." Something seems a little off. For one thing, it will run afoul of N.Y. bar rules to promote a two-year practicing lawyer with such advertisements, if they are not actually referring to her.
Nothing against these folks, but their site seems filled with horse puckey. Which is American slang for gobar.