Senior counsel Gopal Subramanium has joined English barristers’ chamber 3 Verulam Buildings as an associate member and arbitrator.
Subramanium said that he would focus on arbitration but would not be seeking admission at the English bar for the foreseeable future, unlike senior counsel Harish Salve who was admitted to the English bar after joining Blackstone Chambers in July.
Subramanium explained that from next year he would probably focus on more arbitrations in London with Verulam after several academic initiatives and delivering the Sir Asutosh Mookerjee memorial lectures.
“I have visited 3 Verulam, and I like the place very much, I love the people, they are extra professional and courteous,” he said about the set, which is one of London’s top commercial chambers.
As an arbitrator, who is also a member of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre’s India panel, he would specialise in particular on investment treaty disputes, though he would not be giving up his Supreme Court practice.
“I’m already quite selective,” he said about his Indian case-load. “I do important cases, important pro bono cases, and that’s how I’m getting time to do academic work. I have to do just a little bit of streamlining.”
Subramanium, who was formerly solicitor general and Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman, is also a visiting professor at Delhi University and an honorary adjunct professor at Jindal Global Law School.
Comments
sickening, this all pervasive hypocritical attitude.
Anywyas I wish GS all the best. [...]
In India Law has to be seen beyond politics!!!
Aur batao?
TNN Jun 10, 2010
On the issue of foreign firms coming to the country, Subramanium says, "Lawyers of this country has sacrificed a lot for freedom and we cannot compromise by allowing foreign law firms to practice in courts and tribunals in the country."
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-06-10/jaipur/28319661_1_foreign-law-firms-bci-legal-education
For one, I didn't ask GS the same question because he is not not actually going to be practicing law in England, so it's not exactly identical or as relevant a question as in Harish Salve's case. And, second of all, are readers really interested in every single lawyers' view on the liberalisation issue?
"Quote" @7 above, I didn't actually think that GS was very strongly against the entry of foreign law firms, whether while at the BCI or now. Nor did I remember / was aware of, that comment.
But if you carefully read that quote from the TOI (and ignore the headline, which seems inaccurate), it is actually quite the opposite - he said "we cannot compromise by allowing foreign law firms to practice in courts and tribunals" in India, which doesn't at all address law firms opening up shop here (which is what most foreign law firms are actually interested in, rather than the courts).
GS, as I understand it, was rather pragmatic while at the BCI. And with the changes in legal education (particularly with the AIBE) that he pushed through, I don't think he would have been able to rock the boat much more on foreign firms' entry, at least in the short term that he had. If he'd continued for a longer time, who knows what would have happened...
In any event, it's really your duty to keep asking these critical questions of those with the duty and power to bring about change.
Brilliant comment!
Most of you bend over backwards to appease your partners, instead of taking a stand early in your career. And you expect foreign players to come in and be magnanimous? Give you a life, more money? Right.. because that's how global players remain profitable.
It takes lot of guts and belief in one's views to introduce change. Esp in a crusty outfit like BCI, filled as it is with mere time-servers.
I remember in my early days in the profession when I was in Delhi your excellent advocacy skills. Thanks to our senior for encouraging rookies like us to listen to one of the all-time greats whenever you happened to be in the Delhi HC. Your polished diction and expression and incisive analysis was simply superb.
I am glad legal counsel of your high calibre will be representing in an an informal way the current crop of advocates in India. Wish you all the best.