Lawyers Forge Closer Links with India

No5 Chambers and the International Legal and Business Forum (ILBF) have joined forces to be at the forefront of staging the first show-case conference of its kind at the Shangri-La Hotel in New Delhi from 28 – 30 October 2009, aimed at uniting both nations from a legal and business perspective.

The India – Gateway to the Future Conference will also be of significant interest to accountants and business organisations wishing to capitalise on the forthcoming changes to India’s legal market and its impact on property, construction, financial, manufacturing, IT and support services industries.

The programme addresses the national and international agenda, providing wide-scale appeal to all UK based law firms and businesses as a whole. It has attracted the backing from the Birmingham and the West Midlands professional and business community including support from the Birmingham Law Society.

A legal education conference will also be run in tandem with the main event and is being spearheaded by the College of Law and University of Birmingham. This reflects India’s increasing appetite for overseas graduate degrees and qualifications from UK based educational establishments.

Mr Ekwall Tiwana, chairman of the ILBF and a leading barrister with No5 Chambers, confirmed that many of India’s most eminent lawyers had already secured places and a strong take-up from UK based law and accountancy firms looking to form international associations was anticipated.

“This event is all about putting UK lawyers and business a step ahead of the international competition. Topics covered are wide ranging and include international arbitration, business immigration, international corporate fraud, cyber law in India, outsourcing, employment law update for foreign employers and a host of Indo-European seminars. Islamic finance also features prominently in view of its widening appeal to businesses and investors in respect of banking and corporate finance funding.

“Delegates will be exposed to unrivalled networking opportunities at hosted receptions, and the conference event programme focuses on capitalising on India’s exceptional economic growth and reforms, with the widely anticipated liberalisation of its legal market,” Ekwall Tiwana added.

Gleeds Partnership, the International management and construction consultants together with ADP Architects and Grant Thornton India have pledged their support, and talks are being progressed with a Big Four accountancy firm and a major bank. UK Trade and Investment is extensively involved and will be linking the conference to a special grant-aided trade mission.

The who’s who line-up of speakers and contributors for the conference and workshops already includes a host of Indian government ministers and politicians, the Chief Justice of India, the top law firms in India and QC’s and judges from the UK. It is also supported by The Law Society International Division, The British High Commission, The British Council and the UK Business Council India.

Conference organisers have arranged to fast-track business visas with the High Commission for India and the cost per delegate place is £595. UK Trade and Investment travel mission grants are available.
For further information and to register interest in attending, visit www.no5.com or contact: indiangateway@no5.com