Herbert Smith hit by associates' racism claims

Readers' comments (4)

• Anonymous | 25-Feb-2008 11:19 pm

  Indian lawyers
  
  Herbert Smith had been aggressive in hiring Indian lawyers last year and it looks like they were not careful in hiring at least some of them. This surely is not a case of racism and should also not reflect on the abilities of Indian lawyers.
  
  All magic circle firms and most US firms have had an excellent experience with Indian lawyers and they are still hiring them in large numbers, despite the choppy markets.

  Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment

• Anonymous | 26-Feb-2008 10:14 am

  Indian lawyers
  
  I think that people are losing the plot.
  
  If you put a piece of meat in the fridge, your vegetarian colleagues will say that you are violating their right not to see that kind of food close to their courgettes!
  If a woman wears a short skirt there will be a nice guy telling you that his religion forbids him from working with women in "those conditions".
  If you make a joke about a gay you will be sued! If say that going to gym makes you feel better, your "fatty" colleague will feel personally offended!
  enough is enough!!!!!!!

  Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment

• Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 5:23 am

  Cultural integration??
  
  Err.... you didn't hire them to be British, did you? You hired them to generate billable hours! I'm told one source of frustration is the discounting of a couple of years' experience because "there is no training contract requirement in India" and ergo, not enough work being fed to these associates because "their charge out rates don't justify it".
  
  One large homogenous group?? Come on, we're talking about India here! That's one billion homogenous groups of one each!!
  
  

  Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment

• Anonymous | 26-May-2008 3:50 pm

  Indian lawyers and globalising firms
  
  Such training should be mandatory for all lawyers at all stages and all backgrounds. Integration must go both ways. Both new Indian and other foreign recruits as well as their British colleagues should take part in such courses - and learn from each other. The most effective globalising firms will be those that can accept and work within and across cultural diversities. Indian lawyers at HB have raised an important issue that would be foolish to sweep under the carpet. Training of this sort will be especially critical for British lawyers if they enter the Indian market in future. Indian clients will certainly not appreciate - nor tolerate - ignorance of their norms and approaches to doing business.

  Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment