Weil scouts boost ties while scoping out Indian market

Weil Gotshal & Manges has joined the slew of firms investigating the Indian market, sending a team of lawyers to the region on a fact-finding trip.

The New York-based firm has sent London-based corporate partner Will Rosen and New York-based corporate partner Jeffrey Weinberg to India for a week-long tour of the region to research the firm's local options.

Rosen claimed that, while the firm was not looking to open a representative office in India imminently, the trip was aimed at strengthening ties with Indian law firms, corporations and banks. Weil currently has several local referral relationship firms.

Rosen explained that this was because Weil was focused on capital markets and outward investment into Europe and the US, rather than PFI, which makes up a large portion of local business.

The tour follows a similar move by Baker & McKenzie, which is planning to send Asian chair David Jacobs on a similar fact-finding trip within the region.

As reported by The Lawyer (21 November), Simmons & Simmons is also aiming to launch in South East Asia partly as a springboard to India.