REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE
ACTS SUPPLEMENT
Published by Authority
NO. 4]Friday, March 10 [2000
The following Act was passed by Parliament on 17th January 2000 and assented to by the President on 8th February 2000:—
Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2000

(No. 4 of 2000)

I assent.

S R NATHAN
President.
8th February 2000.
Date of Commencement: 5th May 2000
An Act to amend the Legal Profession Act (Chapter 161 of the 1997 Revised Edition).
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:
Short title and commencement
1.—(1)  This Act may be cited as the Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2000 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
(2)  The Minister may appoint different dates for the coming into operation of different provisions of this Act.
Amendment of section 2
2.  Section 2 of the Legal Profession Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended —
(a)by inserting, immediately after the word “solicitor’s” in the last line of paragraph (a) of the definition of “client”, the words “or a law corporation’s”;
(b)by deleting the words “for his services” in the last line of paragraph (b) of the definition of “client” and substituting the words “or a law corporation for his or its services”; and
(c)by inserting, immediately after the definition of “Judge”, the following definition:
“ “law corporation” means a company approved as a law corporation under section 81B;”.
Amendment of section 25
3.  Section 25 (3) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after the word “signed”, the words “or approved”.
Amendment of section 26
4.  Section 26 (1) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after paragraph (b), the following paragraph:
“(ba)unless he is or is about to be a director or an employee of a law corporation;”.
Amendment of section 33
5.  Section 33 (6) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after the word “solicitor” in the 5th line, the words “, or has the capacity or powers of a law corporation when in fact the body corporate does not,”.
Amendment of section 37
6.  Section 37 (2) of the principal Act is amended by deleting the word “and” at the end of paragraph (c), and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:
“(ca)exercise such powers or functions as may be conferred upon the Society by this Act or any other written law; and”.
Amendment of section 61
7.  Section 61 of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by inserting, immediately after the words “bankruptcy have been taken” in the 3rd line, the words “or the file of winding up proceedings against a law corporation”; and
(b)by inserting, immediately after the word “solicitor” in the section heading, the words “or winding up of law corporation”.
Amendment of section 72
8.  Section 72 of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (1), the following subsection:
“(1A)  Such rules may provide for the manner in which the matters referred to in subsection (1) shall apply to law corporations or to Joint Law Ventures or Formal Law Alliances registered under Part IXA.”.
Amendment of section 75A
9.  Section 75A of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by deleting the word “and” at the end of subsection (1)(a);
(b)by deleting the full-stop at the end of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and substituting the word “; and”, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:
“(c)by a law corporation in connection with legal services performed by it or with any trust of which it is a trustee.”;
(c)by inserting, immediately after the word “certificate” in subsection (2)(c), the words “and all law corporations”;
(d)by inserting, immediately after the word “certificates” in subsection (3)(b) and (c), the words “and all law corporations”;
(e)by inserting, immediately after the word “solicitor” in the 2nd lines of subsections (3)(f) and (6), the words “or a law corporation”;
(f)by deleting the words “him” in the 5th line and “he” in the 6th line of subsection (3)(f) and substituting in each case the words “the advocate and solicitor or the law corporation”;
(g)by inserting, immediately after the word “solicitors” in subsection (3)(g), the words “or law corporations”; and
(h)by inserting, immediately after the words “himself” and “him” in subsection (6), the words “or the law corporation”.
Amendment of section 75C
10.  Section 75C of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by inserting, immediately after the word “partnership” in the section heading, the words “or as director of law corporation”;
(b)by inserting, immediately after the word “partnership” in the 3rd line of subsection (1), the words “or as a director of a law corporation”;
(c)by inserting, immediately after the word “Singapore” in subsection (1)(b), the words “or in the practice of a law corporation”; and
(d)by inserting, immediately after subsection (3), the following subsection:
“(3A)  Subsection (1) shall not apply to a solicitor who is a director of a law corporation if at least one of the directors of that law corporation is a solicitor who has been in active practice in Singapore for not less than 3 continuous years or 3 years out of a continuous period of 5 years.”.
Amendment of section 79
11.  Section 79 of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by deleting the words “neither he nor a member nor an assistant of the firm of which he is a member either as partner or employee” in the 3rd and 4th lines of subsection (1) and substituting the words “no specified person”; and
(b)by deleting the full-stop at the end of the definition of “sale of immovable property” in subsection (2) and substituting a semi-colon, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following definition:
“ “specified person”, in relation to a solicitor, means —
(a)the solicitor himself;
(b)any member or assistant of the firm of which the solicitor is a member either as a partner, consultant or an employee; or
(c)any director or employee of the law corporation of which the solicitor is a director or an employee.”.
New Part VIA
12.  The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 81, the following Part:
“PART VIA
LAW CORPORATIONS
Interpretation of this Part
81A.  In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires —
“company” has the same meaning as in the Companies Act (Cap. 50);
“law firm” means a solicitor practising on his own account or a partnership whose members are solicitors;
“legal services” means the legal services which a solicitor can lawfully perform under this Act;
“solicitor” means an advocate and solicitor who has in force a practising certificate.
Approval for law corporations
81B.—(1)  A solicitor who wishes to have a company or a proposed company approved as a law corporation shall apply to the Council for approval —
(a)of the company as a law corporation; and
(b)of the name or proposed name of the law corporation.
(2)  An application under subsection (1) shall be made in accordance with rules made under section 81N.
(3)  Subject to the provisions of this Part, the Council may on receiving an application in respect of a company or a proposed company under this section, approve the company or proposed company as a law corporation if —
(a)the memorandum of association of the company or proposed company provides that the primary object of the company or proposed company is to supply legal services and such other class of services as may be prescribed; and
(b)the articles of association of the company or proposed company provide for such matters as may be prescribed.
(4)  If the Council gives approval for a proposed company to be a law corporation, the approval shall not take effect until the company is registered and incorporated under the Companies Act (Cap. 50).
Name of law corporation
81C.—(1)  The Council shall not approve the name or proposed name of a law corporation which in its opinion —
(a)is misleading or detracts from the dignity of an honourable profession;
(b)is so similar to that of an existing law corporation, law firm or group practice as to be likely to be confused with it; or
(c)is inconsistent with any of the provisions of any rules on publicity made under section 71(1).
(2)  Notwithstanding section 27 of the Companies Act, a law corporation which is a limited company need not have the word “Limited” or “Berhad” as part of its name and a law corporation which is a private company need not have the word “Private” or “Sendirian” as part of its name.
(3)  Every law corporation shall have either the words “Law Corporation” or the acronym “LLC” as part of its name and no person, firm or group practice other than an approved law corporation shall have such words as part of its name.
(4)  The directors of a law corporation shall ensure that every invoice or official correspondence of the law corporation bears the statement that it is incorporated with limited liability.
(5)  No name of a law corporation may be changed without the prior approval in writing of the Council.
(6)  Notwithstanding anything in this section or section 27 of the Companies Act (Cap. 50), where the Council is satisfied that the name of a law corporation has been approved (whether through inadvertence or otherwise and whether originally or by change of name) which is in contravention of subsection (1), the Council may direct the law corporation to change its name and the law corporation shall comply with that direction within 6 weeks from the date of the direction or such longer period as the Council may allow.
Effect of company becoming law corporation
81D.—(1)  A law corporation is authorised to do anything that a solicitor can do by law and is required to do all that a solicitor is required to do by law.
(2)  Subsection (1) shall not apply to the doing of anything that can only be done by a solicitor as a natural person.
(3)  A solicitor who provides legal services as a director or an employee of a law corporation shall be subject to the same standards of professional conduct and competence in respect of such services as if he were personally providing the legal services as a solicitor in a law firm.
(4)  The mere fact that a solicitor personally provides legal services as a director or an employee of a law corporation shall not affect the personal liability of that solicitor at law.
Relationship between client and law corporation
81E.—(1)  A law corporation shall have the same rights and shall be subject to the same fiduciary, confidential and ethical requirements with respect to each client of the law corporation that exist at law with respect to a solicitor and his client.
(2)  Solicitor-client privilege exists between a law corporation and a client of the corporation in the same way as it exists between a solicitor and his client and extends to every solicitor who is an officer or employee of the corporation.
(3)  Sections 128 to 131 of the Evidence Act (Cap. 97) on professional communications shall apply to a law corporation, its officers and its employees as it applies to a solicitor.
Professional misconduct
81F.—(1)  An act or omission of a solicitor may constitute unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct even though it is only done or occurs while the solicitor provides legal services through a law corporation.
(2)  The directors of the law corporation who are solicitors shall be jointly liable to disciplinary proceedings under this Act if the business of the law corporation is conducted in a manner unbefitting an honourable profession and where such conduct cannot be attributed to the act or omission of a particular solicitor or solicitors whose identity is known.
(3)  A director or an employee of a law corporation who is a solicitor (whether or not he has in force a practising certificate) shall not —
(a)hold shares in any other law corporation;
(b)be a director or consultant or an employee of any other law corporation;
(c)be a partner or consultant or an employee of a law firm; or
(d)practise as a solicitor on his own account.
Requirements as to alteration of memorandum or articles of association
81G.  The directors of a law corporation must ensure at all times that any amendment or alteration to its memorandum or articles of association must comply with all the requirements with respect to law corporations in this Act and any rules made thereunder.
Shares of law corporation
81H.—(1)  No person shall transfer or dispose of any shares in a law corporation except in accordance with this section and the rules made under section 81N.
(2)  All the shares in a law corporation shall be held by solicitors subject to any rules made under section 81N as to any shares or proportion of shares in a law corporation which may be held by such other persons or class of persons as may be prescribed.
(3)  No share in a law corporation may be held by a person as nominee for another person.
(4)  Except with the prior approval of the Council or in circumstances prescribed in the rules made under section 81N, any person who holds shares in a law corporation shall not —
(a)hold shares in any other law corporation;
(b)be a director or consultant or an employee of any other law corporation;
(c)be a partner or consultant or an employee of any law firm; or
(d)practise as a solicitor on his own account.
(5)  No security may be created over any share in a law corporation.
(6)  A solicitor who, pursuant to disciplinary proceedings under this Act, is suspended from practice or struck off the roll, shall not hold any shares in a law corporation unless the Council on the solicitor’s application grants him a grace period to transfer or dispose his shares in the law corporation.
(7)  Where a solicitor has been suspended from practice or struck off the roll pursuant to disciplinary proceedings under this Act, he shall not, directly or indirectly, take part in or be concerned in the management or practice of a law corporation.
(8)  Any transfer or disposal made in contravention of subsections (1) to (7) shall be null and void.
(9)  Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (7), where a solicitor has for any reason ceased to hold a practising certificate, the Council may, upon application made by the solicitor or by the law corporation of which he is a member, grant him a grace period of not more than 2 years to transfer his shares in the law corporation.
(10)  The solicitor referred to in subsection (9) shall be treated as a solicitor for the purposes of computing the proportion of any class of shares in the law corporation held by solicitors.
(11)  Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (7), where a solicitor has by reason of death, bankruptcy or incapacity by reason of mental or physical disability ceased to hold a practising certificate, the Council may allow the executor or administrator of the solicitor’s estate or the committee of the person and estate or any other person to hold the solicitor’s shares in the law corporation of which he was or is a member for a grace period of not more than 2 years.
(12)  The grace period of not more than 2 years referred to in subsection (11) shall commence —
(a)in the case of death, from the date the administrator is appointed or the date the probate or letters of administration are granted;
(b)in the case of bankruptcy, from the date the solicitor is adjudged a bankrupt; or
(c)in the case of incapacity by reason of mental or physical disability, from the date the solicitor becomes incapable to act.
(13)  The solicitor referred to in subsection (9) or the persons referred to in subsection (11) shall not during the grace period of 2 years exercise any voting rights attached to his shares in the law corporation or take part or be concerned in the management or practice of the law corporation.
Additional grounds for winding up law corporation
81I.—(1)  A law corporation may be wound up under the Companies Act (Cap. 50) on any of the following grounds:
(a)the law corporation ceases to satisfy the requirements of this Act or the rules made under section 81N relating to a law corporation; or
(b)the business of the law corporation has been conducted in a manner unbefitting the profession.
(2)  The grounds for winding up referred to in subsection (1) are additional to those prescribed by the Companies Act.
(3)  An application to wind up a law corporation on a ground specified in subsection (1) may be made only by the Attorney-General or the Council.
Right of appeal against decisions of Council under this Part
81J.—(1)  An applicant, for approval by the Council of —
(a)a company or proposed company as a law corporation;
(b)an amendment or alteration to the memorandum or articles of association of a law corporation; or
(c)a change in the name of a law corporation,
may appeal to the High Court against a decision of the Council.
(2)  An applicant making an appeal under subsection (1) must comply with the rules made under section 81N for the purposes of this section.
(3)  On the hearing of an appeal under this section, the High Court may —
(a)confirm the decision of the Council; or
(b)direct the Council to grant the application for approval, either unconditionally or subject to conditions specified by the Court,
and may make such order as to the payment of costs by the Council or by the applicant as it thinks fit.
Register of law corporations
81K.—(1)  The Council is required —
(a)to keep a register of all law corporations approved under section 81B in such form and manner as the Council thinks fit and to have custody of the register and all documents relating to it; and
(b)to allow any person to inspect the register in such manner as the Council thinks fit.
(2)  The Council is required to enter on the register of law corporations the name of every law corporation approved under section 81B.
(3)  The Council may cancel the registration of a law corporation which has ceased providing legal services or which has been wound up.
This Part to prevail over inconsistent provisions of memorandum and articles of association
81L.  This Part and any rules made under section 81N for the purposes of this Part shall prevail over any inconsistent provision of the memorandum and articles of association of a law corporation.
Application of Companies Act and other written law to law corporations
81M.—(1)  Nothing in this Part, with the exception of this section and sections 81C(2), 81H and 81I, shall affect the operation of the Companies Act (Cap. 50) in relation to its application to a company that is a law corporation.
(2)  A law corporation shall, notwithstanding that the shares in the law corporation are held by more than 20 members, be deemed to be an exempt private company for the purposes of the Companies Act.
(3)  A law corporation shall not be treated for the purposes of the Companies Act as a public company merely because it has more than 50 members.
(4)  Such provisions of any other written law having effect in relation to solicitors or law firms as may be prescribed, shall have effect in relation to law corporations with such prescribed modifications as may be necessary or expedient; and such provisions shall be construed accordingly.
Rules on law corporations
81N.—(1)  The Minister may, after consulting the Council, make rules for the purposes of this Part.
(2)  Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), any rules made thereunder may provide —
(a)for prescribing anything which may be prescribed under this Part;
(b)for restrictions to be imposed on persons or classes of persons who may become officers of a law corporation or who may hold shares in a law corporation and on the proportion of shares in a law corporation which may be held by such persons or classes of persons;
(c)for the payment of fees on applications made under this Part or any rules made thereunder and for related matters;
(d)for the keeping of accounts by a law corporation and for the matters set out in section 72;
(e)for exempting any person or class of persons from any provision of this Part; and
(f)for such incidental, consequential or supplementary provisions as may be necessary or expedient.
Reference in other written law
81O.  In any other written law, any reference to a solicitor, an advocate or an advocate and solicitor shall, with such necessary modifications or exceptions as may be prescribed under section 81N, be construed as including a reference to a law corporation.”.
Amendment of section 107
13.  Section 107 of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (3), the following subsection:
“(4)  This section shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to a law corporation.”.
Amendment of section 114
14.  Section 114 of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (1), the following subsection:
“(1A)  Where a law corporation has made an agreement with its client in pursuance of section 111 and anything has been done by the law corporation or any of its directors or employees under the agreement, and, before the agreement has been completely performed by the law corporation or any of its directors or employees, the law corporation is wound up, an application may be made to the court by any party thereto or by the representatives of that party.”.
New Part IXA
15.  The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 130, the following Part:
“PART IXA
FOREIGN LAW FIRMS, JOINT LAW VENTURES AND FORMAL LAW ALLIANCES
Interpretation of this Part
130A.  In this Part —
“foreign law” means the law of any state or territory other than Singapore;
“foreign law firm” means a foreign law firm with an office or a place of business in Singapore which provides legal services in any foreign law in Singapore or elsewhere and includes a corporation duly constituted for the purpose of practising law;
“foreign lawyer” means a person who is duly authorised or registered to practise law in a state or territory other than Singapore by a foreign authority having the function conferred by law of authorising or registering persons to practise law in that state or territory;
“Formal Law Alliance” means a Formal Law Alliance registered under section 130D;
“Joint Law Venture” means a Joint Law Venture registered under section 130B;
“practise Singapore law” means doing work, or transacting business, in relation to the laws of Singapore, being work or business of a kind that is the right or privilege of a Singapore lawyer under Part IV;
“Singapore law firm” means a firm of advocates and solicitors and includes a law corporation registered under Part VIA;
“Singapore lawyer” means an advocate and solicitor as defined in section 2.
Joint Law Venture
130B.—(1)  The Attorney-General may, after consulting such authorities as may be prescribed, approve an application by a foreign law firm jointly made with a Singapore law firm to be registered as a Joint Law Venture on such terms and conditions and for such period as the Attorney-General may think fit.
(2)  A Joint Law Venture may be constituted —
(a)by a partnership between a foreign law firm and a Singapore law firm;
(b)by the incorporation of a company under Singapore law with shares in the company held by a foreign law firm and a Singapore law firm or by their respective nominees; or
(c)by any other arrangement or means as may be prescribed.
(3)  A foreign law firm and a Singapore law firm are eligible to make an application jointly under subsection (1) if they satisfy the prescribed conditions.
(4)  The Attorney-General may refuse to approve an application under subsection (1) without assigning any reason.
(5)  The Attorney-General may, if he is satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, by notice in writing, vary or revoke any term or condition imposed on the approval given under subsection (1).
(6)  A Joint Law Venture shall be entitled to the following privileges:
(a)to practise in areas of legal practice mutually agreed between the law firms constituting the Joint Law Venture;
(b)foreign lawyers who are employed by or who are partners or directors of the registered Joint Law Venture may practise Singapore law in accordance with section 130C;
(c)the registered Joint Law Venture may market or publicise itself as a single service provider competent to provide legal services in all areas in which the constituent law firms are qualified to provide;
(d)the registered Joint Law Venture may bill its clients as a single firm; and
(e)such other privileges as may, from time to time, be prescribed or otherwise conferred by law.
(7)  Nothing in this Act or any rules made thereunder shall prevent the constituent law firms in the Joint Law Venture from sharing office premises, profits or client information with respect to the legal practice of the Joint Law Venture.
(8)  A foreign law firm which constitutes part of a Joint Law Venture shall not practise as a foreign law firm in Singapore except through the Joint Law Venture.
(9)  For the avoidance of doubt, a Joint Law Venture shall not be treated as a law corporation for the purposes of Part VIA.
(10)  A Joint Law Venture shall, notwithstanding that the shares in the Joint Law Venture are held by more than 20 members, be deemed to be an exempt private company for the purposes of the Companies Act (Cap. 50).
Registration to practise Singapore law
130C.—(1)  A foreign lawyer who is employed by or who is a partner or director of a Joint Law Venture may, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Part IV, practise Singapore law as a partner, director or an employee of the Joint Law Venture and recover costs and retain payments in respect of such practice if he is registered to practise Singapore law by the Attorney-General under subsection (3).
(2)  Notwithstanding subsection (1), a foreign lawyer who is registered to practise Singapore law under subsection (3) shall not represent any party before any judicial, arbitral or regulatory tribunal or body in Singapore unless the foreign lawyer is, apart from this section, permitted to do so under Part IV.
(3)  The Attorney-General may, in his discretion, approve an application to register a foreign lawyer to practise Singapore law for such period as the Attorney-General may think fit except that the Attorney-General may, if he thinks it necessary in the circumstances of the case, require that a foreign lawyer successfully complete such modules in such courses of instruction as the Attorney-General may require.
(4)  The registration of a foreign lawyer to practise Singapore law shall —
(a)lapse if the foreign law firm is dissolved or in liquidation or if the registration of the Joint Law Venture is cancelled under section 130G; and
(b)be suspended for such period as the Attorney-General may think fit if the foreign lawyer ceases to be a partner, director or an employee, as the case may be, of the Joint Law Venture or of the foreign law firm which constitutes part of the Joint Law Venture.
(5)  Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to affect any right or privilege of an advocate and solicitor conferred by this Act or any other written law.
Formal Law Alliance
130D.—(1)  The Attorney-General may, after consulting such authorities as may be prescribed, approve an application by a foreign law firm jointly made with a Singapore law firm to be registered as a Formal Law Alliance on such terms and conditions and for such period as the Attorney-General may think fit.
(2)  A foreign law firm or a Singapore law firm, as the case may be, may apply for registration of more than one formal alliance and a registered Formal Law Alliance may comprise of more than 2 constituent law firms.
(3)  A foreign law firm and a Singapore law firm are eligible to make an application jointly under subsection (1) if they satisfy the prescribed conditions.
(4)  The Attorney-General may refuse an application under subsection (1) without assigning any reason.
(5)  The Attorney-General may, if he is satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, by notice in writing, vary or revoke any term or condition imposed on the approval given in subsection (1).
(6)  A Formal Law Alliance shall be entitled to the following privileges:
(a)the Formal Law Alliance may market or publicise itself as a single service provider competent to provide legal services in all areas in which the constituent law firms are qualified to provide;
(b)the Formal Law Alliance may bill its clients as if it were a single law firm;
(c)a foreign lawyer who is a partner, director or an employee of the foreign law firm which constitutes part of the Formal Law Alliance may prepare all the documents in a transaction involving the law or regulatory regime of more than one country or jurisdiction, except that any legal opinion relating to Singapore law must be given by a Singapore lawyer who has in force a practising certificate.
(7)  Nothing in this Act or any rules made thereunder shall prevent the constituent law firms in the Formal Law Alliance from sharing office premises, profits or client information.
Professional conduct, ethics and accounts
130E.—(1)  A foreign lawyer practising Singapore law in a Joint Law Venture shall comply with such rules relating to professional conduct or ethics as may be prescribed in rules made under section 130J unless the Attorney-General in his discretion exempts the foreign lawyer from such compliance.
(2)  Sections 72 and 73 and any rules made thereunder shall apply, with such modifications as may be prescribed, to a Joint Law Venture in respect of the practice of Singapore law.
(3)  Where a Joint Law Venture has submitted an accountant’s report in compliance with section 73 as applied to it by subsection (2), the Singapore law firm which constitutes part of the Joint Law Venture shall not be required to submit another accountant’s report under section 73.
(4)  Solicitor-client privilege exists between a Joint Law Venture or a Formal Law Alliance and its client in the same way as it exists between a solicitor and his client.
(5)  Nothing in this section shall affect the solicitor-client privilege that exists between a client and the foreign law firm or the Singapore law firm, as the case may be, which constitutes part of a Joint Law Venture or a Formal Law Alliance.
Disciplinary proceedings
130F.—(1)  Any complaint in respect of the conduct of a foreign lawyer registered under section 130C to practise Singapore law shall be made to the Attorney-General.
(2)  Every complaint shall be in writing and be supported by a statutory declaration if required by the Attorney-General.
(3)  Where the Attorney-General has received any complaint under this section or where facts are brought to the knowledge of the Attorney-General which satisfy the Attorney-General that there may be grounds for such a complaint, the Attorney-General shall give the foreign lawyer a reasonable opportunity to make representations in writing and if he is of the opinion that there is sufficient reason for doing so, the Attorney-General may —
(a)cancel or suspend for such period as he may think fit the registration of the foreign lawyer to practise Singapore law;
(b)censure the foreign lawyer;
(c)order the foreign lawyer to pay a penalty not exceeding $5,000 or such other higher sum as may be prescribed; or
(d)make such other order as he thinks fit.
(4)  If the foreign lawyer fails to pay the penalty referred to in subsection (3)(c) or comply with the order referred to in subsection (3)(d) within such time as the Attorney-General may specify, the Attorney-General may cancel or suspend for such period as he may think fit the registration of that foreign lawyer.
Cancellation of registration
130G.—(1)  The Attorney-General may, by notice in writing to a Joint Law Venture or a Formal Law Alliance, cancel its registration under this Part if the Attorney-General is satisfied that there is sufficient reason for doing so.
(2)  Without limiting the grounds for cancellation, the registration may be cancelled if —
(a)the foreign law firm’s home registration authority cancels its registration as a result of criminal, civil or disciplinary proceedings;
(b)the Joint Law Venture or the Formal Law Alliance fails to comply with any requirement of or imposed under this Part or any rules made thereunder;
(c)the registration or authorisation of the foreign law firm by its home registration authority has lapsed;
(d)the foreign law firm has been dissolved or is in liquidation;
(e)the Joint Law Venture or the Formal Law Alliance fails to comply with any condition imposed on its registration under this Part;
(f)the Joint Law Venture or the Formal Law Alliance has been dissolved and reconstituted without the approval of the Attorney-General; or
(g)the Attorney-General is satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so.
(3)  Registration may not be cancelled on any of the grounds specified in subsection (1) or (2) unless the Joint Law Venture or the Formal Law Alliance or the law firms constituting the Venture or Alliance, as the case may be, are given a reasonable opportunity to make written representations to the Attorney-General.
Attorney-General’s decision final
130H.  Any decision made by the Attorney-General under this Part or any rules made thereunder shall be final and conclusive.
Registration of foreign law firms and foreign lawyers
130I.—(1)  The Minister may, after consulting the Attorney-General, make rules to provide for —
(a)the registration with the Attorney-General of all foreign law firms;
(b)the registration with the Attorney-General of all foreign lawyers resident in Singapore and practising in or employed by a foreign law firm;
(c)the manner and means of application for registration of a foreign law firm or a foreign lawyer;
(d)the submission of information and particulars relating to the foreign law firms and the foreign lawyers and other persons practising in or employed by the foreign law firm;
(e)the payment of fees on applications for registration and renewal of registration and other related matters; and
(f)the form and manner in which the register is to be kept.
(2)  Where a foreign law firm or a foreign lawyer —
(a)fails to apply for registration under the rules made under subsection (1); or
(b)fails to furnish any particulars or information required under such rules,
then the rights of the foreign law firm or the foreign lawyer in default under or arising out of any contract in relation to the legal services provided through the office in Singapore of the foreign law firm, shall not be enforceable in legal proceedings in the name of the foreign law firm or the foreign lawyer, as the case may be.
Rules on Joint Law Ventures and Formal Law Alliances
130J.  The Minister may, after consulting the Attorney-General, make rules for the following purposes:
(a)to prescribe anything which may be prescribed under this Part;
(b)to prescribe the qualifying legal skills, experience and expertise required under this Part;
(c)to provide for the manner and means of application and the information and documents to be furnished for the registration and de-registration of Joint Law Ventures and Formal Law Alliances;
(d)to provide for the manner and means of application and the information and documents to be furnished for foreign lawyers to be registered to practise Singapore law;
(e)to provide for a register of Joint Law Ventures and Formal Law Alliances to be kept in such form and manner as may be prescribed;
(f)to provide for disciplinary control over foreign lawyers in a Joint Law Venture who are registered to practise Singapore law under section 130C and to modify the application of any provision of this Act, other than this Part, in respect of legal services performed by such lawyers;
(g)to provide for the manner or means by which a Joint Law Venture or a Formal Law Alliance may conduct its business or publicise itself;
(h)to modify the application of any provision of this Act, other than this Part, or any rules made thereunder to a Singapore law firm or a solicitor practising in that law firm where that Singapore law firm constitutes part of a Joint Law Venture or a Formal Law Alliance;
(i)to exempt any person or class of persons from any provision of this Part;
(j)to make such incidental, consequential or supplementary provisions as may be necessary or expedient; and
(k)to provide for the payment of fees on applications for registration, renewal of registration and other related matters.”.
Amendment of Section 135
16.  Section 135 of the princpal Act is amended by deleting the words “and the payment thereof shall be denoted by an impressed stamp on the relevant document”.
Miscellaneous amendments
17.  The provisions of the principal Act specified in the first column of the Schedule are amended in the manner set out in the second column thereof.
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Last updated 1 Feb 2025
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