Legal Profession (Law Corporation) Rules 2000

No. S 425

Legal Profession Act

(Chapter 161)

Legal Profession (Law Corporation) Rules 2000

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 81N of the Legal Profession Act, the Minister for Law, after consulting the Council of the Law Society of Singapore, hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules may be cited as the Legal Profession (Law Corporation) Rules 2000 and shall come into operation on 1st October 2000.

Application for approval as law corporation

2.—(1) An application under section 81B of the Act for approval of a company or proposed company as a law corporation and of the name or proposed name of the law corporation shall be made in such form as may be determined by the Council and shall be accompanied by —

(a)	such documents, particulars and information as the Council may require; and
(b)	an application fee of $1,000.

(2) The Council may, in the interests of the legal profession or the public, reject an application made under paragraph (1).

Memorandum and articles of association

3. The memorandum and articles of association of a law corporation shall provide for the matters specified in the Schedule.

Application for alteration of memorandum or articles of association

4.—(1) Every law corporation shall, before amending any provision of its memorandum or articles of association relating to or affecting the matters specified in the Schedule, apply to the Council for approval of the proposed amendment.

(2) The application under paragraph (1) shall be made in such form as may be determined by the Council and shall be accompanied by such documents, particulars and information as the Council may require.

Appeal to High Court

5. An appeal to the High Court under section 81J of the Act against a decision of the Council shall be made by way of originating summons in Form 6 of Appendix A to the Rules of Court (Cap. 322, R 5).

Notification of transfer of business

6.—(1) Every law corporation to which the business of a law firm has been transferred shall, within 7 days of the transfer, give notice in writing to every client of the law firm of the transfer and that with effect from the date of the transfer —

(a)	the law corporation shall replace the law firm as the provider of legal services to the client;
(b)	the possession of any documents held by the law firm for or on behalf of that client shall be transferred to the law corporation to be held for or on behalf of that client; and
(c)	any money or funds held by the law firm for or on account of that client shall be transferred to the law corporation to be held for or on account of that client.

(2) Every client to whom a notice under paragraph (1) has been given shall, if he objects to any of the matters referred to in paragraph (1)(a), (b) or (c), notify the law corporation of such objection within 14 days of the receipt of the notice.

(3) Every client who does not give any notice of his objection under paragraph (2) shall be deemed to have consented to the matters specified in paragraph (1)(a), (b) and (c).

Notification of change of particulars

7. Every law corporation shall, within 7 days of any change in the following particulars, notify the Council of such change:

(a)	particulars of all its directors and shareholders;
(b)	its registered address and the address of every branch office; and
(c)	its telephone and fax numbers.

Submission of lodged documents

8. Every law corporation shall, within 7 days of the lodgment of any document with the Registrar of Companies, submit to the Council such copies of the lodged document as the Council may require.

Accounts

9. The following rules relating to the keeping of accounts by solicitors shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to law corporations:

(a)	the Legal Profession (Deposit Interest) Rules (R 5);
(b)	the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Accounts) Rules (R 8);
(c)	the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Trust Accounts) Rules (R 9);
(d)	the Legal Profession (Accountant’s Report) Rules (R 10).

Made this 26th day of September 2000.

TAN CHIN NAM

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Law,
Singapore.

[LAW 32/001/8.13; AG/LEG/SL/161/97/3 Vol. 3]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 131 of the Legal Profession Act).

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