Legal Profession (Limited Liability Law Partnership) Rules 2006

No. S 654

Legal Profession Act

(Chapter 161)

Legal Profession (Limited Liability Law Partnership) Rules 2006

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 81ZB 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 (Limited Liability Law Partnership) Rules 2006 and shall come into operation on 1st January 2007.

Application for approval as limited liability law partnership

2.—(1) An application under section 81Q of the Act for approval of a limited liability partnership or proposed limited liability partnership as a limited liability law partnership and of the name or proposed name of the limited liability law partnership 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).

Appeal to High Court

3. An appeal to the High Court under section 81X of the Act against a decision of the Council shall be made by way of originating summons in Form 4 of Appendix A to the Rules of Court (Cap. 322, R 5).

Primary business

4. The primary business of a limited liability law partnership shall be the supply of legal services.

Partners

5. Every partner of a limited liability law partnership shall be an advocate and solicitor who has in force a practising certificate.

Notification of transfer of business

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

(a)	the limited liability law partnership shall replace the law firm or law corporation as the provider of legal services to the client;
(b)	the possession of any documents held by the law firm or law corporation for or on behalf of that client shall be transferred to the limited liability law partnership to be held for or on behalf of that client; and
(c)	any money or funds held by the law firm or law corporation for or on account of that client shall be transferred to the limited liability law partnership 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 limited liability law partnership 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 limited liability law partnership shall, within 7 days of any change in the following particulars, notify the Council of such change:

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

Submission of lodged documents

8. Every limited liability law partnership shall, within 7 days of the lodgment of any document with the Registrar of Limited Liability Partnerships, 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 limited liability law partnerships:

(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 8th day of December 2006.

CHAN LAI FUNG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Law,
Singapore.

[LAW06/005/038 Vol.2; AG/LEG/SL/161/2002/1 Vol.3]

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

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