Legal Profession Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 9A · Law Practice Entities
153. Licensing of law corporations
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2014.
A solicitor who wishes to have a company or a proposed company licensed as a law corporation must apply to the Director of Legal Services for —
solicitor
“advocate and solicitor”, “advocate” and “solicitor” mean an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court;
the issue of a law corporation licence to the company or proposed company; and
the approval of the name or proposed name of the law corporation.
An application under subsection (1) must be made in accordance with rules made under section 166.
Subject to the provisions of this Division, the Director of Legal Services may, on receiving an application under subsection (1), issue a law corporation licence to the company or proposed company, if —
Director of Legal Services
“Director of Legal Services” means the Director of Legal Services appointed under section 2A(1);
the memorandum of association or constitution 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;
the articles of association or constitution of the company or proposed company provide for such matters as may be prescribed; and
the company or proposed company satisfies such requirements as may be prescribed.
Every law corporation licence issued under subsection (3) is subject to —
law corporation
“law corporation” means a company licensed as a law corporation under section 153;
such conditions as may be prescribed; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case.
If the Director of Legal Services issues a law corporation licence to a proposed company, the licence is not in force until the company is registered and incorporated under the Companies Act 1967.
A law corporation must pay to the Director of Legal Services such licence fee at such times and in such manner as may be prescribed.
Every company which was approved as a law corporation, under the repealed section 81B as in force immediately before 18 November 2015, and which continued to exist as such law corporation immediately before that date, is deemed to be licensed under this section, subject to the conditions mentioned in subsection (4)(a) and such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case, with effect from that date.
The Society may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and any documents relating to any company referred to in subsection (7), and the Director of Legal Services may, upon receiving those particulars and documents, issue a law corporation licence to that company, without any action on the part of that company.
Society
“Society” means the Law Society of Singapore established under section 37;
With effect from 18 November 2015, any application which was made before that date under the repealed section 81B(1) as in force immediately before that date, and which is pending immediately before that date, is deemed to be an application under subsection (1).
The Society may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and any documents relating to any application mentioned in subsection (9).