Legal Profession Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 9A · Law Practice Entities
172. Licensed foreign law practice
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2023. 2 amendments in all.
A foreign law practice which intends to provide any legal services in Singapore must apply for a foreign law practice licence.
foreign law practice
“foreign law practice” means a law practice (including a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a body corporate, whether with or without limited liability) providing legal services in any foreign law in Singapore or elsewhere, but does not include a Singapore law practice;
The Director of Legal Services may, after consulting such authorities as he or she thinks fit, grant or refuse an application under subsection (1).
Director of Legal Services
“Director of Legal Services” means the Director of Legal Services appointed under section 2A(1);
An application under subsection (1) may be granted, and a foreign law practice licence may be issued, subject to —
such conditions as may be prescribed; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case.
A foreign law practice licence, despite anything to the contrary in Part 4, entitles the licensed foreign law practice to which the licence has been issued, during the period of validity of the licence —
licensed foreign law practice
“licensed foreign law practice” means a foreign law practice licensed under section 172;
to practise Singapore law in, and only in, such areas of legal practice and in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be prescribed; and
to such other privileges as may be prescribed or otherwise conferred by law.
A licensed foreign law practice must pay to the Director of Legal Services such licence fee at such times and in such manner as may be prescribed.
Where a licensed foreign law practice does not have any regulated foreign lawyer or solicitor registered under section 36E, the Director of Legal Services may revoke the foreign law practice licence of the foreign law practice in accordance with section 175.
regulated foreign lawyer
“regulated foreign lawyer” means a foreign lawyer who is registered under section 36B, 36C or 36D, or who is granted an approval under section 176(1), and includes, for the purposes of Part 7, a foreign lawyer whose registration under section 36B, 36C or 36D or approval under section 176(1) is cancelled or suspended, or lapses, after the commencement of disciplinary proceedings against the foreign lawyer;
With effect from 18 November 2015 —
a foreign law practice which, immediately before that date, was issued, or was deemed to have been issued, a licence under the repealed section 130E as in force immediately before that date is deemed, until the day on which that licence would otherwise expire or until the Director of Legal Services issues a foreign law practice licence to that foreign law practice under subsection (7) (whichever is the earlier) —
to be a licensed foreign law practice; and
to have been issued a foreign law practice licence subject to —
the conditions mentioned in subsection (3)(a);
the conditions (if any) imposed by the Attorney‑General under the repealed section 130E(3)(b) or (6) or 130P(5)(b) as in force immediately before that date, subject to which that licence was issued or was deemed to have been issued; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case; and
any undertaking provided by or in respect of that foreign law practice under the repealed section 130Q as in force immediately before that date is enforceable by the Director of Legal Services as if that undertaking were provided under section 179.
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and documents relating to any foreign law practice mentioned in subsection (6), and the Director of Legal Services may, upon receiving those particulars and documents, issue a foreign law practice licence to that foreign law practice, subject to the conditions mentioned in subsection (3)(a) and such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case, without any action on the part of that foreign law practice.
With effect from 18 November 2015 —
any application which was made before that date for a foreign law practice licence under the repealed section 130E as in force immediately before that date, and which is pending immediately before that date, is deemed to be an application for a foreign law practice licence under this section; and
any undertaking provided under the repealed section 130Q as in force immediately before that date, by a person making that application, is deemed to be an undertaking provided under section 179 by that person.
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and documents relating to any application referred to in subsection (8).