Legal Profession Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 9A · Law Practice Entities
173. Representative office
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2014.
A foreign law practice which establishes a representative office in Singapore must give the Director of Legal Services notice in the prescribed manner of the establishment of that representative office, within 7 working days after the date of the establishment of that representative office.
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;
A foreign law practice which ceases to operate its representative office in Singapore must give the Director of Legal Services notice in the prescribed manner of such cessation, within 7 working days after the date of such cessation.
representative office
“representative office” means an office set up in Singapore by a foreign law practice to carry out only liaison or promotional work for the foreign law practice, without providing legal services in Singapore;
The Director of Legal Services must maintain a register of every representative office which is operated in Singapore by a foreign law practice.
Director of Legal Services
“Director of Legal Services” means the Director of Legal Services appointed under section 2A(1);
Every notice under subsection (1) or (2) must contain such particulars of the foreign law practice and the representative office as may be prescribed.
Where, immediately before 18 November 2015, any representative office of a foreign law practice was issued, or was deemed to have been issued, a representative office licence under the repealed section 130F as in force immediately before that date, that foreign law practice is deemed to have given the Director of Legal Services notice of the establishment of that representative office under this section, with effect from that date.
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of any foreign law practice, and any representative office of a foreign law practice, mentioned in subsection (5), and the Director of Legal Services may, upon receiving those particulars, enter those particulars in the register maintained under subsection (3), without any action on the part of that foreign law practice.