Regulation 72
Application for, and condition of, approval under section 176(9) of Act
of Legal Profession (Law Practice Entities) Rules 2015
Subregulation 1
Every Singapore law practice must, before entering into any arrangement with a foreign law practice that may result in the foreign law practice —
becoming a shareholder in the Singapore law practice, if the Singapore law practice is a law corporation; or
sharing in the profits of the Singapore law practice,apply to the Director of Legal Services for the approval of the Director of Legal Services under section 176(9) of the Act.
Subregulation 2
It is a condition of an application under paragraph (1) that the Singapore law practice satisfies all general threshold requirements.
Subregulation 3
On receiving an application under paragraph (1), the Director of Legal Services may —
approve the application subject to such conditions as the Director of Legal Services thinks fit; or
reject the application on such grounds as the Director of Legal Services thinks fit.
Subregulation 4
The Director of Legal Services must notify the applicant in writing of the decision of the Director of Legal Services under paragraph (3).
Subregulation 5
If an approval under section 176(9) of the Act is granted, the Director of Legal Services must issue the applicant a certificate of approval.
Subregulation 6
It is a condition of an approval under section 176(9) of the Act granted pursuant to an application made by a Singapore law practice that the Singapore law practice satisfies all general threshold requirements and all profit threshold requirements so long as the approval is in force.
Subregulation 7
Despite paragraph (6), where an approval under the repealed section 130L(6) of the Act as in force before 18 November 2015 was granted pursuant to an application for that approval made before that date by a Singapore law practice, and that approval is deemed under section 176(11) of the Act to be an approval under section 176(9) of the Act, it is a condition of that approval that the Singapore law practice satisfies all of the following requirements (instead of the general threshold requirements and the profit threshold requirements) so long as the approval is in force:
the foreign collaboration (general) requirements in rule 3A(1) of the revoked Legal Profession (International Services) Rules 2008 (G.N. No. S 481/2008) as in force immediately before that date;
the foreign collaboration (profit) requirement in rule 3A(2) of those Rules as in force immediately before that date.
Subregulation 8
Without prejudice to any other powers of the Director of Legal Services to cancel an approval under section 176(9) of the Act, the Director of Legal Services may cancel such an approval if —
the Singapore law practice, or the foreign law practice, fails to comply with any undertaking given to the Director of Legal Services upon making the application or with any condition of the approval;
the partner or director of the Singapore law practice who gave any such undertaking fails to comply with that undertaking or with any condition of the approval; or
the Singapore law practice, the foreign law practice or a partner or director of the Singapore law practice applies in writing for such cancellation.