Singapore legislation

Regulation 43

of Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015

Regulation 43

Responsibilities relating to publicity within Singapore

Subregulation 1

When a legal practitioner publicises the legal practitioner’s practice or the practice of a law practice of which the legal practitioner is a director, a partner or an employee, the legal practitioner must ensure that —

(a)

any claim to expertise or specialisation can be justified;

(b)

the publicity does not make any direct or indirect mention of —

(i)

any past case in which, or any client for whom, the legal practitioner, the law practice or any member of the law practice had acted, if the provision of any such information will result in a breach of any duty of confidentiality owed to a client or former client of the legal practitioner or law practice; or

(ii)

the success rate of the legal practitioner, the law practice or any member of the law practice; and

(c)

the publicity does not make any comparison or criticism in relation to the fees charged, or the quality of the services provided, by any other legal practitioner or law practice.

Subregulation 2

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), the following factors may be taken into account in justifying any claim to expertise or specialisation:

(a)

academic qualifications;

(b)

experience;

(c)

proportion of working time involved;

(d)

level of success achieved;

(e)

complexity of law and practice;

(f)

significance of the matters involving the legal practitioner or the law practice of which the legal practitioner is a director, a partner or an employee;

(g)

assessment by peers.

Subregulation 3

When a legal practitioner who practised in a law practice is appointed to the judiciary —

(a)

any publicity relating to the law practice must not refer to the legal practitioner’s appointment to the judiciary during the tenure of the legal practitioner’s judicial office; but(b)this paragraph does not prohibit the inclusion of the legal practitioner’s name in the publicity, if the name appears as, or forms part of, the name of the law practice.

Subregulation 4

These Rules do not permit the doing of anything which may reasonably be regarded as touting by —

(a)

a legal practitioner;

(b)

a law practice; or

(c)

a director, a partner or an employee of a law practice.

Read in full context — Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 →