Nine Qualifying Foreign Law Practice Licences Renewed

29 DEC 2020

29 Dec 2020 Posted in Press releases

  1. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) will renew the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licences of all the nine firms in Singapore that are currently on the QFLP scheme. The QFLP licences have been renewed, subject to conditions (as per past practice) including the requirement to meet quantitative and qualitative targets. The firms are:
  • Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Jones Day, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright, Sidley Austin and White & Case.
  1. Introduced in 2008, the QFLP scheme seeks to support the growth of key economic sectors in Singapore, grow the legal sector and offer additional opportunities for Singapore lawyers, through allowing Foreign Law Practices (FLPs) with QFLP licences to practise in permitted areas of Singapore law1.
  1. The QFLPs have contributed strongly to the growth of our legal sector. Since 2013, when the second batch of QFLPs was awarded, QFLPs have generated more than S$3.07 billion in offshore revenue. The QFLPs also currently employ about 190 Singapore qualified lawyers in their Singapore office.

Renewal process

  1. In determining the renewal of the licence and the tenure of the licence, MinLaw took into account each firm’s quantitative and qualitative performance during the licence period relative to its earlier commitments, as well as the firm’s contributions to Singapore. In addition, MinLaw considered the firm’s proposal for the new licence period in the following areas:
  • The value of work that the firm’s Singapore office will generate;
  • The number of lawyers who will be based in the firm’s Singapore office;
  • The firm’s plans to expand current practice areas and establish new practice areas through its Singapore office;
  • The level of training and career opportunities offered to Singapore lawyers; and
  • The extent to which the Singapore office will conduct the firm’s leadership functions in the region and beyond.

MINISTRY OF LAW
29 DECEMBER 2020

1. Permitted areas are all areas except domestic areas of litigation and general practice, for example, criminal law, retail conveyancing, family law and administrative law. The QFLPs can practise permitted areas of Singapore law through Singapore-qualified lawyers with practising certificates or foreign lawyers holding the foreign practitioner certificate.↩

Last updated on 29 Dec 2020