Applications open for Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licences

14 AUG 2008

14 Aug 2008 Posted in Press releases

  1. The Singapore Government has announced plans to liberalise the legal services sector, through the introduction of a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) Scheme. 1 The Scheme provides for licences to be given to foreign law practices (FLPs) to practise Singapore law in permitted areas through Singapore-qualified solicitors employed by them.

  2. Application forms for the QFLP licences are available from the Ministry of Law from today. Foreign law practices are invited to submit an application for a licence. The invitation for applications will close at 4:00pm (Singapore time), 9 October 2008.

  3. The applications will be considered by an Evaluation Committee chaired by Mr Teo Ming Kian, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance. The members will comprise Mr Heng Swee Keat, Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Mr Peter Ong, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ms Chan Lai Fung, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Law, and Mrs Koh Juat Jong, Solicitor-General, Attorney-General’s Chambers.

  4. The Evaluation Committee will advise the Attorney-General on the applications. A Selection Committee will then decide on the award of the QFLP licences taking into account the recommendations of the Attorney-General. The Selection Committee will be chaired by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, and will comprise Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, and Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

  5. In awarding the QFLP licences, account will be taken of factors such as the number of lawyers who will be based in the applicant FLP’s Singapore office, the areas of legal practice that the Singapore office will offer, the extent to which the Singapore office will function as headquarters for the region, the amount of offshore work that the Singapore office will do, and the FLP’s track record.

  6. It is expected that about 5 licences may be awarded though depending on the quality of the applications, this number may vary a little. The QFLP licencees will have up to 6 months to set up their QFLPs, and their licences will be valid for an initial period of 5 years from then.

[1] Previously known as the Qualifying Foreign Law Firm Scheme. The change dovetails with nomenclature in the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill 2008.

Last updated on 26 Nov 2012