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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Now, more FT lawyers coming to SG !!!</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Jul-17 8:47 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 7) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>36207.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Jul 17, 2010
Foreign lawyers' numbers set to rise
Proposal to allow any foreign lawyer passing specified exam to practise corporate law here
<!-- by line -->By K.C. Vijayan, Law Correspondent
<!-- end by line -->
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MORE foreign lawyers may get to practise Singapore corporate law soon, as moves to liberalise entry into the legal sector here kick in.
Already, foreign lawyers account for nearly one in five lawyers, with about 920 foreign lawyers compared with about 3,800 other practising lawyers here.
But with moves such as the introduction of Maxwell Chambers, a world-class arbitration centre, to establish Singapore as a legal hub, the number of foreign lawyers looks set to grow.
The Singapore Institute of Legal Education (Sile) proposed in a report recently that foreign lawyers with at least three years' experience could be allowed to practise corporate law in such areas as banking, finance and intellectual property here - if they pass a Foreign Practitioner Exam (FPE).
Currently, foreign lawyers have to go for either of two examinations and they must hold law degrees from a list of recognised universities such as Monash University in Australia or New York University in the United States. Those out of the list had to be approved by the Attorney-General.
The proposed changes will allow any lawyer with three years' experience to have a chance to practise corporate law here, regardless of which university they come from, or what kind of law degree they hold, if they pass the FPE.
The Sile report, which is based on the results
of a survey sent to the managing partners of law firms here, noted that listing out in detail all recognised institutions, countries or types of degrees would be 'unwieldy, impracticable and unnecessarily restrictive'.
The move, if it goes through, could potentially open the door for candidates holding legal qualifications from China, the Middle East and South Africa, among others.
Foreign lawyers working here contacted by The Straits Times lauded the moves to expand their numbers.
Legal executive Ranjit Candra Sahar, 35, from K Ravi & Partners, who is a Bangladeshi and law graduate of Calcutta University, looks forward to the move. 'I have former university classmates who work in Sydney and London as lawyers and the move will give me the chance to do the same here.'
Romanian-trained lawyer Liviu Petrina, 33, from Colin Ng and Partners, said 'the wider the exposure to (lawyers from) different countries, the wider the choice of talent'.
'In the commercial world, it is your ability that matters rather than where you come from. If your client is happy with your work, then you have a deal. One cannot afford to be protectionist in such matters,' said Mr Petrina who is also London- trained.
When contacted, Senior Counsel Wong Meng Meng, vice-president and president-elect of the Law Society, said it was still premature to comment in detail, but added that 'liberalisation of the legal sector is inevitable given our small size'.
'While it is true that liberalisation does pose a threat, lawyers can and should make the most of the increased specialisation and domain knowledge that foreign firms can bring,' he said.
He also noted that having lawyers of international standing here should raise the level of legal capability and enrich the profession, which should in turn attract more investment and legal work.
'The process of turning a threat into a beneficial process is difficult, but it is doable,' he said.
The Sile report is available at the Singapore Academy of Law website (www.sal.org.sg). Feedback may be sent to [email protected] by July 30.
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Foreign lawyers' numbers set to rise
Proposal to allow any foreign lawyer passing specified exam to practise corporate law here
<!-- by line -->By K.C. Vijayan, Law Correspondent
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
MORE foreign lawyers may get to practise Singapore corporate law soon, as moves to liberalise entry into the legal sector here kick in.
Already, foreign lawyers account for nearly one in five lawyers, with about 920 foreign lawyers compared with about 3,800 other practising lawyers here.
But with moves such as the introduction of Maxwell Chambers, a world-class arbitration centre, to establish Singapore as a legal hub, the number of foreign lawyers looks set to grow.
The Singapore Institute of Legal Education (Sile) proposed in a report recently that foreign lawyers with at least three years' experience could be allowed to practise corporate law in such areas as banking, finance and intellectual property here - if they pass a Foreign Practitioner Exam (FPE).
Currently, foreign lawyers have to go for either of two examinations and they must hold law degrees from a list of recognised universities such as Monash University in Australia or New York University in the United States. Those out of the list had to be approved by the Attorney-General.
The proposed changes will allow any lawyer with three years' experience to have a chance to practise corporate law here, regardless of which university they come from, or what kind of law degree they hold, if they pass the FPE.
The Sile report, which is based on the results
of a survey sent to the managing partners of law firms here, noted that listing out in detail all recognised institutions, countries or types of degrees would be 'unwieldy, impracticable and unnecessarily restrictive'.
The move, if it goes through, could potentially open the door for candidates holding legal qualifications from China, the Middle East and South Africa, among others.
Foreign lawyers working here contacted by The Straits Times lauded the moves to expand their numbers.
Legal executive Ranjit Candra Sahar, 35, from K Ravi & Partners, who is a Bangladeshi and law graduate of Calcutta University, looks forward to the move. 'I have former university classmates who work in Sydney and London as lawyers and the move will give me the chance to do the same here.'
Romanian-trained lawyer Liviu Petrina, 33, from Colin Ng and Partners, said 'the wider the exposure to (lawyers from) different countries, the wider the choice of talent'.
'In the commercial world, it is your ability that matters rather than where you come from. If your client is happy with your work, then you have a deal. One cannot afford to be protectionist in such matters,' said Mr Petrina who is also London- trained.
When contacted, Senior Counsel Wong Meng Meng, vice-president and president-elect of the Law Society, said it was still premature to comment in detail, but added that 'liberalisation of the legal sector is inevitable given our small size'.
'While it is true that liberalisation does pose a threat, lawyers can and should make the most of the increased specialisation and domain knowledge that foreign firms can bring,' he said.
He also noted that having lawyers of international standing here should raise the level of legal capability and enrich the profession, which should in turn attract more investment and legal work.
'The process of turning a threat into a beneficial process is difficult, but it is doable,' he said.
The Sile report is available at the Singapore Academy of Law website (www.sal.org.sg). Feedback may be sent to [email protected] by July 30.
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