In Asia’s current success story, if Hong Kong is a stepping stone for China, then Singapore is destined to be the springboard for India and Southeast Asia. With career and professional growth in mind, Singapore has taken steps to liberalise industries across the board, and the legal services industry is no exception. It is gradually becoming the benchmark for legal practice in Asia, and ambitious lawyers from around the world are taking advantage of this.
The country’s commitment to becoming a top international legal services hub and creating career opportunities for international legal services talent is notable. In July, the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) proposed an easing of the entry requirements for foreign lawyers to practise corporate law in Singapore. It is recommending that foreign lawyers who pass a Foreign Practitioner Exam (FPE) and have at least three years’ experience be allowed to practise corporate law in Singapore in areas such as finance, banking and intellectual property, irrespective of their law degree.
