CIRCULAR 21-188 (COM)

1. The Law Society has sent out application forms for renewal of registration as a foreign lawyer on 1 April 2021 to all foreign lawyers currently working in solicitors’ firms and foreign firms.Application forms for renewal of registration as a foreign firm were also sent to all foreign firms on the same day.
2. Foreign lawyers and the representatives of foreign firms who have not received their forms by 15 April 2021 should contact Mr. Kelvin Fung, Registration Officer at 2846 0565 or by email at foreign@hklawsoc.org.hk.Duly completed and signed application forms should be submitted to the Law Society on or before the statutory deadline of 15 May 2021.Please note that the Law Society is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.Applicants should take note that 15 May 2021 is a Saturday when making arrangement to deliver their completed forms to the Law Society.
3. Pursuant to Section 1 and the Schedule to the Foreign Lawyers Registration (Fees) Rules (Cap. 159U), the fee for renewal of a certificate of registration as a foreign lawyer that takes effect on 1 July 2021 is reduced to HK$4,500 and the fee for renewal of a certificate of registration as a foreign firm that takes effect on 1 July 2021 is reduced to HK$6,000.
4. The 2021/2022 Certificate of Registration as a Foreign Lawyer and a Foreign Firm will bear the date of issue if the applications are received after 15 May 2021 and cannot be processed before 1 July 2021.Priority will be given to those applications which are submitted on time.
5. The Law Society takes a serious view of late renewal of registration as a foreign lawyer and as a foreign firm.Late submissions will be referred to the Conduct Section of the Law Society for investigation.
6. Rule 6(1) of the Foreign Lawyers Registration Rules (Cap. 159S) provides that a certificate of registration as a foreign lawyer is subject to the condition that there shall be in existence at all times a policy of insurance under which the foreign lawyer is entitled to be indemnified, in respect of services rendered by him while acting or practising as a foreign lawyer, in a manner and to the extent similar to the indemnity provided to a solicitor under the fund established under section 3 of the Solicitors (Professional Indemnity) Rules (Cap. 159M), and if at any time there is not in existence such a policy the person's registration as a foreign lawyer shall be deemed to have been suspended.

Please be reminded that a foreign lawyer must not offer his/her services to the public as a practitioner of foreign law without a current certificate of registration.