Chapter:	159S	Title:	FOREIGN LAWYERS REGISTRATION RULES	Gazette Number:
Section:	7	Heading:	Qualification for registration as a foreign firm	Version Date:	30/06/1997

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a firm to which section 39B of the Ordinance applies is qualified to be registered as a foreign firm if-

(a) in the case of a firm that is a branch of an overseas firm-
(i) the overseas firm lawfully carries on the practice of law in its foreign jurisdiction;
(ii) the overseas firm has satisfied the Society that it is of good standing in every jurisdiction in which it has at any time within the past 5 years carried on the practice of law; and
(iii) at least one of the partners of the firm who intends to practise in Hong Kong-
(A) is a partner in the overseas firm;
(B) has, at the date of the application for registration, been associated on a full-time basis with the overseas firm for the immediately preceding period of 12 months and had, during the 4 years immediately preceding the commencement of that period, been so associated with the overseas firm for an additional period of not less than 12 months; and
(C) has been in the practice of the law for not less than 5 years; or
(b) in any other case-
(i) each of the partners of the firm who intends to practise in Hong Kong has satisfied the Society that he is of good standing in the foreign jurisdiction in which he is qualified to practise the law and in every jurisdiction in which he has at any time within the past 5 years practised the law;
(ii) one of the partners who intends to practise in Hong Kong is of substantial reputation in the foreign jurisdiction the law of which he is qualified to practise, or in a jurisdiction in which he has practised that law during the preceding 5 years; and
(iii) each of the partners who intends to practise in Hong Kong has been in practice of the law of a foreign jurisdiction in which he is qualified to practise for not less than 3 years.