Lawyer Salary

The problem is the Singapore domestic legal market is too small and uncompetitive. The US/UK law firms are forced to self-report their data to Amlaw because their competitors are doing it. If they don't, then they just won't be included in the annual Amlaw rankings, which will be a severe hit to their market image (and ego).

Here, however, we only have a handful of big firms and none of them are under any pressure to report data because no one is going to "spoil market" by doing so first.

Which Big firms have started fully returning to office and which are still hybrid?

Thoughts on the Paul Hastings "non-negotiable expectations" slides?

I think that all those people expressing faux-politically-correct outrage online are being hypocrites.

Lawyering is a prestigious profession, so being always on, and on-call 24/7, is a basic requirement that one should have been mentally prepared for when he/she put their name on the law school application. Clients' demands have increased, but there's no reason why our spirit of excellence and turnaround time cannot similarly rise to meet those standards, especially when they are paying top dollar for our services and we are handsomely remunerated for it. The client is always right.

In short, you knew what you signed up for in this profession.

I hope our prestigious, market-leading and award winning local firms like Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP and WongPartnership LLP can similarly provide such incisive guidance to the next generation of young impressionable lawyers.

As a midlevel Big 4 lawyer, I certainly wish that someone had shared these pearls of wisdom with me way back when I was a baby lawyer. To all my Big 4 juniors out there, you're in the big leagues, which is a privilege, so act like it.

Agree?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

TSMP website indicated that they are offering 3.5k per month from 2025 onwards. 2.5k for the first 2 month

It's pretty bold for TSMP to have published the pay structure given how other firms have refused to or delayed revealing the new arrangement. What's Big4 pay for trainees gonna be?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I hope our prestigious, market-leading and award winning local firms like Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP and WongPartnership LLP can similarly provide such incisive guidance to the next generation of young impressionable lawyers.

As a midlevel Big 4 lawyer, I certainly wish that someone had shared these pearls of wisdom with me way back when I was a baby lawyer. To all my Big 4 juniors out there, you're in the big leagues, which is a privilege, so act like it.

Agree?

Hahahaha nice troll

Maybe when R&T and WP start paying NQs 15k a month, then they can demand 24/7 availability.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It's pretty bold for TSMP to have published the pay structure given how other firms have refused to or delayed revealing the new arrangement. What's Big4 pay for trainees gonna be?

From TSMP's website: "We offer a market leading starting salary upon call, with Part B course fees reimbursed for lawyers employed for a minimum tenure of one year with the Firm"

How much is this so called "market leading starting salary"? Got better than CC or Bakers?

currently studying law in malaysia. Is there any chance for me to break into the so-called chinatown firms that most sg lawyers are not so fond of.

Seems like I would have to take Masters in Law in SG, then one year of bar exam and another year of pupillage (or TC).

I don't see a future in the Malaysian legal market anymore. For transactional work, our country does not have enough deal flow. For litigation work, local firms pay worse than admin workers in corporations.

May I know what is the GPA cut-off for mid-tier firms? Thanks

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I don't see a future in the Malaysian legal market anymore. For transactional work, our country does not have enough deal flow. For litigation work, local firms pay worse than admin workers in corporations.

What about trying to get into the big names, e.g. Shearn Delamore, LH AG, Skrine, ZICO, Rahmat Lim, and Wong & Partners?

COL in Malaysia is so low I think you're still in good stead if you stay there and farm in 1 of these firms.

It's difficult to enter the SG legal market as a Malaysian qualified lawyer.

Firstly, your understanding on the admissions process is totally inaccurate, including the misconception that an SG LLM allows you to qualify in SG. Read up on the relevant LPA admission rules.

Secondly unlike Aussie, US or English law trained counterparts, you're unlikely to find work as a registered foreign lawyer (i.e. expat lawyer) here because Malaysian law advisory is simply not in demand, either as governing law of a cross-border deal or servicing Malaysian corporates who have set up shop in SG. Frankly, Japanese law is probably more in demand in SG than Malaysian law is, because of the number of Japanese MNCs here, and any Malaysian law expertise required is literally just across the border.

Thirdly, if you want take the foreign practitioner exams (FPE) route to qualify as a foreign practitioner (FP), you'll need to have gained 3 years' relevant legal experience so you might as well stay in Malaysia and gain the experience first.

But once you're 3PQE in Malaysia, is there really any point in starting from 0PQE in SG again? There are very few SG firms willing to take you on at the equivalent level here since you have virtually no value no them. Also, why would they bother hiring an FP to practice certain permitted areas of SG law when they have their pick of SG qualified Singaporean NQs (who are a dime a dozen here) who have unrestricted rights to practice in all areas of SG law?

Most firms who have actually hired Malaysian FPs do so because these FPs are pretty senior (partner or of counsel level) in Malaysia and can bring something to the table e.g. clients, or connections.

Your best bet is my initial point - get into the top Malaysian law firms and move here after you're a very experienced practitioner there. By then, you may find it's not worth the trouble.