Lawyer Salary

Originally Posted by Unregistered

We need to differentiate between various JLVs.

Most JLVs do not pay more than local firms - they are basically local firms. Examples are Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee, RHT Law Taylor Wessing, Dentons Rodyk, Morgan Lewis Stamford.

Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow pays higher, as correctly stated by the poster above.

Clifford Chance - Cavenagh Law pays even higher, apparently double that of big 4 lawyers.

The mid levels of 4-5 PQE is when many lawyers in local firms seek to jump to international firms simply because the pay is higher. If the pay in local firms was higher, there would be nobody wanting to jump to international firms - this is obviously not the case.

So would you consider Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow and Clifford Chance - Cavenagh Law "truly" international law firm vis a vis the international legal industry?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So would you consider Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow and Quite Clifford Chance - Cavenagh Law "truly" international law firm vis a vis the international legal industry?

Not the above poster but -

Baker isn't a tie up with a local firm, unlike some of the other jlvs. Wong and Leow was set up by "Baker" (I put the "" because there's no 'home' jurisdiction as Baker is a verein) partners (Edmund Leow and Wong Kk, I think) so that Baker can legally operate in singapore. That said I wouldn't rank Baker as a "truly" international firm for the purposes of employment because they don't pay nearly as high and don't offer trainees dual qualification.

On the other hand, I would consider CC to be a truly international firm due to the pay and the dual qualification. CC is the only firm I know of that gives trainees dual qualification in singapore and another jurisdiction (UK or HK)

I wonder who will be sitting in their sad little dorm rooms, jerking off to porn and wishing he could come back to Asia now that Britain is becoming a cesspool after Brexit.

hint: PIPPA

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Not the above poster but -

Baker isn't a tie up with a local firm, unlike some of the other jlvs. Wong and Leow was set up by "Baker" (I put the "" because there's no 'home' jurisdiction as Baker is a verein) partners (Edmund Leow and Wong Kk, I think) so that Baker can legally operate in singapore. That said I wouldn't rank Baker as a "truly" international firm for the purposes of employment because they don't pay nearly as high and don't offer trainees dual qualification.

On the other hand, I would consider CC to be a truly international firm due to the pay and the dual qualification. CC is the only firm I know of that gives trainees dual qualification in singapore and another jurisdiction (UK or HK)

Seems that the big fours are keeping their starting salaries consistent with last year. Smaller firms have reduced their starting pay. Are international firms/ JLVs keeping it status quo or are they raising? Last I heard Clyde & Co has the highest starting pay after Clifford Chance but below Baker.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seems that the big fours are keeping their starting salaries consistent with last year. Smaller firms have reduced their starting pay. Are international firms/ JLVs keeping it status quo or are they raising? Last I heard Clyde & Co has the highest starting pay after Clifford Chance but below Baker.

Not sure about starting salaries but call breaks are getting shorter haha - some of my seniors got less than 10 days

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Not sure about starting salaries but call breaks are getting shorter haha - some of my seniors got less than 10 days

Really? Call breaks are unpaid. The trainees I know are getting their 4 weeks.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Really? Call breaks are unpaid. The trainees I know are getting their 4 weeks.

Yep guess so. Tho at this point I think the trainees would rather have the 4 weeks

Originally Posted by Unregistered

We need to differentiate between various JLVs.

Most JLVs do not pay more than local firms - they are basically local firms. Examples are Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee, RHT Law Taylor Wessing, Dentons Rodyk, Morgan Lewis Stamford.

Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow pays higher, as correctly stated by the poster above.

Clifford Chance - Cavenagh Law pays even higher, apparently double that of big 4 lawyers.

The mid levels of 4-5 PQE is when many lawyers in local firms seek to jump to international firms simply because the pay is higher. If the pay in local firms was higher, there would be nobody wanting to jump to international firms - this is obviously not the case.

It's important to clarify though that CC requires one to undergo a two-year training contract to get UK-qualified. So you won't be drawing 'associate' pay for a while longer.

On a related note, how are UK-qualified lawyers' PQE translated in Singapore? I assume that SG lawyers must take a qualification discount when hopping to international firms - does it work the other way round for UK lawyers wanting to join the Big 4?

Any clue on the salaries of Baker? I heard it's about 6K+, just minimally higher than Big 4.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Any clue on the salaries of Baker? I heard it's about 6K+, just minimally higher than Big 4.

It's slightly more than JLC.