SG Lawyer Reviews

Conflicts of Interest Policy

1. Purpose

SG Lawyer Reviews aims to publish fair, independent, and transparent information about lawyers, law firms, and legal services in Singapore.

A conflict of interest may arise where a personal, professional, financial, or commercial interest could influence, or could reasonably appear to influence, an editorial decision.

This policy explains how SG Lawyer Reviews identifies, discloses, and manages actual, potential, and perceived conflicts of interest.

2. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to persons involved in the operation or editorial output of SG Lawyer Reviews, including:

  • Owners
  • Directors
  • Employees
  • Editors
  • Writers
  • Researchers
  • Reviewers
  • Contractors
  • Consultants
  • Advisory board members
  • Expert contributors
  • Commercial staff involved in editorial projects
  • Persons participating in ranking decisions

User-submitted reviews are also subject to conflict disclosure requirements under our User Review Policy.

3. Types of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict may arise from:

  • Ownership of or investment in a law firm
  • Employment by a law firm
  • Previous employment by a reviewed firm
  • Consultancy work
  • Referral arrangements
  • Advertising relationships
  • Affiliate relationships
  • Close personal relationships
  • Family relationships
  • Active or previous legal disputes
  • Gifts or hospitality
  • Political or advocacy involvement directly connected to the subject
  • Financial interests in a competing platform
  • Confidential information obtained through another role
  • Participation in a legal matter involving the subject
  • A strong personal grievance or loyalty

A conflict may exist even where the individual believes that they can remain impartial.

4. Disclosure Responsibilities

A person covered by this policy must disclose a relevant conflict as soon as reasonably practicable.

The disclosure should identify:

  • The lawyer, law firm, organisation, or subject involved
  • The nature of the relationship
  • Whether the relationship is current or historical
  • Whether money or another benefit is involved
  • Whether confidential information is held
  • The person’s proposed role in the editorial project

A failure to disclose a material conflict may result in:

  • Reassignment
  • Removal from a decision
  • Publication of a correction or disclosure
  • Withdrawal of content
  • Termination of a contributor or commercial relationship

5. Managing a Conflict

Depending on the circumstances, SG Lawyer Reviews may:

  • Assign the work to another writer
  • Remove a person from a ranking panel
  • Exclude a person from scoring
  • Require independent editorial review
  • Publish a disclosure
  • Limit access to confidential information
  • Decline the assignment
  • Commission an external review
  • Separate commercial and editorial staff
  • Cancel or postpone publication

The appropriate response will depend on the nature, seriousness, duration, and likely effect of the conflict.

6. Ownership and Financial Interests

SG Lawyer Reviews should disclose a material ownership or financial interest where the website, its owner, or a relevant decision-maker has an interest in:

  • A reviewed law firm
  • A legal services provider
  • A lawyer directory
  • A legal technology company
  • A lead-generation business
  • A litigation funding provider
  • A claims management business
  • Another company materially affected by the content

A person with a substantial financial interest should not ordinarily control the independent editorial conclusion concerning that interest.

7. Advertising and Sponsorship Conflicts

A lawyer or law firm may advertise on SG Lawyer Reviews while also appearing in independent editorial content.

Where this occurs:

  • Advertising should not determine editorial conclusions.
  • Payment should not determine organic ranking positions.
  • Commercial relationships should be disclosed where material.
  • Advertisers should remain subject to the same correction standards as non-advertisers.
  • Editorial staff should not promise favourable treatment.
  • Commercial staff should not promise changes to independent reviews.

The existence of an advertising relationship does not prevent SG Lawyer Reviews from publishing legitimate criticism.

8. Referral Relationships

SG Lawyer Reviews may receive compensation for enquiries, referrals, leads, or completed transactions.

Where a referral relationship is relevant to a recommendation or user journey, it should be disclosed in a reasonably clear manner.

Referral compensation must not be presented as evidence that a lawyer or law firm:

  • Is objectively superior
  • Is suitable for every user
  • Will charge lower fees
  • Will accept the matter
  • Will achieve a favourable outcome

9. Editorial Contributors

A lawyer, academic, consultant, or other expert contributing content should disclose:

  • Their employer or law firm
  • Relevant clients
  • Relevant professional affiliations
  • Financial interests
  • Participation in a matter being discussed
  • Commercial relationships with products or services mentioned
  • Other relationships that may affect the contribution

A contributor’s affiliation should be displayed where it assists readers in evaluating the content.

An expert contribution should not be presented as an independent review of the contributor’s own firm.

10. Reviews and Rankings Involving Former Employers

Previous employment does not automatically prevent a person from contributing to content about a law firm.

However, SG Lawyer Reviews should consider:

  • How recently the employment ended
  • The person’s previous seniority
  • Continuing financial interests
  • Continuing personal relationships
  • Access to confidential information
  • Any unresolved dispute
  • Whether a reasonable reader might question the person’s impartiality

Where the risk is material, the assignment should be reassigned or independently reviewed.

11. Personal Relationships

A person should not ordinarily review, score, or rank:

  • A close relative
  • A close friend
  • A current or former partner
  • Their personal lawyer
  • A lawyer representing a family member
  • A firm involved in their dispute
  • A firm against which they have an active grievance

A disclosure alone may not be sufficient where the relationship creates a substantial risk of bias.

12. Gifts and Hospitality

Persons working for SG Lawyer Reviews must not solicit gifts, travel, entertainment, or hospitality from lawyers or law firms.

Gifts or hospitality that could reasonably influence editorial judgement should be declined.

A nominal item may be accepted where refusing it would be impractical or discourteous, provided that:

  • It was not requested.
  • It is not connected to a promise of coverage.
  • It does not influence editorial judgement.
  • It is disclosed internally where appropriate.
  • It is not cash or a cash equivalent.

Sponsored travel should be disclosed within relevant content.

13. User Reviews and Conflicts

A user submitting a review must disclose whether they are:

  • A current or former employee
  • A competitor
  • A lawyer
  • A marketing provider
  • A paid promoter
  • A relative or friend of the lawyer
  • Connected to an opposing party
  • Involved in a commercial or employment dispute
  • Receiving an incentive

SG Lawyer Reviews may reject, remove, or label a user review where a conflict could materially mislead readers.

14. Sponsored Research and Surveys

Where research, a survey, report, or ranking is sponsored, SG Lawyer Reviews should disclose:

  • The sponsor
  • The nature of the sponsorship
  • Whether the sponsor supplied data
  • Whether the sponsor had editorial approval
  • Whether the sponsor influenced the methodology

A sponsor should not be permitted to suppress findings merely because the results are unfavourable, unless publication would breach a lawful confidentiality arrangement agreed before the research began.

15. Confidential Information

A person must not use confidential information obtained through:

  • Previous employment
  • Legal representation
  • Commercial negotiations
  • A private source
  • A profile verification process
  • A user complaint

Confidential information must not be used to benefit a contributor, advertiser, competitor, or related party.

16. Corrections and Retrospective Disclosures

Where a material conflict is discovered after publication, SG Lawyer Reviews may:

  • Add a disclosure
  • Reassign the content for review
  • Recalculate a ranking
  • Correct the article
  • Remove the affected material
  • Publish an editor’s note

The response should be proportionate to the effect of the conflict.

17. Complaints

Concerns about an actual, potential, or perceived conflict may be sent to:

Email: [editorial standards email address]
Email subject: Conflict of Interest Concern

Please include:

  • The relevant page URL
  • The person or organisation involved
  • The nature of the alleged conflict
  • Supporting information
  • Your contact details