Purpose
This Review Methodology explains how SG Lawyer Reviews researches and evaluates law firms.
Our reviews are intended to help readers understand a firm’s services, positioning, strengths, limitations, and potential suitability. They are not guarantees, professional accreditations, or substitutes for a client’s own due diligence.
Firms We Review
We may review:
- Singapore Law Practices
- Foreign law practices operating in Singapore
- Joint law ventures
- Formal law alliances
- Boutique practices
- Full-service firms
- Specialist firms
- Firms serving individuals
- Firms serving businesses and institutions
Different types of law practices may be authorised to provide different services. Therefore, we aim to describe the relevant practice structure accurately and avoid implying that every listed firm offers the same scope of Singapore law services. The Ministry of Law publishes information about the licensing and registration categories applicable to law practice entities.
How Firms Are Selected
A law firm may be selected for review because of:
- Its relevance to a major practice area
- Reader interest
- Search demand
- Public prominence
- Specialist expertise
- Geographic or client relevance
- A new service or market development
- A request from the firm
- A reader suggestion
- An editorial research project
A firm does not have to pay to be reviewed.
Similarly, payment does not guarantee publication or a favourable conclusion.
Research Sources
Our research may include:
- LSRA records
- The firm’s official website
- Lawyer biographies
- Public court judgments
- Professional directories
- Award publications
- Media coverage
- Interviews
- Written questionnaires
- Publicly available fee information
- User reviews
- Business directories
- Social and professional profiles
- Firm-submitted information
We assess the credibility, relevance, and recency of each source.
Statements made by a firm about itself may be included, but they are not automatically treated as independently verified facts.
Evaluation Criteria
Not every review will use every criterion. The weight given to each factor depends on the firm’s size, practice areas, target clients, and available evidence.
1. Practice-Area Relevance
We consider whether the firm clearly provides the legal service being reviewed.
Relevant factors may include:
- Number of lawyers in the practice
- Seniority of the team
- Duration of the practice
- Publicly disclosed experience
- Types of matters handled
- Industry specialisation
- Related publications and presentations
2. Lawyer Experience and Credentials
We may consider:
- Current practising status
- Professional background
- Years of experience
- Relevant qualifications
- Leadership positions
- Specialist experience
- Published work
- Professional recognition
We do not assume that years of practice alone determine quality.
3. Range and Depth of Services
We assess whether the firm appears capable of handling:
- Routine matters
- Complex matters
- Related legal issues
- Cross-border matters
- Disputes and transactions
- Individual or corporate client needs
A specialist boutique may score highly for depth even if it offers fewer overall services than a full-service firm.
4. Client Suitability
We identify the types of clients for whom the firm may be suitable, such as:
- Individuals
- Families
- Startups
- Small businesses
- Employers
- Employees
- Multinational companies
- High-net-worth individuals
- Foreigners
- Non-profit organisations
This is an editorial assessment, not a personalised recommendation.
5. Accessibility
We may consider:
- Contact methods
- Office location
- Online consultation options
- Languages
- Published operating hours
- Availability of initial consultations
- Accessibility of website information
We do not normally conduct anonymous enquiries merely to test response times unless this is disclosed.
6. Fee Transparency
We consider whether the firm publishes or clearly explains:
- Consultation fees
- Fixed-fee services
- Hourly rates
- Retainers
- Scope limitations
- Additional costs
- Payment arrangements
A lack of public pricing does not automatically indicate unreasonable fees. Many legal matters require an individual quotation.
7. Public Feedback
We may review publicly available client feedback to identify recurring themes.
However, public reviews have limitations. They may be:
- Unverified
- Emotionally influenced
- Incomplete
- Incentivised
- Manipulated
- Based on confidential facts unavailable to the public
- Focused on an outcome rather than service quality
We do not determine a firm’s overall quality solely from a simple average rating.
8. Recognition and Reputation
We may consider awards, rankings, appointments, and professional recognition.
However, we also consider:
- Who issued the recognition
- How recent it is
- Whether the methodology is public
- Whether participation required payment
- Whether the recognition applies to the firm, team, or individual lawyer
Awards do not guarantee results.
9. Quality of Public Information
We may assess whether the firm provides clear and useful information about:
- Its lawyers
- Practice areas
- Fees
- Contact options
- Legal processes
- Client responsibilities
- Relevant risks
A professional website alone does not prove service quality, but transparency can help prospective clients make informed decisions.
Review Scores
SG Lawyer Reviews may use numerical scores, star ratings, descriptive ratings, or no overall score.
Where a score is used, it represents an editorial assessment based on the methodology applicable at the time of review.
A score should not be interpreted as:
- A guarantee
- An official accreditation
- A regulatory assessment
- A prediction of case outcomes
- A substitute for interviewing the lawyer
Scores may change when information, methodology, or market conditions change.
Pros and Cons
Review pages may include “Pros” and “Cons” or “Strengths” and “Limitations.”
A limitation does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing or poor performance. It may simply identify that a firm:
- Focuses on particular clients
- Has limited public pricing
- Offers a narrower practice range
- Has one office
- Does not advertise certain consultation options
- May be better suited to complex than low-cost matters
Firm Participation
A law firm may be invited to:
- Confirm factual information
- Complete a questionnaire
- Explain services
- Provide fee information
- Identify key lawyers
- Supply supporting documents
- Respond to significant findings
Participation does not guarantee favourable coverage.
A firm’s decision not to participate does not automatically count against it.
Commercial Relationships
A reviewed firm may also be an advertiser, referral partner, or enhanced-profile customer.
When relevant, we disclose the relationship.
Commercial participation does not allow the firm to purchase a favourable independent review or prevent publication of legitimate criticism.
Review Updates
We may update reviews when:
- Lawyers join or leave
- A firm changes its name
- A merger occurs
- Practice areas change
- Offices open or close
- New fee information becomes available
- Regulatory status changes
- Material inaccuracies are identified
- Our methodology changes
The “last updated” date does not necessarily mean every fact on the page was reverified on that date.
Requesting a Review
Law firms may request editorial consideration through:
Email: business@sglawyerreviews.com
A request does not guarantee review, publication, timing, or favourable treatment.