Hong Kong Regulations

SOLICITORS' PRACTICE RULES - RULE 4B

Control of employment of unqualified persons

(Past version on 30/06/1997).

(1) A firm shall not employ unqualified persons in a number more than 6 plus 8
times the number of resident principals and solicitors employed full-time in
that firm.

(2) No firm shall, except with the written approval of the Council, knowingly
employ any unqualified person who is in the part-time or full-time employment
of another firm. (L.N. 266 of 2000)

(3) For the purpose of this rule-

   (a)  persons employed otherwise than by a firm (such as by a service
        company set up by the principal or principals of the firm) but for the
        purposes of the firm shall be deemed to be persons employed in that
        firm;

   (b)  in calculating the number of unqualified persons employed in a firm,
        trainee solicitors and full-time law students working full-time or
        part-time during holidays and breaks or part-time during the academic
        year shall not be taken into account; and

   (c)  in calculating the number of resident principals and solicitors
        employed full-time in a firm, a solicitor shall not be taken into
        account in respect of more than one firm.

(4) A firm shall ensure that every name card of an employee who is an
unqualified person, being a card which bears the name of the firm, includes a
clear description of the capacity in which the employee is being employed.
(L.N. 99 of 1995) (L.N. 138 of 1993)