Hong Kong Regulations

SOLICITORS (GROUP PRACTICE) RULES - SECT 9

Employment of unqualified staff

(1) The number of unqualified persons employed within a group  practice
(whether employed by a member of the group practice or by the group practice's
management company) shall not exceed 6 plus 8 times the number of solicitors
practising within the group practice.

(2) The number of unqualified persons employed by any member of a 
group practice shall not exceed 8 times the number of solicitors employed
full-time by that member.

(3) For the purposes of this section, persons employed otherwise than by a
member of a group practice (for example, by a service company established or
maintained by the member) but for the purpose of the member shall be deemed to
be persons employed by that member.

(4) For the purposes of this section, in calculating the number of unqualified
persons employed by a member of a group practice, the following shall not be
taken into account-

   (a)  trainee solicitors working for the member; or

   (b)  full-time law students working for the member-

        (i)    on a full-time or part-time basis during holidays and breaks;
               or

        (ii)   on a part-time basis during the academic year.

(5) Rule 4B(1) of the Practice Rules does not apply to a firm that is a
member of a group practice.

(6) Rule 4B(2) of the Practice Rules does not apply in relation to the
employment by a firm that is a member of a group practice of an unqualified
person who is in the employment of another member firm of the same
group practice but who is not in the employment of any firm outside the
group practice.