Clifford Chance has been given a bollocking by a Singaporean government minister this week.

The republic's rabidly protectionist legal community refuses to allow foreign firms to conduct local litigation. However Clifford Chance got round this restriction by entering into a formal alliance with a local litigation boutique, Cavenagh Law, under the umbrella "Clifford Chance Asia", and then putting out a press release stating that it was the "first full-service firm in Singapore offering litigation advice".

And so an almighty row broke out. Questions were asked in parliament, and Law Minister K Shanmugam said that the remarks were misleading and "conveyed an inaccurate picture" of what the firm was allowed to do. The ministry contacted CC to complain, and that resulted in the firm hastily removing the statement from its website and putting out a grovelling statement that "Singapore has a great future as a global business and legal hub and we are proud to play our part in supporting the Republic in achieving its ambitions".

    The message sent to Clifford Chance by Singapore's Law Minister*

So face has been saved, and Clifford Chance can carry on with its joint venture in Singapore as long as it doesn't issue adverts that might be misunderstood. In a carefully worded statement a spokesman from Clifford Chance told RollOnFriday that the alliance with Cavenagh was "approved by the Ministry of Law and the Attorney-General's Chambers" and "has at all times fully complied with all applicable regulations and will continue to do so".


*Not really. Please don't flog us.
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