Singapore law firm Oon & Bazul makes rare appointment of non-lawyer as equity partner

Kelly Ng

Published Sun, Dec 6, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

IN A rare move made within the legal circle, Singapore law firm Oon & Bazul has appointed its business development head, Abdul Malik Anwar Deen, as an equity partner.

Law firms are typically owned by senior lawyers, also called equity partners, who are responsible for generating the firm's revenue and entitled to a share of the profits. Non-lawyers typically do not take on this role, with the exception of some patent attorneys and economists, even though regulations in Singapore allow for it.

Mr Malik's appointment as partner was approved by the Ministry of Law on July 13 this year, making him the fifth equity partner at his firm.

The 45-year-old, who read economics and management as an undergraduate, has been at Oon & Bazul for over three years. At the mid-sized law firm, he manages a team of 16 professionals across the financial, information technology, human r…