Four more foreign law firms will be allowed to practice in Singapore after a second round of licences were awarded, the Law Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Under the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice Licences scheme foreign law firms are allowed to practice in all areas of law except domestic areas of litigation and general practice, like family or criminal law. They are given an initial five years licence period.

The four firms are: Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Jones Day, Linklaters and Sidley Austin. They join six other law firms awarded licenses in 2008.

Chosen from 23 applications, the four firms have "extensive global networks" and "deep expertise in key practice areas". This will support the growth of the economy here and the development of legal services, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that the scheme also aims to reinforce Singapore's position as a premier global and regional legal services hub.