SD Legal is a recruitment firm focused on the Asia Pacific legal sector. They have over 20 years of experience recruiting lawyers across key markets in Asia including Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. Nathan Smith is a managing director and experienced in-house legal recruiter based in Asia for over 12 years. He has exclusive relationships with multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises, and family offices. The document provides a salary survey for 2021 on legal roles and compensation levels in Singapore.

1. T: +852 3752 0529 | M: +852 6508 2202
E: nathan.smith@sdlegal-asia.com
W: www.sdlegal-asia.com
Nathan Smith | Managing Director
SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE
SALARY SURVEY | 2021
SALARY SURVEY | 2021
SD Legal is a search firm focused on the Asia Pacific legal recruitment sector. Our goal is to provide candidates
with real time job opportunities from across the region; and to give hiring managers access to a candidate pool
that is unrivalled in depth and reach. The team at SD Legal have over 20 years of experience covering key hubs
including: Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo.
Nathan Smith is a highly trained and experienced In-House Legal & Compliance Recruiter, based in Asia for
over 12 years and covering key markets across the region (North Asia: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing + South
East Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines).
Nathan has a number of exclusive client relationships, centered around MNC’s, SME’s and Family offices.
This network is built on foundations of successful hiring and industry recommendations, please click here for
more details.
The SD Legal database has a number of exclusive relationships with lawyers from across the region, as well
as being a first port of call for lawyers looking to move and/or return to Asia. What makes this database
different is the weekly contact made by Nathan to each member, allowing hiring managers to access
lawyers who are perhaps not actively searching for a new role, but ‘open’ to exciting opportunities.
Positions we can assist with include: General Counsel, Legal Director, Senior Legal Counsel, Regional Counsel.
Other niche areas include: Head of Compliance, Trade Compliance, Employment Lawyers and IP specialists.
SD Legal - Who we are
What makes us different?

2. Legal Counsel (3-5 PQE)
Lower End (SGD) Higher End (SGD)
Pay: $8,000 - $10,000 Per Month
Bonus: AWS (13th month guarateed)
Languages: English and potentially Mandarin (increasing
requirement year on year)
Industry examples: Shipping, Logistics, Retail
Work: General focus, mainly Contracts and Compliance
Hours of work: 9am – 5:30pm
Background: Lawyers will be trained at a local law firm,
possibly Big 4 (Rajah & Tann, Allen & Gledhill, Wong
Partnership and Drew & Napier)
A requirement for Singapore / common law qualified
lawyers with no visa restrictions often priortised
Benefits: Culture, w/l balance and flexibility are high on
both the candidate and employer’s agenda
Pay: $10,000 - $12,000 Per Month
Bonus: 15-20%
Languages: English and potentially Mandarin (increasing
requirement year on year)
Industry examples: Big Tech, MNC’s, Funds and Family
Offices
Work: Transactional and Regulatory focused
Hours of work: 9am – 7pm
Background: Lawyers will be often be working at an interna-
tional law firm, focused on Corporate work
A requirement for Singapore Qualified lawyers and possibly
another bar (US/UK) with no visa restrictions will often take
priority
Benefits: Work is often focused on ground-breaking transac-
tional projects across South East Asia / APAC

3. Senior Legal Counsel (6-12 PQE)
Lower End (SGD) Higher End (SGD)
Pay: $11,000 - $13,000 Per Month
Bonus: 15-20%
Languages: Another Asian language preferred, often
Mandarin but dictated by the commercial teams focus in
Asia
Industry examples: Shipping, logistics, Retail, Start-ups
(often with lucrative LTI’s in place)
Work: General Corporate / Commercial (limited trans-
actional work), Team management, Collaboration with
other offices and senior stakeholders
Hours of work: 9am – 6pm
Background: Lawyers have a mixture of law firm and In-
House experience, mainly covering Commercial and
Compliance related matters
Solid stakeholder management skills and the ability to run
projects independently are required
Benefits: The opportunity to lead projects and be included
as part of the senior management team. At the same time,
a manageable w/l balance exists
Pay: $15,000 - $20,000 Per Month*
*Established Fintech and Funds / Family Offices paying
$24,000-$28,000 Per Month
Bonus: 25% + Long Term Incnetives (LTI’s)
Languages: English and Mandarin (increasing requirement
year on year)
Industry examples: Big Tech, MNC’s, Funds and Family
Offices
Work: Transactional / Regulatory focused, often working
globally and with significant exposure to senior stakeholders
Hours of work: 9am – 7pm (US / European Calls Early
Morning / Late Evening to be expected)
Background: Lawyers will be trained / working in an interna-
tional law firm such as US / Magic Circle
Lawyers will have stable cv’s and year on year can demon-
strate excellent performances through recommendations
and/or higher bonus payments
Benefits: Pay is above market rate, and the work will often
be transactional and globally focused. The LTI’s can be hugely
lucrative

4. Legal Director / Associate General Counsel (12-18 PQE)
Lower End (SGD) Higher End (SGD)
Pay: $20,000 - $25,000 Per Month
Bonus: 20-30%
Languages: Another Asian language preferred, often
Mandarin but dictated by the commercial teams focus in
Asia
Industry examples: MNC’s
Work: General Corporate / Commercial (some transactional
work), Team management, Key role as part of the global
legal leadership team
Hours of work: 9am – 7pm (US / European Calls Early
Morning / Late Evening to be expected)
Background: Lawyers will be leaders, In-House, demonstrat-
ing all skills mentioned above. The background will be stable
with a ‘hands on’ work ethic
Typically, successful candidates feel more comfortable
when working for Hong Kong / Chinese focused businesses
Benefits: Leading the legal function for Asia, managing a
small team of 1-3 and oversight of 2-3 regional offices
Pay: $25,000 - $30,000 Per Month*
*Established Fintech and Funds / Family Offices paying
$30,000-$35,000 Per Month
Bonus: 30-50% + Long Term Incentives (LTI’s)
Languages: English & Mandarin (increasing requirement year
on year)
Industry examples: MNC’s, Tech, Funds / Family Offices
Work: Transactional / Regulatory focused. Often includes
areas such as Fund raising, Stock listing, M&A, JV, Licence /
Govt work
Hours of work: 9am – 7pm (Projects with global count-
er-parts requiring unsociable times outside of standard office
hours)
Background: Lawyers will be leaders, In-House and hands on
with transactional work
Lawyers will take a senior approach to work with delegation
of short term actions to subordinates (if no team exists, this
will be external counsel)
Benefits: Pay is above market rate, and the work will often
be transactional and globally focused. At this level, dele-
gation of daily work to subordinates can be expected. This
allows for further involvement in group level activities

5. APAC General Counsel / Group General Counsel (20-25+ PQE)
Lower End (SGD) Higher End (SGD)
Pay: $30,000 - $40,000 Per Month
Bonus: 30-100%
Languages: English & Mandarin (increased demand to
enable oversight of Greater China from Singapore)
Industry examples: MNC’s such as Technology Hardware
Giants / Software winners through 2020’s surge
Work: Leading a team in Asia covering Team management,
Commercial, some Transactional work & Compliance
Background: Leaders will demonstrate previous project
wins across all legal and compliance related matters. Other
strengths include Corporate work such as M&A and JV, Team
Building/Management, Key role as a Steering Committee
Member
Typically, candidates will have stable CV’s working for a
successful company with direct reporting lines to the CEO
Pay: $40,000 - $50,000 Per Month*
*Established Fintech and Funds/Family Offices paying
$60,000-$80,000 Per Month
Bonus: 50-100% + Long Term Incentives (LTI’s) / Fund Related
Performance
Languages: English & Mandarin (increased demand to en-
able oversight of Greater China from Singapore)
Industry examples: Chinese Big Tech, Fintech, Established
Funds / Family Office
Work: Transactional (M&A), Commercial & Compliance.
Management of teams regionally and where needed globally
Background: Top tier law firm backgrounds and significant
years In-House at reputable and often overseas listed firms
Lawyers will form part of the senior management team and
have direct access to the board of directors. Lawyers will also
have significant influence over the commercial and opera-
tional sides of business
Expectations would be you are in the top 10% for people
management skills, physically and remotely, upwards /
downwards

6. SD Legal Limited
Suite 137, 13/F
Somptueux Central
52 Wellington Street, Central
Hong Kong