LEGAL hotshot Lucien Wong broke new ground for Singapore lawyers when he became the first local lawyer to be feted at an annual global awards ceremony for lawyers in London last week.

Mr Wong, managing partner at Singapore's biggest law firm, Allen & Gledhill, bagged the Chambers 2007 prize for outstanding contributions to the legal profession.

More than 600 distinguished lawyers from around the world attended the glittering 2007 Chambers Global Awards event at the London Hilton.

Chambers, a London-based legal intelligence and publishing firm, tracks the top lawyers and firms in 175 countries.

Among the other awards given out at the event were the global law firm of the year, and the firm of the year in various regions.

Chambers cited Mr Wong as 'one of Singapore's best-known and respected lawyers' and 'a hugely gifted corporate and financial services lawyer', with a portfolio of cases including some of the most notable and high-profile transactions in recent years.

'As someone who has sat on numerous law review committees, he has done more than most to fashion the future of Singapore law,'' it added.

Mr Wong, who is in his 50s, was called to the Singapore Bar in 1979.

He specialises in banking, corporate and financial services work, and has a considerable reputation for his involvement in international transactions, according to Allen & Gledhill's website.

Mr Wong is also a board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Singapore Airlines.