White & Case has been granted a four-year extension of its Qualifying Foreign Law Practice license in Singapore, allowing it to practice local law without having to form joint ventures or alliances with domestic law firms.

The New York-based firm was one of the first six firms granted a QFLP license in 2008, when Singapore introduced the program as part of a gradual liberalization of the city-state's legal market. The license allows foreign firms to practice certain areas of corporate law while prohibiting them from advising on litigation and appearing in court.

However, White & Case did not win a five-year renewal last year because it failed to meet certain revenue and head count requirements set by the government. Instead, the firm was granted a one-year extension, with a hearing set for this month when the government would decide if it had performed well enough to earn a full extension to 2019. White & Case declined to comment on the reasons for the delay in receiving a full extension and said that it couldn't comment on the government's targets because the terms and conditions of the license are confidential.