Asia-Pacific legal social media pioneers of Conventus Law celebrate 2 years in business
Hong Kong-based digital legal pioneers at Conventus Law marked their second year in business with a celebratory event at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum on January 22, 2014. Conventus law is digital media platform designed to connect the Asia-Pacific legal community with business leaders from around the […]
US law firms likely to continue to follow clients to Asia
Anthony Lin, writing in The Asian Lawyer last week, outlined the prospects for American law firms in Asia for the foreseeable future. Lin’s predicts that the Asian marketplace will continue to grow, continue to attract US business, and hence continue to attract American law firms that […]
Asia-Pacific M&A activity high, characterized by intra-regional deals
LegalWeek.com reported this week that “Deal flow and value in the Asia Pacific, excluding Japan, last year soared to its highest level since 2001, according to new data from Mergermarket. The region saw 2,577 deal announcements in 2013 compared with 2,297 in 2012, marking a year-on-year […]
US law firms in renewed focus on Asia market
DLA Piper and Duane Morris have in recent months both initiated new drives to capture more work out of the Asia-Pacific region. Last December, DLA Piper announced “the appointment of [a] new three-strong Asia advisory committee…designed to create more synergies between the firm’s US and Asia […]
Singapore poised to become the capital-raising hub for Myanmar companies
Singapore is poised to become a magnet for Myanmar companies seeking growth opportunities as they emerge from isolation and face challenges with their banking and financial systems. Lawyers and financial advisors who work closely with Myanmar firms say about “six to 10 companies are considering a […]
61% of the world’s new internet users come from the Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific region is adding the newest internet users in the world — according to a new report just published by Jim Dougherty, social media analyst and commentator at Leaders West. According to the report: “Of the new connections between now and 2017, an estimated 61% will […]
U.S. Law Firms Facing Competitive Challenges in China
As Yun Kriegler outlined recently in The Lawyer, after spending ten years in Asia, U.S. law firm Vinson & Elkins decided to close its Shanghai office. In July 2013, the Houston-based firm announced that it will shut down its three-partner office to consolidate its China practice […]
The state of private equity in Asia in 2013
According to Julia Leong, Hong Kong’s Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, who spoke at the 12th HKVCA China Private Equity Summit on June 11 of this year: “The private equity industry is now a key player in Asia’s evolving financing landscape.” In her […]
Russian nuclear power investments in Vietnam an opportunity for lawyers
As the Voice of Russia recently reported: “Vietnam’s power industry plans to build 13 nuclear power units with an overall generating capacity of 15 gigawatts by 2030″. And Vietnam.net outlined: “The nuclear power market in Vietnam at present is estimated to be worth about $10 billion and […]
Foreign law firms “flying into” Singapore
Singapore’s central location in the high-growth ASEAN region, it’s status as a safe financial hub and the increasing ease by which foreign firms can access the country, has led to a recent increase in the influx of foreign law firms. Read more: Will Hong Kong’s law firms […]
US law firms set their sights on Asia
Phil Bolton of Global Atlanta reported yesterday that “With its acquisition of a California firm completed and the opening of a new office in Korea, the law firm of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP will be increasingly committed to international work and focusing even more intently on […]
Will Hong Kong’s law firms adapt to new competition?
LegalWeek.com reported this week that Australia-based fixed-fee law firm AdventBalance “has brought its unconventional business model to Hong Kong with the opening of an office in the city”. The firm “seconds senior lawyers to clients’ offices for specific projects and transactions; agreeing a fixed payable amount for the […]
Myanmar’s first investment bank reflects the region’s opportunity for professional services firms
The opening of the Myanmar economy to international trade and the democratization of the country has been widely reported around the world in recent months. As the New York Times reported: “After years of stagnation, change is coming to Myanmar at a rapid pace. Since taking office […]
Hong Kong legal social media entrepreneurs gaining traction
I met Stephen Lai, Managing Director of Hong Kong-based Conventus Law, in the eclectic Sheung Wan district, blending traditional and modern, located a mile away from Hong Kong’s gleaming office towers. A former Associate Publisher of Euromoney Legal Media Group (titles include IFLR, China Law & Practice, […]
Malaysian legal market opening to foreign firms
As Star Online reported from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Parliament — The Dewan Rakyat — passed the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill of 2012, which will soon allow foreign lawyers to open offices and practice law in Malaysia. What practices will foreign law firms be permitted to establish? Lee […]
Hong Kong, China gateway: An interview with Deacons Executive Partner, Jeremy Lam
Hong Kong is both a gateway into China, but also as a conduit for Chinese outbound foreign investment. As the China Daily reported recently, echoing a sentiment expressed earlier this year by Deacons Executive Partner Jeremy Lam in an interview in BusinessWeek. During the first half of […]
India’s legal industry growing rapidly
India’s legal services industry is growing at a rate of approximately 40% per year, according to a report by Daisy Khanna, of KPO Consultants, a New Delhi-based consulting company which provides business solutions exclusively to the Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) industry. While driven in large part […]
Opportunities for law firms in US-Korea trade
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association Annual Meeting begins tomorrow in Seoul – and this provides a good opportunity to outline what opportunities exist for lawyers in Korea and the US to capitalize upon the growing bilateral trade relationship between the two countries. Some background Just over one […]
Chinese law firm Yingke enters the Israeli legal market
The Lawyer magazine (UK) has reported that Chinese law firm Yingke has entered the newly liberalized Israeli legal market. The Lawyer reported that Yingke “merged with Israeli boutique firm Eyal Khayat Zolty, Neiger & Co, for its first step into the jurisdiction. The local firm has rebranded itself […]
Latin America–Asia trade growth offers law firms new opportunities
The high growth and increasingly mutually engaged economies of Latin America and Asia offer significant new business development opportunities to law firms and other professional services firms – provided they put in place and execute plans to effectively secure new cross-border business. Latin America – Asia […]
Foreign law firms can now access South Korea’s legal market
As a result of two recent landmark free trade agreements between South Korea, the European Union and the United States — the South Korean legal market will now be open for American and European law firms. According to Ranajit Dam’s article in Asian Legal Business, South […]
Impact of Asian legal market liberalization outlined at Seoul conference
A panel discussion at the Inter-Pacific Bar Association Annual Conference in Seoul, Korea last week focused on the impact of legal market liberalization on specific legal jurisdictions in the Asian legal market. Lawyers practicing in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Korea made presentations highlighting the […]
Asia Legal Market Projected to Double by 2017
6-7% growth in Asia’s legal services sector over the next 7-8 years is projected to transform the global legal services market‘s composition and structure, presenting a significant opportunity for law firms in Asia. Legal services market management consultant Alan Hodgart recently outlined these statistics at an […]