Category: Asia Legal Market
India Attracts Largest E-Commerce Deal
India’s potential for high growth in retail came to the forefront with the acquisition of its biggest homegrown online retail company. The high economic growth prospects were reaffirmed by the IMF. There will be a new system for monitoring foreign investment in listed entities. The current […]
China announces plans to further liberalize its’ legal market
China Daily reports today that China “will further open up its services sector by expanding a pilot program for innovative development of trade in services.” The decision was taken yesterday at an executive meeting of China’s State Council, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. As a result […]
India receives high economic growth forecasts
The global discussions around India’s economic growth continue to gather focus as we enter into the fifth and final fiscal year for the current Government. There was a mixed response from various international agencies, which we have captured below. Asian Development Bank. Asian Development Bank (ADB) […]
India virtually closes the door to the entry of foreign law firms
The much awaited verdict of the Supreme Court of India was pronounced recently which virtually closed the door for the entry of foreign law firms. The Government has drafted an updated defence policy which seeks to increase foreign direct investment in the sector. India and Canada […]
Asian law firms prominent at Israel’s 4th Foreign Law Firms conference
Israel’s 4th annual foreign law firms conference took place on February 26 in Tel Aviv. Organized by Robus Legal Marketing in association with the Tel-Aviv District of the Israel Bar Association, the conference brought together over 400 attorneys, with over 130 representatives from law firms around […]
Global Corruption Index Dampens India’s Governance
The Central Government’s financial budget was announced wherein some foreign investment-related policies were mentioned. There were changes proposed for foreign portfolio investors. The Indian Prime Minister declared India to be one of the most open economies in the world. However, the dampener was India’s downward movement […]
Sweeping Changes to India’s FDI Policy
2018 began with a bang for foreign investors as India made multi-fold changes to its FDI Policy. The IMF also forecast India would become the fastest-growing economy in 2018 and 2019. The Bar Council of India denounced the changes suggested by the Law Commission of India. […]
Asia-Pacific Investors: How to Avoid Legal Risks When Investing In California
What Legal Risks Do Foreign Investors Take When Expanding into an Overseas Market? If you’re running your own business and it’s been doing great in your own country, you might have looked into expanding its current reach to a foreign country so that you can share […]
The New Year’s Resolutions lawyers should make for 2018
Go to the gym more, eat less chocolate, save more money – all common New Year’s resolutions and ones which, by February, will inevitably be broken. But, there is one resolution all lawyers should make and commit to for 2018 – creating more time for their […]
India’s Indigenous Progress
As 2017 draws to a close, the Indian Government’s initiatives on ‘Make in India’ seems to have made significant progress in one industry. The labour law reforms undertaken by the Government in the last three years have been summarized recently in the Parliament. A Harvard Law […]
30 People to Watch in the Business of Law in Asia in 2018
As we approach the beginning of 2018 — Asia Law Portal continues its’ tradition begun in 2015 and followed up in 2016 and 2017 — of naming 30 people to watch in the business of law in the coming year. In retrospect — if 2017 were […]
What makes Sports Law unique? An interview with Richard Wee
Richard Wee joined Kuala Lumpur-based MahWengKwai & Associates in 2016, where he established the firms Sports Law Practice Group. Now head of Richard Wee Chambers, Wee is recognized locally and regionally for pioneering this niche, in this Q&A with Asia Law Portal he describes what makes […]
India’s All-round Improvement & Crowning Glory
There were landmark achievements by India this month. The most prominent being the phenomenal jump in its World Bank Ease of Doing Business Rankings. India’s credit rating improved. Internally, the GST rates of a large number of items were rationalized. Further, there was progress on the […]
The Great Legal Reformation: Notes from the Field
The beginning of the Great Legal Reformation lacks the precision of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church, but upheaval in legal services delivery most certainly accelerated and gained strength with the financial crisis of 2008. Since that time, legal […]
Will India Move Up in the World Bank Rankings?
The Government of India continues to take steps to improve ease of doing business in India. Various reports have been published by the media recently reflecting an expected improvement in the World Bank’s ranking for India, due to be published shortly. There are other areas and […]
Nominations now open for 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2018
In January of 2015 Asia Law Portal published the inaugural annual: 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2015 and in 2016 published: 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2016. In 2017: 30 people to watch in the business […]
What opportunities exist for foreign investors in the Maldives?
As the Maldives Mission to the European Union details on its’ website: “Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) has always played a crucial role in the economic development of the Maldives. The Government acknowledges the importance of foreign investment and continues to recognize its importance for economic development […]
Lawyers: 5 Steps to Overcome Procrastination
Many lawyers admit that procrastination is a problem. If one can begin by admitting that it is difficult to manage time — this is a good beginning. Read More: India: FDI Policy Boosts Start-ups Ben confessed. “Sure, I admit that I procrastinate in my law practice. […]
India: FDI Policy Boosts Start-ups
India’s consolidated foreign direct investment policy was finally issued recently. The real estate sector is attracting significant foreign investment. Following up on last month’s activities, there was a further development relating to entry of foreign law firms in India. And a very important decision relating to […]
Second Regional Law Firm Management Forum set for Singapore, Nov 3, 2017
The Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA), along with the Law Council’s Australian Law Management Group, held its inaugural Regional Law Firm Management Forum in Singapore late last year. The Second Regional Law Firm Management Forum is now set to take place Friday November 3, 2017, […]
US law firms face possible roll-back of South Korean legal market access
As the Washington Post reported last week, U.S. President Donald Trump is contemplating withdrawing the United States from the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). As the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) details on its website, KORUS entered into force on March 15, 2012, with […]
International Bar Association (IBA) now offering Executive LLM on global legal issues
The International Bar Association (IBA) and King’s College London are now collaborating to offer an Executive LLM focused on preparing students to confront some of today’s most challenging global legal Read More: US law firms face possible roll-back of South Korean legal market access In-house and […]
Why is Africa becoming so important for Asian law firms?
Are you considering Africa? Asia? The opportunities for law firms are abundant
Indian Prime Minister Pushes For Entry of Foreign Law Firms
The activities relating to entry of foreign law firms in India gathered pace this month as the Government actively took initiatives. The biggest impetus to keep the momentum going was the Prime Minister’s views and directives to enable the Government machinery to expedite. Some major changes […]
LexisNexis continues to help advance the rule of law in Asia-Pacific
Looking across the global landscape today, it’s not hard to see the serious and often severe challenges facing society, particularly for the four billion people living outside the umbrella protection of the rule of law. As a company, the LexisNexis core mission to advance the rule […]
In-house Associations HKCCA and ACC Form Alliance to Better Serve Hong Kong Legal Community
Though in-house lawyers may work across dozens of industries and for hundreds of different companies, their concerns, challenges, and goals share more similarities than differences. Peer-to-peer networking opportunities, education focused specifically on the needs of working in-house, and resources tailored to corporate practice are invaluable in […]
Chief Justice of India Inclined Toward Entry of Foreign Law Firms
India’s fast track regime for FDI approvals has become a reality now with the publication of the standard operating procedures in this regard. An additional condition has been proposed in Mauritius which will add to the compliance for companies routing their FDI into India through the […]
India: Fast Tracking FDI approvals
India is moving towards a fast track regime for FDI approvals. The Government has initiated the process for creating standard operating procedures in this regard. FDI, being a critical factor, has contributed to improving India’s balance of payment. The growing importance of India can be gauged […]
The Impact of third party funding on Hong Kong as a centre for International Arbitration
As recently as 14th June 2017, Hong Kong became the latest jurisdiction to permit third-party funding in international arbitration by passing legislation to amend the Arbitration Ordinance (Cap. 609). The amendment is likely to take effect later this year, giving time for a code of conduct […]
Modi’s Third Anniversary Achievement – India Retains Top FDI Recipient Rank
India was able to retain its top position in greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) by beating China and the United States for the second year in a row. The Government’s continuous efforts to improve the FDI climate in the last year have achieved desired outcomes. As […]
India’s Law Commission Frames Rules to Recognise Foreign Lawyers
The Supreme Court has expressed its concern over unsatisfactory regulatory mechanism governing the advocates and observed in a case that there was an urgent need to review the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961. The Law Commission of India, a body which looks into legal reforms, […]
Asia’s NewLaw leaders explain their strategies for a more competitive 2017 market
International law firm Pinsent Masons is expanding its NewLaw secondment business Vario into Australia later this year, as The Journal of The Law Society of Scotland reported last month. As the article detailed, Vario has a pool of 300 professionals and revenue growth was more than […]
Legal services disruption in India: Risks and opportunities
For those lawyers and legal services sector professionals about to gather in Mumbai for IDEX Legal’s Asia Law Firm Management Congress (ALFMC) April 20th – thoughts of legal market liberalization and change hastened by technology are taking center-stage. But what do these things mean? And what […]
India Beats Demonitisation to Remain Fastest Growing Economy
India remains the fastest growing economy notwithstanding the predicted contraction due to demonitisation last November. This fact was also recognized in the recent elections in five states, where BJP was a winner in four states. The party at the centre, BJP was able to secure the […]
India: Budget Boost for Foreign Investment
Foreign Investment got a fillip in the Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley earlier this month. It marked the best budget-day gain for Indian stocks in 12 years, with the Bombay Stock Exchange’s (BSE’s) benchmark Sensex gaining 1.74% to close at a three-month […]
India Sixth Great Power in 2017
While the Indian economy seemed to have recovered from the demonitisation drive, the year began on a promising note with India making it to the sixth position in a global list of top eight great powers in 2017. Although political parties are gearing up for upcoming […]
Malaysia’s Chief Justice and Bar President express support for NewLaw
Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said allowing more tasks to be done online – from online filing for criminal matters and appeals to online bidding on auctions – would improve accessibility and better serve the public. Read more: India Sixth Great Power in 2017 “The E-bidding […]
New book “Big Law” “exposes the secrecy, deception, and machinations” underlining powerful mega law firms
A new novel entitled “Big Law” was published today by author Rob Liebman (@RonSLiebman) and publisher Penguin Random House. Big Law, as the novel’s website details, “exposes the secrecy, deception, and machinations” underlining powerful mega law firms. John Lescroart, in review of Big Law, described it […]
India becomes World’s Fifth Largest Economy
India beat all forecasts to become the world’s fifth-largest economy way ahead of the 2020 prediction. The growth of the economy is led by Government initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and surging foreign direct investment. Fifth Largest Economy – India was finally able to overpower its […]
30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2017
As we approach the beginning of 2017 — Asia Law Portal continues its’ tradition begun in 2015 and followed up in 2016 — of naming 30 people to watch in the business of law in the coming year. In retrospect — 2016 represented a year of […]
6th Annual Private Equity and Venture Forum set for Jakarta April 27, 2017
The 6th Annual Private Equity and Venture Forum is set to take place April 27, 2017 at the Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta, Indonesia. For 6 years the AVCJ Indonesia Forum has been the premier meeting place for the leaders of the alternative investments industry in the region. […]
Legal Startup ai.Law set to deploy “an army of robotic lawyers” in China
Beijing-based legal startup ai. Law was established on China’s Youth Day, May 4, 2016. To date — the new company has completed its angel round of investment. Ms Kathy Gong Xiaosi, the Founder & CEO of ai. Law is a serial entrepreneur who was also once […]
Law for Startups: A Guide to Fundamental Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs
The book “Law for Startups” is being released in the Malaysian market this month. Authored by experienced corporate lawyer Marcus van Geyzel (who was named as one of Asia Law Portal’s 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2016, and is […]
GRMSearch Q&A: Legal Recruitment Market in Asia
GRM was recently named the Best Legal Recruitment Agency of the Year in Hong Kong. What did the awarding agency see in GRM as a unique competitive advantage? (Rob Green, CEO, GRMSearch) We actually retained the title! 2015 and now 2016 saw GRM crowned Best Legal […]
Are US Law firms in Asia at competitive disadvantage due to trade protectionism?
As the American Lawyer detailed in a recent article, US President-elect Donald J. Trump has said he would impose a 45% tariff on goods manufactured in China and declare China a currency manipulator. He also threatened to withdraw America from the World Trade Organization (WTO). Some […]
Meisterline launched in Hong Kong: Seeks to “decode how legal experts think”
Hong Kong-based Dr Peter Macmillan is the Founder & CEO of Meisterline Analytics, developer of the Meisterline Index™, a unique, science-based lawyer rating service that uses cognitive analysis to measure the expertise of legal specialists. He recently founded Mesterline with an aim to decode (and measure) […]
India: Government Withdraws Currency to Choke Parallel Economy
In a bold move, India’s Prime Minister demonetized certain currency notes earlier this month. This announcement sent shockwaves throughout the country and took everyone by surprise. However, despite the numerous hardships most citizens seem to be favouring the move in anticipation of long-term gains for the […]
China poised to assume trans-Pacific trade leadership role
US Congressional leaders announced yesterday that they would not now consider ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty (TPP), effectively ending the accord. The agreement, negotiated over a 7-year period between economies in Asia (not including China), Latin America, the United States and Canada — and which encompasses […]
Why the future looks bright for online legal services in Asia
“Legal services utilising the internet and online technologies are here to stay”, according to a recent article by Peter Frankl in Legal Practice Intelligence. Frankl explains how categories referred to as “Online Legal Services, Online Law Firms and Online Lawyers are still nascent” — and that […]
Nominations are now open for 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2017
In January 2015, Asia Law Portal published the inaugural annual: 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2015 and 2016 published: 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2016. As 2017 approaches, Asia Law Portal is welcoming […]
Italy, the new economic Renaissance comes through APAC
In recent years Italy has launched a new season of important structural reforms involving economic, financial and administrative initiatives in order to deeply renew the country. In this context, the ambitious new “industrial plan 4.0” 2017 deserves to be mentioned, as a new “tool” aimed to […]
Legal startup legistify seeks to make the law accessible in India
India’s legal market represents an enormous opportunity for legal startup entrepreneurs. With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 1.877 trillion USD (2013), it ranks as “the seventh-largest economy in the world measured by nominal GDP and the third-largest by purchasing power parity.” As in other economies in […]
Indonesia to be Asia’s next digital powerhouse: Implications for legal services
According to the recently released e-conomy SEA 2016 report conducted jointly by Google and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, Indonesia’s internet economy is growing at 26% annually. And it “will be worth about US$81 billion in 10 years, or about 40% of the total Internet […]
CONSULEGIS conference: “Doing Business in Asia”, set for Shanghai Oct 20-23, 2016
International law firms network Consulegis will host their next autumn conference in Shanghai, China from October 20th -23rd 2016. The main topic of the CONSULEGIS conference is “Doing Business in Asia”. What better place to host the next conference than China’s fastest-growing city? The meetings, workshops […]
Monsoon Cheers For India Foreign Investment and Lawyers
The Government’s focus continues on improving various aspects of India’s overall outlook to foreign investors. This month there appeared to be an increased focus on social development and various treaties were signed or made operational. Bar Council of India shared the draft rules for entry of […]
Janders Dean to stage unique Legal Service Design Jam in Sydney on 27/28 July
Janders Dean will be running a Legal Service Design Jam in parallel to the Janders Dean Legal Transformation Conference in Sydney this coming Wednesday and Thursday, July 27 and 28. First conducted in London last May, LegalServicesDesign Jam adds a new dimension to the Legal […]
What are the prospects for legal startups in Japan? An interview with Tim Romero, author of DisruptingJapan.com
Tim Romero is a Tokyo-based innovator, author, and entrepreneur. He’s started several companies since coming to Japan more than 20 years ago — and he’s deeply involved in Japan’s startup community as an investor, founder and mentor. He is the author of the widely-read blog DisruptingJapan.com […]
NewLaw expands in Asia with the addition of Hong Kong’s Korum Legal
As Australian legal commentator and analyst Eric Chin recently detailed, NewLaw in the Asia-Pacific is growing and its’ definition expanding to include alternative business models utilizing technology as a prime focus – above and beyond the traditional NewLaw secondment offer. Too, a number of large international […]
FDI Gifts for Silver Jubilee of India’s Economic Liberalization
Manmohan Singh, the then Union Finance Minister, changed India’s economy in 1991, ending 44 years of a virtually closed economy. This marked India’s economic liberalization. Looking back now, it appears to be a pioneering milestone which has firmly placed India on the global map. The Central […]
FlySpaces offers lawyers flexible office solutions in the Asia-Pacific region
As the legal services sector continues to grow in the Asia-Pacific region, opportunities for lawyers to create their own career path by working in NewLaw or in flexible working arrangement with traditional law firms – is also increasing. An important part of these changes includes opportunities […]
Asia’s legal recruitment market grows as more foreign firms expand
“Legal recruitment in Singapore and throughout the Southeast Asia region is picking up, driven by a growing number of lawyers who are flocking from the West to the stable and quickly growing economies of the East”, as Singapore legal recruiter jlegal detailed recently on their blog. […]
The New Normal Legal & Compliance Leadership Program debuts across Asia in May 2016
The New Normal Legal & Compliance Leadership Program will take place in Hong Kong (May 23 & 24), Shanghai (May 26 & 27), Singapore (May 30 & 31) and Sydney (June 2 & 3). Conducted by Peter Connor, Founder & CEO of AlternativelyLegal, a newly established consulting and […]
Who are Asia’s leading legal recruiters?
The Asia-Pacific legal markets continue to see growth and change as we enter the second quarter of 2016. Legal Recruiters Integral to Legal Services Sector Dynamism Integral to the legal services sector’s growth and dynamism is the region’s legal recruitment specialists. Elite boutique law firms […]
Webinar: Can you use NewLaw methods to boost your Law Firm revenue?
In recent years New Law firms and Big4 accounting firms have increasingly taken legal market share away from traditional law firms. NewLaw leader Axiom, for the exam, is projected to overtake BigLaw’s DLA Piper in total revenue by 2018. Ever-increasing competition is forcing law firms to […]
Remaking Law Firms: Why and How: New book provides invaluable guidance for law firm leaders
A new book entitled Remaking Law Firms: Why and How shows BigLaw firm leaders why they must start their remaking journey now and then sets out the ways in which change can be made and the tools to use. Authored by Dr George Beaton and Dr Imme Kaschner, […]
California Western School of Law holds a symposium on current trends in Asia-Pacific legal markets
The California Western School of Law in San Diego, California held a symposium on current trends in the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets on February 17th & 18th, 2016. The Symposium began the evening of the 17th with a lecture by Fernando Dias Simões of the Faculty of Law […]
Singapore-based legal startup Law Canvas expands into Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong
Recent months have seen a flurry of activity among legal startups in the Asia-Pacific region. In late 2015, Hong Kong-based legal startup Dragon Law expanded into Singapore, while Australian Cloud-based legal services start-up LawPath closed a $1.3m bridge funding round. Anna Zhang, writing in The Asian Lawyer, […]
American companies poured $32.3 billion into Southeast Asia from 2012 to 2014
This week in California US and ASEAN political leaders gathered for the US-ASEAN Leaders Summit 2016. Among the topics discussed were the expanding trade and investment relationship between the US and ASEAN region economies. Reporting on the event, Joe Cochrane detailed in the New York Times that […]
Switchover to India’s Overhauled External Borrowing Regulations
The new year began with a big bang for start-ups in India. The Government of India announced a new strategy to support start-ups. A detailed action plan in this regard has been prepared by it. The Government has taken various measures to improve the ease of […]
Beijing set to power Asian infrastructure deals
“The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the first multilateral financial institution launched by China…opened for business on Jan. 16, as the Asia Times reported. The AIIB’s mandate will be to fund [infrastructure] development both inside and outside of Asia. “From 2010 to 2020, Asian countries will […]