Category: Asia Legal Market
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 $32.3 billion into Southeast Asia from 2012 to 2014
This week in California US and ASEAN political leaders gathered for the US-ASEAN Leaders Summit 2016. Among the topics discussed were the expanding trade and investment relationship between the US and ASEAN region economies. Reporting on the event, Joe Cochrane detailed in the New York Times that […]
Switchover to India’s Overhauled External Borrowing Regulations
The new year began with a big bang for start-ups in India. The Government of India announced a new strategy to support start-ups. A detailed action plan in this regard has been prepared by it. The Government has taken various measures to improve the ease of […]
Beijing set to power Asian infrastructure deals
“The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the first multilateral financial institution launched by China…opened for business on Jan. 16, as the Asia Times reported. The AIIB’s mandate will be to fund [infrastructure] development both inside and outside of Asia. “From 2010 to 2020, Asian countries will […]
Who were the top 20 law firms in Asian M&A in 2015?
MergerMarket have just released its Q4 2015 Global Legal Advisor Trend Report, which details how “Asia-Pacific (excl. Japan) M&A activity reached a peak in 2015. The report details 3,797 deals worth US$ 927.8bn, the third consecutive annual increase by value, overtaking all yearly values on record. […]
Demand for legal services continues to globalize
The demand for legal services is continuing to globalize, according to a recent report published by Managing Partner Forum and coauthored by Citi Private Bank and Hildebrandt Consulting. “The more global nature of legal work has particularly aided Am Law 50 firms”, the report concludes, “even […]
30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2016
In 2015, the Asia-Pacific legal markets saw a deepening of competition among a larger number and forms of legal services provider. From global law firms utilizing mergers to international law firms seeking to emulate market gains by NewLaw firms – to the increasing ascendance of legal […]
Indian Arbitration Becomes Regulated …Finally!
The Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996 (Act) was enacted to overhaul the then archaic Arbitration Act, of 1940. It was a well-enacted law in those days of early arbitration when court proceedings had not only become lengthy and tiresome, but also expensive for the clients. However, […]
Investment from China a focus of the 2015 Milken Institute California Summit
China’s investment in California was a focus of the 2015 Milken Institute California Summit, held today in Marina Del Rey, California. Curtis S. Chin, Asia Fellow at the Milken Institute and Former U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank moderated a panel discussion on Strategies to […]
Nominations open for who to follow in the business of law in Asia
In January of 2015, Asia Law Portal published: 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2015. As 2016 approaches, Asia Law Portal is welcoming nominations for people to follow in the business of law in Asia in 2016. Asia Law Portal will […]
India Tops Global FDI Chart, Attracts Largest Investment & Boosts ‘Make In India’
India’s capability as a top foreign investment destination hit a new high as it emerged as the leader in FDI for Greenfield investment. Two high-profile deals were also signed to stamp India’s prominence in this space. India Top Global FDI Destination For Greenfield Investments. India is […]
6 reasons why Southeast Asia is poised to become a major new destination for legal startups
A confluence of trends appears poised to make Southeast Asia a new major destination for legal startups. Among those trends is a spike in funding for startups in the region, the continuing challenge to the traditional law firm business model in Asia, and a growing number […]
Lawyers rush to win new work from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States are already gearing up to win new work seen resulting from a new trade agreement announced this week between 12 Pacific-Rim nations. As Misa Han (@misahan) outlined yesterday in the Australian Financial Review: “Legal and financial advisers said […]
Some BigLaw firms in Asia are rushing to emulate NewLaw
Some BigLaw firms in Asia are rushing to emulate New Law, according to a recent article by John Knox, Managing Director, Asia of leading NewLaw firm AdventBalance. In recent months, as Knox outlines, “a growing number of traditional law firms including Eversheds (Agile) and Allen & Overy (Peerpoint) are […]
India: First-Ever States’ Scorecard of Business Reforms Ushers Competitive Federalism
The results of the first ever survey of Indian States on the implementation of ease of doing business is out and has thrown up interesting results. A long needed clarification on facility sharing by foreign group companies brings in the desired relief. The Government recalled its […]
India Foreign Investment Hits and Tax Reform Misses
The Government of India has complied with its announcements made in the annual union finance budget to set up composite caps for foreign investment. However there was a setback to its tax reforms when the GST Bill could not be passed. Composite Caps for Foreign Investment. The Government […]
Legal Innovation takes center stage in Asia-Pacific
The months of July and August have seen a flurry of conferences and news coverage dedicated to legal innovation in the Asia-Pacific legal markets. And this trend will continue into September. Here’s a list of what’s happened so far and what’s coming next: On July 30th, […]
Acritas publishes the second annual Asia Pacific Law Firm Brand Index
UK-based market research firm Acritas has just published the second annual Asia-Pacific Law Firm Brand Index, with Baker & McKenzie placing first – and King & Wood Mallesons, Herbert Smith Freehills, Norton Rose Fullbright, and Kim & Chang rounding out the top 5. As Acritas outlined […]
For some foreign law firms, not being in Asia is an Asia strategy
Another foreign law firm has chosen to not maintain a physical presence in Asia – while instead focusing on foreign direct investment from Asia into the jurisdictions where they practice. This strategy is employed by firms primarily as a means to secure work around Asia’s growing […]
More Asia law firms add consulting services
News last week that Singapore-based RHTLaw Taylor Wessing (@RHTLawTW) had bolstered its consulting practices underscores a trend that appears to be gaining significant pace in international legal markets. The RHT Group of Companies, which are wholly owned companies of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP, now have consulting divisions ranging from […]
India Gears Up to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Foreign Law Firms
The Government of India has made up its mind to allow foreign law firms to practice in India. It has virtually crushed all opposition for years altogether in a matter of months. There have been several media reports in India late last month quoting the then […]
Law firms turn to strategy directors for competitive advantage
In recent months two international law firms with operations in the Asia-Pacific region have appointed directors of strategy with the aim to gaining competitive advantage in crowded and competitive legal markets. In May, global law firm Baker & McKenzie appointed Julia Hayhoe Global Director, Strategy Implementation. […]
India Addresses Implementation Issues In New Company Law
The Government of India has woken up to India’s poor ranking on the Doing Business Report and is taking active steps to get into the roots of the problem. A few more measures were announced in this regard, the most significant of them, being the long […]
From lawyer to Tokyo startup entrepreneur: An interview with Nikola Pavesic of Justa
Elise Hu (@elisewho), reporting for NPR earlier this month, outlined how the startup scene in Japan is now beginning to gain momentum in an economy still centered around traditional companies that made it big in the latter part of the last century. The Japanese government, however, […]
With Focus on Ease of Doing Business in India, Modi Government Ushers in its First Anniversary
The Narendra Modi led Government, which completes its first anniversary this month, continued its focus on simplifying procedures for ease of doing business in India. The annual updation to the consolidated foreign direct investment policy was published this month. The controversial MAT levy is being relooked […]
Japan to outspend China on Asia infrastructure
Japan announced this week that it will lend around US$ 110 billion to help fund infrastructure development in Asia over the next five years via the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Asian Development Bank. The announcement by Japan comes amid […]
Expanding business via Hong Kong the focus of Toronto and Chicago events
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will stage its large-scale promotion, “Think Asia, Think Hong Kong” in Toronto, Canada, and Chicago, the United States in June 2015. What is “Think Asia, Think Hong Kong” all about? How does it benefit companies in Hong Kong and […]
Foreign Investment Opportunities in Vietnam’s State-Owned Enterprises
Dr Net Le, Partner at LNT & Partners in Vietnam and Head of the firm’s Arbitration and Financial Services Practices was among the panelists addressing the issue of state-owned enterprises amid the transformation of command economies on Saturday, May 9th at The Inter-Pacific Bar Association’s (IPBA) 25th Annual Meeting and […]
State-Owned Enterprises in Asia-Pacific’s Evolving Command Economies
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association’s (IPBA) 25th Annual Meeting and Conference are being held this week from Hong Kong ( 6 – 9 May 2015). This international legal conference brings together IPBA members, corporate lawyers, international business lawyers and colleagues from around the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. One […]
Future for Women in Law addressed at Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Conference, Hong Kong, May 6-9, 2015
Olivia Kung (@oliviahykung), Associate Attorney at Hong Kong-based OLN law firm (@OldhamLiNie) and Vice Chair of the Women Business Lawyers committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA), will be a panel speaker representing Hong Kong at the organization 25th Annual Meeting and Conference this week in Hong Kong, […]
Will US Law Firms Lose Work in Asia over AIIB Opposition?
Some Background The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a new multilateral development lender, whose focus will be on providing financing for infrastructure projects in Asia. Founded by China, the AIIB has been joined as founding members by most regional governments as well as the UK and […]
India: Retrospective Tax on Foreign Investment a Step Backward
In the past month the Indian Government took action towards facilitating foreign investment as was promised in the annual Union budget. However, all the beneficial steps were overshadowed by the controversial levy of Minimum Alternate Tax on capital gains by Foreign Institutional Investors. There were welcome […]
Why NewLaw should seek to define itself in Asia
In April of 2013, Richard Granat (@rgranat) asked: Is Axiom Law a Law Firm? in a blogpost which appeared on his widely-read eLawering Blog. And Granat is well qualified to both ask and answer the question. Granat is both a virtual lawyer and a CEO and investor […]
South Korea considers reversing course on legal market liberalization
In 2011 and 2012 respectively, the European Union (EU) and the United States entered into bilateral Free-Trade Agreements (FTA’s) with South Korea. The aim of those agreements was to increase bilateral trade and investment between Korea, the EU and the US. The agreements span a wide […]
Are public listings a path to global success for Asia’s law firms?
Singapore-based RHTLaw Taylor Wessing. One of Asia’s law firms has announced plans to publicly list a company offering a suite of professional services. On the Catalist Board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) in the first quarter of 2016. According to a recent report in Channel News […]
5 Trends to watch in the Asian legal market in 2015
5 key trends appear to be shaping the Asia-Pacific Region’s legal markets in 2015 and are worth paying close attention to as the year progresses. Here they are: Increased M&A Activity In an interview this week, Herbert Smith Freehills (@HSFlegal) Partner Rebecca Maslen-Stannage discussed the strength of M&A […]
Where are Asia’s Legal Startups?
In a blogpost entitled: Where are The Legal Web Startups in Asia? Jeffrey Ling explained: “Ever since I embarked on my very own legal web startup project in June 2012. I started paying attention to legal web startups around the world. And I have been noticing a […]
30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia in 2015
As 2015 begins – below is a list of 30 key people to watch for commentary and new initiatives in the business of law in the Asia-Pacific legal markets during the course of the coming year: Chris Devonshire-Ellis (@cde_asia) — Founder of Dezan Shira & Associates (@DezanShira) and […]
Asia-Pacific remains Australia’s largest regional export market
The growing importance of the Asia-Pacific Region for international law firms is confirm again in a new study. The Law Council of Australia conduct this study. The study — with the title Fourth Legal and Related Services Export Survey‘. And Australia-based legal business development professional Richard Smith […]