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 […]
Facilitating cross-border trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific: An interview with Babita Ambekar
Babita Ambekar is Head of Duane Morris & Selvam’s India and Japan Practice Groups. She advises multinationals on transactions involving India, Indian companies on their global expansion, in Singapore and abroad. She regularly advises Japanese companies on regional and international matters and is actively involved in the […]
First ever Asia Law Firm Management Congress to take place in Mumbai, April 20, 2017
The first ever Asia Law Firm Management Congress (ALFMC) will take place in Mumbai, April 20, 2017. Presented by ThomsonReuters and curated by IDEX Legal. The St Regis Hotel will be the conference venue. As LegallyIndia has detailed — the event will bring together lawyers from leading […]
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 […]
How legal startup CanLaw is helping the Malaysian public find lawyers
Founded in 2016, Malaysian legal startup CanLaw was established as “a FREE service that makes finding the right lawyer a quick walk in the park”, as the company website details. As part of Asia Law Portal’s continuing coverage of the Asia-Pacific region’s legal startup ecosystem — […]
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 […]
LOD: Changing NewLaw dynamics in Asia
In the first multi-continent merger of its kind, NewLaw leading firms LOD – Lawyers on Demand and AdventBalance joined together in October 2016 under the joint name and brand LOD – Lawyers on Demand. As LOD – Lawyers on Demand detailed at the time, “the deal…saw the […]
4 takeaways from Singapore Law Firm Management Forum
The Regional Law Firm Management Forum took place on September 29, 2016, in Singapore. The Australasian Law Practice Management Association (ALPMA) and the Law Council of Australia’s Law Management Group jointly conducted the conference themed: “Change: Technology Enables, People, Deliver”. As Andrew Barnes, President of […]
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 […]
International lawyers of LexMundi briefed in Jakarta on how to grow their practices
This author briefed international lawyers of LexMundi law firm network in Jakarta on November 20th on how to grow their practices. The briefing was attended by LexMundi member lawyers from around the world — and took place at LexMundi’s Asia-Pacific regional conference at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta. […]
Regional Law Firm Management Forum set for Singapore, November 29, 2016
The Regional Law Firm Management Forum is set to take place at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore, on November 29, 2016. Conducted jointly by The Australasian Legal Practice Management Association and the Law Council of Australia’s Law Management Group, the event is entitled: Change: […]
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 […]
Bar Council of India Stalls Entry of Foreign Lawyers
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has managed to throw a spanner into the Government’s steps to allow entry of foreign law firms. The Government continues its efforts to attract foreign investment with new and innovative initiatives and strategies. Entry of Foreign Lawyers. The Bar Council […]
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 […]
Corporate Counsel Asia Summit: 24–25 Oct 2016, The Westin, Kuala Lumpur
Leading in-house Counsel will meet privately with Specialist International Law Firms and Legal Services Providers at the Corporate Counsel Asia Summit. Taking place at the fabulous Westin Kuala Lumpur, 24-25 October 2016, Senior Legal Executives will benefit from Visionary Keynote Presentations, Real-Life Case Studies and Interactive Sessions! […]
SingaporeLegalAdvice.com: A one-stop platform for lawyers and legal consumers
The Asia-Pacific region has seen much legal innovation in recent years. And Singapore has been among the leading jurisdictions providing a venue for this innovation. One of those legal entrepreneurs is Yuk Lun Chan, Founder of SingaporeLegalAdvice.com. Here’s our recent Q&A interview with him about what […]
India Accelerates on Global Competitiveness
For the second year in a row, India jumped 16 places on the Global Competitiveness Report giving a boost to the Government’s initiatives to improve the business environment and make India a preferred global business destination. India is also working on the weaknesses identified and the […]
Mills Oakley launches Asia-Pacific’s first legal startup accelerator
In a move that highlights the rapid expansion of the legal startup ecosystem in Asia-Pacific, Australia’s Mills Oakley has launched the region’s first legal startup accelerator. Central to this effort is Mills Oakley’s CEO John Nerurker. In our continuing coverage of the region’s legal startup scene – […]
AsiaLawNetwork.com launches online legal consultation service “Quick Consult” in Singapore
Singapore-based legal startup AsiaLawNetwork.com has launched ‘Quick Consult’, a service which provides individuals and small businesses with easier and more affordable access to lawyers for S$49. The service covers a broad range of legal issues both individuals and small businesses might encounter, including “divorce and commercial disputes, […]
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 […]
Asia Private Equity-Venture Capital Summit: Singapore, Sept 30, 2016
Leaders in Asia’s corporate, private equity and venture capital communities will gather for the Asia Private Equity-Venture Capital Summit 2016 at the Marina Mandarin in Singapore on Friday, September, 30th. For an exclusive ideas exchange and networking opportunity. The event is organized by MintAsia — one of […]
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 […]
The story of lexvoco: New Zealand’s first NewLaw firm
As Dr George Beaton of Australia’s Beaton Capital detailed recently: “lexvoco is the first NewLaw firm in New Zealand, entering by crossing the Tasman. While this might not necessarily be regarded as noteworthy, the speed with which lexvoco is spreading is truly remarkable.” In an effort to continue Asia […]
Uniform Tax Rate To Finally Become Reality in India
The Indian Parliament approved the long-pending Goods and Services Tax Bill earlier this month, paving the way for a uniform tax regime. There were more tax reforms when the India-Cyprus Double Tax Avoidance Treaty was amended. The Government also kept its promise to implement a proposal […]
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 […]
Australian Legal Startup Jurimetrics brings statistical big-data analysis to the legal system
Australia is among the leading jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region. In the cultivation of startups focused on the legal services space. And recently, a new Australian startup called Jurimetrics is bringing statistical big data to the legal system. Here’s our recent interview with Managing Director Conrad […]
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 […]
Malaysia’s regulatory hurdle poses a challenge for NewLaw in Asia
As the Star Online, Asian Legal Business and Marcus van Geyzel, lawyer and co-author of TheMalaysianLawyer.com — all detailed last month — Hong Kong-based legal startup Dragon Law is facing regulatory scrutiny by the Malaysian Bar after its recent entry into the local market. Dragon Law is […]
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 […]
Colombia-Korea Free-Trade Agreement provides an opportunity for lawyers
Lawyers in both South Korea and Colombia could be significant beneficiaries of a just-ratified free-trade agreement between the two nations. As the Korea Herald detailed today: “Over the next 10 years, the two sides will knock down tariffs on over 96 per cent of goods and […]
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 […]
Bold Action Marks Modi’s Second Anniversary
The Central Government led by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi completed 2 years in office this month. While a lot of initiatives have been implemented and there is a feel-good factor, some strong steps need to be taken to propel India to the top league for […]
India Declared A Top Destination for FDI
The Government’s efforts to make India a top destination for foreign investment received yet another boost when one of the world’s leading observers of global FDI gave it the top honours. The Government continued to open up more avenues for foreign investment. There are some fresh […]
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 […]
Residency Status for Foreign Investors and Further Liberalisation of FDI in India
India’s commitment to foreign investment was further fortified in the annual finance budget of the Government of India. The slew of announcements made by the Finance Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley in the Lower House of the Parliament of India is expected to be instrumental in making […]
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, […]
Australian legal startup Lawcadia: A new way to find, engage and manage law firms
Australian legal startup Lawcadia provides clients with a “new way to find, engage and manage law firms”, as its’ CEO & Founder Warwick Walsh explains in this new interview: What is Lawcadia and what inspired its founding? Lawcadia is a new way to find, engage and […]
Australian legal startup Bulletpoints disrupts legal education by centralising CPD in one online portal
The Asia-Pacific region legal startup ecosystem is rich with examples of entrepreneurial zeal applied to the legal services sector — with a number based in Australia — including LawPath, LegalVision and Crowd & Co. That ecosystem also includes Bulletpoints — an online service for legal professionals to […]
Asia-Pacific Legal Startups: An interview with BurgieLaw.com Founder & CEO, Lai Chee Hoe
The Asia-Pacific legal startup ecosystem is growing rapidly. And Asia Law Portal has and will continue to seek to provide a window into this ecosystem by interviewing the founders and entrepreneurs behind this exciting trend. In the most recent chapter of this effort, we interview Mr […]
India Forges Ahead with Double FDI Inflows & Make in India Week
The first two months of 2016 have seen some significant developments for India’s foreign investment scenario. It received a boost from a global report declaring a huge jump in foreign investment inflows. Going with the positive flow, the Government organized the ‘Make in India Week’ to […]
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 […]
Dragon Law to launch Legal Startup Academy in Singapore
Asia-Pacific Region Legal Startup Dragon Law will launch Legal Startup Academy in Singapore, beginning February 26th, 2016. This is the first of six modules that Dragon Law will run once monthly from now until July, 2016. Each module will target legal essentials at different stages of […]
Australian legal startup Crowd & Co is creating an online market for corporate legal services
Australia-based legal startup Crowd & Co, launched on 30 November 2015, is aiming to help corporations and lawyers alike efficiently source help on transactions via a proprietary online matchmaking platform. Inspired by the engineering sector Similar to American middle-market focused deal sourcing platform Axial, Crowd & […]
Interview with CEO of AsiaLawNetwork: Asia-Pacific Legal Startups
The Asia-Pacific Region holds an ideal mix of opportunity and innovation for legal services providers. In 2016, the Asia-Pacific legal market is now home to a growing number of legal startups and the entrepreneurs leading them, including Dragon Law, LawPath, LegalVision, Conventus Law and AsiaLawNetwork.com. The region is […]
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 […]