
Chinese law firms a focus of Israel’s 2nd Foreign Law Firms conference Dec 9th
Chinese law firms and China-Israel bi-lateral trade and investment will be a major focus of Israel’s 2nd Foreign Law Firms conference Dec 9th in Tel Aviv. Organized by the Tel-Aviv District of the Israel Bar Association led by Adv. Efi Nave and Robus Legal Marketing — the conference […]

Foreign law firms facing unique challenges in Asia
As has been widely reported, the Asia-Pacific region has become the new focus of attention for international law firms. At the same time, international competition in the region is accelerating. In the recently published book: A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets — I outline […]

Wolters Kluwer Hong Kong: Making law readily accessible on one online platform with PrimeLaw
The idea that “The law should be readily accessible” lies “at the heart of the development” of PrimeLaw — Wolters Kluwer Hong Kong’s major product in the making for the past year — according to Chloe Lau, Head of Publishing and Product Development for the company. Here’s […]

Current trends shaping Vietnam’s legal market in 2014
Current trends shaping Vietnam’s legal market in 2014 have been outlined by Kent Wong, Partner and Head of Banking, Insurance & Capital Markets at VCI Legal in a new book by this author entitled A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets. Below are excerpts from Wong’ […]

John Appleby: My life as a practicing lawyer in Tonga
John Appleby, Barrister & Solicitor with Ladbrook Law in New Zealand provides a fascinating account of his life as a practicing lawyer in Tonga from 1993 to 1999 – in a new book by this author entitled A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets. Here are […]

Hong Kong-based Custom Legal seeks to make legal services accessible to all people
Earlier this year, Janice Chew co-founded Custom Legal Solutions with a firm belief in universal access to professional services. Malaysian by nationality, she was admitted to the High Court of Hong Kong as a Solicitor as well as the High Court of Malaya as Advocate and Solicitor. […]

The Asia-Pacific Legal Markets 2014: Opportunities and Challenges
Last Friday this author made a presentation to the Clyde & Co Asia-Pacific Conference in Hong Kong on the subject: The Asia-Pacific Legal Markets 2014: Opportunities and Challenges. The presentation was based on excerpts from my new book entitled: A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal […]

10 law blogs in the Asia-Pacific Region worth following
Last year The Lawyer reported that Asia’s law firms have “virtually no appetite” for social media. The Lawyer cited a study by Living Ratings which studied the social media trends “of 60 firms, both international and local, in three jurisdictions, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.” “[The study] showed that […]

Is Australia the world’s most competitive legal market?
“For many, the Australian legal marketplace presents something of a quandary. On the one hand, its close proximity to the fastest growing legal marketplace on Earth – Asia, makes it an extremely attractive jurisdiction to be located in. On the other hand, with a population of […]

NewLaw in Asia: An exclusive look at the rise of AdventBalance
As prominent strategists to the legal services sector have outlined, the “NewLaw” business model is in increasing ascendance globally and is being utilized in greater frequency among legal services companies (including — but not limited to — law firms) seeking to provide lower overhead, highly-efficient legal […]

New Report: “Rapid evolution facing Asia-Pacific’s law firms”
According to a new report authored by Dr George Beaton and Eric Chin of Australia’s Beaton Capital — which appears in the new book: A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets — Asia-Pacific’s indigenous law firms face a rapidly evolving landscape requiring concerted action to […]

Will India’s new government liberalize the country’s legal market?
Legal markets across the Asia-Pacific region have been liberalized in recent years. Liberalization of the Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korean and Indian legal markets are all at various stages of development. India, arguably, is the least liberalized among them. Member states of the World Trade […]

Change comes slowly to the South Korean legal market
While Korea has been transformed by a liberalized legal market and emerging technologies – change is slow for the country’s legal market — according to Ryan Russell – a corporate finance attorney with Kim & Chang in Seoul and noted author of Kimchi Law Blog. Russell […]

K&L Gates Asia-Pacific Strategy: An Exclusive Report
An exclusive report by US-based international law firm K&L Gates on its Asia-Pacific Strategy are among the highlights of a new book by this author entitled “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets“. Integral to the book was the participation of the regions lawyers and […]

“Dynamic forces” seen changing China’s legal market
“Dynamic forces” changing China’s legal market are one highlight of a new book by this author which provides “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets“. Integral to the the book was the participation of the regions lawyers and legal services sector professionals — who provide […]

Conventus Law forges a new path for lawyers to engage online in the Asia-Pacific Region
The digital economy in the Asia-Pacific market and its intersection with legal services in the region are one highlight of a new book by this author which provides “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets“. Integral to the the book was the participation of the […]

How change is transforming Singapore’s legal market
Key changes transforming Singapore’s legal market are one highlight of a new book by this author which provides “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets“. Integral to the the book was the participation of the regions lawyers and legal services sector professionals — who provide […]

New book provides “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets”
A new book entitled A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets has just been published. Authored by this writer and published by London-based Ark Group, the book begins with an introduction analyzing whether projections for dramatic growth in the region are realistic. Some of the […]

China’s investment into Los Angeles doubles between 2009-2014
“Investment into Los Angeles County from China has doubled over the past five years” according to two new reports issued by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (@LAEDC], as Kevin Smith (@SGVNBiz) reported in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune yesterday. “’International Trade Outlook for the […]

Distinguishing your law firm among clients in global M&A
In April of 2013, global law firm Baker & McKenzie, in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) published a study outlining current trends in the cross-border M&A market. The results of that study, entitled Opportunities Across High-Growth Markets: Trends in Cross-Border M&A, provide insight into […]

Mayer Brown launches Asia trade consulting arm in Singapore
International law firm Mayer Brown, the world’s 22nd largest law firm, has launched an Asia trade consulting arm in Singapore, according to a media release issued by the firm last week. Richard Smith (RWS_01), Australian business development professional, also noted the event on Twitter. The new […]

New research outlines Asia-Pacific regional opportunities for international law firms
Eric Chin (@EricJYChin), Senior Analyst to the professions on strategy, structure, capital, acquisitions and disposals at Beaton Capital in Melbourne has just published new research outlining opportunities for international law firms in the Asia Pacific region. As Chin outlines: “The Asian Century is upon us and […]

The state of free-trade in Asia-Pacific: An interview with Eric Emerson, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Free trade in the Asia-Pacific region has received much attention in recent years. Two major proposed trade agreements are currently center-stage in the region, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). “The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a proposed expansion of the […]

Constitutional awareness in Myanmar – Creating capacity to build competencies
I was October 14th, 2013. This was the day of our “Constitutional Awareness Workshop” in Yangon, Myanmar. There is a need for constitutional reform in Myanmar and I was there representing LexisNexis in support of this nation’s democratization. Our goal was to get 100 lawyers in […]

Trademark law takes center stage in Asia
As Paul Kossof, author of Chinese Trademark Law: The New Chinese Trademark Law of 2014 recently outlined in a series of exclusive articles in Asia Law Portal: “On May 1, 2014, China’s new trademark law will come into effect. This law will usher in substantial changes […]

India, Philippines legal process outsourcing (LPO’s) to experience rapid growth to 2020
The global market of Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) was estimated to be USD 1,085 million in 2012 — and is expected to reach USD 8,568.5 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 29.6% from 2014 to 2020, according to a report published this month by […]

Asia business opportunities outlined at Los Angeles conference
US business leaders are gathered this week at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business for the Asia/Pacific Business Outlook Conference (APBO) The conference, co-presented with the United States Department of Commerce, is aimed at helping US exporters and investors target Asian markets. The […]

The Asian Legal Marketplace by 2025
Dear law or pre-law students in Asia, Many of you reading this post decided to enter the legal profession based on only the vaguest notions of what the practice of law is actually like; a notion perhaps formed by TV shows or, more likely, the views of your […]

Asia-Pacific region foreign investment rules relaxed
A liberalization of foreign investment regulation is taking place across the Asia-Pacific region, according to a recent study conducted by international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. The study, entitled Asia-Pacific M&A Review, “considers performance in 2013 and looks forward to prospects for 2014 across Australia, China, Hong Kong, […]

India to lift restrictions on law firm websites
“The Bar Council of India has responded to widespread demands by announcing it is to lift restrictions on law firm websites”, according to a recent report by Melissa Lesh in The Global Legal Post. As Lesh outlined: “The bar is planning to amend the regulation dealing […]

Japanese law firms continue Asia expansion drive
Japan’s top law firms are continuing an Asia expansion drive in an effort to assist Japanese companies in their expansion drive in the region – as well as to capture market share from high growth economies in China and the ASEAN region. In January, The Global […]

Five critical strategies for US law firms to succeed in Asia
Professional services providers around the world have much opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region – should they approach the market with 5 critical strategies, according to a new report by Eric Chin, Senior Analyst at Beaton Capital in Australia. Chin first outlines 5 key opportunities for professional […]

Report on NewLaw from the ReInvent Law Conference
Two significant and unrelated legal industry events made news among the 800+ delegates at the ReInvent Law conference in New York on February 7. The collapse on February 5 of Heenan Blaikie, an establishment Canadian BigLaw firm, and the announcement on February 7 of British Telecom’s appointment of […]

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 businesses leaders from around the […]

When Will NewLaw Firms Be Relevant In Asia?
With the NewLaw business model gathering pace in many developed economies it’s time to ask ‘When will NewLaw firms be relevant in Asia? To date the spread of the many types of NewLaw firms has been mainly confined to north America, the UK and Australia. When will […]

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. The bottom line of Lin’s article comes down to Lin’s prediction that the Asian marketplace will continue to grow, continue to attract US business, […]

Asia-Pacific M&A activity high, characterized by intra-regional deals
LegalWeek.com reported this week that “Dealflow 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 rise […]

Ecuador and Latin America offer much to Asia’s investors
Latin America has become the most attractive and lucrative growing market and business opportunity in the world, and the second most important trade partner with China and Asia. A $4.8 trillion economy, US $26 Billion in China’s investment projects and US $261.000 million reached with China´s […]