Melbourne to host the 2019 ALPMA Summit this September!
2019 ALPMA Summit: Road Map to Transformation – Move Forward with Confidence
Time to embrace co-working
What are the key ingredients for a great co-working space? Trendy, young hipsters making steaming coffee with cacti and succulents abound, prosecco on tap and Scandi style interior design? Maybe, yet these spaces can benefit all types of workers with a creative and comfortable place to […]
Changes to the Thai Foreign Business Act
According to Thailand Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (FBA), there are three types of business activities that govern foreign participation in Thai commerce: List 1: Business Not Permitted to Foreigners List 2: Business Permitted to Foreigners under Conditions List 3: Business Not Yet Permitted to Foreigners […]
India Renewed Interest in Entry of Foreign Law Firms
The discussion around entry of foreign law firms in India was resurrected recently. The economic slowdown is now even more glaring with ADB and IMF further lowering their respective April 2019 growth forecasts, which, together with the forecasts reported by World Bank and Fitch last month, […]
ASEAN Insiders Series 2019 – Personal Data Protection
DATA PROTECTION IN ASEAN Technology and the rise of the digital economy has transformed our lives for the better in many ways. However, data breaches and data security threats loom over us. The incident involving Cambridge Analytica in 2018 where millions of Facebook users’ data were […]
Creating sustainable infrastructure development in Asia. An interview with Jeremy Saw, Director, General Counsel, InfraCo Asia
Jeremy Saw is Director and General Counsel of InfraCo Asia. In this interview with Asia Law Portal, he explains the organization’s work, the current state of infrastructure development in Asia, the development of his career and the unique nature of his work as an infrastructure lawyer, […]
Vietnam – Proposed Solar Feed-In-Tariffs
On 3 May 2019 the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (the “MOIT”) submitted to the Prime Minister a draft decision intended to replace Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on mechanisms for the encouragement of development of solar power, dated 11 April 2017 […]
Dispute Resolution a Key Theme of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) 2019 Annual Meeting in Luxembourg. An Interview with Peter Quayle, AIIB Chief Counsel, Corporate
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is currently hosting its’ first annual meeting outside Asia, in Luxembourg (July 12-13, 2019). The theme of the meeting is “Cooperation and Connectivity” – “in recognition of the economic and social benefits to be realized through better connectivity within and […]
Vietnam: Wind power barriers need removing
Vietnam’s latest and most comprehensive regulation on wind power development is expected to leave much room for improvement. Dr. Le Net (left), Le Thanh Hieu (middle), and Vo Phuong Thao (right), lawyers at LNT & Partners, provide their analysis of whether the changes will be sufficient […]
Lawyers and Accountants from Across APAC Region Gather in Shanghai to Discuss Growth and Collaboration
Lawyers and accountants from 11 countries were represented at Alliott Group’s APAC Regional Conference in Shanghai from 17-18 June 2019
Opportunities for foreign investors in India. An interview with Zia Mody, Founder and Managing Director, AZB & Partners
Zia Mody is Founder and Managing Director of AZB & Partners, one of the most prominent law firms in India. Founded less than 25 years ago with 12 lawyers, the firm has now grown to more than 450 lawyers practicing in offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, […]
Building a successful law practice in Malaysia. An interview with Grace C. G. Yeoh of Shearn Delamore & Co
Grace C. G. Yeoh is Partner and Head of Corporate/M&A and Energy, Natural Resources & Green Technology practices at Shearn Delamore & Co., one of Malaysia’s oldest and most distinguished law firms. In this interview with Asia Law Portal, she provides insight into how to build […]
Asia and Europe are now each other’s leading trade partners
Asia and Europe are now each other’s leading trade partners, with $1.5 trillion in merchandise trade , overtaking their respective trade relationships with the United States, according to a study produced at the initiative of the European Union, as the World Economic Forum (WEF) reported. The […]
India: Economic Growth Slows Amidst Data Localisation Concerns
The Indian economy is heading for a slowdown as growth forecasts are flat or lowered. The laws pending for approval before the general elections are now in focus. Data localization concerns are rising with the data protection related proposed legislations due to be passed law soon. […]
You can’t have your cake and eat it: the progressive case of Dickson Valora Group (Holdings) Co Ltd and another v Fan Ji Qian [2019] HKCFI 482
This case involved 6 members of DVC By Rachel Lam, Terrence Tai and Jasmine Cheung In the recent innovative case of Dickson Valora Group (Holdings) Co Ltd and another v Fan Ji Qian [2019] HKCFI 482, the Court was faced with a groundbreaking application for an anti-suit injunction, whereby the Hong […]
Helping law firms create intuitive knowledge platforms: The story of Singapore’s INTELLLEX
INTELLLEX was founded in 2015 in Singapore with the aim of helping law firms create intuitive knowledge platforms. In this interview with Asia Law Portal, INTELLLEX Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer Ellery Sutanto explains how the company began, it’s vision for the future of legal […]
ASEAN Insiders Series 2019 – Foreign Direct Investment
ASEAN – Open for business Since its formation in 1967, ASEAN has grown from an underdeveloped region into one of the globe’s most diverse and dynamic economic drivers. Located at the heart of the Asia-Pacific region and strategically nested across several major trade routes, ASEAN is […]
Myanmar Legal Alert: New Gambling Law Permits Casinos to Operate in Myanmar
Following several discussions on significant changes being proposed in Myanmar in relation to the gambling landscape, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Myanmar parliament) finally enacted The Gambling Law (“GL”) on 7 May 2019. The enactment of the GL heralds positive news for investors looking to invest in the “casino” […]
Vietnam Legal Update: Draft Decision 3 and Vietnam’s Solar Future from July 2019
On 12 April 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (“MOIT”) released a new draft Decision (the “Draft Decision 3”) that will replace Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister of Vietnam dated 11 April 2017 (“Decision 11”) on mechanisms to encourage the […]
Modi Returns While India’s FDI Falls
The people of India voted the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi back to power with a thumping mandate in the general elections which concluded this month. The reforms and other initiatives of the current Government are expected to continue and pending legislations such as data privacy […]
View your sabbatical as a career booster and not a career break
It can be a scary prospect – the thought of stepping away from your deskbound duties and taking a sabbatical. You may question what your colleagues or management think or fear about this break in proceedings and how this will impact your career development. But having […]
Bend and Stretch: Make the most of your flexibility
So, you might have secured more flexibility in your working life, but what should you do with it? The benefits of a better work life balance have been espoused by many as the way to not only improve an individual’s life by allowing them more time […]
Asia’s economy remains the world’s growth engine, accounting for 62% of global GDP growth
According to a recent interview with BNP Paribas Economist Christine Peltier, “although confronting new challenges, Asia’s economy is still the world’s growth engine, accounting for 62% of global GDP growth.” Peltier highlighted the following developments: Emerging Asia (excluding Japan) grew by 6.2% in 2018, unchanged from the previous […]
Competition Bid-rigging in Hong Kong: tip of the iceberg?
What is the Hong Kong Competition Tribunal’s Approach in Dealing with Enforcement Actions Concerning Bid-Rigging and Market Sharing and Price Fixing? Find out in two landmark decisions handed down on 17.5.2019 under the new competition regime featuring 3 members from DVC including Catrina Lam, Connie Lee […]
Fast-Growing International Alliance of Law and Accounting Firms to Host Regional Conference in Shanghai
Themed ‘Together Towards Tomorrow’, Alliott Group’s APAC Regional Conference takes place from 17-18 June in Shanghai and will bring together senior and managing partners from some of the Asia Pacific region’s leading local law and accounting firms. Over two days, leaders from Alliott Group’s independent member […]
The Business of Law in India in 2019: Marketing, Innovation, Technology and Market Liberalization. An interview with Aman Abbas of Commwiser
Aman Abbas is Co-Founder & CEO, Commwiser, a Delhi-based consultancy focused on public relations and law firm marketing. His two decades of experience in public relations and communications in professional services includes work with Amarchand Mangaldas, India’s largest Law firm and Big4 acccounting firm KPMG, as […]
Competitive Threats & Opportunities for Law Firms – Innovim Group Analysis
Australia-based John Chisholm is a widely recognized strategic advisor to law firms on pricing and strategy – based on his decades of experience as managing partner for both law and accounting firms. A Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and a Distinguished Fellow of the […]
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) London bond issue solidifies the UK’s role in Asia’s development
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) raised 2.5 Billion (USD) from 90 bidders in 27 countries on a bond issue this week at the London Stock Exchange (LSE). As Global Capital described it: “The AIIB placed itself among the very top supranational names in the capital […]
Going Public in the ASEAN-5: Snapshot of IPO and Listing Requirements
The key economic purpose of the capital markets is to give companies access to different sources of financing to grow their businesses. An initial public offering (IPO) is one of the main ways for a company to raise equity capital by using the primary public equity […]
Legal Technology Transformation
In 2016, Deloitte conducted a global study of 243 major legal services purchasers from global multinational corporations. It revealed that clients expect their legal services providers to use technology better and more broadly around knowledge sharing and contract management and shared platforms.
Solutions to mitigate M&A pitfalls
Recently Vietnam has become a favourite merger and acquisition (M&A) destination among foreign investors, particularly from Japan, Korea and Singapore. Popular sectors include real estate, food and beverages, retail, and to a lesser degree, manufacturing. However, one problem at present is that negotiations are often lengthy and […]
Legal Technology: The General Counsels (GC) Conundrum
The General Counsel (GC) is changing from a legal expert and risk mitigator to a business enabler. The best of this new breed of GCs are agile, on the ground, close to the business, and engaged up-front with their organization’s design and technology teams, enabling them […]
Legal Update: New Amendment to Thailand’s Labor Protection Act Taking Effect on May 6, 2019
The Thai National Legislative Assembly approved a resolution to amend the existing Labor Protection Act (the “LPA”) on December 13, 2018. This amendment to the LPA has been published in the Government Gazette on April 5, 2019, and will come into effect on May 6, 2019. […]
Asia’s changing legal market and the strategies to adapt: An interview with Eric Chin of Alpha Creates
Asia’s legal market is changing and who better to know what strategies firms might deploy to adapt to these changes than Melbourne-based Eric Chin, who helped co-found Alpha Creates in January of 2019. A long-time strategic advisor to the legal services sector, Eric also coined the […]
Legal Entity Management – Beyond Compliance
Introduction Recently corporations, regulators and the public have been embroiled in fierce debates about CO² emissions, money laundering, and the OECD’s BEPS initiatives. All of these have involved risk to the reputations of hitherto highly respected organizations. Now entity management compliance is coming into the public […]
Bringing It All Back Home – Asia and The City of London – A legal and business conference – at The Law Society, 3 June, 2019
The legal and business conference “Bringing It All Back Home – Asia and The City of London”, will take place 3 June, 2019, at The Law Society of England & Wales Head Quarters in the City of London. “Bringing It All Back Home”, supported by the Law […]
Australia’s raised bar in Whistle-Blower Protection – New Time-sensitive Requirement for Employers
Australia’s whistle-blowing laws and program launches on July 1st 2019. The expanded corporate whistle-blowing program provides Australian employees with potentially the highest level of disclosure protection globally. Likewise, Australian employers will likely be setting a new standard. While companies will have until January 1st, 2020 to […]
Slowdown Forecast for India’s Economic Growth
The five year term of the current Indian Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to an end as the electoral process commenced in the world’s largest democracy. The elections are being carried out phase-wise across the country and results are scheduled to be […]
Does your Ethics Line comply with the PRC Cyber-Security Law?
If your company employs in China, your ethics line should also be hosted and managed locally. Deloitte Legal 勤理recently launched a China based ethics hotline, helping our clients in China to uphold a culture of ethics and integrity as well as best practices in risk management, […]
UK Chancellor cites the importance of British law firms to Belt and Road’s development
Speaking in Beijing at The Second Belt and Road Forum For International Cooperation on April 26, 2019, UK Chancellor Phillip Hammond re-committed the UK to “to helping to realise the potential of the BRI – and to doing so in a way that works for all whose lives […]
Top 12 aspects to implement for an Effective Whistle-blower Hotline
A whistle-blower hotline is often a key component of an effective corporate compliance and ethics program. Research reveals that internal employee hotlines facilitate the detection of unethical or unlawful conduct, as tips are the most common detection method for suspected wrongdoing in companies with or without […]
In-House Community Awards HK: Charity – Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute.
The official charity for the In-House Community Awards is the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute (cc-TDI). The mission of the cc-TDI is to translate scientific discovery into clinical trials by understanding and proving new disease-specific treatment options for children with cancer. Based in Portland, Oregon, but providing cures […]
Blockchain – Legal implications, questions, opportunities and risks
Blockchain is increasingly in the news, but still primarily as the underlying software used for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Many businesses have yet to realize its potential and the extensive ways in which blockchain can be used to make processes more efficient or to develop new […]
Law business structures – challenges in ASEAN
In 2014, the IBA commissioned a mammoth report on Global Cross Border Legal Services that comprehensively covers information about over 90 countries and 160 jurisdictions on the regulation of the domestic and cross-border legal practice. What the report confirms is the transformation of legal practice, and […]
Interview with HFW Shanghai Head on China’s Legal Market
International law firm HFW maintains one of the most significant Asia-Pacific presences for a foreign-headquartered firm – with a total of 7 offices in the region. And not long ago, the firm launched a transactional practice in Shanghai. In this Q&A interview with Asia Law Portal, […]
Interview with New Law pioneer Kirsty Dougan, Vario’s Asia MD
Dougan is NewLaw’s pioneer in Asia Kirsty Dougan co-founded NewLaw in Asia in late 2009 and last month, after almost a decade in the sector, she joined Pinsent Masons flexible NewLaw unit Vario as Managing Director for Asia. Dougan will be based in a new office […]
Hong Kong and Mainland authorities sign new arrangement on interim measures in aid of arbitration
This article was co-authored by José-Antonio Maurellet SC and Ellen Pang of Des Voeux Chambers and Yanhua Lin of Fangda Partners On 2 April 2019, the Hong Kong Government and the Supreme People’s Court of China signed the Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the […]
Vietnam: Proposed New Solar Feed-In-Tariff
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam publicized a draft Decision that will replace Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister of Vietnam dated 11 April 2017 on mechanisms to encourage the development of solar power projects in Vietnam. The Draft Decision is expected […]
Mixed Forecast for India’s Economic Growth
There were mixed forecasts for India’s growth in reports issued by Fitch and Moody’s. While one showed a continuous decline the other one appeared stable. There is a proposal to liberalise foreign direct investment in foreign portfolio investments. India and South Korea came together to create […]
Book Review: “SMARTER Law: Transforming busy lawyers into business leaders” – by Trevor Faure
“I cannot say this too strongly: Do not compare yourself to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might.” Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist Philosopher, as quoted by Trevor Faure. Trevor Faure, self-defined as ‘part-translator-part-interlocutor’ between the legal and performance improvement […]
CTL Strategies to host Seminar on Recent Developments in BPT and WHT, 13 April 2019 in Male’, Maldives
CTL Strategies is conducting a full-day seminar on Recent Developments in BPT and WHT. The seven-hour seminar is designed to give participants an in-depth understanding of the BPT and WHT regimes, including the recent updates to those regimes via Tax Rulings and other decisions made by […]
Mah Weng Kwai Lunch Talk: Corporate Law: Mergers and Acquisitions 21 March 2019. Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
OVERVIEW Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) continue to redefine Malaysian businesses, both publicly listed companies and small-medium enterprises (SMEs). There are various corporate structures and transactions that may be used for the consolidation and transfer of corporate interests. Hence it is important for business owners and corporate […]
Hong Kong Dispute Resolution: What’s Ahead in 2019 and Beyond?
Here, we take a look at market trends and emerging best practices in the dispute resolution space to offer a guide as to what could be top of mind for practitioners in 2019 and beyond Arbitration What’s on the horizon? We’ve seen key changes in the […]
Insolvency Laws in Myanmar
This article has been published in IBA Banking Law Committee Publications. Insolvency laws in Myanmar Myanmar insolvency legislation is interspersed with and revolves around the Rangoon Insolvency Act 1910 (‘Rangoon Act’), the Burma Insolvency Act 1920 (‘Burma Act’) and the Myanmar Companies Law 2017 (MCL). Like […]
Dip in India’s FDI While It Climbs Highest in IP Index
India reported reduction in its foreign direct investments. The draft national e-commerce policy has been introduced and currently available for submission of comments by stakeholders. The news to cheer was India’s climb in global intellectual property index. The RBI’s forecast on India’s GDP growth was announced […]
Manila – A City Guide for Lawyers and Legal Professionals
Known as the “pearl of the orient” during Spanish rule, the City of Manila withstood many natural disasters, colonial occupations and war, is now a thriving metropolis. While it may still be a stopover for most tourists before heading to the islands, Manila has become a […]
Latest Employment Law Trends in Australia
2018 was a busy time period for proposed reform to the employment law regime in Australia, as multiple bills are currently being discussed at both federal and state parliaments. This article will summarise the progress made in the reform process over the past year in Australia. […]
Your Business Personality – and why it matters
When people think of personality types in relation to business, many think of the Myers-Briggs test – a self-report questionnaire which was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers during World War II, primarily to help women entering the workforce for the […]
Interview with AIIB GC on Asian Infrastructure and Legal Services
Gerard Sanders, General Counsel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), is working to deepen ties between AIIB and Asia-Pacific regional arbitral hubs and other legal institutions to help facilitate coordination to promote infrastructure development. In anticipation of his upcoming visit to the Hong Kong International […]
Latest Employment Trends in Mainland China: More Foreigners May Need to Pay Individual Income Tax in China?
2018 was an eventful year for reform in Chinese employment law, as it seeks to open its labour market to foreigners and residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Some of the changes have significant ramifications to foreign enterprises operating in Mainland China. This article shall […]
Lawyers are from Mars: Marketing People are from Mercury OR the importance of cognitive diversity in law firms
“We always did feel the same we just saw it from a different point of view. Tangled up in blue.” Bob Dylan In preparation for taking on a new marketing and business development role at an international law firm (this was after I accepted the position […]
Cambodia Legal & Tax Alert: Fortnightly Payments in Effect
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (“MLVT”) introduced “Prakas 442 – On the Payment of Wages” (Prakas 442) in September 2018. Prakas 442 provides that from January 2019 all enterprises and establishments covered by the provisions of the Labour Law shall prepare their payroll to […]
Barriers to funding arbitration in Hong Kong dismantled
Hong Kong’s lawmakers kicked off the process of permitting the third-party funding of arbitration as far back as 2013, even then recognising the anachronistic nature of the prohibition. It has taken nearly six years for us to reach this point, but from February 1st the funding […]
High Growth Forecast for India Amidst Some Concerns
India continued to receive high economic growth forecast, as per reports issued by the International Monetary Fund and United Nations (UN). However, the UN reported highlighted some concerns and worrisome factors. Government of India recently amended the external commercial borrowings rules to further enable ease of […]
A Year of Big Changes: Latest Employment Trends in Singapore and Japan
2018 saw the biggest changes in the employment law regimes of both Singapore and Japan. Both jurisdictions have recently gone through a fundamental change to the key legislation concerning employees’ rights. This includes a wider coverage of employees who are entitled to statutory benefits, and the […]
Elevate Acquires Cognatio Law, Launching Operations in Hong Kong
Flexible lawyering provider Cognatio extends Elevate’s global capabilities in Asia Pacific market
Yangon – A City Guide for Lawyers and Legal Services Professionals
Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, is the largest city as well as the cultural and commercial centre of Myanmar. With the recent reforms, there has been a massive influx of foreign investment in the city. The city is still developing and has huge potential. A […]
Latest Employment Trends in Hong Kong: More Burden for Employers?
2018 witnessed the proposed introduction of a number of changes to the employment law regime in Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Government taking the charge of implementing changes to gradually improve employee protections and employee benefits. This article shall revisit some of the key events […]
Assegaf Hamzah & Partners Participated in the Pre-Series A Funding of Justika.com
Assegaf Hamzah & Partners (AHP), one of the biggest law firms in Indonesia, recently participated in the Pre-Series A funding of Justika.com (Justika), the pioneer of legal services marketplace start-up in Indonesia. AHP’s Managing Partner, Bono Daru Adji, remarked that AHP’s participation in Justika is part […]
Tanner De Witt enhances its litigation practice with the appointment of Kevin Bowers as a Consultant
Tanner De Witt announces with great pleasure the appointment of Kevin Bowers as a Consultant in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. Kevin is a dual-qualified lawyer in England and Wales and Hong Kong and has practised as a commercial disputes lawyer and partner with three leading […]