Tag: Asia Law Portal
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 […]
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 […]
A new law blog has been launched in Vietnam
A new law blog called Vietnam Law Insight has been launched this month by LNT & Partners. A Vietnam-based law firm with offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Hong Kong and San Francisco. As the firm’s LinkedIn page outlines, “the firm is among Vietnam’s […]
Legal Leaders Asia Forum: A preview Q&A with Nick Seddon of Beaton Capital
The 2nd Legal Leaders Asia Forum is set to take place March 24-25, 2015 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hong Kong. The event will provide an opportunity for both international and independent law firms already established in Asia. Or with an eye towards the path to […]
Asia’s Legal Leaders to gather in Hong Kong, March 24-25, 2015
The 2nd Legal Leaders Asia Forum is set to take place March 24-25, 2015 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hong Kong. The event will provide an opportunity for both international and independent law firms already established in Asia or with an eye towards the path to […]
For international law firms, China alone does not make an Asia Strategy
In February 8, Asia Law Portal’s Twitter feed (@AsiaLawPortal) – tweeted an announcement from international law firm Norton Rose (@NLegal_Global). That they’d added an Asia section to their Financial Services Regulation Blog. Richard Smith (RWS_01). The Australia-based legal business development professional responded to that tweet with […]
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. The recently published book: A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets — outlines challenges (as […]
Current trends shaping Vietnam’s legal market in 2014
Current trends shaping Vietnams 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 entitled A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets. Below are excerpts from Wong’ analysis: Despite […]
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 […]
NewLaw in Asia: The rise of AdventBalance
As prominent strategists in the legal services sector have outlined, the “NewLaw” business model is in increasing ascendance globally. And it is in use in greater frequency among legal services companies (including — but not limited to — law firms in Asia) seeking to provide lower […]
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 — the indigenous law firms in Asia for its regions face a rapidly evolving […]
Will India’s new government liberalize the country’s legal market?
Legal news in Asia and the 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 liberal among them. Member […]
K&L Gates Asia-Pacific Strategy: A 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, namely “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets“. Integral to the book was the participation of the region’s lawyers in […]
“Dynamic forces” seen changing China’s legal market
“Dynamic forces” changing China’s legal market is one highlight of a new book which provides “A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets. “ Integral to the book was the participation of the region’s lawyers and legal services sector professionals. They provide commentary and analysis of […]
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 […]
Mayer Brown launches Asia trade consulting arm in Singapore
International law firm Mayer Brown, one of the world’s 22nd largest law firms in Asia, 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 […]
Constitutional awareness in Myanmar – Creating capacity to build competencies
It was October 14th, 2013. This was the day of our “Constitutional Awareness Workshop” in Yangon, Myanmar. There is a need for constitutional reform of law firms in Myanmar, and I was there representing LexisNexis in support of this nation’s democratization. Our goal was to get […]
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 […]
Asia business opportunities outlined at Los Angeles conference
US business leaders gather 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, confirmed legal […]
The Asian Legal Marketplace by 2025
Dear law or pre-law students in Asia, Many of you reading this post decided to become the best lawyers in Asia or enter the legal profession based on only the vaguest notions of what the practice of law is actually like. It is perhaps a notion […]
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 with law […]
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 actions, according to a new report by Eric Chin, Senior Analyst at Beaton Capital in Australia. Chin first outlines 5 key opportunities for professional […]
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 […]
It’s Time for Large Firms to Look Over the Horizon
A recent London-based publication carried a range of opinions about the shape and destiny of large law firms in 2018. For partners in these firms articles such as these can’t make it comfortable to read. But I think they miss the real point by not looking […]
Pointers to change and Opportunities for law firms in Hong Kong
This post is based on recent research that provides pointers to change and opportunities for law firms in Hong Kong. Much is changing in the Hong Kong legal profession. Our research amongst law firms and their clients reveals several insightful trends. This post is the first […]
U.S. Law Firms Facing Competitive Challenges in China
As Yun Kriegler outlined recently in The Lawyer, after spending ten years in Asia, U.S. law firm Vinson & Elkins decided to close its Shanghai office. In July 2013, the Houston-based firm announced that it will shut down its three-partner office to consolidate its China practice […]
How to find clients for your new law practice
If you are just about to start your first law firm/practice, one of the first questions probably is how to approach potential clients and get them on board. The principles laid out below, proven and borrowed from the start-up world, are also applicable if you are […]
The state of private equity in Asia in 2013
According to Julia Leong, Hong Kong’s Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, who spoke at the 12th HKVCA China Private Equity Summit on June 11 of this year: “The private equity industry is now a key player in Asia’s evolving financing landscape.” In her […]
Foreign law firms “flying into” Singapore
Singapore’s central location in the high-growth ASEAN region, it’s status as a safe financial hub and the increasing ease by which foreign firms can access the country, has led to a recent increase in the influx of foreign law firms. Read more: Will Hong Kong’s law firms […]
Malaysian legal market opening to foreign firms
As Star Online reported from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Parliament — The Dewan Rakyat — passed the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill of 2012, which will soon allow foreign lawyers to open offices and practice law in Malaysia. What practices will foreign law firms be permitted to establish? Lee […]
India’s legal industry growing rapidly
India’s legal services industry is growing at a rate of approximately 40% per year, according to a report by Daisy Khanna, of KPO Consultants, a New Delhi-based consulting company which provides business solutions exclusively to the Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) industry. While driven in large part […]
Latin America–Asia trade growth offers law firms new opportunities
The high growth and increasingly mutually engaged economies of Latin America and Asia offer significant new business development opportunities to law firms and other professional services firms – provided they put in place and execute plans to effectively secure new cross-border business. Latin America – Asia […]
Foreign law firms can now access South Korea’s legal market
As a result of two recent landmark free trade agreements between South Korea, the European Union and the United States — the South Korean legal market will now be open for American and European law firms. According to Ranajit Dam’s article in Asian Legal Business, South […]



