Tag: featured
International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference set for Seoul, September 22-27, 2019
The 2019 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference will be held in Seoul, South Korea, a thriving metropolis that mixes the traditional with the modern – from skyscrapers, high-tech subways, K-pop culture and K-beauty to Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets and a history going back […]
Hong Kong – A City Guide for Lawyers and Legal Professionals
Hong Kong is a beautiful city of islands and skyscrapers that can only be experienced and not described in words. This thriving metropolis is a unique fusion of eastern and western culture, stunning harbor, mountains, sandy beaches, rural getaways, endless skyscrapers and a buzzing nightlife. This […]
The Thai Government Announces New International Business Center Incentives and the Cancellation of the IHQ Program
On 10 October 2018, the Thai government announced the cessation of the International Headquarters (“IHQs”) program (which also included Regional Operating Headquarters or “ROHs” and International Trading Centers or “ITCs”) and the creation of a replacement initiative; International Business Centers (“IBCs”). The move is part the OECD […]
Seoul – A City Guide for Lawyers and Legal Professionals
Home to large international companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai, the South Korean capital city of Seoul has transformed economically in just a few years. Indeed, South Korea has risen rapidly to become one of Asia’s most advanced economies. Seoul is a fashion forward city with […]
Litigation Funding in Asia – Where are we now?
Last year saw a swathe of reforms and proposed reforms in Asia in relation to litigation and arbitration funding. In January 2017, Singapore’s parliament passed the Civil Law Amendment Act and the Civil Law (Third Party Funding) Regulations 2017. Hot on Singapore’s heels, in June 2017, […]
The legal gig economy – what’s next?
In just three taps of your finger you could have a curry or burger winging its way to your home. With the rise of technology and the growing desire for ultimate convenience it is no surprise that food delivery companies like Uber Eats and Deliveroo have […]
New Offshore Business Structures Fueling Belt & Road International Partnerships
The Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is truly one of the greatest endeavours in modern history. But to make something so bold and vast a reality, it is and will take international business cooperation on a scale never seen before. The BRI entails truly vast infrastructural […]
Implications of Syariah Laws in Brunei Darussalam
The term, “Syariah law” is often associated with harsh lashings and other similarly dated modes of punishment. In reality however, the harsh punishment associated with Syariah law is often hugely exaggerated, and has little impact on businesses in a Syariah-based State like Brunei. Mohamad Rozaiman Abdul […]
Tokyo – A City Guide for Lawyers and Legal Professionals
Tokyo, the capital of Japan is one of the largest, busiest and most populated metropolises in the world. This vibrant city is also called city of cities. You may think of it as several cities interlinked through an excellent public transport system. It also is a […]
Cross-Border Scheme of Arrangement for Secured Noteholders: Re Mongolian Mining Corporation
Re Mongolian Mining Corporation [2018] HKCFI 2035 – the latest case on restructuring foreign companies’ foreign law-governed debts involving DVC’s José-Antonio Maurellet SC, Yang-Wahn Hew and Jason Yu. Read on to find out whether there was sufficient connection between the Scheme and Hong Kong. In Re Mongolian Mining Corporation [2018] HKCFI 2035, the […]
India’s Growth Forecast High Amidst Dollar Woes
India’s economic growth forecast remained stable with Moody’s predicting growth of 7.5%. This was close to the forecast of 7.6% by Reuters. The Government is aiming for further jump in India’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report. Finally, the demonitisation report card […]
Tax Issues & Strategies For Successful Investments in Cambodia
VAT Refund process? Audits? Tax incentives? Profit repatriation? Transfer Pricing? Cambodia/China double tax agreement? You want to understand more about these terms? Watch our latest video where our tax expert, Clint O’Connell, discusses tax issues and strategies for successful investments in Cambodia. DFDL, in collaboration with […]
Diversity and intersectionality in the workplace within ASEAN
In this column, I highlight issues and solutions that arise within the legal context of ASEAN and which impact the diversity of the region’s social, economic, cultural and political life. Human rights are a contentious subject for many, presenting a number of challenges to companies and […]
2018 ALPMA Summit – 1 month to go!
2018 ALPMA Summit Shaping the future firm – it starts with you The 2018 ALPMA Summit is the largest legal management conference and trade exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere occurring from 19-21 September 2018 at the International Convention Centre, Sydney. The 2018 ALPMA Summit brings together […]
Law, Technology and Access to Justice in Asia-Pacific and the USA
There is a growing conversation within the legal profession globally about how technology can help people access justice. Legal assistance is often seen as too costly for many people, and the legal system can be difficult to navigate for people who try to represent themselves. All […]
Third Regional Law Firm Management Forum set for Singapore, Oct 19, 2018
The Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA) along with the Law Council of Australia’s Law Management Group will hold the third annual Regional Law Firm Management Forum on October 19, 2018 in Singapore at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The Singapore Academy of Law is the event […]
Opportunities for law firms in the ASEAN region. An interview with Laurent Tam NGUYEN
Vietnam-based Laurent Tam NGUYEN has more than twenty-five years’ experience leading marketing and business development operations in b2b professional services, e-business and commercial property. His experience includes heading regional communications and marketing initiatives for leading ASEAN-region legal services organizations including ZICO Group and DFDL. In addition, he is […]
Hong Kong Provisional Liquidation Meets Singapore Moratorium: Re CW Advanced Technologies Limited
In a ground-breaking decision, the Hong Kong Court in Re CW Advanced Technologies Limited [2018] HKCFI 1705 explains: (a) the interface between the Hong Kong provisional liquidation regime and Singapore’s new insolvency regime; and (b) how both regimes could work in tandem to help restructure a Singapore-based pan-Asian […]
Vietnam Investment Guide 2018
It is our great pleasure to introduce our 2018 edition of our Investment Guide for Vietnam. Understanding the ins and outs of opening and developing a business in Vietnam can often be daunting. The latest investment guide identifies some of the important pitfalls, difficulties and solutions of […]
The Duty To Report Suspicious Transactions Under Anti Money Laundering Laws In Relation to 1MDB and other scandals in Malaysia
As we usher in the new Malaysia and the revival of Rule of Law, we hear of scandal after scandal being disclosed as the new government assume the reins of power. The new cabinet ministers are no doubt working hard with rolled sleeves to manage the […]
Work life balance across Asia – and how things are changing
South Korea is well-known across Asia for its long hours and ‘workaholic’ culture. According to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, South Korean employees worked for an average of 2,024 hours in 2017 – meaning the country places third in the world rankings […]
APAC regional legal tech conference LexTech launches AI assistant
APAC regional legal technology conference LexTech has launched an AI assistant to help facilitate a better conference experience, making its services available through Facebook Messenger — a first in the local legal tech industry. Called, LEXi, the Artificial Intelligence chatbot was developed by Malaysia’s CanChat and will focus on addressing enquiries […]
How has NewLaw developed in Asia over the last 10 years? An interview with Oliver Mould of LOD – Lawyers On Demand
As NewLaw firm LOD – Lawyers on Demand (LOD) approaches its’ 10th anniversary, Asia Law Portal interviewed Oliver Mould, the firms’ Head of Asia about the state of NewLaw in Asia and what he sees ahead for the next 10 years: LOD is approaching its 10th […]
Corporate Internal Investigations, Conflicts of Interests and The Outside Counsel And Financial Accountant
In the current difficult operating environment of government linked companies and the reported incidents of hidden corporate scandals in Malaysia, new corporate leaders and incoming board of directors are faced with the risks of personal liability for breach of directors duties and breach of employment contracts […]
Indonesia Looks to Simplify Business Licensing With OSS System
As part of the push by the administration of President Joko Widodo to improve the ease of doing business in Indonesia and increase investment, the government has issued Government Regulation Number 24 of 2018 regarding Online Business Licensing Services (GR 24), which was signed and came […]
Common Reporting Standards – Impact in Malaysia and ASEAN
The Common Reporting Standards (“CRS”) aims to enable tax authorities to tackle offshore tax evasion by providing a greater level of information on their residents’ wealth held abroad. As a party to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, Malaysia already has laws in […]
Legal Procurement Conference APAC 2018 set for Sydney on 24 July 2018
Hosted by the Buying Legal Council and Lawcadia, the event is a powerful platform for buyers and sellers of legal services to network and learn, share best practices, launch new initiatives, get motivated, and inspire the legal industry as a whole. The conference encourages dialogue, discussion and formal and […]
LexTech18 regional legal tech conference set for Kuala Lumpur, Oct 25-26, 2018
LexTech18 regional legal tech conference is set to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct 25-26, 2018. LexTech brings together private, public and regulatory organizations to share new ways of thinking, build strong partnerships, and define new strategies to compete in Asia’s ever-changing legal landscape. In […]
Trust, Confidence & Anti-Avoidance – Will Hong Kong Decisions Impact Australia?
Hong Kong and Australia have always enjoyed something of a shared history. Both former British colonies. Both legal systems based on the English common law. Australian judges are invited to sit as non-permanent members of the Hong Kong senior courts. And although not binding, the Hong […]
Provisional Liquidators’ Restructuring Powers Clarified: China Solar
The Court of Appeal decision in Re Legend International Resorts [2006] 2 HKLRD 192 had caused many to doubt if provisional liquidators appointed in Hong Kong could play a restructuring role at all. Twelve years later, in Re China Solar Energy Holdings [2018] HKCFI 555, Harris […]
Telecommunication Licensing in Thailand
The Telecommunications Business Act B.E. 2544 (2001) (“TBA”) provides that a person operating a telecommunications service in Thailand is required to obtain a license. “Telecommunications Service” is defined under the Act on the Organization to Assign Radio Frequency and to Regulate Broadcasting and Telecommunications Services B.E. […]
Energy Security and Climate Change in East Asia-Trilateral Cooperation towards a Sustainable Future
China, Japan and South Korea are undergoing rapid and comprehensive transformations in developing the intelligent and sustainable use of energy and other natural resources. These changes are driven by new strategies towards energy security and climate change mitigation. Given that future China-Japan-South Korea energy cooperation will […]
Madrid Protocol in Thailand
After a very long wait, on 7 November 2017, Thailand finally effectively acceded to the Madrid Protocol (MP). The Trademark Act, B.E. 2534 (1991), as amended by the Trademark Act (No.2) B.E. 2543 (2000) and the Trademark Act (No. 3) B.E. 2559 (2016), was amended in […]
Singapore’s new employment regime – a brave new world
By this time next year, Singapore will have a rather different employment regime from any it has had since independence. One aspect of this needs to be carefully thought through. About ten years ago, a distressed Norwegian client consulted me. His company’s Singapore office had a […]
Privacy is Dead
But we never wanted it anyway, muses Adrian Tan. Over the past few weeks, our inboxes were bombarded by emails about privacy. Companies wrote to us, in a state of panic, because of the General Data Protection Regulation. That is a new European Union law that […]
Driving innovation in the legal industry
Introduction Emerging technologies are creating significant waves of disruption impacting economies, industries and societies across the globe. Companies are struggling to keep pace with technological developments, whether maintaining agile business environments to leverage advanced technologies or creating the right risk and compliance strategies to plan and […]
Reed Smith and Resource Law Managing Partners explain the strategy behind their Singapore alliance
Reed Smith formed an alliance with Singapore’s Resource Law in 2016 to strengthen its local expertise and client offering of a one-stop-shop service, and to help it stand out amid a highly competitive environment for both international and local firms in Singapore. The alliance has also allowed the firm […]
How the GC can move beyond relationships to more strategic selection of outside counsel
As the legal industry evolves, in-house teams are under increasing pressure to demonstrate a commitment to innovation and transformation. However, as legal departments accept and even embrace the need for change, one element stubbornly resists transformation. Despite the growing availability of digital technology designed to assist […]
India Attracts Largest E-Commerce Deal
India’s potential for high growth in retail came to the forefront with the acquisition of its biggest homegrown online retail company. The high economic growth prospects were reaffirmed by the IMF. There will be a new system for monitoring of foreign investment in listed entities. The […]
China announces plans to further liberalize its’ legal market
China Daily reports today that China “will further open up its services sector by expanding a pilot program for innovative development of trade in services.” The decision was taken yesterday at an executive meeting of China’s State Council, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. As a result […]