The pandemic slowed lateral hiring in Asia Pacific earlier this year as law firms continue to act with caution. The lateral market has been picking up since April with Chinese firms actively making inroads into the Asian legal market. Our quarterly review provides an overview of the key appointments in Asia Pacific:
Appointments
- We see 50% growth in key appointments in Q2.
- The APAC lateral market was very active in April when the pandemic showed signs of easing in the Asia Pacific.
Locations
- China led the hiring spree with 35 significant hires in Q2, followed by Singapore (21) and Hong Kong (19).
- Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore markets remain stable compared to other countries in the region.
- India observed a substantial drop in lateral hires in June.
Practices
- Corporate/M&A/Capital Markets practices dominated the lateral hires in both Q1 & Q2.
- Litigation/Dispute Resolution/Arbitration/Investigations practices saw record hiring rates in Q2. The hires are based in Mainland, Singapore, and Korea.
- Since April, Real Estate markets have been gradually growing, especially in China.