To successfully secure a job offer at a law firm or in-house legal team, you must know how to prepare for the interview. The interview is an opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for the role by showing the interviewer your ability to analyze complex legal information, communicate with colleagues and clients, manage digital issues, andContinue reading “Acing a Legal Interview – A practical guide for interns, trainees, and junior lawyers”
Author Archives: Hughes Castell
Singapore leads the growth with China on the track to coming back
Singapore has overtaken Hong Kong as the leading financial center in Asia and ranks third in the Global Financial Centre Index 2022, trailing only New York and London globally. Economic prosperity and a high-end quality if life continue to attract foreign law firms to launch or expand their Asia offerings. On the other hand, China’s legalContinue reading “Singapore leads the growth with China on the track to coming back”
Announcement of the termination of the partnership with HighPro Consulting (Shanghai) Limited
2 April 2023 Hughes-Castell (Hong Kong) Limited Company Announcement Announcement of the termination of the partnership with HighPro Consulting (Shanghai) Limited Hughes-Castell (Hong Kong) Limited, Asia’s premier legal and compliance search firm, announced today that as of 1 April 2023 the partnership with HighPro Consulting (Shanghai) Limited（高地（上海）人才咨询有限公司, also known in pinyin as Gao Di) hasContinue reading “Announcement of the termination of the partnership with HighPro Consulting (Shanghai) Limited”
India market finally opens but caution is the watchword
News of the liberalisation of the Indian legal market took almost every observer by surprise. Although rumours had circulated for years that it was on the agenda, that discussions were underway, watch this space, etc, when the announcement finally did come it was somewhat out of the blue. And despite some belated, general, non-specific noisesContinue reading “India market finally opens but caution is the watchword”
Women in Law – Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, women have made significant progress in the legal sector in recent years. Currently, women lead the Asian operations of at least six global firms. They include Ashurst’s Head of Asia Jini Lee; Clifford Chance’s Asia Pacific regional Managing Partner Connie Heng; Herbert Smith Freehill’s Asia Managing Partner May Tai; Linklaters’ Asia ManagingContinue reading “Women in Law – Asia Pacific”
The Legal Sector’s Reply to ChatGPT
With the boom in ChatGPT, a generative AI, the legal sector is trying to figure out how the advance AI applies to the market. Here are some law firms’ reactions to ChatGPT. Clayton UTZ (21 Feb 2023) – The age of the self-driving bureaucracy? ChatGPT and the Public Sector (https://www.claytonutz.com/knowledge/2023/february/the-age-of-the-self-driving-bureaucracy-chatgpt-and-the-public-sector) Allen & Overy (15 FebContinue reading “The Legal Sector’s Reply to ChatGPT”
ChatGPT: do the benefits outweigh the potential pitfalls?
What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is an AI chatbot system developed by OpenAI which uses large databases of language to generate human conversational text based on the context of the conversation. “GPT” means Generative Pre-training Transformer architecture, a neural network designed for natural language processing tasks. It uses its pre-trained massive databases from the internet toContinue reading “ChatGPT: do the benefits outweigh the potential pitfalls?”
Legal Move Updates (Jan – Mar 2023)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. March 24 Mar – Mishcon de Reya (Singapore, Singapore) Mishcon de Reya has promoted eight of its lawyers to partner—fewer than half the number made up the previous year. The law firm has promoted a single lawyer, Singapore-based Hong Chong Yi, to equity partner—as well as seven lawyersContinue reading “Legal Move Updates (Jan – Mar 2023)”
A Challenging Year: An Appraisal of the Chinese Legal Market in 2022
Vicky Liu, Director at Hughes-Castell, is held in high esteem by clients and candidates in China’s legal market. In this interview with Agnes Wang from China Business Law Podcast, she discusses what China’s legal market looked like in 2022 under the influence of the pandemic, and the trends of Chinese and foreign law firms inContinue reading “A Challenging Year: An Appraisal of the Chinese Legal Market in 2022”
Recoveries vary across different countries, but overall rebound expected in 2023
After having their economies battered for over two years, in 2022 several countries were fighting to return to normal while China was clinging to Covid restrictions. China’s strict zero-Covid policy had a ripple effect on the economy and the legal industry. As a result, Australia has replaced China as the region’s top location for significantContinue reading “Recoveries vary across different countries, but overall rebound expected in 2023”
Asia Legal Market Looks To 2023 For Stability
Although the world is weary of talking about Covid and its effects on the markets and day-to-day life, the reality is that the effects of the pandemic continue to resonate in this part of the world in a way that seems like a bad memory for the west. Protests in China have been well-documented, andContinue reading “Asia Legal Market Looks To 2023 For Stability”
Tips on how to finish 2022 strongly
2023 is coming soon! Here are our suggested ways for lawyers to have a strong year-end finish. Make the most of the holiday season When many practices are slowing down, and partners and clients are traveling during the holidays, the last few weeks of 2022 are a useful time for lawyers to prepare and tryContinue reading “Tips on how to finish 2022 strongly”
The Lion City awakens
Greater China, traditionally a major Asian powerhouse of lateral hires, witnessed a quiet 2022. On the other hand, Singapore had a strong Q3 and moved ahead of Hong Kong, China, and India as the joint busiest hiring market in Asian Pacific, alongside Australia. The lateral hiring markets in Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia grew stably inContinue reading “The Lion City awakens“
Legal Move Updates (Oct – Dec 2022)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. December 18 December – Cooley (Shanghai,China) Cooley has expanded its cross-border strategic investment advisory capabilities in Asia with the hire of corporate partner Ruomu Li from Morrison & Foerster for its Shanghai office. Li has a legal career spanning more than 15 years specializing in cross-border mergers andContinue reading “Legal Move Updates (Oct – Dec 2022)”
Baker Botts Redraws Asia Strategy Map With Singapore Opening
At the end of 2021 Baker Botts announced it was closing its Hong Kong office, just over a year after shuttering its Beijing premises, bringing to an end a 16-year physical presence in Greater China, and Asia as a whole. Not only was this the latest in a number of law firm withdrawals from theContinue reading “Baker Botts Redraws Asia Strategy Map With Singapore Opening”
Preparing for your lateral move
Making a lateral move is arguably the most significant part of a private practitioner’s career after making partner, so making this decision is contingent on a number of important factors including timing, cultural fit, business compatibility and long-term planning. Let us help you take the first step in your lateral move. Why a lateral move?Continue reading “Preparing for your lateral move”
Home Comforts for Singapore’s Big Hitters
The perceived wisdom is that Singapore will pose an increasing threat to Hong Kong in attracting legal talent as the latter sticks doggedly to a Zero-Covid target policy which involves stricter social distancing and quarantine requirements than elsewhere. This continues to curtail business travel, undermining Hong Kong’s acknowledged status as an international hub, and placesContinue reading “Home Comforts for Singapore’s Big Hitters”
Omicron-related social restrictions impair Asia Pacific Legal Recruitment Growth
When most of the Asia Pacific’s legal markets are recovering, sustaining, and growing, China witnessed a quiet first half of 2022 due to the spreading of Omicron. A strong lockdown has been adopted in Shanghai since March and has been extended into other Chinese cities, including Beijing. With the easing of social restrictions, we witnessedContinue reading “Omicron-related social restrictions impair Asia Pacific Legal Recruitment Growth”
Legal Move Updates (Jul – Sep 2022)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. September 29 September – ADCO Law (Jakarta, Indonesia) Jakarta-based law firm ADCO Law has hired corporate lawyer Alta Mahandara as partner from Wibowo Hadiwijaya & Co. With nearly 15 years of experience, Mahandara advises on foreign investment, electricity and water utility projects, railways, cross-border M&A, general corporate matters,Continue reading “Legal Move Updates (Jul – Sep 2022)”
Legal issues and opportunities in Web3
Whether you hate or love Web3, it is hot now because technology influencers like Venture capitalist Marc Andreesen, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Tesla chief Elon Musk are recently debating it.[1] The Web3 advocates also believe it is reshaping the economic landscape. Gartner estimates that Web3 will increase global GDP by USD 1.76 trillionContinue reading “Legal issues and opportunities in Web3”