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)”
Category Archives: Legal Industry
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”
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”
Omicron wave slows Asian legal markets’ recovery
In January, firms and lawyers were full of hope, expecting a lively 2022 fueled by global liquidity, recovery from the pandemic, and growing opportunities in the tech and biotech industries. However, the Omicron surge in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and Korea slowed the recovery. Compared to Q1 2021, we witnessed a significant decline inContinue reading “Omicron wave slows Asian legal markets’ recovery”
Tech Unicorns continue to lure big names from Private Practice in Asia
The news that US IPO doyenne Julie Gao was leaving Skadden Arps to join TikTok owner ByteDance as Chief Financial Officer was initially greeted with shock and surprise by the market but, given a brief cooling off period, it seems like the move makes a lot of sense and is indeed part of an increasingContinue reading “Tech Unicorns continue to lure big names from Private Practice in Asia”
Legal Move Updates (Apr – Jun 2022)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. June 30 June – Herbert Smith Freehills (Singapore, Singapore) Herbert Smith Freehills’ Singapore alliance firm Prolegis has added a new partner and head of projects from the Singapore formal law alliance unit of CMS. Adrian Wong advises equity sponsors, government authorities and others on energy, infrastructure and dataContinue reading “Legal Move Updates (Apr – Jun 2022)”
Building a network in a post-pandemic world
If you are a junior associate or in-house counsel, networking in the legal profession is vital in making connections, finding clients, creating collegial collaborations, and building referral relationships. However, networking for lawyers poses a few challenges in the wake of the pandemic. For more than a year, lawyers have not been able to attend industryContinue reading “Building a network in a post-pandemic world”
Tips to prepare for a legal internship
An internship nowadays is vital to a lawyer’s career. Summer internships are an important opportunity to learn about areas of the law you might want to pursue. Also, perhaps even more importantly, having a good internship could increase your chances of landing a dream job after law school. There are a set of things youContinue reading “Tips to prepare for a legal internship”
Celebrating IWD 2022 with the first Chairwoman in Vietnam of an international law firm
Dr. Nguyen Thi Lang, the first chairwoman in Vietnam of a global law firm, is also one of the first two J.D. graduates from HCMC University of Law and is therefore an ideal role model to discuss this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Breaking the Bias. In this interview with Sam Kenworthy, Dr. Lang NguyenContinue reading “Celebrating IWD 2022 with the first Chairwoman in Vietnam of an international law firm”
IWD 2022: Work together to break the bias
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias. Women are encouraged to take action to interrupt biases that may prevent us from realizing our gender-equal goals. In striving to achieve these goals, we must work together to fight against the bias, stereotypes, and discrimination towards female lawyers and women in all walks ofContinue reading “IWD 2022: Work together to break the bias”
Boutiques target International Arbitration in Singapore
There have been a number of eyecatching moves in the Singapore international arbitration market over the past year, with senior partners making moves few would have predicted. At the turn of 2022 it was announced that partner Simon Dunbar and counsel Kevin Lim would be leaving international arbitration titans King & Spalding for diminutive SingaporeContinue reading “Boutiques target International Arbitration in Singapore”
Career Paths for China-based Lawyers with Doreen Jaeger-Soong (Part 1)
Doreen Jaeger-Soong, Managing Director at Hughes-Castell, one of Asia’s leading executive search firms, has been an authority on the legal market in China for over 30 years. In this interview with Art Dicker from China Business Law Podcast, she discusses the different possible paths for lawyers and the choices they must make as they progressContinue reading “Career Paths for China-based Lawyers with Doreen Jaeger-Soong (Part 1)”