By Sherry Xu The role of Chief Legal Officer (CLO) has been growing in importance as C-suite and board leaders become more aware of the elevated risk conditions they are working in and the long-term cost of those risks. This heightened awareness has correspondingly caused high-functioning legal teams to expand their priorities and capabilities toContinue reading “The Age of the Chief Legal Officer”
Category Archives: Legal Industry
The right time for lawyers to return to the office?
Morgan Stanley’s Chief Legal Officer, Eric Grossman, has demanded their outside law firms return their lawyers to the office en masse. However most law firms who act for Morgan Stanley have already incorporated some remote working into their return plans after the pandemic. The request immediately delivers a real headache for firms trying to placateContinue reading “The right time for lawyers to return to the office?”
Kirkland makes unusual step into Asian Real Estate
Kirkland & Ellis’ hire of Paul Hastings’ Paul Guan is not necessarily a surprise in the context of the Chicago giant’s enduring interest in swelling its private equity ranks, but a foray into real estate remains a rare occurrence in the Asian legal markets. Whereas the nuts-and-bolts conveyancing remains very much the preserve of localContinue reading “Kirkland makes unusual step into Asian Real Estate”
Legal Move Updates (Jul – Sep 2021)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. September 2021 30 Sep – White & Case (Seoul, Korea) U.S. firm White & Case has strengthened its global project development and finance practice with the hire of Sungjin Kang as a partner in Seoul from Latham & Watkins. Kang, who spent more than a decade with LathamContinue reading “Legal Move Updates (Jul – Sep 2021)”
Legal markets improve, but the shadow of Covid-19 lingers
New and more contagious Covid-19 variants continue to penetrate the world’s major economies, but overall the Asia Pacific legal market continues to grow. We have seen a good level of hiring activity in the first quarter, particularly in January. The massive disruptions of 2020 uncovered both challenges and opportunities for all legal practitioners. It isContinue reading “Legal markets improve, but the shadow of Covid-19 lingers”
Leaders in Law: Interview with Yang Guang
It is rare for high-profile lawyers to rise to a senior non-legal position of their organization. Yang Guang is one of the few hybrid lawyer-CEOs, Vice President & General Counsel of Johnson Controls Asia Pacific, and formerly President-Asia Pacific at Westport Fuel Systems, General Counsel at TRW Automotive, and Vice President & General Counsel atContinue reading “Leaders in Law: Interview with Yang Guang”
Clifford Chance Loses Seoul Glow
Clifford Chance’s decision to close its Seoul office is not necessarily a surprise since the Magic Circle firm had had no resident partner in the city for some time but it may also be indicative of a wider trend of global firms reducing their Asia footprints. Upon liberalisation of the South Korean market in 2012Continue reading “Clifford Chance Loses Seoul Glow”
How to ace your partner interview
Partner recruiting in general is a complex and lengthy process. It can take anywhere from a couple of months to over a year. At the core of the process are the interviews with prospective colleagues and leaders at other firms. In preparing a partner-level interview, you have to be able to present a compelling appraisalContinue reading “How to ace your partner interview”
Firms look to go green in 2021
As firms continue to strive to look beyond the core strategies of improving client service, profitability, market share expansion, talent acquisition, and so on, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria are becoming increasingly promoted, with firms appointing dedicated senior staff members to oversee multi-pronged programs and initiatives that fall under this banner. Hughes-Castell spoke withContinue reading “Firms look to go green in 2021”
How your firm can stand out and hire the “right” lawyers in the post-Covid-19 period?
The competition for legal talent remains fierce, even with the pandemic still hampering the economy globally. While approaching the post-pandemic period, law firms, alongside companies across all industries and sectors, in need of new talent will have to hire externally to support their anticipated quick recovery. Therefore, finding the “right” talent is a core driverContinue reading “How your firm can stand out and hire the “right” lawyers in the post-Covid-19 period?”
Legal Move Updates (Apr – Jun 2021)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. June 2021 30 Jun – McDermott Will & Emery (Singapore, Singapore) McDermott, which is launching an office in Singapore a year after it shuttered its offices in China and two years after closing its operation in South Korea, has added projects partner Merrick White from the Singapore officeContinue reading “Legal Move Updates (Apr – Jun 2021)”
Singapore Flings Back in Style
In the wake of closures of several international firms’ offices in Beijing and Hong Kong over the last 12-24 months it is interesting to observe how firms in this sector recalibrate their Asia strategies. By far the most notable positive recent activity has been seen in Singapore, the City State having previously been a hotbedContinue reading “Singapore Flings Back in Style”
Leaders in Law: Interview with Sarah Wang
When the AstraZeneca vaccine was first introduced, it was hailed as a milestone in turning the tide on the coronavirus and now is a global gamechanger. In this interview, Sherry talks with Sarah Wang, Deputy General Counsel, International & Japan for AstraZeneca, about her secrets to success in this UK-headquartered pharmaceutical giant. Highly respected inContinue reading “Leaders in Law: Interview with Sarah Wang”
Firms eye return to Capital Markets boom times
As the world awaits the roll-outs of the various vaccines at varying rates of distribution, variable according to region, optimism is returning to the Asian markets. In some minds cautious optimism is being favoured following the devastating consequences of the global pandemic and its ongoing fallout, others report a return to regular compensation distribution levelsContinue reading “Firms eye return to Capital Markets boom times”
Asia LegalTech Overview, Singapore
Singapore has a thriving LegalTech industry more advanced than most of its Asian neighbors, as LegalTech startups and programs have received substantial government backing in the past few years. We believe nowhere else in Asia has the same level of sovereign investment in LegalTech and innovation as Singapore. LegalTech initiatives are supported as part ofContinue reading “Asia LegalTech Overview, Singapore”
Leaders in Law: Interview with Lian Lian
Lian Lian is the Managing Director, APAC at Kobre & Kim, an international law firm specializing in cross-border disputes and investigations. She started out as an associate at international law firms focusing on cross-border transactions and corporate practice, then worked her way up as in-house counsel at Honeywell through various APAC General Counsel roles untilContinue reading “Leaders in Law: Interview with Lian Lian”
India In-house Legal Market Overview – 2020
India has one of the largest legal profession set-ups in the world, fittingly sitting alongside the world’s largest democracy. Which means disruption, doubts, and delays caused by Covid-19 were exacerbated in this market more than most others. Hiring activity remained busy throughout, however, and it will be fascinating to see whether such activity continues inContinue reading “India In-house Legal Market Overview – 2020”
Embracing 2021 with positivity and aspirations
Dear Friends, Candidates and Clients, I hope this message finds you and your families safe and healthy. We all have experienced the challenging year of 2020, globally or locally, personally or professionally. Pay cuts, layoffs, furloughs, and compensation freezes were everywhere last year. Many in the legal industry were unclear whether things will return toContinue reading “Embracing 2021 with positivity and aspirations”
Are you ready? Legal hiring trends to look out for in 2021
Markets expect the world’s economy will bounce back once vaccination programs are underway. Once economic activity increases in the post-vaccine period, we believe that hiring activities will go back to the pre-Covid-19 level. We have continued to see good levels of recruitment activity in Asia since Q4 2020. Both recruiters and jobseekers should be well-preparedContinue reading “Are you ready? Legal hiring trends to look out for in 2021”
Legal Move Updates (Jan – Mar 2021)
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list. March 2021 31 Mar – Linklaters (Hong Kong, China) Linklaters has appointed William Liu as its new Regional Managing Partner, Asia for a period of four years from 1 June 2021. William succeeds Nathalie Hobbs who has completed her term in the role and will work closely withContinue reading “Legal Move Updates (Jan – Mar 2021)”