Asia

The latest legal news and analysis from law firms across Asia.

Hong Kong

DAC Beachcroft launches in Hong Kong

DAC Beachcroft (DACB) has launched its second office in Asia Pacific. DACB will form an association with the newly-created CK Lee & Co, a Hong Kong firm that will ensure DACB’s clients can access legal advice internationally and in Hong Kong. The firm will be led by Kelvin Lee who was previously a partner at […]

tokyo

Bird & Bird hires from Ashurst for Japan launch

Bird & Bird has announced it will be opening a new office in Tokyo with the hire of Ashurst partner Hiro Iwamura. The primary purpose of the office will be to support the firm’s Japanese clients in the renewable energy, life sciences and technology space with outbound work across Europe, the Middle East and Asia […]

Ho Chi Minh City

Kinstellar breaks into Asia with 21-lawyer tie-up

European giant Kinstellar has gained a foothold in the Southeast Asian legal after securing a joint-venture deal with Vietnamese firm Asia Counsel. Asia Counsel boasts a headcount of just 21 lawyers, including four partners. Its focus has been on assisting foreign multinationals and Vietnamese corporations with expansion, M&A and financial matters. Acting independently for the […]

Sydney Australia

Pogust Goodhead launches Aussie office in mining giant’s “backyard”

Pogust Goodhead has launched an office in Sydney with a warning to Australian corporations that the firm is “ready to hold them to account”. The claimant law firm, which specialises in social and environmental mass claims, has hired Sydney litigation boutique Crichton & Co’s two partners, Amie Crichton and Joshua Carton. It is also looking […]

ASOS GC joins Asia-Pacific travel platform

Online reservation provider Agoda has hired Asos’s former legal chief Anna Suchopar as its general counsel. Suchopar has made the move from ASOS, where she held the role of general counsel and company secretary from 2019. She will take over from Tom Thomas and the new role is based in Bangkok. She will report into […]

Singapore is essential to any India strategy

There was some significant Indian market news this week from Linklaters. It named Singapore-based capital markets partner Amit Singh as its new India chief, replacing London-based Narayan Iyer. Singh, who arrived as a lateral from magic circle rival Allen & Overy in 2018, is already the head of the capital markets practice in South and […]

Gianni Origoni joins rivals in Shanghai

Italian heavyweight Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners is launching an office in Shanghai in its first international expansion for four years. The Shanghai office is Gianni Origoni’s eleventh office globally, and its second in Asia. It launched in Hong Kong in 2014 and signed a formal alliance agreement with Chinese firm Han Kun Law […]

beijing china

Clydes loses Beijing managing partner to Chinese firm

Clyde & Co‘s star magic circle hire in China, Beijing managing partner Patrick Zheng, has left after four years to join independent firm Llinks Law. Zheng will be a partner in Llinks’ cross-border dispute resolution practice. In his new firm, Zhang will join co-founder Charles Qin, as well as partner Peiming Yang, in leading the firm’s […]

Hong Kong

Addleshaws poaches BLP Asia head for growth spurt

Addleshaw Goddard has brought in veteran Asia head Bob Charlton in from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) to head up its Asia Pacific presence. Charlton will join Addleshaws after heading up BCLP’s Asia presence since 2014. Bryan Cave merged with Berwin Leighton Paisner in February this year to form BCLP. This new appointment will mean […]

Hong Kong

Shanda general counsel exits after six years for O’Melveny role

Shanda Group general counsel Li Han has exited the company after six years to join O’Melveny in Hong Kong. Han, who led the legal team at the global investment firm, is returning to private practice as a corporate partner. Prior to joining Shanda, she was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell for over three […]

Hong Kong

Winston & Strawn to close Hong Kong office

Winston & Strawn is the latest firm preparing to close its office in Hong Kong, though its joint venture in the region will continue. The Lawyer understands the office will close after Chinese New Year. The firm has nine lawyers in Hong Kong, with four of them being partners. The firm will continue to operate […]

Hong Kong

Withers’ Hong Kong managing partner leaves for Mishcon

Withers has taken a hit in Hong Kong, after losing its managing partner and a private client partner to Mishcon De Reya. Wei Zhang, the firm’s office head, has spent more than 13 years at Withers. She joined Withers Bergman as an associate in 2010 and was given the nod to partner in 2017. Timothy […]

DWF Manchester

DWF strikes Hong Kong deal with local firm

DWF has struck an alliance with a Hong Kong firm, over a year after agreeing a similar deal with Singapore-based Eldan Law. In Hong Kong, DWF has reached an exclusive affiliation agreement with Hauzen. Hauzen has five partners and one of counsel, specialising in financial regulation, contentious insurance, complex commercial matters and arbitration. The firm’s […]

Hong Kong

Addleshaws to close down Hong Kong office

Addleshaw Goddard is to close its office in Hong Kong later this year, The Lawyer has learned. Staff in its Hong Kong office are understood to have been told the news on Monday, with London staff being informed today. The closure will be from September this year upon the expiry of its office lease. Addleshaws has had […]

hong kong

Mayer Brown hires Eversheds corporate trio in Hong Kong

Mayer Brown has expanded its Asia corporate and securities practice by hiring a three-strong team from Eversheds Sutherland. Paul Moloney has joined the firm as an investment funds partner, based in its Hong Kong office. He’s been based in Hong Kong since 2006. Moloney joined Eversheds in 2016 as counsel before being appointed a partner […]

Hong Kong

Mishcon allies with 20-strong team for Hong Kong launch

Mishcon de Reya’s flurry of pre-IPO activity has continued with the firm confirming its expansion into Hong Kong, The Lawyer can reveal. An association with Karas LLP has enabled Mishcon to launch a branch office in one of Asia’s leading financial hubs, which builds upon the firm’s Singapore base opened in May 2020. While not […]

India

India opens up at last: Rules relaxed for foreign lawyers

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has announced that foreign lawyers and law firms will be allowed to practise law in India, following years’ worth of debate over the legal market’s liberalisation. A foreign lawyer or law firm will be entitled to practise foreign law in India only if they register with the BCI. The […]

Analysis