IHC Magazine - Dec 2022 issue including Legal Innovation & Technology

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Rahul Prakash

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Richard Oliver

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EDITORIAL GUIDANCE PANEL

Carina Wessels

Executive:

Preeti

Stanley Lui

APAC

Ban Jiun Ean, Chief Executive, Maxwell Chambers

Maxwell Chambers is the world’s first integrated Alternative Dispute Resolution complex, housing best-in-class hearing facilities and top international ADR institutions. It is also a one-stop shop providing a full suite of digital hearing solutions and support services, providing an end-to-end solution for clients.

Stephanie Szeto, Head of Asia, Peerpoint Stephanie joined Peerpoint in 2016 and now heads up the business in Asia. She has over 15 years’ experience in strategic business roles at top-tier international law firms. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is an active committee member for Women in Law in Hong Kong (WILHK).

Stacy Lopez, Global Transition Coach and Peerpoint Consultant

Stacy is a Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership™ Index Master Practitioner who trained with one of the world's leading coaching institutions, iPEC. As a member of Peerpoint’s consultant management team, she works closely with consultants through every stage of their career, providing career and transition coaching support. Stacy is a US qualified lawyer specialising in Debt Capital Markets. She spent the majority of her professional career working at prominent global law firms (in the US, London and Madrid).

Sarah Thompson, Partner, Head of Adaptive Sarah is an innovative, collaborative, and ambitious individual with a proven track record of business leadership and developing and delivering smarter solutions for clients. Sarah is passionate about helping clients to re-imagine how Adaptive engages with legal talent and assisting talented legal professionals to work flexibly.

In-House Community

Jonathan Hammond, Adaptive Relationship Partner, Head of Asia

Jonathan is the Asia Regional Head based in Simmons & Simmons Hong Kong office. Jonathan is a partner in the Financial Markets group specialising in structured products and derivatives. He has advised sell and buy side clients on a variety of asset backed structures and synthetic transactions. In 2018 Jonathan completed a secondment to a major investment bank and in 2019 he worked in the Frankfurt office of the firm..

Carl

Magazine

Raymond

Sally Dyson Director, Firm Sense

Rebecca Hong

Managing Counsel, Intel Corporation

Governance, Legal and Compliance, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings

Watson General Counsel, Arcadis Asia

Goh General Counsel, International of China Tourism Group

Legal Director, TI Fluid Systems Co-Founder, White Hat Guys

Ron Yu

University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Sesto Vecchi

Managing Partner, Russin & Vecchi

Yosr Hamza Director, Legal Counsel, Gartner

Navrita Kaur Chief Legal Officer, Omesti Group

Balwani General Counsel at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages

Kennedys Strengthens Aviation Team in Singapore

to long-standing Kennedys’ client, Liberty Specialty Markets, as Head of Aviation Claims.

Anita will work alongside new partner, Tristan Thompson, who recently joined the firm from DLA Piper, where he spent the last three years principally working on complex aviation and aerospace product liability claims and hull subrogation claims. Prior to that, Tristan spent eight years at Clyde & Co, where he trained and qualified into their aviation team.

Kennedys has further bolstered its aviation team in Singapore with the designation of Anita Quy as Head of Aviation, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the addition of Tristan Thompson as a new partner.

Joining the firm in 2014, Anita has specialised in the aviation sector for more than 20 years, and is highly respected across APAC and the London Market. She advises a range of clients, including insurers, airlines, general aviation operators, regulators, ground handlers and maintenance organisations.

Anita has been engaged as lead counsel in a number of cases involving catastrophic losses and regularly handles complex, high-value work, such as hull subrogation claims. She also has extensive dispute resolution experience in cross-border litigation, and regularly advises on non-contentious issues, such as contractual liability, risk management and regulatory matters.

She takes over the role following the departure of Peng Lim, who has moved in-house

An English qualified lawyer, Tristan specialises in handling contentious aviation and aerospace matters on behalf of operators and their (re)insurers across multi-jurisdictions. His experience includes dealing with major airline and helicopter losses, attritional claims, coverage issues and pursuing recovery actions for (re)insurers and insureds.

As part of the firm’s expansion plans for China and Asia, Herbert Smith Freehills has appointed partner Nanda Lau to lead the firm’s Beijing and Shanghai representative offices.

Nanda will continue to lead the firm’s China corporate practice and

Nanda Lau heads Beijing, Shanghai Offices of Herbert Smith Freehills

Shanghai representative office in her new role, reporting to China Managing Partner Matt Emsley.

She will be collaborating on the ground in Beijing with partners Monica Sun and Calvin Ho. Matt Emsley will work with Stanley Xie, a capital market partner of Herbert Smith Freehills Kewei joint operation, to jointly lead the capital markets team in mainland China. Stanley will split his time between Shanghai and Beijing.

Herbert Smith Freehills has been present in China for some 40 years, and has seven partners and 21 lawyers in mainland China, as well as five partners and 27 lawyers at its joint operation firm Kewei.

Established in 2019, the Herbert Smith Freehills-Kewei joint operation allows the firm to provide seamless China-related legal services to clients through a single

relationship, including access to quality Chinese law advice from Kewei.

“The China market has changed dramatically since our current structure was created in the 2000s, and our joint operation with Kewei in China has now added even more capabilities and clients,” said Nanda. “The time is right to refresh the structure to reflect our business and clients today by aligning our integrated team approach across the two mainland representative offices to better serve our expansion ambitions.”

“Our China lawyers already work together across the three offices on corporate, capital markets and disputes matters every day,” said China managing partner Matt Emsley. “Nanda’s leadership will strengthen that collaboration and help us increase our work for both existing and new clients.”

Hye Kyung Helen Sohn Strengthens Yoon & Yang’s Aviation Workforce

Former Lee & Ko partner Hye Kyung Helen Sohn has joined Yoon & Yang’s Corporate Advisory Group and the Finance Practice Group, as the firm continues to boost its aviation practice.

A bilingual attorney who worked at Lee & Ko for 27 years, Sohn is a renowned expert with broad experience and knowledge in the aviation law practice, and is considered to have pioneered the aviation finance in Korea.

During her stint at Lee & Ko, she has become Korea’s leading aviation finance expert, advising major airlines and financial institutions on finance and operating leases, secured loan transactions, PDP financings, JOLCO and ABS transactions.

Sohn has advised Korean Air, Jin Air, Jeju Air, T’way Air, The Export Import Bank of Korea, ICBC Leasing, Hana Bank, Hana Financial Investment, Shinhan Investment Group, Heungkuk Asset Management and more.

In addition to Sohn, Yoon & Yang has also recently recruited Seungmin Song and Minjeong Kim.

A former in-house attorney at Korean Air, Song is an expert who has experienced virtually all legal issues that could arise in the aviation industry. While working as an in-house

attorney at Korean Air for ten years, Song was in charge of providing advice and engaging in negotiations on aircraft transactions, as well as providing advice on airline-related matters.

On the other hand, Kim has more than 20 years of experience in the aviation field, working for domestic and international airlines and aviation industry-related institutions. She has worked for the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, the Korea Civil Aviation Association, the Lufthansa and the Emirates Airline.

“The aviation industry is gradually recovering from the pandemic, and the outlook for the aircraft finance sector is also expected to be bright. Starting with this recruitment, Yoon & Yang will further strengthen our practical expertise to provide the best legal services to our major clients,” said Jinsu Jeong, Yoon & Yang Managing Partner.

MOVES

Tilleke & Gibbins has bolstered the capabilities of its corporate and commercial team in Vietnam with the addition of Tram Ngoc Bich Nguyen as a partner. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen’s practice focuses on foreign investment and corporate matters, M&A, real estate, e-commerce, fintech and data privacy. Her expertise includes advising foreign and multinational clients on investment in Vietnam, ranging from market-entry stage to expansion, corporate governance, internal rules and regulations, fundraising, restructuring, commercial transactions and employment. In respect of real estate projects in Vietnam, she has a strong legal background in development, construction, management, operation and lease activities. She also assists multinational corporations in their adherence to local data protection laws, and advises on issues, such as platform and social network operations, terms and conditions, vendor contracts, e-contracting, cybersecurity and data privacy. Prior to joining the firm, Nguyen spent 16 years with one of Vietnam’s top local firms, where she had been a partner since 2019, advising clients on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions involving Vietnamese companies engaged in a broad range of business sectors, including real estate, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, education and distribution. She is a qualified lawyer in Vietnam, and holds an LLM from the University of the West of England in Bristol, UK, and an LLB in Commercial Law from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law.

Reed Smith has added Hui Ling Teo as a partner in its global Transportation Industry Group, based in Singapore. Teo joins from Milbank, bringing over a decade of experience in first-of-its-kind and award-winning deals. She specialises in high value transactions, and has led headline transactions worth more than US$2.8 billion, advising the world’s largest and most reputable aircraft leasing companies, airlines, manufacturers and financial institutions. Teo is passionate about bringing value to the industry with her expertise in pre-delivery purchase financing, large portfolio trading and financing, M&A, restructuring and insolvency, and alternative investment structures. She is known for her interest in co-creating solutions for the industry, supporting the industry with green and sustainable financing to accelerate the move towards green and sustainable operations and flights.

Paul Hastings has added Peter Cheng as securities and capital markets practice partner in Hong Kong. Cheng practices primarily in the area of equity capital markets offerings with a focus on Hong Kong IPOs, and has led on matters relating to Hong Kong Listing Rules compliance, M&A and private equity investments. He has extensive experience in the technology, media and telecom sector. Peter Cheng joins Paul Hastings from Deacons. He has also worked with Davis Polk & Wardwell previous to joining Deacons.

MOVES

Pinsent Masons has strengthened its energy and infrastructure capabilities in Sydney with the addition of partner Kirstie Richards and senior associates Luke Salem and Alec Kibblewhite to lead the firm’s Australian planning and environment capabilities in its Sydney office. Richards is an environmental and planning partner, with a particular focus on energy, renewables, infrastructure and oil and gas sectors. The team advises energy generators, renewable energy developers and construction companies on complex large scale environmental projects. They join from K&L Gates, where Richards established and led its environment and planning practice nationally. Richards has advised on a number of high profile projects, including the multi-billion Clarke Creek Wind and Solar Farm project in Queensland, the Tallawarra B Power Station, and the 200MW Collector wind farm project in NSW.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has added Paul Tan as a partner in the firm’s Singapore office. Tan will continue his international disputes practice, and will lead the firm’s international arbitration practice in Asia. He practices commercial and investor-state international arbitration and international litigation, including arbitration-related litigation. He focuses on disputes across Asia, and has extensive experience advising on complex issues of public and private international law. Tan has acted in disputes in a wide range of industries. He regularly advises leading multinational organisations, global insurers, financial institutions and Asian

governments. Before joining the firm, Tan served as partner at Cavenagh Law, which is registered in a formal law alliance in Singapore under Clifford Chance Asia, where he led the litigation practice for Southeast Asia.

Prior to that, he was a partner with Rajah & Tann Singapore. Tan is the elected Treasurer of the Law Society of Singapore, a member of Singapore Academy of Law, and holds positions in the International Chamber of Commerce (Singapore chapter), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the Swiss Arbitration Association and the Rising Arbitrators Initiative. He earned his LLB from the National University of Singapore in 2005, where he graduated with First Class Honours. He received his BCL with distinction from the University of Oxford in 2011. He served as a law clerk under two former Chief Justices of Singapore, and other judges, including Sundaresh Menon, then Judicial Commissioner and now the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

S&R Associates has added William Vivian John as a partner, based in Mumbai. John’s practice covers a broad range of listed and private company M&A matters and cross-border transactions, as well as anti-corruption, financial fraud and investigation matters. He has significant experience advising global corporate, listed clients and boards of directors on complex internal investigations. John received a BA, LLB (Hons) from the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru in 2000. His prior experience includes working with Luthra and Luthra Law Offices in Mumbai, where he was a partner.

DEALS

Allen & Gledhill has advised the Singapore Exchange on the establishment of its S$500 million (US$361.6m) euro-commercial paper programme, arranged by DBS Bank. Partners Margaret Chin, Delwin Singh and Sunit Chhabra led the firm’s team in the transaction.

Ashurst has represented Southeast Asianfocused private equity fund Altair Capital on its significant minority stake investment into Beyond Medical Group, a Singapore-based award-winning multi-disciplinary private specialist healthcare group, with a portfolio of 12 doctors and 16 centres in Singapore. Altair Capital is a private equity firm focused on buyout or significant minority investments in quality companies across Southeast Asia. It is owned and managed by Southeast Asian professionals with over 50 years’ combined experience of leading successful private equity investments in the ASEAN market. Its leadership team comes with a strong track record in building values and helping portfolio companies strengthen their businesses through IPOs on regional exchanges. Altair Capital is the ASEAN affiliate of Polaris Capital Group, a leading buyout group in Japan with over US$4 billion in assets under management. ADTLaw Director Yi Ming Choo led the firm’s team in the transaction.

AZB & Partners has advised Carlyle Group fund CA Basque Investments and Advent affiliate Verventa Holdings on their approximately Rs89 billion (US$1.1b) acquisition of up to 20 percent equity stake in Yes Bank. Partner Bharat Budholia led the firm’s

team in the transaction, which was approved on 20 October 2022.

Baker McKenzie has advised APG Asset Management, the investment manager of the largest pension provider in the Netherlands, on its joint venture with CapitaLand Investment, a leading global real estate investment manager with a strong Asia foothold, to establish an Asia-focused self-storage platform. The 90:10 joint venture, to which APG and CapitaLand have committed an initial equity investment of S$570 million (US$404m) that could potentially go up to S$1.14 billion (US$807.6m), will fund the acquisition of Extra Space Asia (ESA) and its expansion needs. ESA is one of the region’s largest self-storage businesses, with about 70 owned and leased facilities spanning over one million square feet of net lettable area across Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo. The acquisition of ESA comes with an experienced management team. Following the acquisition, ESA will be re-positioned into operating company / property company structure to facilitate future expansion. Partner Jason Ng led the firm’s team in the transaction.

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Clifford Chance has advised blockchain-based payment network Partior on its Series A financing and fundraising round, which sees Standard Chartered join Partior’s founding consortium, including DBS Bank, JP Morgan Chase and Temasek. The firm had previously advised the consortium that first established Partior in 2021. The investment accelerates and scales utility of Partior’s open industry platform across global capital markets, with Standard Chartered serving as Partior’s first euro settlement bank, broadening platform currency offerings beyond its first slate of eight global currencies. Partior also recently launched its Hyderabad Development Centre, and remains on track to deliver on its vision to transform global payments, and become the worldwide ledger for financial institutions’ value exchange, having achieved a record end-to-end SG$-US$ settlement in less than 120 seconds in October 2022. Singapore managing partner Valerie Kong, supported by partners Lena Ng (Singapore regulatory), Michael Seaton (US

tax), Richard Blewett (antitrust) and Ling Ho (IP), led the firm’s team in the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has advised General Electric on the India leg of the sale of its Steam Power’s nuclear activities to Électricité de France (EDF), a French stateowned electric utility company. M&A head partner Akila Agrawal and partner Navin Kumar, supported by real estate partner Mudit Shah, led the firm’s team in the transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2023, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Herbert Smith Freehills and its associate firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (HBT) have advised China’s Silk Road Fund on a strategic partnership with Kimia Farma, jointly with Indonesia Investment Authority (INA). Indonesia’s vice minister

DEALS

of state-owned enterprises Pahala Mansury attended the signing ceremony on the stage of the B20 Indonesia in Bali on 13 November 2022. As part of the partnership, Silk Road Fund and INA will participate in a planned rights issuance in Kimia Farma, and invest in its subsidiary Kimia Farma Apotek. Beijing corporate partner Monica Sun led the firm’s cross-border team in the transaction. In Jakarta, HBT partners Stephanie and Cellia Cognard advised on Indonesian law aspects of the transaction, with HBT partner Santi Darmawan advising on foreign investment issues.

JSA has successfully represented one of the former directors of Karvy Stock Broking (KSB) in proceedings initiated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in respect of portfolio management activities of KSB. SEBI issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) to certain directors of KSB. The SCN alleged that these directors were liable for the defaults / violations / non-compliance by KSB of various provisions of the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations 1993 and certain SEBI circulars. In its order dated 15 November 2022, SEBI exonerated the former director on the ground that there is no evidence / material available to show that these individuals were involved in the active management or day-to-day affairs of the portfolio management activities of KSB. SEBI concluded the proceedings without any adverse observations, and acknowledged the well-settled principle that directors of a company cannot be held vicariously liable for the acts of a company, unless their involvement in the affairs of the company / alleged violations can be established

through board processes / other documentary evidence. Partner Vikram Raghani led the firm’s team representing the client.

Khaitan & Co has advised Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services (MMFS) and Mahindra Insurance Brokers (MIB) on the proposal by MMFS to acquire 20 percent of the share capital of MIB, which is currently held by Inclusion Resources, a downstream subsidiary of AXA XL. The proposed acquisition is subject to IRDAI’s approval and, upon completion, MIB will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of MMFS. A part of the Mahindra Group, MMFS is one of India’s leading non-banking finance companies. Focused on the rural and semi-urban sector, MMFS has over 7.3 million customers and has an AUM of over US$11 billion. Licensed in 2004, MIB is a subsidiary of MMFS and part of the US$19.4 billion Mahindra Group. A licensed Composite Broker (Direct and Reinsurance), MIB is a one-stop-shop for insurance solutions. The company provides direct insurance broking for corporates, small and medium enterprises, retail customers, and a range of products for life

DEALS

and non-life insurance. Partners Bhavik

Narsana and Saswat Subasit led the transaction, which was valued at approximately Rs2 billion (US$24.5m) and was announced on 21 October 2022.

Luthra and Luthra has advised the lenders on the structuring of the transaction, negotiating, finalisation and execution of financing documents in connection with financial assistance to: a) the supply, configuration and integration of Rs1.1 million (US$15,532) ‘smart energy meters” and auxiliary components for Southern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh, under the ‘YSR Uchita Vyavasaaya Vidyut Pathalkam’ policy of the government of Andhra Pradesh; and b) refinance the existing project indebtedness of its operational 30 MW (2×15 MW) solar

photovoltaic grid-connected power projects at Villages Chadiyana and Charanka (with 15 MW capacity each), Patan District in the State of Gujarat, India. Partner Girish Rawat led the firm’s team in the transaction.

Maples and Calder has acted as Cayman Islands counsel to Social Capital Suvretta Holdings I, a Cayman Islands special purpose acquisition company formed by SCS Sponsor I and listed on the NASDAQ, on its business combination with Bostonbased Akili Interactive Labs. Social Capital, led by Chamath Palihapitiya and Kishen Mehta, is focused on identifying and investing in innovative and agile biotechnology companies. Akili is a leading digital medicine company pioneering the development of cognitive treatments through

DEALS

game-changing technologies. The business combination was effected via migration of Social Capital out of Cayman Islands and registration via continuation as a Delaware corporation. Karibu Merger Sub, a Delaware subsidiary of Social Capital, merged with and into Akili, with Akili surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Social Capital. Upon consummation of the business combination, Akili commenced trading on the Nasdaq on 22 August 2022. Akili raised more than US$163 million from the business combination. The combined company is valued at an equity value post-money of up to US$1 billion. Partner Matt Roberts led the firm’s team in the transaction, while Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as US counsel. Goodwin Procter acted as US counsel to Akili Interactive Labs.

Rajah & Tann Singapore is advising Duchess Avenue, as offeror, on its approximately S$2.23 billion (US$1.6b) privatisation of Singapore-listed Golden Energy and Resources, via a conditional exit offer for shares in Golden Energy. Partners Danny Lim and Penelope Loh are leading the firm’s team in the transaction.

R&T Asia (Thailand), member firm of Rajah & Tann Asia, has acted for Krung Thai Bank on the grant of a β1 billion (US$26.6m) loan to Krung Thai Asset Management, as trustee of DTP Hospitality Freehold and Leasehold Real Estate Investment Trust (DTPHREIT), with a buy-back condition. The loan is to be utilised for the investment in hotel and serviced apartment properties, with the total

investment of DTPHREIT being approximately β4.1 billion (US$109m) in value. Partner Piroon Saengpakdee led the firm’s team in the transaction.

S&R Associates is representing the Flipkart group on its investment in Health ARX Technologies (BeatO), a diabetes care startup, on a Series B funding round led by Lightrock, with participation from HealthQuad and other existing investors. Partners Sudip Mahapatra and Raya Hazarika are leading the firm’s team in the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions.

DEALS

Simpson Thacher is representing Blackstone on its acquisition of a majority stake in R Systems International. Blackstone will acquire an approximately 52 percent stake in R Systems from its promoters, and launch a conditional delisting offer. R Systems is a leading provider of digital Information Technology services, and serves customers in the technology, media, telecom and financial services sectors globally. R Systems is a partner of choice for enterprise customers with a strong suite of capabilities in product engineering, artificial intelligence, data analytics, internet of things, robotic process automation and cloud, employing over 4,400 people across 18 delivery centres in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and India. Partners Ian Ho (Hong Kong-M&A), Lori Lesser (New York-IP) and Greg Grogan (New York-executive compensation and benefits) are leading

the firm’s team in the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions.

Skadden has advised the underwriters on the US$510 million IPO and Indonesia listing by Global Digital Niaga, the holding company for the Blibli (e-commerce), Tiket. com (travel) and Ranch Market (groceries) platforms. The offering consisted of approximately 17.8 billion common shares at an offer price of Rp450 (US$0.029) per share, for a total offer value of US$510 million. Trading commenced on November 8, 2022. Partners Jonathan Stone (Hong Kong) and Rajeev Duggal (Singapore) led the firm’s team in the transaction, which is the second largest Indonesian IPO in 2022.

TT&A has successfully represented Match Group on its complaint against Google for anti-competitive conduct. On 25 October 2022, the Competition Commission of

DEALS

compliance report. Most importantly, the CCI has directed Google not to restrict app developers from using third-party payment processing services in India, and has directed Google not to impose any price or condition which is unfair, unreasonable, discriminatory or disproportionate to the services it provides to app developers. Partner Sonam Mathur led the firm’s team representing the client.

WongPartnership is acting for the Independent State of Papua New Guinea on an ICSID arbitration against a Singapore-incorporated company involved in telecommunications infrastructure in Papua New Guinea. The dispute arose out of the State’s imposition of tax measures on companies in the telecommunications sector, resulting in a tax of over US$100 million being levied against the claimant’s subsidiary in Papua New Guinea. Partner Koh Swee Yen is leading the firm’s team in the matter.

India (CCI) issued an order holding that Google has abused its dominant positions in Android OS and Play Store by imposing a slew of unfair and discriminatory conditions on app developers. The CCI has imposed a provisional penalty of approximately Rs9.4 billion (US$115m) on Google, calculated at seven percent of its revenue from India operations. This is the second such penalty imposed on Google in relation to its Android mobile ecosystem in the last week. The CCI has also issued a number of remedial measures to correct the harms identified, and directed Google to submit a

A full list of latest deals can be viewed online on www.inhousecommunity.com

In-house insights with Francesca Gori of Accenture Legal

1. WHAT GENERAL TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING EMERGE IN THE WORK OF ACCENTURE AND YOUR LEGAL TEAM ACROSS GROWTH MARKETS, OR BELIEVE WILL IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

Every business is a digital business, with technology changing how we live, work and build relationships; it is a powerful enabler. The pandemic accelerated this change, including how we provide legal services. With a team of around 3,000 people worldwide, Accenture Legal is one of the biggest in-house legal teams globally – this means we have both the capacity and imperative to lead the change in the legal industry.

One area we have focused on that I see being a key area of impact for the wider industry is the use of Artificial Intelligence to gain insights from millions of contracts and chatbots to create a seamless user experience. This

"Every business is a digital business, with technology changing how we live, work and build relationships; it is a powerful enabler."

approach, as well as the use of big data for compliance and smart, customised dashboards to facilitate strategic reviews, allows our people to be at their best, focus on the right priorities and decrease repetitive work.

2. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CULTURE AND VALUES OF ACCENTURE AND HOW THESE MAY BE BOTH SHAPED BY AND SHAPE THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH YOU WORK?

• The team is helping to build a diverse pipeline and increase representation by establishing a legal internship program for female nationals of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. One of our Saudi legal interns subsequently secured an Export Control Lead role for a prominent defense organisation.

• Accenture’s Legal Access and Legal Corporate Citizenship programs bring opportunities for the team to give back to the communities within which we live and work – and participate in mentoring, teaching and volunteering programs in the region (including in partnership with Paris Sorbonne, the University Leadership Council and Middlesex University in Dubai). They also enable the team to become involved in UN research programs in the areas of children’s rights and sustainability.

• A few recent highlights:

º Fighting Domestic Violence:

Connecting to Heroes – Volunteers are helping to identify non-governmental organisations that are engaged directly with domestic violence survivors, family members, stakeholders and communities to help improve systems that are designed to address the safety and needs of survivors. We are interviewing organisations to understand how they operate and address domestic violence and contribute to a global directory

of organisations in this area of social service and legal advocacy. In the second phase, we will explore the further pro bono support we can provide to these organisations

º Justice in Action Sprints – We run Justice in Action Sprints several times each year. These are community days of action in partnership with Baker McKenzie to support legal rights through substantive pro bono projects. At the Sprint, the team works on projects related to human rights, tackling division and access to justice.

º INJAZ UAE Company Program – This is a UAE initiative, of which Accenture is one of the sponsors. The program supports teams of high school/university students in building a start-up idea and creating a business case, then joining the national competition at the academic year-end. Legal members are acting as mentors assigned to a student team to support during an academic year.

º Pathways in Law – We run 2-day Pathways in Law programs, inviting students who have been identified by their local universities as high performers and coming from underrepresented backgrounds to spend 2 days with Accenture Legal to introduce them to the role of an in-house lawyer through sessions with various SME teams; as well as providing practical experience of our day to day role through workshops.

Our purpose is to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity, and it is a clear statement that connects us to the incredible work we do each day, creating value for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. The purpose is a crucial lens through which companies can evaluate their strategy, priorities, and the opportunities they create for their people. It is not just a

statement of social impact – it represents both the value and values you want to be known for in the market.

Accenture’s commitment to ethics, human rights and strong corporate governance is a key driver of our business strategy and is essential to safeguarding our people, clients, brand and financial performance. It is the foundation on which we build trust.

For us, pay equity means that our people receive fair and consistent pay when considering the similarity of work, location and tenure at the career level. We conduct an annual pay equity review and have dollar-for-dollar, 100% pay equity for women compared to men in every country where we operate.

"Accepting people for who they are and letting them be themselves frees them to focus on performing and allows them to thrive. Equality is nonnegotiable."

Moreover, by ensuring inclusion alongside diversity, businesses increase productivity. Accepting people for who they are and letting them be themselves frees them to focus on performing and allows them to thrive. Equality is non-negotiable. We are absolutely opposed to discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other dimension of diversity. We want to be a catalyst for positive change, starting with building the world’s most inclusive and diverse team.

Accenture also believes that responsibility for environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters starts at the top. Our Board, Chair, and CEO embody this responsibility cascading throughout the business. We have a clear governance structure to help us achieve our goals and reflect these objectives throughout the organisation while guiding our strategic approach.

At Accenture, we are unwavering in our commitment to inclusion and diversity. This enables us to attract, develop, inspire and reward top talent. And it creates an environment that unleashes innovation, allows our people to perform at their very best and underpins a culture in which everyone feels they have an equal opportunity to belong and build a career. Our team in the Middle East now has approximately 50% female and 50% male team members, and we have around ten nationalities.

3. THE PANDEMIC AND PREVAILING ECONOMIC INSTABILITY HAVE, IN MANY CASES, NECESSITATED A BUDGETARY RETHINK. WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO KEEPING INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS HAPPY WHILE PURSUING THE PROJECTS YOU DEEM IMPORTANT FOR YOUR TEAM?

Exponential technological changes and the impact of COVID-19 have raised change to a new level, requiring companies to reimagine everything and requiring economies and entire industries to rebuild or refocus. Learning is in our DNA. We commit to offering our people opportunities to acquire new skills and strengthen their readiness to advance in their roles and into new opportunities.

4. AS A LEADER OF A MULTIJURISDICTIONAL TEAM, WHAT DOES LEADERSHIP MEAN TO YOU AND WHAT VALUES DO YOU STRIVE TO CULTIVATE IN YOUR TEAM?

At Accenture, we focus on employee growth, and for young team members, that means appointing them to work on challenging projects such as acquisitions. Professional development, training, workshops, career counseling, and participation in professional, social and community events are all tools and opportunities we offer our employees.

In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, we are a team of approximately 20 members. In the region, training is just one part of the overall investment Accenture makes to help its people succeed professionally as well as personally. I was happy to have one of our team members in Saudi Arabia, Thamari Alhadrami, selected as one of the executives and future leaders of the She Leads program, which is a leadership development, mentoring and networking program for female leadership talents organised by the Swedish Embassy. She has successfully brought herself outside her comfort zone and become one of the key players in a post-merger integration of an important acquisition for Accenture in the Kingdom.

5. AS A GC WITH EXPANSIVE RESPONSIBILITIES, HOW DO YOU FIND A MEASURE OF WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR YOURSELF?

It is a challenge, and I am not sure I have a perfect work/life balance. I make sure I ask for help, especially when I struggle with the workload and not having time to rest. Being a mother, being away from your relatives and being an expatriate leading a group of legal professionals worldwide requires even more effort. However, I prefer to focus on the incredible opportunities I have rather than on

how difficult it is to overcome the challenges

I have every day. I often wake up thinking about something new I can learn today with a completely open mindset as a lawyer, mother, daughter, or colleague.

6. LASTLY, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING LAWYERS, LOOKING TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS ABROAD AS YOU HAVE DONE; TO EXPLORE NEW HORIZONS?

Being curious and having the courage to be ready to learn. We always need to challenge ourselves and avoid being perfectionists. While working and living in Italy where I studied and became a certified lawyer, I was in my successful and comfortable zone. My senior leaders relied on my advice, and I was their trusted lawyer. Despite that, I decided to move out.

Bringing the In-House Counsel Community together in Hong Kong, again

On 15 November 2022, we were once again able to meet in person for the 24th annual Hong Kong In-House Community Congress at the J.W. Marriott, Hong Kong. The day presented a refreshing reminder of the value of face-to-face interaction as we delved into various topics of interest to our in-house community. The congress was also available to join via Zoom.

The event brought together a mix of top in-house lawyers, CEOs, compliance professionals and company directors operating in both the public and private sectors in Hong Kong.

Together with the In-House Community team, co-hosts Debevoise & Plimpton, the Maples Group, Simmons & Simmons Adaptive and Robert Walters facilitated a day

A look into the Hong Kong In-House Community Congress, 2022

of learning and teasing out of difficult topics common to those in the profession.

The day kicked off with opening remarks from In-House Community publisher, Rahul Prakash, who also moderated a panel discussion on Budget Management for the In-House Legal Department. Panelists ShihJern Liang (General Counsel, Ralph Lauren), Kevin So (General Counsel, Arcadis) and Stanley Lui (Legal Director, TI Fluid Systems) (with additional pre-panel input from Amy

IT WAS GREAT TO ATTEND THE IHC CONGRESS IN-PERSON AGAIN. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 2023 CONGRESS!

- General Counsel And Executive Director Of A Hong Kong Conglomerate

Ang, General Counsel, CBRE) offered their learned insights on scoping for internal budgets and managing predictable costs whilst preparing for those unforeseen.

We further extend our thanks to various partners that offered workshops for our attendees, all presenting valuable takeaways to shape future practice:

Debevoise and Plimpton (with Counsel Philip Rohlik and International Counsel Samuel Fung) workshopped on SFC and US SEC Enforcement Priorities

Simmons & Simmons Adaptive (with Partner and Head of Adaptive Sarah James) presented on the Rise of Legal Consultants and How Law Firms are Using Flexible Resourcing Solutions

Simmons & Simmons also offered the final workshop of the day on Data Protection

Laws: How they affect Hong Kong employees (with Partner Sarah Berkeley and Consultant Michelle Ta)

We furthermore heard from the Maples Group, with speakers Karen Zhang Pallaras (Partner) and Eastern Fong (Regional Head of

from the legal recruitment firm’s upcoming salary survey. Alix Povey (Hong Kong Legal Walk Steering Committee) spoke about how the initiative has almost reached its goal of raising HK$ 1 million to help select charities in Hong Kong (which it in few days’ time).

We trust the day offered all those in attendance some new points for reflection to inform professional practice going forward. We look forward to again meeting with our partners and attendees in Hong Kong next year. The Hong Kong In-House Community Congress will return in October 2023.

We would like to thank our sponsors, Debevoise & Plimpton, Simmons & Simmons Adaptive, Maples Group and Robert Walters.

For more information about being part of the 2023 Congress, please email us at congress@ inhousecommunity.com

Legal Innovation and Technology

Giving the age-old profession a long-awaited revamp

30 Remodelling the legal workforce

How to harness an agile and innovative mindset during periods of change or uncertainty

Giving the age-old profession a long-awaited revamp

Caitlin van Rensburg, Editor, IHC Magazine

As humans, we are thought to be cognitively hardwired to resist change. As lawyers, this predisposition has been reinforced through years of adhering to precedent and defending the status quo - lending the profession a reputation of conservatism.

Shogo Osaka, Managing Director, Legal at FedEx Express North Pacific region, recognises this characteristic of the occupation, but is optimistic about its potential for development.

“We are too busy with traditional legal work to spare time for learning and practicing technology which has yet to be valued as our profession’s core competency,” he said. “But given our profession’s strong logical thinking skills, I believe lawyers are capable enough to catch up with technology if so motivated.”

Daniel Walker, Chief Commercial Officer of Zegal, an ‘end-to-end platform for the legals smaller companies need’, shares similar sentiments. “From my view,” he said, “it’s not that lawyers are against technology, it’s simply that they are very focused on the law and anything outside of that is less important. Legal tech has highlighted the inefficiencies of the traditional law firm structure and now clients are asking for a more efficient, less expensive structure.”

PANDEMIC SHAKE-UP

While technological innovation may have received a cool embrace by the sector

pre-pandemic, COVID-19 has forced a shake-up within the legal profession.

Change became our constant as we moved to lockdowns and working from home. Courts were disrupted and the business travel we loved to hate was cancelled (although see this issue’s article by Ban Jiun Ean of Maxwell Chambers on why it may yet come back strong).

Up sprang both new solutions and those which had quietly been sitting in the shadows, now to be met with more welcoming open arms. Legal tech resistance turned to reliance as in-house lawyers world over (our own community included) rose to the challenge and in record time adopted legal practice and contract management platforms together with cloud storage solutions, while digitising consultations with business partners and clients. Courts, too, saw some long overdue changes with online filings and virtual hearings.

Even in Japan where, as Osaka describes “ink-chopping on a contract had been a longstanding practice”, more businesses started to use electronic contract execution which not only saved Osaka’s team time in physical signing, but cost in stamp duties which are not applicable to such documents (a certain win-win).

Walker agrees that the pandemic has proved a catalyst for legal tech adoption.

“The relentless onslaught of COVID-19 definitely sped up the need for online legal solutions, particularly for small businesses, which … have

borne the brunt of the tough measures we all faced during that period. In many respects,” he said, “COVID-19 has provided a global proof of concept about how legal services can be delivered virtually. This has been achieved from something as simple as using e-signatures to the complexity of resolving disputes online and all manner of online communication in between.”

For while change may rock the boat, its winds can also provide tremendous opportunity if we choose only to raise our sails (although to navigate new seas is not always easy).

LIKE LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Getting to grips with the buzzwords of the tech age is no small task. We’re learning about blockchain technologies, the metaverse, ODR (online dispute resolution), APIs (application program interfaces - software intermediaries that facilitate two or more applications to ‘speak’ to each other), end-to-end contract automation platforms (from drafting and negotiation, to updates on coming actions), and, as a corollary, platform fatigue (due to dividing one’s time between a multitude of screens, windows and apps, mixed with the stress of missing something while doing so – a pedantic lawyer’s nightmare).

Along with these, words we’ve long known are adopting new meanings and significance – like privacy and (cyber)security. In-house counsel surveyed have said that with the sensitive nature of legal work, risks related to data breaches have become primary concerns.

This need to improve digital literacy has seen some academic institutions and universities across Asia establishing courses that teach computational thinking and skills to a legal audience, while others specifically focus on business impacts of innovation and legal tech. In recognition of the rise of the digital economy, some institutions have even developed combined tech and law degrees - like Singapore Management

University (SMU) which introduced a Bachelor of Science (Computing & Law) in 2020 (a rather significant academic year).

SMU’s Centre for Computational Law is not only helping lawyers master emerging legal tech jargon, but is also developing a whole new language around the subject. The Centre’s flagship project saw a SGD$15m (US$10.9m) injection from the National Research Foundation of Singapore. It aims to create a Domain-Specific Language for the expression of laws, contracts and legal rules as computable units. In essence, it would allow a lawyer to write a contract with code-like language which could then be run to check for logical errors or missing definitions. This coded language would then be translatable to many natural languages at once!

LEADING THE WAY

Law firms and member networks are equally offering exposure to legal tech innovation to lawyers in the region, while legal tech startups and in-house counsel are ramping up their own development agendas.

Simmons & Simmons, for instance, hosted their “Asia Legal Technology Day” on 16 June 2022. In 9 sessions they covered technology-driven eDiscovery and investigation; outlined the benefits of their Crypto Reviewer (enabling the search and analysis of accurate information on a field that is constantly evolving); and introduced their own answer to flexible resourcing: Simmons & Simmons Adaptive which launched in Hong Kong this year (see our conversation with the team in this issue).

On the networking front, 2019 saw the launch of ALITA (the Asia-Pacific Legal Innovation and Technology Association), a regional platform for legal innovation and technology initiatives. Their mission is to develop Asia into a hub for legal innovation by promoting the development and use of legal tech and regional

collaboration. ALITA boasts a network of 10 countries and counting. Members are able to interact, co-develop and innovate using the frameworks and toolkits provided by ALITA through which legal tech vision, roadmaps and associations or coordination bodies can be established and experiences shared.

In demonstrating that not all legal tech need be complicated or expensive to make a real difference, Osaka and FedEx Express have been exploring possibilities with the Microsoft suite. In 2021, Osaka formed a task force to enhance the legal department’s portal site for clients based on Microsoft SharePoint, offering various resources including contract templates, guidelines and self-help tips. Using Power Automate, similarly from Microsoft, they also developed several automation tools which have replaced the repetitive work processes of the team, freeing up valuable time. Next in line is a new chat bot project using Microsoft Power Virtual Agent.

“Those no-code/low-code Microsoft applications are very powerful thanks to the compatibility with other Microsoft applications such as Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint and OneDrive,” Osaka said. “Furthermore, there is no need to clear information security concerns nor pay additional fees if the enterprise has already procured certain package licenses for the employees. The feedback from our internal clients is in general positive given the ubiquitous accessibility and the speed which the automation process may offer when the requirements are met.”

In Walker’s view, partnerships - such as that offered by Zegal - are the favoured way to leverage technology. Walker explained, “We partner with law firms to make their businesses more efficient as their client’s need for speed intensifies, so they can concentrate on the complex legal work that demands their full attention. This way, law firms can deal efficiently

with simpler work, opening up their time for more complex problems.

“As the client requirement for a faster delivery of legal services intensifies, legal tech solutions become more important and more attractive. The idea of what a future lawyer needs to understand is changing as the younger generation is asked to learn about tech and innovation.”

BETTER TOGETHER

“We’re better together” has perhaps become the adage of the pandemic era, driven home by time spent working remotely. At In-House Community, we’ve prioritised networks and connection for some time now. The complexity of this digital era and the speed at which innovation takes place may well reinforce the need for community, such as that of ALITA, on which to lean.

While the legal profession may once have been synonymous with conservatism, given the advances in legal tech of late we see this reputation itself to be transforming into one more welcoming of a digital, tech driven future.

CONTRIBUTORS

Daniel Walker, Zegal

Daniel is the Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Zegal, the global online legal platform. Before founding Zegal, Daniel practised banking and corporate law in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK at world-leading international law firms, DLA Piper, Stephenson Harwood and Clyde & Co.

Shogo Osaka, FedEx Express

Shogo Osaka is the Managing Director, Legal of FedEx Express covering the North Pacific region consisting of Hong Kong / Macau, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Guam. Shogo and his team have been recognised with multiple awards including In-House Lawyer of the Year at Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2022.

How to harness an agile and innovative mindset during periods of change or uncertainty

Whilst we all appreciate the importance of a productive and creative mindset, it can be challenging to resist the urge to default to old habits or conservative thinking in uncertain times. As we face questions about the global economy and consider the impact of major market disruptors, we wanted to look at how one can remain agile, effective and even opportunistic, both individually and as a team.

Stephanie Szeto, Head of Asia for Peerpoint, Allen & Overy’s flexible resourcing business, spoke to Sarah Millson, a senior learning and development consultant with Actualize Hong Kong, and Stacy Lopez, a certified professional career and transition coach and member of Peerpoint’s

consultant management team, about some of these themes.

STEPHANIE: CHANGE IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY CAN CAUSE PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS TO REACT WITH CONSERVATISM, CAUTION AND EVEN ANXIETY. HOW DO WE DEVELOP AN OPEN AND OPPORTUNISTIC MINDSET IN THE FACE OF CHANGE?

Stacy: My career has taken a number of different turns and something that I have learned, and which was a real game-changer for me, is that “Everything is an opportunity”. When we are faced with change and discomfort, that is in fact how we grow. So, ask what the potential opportunity is, what are you meant to learn and how are you going to grow and move forward?

"The fight or flight part of the brain sometimes sees change as a perceived danger and we often pull from previous experiences when reacting in response to it."

The fight or flight part of the brain sometimes sees change as a perceived danger and we often pull from previous experiences when reacting in response to it. If you can learn to just pause, acknowledge and explore why you’re feeling this way you can then try to shift into a more positive or constructive way of thinking.

Give your feelings space and acknowledge that they are natural and normal for the situation. Take time to think about what exactly you fear and name it. Then, think about what evidence exists for that fear and whether it’s real and then, with that self-awareness, you can begin to reframe it.

Stephanie: This makes so much sense for individuals, regardless of whether they’re working as consultants which are the talent Peerpoint work with, settled in permanent roles or plotting a career change. It’s natural to become anxious about the impact of external forces on your personal plans. If we broaden this to a business setting, such as facing an unclear economic environment, I think the same applies. This too can be reframed as a time to take stock of what is factually known

and find the growth opportunity. Perhaps the path to long-term goals will look different, or there may be new opportunities from the new landscape.

Sarah: It’s true that in times of uncertainty we tend to play it safe. If we look back through history, those who took risks during challenging times are ultimately seen as innovators.

At Actualize, we run a session where we ask participants to go away and learn a joke in

STEPHANIE: HOW CAN BUSINESSES SUPPORT THEIR TEAMS IN ENCOURAGING GREAT IDEAS AND COUNTERING DEFENSIVE DECISION MAKING?

At Peerpoint we are focussed on supporting our consultants to bring the best out of themselves and the career opportunities around them, and providing strategic talent solutions for our clients rather than simply plugging resourcing gaps. We work closely with our clients to understand their teams, business objectives and needs so that together we can find creative and flexible solutions to optimise teams.

If you’d like to find out more about working with Peerpoint please contact:

Stephanie Szeto (Asia) or Azara Digan (Middle East) or visit Peerpoint’s website here.

a foreign language and then come back and tell it to the group in five minutes. When we regroup, we talk about where your head went –did you panic, did you immediately think you’d be terrible at it, or did you think of it as an interesting challenge to embrace? It’s a great way to identify one’s own approach and where one might need to shift it.

Of course, in uncertain times it’s not advisable to approach everything with a risk mindset but conversely, if we become risk-averse it can kill creativity. Creating psychological safety within a team encourages growth and creativity. This means an environment in which every person has a voice and they are not ridiculed or punished for speaking up. Collectively, the team can then learn from mistakes instead of hiding them. Also, don’t shy away from healthy conflict as it can enable teams to reach a consensus and also spark new ideas.

Organisations also need to make sure they are very clear on their purpose and values, so that

staff can connect with those. If people feel connected they are going to be more invested personally and professionally in the success of the company, this can empower and drive problem-solving approaches. A sense of being ‘in it together’ and loyalty are highly valuable for organisations during challenging times.

STEPHANIE:

LEADERSHIP IS

ESPECIALLY

CRITICAL

IN GUIDING ORGANISATIONS THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES. A ‘GROWTH MINDSET’ IS DISCUSSED A LOT IN RELATIONSHIP TO INDIVIDUALS; WHAT ABOUT AN ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH MINDSET?

Sarah: What can be counter-productive in times of potential adversity is a fixed mindset, something I see a lot of within organisations. It’s all about leadership, and so you need a leader that understands where a fixed mindset comes from and can turn that into a growth mindset. If a leader has a can-do attitude they are going to lead by example more effectively and give their team the comfort and trust to get behind them. This is key to encouraging a continued flow of ideas and overall productive thinking and behaviour.

For leaders, it’s important to be clear on your strategy and be clear on your messaging. An important element of building trust in the team is transparency. Many times, organisations go quiet in periods of uncertainty and leave it to employees to make up their own stories. It’s key for leaders to be transparent, recognise it’s a challenging time and show a bit of vulnerability to help develop trust.

STEPHANIE: HOW DO YOU GET FROM CONSERVATISM TO SOMETHING MORE POSITIVE, OPPORTUNISTIC OR EVEN ASPIRATIONAL?

Stacy: A starting point could be looking at how to shift your perspective. For example, instead of thinking “Why is this happening to me” explore “Why is this happening FOR me?” It can also be useful to take some time to visualise where you want to get to and paint a clear picture, whether from a personal perspective or for a team. You can then recognise that there may be uncomfortable moments but you can think about where you want to go and begin to chart the steps to get there. Think about working towards a goal, identifying what resources and support are needed and setting realistic milestones to help you move in the right direction.

It is important to acknowledge what you have control over and tapping into where you can be creative toward solutions in that space, rather than being set back and staying passive because of a sense of hopelessness or not being in control.

Sarah: A helpful way of doing this can be to set SMART goals which should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound. That is a great way to move into a more positive mindset.

A colleague of mine once said to me that “Innovation happens on the edge of comfort”. When you are completely comfortable in everything you are doing, you are less creative. When there is an element of stress, you can really turn that to your advantage.

Stephanie: That feels like a perfect way to approach our current circumstances. The mix of market sentiment right now creates confusion about what to expect over the next couple

of years. This might mean balancing a mix of caution and healthy optimism. Perhaps some of the best ‘big’ ideas and decisions will come from the next few years.

Stephanie Szeto, Head of Asia, Peerpoint

Stephanie joined Peerpoint in 2016 and now heads up the business in Asia. She has over 15 years’ experience in strategic business roles at top-tier international law firms. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is an active committee member for Women in Law in Hong Kong (WILHK).

Stacy Lopez, Global Transition Coach and Peerpoint Consultant

Stacy is a Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership™ Index Master Practitioner who trained with one of the world's leading coaching institutions, iPEC. As a member of Peerpoint’s consultant management team, she works closely with consultants through every stage of their career, providing career and transition coaching support. Stacy is a US qualified lawyer specialising in Debt Capital Markets. She spent the majority of her professional career working at prominent global law firms (in the US, London and Madrid).

Sarah Milson, Director and Senior Consultant, Actualize

Sarah is a Director and Senior Consultant at Actualize Hong Kong, a learning and development business specialising in talent retention, culture change, leadership development and sales excellence, among other things. She was previously a journalist and editor at news publications in London and Hong Kong.

REMODELLING THE LEGAL WORKFORCE

Simmons & Simmons Adaptive introduces us to their Alternative Legal Service Offering in Hong Kong

Simmons & Simmons is one of the latest law firms to establish an alternative legal service offering in Hong Kong - Simmons & Simmons Adaptive. Their flexible resourcing model aims to connect the best lawyers and business professionals with best-fit client assignments. We sat down with Sarah Thompson (Partner and Global Head of Adaptive), Victoria Moore (Hong Kong Resourcing Manager) and Jonathan Hammond (Partner and Head of Asia) to discuss.

WHAT PROMPTED THE MOVE TO HK?

Sarah:

Adaptive launched in the UK in 2014 and our reason for the initial launch is no different to our reason for setting up in Hong Kong (and why we’re looking at other jurisdictions as well) - our clients struggle with resourcing and increasingly look to their partner law firms to offer a solution.

Simmons & Simmons, as a law firm, no longer just does law. We are expected to be a business partner and to solve many more things for our clients. Adaptive was the brainchild of Jonathan. We had been seeing our clients become leaner, needing to do more with less, and having more project work. You need only to look at the regulatory space and the sheer number of projects over the last five years to really understand that cry for help: “We need

quality resources!” We have that same issue in our own firm – how do we access the right people, where and when we need them?

At the same time, we were recognising that talent was changing. How people want to work, and their need for increased flexibility and control without wanting to compromise on quality was also evolving. These two challenges and changes prompted Adaptive, and it’s been incredibly successful.

We started looking at Asia three years ago when we began hearing from our partners and clients that this struggle to bring in the right resource, as and when needed, was a global issue and not UK-centric. Clients globally were battling to get permanent headcount and expecting to do more with less. However, while we had started thinking about an expansion into Asia, it wasn’t necessarily the right time. The talent pool wasn’t quite there yet, and our clients were still trying to decide how best to handle this situation. I think, though, that COVID-19 accelerated the need and confidence in flexible resourcing in the regions.

Once the decision was made to bring Adaptive to HK, we spent a lot of time listening to our clients in the region and learning about their challenges; their experience of using

consultancies, contractors and secondees; and learning from them what they felt worked and what frustrated them. We got some wonderful insight and that allowed us to design a solution that is specific to the region. It really was important to us not to assume we could simply copy something from the UK and paste it here. There are, therefore, some differences between the UK and HK models because they are different markets, and our clients require different support.

WHAT SETS ADAPTIVE APART FROM OTHER ALTERNATIVE LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS (ALSPS), ESPECIALLY IN THIS REGION?

Victoria: What really sets us apart is our connectivity to the firm. There is so much support from the partnership at Simmons & Simmons and the wider firm for the Adaptive team. Our consultants are interviewed by a Simmons partner and that partner remains involved throughout the whole lifecycle of the engagement. Adaptive is unique in its service offering as it remains partner led. Our partners are highly engaged and see real value in spending time building relationships with our consultants who we see as an extension of our firm.

Our core business model and what we offer is quite different as well. Some of our competitors appear more profit-driven and that’s what they lead with. For us, we are here to solve our clients’ resourcing challenges – that is our number one focus, and it strengthens our relationships with our clients while doing so. We can, therefore, offer the same level of talent but at a more competitive rate and with the full support of the firm.

" “Flexible” is not only about work hours and working from home – it is also about having the flexibility to choose what kind of work you do and how you do it. "

WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE IN ASIA FOR GROWTH? WHERE DO YOU SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH CLIENTS AND CONSULTANTS?

Sarah:

For us, it’s been a positive start with Victoria being on the ground in Hong Kong since June. It was really important to Jonathan and I that we have a team on the ground in Hong Kong. Other than Victoria, we have an assistant, and we’ll look to expand the team as it grows.

We’ve so far had incredible support from clients and a lot of interest from impressive talent. We already have a number of consultants on assignment with our clients.

First and foremost, we are here to solve our clients’ problems and through this we enhance the firm’s relationships with our valued clients. It’s not about numbers; it’s about quality consultants doing quality work to solve problems that enhance the firm’s relationships. Adaptive is integrated into all the practice groups, and we’re working closely with global relationship teams for Simmons’ clients as well as local partners to understand who their clients are, which are struggling, and how we can help.

We are ambitious. It feels like now is the right time to be here. While currently in Hong Kong,

we do have plans to move into Singapore. It’s all very much driven by our clients’ needs.

Despite this focus, it is of course not all about clients – it is also about the consultants who haven’t always felt a high level of support from other ALSPs. We try to treat our consultants as an extension of our firm and ensure they have access to our partners with monthly catchups as well as access and support on hand when they need it. We also offer consultants career development. A lot of our consultants in the UK have been with us for 6-8 years and on multiple assignments. The rise of people seeking to work this way is incredible.

WHILE MENTIONED ABOVE, CAN YOU FURTHER EXPLORE WHAT ROLE ADAPTIVE PLAYS IN ENHANCING THE FIRM’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS?

Jonathan:

Victoria was spot on that Adaptive is about growing client relationships, and Sarah’s perspective around our consultant experience, which is crucial for us, is equally important. We don’t just try to fill every single role; we don’t just churn our consultants through assignments. We give a lot of thought to what our clients want and what the consultants want as well.

Adaptive has facilitated all sorts of different conversations with our clients and I think that it has changed their perspective of Simmons to one of a trusted advisor – and

as a law firm you want to be just this. What could be more important around resourcing and support than being able to provide both on a quick and flexible basis across different jurisdictions?

Sarah and Victoria can go speak to our clients and have conversations that produce tremendous insight. Our consultants, too, can give us insights into on-the-ground pressures, client priorities, and what our clients are seeing come down the line. It has been a tremendous enabler for Simmons. We can go in and talk about what projects or events clients have coming up, and how we can best support those and assist them. So we might go in as Adaptive, but perhaps the solution isn’t Adaptive in which case we can just as easily bring the problem into Simmons.

We’ve had great assistance from our consultants who want to be brand ambassadors for Simmons. They come back with great insights, instructions and leads. It’s all been very positive, very transparent.

FINALLY, CAN THE USE OF FLEXIBLE RESOURCING AID AN ORGANISATION TO ACHIEVE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION GOALS?

Sarah:

"We try to treat our consultants as an extension of our firm and ensure they have access to our partners with monthly catchups as well as access and support on hand when they need it."

Diversity and inclusion are incredibly important for Simmons and for our clients, and it’s rightly been a key focus of ours. Adaptive offers our clients access to new and diverse talent that they can bring in for defined periods of time. You’re bringing in different people with different ways of working, schools of thought and backgrounds. Just by having consultants, you’re impacting the diversity of your organisation, and we know that having a diverse workforce impacts an organisation’s profitability in a positive way.

Annually in the UK, we have a diversity survey of our whole Adaptive talent pool, not just consultants out on assignment, and we benchmark ourselves against the firm’s targets. If there are issues flagged, we really commit ourselves to addressing them. We are also working with our clients to report on the diversity of our consultants coming through and support our clients on their diversity targets as well.

From the consultant point of view, it’s been quite interesting as many of our consultants over the last 2 years have become more comfortable with providing us with further insight as to why they choose the consultant route. Some of them are neurodiverse and flexible working allows them to work in ways that benefit them from a health and wellness perspective without having to leave the law. “Flexible” is not only about work hours and working from home – it is also about having the flexibility to choose what kind of work you do and how you do it. Often it is assumed that consultants choose this way of working simply as a lifestyle choice, but this isn’t often the reason. Working flexibly allows many diverse individuals more options which has impacted them being able to continue their career as a lawyer

Jonathan: Another consequence that we perhaps didn’t predict, is that we’ve ended up with a multi-generational talent pool as we can extend people’s careers by giving them what they need at different points in life. The Adaptive model facilitates this by asking: How do you want to work? How much do you want to do? Where is work situated as part of your life at the moment? It can keep experience within our clients, the law firm, and the industry as a whole, and that’s tremendously interesting.

Sarah Thompson, Partner, Head of Adaptive

Sarah.James@simmons-simmons.com +44 20 7825 4096

Sarah is an innovative, collaborative, and ambitious individual with a proven track record of business leadership and developing and delivering smarter solutions for clients. Sarah is passionate about helping clients to re-imagine how Adaptive engages with legal talent and assisting talented legal professionals to work flexibly.

Jonathan Hammond, Adaptive Relationship Partner, Head of Asia

Jonathan.Hammond@ simmons-simmons.com +852 2583 8333

Jonathan is the Asia Regional Head based in Simmons & Simmons Hong Kong office.

Jonathan is a partner in the Financial Markets group specialising in structured products and derivatives. He has advised sell and buy side clients on a variety of asset backed structures and synthetic transactions. In 2018 Jonathan completed a secondment to a major investment bank and in 2019 he worked in the Frankfurt office of the firm..

Victoria Moore, Adaptive Resourcing Manager HK

Victoria.Moore@ simmons-simmons.com +852 2583 8395

Victoria is a forward thinking, driven and empathetic individual with a strong focus on client service. Having worked for leading Alternative Legal Service Providers in the UK and, most recently, Asia, Victoria is skilled at building lasting relationships with clients and legal consultants, helping them to build successful portfolio careers.

Is business travel dead?

It is a pleasant, sunny morning. My coffee is frothing nicely, the delectable aroma wafting gently about my bedroom. I have just donned my favourite pair of beach Bermudas, in striking blue emblazoned with little yellow pina coladas. I draw the curtains wide to let in the bright sunshine and grab a bag of potato chips on my way across the room.

Unfortunately, I am not heading off for a nice swim or frisbee in the park. Instead, it is a Monday, and I settle at my desk to log on for a meeting with my international counterparts.

This is 2022, and the world has been upended by more than two years of a global pandemic. Many of our offices have gone from comprising system furniture parked in long

rows in a nondescript high-rise commercial building, to comfortable gaming chairs and ergonomic tables nestled in our bedrooms or study rooms. Our colleagues no longer lean over the cubicle partitions with coffee cups in hand, sharing their latest run-in with the HR department, but now stare at us emotionlessly out of little digital pigeonholes on our monitor screen, their silhouettes morphing oddly with every twitch or shake of the head. “Let’s meet at the lobby for lunch” has vanished from our vernacular, replaced by “I think your mic is muted”.

Against the backdrop of all this, a genuine question arises - when the pandemic is fully behind us, will people return to in-person meetings and dispute resolution hearings? Or

BAN JIUN EAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MAXWELL CHAMBERS

will the comfort of our homes and the inertia of not needing to wear proper trousers prove decisive in shaping the future of work? When increasing climate change consciousness is added to the mix, what then are the prospects for business travel?

I suspect that people will still brave being cooped up on a flying metal tube for hours, enduring airport security, navigating interrogations by unfriendly immigration officers, just to see the Grand Canyon in person or snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef. It might not follow that they will also do it just to end up stuck in a featureless meeting room in a foreign city for days on end, thrashing out details of a commercial agreement or arguing their case before a tribunal. The ability to achieve the same result while sitting in their own bedrooms, minus the physical and mental toll of international travel, with the added bonus of being able to check on a sleeping child or dash out for some groceries at the lunch break, may lead to cross-border in-person meetings becoming few and far between.

Where would that leave institutions like Maxwell Chambers, where we have worked over the years to create world-leading dispute resolution facilities? Have post-pandemic realities rendered us obsolete as a physical site for hearings? Will we be consigned to the scrapheap of history as the world trapses around in the metaverse, armies of garishly adorned digital lawyers gleefully arguing cases before equally colourful avatars of arbitrators, all set against a virtual backdrop meticulously rendered to look like a scene from “Avatar”?

Thankfully, my many conversations with friends from all over the globe seem to point to the answer being “no”. This is due to a combination of human nature and the current state of technology. We sometimes forget that the

pandemic may have been deep and long, but people remain people, and technology has only advanced so much in two years. The human factor will likely remain relatively constant for generations to come, as evidenced by people still meeting face to face for coffee even though the telephone was invented a hundred and fifty years ago. Technological challenges, though, will gradually diminish over time, with improvements and innovations being introduced for every link in the chain.

Regarding the human factor, it is no surprise that people want to be in the presence of other people. This preference for the figurative (and occasionally literal) warmth of someone else being in the same room, the ability to read and react to body language and signs of discomfort or approval, the ability to go beyond just talking and listening to being able to hug, shake hands, kiss on the cheeks or exchange physical gifts, these all feature prominently in the reasons why people will make the effort to cross oceans and live in hotel rooms. Catching up with old friends over food and drink is much more enjoyable and refreshing compared to just talking over the phone or texting. People want to meet face to face, and will continue to meet face to face, as long as travelling remains possible.

On a professional level, there continue to be myriad reasons for in-person hearings of various configurations. Lawyers tell me they like to be in the room with the other side during cross examination, looking for important clues about weaknesses in the other party’s case, betrayed whenever the opposing counsel squirms or suddenly leans over for a frantic internal huddle with the rest of the team. Watching the facial and body cues of the arbitrators also helps experienced advocates know whether they are doing well or losing the tribunal during their presentations. Mediators echo similar thoughts – that they are far more

effective in reading the mood of parties when they are in the same room, as opposed to attempting to do the same amidst paucity of visual clues resulting from only seeing a patchwork of talking heads on a screen. A private caucus with one side also achieves far less when the mediator and the party feel disconnected and distant over a digital connection.

Making the effort to meet someone physically, especially if the journey was challenging due to time or cost, is a way to honour the other person and demonstrate sincerity and commitment. Salespeople understand this deeply and will strive for the opportunity to speak to a prospective client face to face whenever possible. This dynamic is also understood by lawyers and addressing an arbitral tribunal in person appears to be the preferred way they want to run their cases.

Working across time zones is also physically and mentally exhausting, so travelling to another city for a long hearing can help with adjusting and focusing. There is also the problem of life intruding on your work when operating remotely, whether it is a colleague

popping in to ask you a question in the middle of your hearing, or a child running across the room behind you fully naked, being chased by an angry grandmother.

Even if a hearing is virtual, counsel and arbitrators may not necessarily log in from their own individual rooms but may still make use of a dedicated facility to dial in as a group to the hearing online. Arbitrators tell me that they will still insist to meet in person as a tribunal, even if the rest of the hearing joins in online, because they work much better as a team when they are able to huddle during breaks and meals, and to spend extended time deliberating issues face to face. In a similar fashion, legal teams also seem to prefer meeting together in a group for virtual hearings, using a conference room and common screen and camera so that they can observe and discuss the proceedings together, presumably with the mic in the room muted. Lead counsel may have a dedicated camera and mic but will remain within discussion range of the rest of the team.

As hard as it is to believe, lawyers have friends too, and they will frequently use evenings or weekends while arbitrating in a foreign city to catch up with people they know in that place. Some may even extend their stay for several days to catch some of the sights of the place, or do it over a free weekend in the middle.

On the technological front, the challenges faced by virtual hearings remain formidable. From the size of the screen in front of each person, affecting the amount of detail and information that can be presented, to the quality of the camera, to the lighting conditions of a given room, to the microphone and the acoustics of the surroundings, these are all crucial pieces of the puzzle required for a decent online meeting. And yet, computer processor speed and poorly written programme code can conspire to create laggy experiences, with jerky, juddering images of your counterpart on the screen mated with patchy and distorted speech squawking out of your speakers or earphones. Solving internet bandwidth problems remains a mystery to the average person, where a combination of dead zones in one’s house or the neighbours all logging on at the same time to catch “The Crown” on Netflix can add more frustration to an already challenging tech journey. And even if everything goes perfectly on your end, if there are problems on your counterpart’s end, it can all be for nought. It is akin to using a fantastic mobile phone to talk to someone, only to discover that the other person’s phone is out of battery power.

Many people also do not want the hassle of troubleshooting their own IT problems. Working in-person, even if only within a room of a dedicated facility, dialling out to a virtual hearing, allows lawyers and arbitrators to lean on the help provided by IT staff of that facility. Having the luxury of calling somebody

into the room to get help when your screen suddenly goes blank, can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and an afternoon of a hearing written off due to “technical difficulties”.

Finally, there is the simple fact that the clarity of sound and image on even the best computers and setups cannot compare with what happens in person. In a multibillion-dollar dispute, the last thing anybody wants is to mishear a witness or one of the lawyers. Until the day comes when the online experience matches or surpasses the physical one, there will always be people who will insist on the latter.

So, to conclude, it will be some time before we see the disappearance of business travel, if at all. The world has been changed by the pandemic, but not as much as we feared, and not as much as we hoped. But it will continue to change, whether through advancements in technology or processes, or cost considerations, or environmental concerns. And all physical hearing facilities, like Maxwell Chambers, must continue to grow and evolve to keep apace, to remain as key pillars of the international dispute resolution industry.

Maxwell Chambers is the world’s first integrated Alternative Dispute Resolution complex, housing best-in-class hearing facilities and top international ADR institutions. It is also a one-stop shop providing a full suite of digital hearing solutions and support services, providing an end-to-end solution for clients.

Ban Jiun Ean, Chief Executive, Maxwell Chambers

IHC Directory

Practice Area key

Alt’ Investment Funds (inc. PE)

Antitrust / Competition Aviation

Banking & Finance

Capital Markets Compliance / Regulatory Corporate & M&A Employment

Energy & Natural Resources Environment FinTech Insurance Intellectual Property International Arbitration Islamic Finance Life Sciences / Healthcare

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Maritime & Shipping Projects & Project Finance (inc. Infrastructure)

Real Estate / Construction Restructuring & Insolvency Taxation Telecoms, Media & Technology

— Law Firms — ASIA

CAMBODIA

MAR & Associates

Tel: (855) 23 964 876, (855) 23 987 876

Email: borana@mar-associates.com

Contact: MAR Samborana (Mr.) Website: www.mar-associates.com

CMA • E • IP • RE • REG

CHINA

Broad & Bright

Tel: (86) 10 8513 1818

Email: broadbright@broadbright.com

Contact: Mr Jun Ji (Jun_ji@broadbright.com) Website: www.broadbright.com

COM • CMA • ENR • LDR • TMT

East & Concord Partners

Tel: (86) 10 6590 6639

Email: Beijing@east-concord.com

Contact: Mr. Dajin Li Website: www.east-concord.com

BF • CM • CMA • IP • LDR

Llinks Law Offices

Tel: (86) 21 31358666

Email: master@llinkslaw.com Website: www.llinkslaw.com

W. K. To & Co.

Tel: (86) 10 8587 5076 Email: wktoco@wktoco.com

Contact: Cindy Chen Website: www.wktoco.com

CMA • E • LDR • RE • REG

HONG KONG

Conyers Dill & Pearman

Tel: (852) 2524 7106 Email: hongkong@conyers.com Contact: Christopher W.H. Bickley, Partner, Head of Hong Kong Office Website: www.conyers.com

BF • CM • CMA • INV • LDR

Elvinger Hoss Prussen

Tel: (852) 2287 1900 Email: xavierlesourne_hk@elvingerhoss.lu Contacts: Mr Xavier Le Sourne, Partner, Ms Charlotte Chen, Counsel Website: www.elvingerhoss.lu

* Elvinger Hoss Prussen’s Hong Kong office provides inbound and outbound legal services only under Luxembourg law

BF • CM • CMA • INV • TX

W. K. To & Co.

Tel: (852) 3628 0000 Email: mail@wktoco.com Contact: Vincent To Website: www.wktoco.com

CMA • E • LDR • RE • REG

INDIA

Anand and Anand

Tel: (91) 120 4059300 Email: pravin@anandandanand.com Contact: Pravin Anand - Managing Partner Website: www.anandandanand.com

IP • LDR

Clasis Law

Tel: (91) 11 4213 0000, (91) 22 4910 0000 Email: info@clasislaw.com Contacts: Vineet Aneja, Mustafa Motiwala Website: www.clasislaw.com CMA • E • LDR • REG

INDONESIA

ABNR (Ali Budiardjo, Nugroho, Reksodiputro)

Tel: (62) 21 250 5125/5136 Email: info@abnrlaw.com infosg@abnrlaw.com Contacts: Emir Nurmansyah, enurmansyah@abnrlaw.com) Nafis Adwani, nadwani@abnrlaw.com Agus Ahadi Deradjat, aderadjat@abnrlaw.com Website: www.abnrlaw.com BF • CM

Emir Pohan & Partners

Tel: (62) 21 2965 1251 Email: emir.pohan@eplaw.id Contact: Emir Pohan Website: www.eplaw.id

Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo

Tel: (62) 21 831 5005, 831 5025

Email: lgs@lgslaw.co.id Contacts: Dr. M. Idwan (‘Kiki’) Ganie Website: www.lgslaw.co.id

Makarim & Taira S.

Tel: (62) 21 5080 8300, 252 1272 Email: info@makarim.com Contact: Lia Alizia Website: www.makarim.com

BF

Mochtar Karuwin Komar

Tel: (62) 21 5711130 Email: mail@mkklaw.net, ek@mkklaw.net Contact: Emir Kusumaatmadja Website: www.mkklaw.net

SSEK Legal Consultants

Tel: (62) 21 521 2038, 2953 2000 Email: ssek@ssek.com Contact: Denny RahmansyahManaging Partner Website: www.ssek.com Twitter: @ssek_lawfirm

BF

MALAYSIA

Adnan Sundra & Low

Tel: (603) 2070 0466 Email: enquiry@adnansundralow.com Contacts: Deepak Sadasivan, Rodney D’Cruz Website: www.asl.com.my

BF

Azmi & Associates

Tel: (603) 2118 5000 Email: general@azmilaw.com

Contact: Dato’ Azmi Mohd AliSenior Partner Website: www.azmilaw.com

BF • CM • CMA • ENR • PF

Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Tel: (601) 2615 0186 Email: nwhite@trowers.com

Contact: Nick White – Partner Website: www.trowers.com

BF

PHILIPPINES

ACCRALAW (Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices)

Tel: (632) 830 8000 Email: accra@accralaw.com

Contacts: Emerico O. De Guzman, Ana Lourdes Teresa A. Oracion, Neptali B. Salvanera Website: www.accralaw.com

CMA • E • IP • LDR • TX

DivinaLaw

Tel: (632) 822-0808 Email: info@divinalaw.com Contact: Nilo T. Divina, Managing Partner Website: www.divinalaw.com

BF • CMA • E • LDR • TMT

Morales & Justiniano

Tel: (632) 834 2551, (632) 832 7198, (632) 833 8534 Email: ramorales@primuslex.com Contact: Mr. Rafael MoralesManaging Partner Website: www.primuslex.com

BF • CM • CMA • IP • LDR

Ocampo & Suralvo Law Offices

Tel: (632) 625 0765, Email: info@ocamposuralvo.com Contact: Jude Ocampo Website: www.ocamposuralvo.com

CMA • ENR • PF • TX • TMT

SyCip Salazar

Hernandez & Gatmaitan

Tel: (632) 8982 3500, 3600, 3700 Email: sshg@syciplaw.com Contact: Hector M. de Leon, Jr. - Managing Partner Website: www.syciplaw.com

BF • CMA • E • ENR • PF

Villaraza & Angangco

Tel: (632) 9886088 Email: fm.acosta@thefirmva.com Contact: Franchette M. Acosta Website: www.thefirmva.com

CMA • IP • LDR • REG • RES

SOUTH KOREA

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC

Tel: (82 2) 3404 0000 Email: bkl@bkl.co.kr Contact: Kyong Sun Jung Website: www.bkl.co.kr

BF • CMA • IA • LDR • RE

Kim & Chang

Tel: (82-2) 3703-1114 Email: lawkim@kimchang.com Website: www.kimchang.com

COM • BF • CMA • IP • LDR

Yoon & Yang LLC

Tel: (82 2) 6003 7000 Email: yoonyang@yoonyang.com Contacts: Jinsu Jeong, Junsang Lee, Myung Soo Lee Website: www.yoonyang.com

COM • E • IP • LDR • TX

Yulchon LLC

Tel: (82-2) 528 5200 Website: www.yulchon.com

COM • CMA • IP • LDR • TX

TAIWAN

Deep & Far Attorneys-at-Law

Tel: (8862) 25856688 Email: email@deepnfar.com.tw Contact: Mr. C. F. Tsai Website: www.deepnfar.com.tw

COM

• CM • E • IP • LDR

THAILAND

Chandler MHM Limited

Tel: (66) 2266 6485 Email: jessada.s@chandlermhm.com, satoshi.kawai@chandlermhm.com Contacts: Jessada Sawatdipong, Satoshi Kawai Website: www.chandlermhm.com

BF • CMA • ENR • PF • RE

Kudun & Partners Limited

Tel: (66) 2 838 1750 Email: info@kap.co.th kudun.s@kap.co.th chinawat.a@kap.co.th pariyapol.k@kap.co.th Contacts: Kudun SukhumanandaCapital Markets, Corporate M&A, Banking & Finance Chinawat AssavapokeeTax, Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency Pariyapol KamolsilpLitigation / Dispute Resolution Website: www.kap.co.th

CMA • CM • LDR • RES • TX

Pisut and Partners Co., Ltd.

Tel: (66) 202 66226, 202 66227 Email: info@pisutandpartners.com Contacts: Mr. Pisut Rakwong Website: www.pisutandpartners.com

Warot Business Consultant Ltd.

Tel: (66) 81802 5698

Email: warot@warotbusinessconsultant.com Contact: Mr. Warot Wanakankowit Website: www.warotbusinessconsultant.com

Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners Ltd.

Tel: (66) 2 264 8000 Email: Veeranuch.t@weerawongcp.com Contacts: Veeranuch ThammavaranucuptSenior Partner Website: www.weerawongcp.com

VIETNAM

Bizconsult Law Firm

Tel: (84) 24 3933 2129 Email: info-hn@bizconsult.vn Contact: Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan(84) 24 3933 2129 Website: www.bizconsult.vn

Global Vietnam Lawyers LLC

Tel: (84) 28 3622 3555 Email: info@gvlawyers.com.vn Contacts: Nguyen Gia Huy Chuong Website: www.gvlawyers.com.vn CMA • IP

Indochine Counsel

Ho Chi Minh Office: Tel: (84) 28 3823 9640 Email: duc.dang@indochinecounsel.com Contact: Mr Dang The Duc Hanoi Office: Tel: (84) 24 3795 5261

Email: hanoi@indochinecounsel.com Website: www.indochinecounsel.com

CM • CMA • PF

LE & TRAN

Tel: (84) (28) 38 421242

Contact: Stephen Le Email: info@letranlaw.com Website: www.letranlaw.com

Russin & Vecchi

Ho Chi Minh Office:

Tel: (84) 28 3824-3026 Email: lawyers@russinvecchi.com.vn Contacts: Sesto E Vecchi - Managing Partner Nguyen Huu Minh Nhut – Partner Nguyen Huu Hoai – Partner

Hanoi Office: Tel: (84) 24 3825-1700 Email: lawyers@russinvecchi.com.vn Contact: Mai Minh Hang – Partner Website: www.russinvecchi.com.vn

CMA • E • IP • INS •

VILAF

TMT

Tel: (84) 28 3827 7300, (84) 24 3934 8530 Email: duyen@vilaf.com.vn, tung@vilaf. com.vn, anh@vilaf.com.vn

Contacts: Vo Ha Duyen, Ngo Thanh Tung, Dang Duong Anh Website: www.vilaf.com.vn

BF

• CMA • RE • ENR • LDR

— Law Firms — MIDDLE EAST

BAHRAIN

Trowers & Hamlins

Tel: (973) 1 751 5600 Email: bahrain@trowers.com Contact: Louise Edwards - Office Manager Website: www.trowers.com

BF • CMA • IF • LDR • RE

OMAN

Trowers & Hamlins

Tel: (968) 2 468 2900 Email: oman@trowers.com

Contact: Louise Edwards - Office Manager Website: www.trowers.com

BF • CMA • LDR • PF • RE

UAE

Afridi & Angell

Email: dubai@afridi-angell.com

Contact: Bashir Ahmed - Managing Partner Website: www.afridi-angell.com

BF • CMA • LDR • RE • REG

AMERELLER

Tel: (971) 4 432.3671 Email: gunson@amereller.com Contact: Christopher Gunson Website: www.amereller.com

CMA • E • IA • LDR • REG

Horizons & Co

Tel: (971) 4 354 4444 Email: info@horizlaw.ae Contact: Adv. Ali Al Zarooni Website: www.horizlaw.ae

CMA • E • LDR • PF • RE

Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Dubai office: Tel: (971) 4 351 9201 Email: dubai@trowers.com Contact: Jehan Selim - Office Manager Abu Dhabi office: Tel: (971) 2 410 7600 Email: abudhabi@trowers.com Contact: Jehan Selim - Office Manager Website: www.trowers.com

BF • CMA • LDR • PF • RES

— Law Firms — NORTH AMERICA

CANADA

Meyer Unkovic Scott

Tel: (412) 456 2833 Email: du@muslaw.com Contact: Dennis Unkovic Website: www.muslaw.com

CMA • IP • IA • LDR • RE

— Arbitration — Services

Beijing Arbitration Commission / Beijing International Arbitration Center (Concurrently use)

Tel: (86) 10 85659558 Email: xujie@bjac.org.cn Contact: Mr. Terence Xu（許捷） Website: www.bjac.org.cn

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

Tel: (852) 2525 2381 Email: adr@hkiac.org Website: www.hkiac.org

Maxwell Chambers Pte Ltd

Tel: (65) 6595 9010

Email: info@maxwell-chambers.com Website: maxwell-chambers.com

Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (Shenzhen Arbitration commission)

Tel: (86) 755 83501700, (86) 755 25831662 Email: info@scia.com.cn Website: www.scia.com.cn

Alternative Legal Service Providers

LOD - Lawyers On Demand

Tel: (65) 6326 0200 Email: singapore@lodlaw.com Contact: Oliver Mould Website: lodlaw.com

Peerpoint by Allen & Overy

Tel: (852) 2974 7000 Email: info@peerpoint.com Contact: Stephanie Szeto Website: www.peerpoint.com

Vario from Pinsent Masons (HK) Ltd

Tel: (852) 2294 3454 Email: enquiries@pinsentmasonsvario.com Website: https://pinsentmasonsvario.com

Risk, Investigation — and Legal — Support Services

LegalComet Pte Ltd (LEGALCOMET)

Tel: (65) 8118 1175

Contact: Michael Lew, Founder & CEO Email: michael@legalcomet.com Website: www.legalcomet.com

Konexo

Tel: (65) 66911 4567 Contacts: Joan Oh Email: enquiries@konexoglobal.sg Website: www.konexoglobal.com

— Non-Legal — Recruitment

True Recruitment Asia

Tel: (852) 5325 9168 WhatsApp: (852) 5325 9168 Email: kannan@truerecruitmentasia.com

— Sport & Leisure —

Splash Diving (HK) Limited

Learn to Dive and Fun Dive with the Winner of the PADI Outstanding Dive Centre/Resort Business Award!

Tel: (852) 9047 9603, (852) 2792 4495 Email: info@splashhk.com Website: www.splashhk.com

— Charitable — Organisations

Impact India Foundation

An international initiative against avoidable disablement. Promoted by the UNDP, UNICEF and the World Health Organization in association with the Government of India. Tel: (91) 22 6633 9605-7 Email: nkshirsagar@impactindia.org Website: www.impactindia.org

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