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rocket as recovery gathers pace
leading financial institutions.” Norton Rose, fresh from its Australia merger with Deacons, is among the more aggressively hiring firms. As of mid-May it was offering a total of 45 vacancies in Asia-Pacific (see table), the majority of which were in corporate and banking. ALB
►► Norton Rose – Asia-Pacific vacancies as of 12 May 2010 Location
Number
Gulf
2
Australia
29
Greater China
11
Japan
3
Thai law firms caught in political unrest
L
aw firms in Thailand with offices on the main road where the military and protestors were standing off continued to operate as usual, despite fears the street could become a battleground between angry protestors and armed troops. Red-shirt protestors opposed to the government pushed into the “Wall Street” of Thailand, on Silom Road, where many of the country’s top international and domestic law firms are located. One of those is Blumenthal Richter & Sumet, an international law firm located on the intersection of the Silom and Rama IV roads. “I can see [the protest] outside my window actually, in the intersection where the Dusit Thani Hotel is. You can hear the protestors’ loudspeakers from here,” said partner Ira Blumenthal at the time. “Right below our office, there are troops blocking off Silom road, and on the other side you have the protestors. So there’s a kind of standoff happening and nobody’s really doing anything.”
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The political unrest, which has raged on for more than a year now, has been affecting the flow of inbound foreign direct investment work for local law firms. Some clients cancelled business trips indefinitely, as embassies issued travel warnings. “There is uncertainly as to what’s going to happen next,” said Blumenthal. “We’ve had a lot of clients rescheduling cancelled meetings until things are clarified.” There is hope that will soon change. Herbert Smith’s Bangkok office is situated in the same building as Blumenthal’s and office managing partner Alistair Henderson said that although the pace of work had slowed, the firm continued to receive significant instructions from regional clients wanting to do business in Thailand. “Work hasn’t disappeared – there is definitely work to be done,” he said. “We’re receiving instructions and talking to clients looking to expand operations or set up here. Morale is holding up quite well.” ALB
news in brief >> FoxMandal gets closer to legal industry regulator FoxMandal Little’s Noida office played host to the new newly constituted Bar Council of Delhi’s newly elected office bearers – chairman KK Sareen, vicechairman Jaibir Singh Nagar, and honorary secretary Nitin Ahlawat, and others. The firm said it was “very keen” to host the event as the Bar has a significant role in regulating the legal profession. “[We] regularly get queries from law firms the world over on regulatory issues of the Indian Legal System and the firm intends to work closely and seek guidance from the Delhi Bar Council in view of the exploding Indian economy and opening up of various service sectors,” said managing partner Som Mandal.
Clifford Chance plugs gap in Asia capital markets team Clifford Chance has reorganised its capital markets practices in Singapore and Hong Kong in the wake of Hong Kong partner Alex Lloyd’s move to Sidley Austin (see appointments p24). CC has filled Lloyd’s position by relocating head of Asia capital markets Crawford Brickley from Singapore to Hong Kong, as well as bringing in Julian Perlmutter, a senior consultant from the London office, in late February. In Singapore, the firm has promoted senior associate Johannes Juette to senior consultant.
Clayton Utz denies U-turn on Asia policy Australian firm Clayton Utz’s decision to open a Hong Kong office is not a departure from its traditional relationships-based approach to international operations, says CEP David Fagan. The decision will see Clayton Utz arrive in Hong Kong some 20 years after rival Mallesons first entered that market. “This move doesn’t David Fagan Clayton Utz derogate from what we’ve done with Lex Mundi or PRAC - it’s a logical extension of the construction and major projects work we’ve done in Asia,” said Fagan. “We remain committed to our relationships with local Hong Kong firms. In fact, we expect there will be more opportunities to work with local firms in the region as the result of our having a presence on the ground in Hong Kong.” The two-partner office will be led by Glenn Haley, who most recently headed Deacons’ Hong Kong construction practice, and Clayton Utz partner Colin Dodd, who has been based in Hong Kong for a number of years. The office will focus on construction and major projects and international dispute resolution, although expansion into other areas is not being ruled out.
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