COVER STORY: ALB CLIENT CHOICE 2017 In its annual Client Choice list, ALB picks 15 lawyers who have earned the highest marks from their clients for the quality of their advice, deep understanding of the law and overall excellent service. |
IN-HOUSE FOCUS: MANAGING COMPLIANCE RISK Compliance requirements have been rising steadily in China as everywhere else in the world and creating new challenges for in house counsel. We speak to in house counsel to find out where compliance risks are becoming particularly onerous and what strategies they are adopting to manage this risk. |
FEATURE: ARBITRATION CENTRES As it looks to streamline and strengthen its legal system, China is relight more and more on arbitration. The case load at the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, for example, has doubled from 981 cases in 2006 to 1968 in 2015, with the vast majority of the increase coming from domestic cases. Arbitration centres have been set up across the country including in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. What is driving the trend towards the use of more arbitration? And what lays ahead. |
FEATURE: CHINESE FIRMS IN HONG KONG As demand for legal work associated with China grows and Chinese firms go global, more Chinese law firms are setting up in Hong Kong. The path, following clients abroad, is not unlike the one that has taken international firms into China. We speak with Chinese law firms with offices in Hong Kong to find out what is driving their growth and why setting up in Hong Kong makes sense. |
FEATURE: CHINESE INVESTMENT IN MALAYSIA Between 2012 and 2015, Malaysia recorded an increase in Chinese investments of 1,064 percent, and with the Belt & Road initiative, that is set to grow further. Last year, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak signed 14 memorandums of understanding with Chinese companies worth a total of RM143.64 billion ($34 billion), and in May, another nine MOUs worth RM30 billion were signed. We look at some of the key trends related to Chinese investments in Malaysia, the obstacles investors face, and how law firms are helping them overcome these. |
LEGAL TECH: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Facing pressure from tech-savvy corporate clients, accounting firms and “Lawtech” start-ups, firms are venturing into machine learning and data mining, and hiring coders and artificial intelligence experts. We look at how AI in particular is on the verge of disrupting the business of law. |
