Law firms in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region draw on the extensive legal expertise, business skills and world-class advocacy skills of the english bar members, who act as both lawyers and arbitrators in a wide range of complex and material matters in the region. The people represented in our rankings bring considerable experience and have appeared in litigation and arbitrations around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa and the United States, as well as the United Kingdom. Many continue to expand their presence in the Asia-Pacific region and local markets, devoting much of their time to ICCA-related mandates, some being native speakers of Mandarin and Cantonese, or eager to learn the local language. Several members are also based full-time in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, while others are admitted to the bar locally. Welcome to the home page of The Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Worldwide, more than six million users visit The Legal 500 each year, and this guide provides those who purchase legal services with reliable and up-to-date information about companies operating in the Asia-Pacific legal market. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific is published annually and offers unbiased commentary and information on the legal markets of 25 Asia-Pacific jurisdictions. This provides a simple one-stop shop for business consultants and legal procurement services to gather information about the companies they want to hire. As for the legal market, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has left Hong Kong and closed its offices. The Chinese company Fangda Partners continues to grow more and more and this year entered the table of stock capital markets in level four and companies (M&A) in level five. Elsewhere in the market, Howse Williams set up former student Kevin Bowers Bowers Law with a fixed pricing structure. The Big Four are now all active in Hong Kong; In 2019, KPMG and Deloitte entered the market with links with SF Lawyers in collaboration with KPMG Law and JE Jamison & Co respectively.

EY`s LC Lawyers LLP and PwC`s Tiang & Partners continue to expand their presence in the region. And in a blow to its banking and financial capabilities, Kirkland & Ellis lost its head of banking practice, David Irvine, to Linklaters LLP in London. If you have any comments on the Legal 500 series of any kind, please contact our research team at editorial@legal500.com In addition, 46 lawyers, patent attorneys and tax advisors/CPAs have been recognized as “Leading Individuals”, “Next-Generation Partners” and “Rising Stars” in the individual category. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, a market-leading directory of law firms published by the renowned British legal publisher Legalease, conducted extensive research in 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region based on firm submissions and interviews with partners and clients, and announced the ranking of law firms in key areas of law. As Editor-in-Chief in the Asia-Pacific region, I am delighted to hear your comments and ideas on how we can accurately reflect the rapidly growing legal market in different jurisdictions throughout the guide and ensure that diversity, innovation, value for money and initiatives taken by companies for a greener economy are highlighted throughout the guide for reflect the ever-changing legal market. If your firm would like to issue press releases or management articles, please contact content@legal500.com Hogan Lovells` international arbitration practice has strong teams in Singapore and Hong Kong and is known for handling complex construction, energy and trade disputes. Timothy Hill and James Kwan jointly manage the Hong Kong practice and manage construction and trade disputes respectively. The Singapore-based team is known for its energy, infrastructure and construction litigation, with practice manager Kent Phillips popular with Japanese clients. Clyde & Co LLP combines its global reach with local partnerships in Asia Pacific, a westlink partnership in mainland China and a joint venture with Clasis in Singapore. The Singapore-based team is a popular choice for litigation related to India or Indonesia and also has a growing number of U.S. clients. Prakash Pillai and Sapna Jhangiani are important names to keep in mind.

The group is strong for Disputes related to China, especially in the areas of trade and raw materials, insurance or marine. Ik Wei Chong, based in Shanghai, and Nicholas Lum, who divides his time between Shanghai and Singapore, are also highly recommended. In South Korea, Nicholas Sykes is known for his shipping and energy issues, while Jon Howes and Eugene Tan excel in construction arbitration. Log on to LinkedIn to get the latest blogs and updates from The Legal 500 editorial team. The profile section contains a list of companies that have created business profiles in The Legal 500. While COVID-19 continues and infection rates fluctuate continuously, the consensus among participating groups is that there has been no decline in work in the Asia-Pacific region due to the pandemic. While there has been no downtown (on the contrary, many have noted that they have seen an increase in mandates in terms of consultation work and disputes), the way hearings are conducted has certainly changed. Expected sooner or later, but accelerated later by the pandemic, border closures and the ongoing difficulty of traveling abroad led to many, if not all, hearings that took place virtually.

Restrictions on international travel have proven beneficial for members (in terms of time previously spent travelling) and the environment. As the world emerges from the pandemic and returns to a new normal, many noted that shorter virtual hearings should continue to take place, but that in-person hearings are more appropriate, effective and productive for longer cases. Kim & Chang provides one of the strongest arbitration teams in South Korea with an impressive number of cases in a wide range of jurisdictions and industry sectors. The team has extensive experience in investment treaty arbitration and commercial arbitration, and continues to grow in its regional network of offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam.