Legal Industry News & Trends: Dec Week 2

1. People Moves

i. Prominent Singapore-Based Silk Joins UK’s Blackstone Chambers

Prominent international commercial disputes lawyer Sapna Jhangiani KC joined London-based Blackstone Chambers. Based in Singapore, Jhangiani was the first female lawyer in the city-state to be appointed as silk in England.

• Experience: She is experienced in litigation and arbitration. She previously held roles at Clyde & Co and Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers. She was also recently sworn in as a part-time judge for the DIFC Court of Appeal.
• Takeaway: Jhangiani’s appointment is expected to strengthen Blackstone’s reach in jurisdictions like Singapore, India, and the Caribbean.

ii. Hong Kong: Edwin Kwok and Karas So

Edwin Kwok: Edwin Kwok & Co., a newly launched boutique law firm in Hong Kong, added Iris Leung as a partner to its capital markets and corporate practices.

• Experience: Leung, a US transactions expert, previously co-led the capital markets practice at K&L Gates in China and has extensive experience in high-profile capital markets, M&A, and DCM transactions.
• Specialisations: Her expertise spans sectors such as AI/TMT, EV, new energy, insurance, healthcare, and consumer markets.

Karas So: Karas So, in association with Mishcon de Reya, has hired K&L Gates’s Tan Choo Lye as a partner.

• Experience: Tan has extensive experience advising high-net-worth (HNW) clients, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, and charitable foundations on foreign investments in China and Asia.
• Specialisations: She specialises in Southeast Asian markets, particularly Malaysia and Singapore, with a focus on family office structuring, succession planning, and philanthropic matters. Tan also has expertise in securities, corporate finance, restructuring, M&A, and equity issues.

iii. China: Merits & Tree and Lifang

Merits & Tree: Beijing-headquartered Merits & Tree Law Offices opened a new office in Guangzhou and added four partners to the office:

• Sha Jun, who will lead the Guangzhou office, focuses on dispute resolution in finance, investment, M&A, corporate, and real estate.
• Qin Jing specialises in civil and commercial dispute resolution and is experienced in corporate, joint venture, tort, and labour disputes.
• Liao Shuxin is experienced in finance, capital management, investment, real estate, and corporate matters.
• Wu Shengmin specialises in distressed reorganisation, bankruptcy proceedings, and special opportunity M&A.

Lifang: Lifang & Partners appointed Shi Bisheng as a senior partner in its Beijing office and a member of its management committee, signalling a strategic move to bolster the firm’s leadership and expertise.

• Experience: Shi previously served at Zhong Lun Law Firm and King & Wood Mallesons and has over a decade of experience serving as a judge at the Haidian District People’s Court and Beijing High People’s Court.
• Track Record: With 20 years of experience in the IP field, Shi has contributed to drafting judicial interpretations on patent infringement and has handled over 1,000 litigation cases involving patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and anti-unfair competition. His clientele includes major players such as a foreign semiconductor manufacturer, a telecommunications company, and a Chinese ride-hailing giant.

2. Business Moves

i. W&H Enters Hong Kong and Eyes Expansion in the US

W&H Law Firm launched its Hong Kong branch, marking its third offshore office following Bangkok and Tokyo.

• Team: The branch will be led by Eric Ying, managing partner of W&H’s Beijing headquarters, and it operates in association with Ince.
• Specialisations: The branch will focus on resolving cross-border investment disputes by collaborating closely with Hong Kong lawyers.

W&H’s international ambitions continue, with plans for a New York office underway and potential expansion into Malaysia, Indonesia, Dubai, London, and Mexico.

ii. HKIAC Opens its Representative Office in Beijing

The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) opened a Beijing Representative Office, making it the first offshore arbitration institution to establish a presence in China’s capital. The Beijing office will support capacity-building, training, and collaboration with China’s arbitration community, and enhance dispute resolution services under local laws. HKIAC’s strong track record includes handling China-related cases, with a significant portion involving mainland Chinese parties.

Takeaway: The office’s opening follows HKIAC’s inclusion in the Supreme People’s Court’s platform, granting easier access to interim measures and enforcement in China.

iii. SHIAC Launches First Overseas Branch in Hong Kong

The Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC) has opened its first overseas branch in Hong Kong. It becomes the fourth mainland arbitration institution to establish a presence in Hong Kong, joining CIETAC, CMAC, and SCIA. SHIAC aims to leverage Hong Kong’s status as a global arbitration hub to enhance its global connectivity.

iv. Starrise Sets Up a Wuhan Office

Beijing-headquartered Starrise Law Firm opened its first domestic office in Wuhan, led by director Huang He and a team of five lawyers.

• Specialisations: The new office will focus primarily on criminal defence while also expanding into economic and intellectual property law, tailored to the local market needs.

v. DeHeng Sets Up a Riyadh Office

DeHeng Law Offices opened a Riyadh office, becoming the first Chinese law firm to have a presence in Saudi Arabia. This joint venture with DSH Law Firm forms the largest Chinese-Saudi legal partnership, with 18 lawyers and plans for growth.

• Team: The office will be co-led by DeHeng’s Jia Huaiyuan, an expert in international engineering and dispute resolution, and Saudi lawyer Dhari Saad.
• Specialisations: It will focus on Chinese-Saudi cross-border legal needs, including project financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.

Concurrently, the firm partnered with Jakarta-based Armila & Rako to establish a new office in Indonesia, its third Southeast Asia branch. The Indonesia branch aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

• Team: It will be co-directed by partner Harrison Jia, who also oversees DeHeng’s Laos office.
• Specialisations: The branch will focus on supporting PRC companies in the region with corporate matters, investment, financing, compliance, construction contracts, and intellectual property.

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Image Credits:

• Law.asia
• Asian Legal Business
• Global Arbitration Review