Legal Industry News & Trends: Oct Week 4
Legal Industry News & Trends: Oct Week 4
1. Regulations
i. Singapore Suggests Setting Up International Commercial Dispute Resolution Committee
Singapore proposed a bill to establish an International Committee under the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC). This committee would handle commercial disputes and appeals from foreign jurisdictions that have agreed to allow such appeals to be heard in Singapore. The committee will be presided over by the Chief Justice and will include international and Supreme Court judges, along with ad hoc members from the foreign court involved in the appeal.
Key provisions of the bill allow the committee to apply foreign law, issue enforcement or interim measures, and stay enforcement of foreign court judgments and order costs. Unlike international arbitration, proceedings will generally not be confidential. The committee’s decisions will be final and unappealable.
Takeaway: The proposed International Committee signals Singapore’s expanding role as a hub for international commercial dispute resolution. The regulations from the Minister and the procedural rules to be issued by the Chief Justice indicate that the proceedings may offer less control to the parties involved compared to international arbitration. Meanwhile, the types of cases eligible for appeal from foreign jurisdictions also remain unclear and will be determined by the Minister for Law.
2. People Moves
i. SG & MY: Zul Rafique
Zul Rafique: Zul Rafique & Partners welcomed Syed Haris Syed Yahya back to its energy practice as a partner. Haris, who most recently served as senior corporate counsel at Sapura Energy, has served at the firm as a partner before joining Sapura in 2019. He is experienced in the energy sector and covers contract drafting and management, compliance, and dispute resolution.
ii. CN: Han Kun, Lifang, Grandall, TianTong and Merits Tree
Han Kun: Han Kun Law Offices added capital markets expert Steve Lin from Kirkland & Ellis as a partner in its New York office. Lin will divide his time between Beijing, Hong Kong, and New York City. His expertise includes capital markets, mergers and acquisitions (M&As), private equity and venture capital, and general and legal matters like IPOs and SPAC transactions in the US and Hong Kong. Lin was also previously an associate at Latham & Watkins. Kirkland will now have five lawyers, including one partner, remaining in Beijing.
Lifang: Lifang & Partners added Qu Linggang as a partner in its Beijing office. Qu, a former in-house counsel at ByteDance, has a strong background in law and computer science and extensive trial experience. Qu specialises in IP, competition law, compliance for tech companies, software copyright, trade secrets, and data compliance. Prior to his tenure at ByteDance, he also worked in the IP division of the Xicheng District People’s Court in Beijing.
Grandall: Grandall Law Firm added six new partners to its offices in Shanghai, Xi’an, Jinan, Shijiazhuang, and Qingdao.
- Li Huhuan joins from Han Kun Law Offices. Li specialises in asset securitisation, the use of insurance funds and M&As.
- Wang Jun joins from DeHeng Law Offices. Wang specialises in non-performing assets, corporate bankruptcy, liquidation and reorganisation, and civil and commercial disputes.
- Zhao Ting joins from DeHeng Law Offices. Zhao specialises in corporate rescue, bankruptcy, corporate investment and derivative litigation, financing, and M&A.
- Zhang Chuanfeng joins from Tahota Law Firm. Zhang has over 20 years of experience in civil and commercial dispute resolution, litigation, arbitration, M&A, restructuring, bankruptcy and liquidation.
- Mu Zhanpeng joins from Yingke Law Firm. Mu specialises in financial securities and capital markets.
- Zhang Bingxue was previously the deputy director and managing partner of Shandong Guoyao Qindao Law Firm. Zhang specialises in securities and capital markets.
TianTong: TianTong Law Firm added Wen Min as a partner in its Shanghai office to lead its environment practice. Wen Min specialises in energy and environmental law. She has over 10 years of experience and has served at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Central Government’s Secretariat Bureau.
Merits Tree: Merits & Tree Law Offices opened its 10th office in Guangzhou. The firm also hired four partners from King & Wood Mallesons. Sha Jun, Qin Jing and Liao Shuxin specialise in dispute resolution, while Wu Shengmin specialises in debt restructuring. Sha will lead the new office, and the team will support clients in Guangdong and expand the firm’s presence in the Greater Bay Area by collaborating with the Shenzhen and Hong Kong offices. The decision to establish the Guangzhou office is driven by the city’s growth as an international tech hub and a manufacturing centre.
iii. UAE: Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird: Bird & Bird appointed Nick O’Connell, a specialist in data and technology law, as a partner in its Dubai office. O’Connell joins from Al Tamimi & Company, where he led the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) desk. He has over 15 years of experience in the Middle East and focuses on transactional and regulatory matters.
3. Business Moves
i. Chinese Firm Dun & Duan Launches London Office
Shanghai-based Duan & Duan Law Firm launched a new branch in London, marking its entry into the UK legal market. This is the firm’s eighth overseas office. The London office, previously known as Jackson Lyon LLP, will focus on complex litigation, commercial matters, criminal defence, and immigration law. It currently has nine lawyers, including three partners: Leon Chua, Jackson Ng, and Michael Herford.
ii. SGLA Launches Seven Offices in Jiangsu
SGLA Law Firm opened seven new branches in Jiangsu province, aiming for a total headcount of 200 by year-end. Each branch will be led by appointed managing partners:
- Nanjing: Led by Wang Yunxia.
- Suqian: Led by Zhang Zhiyong.
- Wuxi: Led by Fang Laihong.
- Kunshan: Led by Qiao Hang.
- Xuzhou: Led by Liu Zhichao
- Lianyungang: Led by Sun Gang.
- Suzhou: Led by Guo Qian.
The first three offices are the largest, with around 50 employees each. Partner Du Jiang will oversee the management committee. This expansion aligns with SGLA’s strategy to strengthen its national presence following the acquisition of four local law firms in Beijing, Guangdong, Tianjin and Shenzhen earlier this year.
iii. K&A Expands with Office in Abu Dhabi
Saudi Arabian law firm Khoshaim & Associates (K&A) opened an office in Abu Dhabi, marking its first expansion beyond the kingdom. This new office will support investments from the UAE into Saudi Arabia and help regional and international companies with cross-border ventures. It will also integrate K&A’s UAE operations into its core practices, including corporate, finance, capital markets, and dispute resolution.
Takeaway: This expansion into Abu Dhabi aligns with the increasing economic activity in the UAE, driven by sovereign wealth funds, energy transitions, digitalisation, and supply chain diversification.
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