Legal Industry News & Trends Recap: June Week 4
Legal Industry News & Trends Recap: June Week 4
1. Trends
i. Rising Number of Climate-Washing Lawsuits Worldwide
Companies accused of misrepresenting their climate change efforts are increasingly targeted by litigants, with 47 new climate washing cases filed globally in 2023, according to a report by the London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute. About 70% of concluded cases from 2016 to 2023 favoured claimants, highlighting the growing legal accountability for climate promises. In 2023, 233 new climate-related cases were filed, with significant activity in the Global South. The Supreme Court of India even established a new constitutional right against adverse climate change effects. The impact of climate litigation on actual climate action remains uncertain, but certain cases have already influenced domestic climate governance.
Read the full article about the trend of climate washing lawsuits.
ii. Zhuo Jian Opens Tokyo Branch, Tapping on CN Firms’ Interest in Japan
Shenzhen-based Zhuo Jian Law Firm has opened an office in Tokyo to meet the growing demand for legal services in Japan, the world’s third-largest economy. The office, led by director Yin Xiuzhong, is staffed by a bilingual team with experience in Japan. The new office will focus on addressing client needs, expanding client network, resource pooling development and boosting cooperation with intermediary service organisations. This move aligns with the increasing investment by Chinese companies in Japan and Japanese companies’ interest in growth opportunities in China.
Read the full article about Zhuo Jian’s Tokyo branch.
2. Business Moves
i. China’s Grandall and Malaysia’s RWC Form Partnership
Grandall Law Firm from Beijing and Malaysian law firm Richard Wee Chambers (RWC) have entered into a partnership. Following the agreement, RWC will be known in Chinese as “国浩律师(马来西亚)事务所” but retain its English name. This partnership marks Grandall’s 36th global branch. Earlier this year, Grandall partner Will Fung joined RWC as a principal partner. He has extensive experience in corporate M&As and has worked at Shook Lin & Bok and Arthur Wang Lian & Partners. Another RWC partner, Kee Shao Yee, is also a foreign counsel at Grandall.
Read the full article about Grandall and RWC’s partnership.
ii. SGLA Strengthens Presence in Beijing, Shenzhen, Tian
SGLA Law Firm is expanding by acquiring four local law firms in Beijing, Guangdong, and Tianjin. This move is part of its strategy to launch new branches in Beijing and Shenzhen within the year, and strengthen their existing Tianjin office.
- CSC Partners will become SGLA’s Beijing office, with Sun Xiaoying serving as the branch director.
- Zaxus Law Office and Kingo Partners & Attorneys will merge to form the new Shenzhen office, led by Zaxus’ Director Li Yuanyong.
- The Tianjin office has expanded significantly by acquiring King & Ray Law Firm, increasing its workforce from 16 to over 100 employees.
Read the full article about SGLA’s expansion in China.
3. People Moves in Singapore: Simmons and Addleshaws
Simmons: UK law firm Simmons & Simmons appointed Lijun Chui, a specialist in tech and financial disputes, as a partner in its Singapore office. Chui, who joins from Bird & Bird, is experienced in cybersecurity, data, and emerging technology disputes, as well asinternational commercial disputes and investigations the APAC, particularly in the TMT and financial sectors. She also served at Drew & Napier and Clifford Chance, where she led the local technology disputes and regulatory practice. This hire expands Simmons & Simmons’ dispute resolution team in Singapore to four partners.
Addleshaw: UK law firm Addleshaw Goddard appointed Chanaka Kumarasinghe as the head of its Singapore office. Kumarasinghe, who had served at HFW for 22 years, joins Addleshaw Goddard’s construction and engineering team as a partner. He specialises in energy projects, construction contracts, and oil and gas sector disputes, with experience spanning Latin America, the North Sea, Asia, and Australia. His expertise includes negotiating agreements for offshore oil and gas assets, and advising on international windfarm and cable-laying contracts. This hire brings the firm’s Singapore office to five lawyers, including three partners.
Read the full article about Simmon’s disputes partner from Birds.
Read the full article about Addleshaw’s energy partner from HFW.
4. People Moves in China: Appleby, Chance Bridge and DOCVIT
Appleby: Offshore law firm Appleby expanded its Shanghai office by hiring Ben McCosker, a litigation and insolvency expert from Mayer Brown’s Hong Kong office, as a partner. McCosker joins Hannah Yao, who started at Appleby last August. McCosker has 16 years of experience and specialises in shareholder disputes and restructuring deals involving offshore-incorporated, Hong Kong-listed companies. Appleby also named Mandy Qi as the associate and Stephanie Wang as the legal manager of the Shanghai team.
Chance Bridge: Chance Bridge Law Firm appointed Yu Jing, a dispute resolution specialist, as a partner in its Beijing office. Yu’s expertise lies in civil and commercial litigation, arbitration, corporate governance, equity disputes, investment and financing disputes, and private equity funds.
DOCVIT: DOCVIT Law Firm appointed LONGAN LAW FIRM’s intellectual property (IP) expert Zhao Wei as a partner in its Wuhan office. Zhao specialises in IP litigation, civil and commercial disputes, and criminal defence.
Read the full article about Appleby’s litigation partner from Mayer Brown.
Read the full article about Chance Bridge’s dispute resolution partner.
Read the full article about DOCVIT’s IP partner from LONGAN.
5. People Moves in Japan: Atsumi & Sakai
Atsumi & Sakai: Tokyo-based Atsumi & Sakai bolstered its banking and finance expertise by hiring Baker McKenzie’s 27-year veteran, Akiko Hosokawa, as partner. This addition follows the recent hiring of Dio Inoue, the former head of legal at Singapore-based Guardant Health AMEA, as a partner. Hosokawa specialises in structured finance, securitisation, and liquidation, and is experienced in advising clients on banking, finance, and corporate matters. Notably, she was part of the Baker McKenzie team that advised on the world’s first cross-border repo and digital bond settled on a public blockchain.
Read the full article about Atsumi & Sakai’s partner from Baker Mckenzie.
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Image Sources
- Reuters
- Asian Legal Business