Asia Pacific Legal Market Summary And Partner Moves - November 2019

(As excerpted from our monthly Associate Newsletter - Asia Pacific)

Associate Newsletter – Asia Pacific is a monthly resource that reports current legal market news, trends, partner moves and active opportunities in the Asia Pacific legal markets.

Legal Market Summary

HONG KONG

With the recent developments in Hong Kong, we have seen a slowdown in recruitment within the last month. Some firms have decided to put interview processes on hold given the uncertainties and instabilities. Despite the approach, some firms continue to meet candidates within M&A, FCPA, funds and finance experience. Partners have prepared us that the process will take longer than usual, but there are still appetites for strong candidates.

CHINA

Beijing and Shanghai markets have been steady for the month. Most recruitment needs are arising in UK firms within the M&A space. Some senior movements also have been noted among US firms; these recruitment needs are originating from previous departures. Most of the hiring needs are within M&A, finance, TMT and compliance spaces.

SINGAPORE

The Singapore market has been active over the past month. Some US and UK law firms are recruiting for junior and mid-level lawyers in the capital markets, finance and M&A spaces. Most of these hires are local without relocation involved. We foresee the market remaining active for the rest of the year.

SOUTH KOREA

Korean law firms are interested in growing their foreign attorney practice and are offering competitive compensation packages to do so. Senior lawyers with more than five years’ experience are in need. Fluent Korean language skills are required for these positions.

JAPAN

Japanese M&A activity remains at an all-time high, with a continuous demand for M&A lawyers. Experienced Japanese-qualified lawyers with strong academic backgrounds and solid training from top firms and bilingual foreign–qualified lawyers with 2-3 years’ PQE continue to be in demand.

AUSTRALIA

Recruitment across the private practice markets are at full speed in the final push before the Christmas break when law firms will close until early January.

In late October and the first half of November, we have seen global and national law firms continue to show strong demand for commercial litigators to handle financial and banking sector regulatory disputes as well as class action defence matters. There has been an uptick in demand for corporate/M&A lawyers by the larger firms in the market while demand has remained steady for lawyers with 2-9 years’ PQE across banking & finance, infrastructure & construction (both front end and contentious), and technology/TMT.

Firms continue to sponsor UK, New Zealand and South African–qualified lawyers with top-tier experience who wish to relocate to Australia. Demand exists more so for transactional lawyers, especially across finance and corporate. Australian-qualified lawyers who are looking to return home from abroad will also find a healthy array of options to choose from.

Partner Moves