Since 2016, Vietnam has been aggressively combating corruption to attract foreign businesses. However, the ruling Communist Party has recently intensified its sweeping anti-graft campaign to bolster one of Asia's fastest-growing economies further, as multinational companies have pivoted to Vietnam to avoid escalating Sino-U.S. tensions.

In an era of heightened market and geopolitical risks, general counsel are tasked with steering their businesses soundly through increasingly treacherous waters, and occasionally need extraordinary solutions from their law firms. GCs across sectors share what they look for in their external counsel.

Generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has been touted as a game changer for private legal practitioners and corporate legal departments alike, as the AI boom has many predicting a revolution in how lawyers work.

Even as China continues to exert economic influence across Southeast Asia and beyond with its Belt and Road Initiative, the United States and Japan struck a deal in April with the Philippines to jointly fund a massive infrastructure investment project spanning five regions, including the country's capital region of Metro Manila, on the nation's largest island.

In March, Mohamad Ezri was elected president of Malaysia’s Bar Council. Armed with the mandate of improving professional standards while spearheading reforms and innovation in the Southeast Asia country’s legal industry, Ezri shares with ALB how he aims to help take Malaysia’s law firms to the next level. 

The era of technology is currently prevailing, with Southeast Asia emerging as a prominent hub for fintech. However, even the leading markets for groundbreaking fintech startups are facing challenges due to economic instability and increased regulatory scrutiny. Fintech lawyers discuss significant developments and regulatory playbooks in the industry, particularly with the integration of artificial intelligence.

Singapore is taking steps to ramp up cybersecurity, with increased regulation and oversight.

As ESG issues take a front seat in business decision-making across Asia, law firms play a crucial role advising companies on how to navigate increasingly complex compliance requirements and mitigating emerging risks. As regulatory landscapes around ESG evolve rapidly, ALB recognises 15 law firms that are delivering outstanding legal counsel in this area.

In recent years, construction companies in Asia have been enjoying a boom in countries’ pivot to infrastructure reforms. The construction market in the Asia-Pacific region has grown by 3.9 per cent in 2023, according to GlobalData. But the sector was also confronted by rising material costs and financial constraints due to global economic conditions. GCs in three construction companies share how they are capitalising on new momentum and taking on challenges ahead.

As the compliance landscape grows more complex, Asia’s leading chief compliance officers are demonstrating strategic leadership and spearheading innovative approaches to ensure compliance while strengthening organizational resilience in these dynamic times.