RANKINGS: ALB Employer of Choice 2024

by Sarah Wong |

         

        Around a year ago, law firms were already grappling with the challenge of keeping their members, particularly the younger generation, engaged, motivated, and committed. However, the advent of a groundbreaking new technology, in the form of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), has added another significant variable,…

        AI: Different strokes

        As the transformative era of Gen AI continues to redefine creativity, it is also igniting debates on copyright laws and ethical boundaries. And as legal battles over intellectual property intensify, courts in different jurisdictions are taking unique approaches to the larger questions surrounding ownership of art and content created by this new technology.

        INDONESIA: Arrested Development

        by Nimitt Dixit |

        When Indonesia established a carbon trading mechanism last year, the move was welcomed across the board. However, a lack of strong implementing regulations, regulatory uncertainty, and insufficient business incentives have combined to ensure slow-going for the country's carbon trading market.

        BRIEFS: China’s Ageing Population Set To Increase Opportunities for Legal Work

        by Sarah Wong |

        China is grappling with an escalating demographic crisis. In 2023, the senior population has ballooned by 30 million in the world’s second-largest economy, taking the total size of the elderly class to 300 million – almost a fifth of the country’s population.

        EXPLAINER: TikTok Set To Restart E-Commerce in Indonesia, but Doubts Persist

        by Sarah Wong |

        TikTok has been engulfed in regulatory whirlwinds across the world, which have put a dent in its global ambitions. In the United States, the popular social media app owned by ByteDance faces a ban in the United States unless its Beijing-based parent company divests its U.S. operations, and in Indonesia, TikTok had to temporarily quit its e-commerce business as its shopping arm ran into a slew of obstacles.

        Q&A: ‘We have long seen the importance of having on-the-ground legal experts’

        by Sarah Wong |

        Over the past few months, Singapore’s Allen & Gledhill has declared its intention to keep expanding regionally through the opening of a rep office in Shanghai and the launch of a new alliance in Indonesia.

        BRIEFS: Regulatory Hurdles Drive Korean Firms To Hire More Judges, In-House Lawyers

        by Sarah Wong |

        Government lawyers and in-house counsel are stereotypically known for having an easier life than private practice lawyers, with greater perks and better work-life balance. But lately, the South Korean legal market has witnessed a rise in “moving private,” a trend that has seen judges, government lawyers and corporate counsel left for private practice.

        CHINA: From Risk to Opportunity

        In the face of expanding regulatory landscapes and mounting pressures, legal and compliance professionals are aiming for a “business-oriented mindset, emphasizing not just adherence to regulations but alignment with unique business situations. 

        MIDDLE EAST: “Firms in the region are relatively behind in terms of using technology”

        by Nimitt Dixit |

        Mohamed Gabr is group general counsel at Egyptian financial company EFG Holding. In this interview, he talks about his decision to shift from private practice to in-house, the sophistication and growth of the in-house role in the Middle East and the qualities he looks for in external counsel. 

        ROUNDTABLE: Onwards, Upwards, Forwards

        by Sarah Wong |

        There has been a continued rise in prominence of the role of chief diversity officers in law firms globally as the legal industry has gradually taken stock of the need to pursue DEI goals. Apart from creating a forward-looking workplace, cultural awareness also adds value to the firm’s calibre in the eyes of clients. ALB hears from diversity leaders on how empowering inclusion can make a law firm stronger.