Last month, on Valentine’s Day, thirteen couples in Japan took a different approach to the typical romantic dinner out. To mark the date, they filed lawsuits.

The ongoing trade and diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China have continued to dominate media reports in the lead up to the tentative March 1 deadline for both countries to resolve their tariff disputes. But with no clear resolution in sight, lawyers working in the region are doing what they can to minimize the impact and maintain stability amid tumultuous times.

Last month, on Valentine’s Day, thirteen couples in Japan took a different approach to the typical romantic dinner out. To mark the date, they filed lawsuits.

The last of the Big Four to offer legal services from an Asian base, KPMG recently established an affiliated law firm in Hong Kong named SF Lawyers. Shirley Fu (principal of SF Lawyers), Stuart Fuller (head of KPMG Law in Australia & Asia-Pacific regional leader for legal services) and Lachlan Wolfers (head of Legal, KPMG China) were in Hong Kong to talk about how technology sets their offering apart from traditional law firms.

South Korea is no stranger to overseas investment, but in recent years, it has been expanding its footprint into emerging markets too. These less-developed markets, however, come with potential complications and higher risks, and as a result, arbitration and other avenues of dispute resolution are becoming increasingly important.

Anglo-Australian law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has reregistered its Korea practice as Australian in anticipation of Brexit disqualifying UK firms from the EU-South Korea free trade agreement.

For all the talk of sluggish economic growth in 2018, Southeast Asia’s largest economy had a number of bright spots, including infrastructure spending, a jump in tax revenue and a booming digital economy. And the legal market became increasingly competitive as clients became more demanding. Lawyers in Indonesia talk about the trends they saw in 2018, and what we can expect this year.

The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) will hold its 29th Annual Meeting and Conference this year in Singapore from Apr. 25-27. Francis Xavier SC, regional head of dispute resolution at Rajah & Tann and president-elect of the IPBA, talks about the IPBA’s new image, and what attendees can expect from this year’s event.

Over the past few years, corporate-backed initiatives that encourage diversity and inclusion have grown increasingly prominent in Europe and the U.S. In Asia, progress has been slower, but the positives extend beyond this simply being a social good. For those making progress in this area, there are commercial benefits to be enjoyed, lawyers say.

Deloitte is set to become the last of the Big Four accounting firms to establish a presence in the Hong Kong legal market, with plans to set up an affiliated law firm led by the firm’s China general counsel, James Jamison.