US firm Nixon Peabody has forged a formal agreement with ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2010 Boutique Law Firm of the Year finalist Cheng Wong Lam & Partners this week as part of its push to establish a presence in Hong Kong.

A 20-month rupee rally, rapid infrastructure development and falling borrowing costs have driven clear growth in Indian M&A in recent months, according to Phoenix Legal partner Abhishek Saxena.

The Singapore office of Holman Fenwick & Willan has been dealt a blow as its head of corporate finance leaves the firm and takes with him five other lawyers – including one partner –across to the Singapore office of English firm Berwin Leighton Paisner.

Allen & Overy has relocated banking partner Ashley Young from Tokyo to Hong Kong, in a move to strengthen its leveraged and acquisition finance practice.

Ashurst, Amarchand, Luthra & Luthra and DLA Piper have acted on the US$3.4bn IPO of Coal India, India’s largest IPO to date.

A recent landmark court decisions affecting common law countries have reinforced a ruling that has deemed e-mails exchanged between in-house lawyers and their managers are not protected by legal professional privilege and could be called to court as evidence.

Norton Rose head of Middle East debt capital markets Rizwan Kanji has joined King & Spalding in Dubai to play a leading role in the firm’s debt capital markets and sukuk practice.

The rise of intra-Asian trade and investment has ignited a swell of opportunities for international disputes, resulting in a growing amount of arbitration instruction hailing from emerging jurisdictions such as India and the Middle East, according to Singapore-based Clyde & Co partner Steven Lim.

White & Case has inked a tie-up with the Riyadh arm of Gide Loyrette Nouel in a renewed push to strengthen its Saudi practice after losing its Saudi sponsor to Latham & Watkins earlier this year.

ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2010 Real Estate Firm of the Year winner Mayer Brown JSM has advised Hang Lung Properties, a Hong Kong-listed company, in its US$1.42bn follow-on offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.