As the pandemic drags on, redundancies as a result of COVID-19 have begun to rise in the region, with Zoom, Skype or email used at times to deliver the bad news. But employers must be careful to ensure they don’t cross the line or skip necessary steps during these extraordinary times. Lawyers around Asia weigh up the risks and considerations that firms should bear in mind.

Sriram Panchu, founder of The Mediation Chambers and president of Mediators India, talks to ALB about how mediation has become a fast-growing dispute resolution method in the country.

April, the government amended the country’s FDI rules, which now state that FDI investments into India by an entity of a country that shares a land border with India, or when the beneficial owner of investment into India is in or is a citizen of such a country, can invest only under the government route. India also banned certain Chinese apps, including popular social media platforms TikTok and WeChat.

There has been a paradigm shift in the role of the new-age counsel. From being “just a lawyer,” the focus has shifted to “effectiveness” and “impact” as the differentiating factor. Today, the general counsel needs to be an effective business partner.

In the first India Super 50 Lawyers list, ALB puts the spotlight on standout private practitioners in the country when it comes to client service. These lawyers were selected based on client recommendations sent directly to ALB.

Indonesia recently ratified a long-anticipated bill amending the country’s 2009 Mining Law. Lawyers say that the large-scale revisions to the law could improve the feasibility of doing business in Indonesia's natural resources sector.

The pandemic has so far had a broadly negative impact on businesses across the region, but surprisingly, the period has also seen a number of law firms open in various Asian markets.  Their founders say they are using this period of upheaval as a time to start afresh, establishing new operations with energy and a determination to do things differently.

What will the future of work look like? Indeed, what will the office of the future look like, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic? These are questions that law firms, among other businesses, will likely be grappling with over the coming months and years. And with COVID leaving workplaces empty for prolonged periods, firms using this time to relook at their needs and options when it comes to workspaces.

Last year, green bond issuances in the Asia-Pacific region hit record levels, raising $18.89 billion. Of that Mainland China’s green bond market accounted for $8.13 billion, according to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).

Young lawyers are making great strides in Malaysia’s legal industry as they work on various complex matters. ALB profiles six such lawyers from the Malaysian legal market who have made an impact in the industry.