In a bid to revitalise its economy by boosting market competition, the Philippines has taken a major step towards granting full foreign ownership in certain public infrastructure sectors, including airports, railways, expressways, and telecommunications.

The continued rise in prominence of ESG in Asia has found its way into the realm of private equity (PE), a vehicle traditionally associated with risk-taking investment for outsized rewards. Now the industry has joined other sectors in the financial ecosystem to consider sustainability and social responsibility in decision makings.

Shaking off the COVID-19 shadow after three isolated years, Hong Kong is now gripped by a fresh challenge as subdued markets sap the appetite for fundraising activities. With weak global demands and domestic headwinds putting a dent in China's much-hyped reopening, Hong Kong's capital markets have been struggling to take off.

With the emergence of generative artificial intelligence heralding a new era of productivity, law firms are weighing the use of AI to improve efficiencies and cut costs at a time when economic uncertainty is dampening revenue prospects. But as the technology's inherent flaws come to light, not to mention the potential for abuse, firms need to move with caution to deal with the flip side of AI.

In a subdued year for Indian law firm hiring, Trilegal added lateral partners at pace, including 10 in April alone, as the firm crossed 100 equity partners. Partners Sridhar Gorthi and Nishant Parikh, who sit on the firm’s management committee, share with ALB how they are looking at the additional talent to power Trilegal’s offerings in a liberalising legal market while paying close attention to cultural assimilation and talent management.

With countries beginning to open their borders completely, and corporates revitalising expansion efforts or diversifying their supply chains into growth markets across Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, corruption and other compliance risks are constantly increasing. Lawyers say that companies need to step up their vigilance by conducting meaningful assessments of risks, and implementing appropriate controls that address the risks unique to the specific jurisdiction.

The year 2022 was a catastrophic one for the global crypto industry, with the collapses of the FTX Group and the Terra Luna ecosystem, as well as the bankruptcies of crypto lenders Celsius Network and Blockfi, and crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, among the factors that wiped out some $2 trillion from the market. However, Asian jurisdictions like Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan have been realistic in acknowledging that crypto isn’t going away any time soon. Instead, they seek to strengthen cryptocurrency regulations and maintain their balancing act in attempting to minimise speculative and compliance risks.

Nickel companies are a driving force behind what is being seen as a record year for public listings in Indonesia, with the listings pointing to the opportunities in the country's blossoming nickel industry. And this is keeping both mining and capital markets lawyers busy.

The planned mega-merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling has sent shockwaves across the legal world, and ignited a tidal wave of interest in merging in an industry thriving on loyal client relations and expansive institutional networks. ALB delves into the matching dance between law firms, including the strategic considerations beforehand and factors that can make or break the union.

The breadth of legal talent available throughout Southeast Asia is impressive. All this talent is in full display in ALB Southeast Asia's Top 15 Litigators 2023 ranking, which include entries from seven countries across the region.