As ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL explores some of the biggest banking and finance issues and trends taking centre stage in Asia and the Middle East between 2013 – and Q1 of 2014, we consider the extent to which legal, political and monetary policies originating in the US impact the success of these economies. External and in-house counsel from around the region weigh in with their analysis on the pros and cons brought about by regulatory changes, new legislation and a changing landscape in 2014.
Increasingly, the notion of law firm ‘convergence’ has prompted meaningful change in many of the world’s biggest legal departments. Here, Paul Smith, the new Chairman at Eversheds expands on the convergence model and explains how a decrease in the number of law firms per client has led to heightened efficiency and a reduction in costs. He also underscores the importance of a deeper sense of trust between law firm and client.
In our landmark ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL Deals of the Year report, we are delighted to bring you a comprehensive overview of our winners from 2012. A varied constellation of deals made it onto our shortlist this year and these consisted of some heavy-hitting M&A transactions, impressive energy projects, titanic IPO’s and various Islamic finance deals.
The relationship forged between in-house counsel and their external counterparts is a strong one, and in many cases can determine the volume of work directed their way. From our Representing Corporate Asia & Middle East Survey 2011, we have mined in-house counsel’s votes to reveal the winners of ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL’s External Counsel of the Year accolade.
Ula Cartwright-Finch and Alex Waksman of Herbert Smith Freehills explore the problems associated with witness testimony when an incident at work leads to an internal investigation. Using insights gleaned from the field of cognitive psychology, they reveal how fragile memory can be, the power of suggestion and the critical nature of (mis)leading questions. Here, they take us through the steps that counsel can take so as to diminish the effects associated with these concerns.
