In-House Community’s Firms of the Year 2022, with In-house Counsel Insights on Talent & Budget

April 19, 2023
Annually, we survey our community to garner an on-the-ground understanding of the prevailing in-house legal environment. This includes both that which is within our lawyers’ immediate orbits in terms of teams and work, as well as their relationships with external counsel, particularly those which, in their eyes, deserve recognition for outstanding service to the in-house community. We invited more than 17,200 in-house counsel to partake in this In-House Community survey through a controlled online survey process or in the course of their attendance at various In-House Community events, both in-person and online, over the last year. Those survey respondents which took up the call to participate came from a multitude of jurisdictions across the globe: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Oman, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, & Vietnam! These in-house counsel represent a full spectrum of industry sectors, including aviation, banking, energy & natural resources, financial services, insurance, manufacturing & engineering, retail, and technology, media & telecommunications. The richness of this diversity has allowed us to draw in-house insights and pick winning law firms from across the spectrum of legal services offered. 590 In-house Counsel From 18 Jurisdictions Responded To The In-house Community Firms Of The Year Survey First up, survey results covering team size, project management of work, as well as key issues and concerns projected for legal departments in the coming 12 months will be unpacked. With those insights gathered, we’ll switch gear to sharing our community’s much deliberated picks for In-House Community Firms of the Year, 2022! Our In-House Community Shares its Thoughts Human resourcing...

Bringing the In-House Counsel Community together in Hong Kong, again.

December 16, 2022
A look into the Hong Kong In-House Community Congress, 2022   On 15 November 2022, we were once again able to meet in person for the 24th annual Hong Kong In-House Community Congress at the J.W. Marriott, Hong Kong. The day presented a refreshing reminder of the value of face-to-face interaction as we delved into various topics of interest to our in-house community. The congress was also available to join via Zoom.  The event brought together a mix of top in-house lawyers, CEOs, compliance professionals and company directors operating in both the public and private sectors in Hong Kong.  Together with the In-House Community team, co-hosts Debevoise & Plimpton, the Maples Group, Simmons & Simmons Adaptive and Robert Walters facilitated a day of learning and teasing out of difficult topics common to those in the profession. The day kicked off with opening remarks from In-House Community publisher, Rahul Prakash, who also moderated a panel discussion on Budget Management for the In-House Legal Department. Panelists Shih-Jern Liang (General Counsel, Ralph Lauren), Kevin So (General Counsel, Arcadis) and Stanley Lui (Legal Director, TI Fluid Systems) (with additional pre-panel input from Amy Ang, General Counsel, CBRE) offered their learned insights on scoping for internal budgets and managing predictable costs whilst preparing for those unforeseen.  We further extend our thanks to various partners that offered workshops for our attendees, all presenting valuable takeaways to shape future practice: Debevoise and Plimpton (with Counsel Philip Rohlik and International Counsel Samuel Fung) workshopped on SFC and US SEC Enforcement Priorities Simmons & Simmons Adaptive (with Partner and Head of Adaptive Sarah James) presented on the Rise...

In-House Community Magazine: Dec 2022 issue including Legal Innovation & Technology

December 12, 2022
The interactive edition of the Dec 2022 issue of In-House Community (IHC) Magazine is now live (below). In this issue, we dive into legal tech and innovation. We take a look at developments in the region as law firms and in-house teams alike have adopted innovative solutions to challenges both new (pandemic-induced) and old. Travel restrictions may have killed business travel in the preceding years but we here hear about whether it may yet be brought back to life (Maxwell Chambers). Changes such as these are never easy. This month we also learn a thing or two about harnessing an agile and innovative mindset during periods of uncertainty (Peerpoint). We further hear from the Simmons & Simmons Adaptive team on their new alternative legal service offering in HK in a bid to solve their clients’ resourcing challenges. Lastly, we take a moment to reflect on the Hong Kong In-House Community Congress held on 15 November 2022 where we were once again able to meet in person for a fruitful day of discussion and learning. Our regular column updates for the issue include: SPECIAL FEATURES We speak to Francesca Gori of Accenture Legal on cultivating purpose-driven values in-house that transcend the old fashioned 9-5 mindset to create meaningful change for clients and communities. We also cover last month’s top deals, partner level moves, and latest legal industry...

In-House Community Magazine: October 2022 Issue including Dispute Resolution Report

November 3, 2022
The interactive edition of the Sep 2022 issue of In-House Community (IHC) Magazine is now live (below). This issue of In-House Community Magazine, we consider dispute resolution – specifically arbitration. We hear about the new “Shenzhen & Hong Kong” Arbitration Model, established with the mission of building an international arbitration hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in mind (SCIA). We also hear about Hong Kong’s new Outcome Related Fee Structure Arrangement for Arbitration, predicted to be a win for both legal practitioners and clients alike (Hill Dickinson). There are many touted benefits of arbitration, not least of which is party autonomy, including a look at the psychological benefits of arbitration and the status of arbitration in Thailand (Kudun & Partners). And we also look deeper into the new ‘Competence-Competence’ doctrine in arbitration law in China (Llinks Law Office). INCLUDING SPECIAL FEATURES We are further taught a lesson on the benefits of board portal communication over traditional email and PDFs (Praxonomy). Ban Jiun Ean talks to us about rejoining Maxwell Chambers, Singapore, after leaving in 2015. Far from spending his days away steeped only in legal work, he ran a theatre and arts centre and wrote a children’s book! This creative mindset illuminates his ideas on ADR. We further get to know Joe Liu formerly of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, now forging a new path as an independent arbitrator. His global career journey gives him much-needed worldly insight into the field of arbitration. As usual, we also cover last month’s top deals, partner level moves, and latest legal industry news. We hope you enjoy the issue....