Latest Insights

Over the past year we have spoken to, and successfully helped, a growing number of Hong Kong-qualified lawyers who are based in London and thinking about coming home. Some are a few years post-qualification, others are more senior, and most share the same question: how will Hong Kong firms view a lawyer who has spent time away?

The short answer is that, for the right candidates, firms view returners very positively.

A quiet but significant shift is underway in how law firms across Asia think about their people. For years, "talent management" in the region largely meant recruitment — sourcing associates, negotiating offers, and filling headcount. Increasingly, firms are recognising that getting lawyers through the door is only half the job. Keeping them, developing them, and helping them build careers they actually want to stay for is just as important. That shift is driving the rise of a role that, until recently, was rare in Asia's legal market: the dedicated Attorney Talent Development Manager.

July has seen continued partner hiring activity across Hong Kong and Singapore, with firms making targeted investments in key practice areas. In Hong Kong, disputes remains one of the busiest areas, with White & Case, Sidley Austin and Dentons all investing in contentious and regulatory capabilities. We have also seen continued demand for capital markets talent, with Sullivan & Cromwell and Watson Farley & Williams making strategic hires. In Singapore, arbitration and disputes continue to drive hiring activity, with firms such as Fangda Partners, Peter & Kim and Rajah & Tann strengthening their offerings.

July saw a number of notable hires across Asia. Broadfield continued its growth in Hong Kong with hires across litigation and restructuring. PRC firm 嘉源律师事务所 Jia Yuan Law Offices hired Howard Chan in disputes who became their third partner hire in less than a year. In Singapore Bird & Bird has strengthened their capabilities in Southeast Asia's restructuring market with a team from BlackOak, where Singapore has emerged as a key regional hub for cross-border insolvency matters.

The PRC law firms in Hong Kong continue to recruit capital markets partners from the US and UK law firms. Notable moves include Jennifer Ng joining 嘉源律师事务所 Jia Yuan Law Offices, Can Yin joining Han Kun Law Offices in Beijing and Hong Kong and Sherry Chi making the move from Linklaters to Haiwen & Partners. A&O Shearman is taking Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer head of financial services regulatory practice Hannah Cassidy who is leaving after almost 19 years at HSFK, becoming the first Asia partner to leave the firm since its merger went live earlier this month. In Singapore there continues to be movement across Dispute Resolution teams. US law firm Morrison Foerster has continued its Asia expansion with the addition of private funds specialist Xuanyi Liu who joins as a partner from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.

Over the years we have spoken to many lawyers of varying seniority who have been keen to find out the right time and optimal conditions to move in-house. There is no textbook answer for this. Ultimately it’s a personal decision. We have seen lawyers at opposite ends of the scale from the very junior, say 2 years’ PQE, to senior lawyers including Partners of law firms make the transition. It is important to think about what you value most from your career and what your long-term objectives are before making the transition and choosing which role to take.

The start of 2025 saw a number of partners across Asia take up new roles. Han Kun Law Offices continues to grow their Hong Kong office and we have seen US firm Morrison Foerster hire PE/Corporate partners in both Hong Kong and Singapore.

Many lawyers in private practice eventually reach a point where they reconsider the pursuit of partnership, finding the prospect of years as a fee earner less appealing. While the most common alternative is to seek an in-house legal position, this option may not suit everyone. Fortunately, there are various opportunities within law firms that can provide fresh perspectives, potential for growth, and a break from the conventional demands of time recording and billing.

As 2024 draws to a close partner hiring continued across Hong Kong and Singapore.

In Hong Kong the local firms are continuing to hire partners from the international and US firms.

In the complex and ever-evolving world of law, legal mentorship can be incredibly valuable for lawyers at any level, but especially for law students and junior lawyers embarking on their legal careers. As the legal landscape becomes increasingly intricate, the value of experienced legal practitioners as mentors has never been more apparent. There’s always more to learn and someone with more experience or a different perspective can help.

Partner hiring continued throughout October as we enter the final quarter of the year. Whilst overall 2024 has not rebounded in the way many may have hoped, pipelines appear to be improving and it is positive that firms are continuing to invest in key strategic hires across the region.

After the summer break we have seen a number of firms continue their growth at partner level.

Explore the path to working as a lawyer in Hong Kong. Insights into the legal system, common law, tax and benefits and the international legal sector to thrive in a law firm.

After two years of training, the current cohort of trainees are ready to embark on their careers as newly qualified lawyers. It's that pivotal time of year when aspiring lawyers learn whether they'll be retained by their firms and what the future may hold. The anticipation can be stressful, the competition fierce, and the current legal market? Well, let's just say it's presenting its own unique set of challenges.

Singapore dominated the Partner hiring in the region in August with hires across Disputes, Energy and Corporate from both UK, US and notably PRC firms. 

Despite it being the middle of summer there were still a number of significant partner moves across the region. In Hong Kong these were across a variety of practice areas including Funds, Regulatory and Capital Markets.

For many growing companies, there comes a point when the legal needs and associated costs reach a tipping point where it makes more financial sense to bring legal expertise in-house. However, hiring an in-house lawyer isn't just about cost savings.

May has seen the most anticipated merger in legal history with the newly formed A&O Shearman launching on 1st May.

The run up to the Easter break has been a challenging time for many transactional associates with several international firms making layoffs across a variety of practice areas.

We are starting to see an increase in activity across the legal market in both Hong Kong & Singapore as firms are making strategic investments at partner level across a range of practice areas.

Over the last couple of years, as a result of the pandemic, the global economic situation and as a result of personal choice, an increasing number of candidates have found themselves with career gaps in their CV. Taking ownership of your career trajectory involves connecting the dots for the hiring manager.

Legal work has for years been seen as a ripe target for AI disruption but so far technology has served more as an aide to lawyers rather than a replacement. However, it is clear that the growing development of AI will necessitate change in the legal sector in some form.

Whilst the legal market has been a challenging one for many over the last year that has not stopped a number of UK, International and US firms continuing to invest in the Asian market with a series of partner hires across the region.

One consequence of the pandemic has been a heightened sense of the awareness of the importance of social impacts around the world. It is clear that the way we do business is changing and it is going to continue to change significantly in the months and years ahead.