BEYOND BOUNDARIES: Asian firms going globalRanajit DamSoutheast Asia EditorAsian Legal Business magazine

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This is the era of cross-border expansion

• Asian law firms today looking outside home jurisdictions

• Some looking regionally. Example: a Japanese firm in Hanoi

• Others are looking further afield. Example: Chinese law firms in London

Global is the goal for some

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Inherent risks

• Maintaining standards might be difficult• Competition for talent sometimes intense• Need familiarity with local culture/business

environment

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Some markets might not be welcoming

• South Korea: Recently opened doors to US and European law firms

• Singapore: Currently taking steps to liberalise legal market slowly

• India: “Always three years away” from liberalisation

The Voltron Strategy• Much-loved

Japanese show from the 1980s

• Individual robot vehicles combined to form “super robot”

• Far greater than the sum of the parts

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A merger between strong domestic firms

• King & Wood-Mallesons the obvious example• Two or more firms• Each strong in its own jurisdiction• Separate organisational structures under

unified management

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Obvious benefits

• Seamless services across jurisdictions• Economies of scale• Easily available overseas expertise• In-depth local knowledge• High quality across the board

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Potential initial obstacles

• Possible cultural differences• Who takes the lead?• Firms may not always see eye-to-eye• Some initial overlap

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To start things off…

• Assess potential partners• Seek initial exploratory talks• Employ skilled negotiators/go-betweens who

know and understand both parties well

Who we are• Asia’s premier legal

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Reuters• Professional news and

analysis• Drawing from Reuters’

resources and best practices

• We know your world11

Thank you!

Contact me:

ranajit.dam@thomsonreuters.com

+65 9159 6441

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