Asia Business Law Journal

18/12/2025

Jones Day lifts Asia trio to partnership https://law.asia/jones-day-elevates-trio-partner-asia-pacific-promotions/

Jones Day, which operates in Greater China, Japan, Singapore and Australia, has elevated three of counsel across its Taipei, Singapore and Melbourne offices to partnership as part of a firm-wide promotion of 33 lawyers globally.

Taipei-based Barry Lai, Singapore-based Zack Oswald and Melbourne-based Lauren Moses are set to be admitted to Jones Day’s partnership on 1 January next year, spanning several practice areas from global disputes to private equity and tax.

18/12/2025

Japan continues to rank as the most favoured and active market for hotel investment and M&A in the Asia-Pacific region, with the buoyant market enjoying just shy of a record JPY1 trillion (USD6.4 billion) in transactions in 2024.

While not expected to surpass this turnover in 2025, transaction volumes are expected to remain steady in a robust market.

Christopher Marc Hodgens, Hayato Kimura and Akiko Hosokawa of Atsumi & Sakai explore Japan’s robust hotel investment and M&A market, structures, drivers, and recent transactional trends.

Japan continues to rank as the most favoured and active market for hotel investment and M&A in the Asia-Pacific region,

17/12/2025

Malaysia’s ASL launches dedicated practice, adds new head https://law.asia/malaysia-asl-launches-employment-practice-rohan-arasoo-jeyabalah/

Kuala Lumpur-based Adnan Sundra & Low (ASL) has established a dedicated employment advisory and litigation practice as part of the firm’s broader litigation strategy, and has hired Rohan Arasoo Jeyabalah as an equity partner to lead the new team.

“With the recent amendments to the Employment Act 1955, expanding employer obligations and enforcement exposure, we see an opportunity to support clients who now face more complex workforce‑management risks,” said Putri Norlisa Najib of ASL.

She added that Jeyabalah’s experience across advisory and contentious employment matters positioned the firm to meet these needs effectively.

Jeyabalah has joined ASL from Harold & Lam Partnership where he was a partner for a decade.

He has appeared as counsel at all tiers of the Malaysian judicial system including the Industrial Court and in arbitrations, and has also acted as counsel in adjudication disputes under the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012.

17/12/2025

Cambridge-based TeraView Holdings has become the first UK company to list on the Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations market (KOSDAQ), completing an IPO valued at KRW40 billion (USD27 million), a transaction that entailed cross-border legal complexities.

“The most challenging issue was determining whether UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax would be imposed under UK tax laws, in connection with TeraView’s public offering in Korea, which involved depositing existing and newly issued shares with the Korea Securities Depository and issuing Korean Depositary Receipts [KDRs] in Korea,” said Sung Woon Kang of Yoon & Yang who led the transaction.

The cross-border legal due diligence processes, including reviews on whether the company validly holds all licences and permits that are required, were handled by Kim & Chang and Taylor Wessing.

While Kim & Chang's Hye Sung Kim, Hyungjune An, Jae-In Bae, Jeong Hyun Park and Jackie Yang handled the Korean side, Taylor Wessing’s Liz Wilson handled the British side, with additional input from Ben Eaves.

Cambridge-based TeraView Holdings has become the first UK company to list on the Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations...

17/12/2025

Baker bolsters APAC projects offering with new co-head hire https://law.asia/baker-mckenzie-apac-projects-matthias-schemuth-hire/

Baker McKenzie has strengthened its finance and projects bench in the Asia-Pacific with the addition of project finance specialist Matthias Schemuth as a (partner-equivalent) principal and Asia-Pacific co-head of projects for its Singapore office.

“[Schemuth’s] hire will help us further cement our position as a trusted adviser that is able to assist our clients with their project financing, project development and energy transition needs across the APAC region and beyond, working closely with our local offices,” said Emmanuel Hadjidakis of Baker Mckenzie.

Schemuth has joined Baker from DLA Piper where he was a partner. He also practised as a partner at Ashurst, and White & Case.

16/12/2025

King & Wood Mallesons will separate its China and Australia businesses in 2026, ending the combination formed by the 2012 merger of Chinese firm King & Wood and Australian peer Mallesons Stephen Jaques.

Renae Lattey, the chief executive partner in Australia for KWM, told Asia Business Law Journal that this was an exciting strategic repositioning of the firm’s business.

In the press release, KWM global chairman Wang Junfeng said, “This development reflects the different strategic horizons of our firms, and that King & Wood’s Hong Kong office, the largest law firm in Hong Kong by number of lawyers, will continue to take on a strategic role in this effort.”

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) will separate its China and Australia businesses in 2026, ending the combination formed by the 2012...

16/12/2025

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) conducted a public consultation in November on implementing the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (BTAP), which protects the rights of artists and entertainers.

Ernest Luigi Manzanares of Federis & Associates examines the delayed implementation of the Beijing Treaty in the Philippines and its impact on performers’ rights and remuneration.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) conducted a public consultation in November on implementing the Beijing...

15/12/2025

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Nishimura & Asahi, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Davis Polk & Wardwell are advising on Tokyo-based SBI Shinsei Bank’s JPY370.2 billion (USD2.4 billion) initial public offering on the Tokyo Stock Exchange scheduled for 17 December – an international share sale marked as one of the largest listings in Japan this year.

Anderson Mori is counselling SBI Shinsei Bank and SBI Holdings (the selling shareholder) on Japan law, with Moegi Shirakawa and Noritaka Niwano leading the legal team.

Simpson Thacher is advising SBI Shinsei Bank on New York state and US federal securities law.

Nishimura & Asahi is advising the international managers on Japanese law for the international offering, led by Kohei Koikawa and Kentaro Sugimoto.

The international managers are Nomura International, SBI International, Goldman Sachs International, Merrill Lynch International, Mizuho International, SMBC Bank International, Morgan Stanley & Co International and the UBS London branch.

Meanwhile, Davis Polk is counselling the international managers on New York and US federal securities law, with Tokyo-based Christopher Kodama and Jon Gray leading the firm’s legal team.

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Nishimura & Asahi, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Davis Polk & Wardwell are advising on Tokyo-based SBI Shinsei...

15/12/2025

Walkers, A&O fuel Philippine Airlines’ jet engine financing https://law.asia/philippine-airlines-jet-engine-financing/

Walkers Law Firm and A&O Shearman have acted on Philippine Airlines’ financing to lease a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 jet engine for an undisclosed amount, marking the carrier’s first Export Credit Agency (ECA)-backed transaction in more than 12 years.

Kristen Kwok led the Walkers team, advising on all Cayman Islands law aspects of the transaction.

A Walkers statement said the firm’s team worked closely with lead counsel A&O Shearman on the transaction. Kwok said A&O Shearman acted as lead counsel to the ECA lenders with Brendan McCarthy heading the team.

A&O Shearman did not respond to requests for comment.

15/12/2025

Kuala Lumpur-based Adnan Sundra & Low (ASL) has established a dedicated employment advisory and litigation practice as part of the firm’s broader litigation strategy, and has hired Rohan Arasoo Jeyabalah as an equity partner to lead the new team.

“With the recent amendments to the Employment Act 1955, expanding employer obligations and enforcement exposure, we see an opportunity to support clients who now face more complex workforce‑management risks,” said Putri Norlisa Najib of ASL.

She added that Jeyabalah’s experience across advisory and contentious employment matters positioned the firm to meet these needs effectively.

Jeyabalah has joined ASL from Harold & Lam Partnership where he was a partner for a decade.

He has appeared as counsel at all tiers of the Malaysian judicial system including the Industrial Court and in arbitrations, and has also acted as counsel in adjudication disputes under the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012.

Kuala Lumpur-based Adnan Sundra & Low (ASL) has established a dedicated employment advisory and litigation practice as part...

15/12/2025

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12/12/2025

The General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI) is set to roll out the inaugural edition of its flagship Youth Unchained Through Knowledge and Transformative Internships, a national internship, mentoring and skilling programme, from 5 January 2026 at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

“This is the first time that a corporate internship, in person, of this level and scale, experiential learning, is being launched anywhere, globally,” said GCAI co-founder Akhil Prasad.

The General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI) is set to roll out the inaugural edition of its flagship Youth Unchained Through...