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Asia Practice Market

Taylor Root has been recruiting lawyers into Asia for over 10 years. We established our Hong Kong office in 1998 and are widely regarded as the premier recruitment team in the region. Our experienced consultants visit the major cities in the region on a regular basis and have an unparalleled knowledge of market conditions.

The tough financial climate of the last year has resulted in reduced recruitment activity in the Asia economic region since August 2008, especially in the capital markets and structured finance areas. However, over the last couple of months, feedback from our clients has been that things are starting to pick up and a number of firms are looking to strategically recruit quality candidates in anticipation of the upturn.

Below is a brief synopsis of the recruitment market in each region that we deal with. For further information or an informal discussion, please do not hesitate to contact one of our consultants.

Hong Kong

Most firms were focusing mainly on recruiting into their corporate practices up until August last year, with the majority hiring corporate finance lawyers to work on the numerous IPO deals that were happening in Hong Kong. Additionally, more M&A deals coming through created opportunities for both local and international lawyers. Whilst the financial crisis has meant that demand for corporate lawyers in Hong Kong has fallen, there are still opportunities for those with experience from well regarded international law firms, fluent Mandarin and Hong Kong qualification. There have also been some good opportunities for lawyers specialising in litigation, especially those with strong insolvency or shipping experience, as well as lawyers with experience in non-contentious restructuring and insolvency work. We currently also have roles for top quality real estate, commercial litigation and banking and finance or project finance lawyers.

Beijing/Shanghai

The world is continuing to focus on China and its economic progression. Over the last few years there has been enormous expansion of international firms into the PRC and many firms now have offices in both Beijing and Shanghai. Firms tend to have broad based practices in the PRC and generally look to hire lawyers with Mandarin language skills. We have a number of active roles in Beijing and Shanghai for corporate, real estate, litigation (commercial and also shipping), IP, energy and banking lawyers. This is an excellent jurisdiction for ambitious associates looking to make a name for themselves, as roles generally offer the opportunity to take on high levels of responsibility as well as greater levels of client contact and good career progression prospects.

Singapore

We represent the offshore arms of all the major international UK and US practices based in Singapore. The Singapore firms offer some excellent regional work and no Chinese language skills are needed to work there. Singapore has been hard hit by the financial crisis, but there are still roles available for top quality candidates. Firms are mainly looking for lawyers with experience in banking/finance, corporate, energy/projects, shipping or dispute resolution. There is a tendency for firms that have recently won the right to practise local law in Singapore (Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith, Latham & Watkins, Norton Rose and White & Case) to look for lawyers with Singapore qualification as well as international experience.

Tokyo

Many international firms have increased the number of Bengoshi in their practices over the last few years, which has enabled them to continue growing. This growth has, in turn, created opportunities for the lateral hire of international lawyers. As international firms are able to make use of the Japanese language skills of their Bengoshi, these skills are not essential for all positions in Tokyo, although candidates with business level Japanese are at a distinct advantage. International firms are also keen to see a specific motivation for making the move to Tokyo (having family there, for example). The main areas in which we have seen recruitment over the last year are banking/finance, corporate, energy/projects and litigation.

Bangkok

Bangkok is one of the most fascinating cities in Asia and even in the current financial market, occasional opportunities do come up there for international lawyers. The major international firms tend to focus on corporate, projects and international litigation work, so lawyers with at least 2 years of post-qualification experience in these areas from top-tier firms are of interest. This is an excellent area for outgoing lawyers who want to ensure that they do a broad spread of work and are happy to operate autonomously.

For further information please contact:

Mark Coates
T: +852 2973 6333
E: markcoates@taylorroot.com.hk

Latest Salary Survey

We have collated the latest recruitment trends and salary information within our Private Practice Salary Survey for Hong Kong.  For a free copy of our latest Salary Survey for the Hong Kong market please click on the link below.  

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