Head East: Insights on Legal Practice in Asia

(English) Head East: Insights on Legal Practice in Asia

Candidates frequently ask us how lawyers who have already made the move to Asia have found the experience. How is Asian practice different from legal practice in other jurisdictions? How will the move enhance my career prospects? To answer their questions, we asked 30 lawyers who have returned or relocated to Asia in recent years to tell us about their Asian practice experience. This article begins with a profile of our respondents, sets out their answers to the questions posed, and concludes with the advice they would give to those looking to make the move.

Profile of the Respondents

All of the interviewees are currently working as lawyers in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul or Tokyo. The majority are in private practice at levels ranging from junior associate to Managing Partner. Four of the respondents are working as in-house counsel in financial institutions. Our respondents have an average of 5.5 total years of practice experience, with 3.5 years of practice experience in Asia on average. Twenty of the lawyers interviewed say they are “returning” to Asia, while the remainder considers his or her move a “relocation” from an overseas country of origin. Just over half of the respondents are native speakers of an Asian language and all but four of them speak an Asian language at some level and use it in the workplace.

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