Asia Pacific
Headlines
DLS Law Offices headed by Dipti Lavya Swain merges its practice with HSA Advocates in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bhubaneswar
We are pleased to announce that Dipti Lavya Swain, Founder & Managing Partner of DLS Law Offices is merging his firm with HSA Advocates. DLS Law currently operates from New Delhi and also has a presence in Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar. With over 13 years of work experience, including in top tier firms as a partner, Dipti is a specialist in Private Equity,...
Gaurav Sahay joins HSA Advocates as Partner in the Bangalore office
Gaurav Sahay joins HSA Advocates as a Partner in the firm's Corporate and M&A practice. He will be operating out of the firm’s Bangalore office. Gaurav has over 13 years of experience in advising various domestic and multinational clients on a wide range of legal issues including corporate and commercial laws, antitrust/ competition, intellectual...
Hong Kong Voted as Top International Financial Centre by Global Corporate Services Industry: Vistra 2020 Report
Trend toward onshore and mid-shore jurisdictions continues The latest report on the Corporate Services industry conducted by Vistra, a leading global trust, fund administration and corporate services provider, reveals that the trend toward onshore and mid-shore jurisdiction for doing business is continuing with Hong Kong topping the list, being...
Is China about to change the shape of global trade… again?
For much of 2018, China’s tariff wars with the US dominated media headlines. In 2019 so far, investors are also witnessing increasing signs of a Chinese slowdown, and with it a new approach to economic stimulus by Chinese policymakers. What does this mean for global trade and investment? A potted history: China’s role in the world economy After...
Cabe Malaysia Conference addresses shared global challenges
A number of issues facing the construction industry – the impact of the Hackitt report and future directives of UK legislation; the true value of sustainable buildings and standardisation of contracts – have been debated at a conference in Malaysia, illustrating the fact that many issues are not restricted by geography, but indeed are shared...
Finance
Myanmar’s countryside is emptying and its cities bursting
WHEN SHE moved from her village to Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, Ma Thet Thet Nwe was afraid. Her husband had just died and she needed to provide for five children. She found work at a garment factory in Hlaingthaya, an industrial zone, and saved enough money to buy a one-room, bamboo house in a nearby shantytown. Now she is pleased with her lot....
The Taliban negotiates with Afghan officials for the first time
IT WAS A breakthrough, albeit only by the forlorn standards of the 40-year conflict in Afghanistan. After two days of talks with Afghan officials at a posh hotel in Qatar, envoys of the Taliban promised that their insurgents would not attack schools, hospitals or bazaars. The Afghan government, too, said it would try to stop killing civilians. But more...
India is declaring millions of its citizens to be foreigners
IT IS HOTTER than Prague. It does not have the Czech capital’s cobbled squares or narrow streets but instead tin-roofed houses and paddies hemmed with palms and mango trees. Yet Franz Kafka would have felt quite at home in Assam. Since 2016 this hilly tea-growing state in India’s north-eastern corner has been compiling a National Register of Citizens...
In Japan, fewer people means more animals
FOR A LONG time hikers in Japan have considered a bear bell essential. Its tinny ring is said to scare off the huge creatures. Nowadays, however, bear bells are increasingly useful on the way to the shops as well as in the wild. “The number of animals—whether bears, boars or monkeys—is expanding, and they are going into villages and towns,”...
Who would dare to speak for Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump?
DONALD TRUMP claims that his weekend meeting with Kim Jong Un at the Korean border village of Panmunjom came about thanks to an impromptu invitation issued less than a day before on Twitter (the North Korean dictator “follows” him there, of course). In fact, preparations must have been under way for longer. Yet like everything else about the hour-long...
Legal
After Fintech, Singapore eyes Legaltech status
Singapore, a haven for disruptive fintech firms, is aiming to shake up Asia's legal sector next The Lion City will host Southeast Asia's first legaltech accelerator from April. The city-state's initiative aims to groom legaltech startups as well as incubate new business models or services conceived by law firms. Singapore's law academy has launched...
China updates New Industry Catalogue
PRC reduces regulatory procedures for foreign investments following its 2016 reforms. China creates a nationally applicable “negative list” for foreign investment, which opens up more industries for multi-national companies.Foreign Investments Filing Administrative Rules will be updated and published soon by the Ministry of Commerce to clarify...
Proposals to make free movement of data a principle of EU law expected this autumn
Ansip said proposed new EU legislation to tackle unnecessary restrictions on where data can be stored are likely to be published this autumn.The proposals will also look to make it easier for businesses to move their data between rival cloud providers and ensure that public sector bodies can access data held by authorities in another EU country to help...
New advertising standards in the UK to take tougher stance on gender stereotypes
The new standards will be drawn up by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), according to a new report on gender stereotypes in advertising (64-page / 5.4MB PDF) published by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the watchdog that oversees compliance with UK advertising rules.The CAP will also look to "clarify standards that reflect the ASA‘s...
UK government urged to avoid data transfers 'cliff edge' at point of Brexit
In a new report, a House of Lords committee warned that trade and security could be impacted if the flow of data is disrupted at the point of Brexit.To enable data to flow between the UK and EU post-Brexit, the EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee urged the UK government to seek a so-called 'adequacy' decision from the European Commission, which would recognise...
Deals
HSA Advocates advised a consortium of four ports in relation to strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India by Government of India
HSA Advocates represented a consortium of four ports Vishakapatnam Port Trust, Paradeep Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Deendayal Port Trust in relation to strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India concluded by Government of India (GoI). The four ports have acquired 100% of GoI's shares in Dredging Corporation of India (i.e. 73.47%...
Duff & Phelps enhances restructuring and dispute offering with acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia
Expands Footprint in Greater China Region Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients, today announced the acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia, a leading independent provider of restructuring, insolvency, litigation support and forensic accounting services. The combination of Duff & Phelps and Zolfo...
Investcorp launches in India with acquisition of IDFC Alternative’s Private Equity and Realty Businesses
Entry in to India expands footprint of direct investments into Asia Investcorp a leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products, today announced the launch of its operations in India with the imminent completion of its first deal, the acquisition of the Private Equity and Real Estate investment management businesses of IDFC...
China, Japan overseas M&A push to extend in 2019
China’s economic growth slowdown to drive dealmaking abroadJapanese companies may continue to seek large foreign dealsCompanies in China and Japan will continue their pursuit of overseas acquisitions this year amid the economic growth slowdown and geopolitical uncertainty, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Ready availability of capital will...
Japanese groups invest £4.2bn in the UK and Ireland between 2013 and 2017, reveals new M&A report by Livingstone
Transaction values in UK and Ireland reached £978m from Japanese group acquisitions in 2017230 middle market companies acquired across the globe by Japanese groups – up 13% from 2016 Global increase in total transaction values globally to £15.9bn in 2017 –up 15% Europe continued to experience high buyer interest from Japan in 2017, with average...
Acq Lite
Watch: K-pop group Pentagon teases 'Forbidden' video
July 15 (UPI) -- K-pop group Pentagon is giving fans a glimpse of its new music video. The South Korean boy band released a preview Monday of its video for the single "Forbidden," aka"Humph!" The teaser shows the members of Pentagon sporting school and baseball uniforms as they perform choreographed dance routines. The video was produced by rapper...
Austin Butler cast as Elvis Presley in new biopic
July 15 (UPI) -- Austin Butler has been selected to portray Elvis Presley in a biopic from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. Harry Styles, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Aaron Taylor-Johnson had also auditioned for the role. The untitled biopic will chronicle Presley's rise to stardom and his relationship with his manager, Col. Tom Parker, who will be portrayed...
Emma Stone may star in Damien Chazelle's film 'Babylon'
July 15 (UPI) -- Emma Stone may star in director Damien Chazelle's next feature film. Deadline reported Monday the 30-year-old actress is in early talks to star in Chazelle's movie Babylon. Stone previously worked with Chazelle on his 2016 film La La Land and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the musical. The Hollywood Reporter...
Post Malone announces North American fall tour
July 15 (UPI) -- Post Malone announced a new North American tour featuring special guests Swae Lee and Tyla Yaweh. The Runaway Tour will kick off on Sept. 14 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash., before wrapping up on Nov. 20 at The Forum in Los Angeles. Malone will also be performing in Portland, Las Vegas, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, New York, Atlanta,...
Look: Norman Reedus posts photo of daughter on Diane Kruger's birthday
July 15 (UPI) -- Norman Reedus is giving fans a rare glimpse of his daughter on Diane Kruger's birthday. The 50-year-old actor shared a picture of his baby girl with Kruger on the actress' 43rd birthday Monday. Reedus posted a slideshow on Instagram featuring photos of Kruger and their family. One of the pictures shows Kruger reacting as her daughter...