Australian IPO activity defies market turbulence
Despite the turmoil in the global stock markets, IPO activity in Australia has held steady from a year earlier. A report from Deloitte shows that IO activity on the Australian ASX was, in volume terms, comparable in the first three months of 2016 with the same period of 2015.
The buoyancy in the IPO market is good news for law firms, especially as the ASIC is increasing its scrutiny of public listings, especially when businesses from emerging markets are involved.
The technology and financial services sectors are showing particularly strong interest in IPO’s according to Deloitte’s report.
New partners at global law firms
Two more international law firms have announced their latest rounds of partner promotions.
DLA Piper has added 48 lawyers to its global partnership with 7 in Asia-Pacific.
The new partners in Asia-Pacific are: Kate Papailiou (Finance & Projects) in Brisbane; James Morse (Litigation & Regulatory) in Sydney; May Ng (Litigation and Regulatory), Peng Tao (Tax) and Sheng Wu (Corporate) in Hong Kong; Masahiko Ishida (Corporate) in Tokyo; and Johnny Choi (Employment) in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Eversheds announced 26 promotions across its international offices. Women made up 42 per cent of the round. There were no new partners in Asia-Pacific.
Ince & Co welcomes return of prominent shipping leader
Faz Peermohamed has returned to Ince & Co as partner and global head of shipping. The prominent lawyer was previously with the firm for 22 years and was global head of shipping and admiralty before leaving to become CEO at the Norwegian Hull Club. His experience includes some high-profile cases such as the capsize of the Costa Concordia in Italy; and he was named global maritime lawyer of the year by Lloyds in 2013.
Law firm launches global app for background checks
Law firm Mayer Brown has launched a new app to identify whether background checks are required. Users can find an overview of legal and practical issues surrounding checks across the Americas, Asia and EMEA.
The app, available for iOS and Android devices, includes a traffic light system that enables users to see whether background checks are standard practice, unusual or prohibited in particular jurisdictions.
