HSF expanding alternative legal services to South Africa
The Alternative Legal Services business of global law firm
Herbert Smith Freehills, which has four Australian offices, is expanding to South Africa.
The unit will be based in the firm’s existing Johannesburg office and will complement the existing 24/7 service the firm provides clients from offices in Belfast, London, Shanghai, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
The initial team will comprise 5 lawyers and 20 legal analysts, who will be the first cohort to participate in the firm’s new International Legal Learnership Programme which will launch with the new ALT office, probably later this year.
Linklaters to launch separate Chinese venture
Linklaters is intending to enter the RPC legal market with the creation of a new venture in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone.
Talks are underway which would see several partners and lawyers from the international firm’s China offices joining the new venture through a Best Friends arrangement with existing RPC firm Zhao Sheng.
Linklaters China COO Chris Holt told the Law Society Gazette that the intention is to launch the new venture within a few months. He added that the decision was driven by market conditions which increase the likelihood of growth in outbound and domestic transactions.
24 promoted in latest Clifford Chance round
Clifford Chance has announced that 24 lawyers will be promoted to its partnership, effective 1st May 2017.
In Asia Pacific, they are: Sam Luttrell (litigation & disputes) in Perth; David Tsai (capital markets) and Terry Yang (finance) in Hong Kong; Natsuko Sugihara (corporate) in Tokyo; and Lena Ng (finance) in Singapore.
April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day
April 26th is a special day for anyone involved in intellectual property; it’s World Intellectual Property Day, established in 2000 by the United Nations’ World IP Organization.
The annual event celebrates those that create and the role of copyright, patents, trademarks and designs but it also aims to grow public awareness of the legal issues around IP rights.
Among the events taking place around the world are three in Australia. The International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property is hosting a live videoconference from the Sydney Study Questions Forum, which will be linked with Melbourne.
MacDonnels Law Firm in Queensland is running a Facebook competition for a chance to win a free advice sessions from IP experts and with Trademarks Attorney Donna Patane.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys (NZIPA), the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) will be hosting a free public lecture on May 4 featuring an award-winning plastic surgeon and scientist Dr Swee Tan, highlighting how his innovations have changed lives.
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