Morning Briefing: International firm expands in “strategically important” Asia

A global law firm has expanded its global footprint with a new office in South Korea… Law firm considers giving all partners an equity stake… Aussie law firm boss elected to international business group… International IP capability expands at Clyde & Co…

International firm expands in “strategically important” Asia
White & Case has expanded its global footprint with a new office in South Korea. The firm has had a Korea practice for twenty years but this raises its profile in the country and in the wider region with chairman Hugh Verrier commenting that Asia is “strategically important” for the US headquartered firm. The Seoul office will be headed by James K. Lee who already leads the firm’s Korea practice; he will relocate from Los Angeles. The new office is White & Case’s 7th in Asia and its 39th globally.

Law firm considers giving all partners an equity stake
Following on from comments this week from a partner at the UK’s first publicly-listed law firm that attracting young lawyers to the firm can be easier when they have a stake in it; the Wall Street Journal reports that US firm Baker & Hostetler is considering giving all partners an equity stake. The firm says that it is under consideration but will not be put to a vote for some weeks. If they decide to go ahead it would be following examples set by Akin Gump and DLA Piper. The level of equity would vary of course.

Aussie law firm boss elected to international business group
The chief executive of Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth has been elected to the executive board of the International Chamber of Commerce. John W.H. Denton becomes the only Australian CEO to sit on the board. The ICC works with many international and intergovernmental organisations and has over 6.5 million members. His initial mandate will run until June 2018.

International IP capability expands at Clyde & Co
Clyde & Co has announced that is has opened its trade mark and patent filing capabilities with a new office in Bahrain. The office, which falls under the law firm’s Clyde IP Services division, allows the direct filing of trade mark and patent documents and will also give the firm a new location to oversee its presence in the country.