Hogan Lovells hires another partner for its corporate team
Mark Cooper has become the ninth partner to be hired by Hogan Lovells in Asia this year and the fourth addition to the corporate practice. He will join the firm in February and will be based in Singapore, where he has been working for
Linklaters. Cooper focuses on M&A and private equity transactions across South East Asia in a range of sectors including healthcare, consumer, financial institutions and energy and natural resources.
Stephenson Harwood back in Guangzhou thanks to former partner
A new alliance with an old partner has brought Stephenson Harwood back to Guangzhou in Greater China. The firm decided to close its office in the city earlier this year due to changing business conditions but has now formed an alliance with Xianming Lu, a former partner in that office. Lu founded a new local firm Wei Tu and will work with Stephenson Harwood, although the two firms will operate separately in line with Chinese law.
Uber under fire as lawsuits and bans gather pace
The ‘ride share’ app Uber may be spreading around the globe at some pace, but it’s making as many enemies as it is friends. Queensland is among the many administrations that are pushing back against the firm but with a new round of funding in the bank Uber is planning expansion throughout Asia-Pac. This week it has been the subject of more high-profile legal action having been banned in New Delhi following an alleged rape by a driver while San Francisco and Los Angeles are accusing the firm of failing to give accurate information about aspects of its operations. Uber currently operates in 52 countries and has been involved in lawsuits and regulatory battles in many of them.
Austerity downgrades the bubbly for barristers
A wine review in a UK magazine for barristers reflects the changing budgets in the legal profession. The reviewers, law professor Dominic Regan and employment barrister Sean Jones QC, have opted for budget choices for their champagne recommendations. No mention of the world famous brands such as Moet & Chandon or Krug from Harrods or Selfridges; instead the review suggests that lawyers should buy their bubbly from Aldi for the austerity-friendly price of AU$24.
