Morning Briefing: South Korea considering options for foreign law firms

South Korea considering options for foreign law firms
Foreign law firms may soon be able to go into joint ventures with law firms in South Korea and to hire South Korean lawyers. The authorities in Seoul are slowly implementing changes to the country’s legal system to create a more liberal approach. Fee-sharing has been allowed since 2013 but foreign firms are only allowed to operate as foreign legal consultants currently. The further change would allow partnerships between foreign and domestic firms.
 
Singapore Law Society president defends high supply of new lawyers
There has been concern raised recently about a glut of new lawyers in Singapore with many questioning where the graduates are going to find work. However the president of the city-state’s Law Society doesn’t see a problem saying it is good news for law firms. Thio Shen Yi wrote in the society’s publication that a decade ago there were not enough lawyers to meet demand whereas now it’s an employer’s market. While this is not good news for graduates Yi believes that the oversupply may not always be the case with 500 new lawyers finding employment each year. He said that lower starting wages may be a way to increase demand among law firms.
 
Law firm launches beer practice
A law firm in Ohio, US has launched a practice focused on the growing craft beer sector. Freund, Freeze & Arnold’s new Ohio Beer Counsel is targeting the many brewers and distillers that are starting up in their area. The lawyers in the practice are all craft beer enthusiasts and say that as well as the usual issues surrounding small businesses the craft brewery sector has many compliance issues that benefit from legal advice.
 
Blurred Lines lawyers demand retrial
The recent lawsuit filed by the estate of soul legend Marvin Gaye over a hit that was found to be similar to one of the late singer’s songs is being challenged. Lawyers for Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams whose international hit song ‘Blurred Lines’ was deemed to have been taken from Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up”, have demanded a retrial claiming mistakes in the original. According to a report in industry magazine Billboard the Gaye family could force the issue into negotiations over long-term royalties for the song and they are also seeking an extension of the lawsuit to include a number of record companies.