In the last year Asia Law Portal has had the opportunity to highlight the work of lawyers and legal innovators in the Asia-Pacific region. These professionals have provided insight into their often-complex legal specialisms or capabilities in advising lawyers on legal innovation best practices in both interviews and via publishing articles here. Some relayed their hopes for a more innovative profession and the challenges associated with achieving it. Others highlighted their humanitarian, pro-bono or other charitable initiatives. In this edition of 30 people to watch in the business of law in Asia – we provide you with a snapshot of some of the most recent conversations we have had with leading legal services professionals in Asia whose efforts and initiatives are well worth following and taking inspiration from in 2024.
Kia Meng Loh (Singapore) — Kia Meng Loh is Senior Partner & COO of Singapore’s Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he detailed what inspired him to assume these roles, the firm’s current competitive posture and details his law practice – as well as the challenges facing businesses in the Asia-Pacific region in 2023 – and his hopes for the future.
Prachi Shrivastava (India) — Prachi Shrivastava is Founder of Lawfinity Solutions. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Prachi discussed the challenges and opportunities in marketing law practices in India — based on her extensive legal industry experience in business development and marketing.
Donovan Cheah (Malaysia) — Donovan Cheah is co-founder and partner of Malaysian boutique law firm Donovan & Ho. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explained the challenges he faces in building and managing a law firm – while at the same time providing client-centric legal services.
Bithika Anand (India) — Bithika Anand is Founder, Chair and Managing Director of Legal League Consulting. She is a pioneer in applying management concepts to law firms in India. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she explains her central role in the adoption of sophisticated management practices to Indian law firms, the current state of legal marketing and business development for law firms in India, how the prospect of market liberalization became a catalyst for change – and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.
Asma Zehra (Pakistan) — Asma Zehra is a first-generation lawyer in Pakistan, specializing in family law. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she detailed what inspired her to become a lawyer, how her new law firm is a catalyst for the careers of female advocates, and what her hopes are for the future.
Rida Tahir (Pakistan) — Rida Tahir is an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan and one of the youngest lawyers working towards human rights. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she detailed what inspired her to practice law, what human rights initiatives she is currently undertaking, her passion for writing, current challenges to access to legal aid in Pakistan, her career advice to aspiring barristers, and her hopes for the future.
Alfred Ip (Hong Kong) — Alfred Ip is a Partner at Hugill & Ip and he participated in an interview with Asia Law Portal along with Lance Kawaguchi (Chairman of Asian Fund for Cancer Research and CEO of Cure Brain cancer Foundation). AFCR is dedicated to funding cancer research and promoting global collaborations to save the lives of cancer patients, with a focus on cancers prevalent in Asian populations. In 2023, Hugill & Ip and AFCR once again joined hands in the fight against cancer, through the launch of the Double Your Impact campaign.
Stephanie Siu (Hong Kong) — Stephanie Siu is the Director of Strategic Development / Legal Counsel, APAC, for eBrevia. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she explains how eBrevia is harnessing AI to help APAC region lawyers analyze and manage contracts. She also explained her extensive legal services sector experience which guides her insight into how to help her clients – and how eBrevia is committed to becoming an integral component of the legal innovation ecosystem in the APAC region.
Zaid Hamzah (Singapore) — Zaid Hamzah is Project in-house counsel to several deep tech businesses. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explains how AI-savvy lawyers will help businesses transform while strategically managing legal risks. He shares his insights on why lawyers need to collaborate with data scientists and other professionals to drive value in the new hybrid world of human and machine.
Nhi Mai (Vietnam) – Nhi Mai is the Deputy Head of Legal and Compliance at CMC Telecom in Vietnam. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she discussed the unique challenges in-house counsel face in Vietnam today, the use and importance of technology by in-house counsel and her most important criterion when selecting outside counsel.
Sahachai Wibuloutai (Thailand) — General counsel at PwC Thailand and the Mekong Region, Sahachai Wibuloutai has distinguished himself as M&A and legal department transformation specialist. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explains how he get inspiration to establish The THAI Corporate Counsel Association (THAI-CCA) as the first formal corporate counsel association in Thailand. And how legal transformation could change the business and legal community for the better.
Priyanka (India) — Priyanka is the COO at Manupatra.com, a legal-tech firm which specializes in designing and developing technology products to simplify operations for professionals in the legal ecosystem. In an article in Asia Law Portal, she discussed the Evolution of legal tech in India. In particular, she noted that the acceptance of technology as a complement to traditional work is clear, and with legal professionals readily embracing tech solutions, legal tech is becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Richard Luu (Vietnam) — Richard Luu is Managing Partner of Asia Legal – a business law firm in Vietnam. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Richard explains why Vietnam remains a leading investment destinations in Southeast Asia and how he has helped many foreign investors access the market and also resolve complex disputes. He also explained how he is seeking to consolidate the firms position as one of the leading business law firms in a changing legal market.
Isaac Uchiyama (Japan) – In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Isaac Uchiyama, EY Law Japan’s Head of Business Development and Operations, explained how he seamlessly went from being a BD professional to also overseeing operations – and what is unique to the legal business development role in Japan.
Stella Lau (Malaysia) — In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Stella Lau, Practice Manager at MahWengKwai & Associates since 2018, shared her insights on the significance of practice management in a law firm. She explains the role of practice management in enhancing the quality of legal services, promoting operational efficiency, managing risk, reducing costs, and driving profitability. Lau also highlighted the importance of practice management in driving innovation in law firms to ensure they stay ahead of the curve. She discusses the technology required for effective practice management, the role of practice managers in boutique law firms, and the future of practice management in Malaysia.
Hashim Wafa (India) – Hashim Wafa is a highly experienced business lawyer and IP attorney based in Kochi, India. As the Managing Attorney at Wafa and Wafa, he explained in an interview with Asia Law Portal the key management challenges and opportunities he faces as a managing attorney.
Marie Christine Duran-Schulze (Philippines) — Atty. Marie Christine Duran-Schulze has been a practicing corporate attorney for over 14 years in the Philippines. She established Duran & Duran-Schulze Law in March 2013 with her sister, Atty. Mary Wendy Duran. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she explained the key management challenges and opportunities she faces as a managing partner.
Tasnuva Shelley (Bangladesh) — Barrister Tasnuva Shelley is the CEO & Founder of Legalized Education Bangladesh Ltd (a legal Edtech helping improve the standard and quality of legal service) and Head of Chambers, Justicia Legal Minds (a boutique-style local law firm with affiliated lawyers around the globe). In an article in Asia Law Portal, she explains how Legalized learning app is revolutionizing legal education in Bangladesh, addressing the pressing need for comprehensive, accessible, and technology-driven learning solutions for the legal sector.
Anand Raj (Malaysia) — Anand Raj has been a partner with Malaysian law firm Shearn Delamore & Co. since 2003. He was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1996. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Anand details his practice and provides background about the firm. He also provides his insights into how the practice of law has changed in Malaysia over the course of the last several decades.
Tay Zi Li (Malaysia) — Zi Li is the founding partner of Zi Li & Partners. Prior to founding the firm, he was the executive partner of ZICO Law Vietnam and partner of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, Malaysia. He was the youngest-made partner in the entire ZICO Law network at the age of 28. Zi Li has a unique experience – having practiced in Malaysia (common law jurisdiction) for over 10 years and in Vietnam (civil law jurisdiction) for over 5 years. Fluent in both written and spoken Mandarin, Zi Li works closely with Chinese clients in Malaysia and Vietnam. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explains what inspired him to establish his own law firm.
Siti Salwa Mawardee (Malaysia) —Siti Salwa Mawardee is Head of Group Legal at Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM). In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she describes her role and how technology is impacting the general counsel role, as well as how she selects external legal counsel, and her career advice for aspiring in-house counsel.
Gunita Pawha (India) — Gunita Pawha is Joint Managing Partner of India’s S&A Law Offices. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Pawha outlines the firms’ unique services offer and geographic footprint — and the efforts to innovate its practice amid market challenges including the entry of foreign law firms.
Shahwar Nizam (Bangladesh) — Shahwar Nizam is Managing Director of DFDL Bangladesh, where he is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, operations, and development of the firm. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he detailed what foreign investors should be concerned about when operating in the Bangladesh — and his leadership role as Managing Director.
Max Ye (Singapore) — In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Lawgic Founder Max Ye explained the value proposition of his Singapore-based AI-focused legal technology startup, whose primary aim is to streamline and simplify the contract drafting and review process. He also discussed how AI can transform legal practice, and how content marketing plays a role in his client development strategy.
Jonathan Voo (Hong Kong) — Jonathan Voo has devoted his career to working within law firms, most recently as Senior Manager of Innovation (Asia Pacific) at Mayer Brown. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explained what inspired his career focus, his current role in legal innovation – and the challenges and opportunities to innovate within law firms. He also explains the importance of technology to legal innovation – and his hopes for the future.
Muiz Shahab Uddin (Bangladesh) — Muiz Shahab Uddin is Chief Strategic Officer and co-founder of legal tech startup LegalX. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explained how he hopes to make legal services in Bangladesh less expensive and more accessible — while also increasing legal literacy. He also details the LegalX story — and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.
Brian Law (Malaysia) — In 2019 Brian Law founded LAW Partnership and LAWP Consultancy. It focuses primarily on representing multinational companies in Malaysia and greater Southeast Asia. Law also recently establishes NewLaw consultancy Interim Legal Resourcing (ILR). There, legal professionals flexibly engage in supporting businesses and legal departments. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Law explains the history of the firm. And how it is seeking to continue to grow in Southeast Asia.
Sharm Ravindran (Malaysia) — Sharm Ravindran founded and leads Kuala Lumpur-based Ravindran Advocates & Solicitors. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, she details the breadth and depth of her legal career: From earliest inspiration – to law firm founder and leader – to legal services sector diversity and inclusivity advocate.
Veon Szu Khaw (Malaysia) — Veon Szu Khaw founded Veon Szu & Kok Thye in George Town, Malaysia, over 12 years ago. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, he explained what inspires his practice and how he helps clients amid a technology-enabled legal landscape.
Melvina Fam (Malaysia) — Melvina Fam is a Senior Legal Counsel of Sarawak Energy. In an interview with Asia Law Portal, Melvina explains her practice focus, what led her to an in-house career, the challenges and opportunities that she enjoys working with, and how technology impacts her work.
The article was originally published on Asia Law Portal
