Duelling dragons – the Asia disputes outlook

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Hong Kong remains Asia’s disputes capital but Singapore continues to close the gap with sustained investment attracting more litigation and arbitration work

For so long the epicentre of dispute resolution in Asia, events have conspired in recent history to undermine Hong Kong’s status. Two years ago, hundreds of members of the judiciary led a silent march in response to a diktat from Beijing challenging the judicial independence of Hong Kong from the mainland. It was the start of what became known as the ‘umbrella movement’ protests.

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Everything must go – the London arbitration price war

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There is a price war raging in the London arbitration market that has led law firm leaders to question their commitment to the practice. Is the bubble bursting?

Arbitration was a practice area until recently seen by many managing partners as reliably high margin and partner-driven but for how much longer? According to a growing number of industry veterans, a softening arbitration market has resulted in a spate of lowballing, particularly in London. While the average legal cost of arbitration at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) stands at $4.5m, according to a 2014 report by Allen & Overy, some advisers are winning work by promising to run the entire case for less than a tenth of that sum. While such claims are anecdotal, the Lebanese government recently released pitch information that showed 11 international law firms had pitched between $350,000 and $1m to defend it against an ICSID claim. The lowest bidder, Paris-based Bredin Prat, won the instruction.

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Perspectives: Toby Landau QC

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I have been incredibly fortunate in my career. I feel that very strongly.

I come from a long line of doctors. It wasn’t my calling. Around 14, I got interested in law. I’ve always been argumentative and difficult. I grew up in North West London. There’s German on both sides of my family. All refugees. Striving and ambitious.

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Perspectives: Robert Khuzami

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My parents were professional ballroom dancers. My father managed the Arthur Murray studios on 5th Avenue. They met in the office and had a secret relationship. One day they got on the subway down to City Hall and got married on their lunch hour. Have you heard the saying: ‘The cobbler’s son goes shoeless?’ Well, the dancing instructor’s son went without dancing ability!

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Judging the judges – identifying the stand-outs among the judiciary

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The good, the bad and the ugly – we asked litigators to identify the judges that – for better or worse – stand out among the judiciary

The 2016 Legal Business judicial survey was not just focused on the overall strengths and weaknesses of the judiciary, it also asked respondents for their views on individual judges they have appeared before. There were some obvious favourites, and one outright villain (no prizes for guessing), and somewhere in between were several judges who impressed and disappointed in equal measure.

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