With every passing week the feeling from Asia is that the wheel is spinning faster and faster. Take the hugely significant news that Linklaters’ joint venture partner Allen & Gledhill is in merger talks with Allen & Overy (A&O). The local firm is widely regarded as Singapore’s leading law firm and one of the strongest practices in Asia. With a rapidly liberalising Singapore in recent years establishing itself as a key hub to Southeast Asia and an increasingly potent threat to Hong Kong, it’s obvious that Allen & Gledhill could be an enviable strategic asset to an international firm.
But there is a wider context to the talks than Singapore’s success as a business centre. With Australia’s Blake Dawson recently agreeing a tie-up with Ashurst and King & Wood currently pursuing a union with Mallesons Stephen Jaques, this year has seen a string of leading Asia-Pacific firms attempt major international deals. And the underlying logic in all these deals is the same: a booming Asia will be crucial to leading law firms, but contenders must be ready to position themselves for a region-wide play.
