1. BEYOND BOUNDARIES: Asian firms going global Ranajit Dam Southeast Asia Editor Asian Legal Business magazine

2. 2 This is the era of cross-border expansion Asian law firms today looking outside home jurisdictions Some looking regionally. Example: a Japanese firm in Hanoi Others are looking further afield. Example: Chinese law firms in London

3. Global is the goal for some 3

4. 4 Inherent risks Maintaining standards might be difficult Competition for talent sometimes intense Need familiarity with local culture/business environment

5. 5 Some markets might not be welcoming South Korea: Recently opened doors to US and European law firms Singapore: Currently taking steps to liberalise legal market slowly India: “Always three years away” from liberalisation

6. The Voltron Strategy Much-loved Japanese show from the 1980s Individual robot vehicles combined to form “super robot” Far greater than the sum of the parts 6

7. 7 A merger between strong domestic firms King & Wood-Mallesons the obvious example Two or more firms Each strong in its own jurisdiction Separate organisational structures under unified management

8. 8 Obvious benefits Seamless services across jurisdictions Economies of scale Easily available overseas expertise In-depth local knowledge High quality across the board

9. 9 Potential initial obstacles Possible cultural differences Who takes the lead? Firms may not always see eye-to-eye Some initial overlap

10. 10 To start things off… Assess potential partners Seek initial exploratory talks Employ skilled negotiators/go-betweens who know and understand both parties well

11. Who we are Asia’s premier legal solution Now owned by Thomson Reuters Professional news and analysis Drawing from Reuters’ resources and best practices We know your world 11

12. Thank you! Contact me: ranajit.dam@thomsonreuters.com +65 9159 6441 12