Commerce & Industry
The commercial sectors in Asia continue to go from strength to strength. Confidence was affected by the March earthquake in Japan and subsequent flooding in Thailand but most companies throughout the region have experienced significant growth throughout 2010 and into 2011.
The deepening economic gloom in the US and Europe does cast a shadow over the activities of their Asian operations but hasn't impacted significantly as yet on hiring practices. Some US multinationals are entering into a cautious phase but the performance of their Asian operations continues to be strong and there is a good market for lawyers with experience advising in the region.
Corporate and commercial lawyers are in high demand, especially in Singapore where there are less requirements for lawyers with local language skills, and there has been a fair amount of movement throughout 2011 with many able to command salary increases. US technology companies have increased their presence in Singapore, hiring local lawyers to spearhead their Asian legal teams. The energy market continues to grow with high demand for oil & gas throughout the region.