Co-Chair
David Liu

Co-Chair
Preetha
Sreedharan Pillai

Asia Pacific Regional Forum

The Asia Pacific Forum offers fantastic opportunities to establish contact with legal experts in and outside of the region, practising in many different areas of law, and to keep abreast of legal business developments in the region.

About the Forum

In addition to offering an unrivalled opportunity to establish contact among lawyers within and outside the region, and with acknowledged experts on different areas of law, specialist Forum activities provide an unparalleled opportunity to keep abreast of legal business developments in the region. Members also benefit from excellent working relations with national Bars, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and LAWASIA.

Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences

Publications

Russian customs inspections: recent trends and compliance pitfalls

The-Russian-customs-inspections-recent-trends-and-compliance-pitfalls Abstract: Russia is a Member State of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) which includes the customs union of the Member States. For this reason, many aspects of customs law are delegated by the Member States to the EAEU level, such as the Customs Code of the EAEU, technical and sanitary regulations of the EAEU, etc. The authorities of the Member States are working on harmonisation of customs related matters, at the same time, there are specifics in local customs laws and procedures of the Member States. This is particularly so in respect of customs audits and inspections.

Released on Jan 10, 2024

Australia’s new era of employee ownership

It has been a big year for employee share schemes (ESS) in Australia. While there have been some tax reforms, on 1 October 2022, legislation was passed that brought about a tectonic shift in the regulatory plumbing that underpins the operation of ESS in Australia. Following the passing of these reforms, all companies that operate ESS in Australia – whether listed or unlisted, large or small – need to pause to consider how the new regulatory rules will impact on the operation of their ESS plans.

Released on Jan 10, 2024

Unpacking Vietnamese law on e-transaction 2023: a thorough exploration of key points

The law on e-transactions in Vietnam was recently amended in 2023. In this article we have analysed seven outstanding regulations in the amendment, namely: the scope of applications; data and data message; e-certificates; the use of e-signature and trust services; legal framework for applying e-contracts; synchronising the rights and obligations of the owner of the information system and the use of e-transaction accounts; and regulations on data collection, management and sharing among state agencies.

Released on Dec 12, 2023

Evolution of workplace harassment laws in Pakistan: the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 and the 2022 Amendment

The Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 is a seminal legislation in Pakistan, providing victims of workplace harassment with an opportunity to pursue legal recourse. However, the law is subject to some limitations: primarily a narrow definition of ‘workplace’ and ‘employee’ with a focus only on sexual harassment of women, limiting the effectiveness of the law in addressing all forms of harassment faced by any employee in different types of workplaces. In 2022, an amendment to the Act was introduced, expanding its scope, addressing the limitations of the initial Act and making justice for victims of workplace harassment more accessible. This article explores the original law’s merits and limitations in addition to the changes brought about by the amendment, thus highlighting the importance of strong legal protections against workplace harassment in Pakistan.

Released on Dec 12, 2023

Doing Business in Asia Pacific

September 2020: The Asia Pacific Regional Forum presents a comprehensive, innovative guide to doing business in the Asia Pacific, covering 11 jurisdictions and focusing on the common pitfalls and cultural differences of doing business throughout the region. This guide is an important tool for both investors and the legal profession when approaching certain critical aspects in Asia Pacific jurisdictions.

Access the reports

Subcommittees and other groups

The Asia Pacific Regional Forum also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.

  • Asia Pacific Arbitration Group

  • China Working Group
  • India Working Group
  • One Belt One Road Subcommittee

Film and media

China's economic future

Chief Economist at Deloitte China, Sitao Xu, on how China is transforming into a manufacturing and trading powerhouse to rival the United States.

US-China trade

President Obama's Trade Representative Michael Froman assesses America’s world trade priorities and the growing influence of China.