{"id":27916,"date":"2025-12-18T16:44:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T16:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpcms.chambers.com\/?post_type=topics&#038;p=27916"},"modified":"2026-02-04T12:22:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:22:16","slug":"asia-pacific-legal-trends-2026","status":"publish","type":"topics","link":"https:\/\/wpcms.chambers.com\/topics\/asia-pacific-legal-trends-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Asia-Pacific legal trends: regulation, reform and private credit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sarah Kogan, Asia-Pacific Research Director at Chambers, discusses the major factors driving change&nbsp;in different&nbsp;jurisdictions&nbsp;across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We recently launched the Asia-Pacific Guide 2026, ranking the best lawyers and leading law firms in Asia and Australasia. As part of our rigorous research process, we registered more than 27,000 interactions with practitioners,&nbsp;clients&nbsp;and partners in 30 territories. Their insights&nbsp;shine a light on&nbsp;the developments affecting&nbsp;legal&nbsp;practice&nbsp;in different&nbsp;jurisdictions.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This year,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;covered more of the market, including 1,053 firms in the ranking guide. We saw particular growth in&nbsp;firms from&nbsp;India,&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;and Australia, reflecting the thriving legal landscape in these countries.&nbsp;We also feature more individual ranked lawyers than ever before: 6,197 in total made it into the tables.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure the best and most&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;reflection of&nbsp;the region\u2019s diverse&nbsp;markets,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;made several adjustments to the ranking tables this year. For example, Japan has a&nbsp;new&nbsp;table for Shipping, while Indonesia now has&nbsp;a&nbsp;table for&nbsp;Start-ups &amp; Emerging Companies.&nbsp;We\u2019ve&nbsp;also introduced new ranking tables for barristers and sets for Australia Media&nbsp;&amp; Defamation, and Asia-Pacific&nbsp;(APAC)&nbsp;Arbitration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/693a9f78f2ad66762c8cffc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View the Asia-Pacific Guide 2026<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This is a vast region spanning the Central Asian republics, the Indian subcontinent, the Pacific&nbsp;islands&nbsp;and everything in between.&nbsp;Each&nbsp;jurisdiction&nbsp;has its own unique environment and&nbsp;set&nbsp;of factors&nbsp;driving change.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, however,&nbsp;we can say&nbsp;that the region has seen robust private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) activity, driven chiefly by Japan and India, with technology and healthcare sectors&nbsp;leading the charge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The introduction of US tariffs has caused some disruption&nbsp;to clients, while regulation and reform are on the increase in several&nbsp;jurisdictions. This includes&nbsp;data privacy crackdowns in India and South Korea&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;corporate governance reforms&nbsp;in Japan.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For the first time this year,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;published a report looking at the major market trends in more detail, alongside exclusive video interviews with in-house counsel. Find all this in the&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/693a9f78f2ad66762c8cffc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>Asia-Pacific Guide 2026.<\/em><\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the launch, I sat down with two senior legal leaders from JERA and Tata Consumer Products for a fascinating chat about the changing role of the GC, regulatory developments,&nbsp;the role of&nbsp;AI and&nbsp;LegalTech,&nbsp;and how&nbsp;clients work with law firms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both of them&nbsp;emphasised the fact that today, the GC is expected to be a strategic advisor to the business, playing a leading role in guiding decisions across areas such regulatory and geopolitical challenges, strategic company&nbsp;growth&nbsp;and litigation risk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also revealed their changing expectations about the&nbsp;law firm&nbsp;relationship and legal work shared with external counsel, as&nbsp;internal resources and levels of&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;evolve.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Watch the video interviews with our in-house counsel contributors:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/2\/3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rishi Gautam, Global General Counsel, Tata Consumer Products<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/2\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kenji&nbsp;Tagaya, Executive Officer, Head of Legal &amp; Secretariat Division, JERA<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This is a major area of development to watch. Several key&nbsp;jurisdictions&nbsp;are ramping up their consumer data protection&nbsp;rules. This is driven not only by&nbsp;the expansion of technology including AI, but also by&nbsp;public backlash over&nbsp;high-profile data breaches. South Korea,&nbsp;Malaysia&nbsp;and India&nbsp;are all seeing this play out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Corporate governance in Singapore\u2019s traditionally light-touch environment has also picked up, following financial scandals. Meanwhile Japan has undergone&nbsp;the later stages of its own corporate governance reforms aimed at increasing transparency and attracting&nbsp;international investors. The surge in capital inflow to the country suggests these&nbsp;measures are having the desired effect.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dive deeper into&nbsp;the APAC region\u2019s&nbsp;Regulatory&nbsp;Environment<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>In-house teams are&nbsp;definitely adopting&nbsp;AI tools for internal work processes, and&nbsp;they\u2019re&nbsp;telling us this helps them save time and money by reducing the need to send more routine work to external counsel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, those clients who adopt AI are keen to know whether their law firm partners are also harnessing the technology to improve efficiency.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there is some evidence of caution in some parts of the market, the general pace of adoption is swift.&nbsp;We expect growing demand for legal guidance to navigate the emerging regulations and&nbsp;potential&nbsp;liability risks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more in this chapter: AI and LegalTech Revolution<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Across APAC, law firm relationships&nbsp;remain&nbsp;central to navigating complex transactions, regulatory&nbsp;shifts&nbsp;and cross-border disputes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our research this year has re-underlined the importance clients place on finding the right external counsel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key&nbsp;considerations&nbsp;that came out are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>High-level&nbsp;strategic&nbsp;advice&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Legal acumen&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Commercial awareness&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Speed of response&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Value for money&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Competition and cost-cutting drives are putting pressure on law firms, but companies continue to value external advisors,&nbsp;particularly on the most complex matters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about client expectations: Partnering with Law Firms<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Find market insights, expert&nbsp;commentary&nbsp;and in-house counsel interviews in our new Asia-Pacific Guide Launch 2026.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Access the Guide<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","categories":[210],"tags":[275,276,273,277,274,222],"publication":[39],"blocks":[{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Sarah Kogan, Asia-Pacific Research Director at Chambers, discusses the major factors driving change&nbsp;in different&nbsp;jurisdictions&nbsp;across the region.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Sarah Kogan, Asia-Pacific Research Director at Chambers, discusses the major factors driving change&nbsp;in different&nbsp;jurisdictions&nbsp;across the region.<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><strong>We recently launched the Asia-Pacific Guide 2026, ranking the best lawyers and leading law firms in Asia and Australasia. As part of our rigorous research process, we registered more than 27,000 interactions with practitioners,&nbsp;clients&nbsp;and partners in 30 territories. Their insights&nbsp;shine a light on&nbsp;the developments affecting&nbsp;legal&nbsp;practice&nbsp;in different&nbsp;jurisdictions.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><strong>We recently launched the Asia-Pacific Guide 2026, ranking the best lawyers and leading law firms in Asia and Australasia. As part of our rigorous research process, we registered more than 27,000 interactions with practitioners,&nbsp;clients&nbsp;and partners in 30 territories. Their insights&nbsp;shine a light on&nbsp;the developments affecting&nbsp;legal&nbsp;practice&nbsp;in different&nbsp;jurisdictions.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-image","attrs":{"image":"%7B%22alt%22:%22Asia-Pacific%20Legal%20Trends%202026%22,%22title%22:%22Asia-Pacific%20Legal%20Trends%202026%22,%22caption%22:%22%22,%22description%22:%22%22,%22id%22:27917,%22link%22:%22https:\/\/wpcms.chambers.com\/?attachment_id=27917%22,%22url%22:%22https:\/\/assets.chambers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16160134\/Asia-Pacific-Legal-Trends-2026.png%22,%22sizes%22:%7B%22thumbnail%22:%7B%22height%22:120,%22width%22:120,%22url%22:%22https:\/\/assets.chambers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16160134\/Asia-Pacific-Legal-Trends-2026-120x120.png%22,%22orientation%22:%22landscape%22%7D,%22medium%22:%7B%22height%22:181,%22width%22:300,%22url%22:%22https:\/\/assets.chambers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16160134\/Asia-Pacific-Legal-Trends-2026-300x181.png%22,%22orientation%22:%22landscape%22%7D,%22large%22:%7B%22height%22:618,%22width%22:1024,%22url%22:%22https:\/\/assets.chambers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16160134\/Asia-Pacific-Legal-Trends-2026-1024x618.png%22,%22orientation%22:%22landscape%22%7D,%22full%22:%7B%22url%22:%22https:\/\/assets.chambers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16160134\/Asia-Pacific-Legal-Trends-2026.png%22,%22height%22:724,%22width%22:1200,%22orientation%22:%22landscape%22%7D%7D%7D","blockId":"ZE0ufW","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-image-ZE0ufW"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"What\u2019s new in this year\u2019s Asia-Pacific Guide 2026?","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"Z1Xrm78","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-Z1Xrm78"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>This year,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;covered more of the market, including 1,053 firms in the ranking guide. We saw particular growth in&nbsp;firms from&nbsp;India,&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;and Australia, reflecting the thriving legal landscape in these countries.&nbsp;We also feature more individual ranked lawyers than ever before: 6,197 in total made it into the tables.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>This year,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;covered more of the market, including 1,053 firms in the ranking guide. We saw particular growth in&nbsp;firms from&nbsp;India,&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;and Australia, reflecting the thriving legal landscape in these countries.&nbsp;We also feature more individual ranked lawyers than ever before: 6,197 in total made it into the tables.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>To ensure the best and most&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;reflection of&nbsp;the region\u2019s diverse&nbsp;markets,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;made several adjustments to the ranking tables this year. For example, Japan has a&nbsp;new&nbsp;table for Shipping, while Indonesia now has&nbsp;a&nbsp;table for&nbsp;Start-ups &amp; Emerging Companies.&nbsp;We\u2019ve&nbsp;also introduced new ranking tables for barristers and sets for Australia Media&nbsp;&amp; Defamation, and Asia-Pacific&nbsp;(APAC)&nbsp;Arbitration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>To ensure the best and most&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;reflection of&nbsp;the region\u2019s diverse&nbsp;markets,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;made several adjustments to the ranking tables this year. For example, Japan has a&nbsp;new&nbsp;table for Shipping, while Indonesia now has&nbsp;a&nbsp;table for&nbsp;Start-ups &amp; Emerging Companies.&nbsp;We\u2019ve&nbsp;also introduced new ranking tables for barristers and sets for Australia Media&nbsp;&amp; Defamation, and Asia-Pacific&nbsp;(APAC)&nbsp;Arbitration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/693a9f78f2ad66762c8cffc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View the Asia-Pacific Guide 2026<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/693a9f78f2ad66762c8cffc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View the Asia-Pacific Guide 2026<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"Which major trends are driving change in Asia-Pacific legal markets?","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"EKjme","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-EKjme"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>This is a vast region spanning the Central Asian republics, the Indian subcontinent, the Pacific&nbsp;islands&nbsp;and everything in between.&nbsp;Each&nbsp;jurisdiction&nbsp;has its own unique environment and&nbsp;set&nbsp;of factors&nbsp;driving change.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>This is a vast region spanning the Central Asian republics, the Indian subcontinent, the Pacific&nbsp;islands&nbsp;and everything in between.&nbsp;Each&nbsp;jurisdiction&nbsp;has its own unique environment and&nbsp;set&nbsp;of factors&nbsp;driving change.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Overall, however,&nbsp;we can say&nbsp;that the region has seen robust private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) activity, driven chiefly by Japan and India, with technology and healthcare sectors&nbsp;leading the charge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Overall, however,&nbsp;we can say&nbsp;that the region has seen robust private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) activity, driven chiefly by Japan and India, with technology and healthcare sectors&nbsp;leading the charge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>The introduction of US tariffs has caused some disruption&nbsp;to clients, while regulation and reform are on the increase in several&nbsp;jurisdictions. This includes&nbsp;data privacy crackdowns in India and South Korea&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;corporate governance reforms&nbsp;in Japan.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>The introduction of US tariffs has caused some disruption&nbsp;to clients, while regulation and reform are on the increase in several&nbsp;jurisdictions. This includes&nbsp;data privacy crackdowns in India and South Korea&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;corporate governance reforms&nbsp;in Japan.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><em>For the first time this year,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;published a report looking at the major market trends in more detail, alongside exclusive video interviews with in-house counsel. Find all this in the&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/693a9f78f2ad66762c8cffc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>Asia-Pacific Guide 2026.<\/em><\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><em>For the first time this year,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;published a report looking at the major market trends in more detail, alongside exclusive video interviews with in-house counsel. Find all this in the&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/693a9f78f2ad66762c8cffc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>Asia-Pacific Guide 2026.<\/em><\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"Who took part in the in-house counsel interviews and what did they tell us?","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"1TRx63","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-1TRx63"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>As part of the launch, I sat down with two senior legal leaders from JERA and Tata Consumer Products for a fascinating chat about the changing role of the GC, regulatory developments,&nbsp;the role of&nbsp;AI and&nbsp;LegalTech,&nbsp;and how&nbsp;clients work with law firms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>As part of the launch, I sat down with two senior legal leaders from JERA and Tata Consumer Products for a fascinating chat about the changing role of the GC, regulatory developments,&nbsp;the role of&nbsp;AI and&nbsp;LegalTech,&nbsp;and how&nbsp;clients work with law firms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Both of them&nbsp;emphasised the fact that today, the GC is expected to be a strategic advisor to the business, playing a leading role in guiding decisions across areas such regulatory and geopolitical challenges, strategic company&nbsp;growth&nbsp;and litigation risk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Both of them&nbsp;emphasised the fact that today, the GC is expected to be a strategic advisor to the business, playing a leading role in guiding decisions across areas such regulatory and geopolitical challenges, strategic company&nbsp;growth&nbsp;and litigation risk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>They also revealed their changing expectations about the&nbsp;law firm&nbsp;relationship and legal work shared with external counsel, as&nbsp;internal resources and levels of&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;evolve.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>They also revealed their changing expectations about the&nbsp;law firm&nbsp;relationship and legal work shared with external counsel, as&nbsp;internal resources and levels of&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;evolve.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><strong>Watch the video interviews with our in-house counsel contributors:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><strong>Watch the video interviews with our in-house counsel contributors:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/2\/3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rishi Gautam, Global General Counsel, Tata Consumer Products<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/2\/3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rishi Gautam, Global General Counsel, Tata Consumer Products<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/2\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kenji&nbsp;Tagaya, Executive Officer, Head of Legal &amp; Secretariat Division, JERA<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/2\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kenji&nbsp;Tagaya, Executive Officer, Head of Legal &amp; Secretariat Division, JERA<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"What role is regulatory reform playing in the region?","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"1oSxli","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-1oSxli"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>This is a major area of development to watch. Several key&nbsp;jurisdictions&nbsp;are ramping up their consumer data protection&nbsp;rules. This is driven not only by&nbsp;the expansion of technology including AI, but also by&nbsp;public backlash over&nbsp;high-profile data breaches. South Korea,&nbsp;Malaysia&nbsp;and India&nbsp;are all seeing this play out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>This is a major area of development to watch. Several key&nbsp;jurisdictions&nbsp;are ramping up their consumer data protection&nbsp;rules. This is driven not only by&nbsp;the expansion of technology including AI, but also by&nbsp;public backlash over&nbsp;high-profile data breaches. South Korea,&nbsp;Malaysia&nbsp;and India&nbsp;are all seeing this play out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Corporate governance in Singapore\u2019s traditionally light-touch environment has also picked up, following financial scandals. Meanwhile Japan has undergone&nbsp;the later stages of its own corporate governance reforms aimed at increasing transparency and attracting&nbsp;international investors. The surge in capital inflow to the country suggests these&nbsp;measures are having the desired effect.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Corporate governance in Singapore\u2019s traditionally light-touch environment has also picked up, following financial scandals. Meanwhile Japan has undergone&nbsp;the later stages of its own corporate governance reforms aimed at increasing transparency and attracting&nbsp;international investors. The surge in capital inflow to the country suggests these&nbsp;measures are having the desired effect.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dive deeper into&nbsp;the APAC region\u2019s&nbsp;Regulatory&nbsp;Environment<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dive deeper into&nbsp;the APAC region\u2019s&nbsp;Regulatory&nbsp;Environment<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"Is the rise of AI creating an impact?","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"2ddEl","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-2ddEl"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>In-house teams are&nbsp;definitely adopting&nbsp;AI tools for internal work processes, and&nbsp;they\u2019re&nbsp;telling us this helps them save time and money by reducing the need to send more routine work to external counsel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>In-house teams are&nbsp;definitely adopting&nbsp;AI tools for internal work processes, and&nbsp;they\u2019re&nbsp;telling us this helps them save time and money by reducing the need to send more routine work to external counsel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Interestingly, those clients who adopt AI are keen to know whether their law firm partners are also harnessing the technology to improve efficiency.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Interestingly, those clients who adopt AI are keen to know whether their law firm partners are also harnessing the technology to improve efficiency.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>While there is some evidence of caution in some parts of the market, the general pace of adoption is swift.&nbsp;We expect growing demand for legal guidance to navigate the emerging regulations and&nbsp;potential&nbsp;liability risks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>While there is some evidence of caution in some parts of the market, the general pace of adoption is swift.&nbsp;We expect growing demand for legal guidance to navigate the emerging regulations and&nbsp;potential&nbsp;liability risks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more in this chapter: AI and LegalTech Revolution<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more in this chapter: AI and LegalTech Revolution<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"What do clients in APAC want from their law firms?","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"kfbyI","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-kfbyI"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Across APAC, law firm relationships&nbsp;remain&nbsp;central to navigating complex transactions, regulatory&nbsp;shifts&nbsp;and cross-border disputes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our research this year has re-underlined the importance clients place on finding the right external counsel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Across APAC, law firm relationships&nbsp;remain&nbsp;central to navigating complex transactions, regulatory&nbsp;shifts&nbsp;and cross-border disputes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our research this year has re-underlined the importance clients place on finding the right external counsel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Key&nbsp;considerations&nbsp;that came out are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Key&nbsp;considerations&nbsp;that came out are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/list","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<ul><li>High-level&nbsp;strategic&nbsp;advice&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n","innerContent":["\n<ul><li>High-level&nbsp;strategic&nbsp;advice&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/list","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<ul><li>Legal acumen&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n","innerContent":["\n<ul><li>Legal acumen&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/list","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<ul><li>Commercial awareness&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n","innerContent":["\n<ul><li>Commercial awareness&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/list","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<ul><li>Speed of response&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n","innerContent":["\n<ul><li>Speed of response&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/list","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<ul><li>Value for money&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n","innerContent":["\n<ul><li>Value for money&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Competition and cost-cutting drives are putting pressure on law firms, but companies continue to value external advisors,&nbsp;particularly on the most complex matters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Competition and cost-cutting drives are putting pressure on law firms, but companies continue to value external advisors,&nbsp;particularly on the most complex matters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about client expectations: Partnering with Law Firms<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about client expectations: Partnering with Law Firms<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"lazyblock\/chambers-header","attrs":{"header":"Explore the top Asia-Pacific legal trends for 2026","headerLevel":"3","blockId":"Z2hjy4w","blockUniqueClass":"lazyblock-chambers-header-Z2hjy4w"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><strong>Find market insights, expert&nbsp;commentary&nbsp;and in-house counsel interviews in our new Asia-Pacific Guide Launch 2026.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><strong>Find market insights, expert&nbsp;commentary&nbsp;and in-house counsel interviews in our new Asia-Pacific Guide Launch 2026.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]},{"blockName":null,"attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n","innerContent":["\n\n"]},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Access the Guide<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.chambers.com\/story\/asia-pacific-guide-2026\/page\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Access the Guide<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"]}],"new_scheduled_revision":null,"save_as_revision":null,"acf":{"custom_url":{"base_url":"guides","category":""},"href_lang":false,"useful_links":false,"social_sharing_post_options":{"alignment":"left","sticky":false},"title":"Sarak Kogan, Asia-Pacific Research 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