Tokyo law firm to acquire Thai practice

One of Japan’s largest law firms, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, is to acquire Thailand’s Chandler & Thong-ek.
The deal will see the Bangkok-based firm become a regional centre for the Japanese firm and will incorporate MHM into its name as early as January 2017 according to a report at Nikkei.com.
MHM already has a Bangkok office with 5 lawyers but this will combine with Chandler’s larger 50-lawyer team.
 
International firm expands Asia Pacific footprint
Osborne Clarke has expanded its capabilities in Asia-Pacific as part of a growth strategy in the region.
The international firm, which already has an office in Hong Kong in association with Koh Vass & Co, has launched a formal association with OC Queen Street in Singapore.
The team will initially focus on digital business and fintech in the South-East Asia region but will also offer cross-border advisory services for key sector clients.
The firm says that its new association with OC Queen Street “forms a key part of Osborne Clarke’s expansion plans in the Asia Pacific region.”
 
New honour for Aussie law academic
Australian law professor Jane Stapleton is to be honoured by the American Bar Association.
She will receive the association’s Robert B. McKay Law Professor Award, which was created to honor lawyers committed to advancing justice, scholarship and the legal profession, as demonstrated by their contributions to the fields of tort and insurance law.
Stapleton’s other significant achievements include her posts as research professor at Australian National University, visiting professor at Oxford University and professor at the University of Texas Law School. She was recently named the first woman Master of Christ’s College Cambridge.
 
Trials may be corrupted by slow-motion video says study
Slow-motion video footage of violent criminal activity is more likely to result in a conviction than normal-speed footage according to a new study.
The US research, published at PNAS.org reveals that juries are more likely to see intent in violent acts when they are slowed down and that they were three times as likely to convict of first-degree murder when they only see slow-motion video.
The study was conducted by the University of Chicago using mock jurors and notes that while the use of slowed-down footage can make action clearer it can also distort perceptions of intent.
Using slow-motion footage in sports was also considered by the study and again, referees were more inclined to see rule breaches than they were when seeing events at normal speed.