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3 Goal IX 1 (1994-1995)

handle is hein.journals/goal3 and id is 1 raw text is: TO PROMOTE FULL AND EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION BY MINORITIES Volume 3, Number 1, Fall 1994 Minority Lawyer uppnrl in Asian Legal Practice As economic activity continues to boom throughout Asia, espe- cially in China, an increasing number of U.S. lawyers and law firms are becoming involved. Foreign companies engaging in trade with China, Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and other emerging Asian markets require legal assis- tance in business partnerships and joint ventures, deal documenta- tion and negotiation, and govern- ment regulatory compliance. New and established Asian companies and ventures require legal consul- Letter from the Chair Getting Diversity into the Boardrxr FDIC Participates in ABA Minority Cunsel Demonstration Program Tribal Efforts to Fight Alcohol Abus Taking the Initiative on Gun Contro Commission News FYI Commission Directory tation and representation in the United States and, increasingly, in other Asian nations. As a result, a record number of U.S.-based firms are opening offices and applying for licenses to practice in various Asian countries. Lawyers in these firms are stretching their activities beyond the traditional role as mere advisors to U.S. corpora- tions, and now take on more direct legal activity in the coun- tries where they work. Not sur- prisingly, the rapid increase of U.S. lawyers in Asia and their expanded range of legal activities offer excellent profes- 2 sional opportuni- s 3 ties, especially for Asian-American .5 attorneys. Indeed, the Asian practice area may afford I1 8 oile of the best 9 avenues for Asian- 10 American partici- 11 pation at senior partnership and iies managing partnership levels. The breaJ and butter of any law firm's Asian piactice is pro- viding on-site legal expertise and advice for foreign corporations participating in Asian trade and investment. As importantly, many firms strive to provide full legal services for Asian clients operat- ing in the United States. Traditionally, U.S. attorneys practicing in Asia were limited to advisory or hand-holding roles for U.S. companies venturing into emerging Asian countries because of the vast differences between Asian and U.S. legal systems and the cultural makeup of the U.S. bar. This advisory capacity remains a central and crucial role for the U.S. attorney practicing in Asian countries, but that role has expanded aF more experienced and culturally familiar attorneys arrive in the practice area, and as more and more foreign corpora- tions become involved in Pacific Rim trade. Successful law firms in the Asian practice area must now provide clients with translation services, details of the latest laws and practices, background infor- mation on potential joint venture and investment partners, deal negotiation and documentation, and expert guidance through each country's unique thicket of gov- ernment regulations and approval requirements. To provide these kinds of complex services to clients, a law firm must employ lawyers who can rapidly assimi- late the legal and cultural differ- ences of Asian countries and it must develop methods for gener- ating and maintaining solid per- sonal relationships with domestic law firms, and other domestic professionals and officials. It is easy to see why a U.S. attorney possessing a cultural and linguistic affinity with a particular Asian nation can develop such a positive career path in the Asian practice arena. An American attorney of Vietnamese descent could be a crucial point-woman in a firm's attempt to establish a new Hanoi office. She can make sure that nothing is lost in the transla- tion of business negotiations or government stipulations. She can also build special relationships with Vietnamese clients and gov- ernment officials. A Japanese- American practicing for a U.S. firm in Tokyo could explain to a U.S. chief executive some of the historical cultural background that leads to an initial desire of a Japanese corporation to employ nonlegal dispute resolution tech- niques for solving business proh- lems. In the end, a sharp attorney (Continiled on page 8) AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION COMMISSION ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITIES IN THE I'ROFESSION IX'Ira [llm

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