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Transformations and transitions

Venturing into new territories

Across the spectrum from private practice to in-house, lawyers in Asia are finding themselves willingly and unwillingly breaking away from conventional ways of thinking and doing things. For some, departing from familiar territory means reaching the pinnacle of their career, which also involves starting from scratch.

Our Cover story, Danantara dreaming, talks about how former Assegaf Hamzah & Partners¡¯ managing partner Bono Adji, a legal veteran with more than two decades of experience, is now tasked with kick-starting Indonesia¡¯s new sovereign wealth fund, Danantara. Bono¡¯s appointment as a managing director of legal for the investment arm of Indonesia¡¯s new state-run investment agency has been a pinnacle of his career, but it has also been a major challenge for him and his legal team.

In an in-depth interview, Bono shares insights into his responsibilities and priorities at the helm of legal affairs for Danantara¡¯s investment holding, as well as the goals he has set for his team. He also reflects on his decades-long legal career and the guiding principles that have led him to where he is today.

Our Asia-specific report, titled Data centres: The new boom, looks at how data centres are reshaping the real estate landscape and the pipeline of legal work for lawyers across Asia. From Japan to India, real estate lawyers are responding to a surge in demand for advice on data centre-related transactions from local, regional and global institutional investors. Lawyers accustomed to traditional property investments are now increasingly being called on to help clients navigate complex, evolving regulations governing data centres as a new alternative asset class.

This issue¡¯s Intelligence report, titled Time for a refit, examines how technology and tighter budgets are reshaping the relationship between in-house counsel and external law firms across Asia. Routine tasks are increasingly handled internally, while external advisers are expected to deliver not just legal expertise but strategic foresight, responsiveness and business acumen. As in-house teams adopt AI and legaltech, law firms are valued less for execution and more for risk management and strategic insight. Across Asia, general counsel agree: The future lies in reshaping partnerships to meet new demands.

In a special News feature, we present insights from Lorenza Ferrari Hofer, president of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), on key topics of AI and copyright at this year¡¯s AIPPI World Congress in Yokohama, from 13 to 16 September, marking a return to Japan since its last event in Tokyo in 1992.

We also present our Korea Outbound Investment Guide, featuring expert legal insights to help Korean companies in different industries structure their investments and comply with key rules and regulations in various countries.

Our Regional guides offer an in-depth study of critical developments in areas such as arbitration, patents, TMT and employment, all of which are integral to business strategy across Asia. Experts delve into arbitration regimes in eight jurisdictions, looking at various aspects including the enforcement and recognition of arbitral awards. We also examine key regulatory moves advancing the TMT space in Asia, from AI-generated content protection in Taiwan to the modernisation of data transmission and connectivity policies under the Philippines¡¯ newly enacted Konektadong Pinoy Act.

This issue¡¯s Head to Head series compares legal developments in stablecoins and real estate. Experts review Hong Kong and South Korea¡¯s approaches to the regulatory treatment of stablecoins, focusing on legislative efforts to place the virtual assets under a legal framework. The series also analyses the regulation of real estate activity in Japan and India, including the control of land use and acquisition under Japan¡¯s Important Land Survey Act.

Our Expert briefing series features articles covering: risks and sector-based regulatory hurdles that foreign investors must be aware of when conducting M&A transactions in Indonesia; Taiwan¡¯s wealth and family office laws, with succession planning becoming a pressing priority; and the growth of project finance in Taiwan, propelled by the increase in green energy projects.

In addition, we celebrate the most outstanding legal talent in the Indonesia Law Firm Awards 2025. These awards, based on our rigorous assessments, recognise excellence, innovation and leadership in Indonesia¡¯s legal industry.

Finally, our annual Philippine A-List highlights the top 100 lawyers plus 38 Legal Icons in the Philippines. This list is selected by the independent research team of ABLJ, based on nominations and endorsements from domestic and internal clients, as well as peers worldwide.