Fresh off his reappointment as Norton Rose Fulbright’s managing partner for Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific (EMEAPAC), Peter Scott is preparing to tackle the challenges ahead, with a particular focus on cross-border matters.
Scott, who begins his third consecutive three-year term on 1 April 2026, confirmed that bolstering the firm’s cross-border collaboration will be among his top priorities in the next 12 months, as he anticipates growing client demand in Asia for such services.
“Over the next 12 months, we will further strengthen our cross-border collaboration and execution in high growth Asian markets to meet rising client needs. This work builds on a more streamlined operating model and the strong momentum we’ve established in recent years,” he told Asia Business Law Journal.
His longer-term outlook also centres on cross-border solutions, which he says will need to adapt in response to regulatory changes across Asian markets.
Keeping his eye on the future, Scott expects the energy and infrastructure sectors to remain strong, while identifying potential growth in technology, as well as in antitrust, regulatory advisory and investigations.
“Energy transition and infrastructure financing remain strong, while evolving tech, data and AI regulation will continue to generate both advisory and contentious work,” he said.
“We also expect sustained growth in antitrust/competition, investigations, regulatory advisory and cross-border disputes as enforcement accelerates and as supply chains are potentially reshaped in response to wider market developments.”
Honing in on Hong Kong specifically, he added: “We are seeing an uptick in both listings and debt capital markets activity in Hong Kong.”
Changing regulatory and transactional demands, combined with the rise of renewable energy and digitalisation, were set to drive growth across a range of industries, Scott said. He added that this reflected sweeping shifts taking place throughout key Asian markets.
“We anticipate increased demand from financial institutions, energy and renewables, transport, technology, consumer markets and life sciences and healthcare, where clients face increasingly complex regulatory and transactional needs,” he told ABLJ.
“This growth is driven by the energy transition, digitalisation and data governance requirements, supply chain diversification and heightened regulatory scrutiny across practically all major Asian markets.”
Having previously led Norton Rose Fulbright’s EMEA litigation and disputes team and the firm’s global antitrust and competition practice, Scott acknowledged that tackling fast-evolving antitrust enforcement and cross-border disputes required a proactive approach involving “early risk mapping, co-ordinated multi-jurisdictional strategy and constructive engagement with regulators”.
On the litigation, disputes, antitrust and competition fronts, he predicts major changes on the horizon. He also foresees arbitration activity remaining robust in Asia.
“We expect more assertive digital markets enforcement, broader foreign investment and national security screening, and evolving data localisation and consumer protection frameworks across the region. International arbitration hub activity will remain strong,” he said.
Reflecting on his past two terms as managing partner for EMEAPAC, Scott pointed to regional integration and deeper cross-border collaboration as the dominant themes. On his forthcoming term, he reverted to the topics he previously discussed, saying they would remain front and centre.
“Looking ahead, regulatory enforcement, the energy transition, digital infrastructure investment and cross-border investigations and disputes will remain central,” he concluded.
