Asia international desk

Our reach in Asia

We maintain client and supplier relationships across the region. In addition to our direct relationships, Weightmans is a member of Legalink, an international network of law firms spanning major jurisdictions worldwide. Legalink offers us access to high quality, carefully selected firms across Asia, providing our clients with reliable representation. This combined approach enables trusted expertise, strong local regulatory insight, cross-border coordination and consistent service standards.

Our legal services for clients in Asia

We support clients with both Asia inbound and outbound legal work:

• Inbound work: We advise Asia-based clients and international businesses investing in, operating in, or litigating within the UK. We help our clients navigate UK legal and regulatory requirements. We are able to co-ordinate multi-disciplinary advice across practice areas, and we provide clear advice for clients entering or expanding into the UK market.
• Outbound work: For UK-based clients with interests across Asia, we manage and support outbound matters by working closely with trusted local counsel, supported by our global networks. We provide strategic oversight, manage multi-jurisdictional instructions, and ensure consistency efficiency and commercial focus across jurisdictions.

Our range of legal services include:

Aviation and transport

Our award-winning aviation and transport lawyers offer a one-stop shop for clients based in the UK and Asia and are highly experienced in advising on a very broad range of aviation matters such as:

• Regulatory matters and commercial disputes;
• Product liability claims;
• Subrogation recovery;
• General aviation, airline, airport, engineering and manufacturing issues.

Corporate and commercial

We support our Asian-based clients with the full spectrum of UK corporate and commercial legal needs. Our team advises on:

• UK company formations and structuring;
• Shareholder agreements and governance frameworks;
• Commercial contracts;
• Mergers, acquisitions and disposals, including due diligence, negotiation support and transactional guidance;
• Private equity and venture capital matters;
• Regulatory and compliance requirements, including UK corporate governance, data protection (including GDPR), competition law and sector-specific regulations;
• Commercial risk management.

Dispute resolution, litigation and arbitration

We regularly advise our Asian clients involved in UK-related disputes, and offer strategic, commercially focused dispute resolution with international reach. Our team is experienced in handling:

• Commercial litigation in the UK courts, including contract disputes, shareholder disputes, joint venture breakdowns, professional negligence matters and complex cross-border claims;
• International arbitration and enforcement of arbitral awards in the UK;
• Civil fraud and asset recovery;
• Banking and financial services disputes;
• Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation.

Employment law

Our employment law solicitors make up one of the largest teams of experts in UK employment law. We regularly provide advice to employers and senior executives based outside the UK on:

• UK employment rights for non-UK based employers or employees;
• Cross‑border employment contracts;
• Senior executive advisory;
• Employment disputes, whistleblowing, and regulatory issues.

Insurance and reinsurance

We have a proven track record of advising on complex high value insurance and reinsurance claims and disputes and we are well versed in arbitrations, mediations and court proceedings at all levels. We have been involved with large losses and catastrophes around the world, including Asia.

We regularly support UK and international insurers and reinsurers on Asia‑related matters involving:

• Underlying losses in Asia jurisdictions;
• Reinsurance placements spanning multiple markets;
• Coordination with foreign counsel, brokers, and experts;
• Conflicts of law and jurisdictional challenges.

International family law

Our international family and divorce lawyers specialise in:

• Complex financial settlements involving UK/non-UK households;
• Divorce, separation and asset division with cross‑jurisdictional elements;
• International child arrangements and residency issues;
• Support for high‑net‑worth or reputation‑sensitive matters.

International private wealth

Our leading international private wealth lawyers are highly experienced in advising high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals on issues such as:

• Cross‑border wealth structuring;
• UK tax considerations;
• Wills, trusts, estates, inheritance and succession planning;
• Wealth preservation strategies.

Real estate

Our real estate team has great depth of experience in advising clients from Asia on:

• Real estate transactions for properties based in the UK;
• Complex and commercial issues arising from real estate transactions.

Why choose Weightmans?

Here at Weightmans, as a full-service law firm, we offer a co-ordinated cross border approach, hold strong relationships and have sector led experience.

We hold strong relationships, sector-led experience and global reach, supported by seven international desks. Our international desk is not only a referral network but an integrated service, navigating cross border operations and growth across jurisdictions.