Demand for legal talent is on the rise in Malaysia this quarter, especially from shared services centres, digital ventures and companies investing in research and development, according to recruitment experts Hays.
The latest Hays Quarterly Report reveals intellectual property lawyers are in particularly high demand but candidates with the right experience remain in short supply in Malaysia.
“Demand for IP lawyers is being driven in both traditional and emerging industries,” says Tom Osborne, Regional Director of Hays in Malaysia.
“For example, in the areas of trademarks and copyright, IP candidates proficient in Mandarin are highly sought after this quarter,” says Tom. “Malaysia is seeing increasing levels of Chinese investment which is generating a growing need for lawyers able to vet and negotiate contracts in two languages, as well as manage Chinese stakeholders.”
“IP talent is also in demand to work in companies with R&D to protect including biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Registering IP, brand protection and the prosecution of IP infringements is crucial to the profitability of these companies,” Tom says.
“In addition, we are seeing an increasing need for lawyers who understand the intricacies of operating on a digital platform and this includes IP, but also personal data protection and commercial issues.
Multinational companies are creating specialised regional roles in Malaysia that includes IP but also employment law.
“However, IP as a specialty is still relatively young in Malaysia creating a shortage of qualified candidates to fill all the roles coming to market particularly roles that require regional expertise,” says Tom.
Meanwhile, many companies in Malaysia’s shared service centre industry are adding a legal function to existing operations to manage mid-level to high-risk issues.
“This is an exciting development for legal talent,” says Tom. “We have seen Malaysia’s IT and accountancy and finance shared services centres go from strength to strength and now legal shared services are poised to follow suit.”
Corporate lawyers with M&A experience can also expect more opportunities to come to market this quarter to help companies manage activities associated with purchasing companies, expanding a business or disposing of a loss-making asset.
We are also seeing a relatively higher number of contract legal roles being created to overcome hiring freezes and budget constraints. Employers are very keen on recruiting returning Malaysians for these roles.
To read the full Hays Quarterly Report, please visit http://www.hays.com.my/report/index.htm
Hays is located in Kuala Lumpur at Suite 4 & 5, Level 23, Menara 3, Petronas, Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.
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About Hays
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2016 the Group employed 9,214 staff operating from 252 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2016:
– the Group reported net fees of £810.3 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £181 million;
– the Group placed around 67,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 220,000 people into temporary assignments;
– 22% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 45% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 33% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;
– the temporary placement business represented 58% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 42% of net fees;
– Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA.