KPMG to bolster legal services offering through deal with Zico Law
KPMG has struck a deal to incorporate one of South East Asia’s biggest law firms, Zico Law, into its global partnership.
The deal will see Zico Law’s more than 275 lawyers join KPMG’s 2,900-strong legal team.
The merger is set to expand KPMG’s footprint in the Asia Pacific region, by extending its legal services offerings throughout the ASEAN countries.
Zico Law currently has 18 offices in all 10 of the ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Zico traces its origins back to Kuala Lumpur based law firm Zaid Ibrahim & Co, which first began operating out of offices above a bicycle shop in 1987.
Over the past three decades, Zico has expanded throughout South East Asia, to become a leading network of firms.
KPMG’s global head of legal services said the deal will help the Big Four accountancy firm capitalise on the “increasing strategic and economic importance of the Asia Pacific region.”
The deal comes as the Big Four accounting firms have pushed forwards with efforts to bolster their legal offerings, with a view to capturing an increasingly large share of the market for legal services.
The accounting firms have largely focused on offering their clients integrated legal services that support its advisory offerings.