GAIL Asia Pacific presents: Impact Law in Changing Times – A Case Study in Practice

Exploring True and Fair Accounting Across Asia Pacific: A Follow-Up to the GAIL Members’ Day

Open access event

Date: Wednesday 21 October 2026
Time: 09:00 London | 16:00 Hong Kong / Singapore / Malaysia | 17:00 Japan | 19:00 Sydney
Format: Online

On 15 October 2026, the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL) will convene its Members’ Day in London. The gathering will bring together lawyers from across the network to share ideas and consider how the legal profession can advance positive social and environmental impact in changing times.

GAIL is a global community, and many of our members in Asia Pacific cannot join us in London. We are therefore pleased to host a dedicated online session for the region the following week, in partnership with Social Value International (SVI). Colleagues who attended the Members’ Day will share its key insights, conversations and themes. Members and prospective members across Asia Pacific will then have the chance to take these discussions forward and help shape GAIL’s work in the region.

A case study in impact law: the True & Fair Project

One of GAIL’s central aims is to use its members’ legal expertise to contribute to pioneering, impactful research. Such research can change how the law is understood and applied in pursuit of better outcomes for people and the planet.

In this session, we will spotlight one such initiative recently completed by GAIL lawyers in Asia Pacific: the True & Fair Project.

What does it mean for financial statements to give a “true and fair” view? And what could this longstanding legal requirement mean for sustainability, corporate accountability and impact?

The project examines how the true and fair requirement operates in five jurisdictions: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. The research finds that in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, the requirement operates as a substantive legal obligation alongside accounting standards. Where sustainability-related risks and impacts are financially material, they may therefore be relevant to whether financial statements give a true and fair view. Japan takes a different legal approach, which offers a valuable comparative perspective.

These findings add to a growing body of research on how existing law may already give companies pathways to better account for their impacts on people and the planet.

Looking ahead: a global follow-on project

Building on this work, GAIL and SVI will continue their partnership with a second project that extends the True & Fair research to a global level. We especially welcome lawyers from any jurisdiction who wish to contribute to this growing body of research. The session is an opportunity to learn from the Asia Pacific experience and find out how to get involved.

Who should attend?

We welcome:

  • GAIL members in Asia Pacific, especially those who could not attend the Members Day in London
  • Prospective GAIL members who want to learn more about the network and the work its members do
  • Lawyers across Asia Pacific who are interested in how their legal practice can contribute to positive social and environmental impact
  • Lawyers in any jurisdiction who are interested in contributing to the next phase of the True & Fair research

It will also interest in-house legal and sustainability teams, directors, investors, accountants, auditors, impact practitioners, academics and civil society organisations working on corporate reporting, sustainability and impact.

You don’t need to have attended the London Members’ Day or know anything about the True & Fair Project beforehand.

Researchers

Meet the GAIL members who led the True & Fair research across five jurisdictions:

Australia:

  • Michael Ryland – Director, Centre for Social Finance Law
  • Jon Cheung – Partner, Prolegis Lawyers
  • Allison Strickland – Senior Associate, Prolegis Lawyers

Hong Kong:

  • Vivien Teu – Founding Principal, Vivien Teu Law Practice

Japan:

  • Sotaro Hotta – Associate, Nishimura & Asahi

Malaysia:

  • Farez Jinnah – Principal at Farez Jinnah

Singapore:

  • Joseph Chun – Partner, Shook Lin & Bok
  • Sherman Ho – Partner, Shook Lin & Bok
  • Walter Yeo – Partner, Shook Lin & Bok

Researchers from each jurisdiction will share insights and explore the implications for practice.

They will be joined by:

  • Ben Carpenter – CEO, Social Value International – UK
  • Amal Farooq Malik – Associate, AwaisLaw DRT – Pakistan

Register

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