Deacons in the Media 13 December 2006 Deacons’ Managing Partner, Lindsay Esler is quoted extensively in the cover article in the December issue of Asian Counsel on “The shape of things to come”, a review of what 2007 and the Year of the Pig has in store for firms and in-house counsel in the Asia region. Commenting on 2006 Lindsay said, "Most (if not all) Hong Kong law firms will tell you how 2006 has been a year of remarkable growth across a broad range of practice areas". When asked for his predictions for 2007, he replied, "Unless we experience a catastrophic setback 2007 is currently promising to be 2006 on steroids." "This is not a sudden or a new development but the fastest growth in opportunities for businesses and their legal advisors over the next twelve months is clearly going to be in China," Lindsay said. But what about Hong Kong? "What is pleasing is the apparently genuine evolution of Hong Kong towards becoming a gateway to China. This concept has long been touted as the key to Hong Kong's economic future but just a few years ago (during SARS) it was only the most optimistic bureaucrats who would have predicted the process would begin so soon," said Lindsay.