Firms Of The Year Results 2021 - In-House Community

Introduction

Now that we’re in Q2 of 2021, and 2020 is firmly in the past (but the hangover remains), it’s time to put the “Year of the Coronavirus” into perspective.

Few companies emerged from last year unscathed. But as the old saying goes, no one becomes rich in the good times – wealth is generated in the bad times. Legal firms across the Asia Pacific and MENA weathered the Covid-19 storm and worked tirelessly to keep their clients satisfied.

And judging by the scuttlebutt out there, nearly everyone in the profession was run off their feet in 2020 performing work ranging from M&A, Insolvency, Restructuring, and HR disputes to personnel rearrangements and advising on critical multi-million-dollar business deals.

Some of the important legal work was done in the office, but most of it had to be done at home due to varying levels of lockdowns that forced people’s daily routines to adapt to a “New Normal.” On top of the wider business disruption, the constraints of working from home added plenty of extra pressure and learning curves.

According to data from Citi Private Bank, demand for lawyer time fell only 1% in the first half of 2020, dropping by 4.2% in the second quarter – significantly lower than in 2019. But the lawyers who managed to stay busy had plenty of work to do.

Jump straight to:

Methodology		Winner’s Updates	Pandemic Insights from
Results	South Africa	VILAF	Raymond Goh – China Tourism Group
China	South Korea	Khaitan & Co	Carina Wessles – Alexander Forbes
Hong Kong	UAE		Navrita Kaur – Omesti Group
India	Vietnam		Stanley Lui – TI Fluid Systems and White Hat Guys
Malaysia			Carl Watson – Acradis Asia
Philippines			Rebecca Hong – Intel Corporation
Singapore			Yosr Hamzah – Gartner

The IHC 2021 Firm of the Year award recognises this excellent client service work over the last 12 months.

All the winners showcased standout performance, as measured by buyers of legal services across 11 countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, UAE and Vietnam.

As always, we have a list of firms that won the highest number of IHC Firm of the Year awards this year. The firm with the most wins with 27 total wins was Chicago-based firm, Baker McKenzie.

The firm also continues its run as the winner of “Most Responsive International Firm of the Year” in most jurisdictions. One survey respondent based in Vietnam said “communicating with lawyers from Baker McKenzie is always very easy as they respond timely and carefully”. In the UAE, one of the respondents’ Firms of the Year RESULTS FIRMS OF THE YEAR RESULTS 2021 Introduction PAGE 24 VOL 1 ISSUE 1, 2021 IHC MAGAZINE wrote glowing praise for the firm: “I have worked with Baker McKenzie on various projects and found them extremely professional, methodological with extensive knowledge and experience especially in relation to Joint Venture matters.”

The firm made some tough decisions as the coronavirus emerged in early 2020. To survive the crisis, Baker McKenzie acted swiftly as one of the first firms to send its staff home to work and cut its associate salaries by 15% to help avoid widespread layoffs. As client work dried up, the firm ultimately was compelled to cut about 6% of its staff including lawyers, “timekeepers,” and business professionals in the US, Canada and Mexico. The belt-tightening strategy seemed to work. By December, the firm announced the reimposition of full salaries and even year-end bonuses of $US15,000 for junior associates and $100,000 for seniors.

Baker McKenzie revenue for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2020 was $US2.9 billion, up 1.2% from a year prior. Its markets in Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and others saw high single-digit or double-digit growth in the 2020 year.

In second place for most number of wins with 16 wins is London-based Allen & Overy. The firm was a clear standout particularly for counsel operating in Vietnam. One survey respondent in Hong Kong said “legal advice provided by Allen & Overy is very practical, timely and provided from a commercial perspective.”

Allen & Overy reported revenue growth of 4% in the year ended April 30, hitting $US2.14 billion. But its profits per equity partner were down 1.7% to $US2.06 million.

The Middle-East based law firm Al Tamimi, with a total 15 wins is third on the list and also has the highest number of wins for a regional law firm. “Al Tamimi’s big number of associates and partners allows for matters to be handled effectively, smoothly and quickly,” said one survey respondent about the firm.

Fourth equal with 12 total wins each were the firms Clyde & Co and Kim & Chang. Vietnambased YKVN landed a position at number five. And the final group all received nine total wins each is Clifford Chance, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (most number of wins in India), King & Wood Mallesons and ACCRALAW (most number of wins in Philippines).

Survey Methodology

About 17,000 in-house counsel and buyers of legal services from 11 jurisdictions were invited to participate in the annual In-House Community Survey, either by attending online events, or through a controlled online survey process. The responses from China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the UAE and Vietnam have been collected and collated to produce with our Firms of the Year for 2021.

The survey asked respondents which legal services providers made the most significant impression on them over the past year, in terms of responsiveness and their satisfaction with the work done, i.e. the firms they would be most happy to refer to their peers.

The survey is a chance for the community of in-house counsel to recognise stand-out performers. No shortlist was provided, and respondents could nominate any firm of their acquaintance, and provide reasons why their chosen firms deserved recognition. We considered the weight of these testimonials and aggregated votes to select our category winners across the jurisdictions. The results are not a ranking, and a firm’s absence from this list is not a criticism of its legal acumen or service.

Survey respondents were primarily senior in-house or general counsel (85%). The remainder were either company directors (5%), compliance managers (2%) or other (8%). Most survey participants work in financial services, TMT (technology, media and telecoms), and energy and natural resources.

Where applicable, sole category Winners are announced. If results were too close to call, we have selected joint Winners. Honourable Mentions are awarded to law firms that received notable in-house recognition.

Congratulations to all the firms and legal teams listed here that made a positive impact with the in-house community over the past 12-18 months.

The results below are interspersed with Pandemic Insights.

Pandemic Insights: Raymond Goh

General Counsel, International of China Tourism Group.

Raymond Goh

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE PANDEMIC FOR YOUR TEAM?

The greatest challenge has been to provide the senior management team, board of directors, and various business units around the world with holistic and commercially pragmatic advice in relation to novel and rapidly evolving situations, while subject to budgetary and other constraints.

Our clients, counterparties, and colleagues have their own challenges as well, especially since many of them are working in different locations and separated from their families and loved ones.

In a nutshell, helping our internal and external stakeholders achieve their goals in the most efficient manner possible, considering their respective needs and circumstances.

2. HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY POSITIVES FROM THIS?

Absolutely. Having to constantly operate and exceed expectations under rapidly evolving circumstances made us more nimble, resilient, and confident that we can overcome other challenges in the future.

There will always be challenges during life’s journey that seem, at first blush, impossible to overcome. The key is to approach these challenges with a positive mindset, keep trying and be confident things will get better with time.

3. WHAT CHANGES TO IN-HOUSE LEGAL WORK DO YOU EXPECT IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO?

There will be increasing pressure to “achieve more with less.” While that is not something new, the pandemic has certainly accelerated this trend. On a positive note, this means more opportunities for in-house counsel to take on additional responsibilities and demonstrate their capabilities.

There will always be career advancement opportunities for in-house counsel. While these opportunities may not materialise within our preferred time frames, they will almost certainly come about if we continue to build on our skillsets and value proposition to our organisations.

China

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

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ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Fangda Partners
King & Wood Mallesons
Mayer Brown

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

AnJie Law Firm
Mayer Brown
Clifford Chance
Zhong Lun

BANKING AND FINANCE

Linklaters
Baker McKenzie
King & Wood Mallesons

CAPITAL MARKETS

Clifford Chance
JunHe
Global Law Office
Han Kun Law Firm
Linklaters

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Fangda
Jingtian & Gongcheng
Steptoe & Johnson
FTI Consulting
Sullivan & Cromwell
Zhong Lun

CORPORATE AND M&A

Commerce & Finance Law Offices
Jingtian & Gongcheng
JunHe
King & Wood Mallesons
Zhong Lun
Fangda
Paul, Weiss
White & Case

EMPLOYMENT

King & Wood Mallesons
River Delta Law Firm
AnJie
Baohua Law Firm
Simmons & Simmons

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Fangda
Pinsent Masons
Broad & Bright
Jun He

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

AnJie Law Firm
Baker McKenzie FenXun
King & Wood Mallesons
Dentons
Fangda

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

King & Wood Mallesons
Pinsent Masons
Linklaters

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

King & Wood Mallesons
Tian Tong Law Firm
Zhong Lun

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Fangda
Pinsent Masons

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Grandall
King & Wood Mallesons
JunHe

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

King & Wood Mallesons
Zhong Lun

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
King & Wood Mallesons
Linklaters
Mayer Brown
Allen & Overy
Clyde & Co
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Herbert Smith Freehills

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

AllBright Law Offices
Fangda
JunHe
Zhong Lun
Tian Tong Law Firm

MOST RESPONSIVE OFFSHORE FIRM

Conyers Dill & Pearman

Pandemic Insights: Carina Wessels.

Executive: Governance, Legal & Compliance at Alexander Forbes and Advocate of the High Court of South Africa.

Carina Wessels Alexander Forbes IH 2C

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE PANDEMIC FOR YOUR TEAM?

Right at the outset, we were forced to deal with a shareholder reorganisation which included a share repurchase agreed at a fixed price. But the price no longer made commercial sense after the severe market downturn in March 2020. On completion of the renegotiation in just two days, we still needed a planned shareholder meeting – all while facing an impending hard lockdown in South Africa. The decision was quickly made to hold the meeting online, which led to Alexander Forbes holding the first fully virtual shareholder meeting in the country.

A key challenge last year was all the new regulations published in response to Covid19. We spent a lot of time on interpretation and advice to both our internal and external clients. To give you an idea, there was a total of 136 instruments in effect in 2020 compared to 66 a year earlier. And, of course, we also navigated through enabling and adapting to remote work, virtual team management, motivation, and maintaining team morale.

2. HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY POSITIVES FROM THIS TIME?

We learned how critical it is to have an adaptive mindset to adjust to new paradigms. Covid-19 showed us many ways to successfully maintain a business. Activities we never thought possible were achieved virtually. We really pulled together as a team and as an organisation when many of our external clients were in financial distress. Our ability to navigate our own challenges and continue to support them enabled their sustainability. To quote the wise words of Nelson Mandela: “it always seems impossible until it’s done.”

3. HOW DO YOU SEE IN-HOUSE LEGAL WORK CHANGING IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO?

We must continue delivering cheaper, better and faster. Innovation was already a key imperative for many in-house legal teams, but the Covid-19 downturn lifted its importance. My hope is that more lawyers will embrace innovation and continuous business improvement. Many lawyers, if not most, are more traditionalist but Covid-19 threw us all into the discomfort zone. It forced us to recognise that what we did before will not sustain us in the future. Let’s take what worked during Covid-19 and amplify it. We cannot deny the centrality of technology in reimagining this future. Technology truly became the backbone not only of how we work, but how we meet, train, engage clients, socialise, practice our religion and bury our loved ones. But without a focus on innovation and systems thinking, technology can only be an impetus for change, not the driver.

Hong Kong

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

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ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Baker McKenzie
Deacons
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Sidley Austin
King & Wood Mallesons
Zhong Lun

BANKING AND FINANCE

Allen & Overy
Ashurst
Baker McKenzie
Linklaters
Eversheds Sutherland
Jingtian & Gongcheng
Latham & Watkins
Mayer Brown
Stephenson Harwood

CAPITAL MARKETS

Clifford Chance
Linklaters
Allen & Overy
Shearman & Sterling

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Ashurst
Deacons
Herbert Smith Freehills
Mayer Brown

CORPORATE AND M&A

DLA Piper
Jingtian & Gongcheng
Linklaters
MinterEllison
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo
Deacons
King & Wood Mallesons
LC Lawyers
Winston & Strawn

EMPLOYMENT

Linklaters
Simmons & Simmons
King & Wood Mallesons

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Herbert Smith Freehills
Linklaters
MinterEllison

INSURANCE

Mayer Brown
Clyde & Co

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Deacons
Mayer Brown
Wilkinson & Grist
Baker McKenzie
Oldham, Li and Nie
ONC Lawyers

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Herbert Smith Freehills
Pinsent Masons
DLA Piper
Baker McKenzie

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Mayer Brown
ONC Lawyers
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo

MARITIME & SHIPPING

Clyde & Co

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Eversheds Sutherland
King & Wood Mallesons
Linklaters

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Pinsent Masons
Wilkinson & Grist
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

TAXATION

Deacons

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

Hogan Lovells

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Herbert Smith Freehills
Linklaters
Ashurst
Eversheds Sutherland
Hogan Lovells
Mayer Brown
Simmons & Simmons

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Deacons
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo
Zhong Lun
Tanner De Witt
Wilkinson & Grist

MOST RESPONSIVE OFFSHORE LAW FIRM

Conyers Dill & Pearman
Walkers

Pandemic Insights: Navrita Kaur

Chief legal officer at Omesti Group.

Navrita Kaur

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF COVID-19 FOR YOUR LEGAL TEAM?

The biggest challenge was with communication and coordination as we rapidly shifted from the usual face-to-face discussions and meetings to virtual meetings.

We also began online contract negotiation for the first time in April 2020 just as we landed an important project. All this happened while under Malaysia’s Movement Control Order, a form of lockdown. So, we were forced to do all contract reviews and negotiations virtually until things improved and we could finish them in person.

Working from home also blurred our personal and professional lives. I think everyone in my team initially found this to be a bit of a juggle, but we eventually figured out the proper boundaries.

2. DID YOU TAKE ANY POSITIVES FROM THIS TIME?

We all learned what can actually be done online. And the answer is: almost everything. The pandemic pushed us out of our comfort zones and we all had to embrace virtual meetings and working from home. Thankfully, my team navigated this new territory superbly while giving 100% effort to every task each day.

On a personal level, another major upside for me was the extra time with my family. I recently had a baby and was just returning to work after maternity leave when the first lockdown started in Malaysia. So it was just nice being around her for longer and capturing milestones along the way.

3. HOW DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC WILL ALTER IN-HOUSE LEGAL WORK IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

It all boils down to how an in-house counsel can add value to a business. That question must be top of mind. Team leaders should encourage staff to upskill so they can all better serve the company. A good start would be a Continuous Learning programme tailored for in-house lawyers.

Technology will also change in-house legal work. Digitisation of certain tasks will be disruptive, but also free up time for in-house lawyers to focus on more valuable work. Of course, no one-size-fits-all technology solution exists – each in-house team should check what tools work best for them and wrap those into their departments.

I also expect the early adoption of a hybrid workplace will continue once the pandemic is over. That means in-house legal teams should already be thinking about how best to do this and setting up clear guidelines in case it happens.

India

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

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ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Khaitan & Co

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

AZB & Partners
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Platinum Partners

BANKING AND FINANCE

AZB & Partners
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Khaitan & Co

CAPITAL MARKETS

AZB & Partners
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
J Sagar Associates

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Fox Mandal
Khaitan & Co
L&L Partners

CORPORATE AND M&A

AZB & Partners
Crawford Bayley & Co
J Sagar Associates
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Kochhar &Co
Naik Naik & Company

EMPLOYMENT

Khaitan & Co
Trilegal
IndusLaw

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
J Sagar Associates
AZB & Partners
Phoenix Legal

INSURANCE

Tuli & Co
Khaitan & Co

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Anand and Anand
AZB & Partners
Krishna & Saurastri Associates
Lall & Sethi
R. K. Dewan & Co

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Khaitan & Co
Mangaldas & Co
Shardul Amarchand
Fox Mandal

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Khaitan & Co
L&L Partners

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

AZB
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Crawford Bayley & Co

TAXATION

KPMG
Vaish Associates Advocates
BDO
EY

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

AZB & Partners
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
DSK Legal
Bharucha & Partners

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Herbert Smith Freehills
Norton Rose Fulbright

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Fox Mandal
Khaitan & Co
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
AZB & Partners
Crawford Bailey & Co
J Sagar Associates

Malaysia

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Christopher & Lee Ong
Wong & Partners
Haeme Lew

BANKING AND FINANCE

Adnan Sundra & Low
Zico Law
Azmi & Associates
Christopher & Lee Ong

CAPITAL MARKETS

Adnan Sundra & Low
Kadir Andri & Partners
Shook Lin & Bok

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Raja Darryl & Loh
Christopher & Lee Ong
Haeme Lew

CORPORATE AND M&A

Adnan Sundra & Low
Azmi & Associates
Zico Law
Albar & Partners
Kadir Andri & Partners
Rahmat Lim & Partners
Shearn Delamore

EMPLOYMENT

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Shanker, Arjunan & Chua

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Azmi & Associates
Shearn Delamore
Wong & Partners
Wong Jin Nee & Teo

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Shook Lin & Bok
Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
Skrine

ISLAMIC FINANCE

Adnan Sundra & Low
Azmi & Associates
Shook Lin & Bok

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Skrine
Haeme Lew
Loh Poh Seng & Co
Sanjay Mohan Advocates & Solicitors

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Adnan Sundra & Low
Christopher & Lee Ong

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Thomas Philip
Lee Hishamuddin Allen & Gledhill
Belden

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

Haeme Lew
Kadir Andri & Partners
Raja Darryl & Loh

TAXATION

Shearn Delamore
Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

Christopher & Lee Ong

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Baker McKenzie
Herbert Smith Freehills
Trowers & Hamlins
Allen & Overy
Clyde & Co

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Azmi & Associates
Christopher & Lee Ong
Lee Hishamuddin Allen & Gledhill
Shearn Delamore
Skrine
Zico Law

Pandemic Insights: Stanley Lui

Stanley Lui IHC

APAC legal director of TI Fluid Systems and the founder of training platform White Hat Guys.

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE PANDEMIC FOR YOUR TEAM?

The challenge? How about reaching the point of burnout for both myself and the team because there was no clear delineation between work and personal time? It’s tough working at home and having your routine disrupted. Seriously, I never thought I’d miss the “me-time” during the daily commute, but I did!

It’s ironic that prior to Covid, most people believe spending less time in the office could help achieve better work-life balance. Now the tested results indicate otherwise.

2. HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY POSITIVES FROM THIS TIME?

For me, the silver lining was morphing (albeit at glacial pace) from a digital adaptor to a digital native. The key was open-mindedness to conducting daily work virtually and being open to tech in general. I’m rather proud that I managed to film, direct and edit a training video (all done in-house!) on Force Majeure events (how relevant, huh?)

3. HOW DO YOU SEE IN-HOUSE LEGAL WORK CHANGING IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO?

Great to see the judiciary has accepted and hashed out relevant guidelines for alternative modes of hearing submissions virtually. I expect – and hope – this process will improve and be widely accepted.

Philippines

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

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ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

ACCRALAW
Puyat Jacinto & Santos
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Villaraza & Angangco
Ocampo & Suralvo Law

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Ocampo & Suralvo Law
Puyat Jacinto & Santos
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles
ACCRALAW
Gulapa Law

AVIATION

Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño
ACCRALAW
Ocampo, Manalo, Valdez & Lim

BANKING AND FINANCE

ACCRALAW
Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos
Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño
Quisumbing Torres
Gulapa Law
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Gulapa Law
Ocampo & Suralvo Law
ACCRALAW
GSE Law
Quisumbing Torres

CORPORATE AND M&A

ACCRALAW
Goricetta Law
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Gulapa Law
Ocampo & Suralvo Law
Puno & Puno Law Office

EMPLOYMENT

ACCRALAW
Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño
Quisumbing Torres
Romulo Yap Law Office
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Puyat Jacinto & Santos
SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan
Puno & Puno Law Offices

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

ACCRALAW
Quisumbing Torres
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

ACCRALAW
Quisumbing Torres
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles
SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan
Gulapa Law

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

ACCRALAW
Poblador Bautista & Reyes
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles
Villaraza & Angangco
DivinaLaw
Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos
Puyat Jacinto & Santos
Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles

TAXATION

BDB Law
LCV Tax Law
ACCRALAW
Baniqued & Bello
PwC
SGV & Co

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

ACCRALAW
Puno and Puno Law Offices
Quisumbing Torres

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
DLA Piper
Latham Watkins

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

ACCRALAW
DivinaLaw
Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles
Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño
Puyat Jacinto & Santos
Quisumbing Torres
Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Villaraza & Angangco

Pandemic Insights: Carl Watson

General Counsel of Arcadis Asia.

Carl Watson

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FOR YOUR TEAM?

Staying connected to the business during the national lockdown restrictions. We are a small regional legal team and pride ourselves on the connectivity to the business as enablers and business partners. The required pivot to MS Teams, for instance, was a hard adjustment but we made it work. It turned out to be a great way during our team meetings to check in with each other’s mental health and well-being.

2. HAVE TAKEN ANY POSITIVES OUT OF THIS TIME?

Lots of positives. We could stress test some of our planned process automation tooling and so we could bring its deployment forward. The Office 365 cloud platform has enabled our teams to pivot rapidly into digital operations. Also, working from home cut down travel and commute time and gave us a new agility. We’re still figuring out the lessons for when the pandemic end so we can create a future-focused operating model. It also was became clear we should maintain adequate separation of work and home life. A key lesson there is to set up systems to ensure home working is safe and aligned with our commitments to our people.

3. HOW WILL IN-HOUSE LEGAL WORK CHANGE IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO?

I expect to see a real focus on digital legal operations, embedding the process of standardisation/automation/digitalisation thrust upon all in-house legal operations by the pandemic. The basic technology platforms allow for more agile teams and I expect that to stay, along with less business travel trips. The new challenge will be how to influence change, transformation and compliance assurance in businesses without the physical face-to-face time. I also expect a significant shift in how we engage with legal service providers. It will become increasingly harder for traditional law firms that do not embrace innovative approaches to selling their services in a tech-enabled marketplace.

Singapore

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Dentons Rodyk
Linklaters
Sidley Austin

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Rajah & Tann
WongPartnership
Allen & Gledhill
Dentons Rodyk

BANKING AND FINANCE

Allen & Overy
Shook Lin & Bok
Linklaters
Rajah & Tann

CAPITAL MARKETS

Clifford Chance
Shearman & Sterling
Allen & Gledhill
Linklaters
Rajah & Tann

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Dentons Rodyk
Rajah & Tann
Bird & Bird

CORPORATE AND M&A

Allen & Gledhill
Dentons Rodyk
WongPartnership
Jones Day
Shook Lin & Bok
Zico Law

EMPLOYMENT

Dentons
Simmons & Simmons
Allen & Gledhill
Baker McKenzie
Rajah & Tann

INSURANCE

Dentons
Norton Rose Fulbright
Rajah & Tann
Stephenson Harwood

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Dentons Rodyk
Rajah & Tann
WongPartnership

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Ashurst
Herbert Smith Freehills
Dentons
Stephenson Harwood

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Dentons Rodyk
Herbert Smith Freehills
Drew & Napier
Eldan Law
Rajah & Tann
Virtus Law

MARITIME & SHIPPING

Reed Smith
Clyde & Co
Stephenson Harwood

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Dentons
Shook Lin & Bok
King & Spalding

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Allen & Gledhill
Baker McKenzie
Shook Lin & Bok

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

Allen & Gledhill
Shook Lin & Bok

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Baker McKenzie
Bird & Bird
Clyde & Co
CMS
Eversheds Sutherland
Herbert Smith Freehills
HFW
White & Case

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Allen & Gledhill
Drew & Napier
Rajah & Tann
WongPartnership

South Africa

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Baker McKenzie
Herbert Smith Freehills
Werksmans
Bowmans
DLA Piper
ENSAfrica
Norton Rose Fulbright

BANKING AND FINANCE

Bowmans
ENSAfrica
Webber Wentzel
Allen & Overy

CAPITAL MARKETS

Bowmans
ENSAfrica
Webber Wentzel

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

ENSAfrica
Baker McKenzie
Werksmans

CORPORATE AND M&A

Bowmans
Webber Wentzel
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
ENSAfrica

EMPLOYMENT

Bowmans
Werksmans

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

ENSAfrica

ENVIRONMENTAL

ENSAfrica

INSURANCE

Hogan Lovells

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Spoor & Fisher
Webber Wentzel
Adams & Adams

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Bowmans
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Pinsent Masons

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Baker McKenzie
Bowmans
ENSAfrica
MNS Attorneys

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Bowmans
ENSAfrica

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Bowmans
Werksmans
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Webber Wentzel

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

ENSAfrica
Webber Wentzel
Werksmans

TAXATION

Bowmans
Webber Wentzel
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
ENSAfrica

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

MNS Attorneys
Webber Wentzel
ENSAfrica

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Baker McKenzie
ENSAfrica
Herbert Smith Freehills
Norton Rose Fulbright
Clyde & Co
DLA Piper
Hogan Lovells

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Bowmans
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Webber Wentzel
Werksmans
Shepstone & Wylie

MOST RESPONSIVE OFFSHORE LAW FIRM

Carey Olsen

South Korea

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Lee & Ko
Bae, Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang
Yulchon

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Kim & Chang
Yoon & Yang
Yulchon

AVIATION

Lee & Ko

BANKING AND FINANCE

Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Bae, Kim & Lee
Yoon & Yang
Yulchon

CAPITAL MARKETS

Bae, Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Latham & Watkins
Lee & Ko

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Bae, Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang
K&L Gates
Lee & Ko
S&L Partners
Yulchon

CORPORATE AND M&A

Bae, Kim & Lee
Lee & Ko
Yoon & Yang
Yulchon

EMPLOYMENT

Kim & Chang
Yoon & Yang
K&L Gates
Lee & Ko

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko

ENVIRONMENTAL

Kim & Chang

INSURANCE

Moon & Song
Yulchon
Lee & Ko
Sechang & Co

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Lee & Ko
Dentons Lee

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Bae, Kim & Lee
Yulchon
Lee & Ko
Kim & Chang
KL Partners
Skadden

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Kim & Chang
Yoon & Yang
Lee & Ko

MARITIME & SHIPPING

Sechang & Co
Jipyong
Kim & Chang

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Kim & Chang
White & Case
Lee & Ko

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Kim & Chang
Yoon & Yang

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

Bae, Kim & Lee
Yoon & Yang
Kim & Chang

TAXATION

Kim & Chang
Yulchon

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

Bae, Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clyde & Co
K&L Gates
Pinsent Masons
Herbert Smith Freehills
Skadden

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Bae Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Yoon & Yang
Shin & Kim
Yulchon

Pandemic Insights: Rebecca Hong

Managing Counsel at Intel Corporation.

Rebecca Hong

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE PANDEMIC FOR YOUR TEAM?

The lack of proximity due to lockdowns meant the attorneys are working in silo, making it harder for us to exchange knowledge in an ad-hoc manner or participate in impromptu group discussions. There is something to be said about water cooler (pantry) talk and exchange.

2. HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY POSITIVES FROM THIS TIME?

It was heartening to see the professional work environment becoming more flexible, and to see the formation of greater trust that employees can get their work done while at home. This trust will hopefully develop into more agile working arrangements in the years to come.

Thailand

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Baker McKenzie
Thanathip & Partners
Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Baker McKenzie
Chandler MHM
Apisith & Alliance

BANKING AND FINANCE

Baker McKenzie
Chandler MHM
Allen & Overy
DFDL
Linklaters

CAPITAL MARKETS

Allen & Overy
Kudun & Partners
Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners
Linklaters
Thanathip & Partners

CORPORATE AND M&A

Baker McKenzie
Linklaters
LS Horizon
Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners
Chandler MHM
Kudun & Partners
Thanathip & Partners

EMPLOYMENT

Baker McKenzie
R&T Asia
Siam Premier
Tilleke & Gibbins

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Baker McKenzie
Chandler MHM
Linklaters

INSURANCE

Baker McKenzie
Thanathip & Partners

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Tilleke & Gibbins
Baker McKenzie

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Herbert Smith Freehills
R&T Asia

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Baker McKenzie
LS Horizon
Watson Farley & Williams
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Kanung & Partners

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Baker McKenzie
Chandler MHM
Linklaters

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Baker McKenzie
R&T Asia

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

DLA Piper
Linklaters
Baker McKenzie

TAXATION

Baker McKenzie
Kudun & Partners
LawAlliance
EY

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

Baker McKenzie
DFDL

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
DLA Piper

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Chandler MHM
Tilleke & Gibbins
Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners
Kudun & Partners

UAE

Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

Al Tamimi
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Dentons
Squire Pattons Boggs

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

Al Tamimi
Baker McKenzie
DLA Piper

AVIATION

Clifford Chance
Kennedys
Baker Botts

BANKING AND FINANCE

Al Tamimi
Dentons
Allen & Overy
Clyde & Co
Eversheds Sutherland
Hadef & Partners

CAPITAL MARKETS

Allen & Overy
Al Tamimi
Clifford Chance

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

Afridi & Angell
Al Tamimi
Eversheds Sutherland
Gibson Dunn
Allen & Overy
Hadef & Partners

CORPORATE AND M&A

Afridi & Angell
Al Tamimi
Herbert Smith Freehills
Allen & Overy
Amereller
Clifford Chance
Clyde & Co
Hussain Lootah & Associates

EMPLOYMENT

Afridi & Angell
Al Tamimi
Clyde & Co
Eversheds Sutherland
DLA Piper
MAK & Associates

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

Afridi & Angell
Allen & Overy
Shearman & Sterling
Stephenson Harwood

ENVIRONMENTAL

Clyde & Co

INSURANCE

Clyde & Co
Kennedys

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Al Tamimi
Clyde & Co
Hadef & Partners
Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property
Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla
Bird & Bird

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Afridi & Angell
Al Tamimi
Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla
Jäger Heintel Hussain Law Firm
Reed Smith

ISLAMIC FINANCE

Al Tamimi
Clyde & Co
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla
Hogan Lovells

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Al Tamimi
Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla
BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates
Hadef & Partners
Lootah & Associates
MAK & Associates

MARITIME & SHIPPING

Clyde & Co
HFW
Hadef & Partners
Stephenson Harwood

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

Allen & Overy
Dentons
Ashurst
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

Al Tamimi
Clyde & Co
Eversheds Sutherland
CMS
HFW

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

Al Tamimi
Clyde & Co
Hadef & Partners
Herbert Smith Freehills
Norton Rose Fulbright

TAXATION

Al Tamimi
Gulf Tax Accounting Group
Hogan Lovells

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

Al Tamimi
Allen & Overy

MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clyde & Co
Eversheds Sutherland
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Clifford Chance
HFW
Shearman & Sterling

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

Afridi & Angell
Al Tamimi
Hadef & Partners
Al Suwaidi & Co
Mahmood Hussain Law Firm

MOST RESPONSIVE OFF-SHORE FIRM

Conyers Dill & Pearman

Pandemic Insights: Yosr Hamzah

Director of legal counsel Middle East at Gartner

Yosr Hamzah

1. WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE PANDEMIC FOR YOUR LEGAL TEAM?

The pandemic forced us to handle our jobs remotely, which will change everything for the foreseeable future. Our priorities have also shifted to the more urgent needs brought like supporting our management to make quick, risk-mitigated decisions in an uncertain environment.

2. HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY POSITIVES FROM THIS TIME?

Good can come from current events if we let it. Of course, your own list of “things” may be different, but there is no right or wrong here.

For me, social distancing and remote working have forever changed the workplace. Colleagues are now working from home with their pets, kids and partners, blurring the line between their personal and work lives. Once seen as a sign of weakness in the legal industry which values “in-person meetings,” remote work is now centre stage. In the future, those who request flexible time to take care of children will no doubt deal with less push back since employers know work can be done remotely. And in the same way candidates once competed for jobs, employers now advertise their flexibility to help attract talent.

I have mostly found this remote time good for my career since it gave me more control over my schedule. I have found the time to be part of Gartner’s Mosaic ERG board and volunteer as a mentor to law students. In these unprecedented times, gaining work experience and networking is difficult, but hopefully mentors can help students build resilience and perseverance. A lot of uncertainty, stress and anxiety can relieved with a few supportive words and genuine advice. People never forget when someone goes above and beyond, and even small, daily gestures add up over time. Mentorship is mutually beneficial, as well. After all, a student will likely turn to you for advice throughout their career and maybe even refer a few potential clients or employers your way.

3. WHAT CHANGES TO IN-HOUSE LEGAL WORK DO EXPECT IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO?

More companies and law firms are endorsing flexible work in a way the legal profession has rarely seen before the pandemic. Hopefully, the historical barriers of promotion to in-house lawyers or the admission to partnership for private practice lawyers will also be re-thought. Last year I also saw a huge amount of progress in enlightened thinking and racial and gender diversity in the legal industry. Hopefully next year we see even more progress.