Firms Of The Year Results 2021

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).

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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. 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.

 

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   China

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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

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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

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

 

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   Hong Kong

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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

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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

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Pandemic Insights: Navrita Kaur Chief legal officer at Omesti Group. 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.

 

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   India

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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

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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

 

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   Malaysia

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Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

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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

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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

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Pandemic Insights: Stanley Lui 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.

 

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   Philippines

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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

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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

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Pandemic Insights: Carl Watson General Counsel of Arcadis Asia. 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.

 

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   Singapore

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Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

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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

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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

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   South Africa

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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

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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

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   South Korea

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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

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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

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Pandemic Insights: Rebecca Hong Managing Counsel at Intel Corporation. 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.

 

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   Thailand

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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

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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

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   UAE

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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

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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

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Pandemic Insights: Yosr Hamzah Director of legal counsel Middle East at Gartner 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.

 

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   Vietnam

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Key: Winners in bold | Honourable Mentions in italics

———————————————————–

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (INCLUDING PRIVATE EQUITY)

• Bizconsult Law Firm
• YKVN
• GV Lawyers

ANTI-TRUST/ COMPETITION

• Bizconsult Law Firm
• GV Lawyers
• LNT & Partners
• Baker McKenzie

BANKING AND FINANCE

• Allen & Overy
• Frasers Law Company
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• YKVN
• Ecovis Vietnam Law
• LNT & Partners

CAPITAL MARKETS

• Allen & Overy
• YKVN
• Russin & Vecchi
• VILAF

COMPLIANCE/ REGULATORY

• Bizconsult Law Firm
• VILAF
• YKVN
• Asia Counsel
• Baker McKenzie
• Tilleke & Gibbins

CORPORATE AND M&A

• Bizconsult Law Firm
• LNT & Partners
• VILAF
• YKVN
• Baker Mckenzie
• GV Lawyers
• Russin & Vecch

EMPLOYMENT

• Bizconsult Law Firm
• Phuoc & Partners
• Russin & Vecchi
• Baker McKenzie
• LexNovum Lawyers
• LNT & Partners

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

• Lexcomm
• VILAF
• YKVN

INSURANCE GV Lawyers EY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• Bizconsult Law Firm
• Pham & Associates
• Tilleke & Gibbins
• AGL
• LNT & Partners

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

• LNT & Partners
• YKVN
• EPLegal

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

• GV Lawyers
• LNT & Partners
• YKVN

MARITIME & SHIPPING

• Dzungsrt & Associates

PROJECTS AND PROJECT FINANCING

• Lexcomm
• LNT & Partners
• YKVN

REAL ESTATE/ CONSTRUCTION

• VILAF
• Zico Law
• Russin & Vecchi

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY

• GV Lawyers

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MOST RESPONSIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

• Allen & Overy
• Baker McKenzie
• Bird & Bird

MOST RESPONSIVE DOMESTIC LAW FIRM

• LNT & Partners
• Russin & Vecchi
• VILAF
• YKVN
• Frasers Law Company
• GV Lawyers

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To read the full magazine featuring Firms of the Year 2021 results, please click here.