Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2019 - SHORTLIST
The nominations for the fifth annual Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards have been announced. On Thursday, September 19, Asia’s leading dispute resolution lawyers will gather at the island Shangri-La in Hong Kong to celebrate the process of litigation and disputes resolution in the legal profession.
The awards will celebrate the foremost leaders in 11 practice areas and 14 jurisdictions around the region. During the evening, there will be awards for disputes stars in each jurisdictions, as well as one Asia-Pacific rising star, a female lawyer of the year and one arbitration practitioner of the year. There will also be awards for the most impactful matters of the year and an inductee into the Benchmark Hall of Fame.
To reserve your place, please email James Murray at james.murray@euromoneyasia.com or call +852 6019 4668.
See the full shortlist below. Information on the methodology is at the bottom of the page.
NATIONAL AWARDS
AUSTRALIA
Firm of the Year
Ashurst
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Gilbert + Tobin
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Lawyer of the Year
Jason Betts, Herbert Smith Freehills
Andrew Carter, Ashurst
Luke Hastings, Herbert Smith Freehills
Mark Wilks, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
CHINA
Firm of the Year
AllBright Law Offices
DaHui Lawyers
Fangda Partners
Jingtian & Gongcheng
JunHe
King & Wood Mallesons
Zhong Lun Law Firm
Lawyer of the Year
Lijun Cao, Zhong Lun Law Firm
Dong Chungang, Jingtian & Gongcheng
Nuo Ji, Fangda Partners
Arthur Ma, DaHui Lawyers
Huawei Sun, Zhong Lun Law Firm
Helen Shi, Fangda Partners
HONG KONG
Firm of the Year
Deacons
Gall
Howse Williams
Oldham Li & Nie
Stevenson Wong & Co
Wilkinson & Grist
Lawyer of the Year
Nick Gall, Gall
Keith Ho, Wilkinson & Grist
Chris Wong, Gall
INDIA
Firm of the Year
AZB & Partners
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Khaitan & Co
L&L Partners
Phoenix Legal
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Lawyer of the Year
Rajendra Barot, AZB & Partners
Ajay Bhargava, Khaitan & Co
Jyoti Singh, Phoenix Legal
Vijayendra Pratap Singh, AZB & Partners
Pallavi Shroff, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
INDONESIA
Firm of the Year
36 Sovereign Chambers
Assegaf Hamzah & Partners
Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners
Makarim & Taira S
SSEK Legal Consultants
Suhardi Somomoeljono & Associates
Lawyer of the Year
Lia Alizia, Makarim & Taira S
Dianyndra K Hardy, Suhardi Somomoeljono & Associates
Eri Hertiawan, Assegaf Hamzah & Partners
Dewi Savitri Reni, SSEK Legal Consultants
JAPAN
Firm of the Year
Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Lawyer of the Year
Norimitsu Arai, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Yoshimasa Furuta, Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
Mugi Sekido, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Hiroyuki Tezuka, Nishimura & Asahi
Koki Yanagisawa, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
MALAYSIA
Firm of the Year
Ariff Rozhan & Co
Cecil Abraham & Partners
Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
Rahmat Lim & Partners
Skrine
Tay & Partners
Wong & Partners
Lawyer of the Year
Cecil Abraham, Cecil Abraham & Partners
Kherk Ying Chew, Wong & Partners
Yee Leong Chong, Rahmat Lim & Partners
Cindy Goh, Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
William Lim, Ariff Rozhan & Co
Chee Wee Lim, Skrine
Leonard Yeoh, Tay & Partners
NEW ZEALAND
Firm of the Year
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Chapman Tripp
Lowndes
Russell McVeagh
Wilson Harle
Lawyer of the Year
Scott Barker, Buddle Findlay
Sebastian Bisley, Buddle Findlay
Ian Denton, Wilson Harle
David Friar, Bell Gully
Jacque Lethbridge, Lowndes
Polly Pope, Russell McVeagh
PHILIPPINES
Firm of the Year
Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)
Quisumbing Torres
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Lawyer of the Year
Anthony Mark Gutierrez, Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)
Francisco Lim, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Emmanuel Lombos, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Simeon Marcelo, Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
Patricia-Ann Prodigalidad, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Ramon Quisumbing, Quisumbing Torres
SINGAPORE
Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
Drew & Napier
Rajah & Tann Singapore
Shook Lin & Bok
TSMP Law Corporation
WongPartnership
Lawyer of the Year
Cavinder Bull, Drew & Napier
Aaron Lee, Allen & Gledhill
Andre Yeap, Rajah & Tann Singapore
Alvin Yeo, WongPartnership
Thio Shen Yi, TSMP Law Corporation
SOUTH KOREA
Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Shin & Kim
Yoon & Yang
Yulchon
Lawyer of the Year
Jin Yeong Chung, Kim & Chang
Sang-Goo Han, Yoon & Yang
Doo-Sik Kim, Shin & Kim
Wook Rae Lee, Bae Kim & Lee
Sung Bom Park, Yulchon
TAIWAN
Firm of the Year
Chen & Lin
Formosan Brothers
Lee and Li
Lexcel Partners
Lin & Partners
Tsar & Tsai Law Firm
Lawyer of the Year
Che-Hung Chen, Chen & Lin
Edgar Chen, Tsar & Tsai Law Firm
Alan Lin, Lee and Li
George Lin, Lin & Partners
THAILAND
Firm of the Year
LawPlus
LS Horizon
Natipatana Law Office
Tilleke & Gibbins
Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners
Lawyer of the Year
Nattaphol Chinawong, Natipatana Law Office
Thawat Damsa-ard, Tilleke & Gibbins
Nandana Indananda, Tilleke & Gibbins
Sakchai Limsiripothong, Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners
Kowit Somwaiya, LawPlus
VIETNAM
Firm of the Year
Dzungsrt & Associates
Frasers Law Company
Tilleke & Gibbins
VILAF
YKVN
Lawyer of the Year
Dang Viet Anh, Dzungsrt & Associates
Luu Tien Dzung, YKVN
Mark Fraser, Frasers Law Company
Loc Xuan Le, Tilleke & Gibbins
Nguyen Duy Linh, VILAF
Truong Nhat Quang, YKVN
PRACTICE AREA FIRM AWARDS
Commercial & Transactions Firm of the Year
Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Drew & Napier
Kim & Chang
Skrine
Zhong Lun Law Firm
Competition/antitrust Firm of the Year
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Yulchon
Construction Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
King & Wood Mallesons
O’Melveny & Myers
Pinsent Masons
Wong & Partners
WongPartnership
Government & Regulatory Firm of the Year
Fangda Partners
Khaitan & Co
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Natipatana Law Office
Russell McVeagh
Insolvency Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
AZB & Partners
Kim & Chang
Kirkland & Ellis
Rajah & Tann Singapore
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Anand and Anand
Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
Fangda Partners
Kim & Chang
Wong & Partners
Labour & Employment Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
Baohua Law Firm
Kim & Chang
Skrine
Wong & Partners
Shipping Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Christopher & Lee Ong
Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
Kim & Chang
Rajah & Tann Singapore
Shook Lin & Bok
Tax Firm of the Year
Advaita Legal
Kim & Chang
Raja Darryl & Loh
Shearn Delamore & Co
Yulchon
White Collar Crime Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Allen & Overy
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Rajah & Tann Singapore
ARBITRATION AWARDS
International Arbitration Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Bae Kim & Lee
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
WongPartnership
Zhong Lun Law Firm
International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
Barbara Chiu, King & Wood Mallesons
Justin D'Agostino, Herbert Smith Freehills
Matthew Gearing QC, Allen & Overy
May Tai, Herbert Smith Freehills
Andre Yeap, Rajah & Tann Singapore
Alvin Yeo, WongPartnership
BOUTIQUE FIRM OF THE YEAR
BlackOak
Braddell Brothers
Cecil Abraham & Partners
Gaggar & Partners
Nair & Co
Providence Law Asia
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
International Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Mayer Brown
O’Melveny & Myers
International Firm Lawyer of the Year
Denis Brock, O’Melveny & Myers
Simon Clarke, Allen & Overy
Matthew Gearing QC, Allen & Overy
Martin Rogers, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Paul Starr, King & Wood Mallesons
Gareth Thomas, Herbert Smith Freehills
Kyle Wombolt, Herbert Smith Freehills
Methodology
After four successful years as the Asialaw Dispute Resolution Awards, the ceremony is being rebranded as the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2019 (in association with Asialaw). The Benchmark Litigation Awards launched in New York over eight years ago and has since expanded into ceremonies in Toronto, San Francisco and London.
In previous years, there has been a dedicated submission process. For efficiency (and following law firm feedback), this year the majority of the shortlist and winner decisions have been made using the existing research for the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific directory. The latest issue of the directory covered the calendar year of 2018, so firms who participated in research for that product were invited to submit extra information on cases which closed in January to June 2019.
Firms who did not participate in the directory research were invited to submit key cases from July 2018 to June 2019 inclusive. This included firms from Australia and New Zealand, which were not covered in the latest issue of the directory, but will be included in the 2019 awards (and likely next year’s directory).