On November 28, the best national and regional law firms from across the region gathered at the JW Marriott in Hong Kong for the inaugural Asialaw Asia-Pacific Legal Practice Awards.
Kim & Chang took home the star prize of Asia-Pacific firm of the year as well as firm awards for: South Korea; construction & real estate; and financial services & regulation.
The firm had further success on an individual front as O-Gon Kwon was honoured with the lifetime achievement award primarily for his work as one of the permanent judges of the UN’s International Criminal Tribunal for the former Republic of Yugoslavia.
Other regional winners included: Gilbert + Tobin in Australasia; King & Wood Mallesons in north Asia; Tilleke & Gibbins in south-east Asia; and Khaitan & Co in south Asia.
In total, the awards recognised the leading law firms across 18 practice areas and 24 jurisdictions across the region. A full list of winners can be seen below.
Please click here to see photos from the evening.
NATIONAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR WINNERS
Australia Firm of the Year
Gilbert + Tobin
Brunei Firm of the Year
Abrahams Davidson & Co
Cambodia Firm of the Year
Bun & Associates
China Firm of the Year
JunHe
Hong Kong Firm of the Year
King & Wood Mallesons
India Firm of the Year
Khaitan & Co
Indonesia Firm of the Year
Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners
Japan Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Kazakhstan Firm of the Year
Grata
Laos Firm of the Year
DFDL
Macau Firm of the Year
DSL Lawyers
Malaysia Firm of the Year
Shearn Delamore & Co
Maldives Firm of the Year
Shah Hussain & Co
Mongolia Firm of the Year
Minter Ellison
Myanmar Firm of the Year
VDB Loi
New Zealand Firm of the Year
Chapman Tripp
Pakistan Firm of the Year
RIAA Barker Gillette
Philippines Firm of the Year
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Singapore Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
South Korea Firm of the Year
Kim & Chang
Sri Lanka Firm of the Year
Nithya Partners
Taiwan Firm of the Year
Lee and Li
Thailand Firm of the Year
Tilleke & Gibbins
Vietnam Firm of the Year
YKVN
Lifetime Achievement Award
O-Gon Kwon, Kim & Chang
PRACTICE AREA WINNERS
Banking & Finance Firm of the Year
King & Wood Mallesons
Capital Markets Firm of the Year
Zhong Lun
Competition & Antitrust Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
Construction & Real Estate Firm of the Year
Kim & Chang
Corporate/M&A Firm of the Year
Shin & Kim
Dispute Resolution & Litigation Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Energy & Natural Resources Firm of the Year
Lee & Ko
Financial Services Regulatory Firm of the Year
Kim & Chang
Insurance Firm of the Year
Chapman Tripp
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year
Tilleke & Gibbins
Investment Funds Firm of the Year
Fangda Partners
IT, Telco & Media Firm of the Year
Trilegal
Labour & Employment Firm of the Year
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Private Equity Firm of the Year
Gilbert + Tobin
Projects & Infrastructure Firm of the Year
HSA Advocates
Restructuring & Insolvency Firm of the Year
Lee & Ko
Shipping, Maritime & Aviation Firm of the Year
Jipyong
Tax Firm of the Year
Shearn Delamore & Co
TEAM, IN-HOUSE AND REGIONAL WINNERS
Asia-Pacific Pro Bono Firm of the Year
TSMP Law
Asia-Pacific Innovator of the Year Award
Yulchon
Asia-Pacific Best Newcomer
FitzGerald Lawyers
Asia-Pacific In-house Team of the Year
JD
Asia-Pacific In-house Counsel of the Year
Geraldine Lim, regional legal director, Heineken
Australasia Firm of the Year
Gilbert + Tobin
North Asia Firm of the Year
King & Wood Mallesons
South-east Asia Firm of the Year
Tilleke & Gibbins
South Asia Firm of the Year
Khaitan & Co
Asia-Pacific Firm of the Year
Kim & Chang