JUDGING PANEL

 Each year, ALB invites an independent judging panel of senior and expert legal industry leaders from various sectors corresponding to the diverse list of award categories. ALB is pleased to introduce some of the distinguished judges who reviewed the submissions, together with the rest of the panel who will be revealed on the evening of the awards.

Jasmine Karimi
Head of Legal, APAC, Avanos Medical

Jasmine Karimi has over 20 years of legal experience and has worked in law firms and MNCs in the U.S., UK, Canada, Hong Kong & Singapore, across diverse sectors (media, manufacturing, luxury retail and healthcare). Currently, she is the head of legal for Avanos Medical, an NYSE listed medical technology company focused on delivering clinically superior breakthrough medical device solutions for pain management and chronic care to improve patients’ quality of life.

A firm believer in giving back, Jasmine is the immediate past president of the Hong Kong Corporate Counsel Association (now ACC Hong Kong). She is currently the co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce Women’s Task Force, serves on the SIAC Users Council and industry advisory boards.

Jasmine has been named as one of the leading influential in-house lawyers in business in Asia in The Legal 500: Corporate Counsel 100 Asia 2014 and featured in the inaugural edition of the World’s Leading General Counsels book.

Jasmine has an LL.B. (Hons) from the U.K., and an LLM specializing in IP law from Canada. She is admitted to practice law in England & Wales, Singapore, Canada, and Hong Kong. 

 

Marianne Malate-Guerrero
Senior Vice President and Group Head for Legal Services, United Coconut Planters Bank Philippines

Atty. Marianne (“Ianne”) Guerrero carries with her almost thirty years of legal experience, having started her legal career in 1989 as an associate in one of the top ranking law firms in the Philippines, Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon and San Jose. During those nine years with the firm, she honed her skills in corporate litigation, contract drafting and negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, labor and intellectual property.  Subsequently, she began her career as an in-house counsel when she was invited by a banking institution, Solidbank Corporation, to be its first General Counsel.  Two years into that role, Ms. Guerrero moved on to a senior role in a Singaporean bank, United Overseas Bank, as Senior Vice President and Legal Head for its Philippine operations.  After five years with UOB, Ms. Guerrero joined the largest conglomerate in the Philppines, the SM Group.  There she took on the role of Senior Vice President and Legal Head of its mother company, SM Investments Corporation.  During her eleven years  with SM, her legal team serviced almost all the subsidiaries and affiliates of the SM Group.

Currently, Ms. Guerrero is the Senior Vice President and Group Head for Legal Services in United Coconut Planters Bank Philippines, one of the larger banks in the Philippines, which focuses on consumer loans.


 

Maree Myerscough
General Counsel, Conergy

Maree is the general counsel for Conergy, a renewable energy company that develops, builds, owns and operates solar power generation assets. Conergy was recently acquired by Macquarie Capital to be their solar platform for the Asia Pacific region.

At Conergy, Maree is a member of the senior management team and responsible for managing Conergy’s legal affairs in the Asia Pacific region.  She provides legal advice and transaction support for each of Conergy’s business units.  Maree also provides strategic advice on investment opportunities, corporate governance and general commercial matters and helps to manage and mitigate disputes across the region. 

Maree was awarded the 2018 Global Counsel Award in the category of Individual: General Commercial at a reception held in New York, and was included in ALB’s 40 Under 40 List for 2018.

Maree is qualified to practice law in Australia and England & Wales and has been based in Singapore for twelve years.
 

Aldana Lopez
Head of Compliance, Daimler Trucks North America, and former General Counsel of Daimler Financial Services Africa & Asia Pacific Regional Office in Singapore

Aldana Lopez was the first woman appointed as general counsel of the Daimler Financial Services Africa and Asia Pacific Regional Office in Singapore, a position that she held until November 2018. She is currently the head of the Compliance Department of Daimler Trucks North America, the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles in North America.

Aldana has more than 15 years of legal and compliance experience in the automotive and finance industry in Daimler Group companies in Latin America and Asia. 

Putu Dewika Angganingrum
Senior Vice President and Group Head For Legal & Compliance Department, Pt Danareksa (Persero)

Putu Dewika is the group head for Legal & Compliance Department and also serves as the senior vice-president of Legal Department of PT Danareksa (Persero), a well-known state-owned company and pioneer of capital market industry in Indonesia. Dewika started her law career as an associate in HHP Baker McKenzie. During her five years with Baker Mckenzie, she honed her skills in capital market, banking & finance, and intellectual property. She also has strong background in handling M&A and debt restructuring.

She began her career as in-house counsel when she was invited by PT Danareksa Sekuritas, the subsidiary of PT Danareksa (Persero), one of the biggest securities company in Indonesia. She became the group head supervising the legal department of PT Danareksa Sekuritas.

After two years with PT Danareksa Sekuritas, Dewika was invited to move to the holding company of PT Danareksa Sekuritas, as senior vice-president and group head of the Legal and Compliance Department.
 

Randi Ikhlas Sardoni
Head of Legal & Corporate Secretary, Great Eastern Life Indonesia

Randi Ikhlas Sardoni is the head of legal and corporate secretariat in Great Eastern Life Indonesia. He started legal practice as associate at one of Jakarta’s prominent law firms, and later dedicated his career as in house counsel at PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero).  In 2013, he moved to PT Panin Dai-ichi and has been promoted as head of legal and corporate secretary.

He is registered member of the Indonesian Advocate Association (PERADI) as an advocate and also seated as legal advisor in Sharia Insurance Association of Indonesia  (AASI) , and holds a Certified Professional, Life & Health Insurance (CPLHI) license from LOMA - Canada.

Randi received his Bachelor of Laws from University of Indonesia.

Roel Arco Refran
Chief Operating Officer, Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc

Atty. Roel Arco Refran is the chief operating officer of The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc, (PSE), recognized as the Best Stock Exchange for 2016, 2015 and 2013 by Alpha Southeast Asia Deal Awards. He is co-chairperson of the Philippines’ National Market Practice Group (PH NMPG), and chairs the Capital Market Development Committee of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Philippine Fulbright Scholars Association. He is the Vice Chairperson of the Commercial Law Department of the Ateneo Law School, where he is also a professor of law. He was awarded the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of the Philippines (UP) Virata School of Business where he is a professorial lecturer 1.  Atty Refran is a lecturer at De La Salle University College of Law and Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management. Atty. Refran holds an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School (USA) where he was a Fulbright scholar. While at Emory University, Atty. Refran worked at the Emory Center for Alternative Investments. He earned his business administration and accountancy degree, magna cum laude, from UP, and his Juris Doctor degree, Second Honors, from Ateneo Law School. 

Abdiel Dan Elijah S. Fajardo
National President, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Abdiel Fajardo is the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ (IBP) national president and partner at Solis Medina Limpingco & Fajardo.

Prior to joining Solis Medina Limpingco & Fajardo he was assistant director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and corporate secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and was also elected governor of Western Visayas.  He was IBP’s executive vice-president in 2015 and IBP Antique Chapter’s former director.

He earned his degree in law and economics at the University of the Philippines and was admitted to practice law in 1998.
 

Chau Ee Lee
Vice Chairman, Society of Construction Law (Singapore)

Chau Ee, a partner at King & Wood Mallesons, where he splits his time between their Beijing and Singapore offices with a particular focus on advising clients in energy and infrastructure projects on the Belt and Road Initiative.

He has specialised as construction and engineering lawyer for more than twenty years while living and working in London, Dubai, Beijing and Singapore.  Chau Ee has a cradle-to-grave international construction and engineering practice advising clients in energy and infrastructure projects from conception, inception to completion of a project life-cycle. He has appeared as counsel, co-counsel and lead solicitor in domestic and international disputes under the auspices of international arbitral institutions (LCIA, ICC, SIAC, TAI, BANI, VIAC, DIAC, ADCCAC), ad-hoc non-institutional arbitrations (UNCITRAL) and in construction industry-specific arbitration rules such as the UK’s Construction Industry Model Arbitration Rules (CIMAR).

For more than a decade, he has been recognised as a leading construction and engineering lawyer in international independent legal directories such as Who’s Who Legal and Euromoney’s Guide to World’s Leading Experts, among others, in Beijing, Dubai and Singapore.

Capt.  Frederick James Francis
Head at International Maritime Programmes Division, Singapore Maritime Academy, Singapore Polytechnic

Capt. Frederick Francis is a veteran seafarer and researcher. He sailed as master on several types of merchant ships and served his national service in the Singapore Navy where he was awarded Best Recruit and Outstanding Soldier. After stepping ashore, he joined Singapore Polytechnic as a lecturer.

He mediated and apportioned blame for collision, is an expert witness in arbitration and litigation cases, and was an IMO-ASEAN legal consultant. 

Francis, who has lectured and written on topics embracing maritime heritage, authored several books including Maritime Heritage of Singapore, Halsbury’s Laws of Singapore, Shipping volumes and History of Singapore – Islands and Islanders. 

He serves various professional organizations and was given awards including the Port of Singapore Authority Commendable Act, the United States Coast Guard Public Service Commendation and USCG Certificate of Merit, SP Green Buddy, Innovative & Creativity, R&D Commendation, among others. Recently, he received National Council of Social Service Long Service Award and the Ministry of Education - Service to Education Award. He is also the founding Commodore of the Youth Skipper Flotilla Society initiating and showcasing maritime heritage projects to the public and to schools.

Francis earned his Degree of Master of Laws (LL.M) in Legal Aspects of Marine Affairs in 2001 from Cardiff University.
 

Handa S. Abidin, SH, LLM, PhD
Vice Rector for Communication and Partnerships, President University

Handa S. Abidin, SH, LLM., PhD is the Vice Rector for Communication and Partnerships as well as a lecturer in law at President University, Indonesia. As a lecturer, he teaches a course named “Legal Industry and Career Preparation” that discussing inter alia the development of law firms in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Handa was involved as one of the judges of the ALB Indonesia Law Awards 2015, 2017, and 2018 as well as the ALB Southeast Asia Law Awards 2018 and 2019.

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