It was a jubilant night for Linklaters and Mayer Brown JSM at The Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2012, which was held on Sept. 7 at the Conrad Hong Kong. Linklaters took home the coveted Hong Kong Law Firm of the Year award, while Mayer Brown JSM won a slew of trophies that saluted four of its market-leading practices.
The event recognised the best law firms and legal work in Hong Kong. The evening drew a number of high-profile legal luminaries, including the Guest of Honour, Gordon Jones, HKSI Honorary Fellow, the former Registrar of Companies.
In addition to bagging the top prize of the night, Linklaters was recognised for its work on three winning deals: the Korea Deal of the Year (Lonestar Funds-KEB Holdings Sale of Stake in Korea Exchange Bank to Hana Financial Group), the Debt Market Deal of the Year (the PRC Government [Ministry of Finance] Bonds Issuance) and the M&A Deal of the Year (AIG’s Strategic Sell-down of Its Shareholding in AIA). Linklaters Hong Kong partner, Teresa Ma, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be named ALB Law Firm of the Year. It is such an honour to have the work of our team recognised by clients and fellow professionals. This will spur us to be even better - more astute, more efficient and always with an eye on contributing value to our clients' strategic priorities."
Mayer Brown JSM was awarded for its insolvency and restructuring, real estate, construction, and employment practices. "We are delighted to have received the awards from ALB," said Elaine Lo, senior partner and Asia chair of Mayer Brown JSM. "They are indeed testaments to the skills and the outstanding quality of legal services our lawyers have provided to our clients. We remain committed to developing our capabilities, and to continue delivering excellence going forward."
The event also singled out Hong Kong’s leading individual talents. On the in-house side, Tim Steinert of the Alibaba Group was named the Hong Kong In-House Lawyer of the Year.
Stuart Fuller, the global managing partner of King & Wood Mallesons, scored a big win by taking home the Managing Partner of the Year prize. “I’m delighted to have received the award for MP of the Year in Hong Kong. King & Wood Mallesons is in a unique market position in Hong Kong following the full merger of our two firms. I’d like to acknowledge that leading our Hong Kong firm is the product of teamwork,” he told ALB. “This includes the terrific contributions made by David Bateson and Simon Yung to lead the practice, the partners for their focus on the client and market opportunities, and all of our people in responding so well to the big changes that we have made to the firm since March 1.”
The Hong Kong Dealmaker of the Year award went to Robert Ashworth of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, who won the Managing Partner of the Year last year. He was delighted to be acknowledged by the legal community, and said: “ALB Law Awards is a great platform to showcase and recognise outstanding practitioners and firms, as well as exciting developments in the Asia legal market. In a year that has seen plenty of activity, particularly in cross border M&A and private equity across Asia, I am very honoured to be named the Dealmaker of the Year for 2012," he said.
In a first for any offshore law firm in the history of ALB, Maples and Calder managed a multijurisdictional sweep for its wins of the Offshore Law Firm of the Year in 2012 at all of ALB’s awards, namely China, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. "September 2012 has been a month of firsts for us at Maples,” says Hong Kong Maples and Calder partner, Christine Chang. “We became the first ever firm to win ALB Offshore Law Firm of the Year in all four jurisdictions last Friday, and then on Monday, we proudly announced the opening of our first Southeast Asian office in Singapore. We look forward to celebrating with all our clients and friends, without whom this would not have been possible."
Other winners of the night included Withers, Herbert Smith, Baker & McKenzie, Clifford Chance, Morgan Stanley, Bird & Bird, Clyde & Co, Pinsent Masons, Holman Fenwick Willan, Charltons, Haldanes, Lee and Li, Jun He, Kim & Chang, Leighton, MTR Corporation, AIA, PCCW, Citigroup, Hongkong Land and COSCO Pacific.
The full list of finalists and winners can be found on The Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2012 website:http://hk.albawards.legalbusinessonline.com/Winners/29863/details.aspx
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