GLE Awards 2013 by Utopia Ventures Limited

Global Law Experts and

Global Accountancy Experts Practice Awards

2013

2013 GLOBAL LAW EXPERTS AND GLOBAL ACCOUNTANCY EXPERTS PRACTICE AWARDS

CONTENTS: 04. Africa & the Middle East GLE Winners 16. The Americas GLE Winners 45. Asia & Oceania GLE Winners 60. Europe GLE Winners 89. GAE Introduction 90. Africa & the Middle East GAE Winners 92. The Americas GAE Winners 95. Asia & Oceania GAE Winners 97. Europe GAE Winners 100. Index

WELCOME TO THE 2013 GLOBAL LAW EXPERTS (GLE) AND GLOBAL ACCOUNTANCY EXPERTS (GAE) PRACTICE AWARDS PUBLICATION.

In order to select our winners, we undertook research in all practice areas, creating a shortlist of firms that are deemed experts within their chosen specialisms. During an initial recommendation stage, we received responses from business directors, in-house counsel, independent firms, high net-worth individuals, bar associations, visitors to the GLE and GAE websites, and LinkedIn users. These recommendations were combined with our independent research to create the finished shortlist for each country and practice area. The shortlisted firms were then judged on client testimonials, case studies, legal ranking and published material, as well as the performance and standing of the teams’ individual attorneys.

Editor: John Martin awards-editor@globallawexperts.com www.globallawexperts.com www.globalaccountancyexperts.com

We have broken down the winners by continent, country and practice area. Many of the firms selected can offer a multitude of services to clients and have provided a firm summary to this effect; meanwhile, some have chosen to profile their expertise concerning their winning category – providing details of their case work and some up-to-date industry commentary. Congratulations to each of the recipients of GLE and GAE’s 2013 Practice Awards.

Reprints & Permissions: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any manner or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors and claims made by third parties.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 03

Africa and the Middle East are both highly varied regions with countries at both extremes of the wealth spectrum. The North African region has been host to some significant developments in recent years. Massive anti-government demonstrations and revolution-like protests dominated international headlines as some elements of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s populations voiced their feelings of no-confidence against their respective governments in countries such as Egypt and Tunisia. As the disruption from these events settles, North Africa faces a new challenge of finding jobs for the 9.8 million young people entering the labour market between now and 2020. According to the OECD, growth in the 10 years preceding the Arab Spring did not make it possible for North African countries to create enough jobs for the young. The regional unemployment rate among the 15 to 24 year-old age group is on average 23%, which is three to four times higher than that of adults. But the rate is 41% if the discouraged are included: that is, those young inactive people in a position to work, but not looking for employment, and so are not included in the official statistics. Over the last decade, Morocco and Algeria have achieved a rate of job creation higher than the rate of growth of the active population, but the young have benefited least. In other countries in the region, economic growth has not been sufficient to create jobs at a rate matching population growth. The arrival of young people on the labour market represents an opportunity, but it could also be a factor of instability if their aspirations are not taken into account. Mthuli Ncube, chief economist at the African Development Bank, noted: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taking into account present trends, the education of young people in terms of numbers of years of school and college is progressing faster than population growth in North Africa. This represents a unique opportunity for the economic and social development of the region, on condition that advantage is taken of this talent, this reservoir of human capital in full growth, and it is directed towards the productive sectors of the economy.â&#x20AC;? The OECD believes that although the supply of graduates has increased rapidly, economies remain focused on sectors of activity that are incapable of providing jobs that correspond to their level of studies, such as clothing and textiles or the mechanical industry. Further still, unless strategies are adopted for an inclusive growth which creates greater numbers of jobs for the well

04 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Africa & the Middle East GLE Winners

qualified, these countries run the risk of seeing their stability threatened by those who have been left behind or rejected, as was the case in 2011 in several North African countries. The Middle East is best known for producing and exporting oil, which has a significant impact on the entire region, both through the wealth that it generates and through the movement of labour. However, many countries in the region, such as Bahrain, are seeking to produce income streams geared away from oil in an effort to diversify their economies. In particular, Bahrain and other states are looking to strengthen their financial industries. Besides oil, other industries that contribute to the Middle East’s economy include agriculture, cotton, livestock, textiles, metals and defence equipment. Both Africa and the Middle East are emerging from recession, with economic growth boosted by demand for exports, increased public spending, greater availability of cross-border credit, as well as improvements in commodity and oil prices and global trade. South Africa’s former economic policy was fiscally conservative, focusing on controlling inflation and attaining a budget surplus. The current government largely follows the same prudent policies – but must contend with the impact of the global crisis, and is facing growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas, and to increase job growth.

Contents:

07.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cross Border Law Firm of the Year / Cabinet Dorothée Madiya, Avocats et Mandataires en Mines

07.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cross Border Law Firm of the Year / Cabinet Dorothée Madiya, Avocats et Mandataires en Mines

et Carrières

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 05

Africa & the Middle East GLE Winners

08.

Egypt

08.

Francophone Africa Full Service Law Firm of the Year / John W Ffooks & Co

09.

Ghana

Commercial Dispute Resolution Firm of the Year / TETTEH & CO.

09.

Israel

Finance Law Firm of the Year / Preis, Baharav & Co.

10.

Israel

Patents Law Firm of the Year / Ehrlich & Fenster

10.

Mali

Business Law Firm of the Year / Cabinet Juri-Partner

11.

Mauritius

Full Service Law Firm of the Year / C&A Law

11.

Nigeria

Commercial Law Firm of the Year / Hermon (Barristers, Solicitors & Notary Public)

12.

Nigeria

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year / Tayo Oyetibo & Co.

13.

Nigeria

Full Service IP Law Firm of the Year / Jackson, Etti & Edu

14.

Nigeria

Trademark Law Firm of the Year / Jackson, Etti & Edu

15.

The Seychelles

Commercial Law Firm of the Year / Law Chambers of Kieran Bhogilal

15.

South Africa

White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year / Nortons Inc.

06 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Arbitration Firm of the Year / HAFEZ

The Democratic Republic of the Congo - Cross Border Law Firm of the Year Cabinet Dorothée Madiya, Avocats et Mandataires en Mines et Carrières Maître Dorothée Madiya Mwamba Partner Tel: +243 999305580 dorothee@madiyalaw.com / madiyadorothe@yahoo.fr madiyalaw.com

Cabinet Dorothée Madiya is a law firm of attorneys specialising in matters pertaining to mines and quarries. The firm’s staff is comprised of 14 consultants with expertise in natural resources law, business law, tax law as well as labour law. Dynamism, expertise and availability of its members have enabled the firm to ensure the interests of several national and international mining companies. Moreover, partner Dorothée Madiya Mwamba is active in providing and lobbying for the best possible course of action for each client. Bespoke services are provided, and the clients’ best interests are paramount. Cabinet Dorothée Madiya’s headquarters are located in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); meanwhile, the firm maintains an office in the province of Katanga. According to Ms Madiya, a balanced distribution of clients – both companies (of varying sizes) and individuals – taking into account widespread international laws, is a guarantee of continued and improving expertise. Ms Madiya’s key accolades include, among numerous others: assisting in the process of review of mining contracts in the DRC; participation in the drafting and negotiation of mining agreements on behalf of several mining companies; drafting and negotiation of preliminary agreements on mining on behalf of foreign companies; participation

in a seminar on the mining sector’s contribution to economic recovery in the DRC (2002); and acting as a member of the editorial board of the law review ‘Juricongo’ (1998). Meanwhile, Cabinet Dorothée Madiya is noted for its consultants’: mastery of Congolese law pertaining to business; proven experience in assisting clients, particularly in matters of mining rights; broad and deep knowledge of the Congolese administration and business practices in the DRC; diversified expertise; as well as its high level of availability and adaptability where clients are concerned. When asked about some key legal issues that the firm faces at present, Ms Madiya added that conflicts between the tax and customs Special Mining Code and the common law, as well as the unjustified imposition of common law tenure to mining operators in connection with their mining concessions, are particularly prevalent. She noted: “Many disputes are born concerning the Congolese mining tax and customs law, as well as the Mining Code and Special Code. These disputes have been solved several times with our technical advice or legal proceedings aimed at enforcing the law enshrined in the Mining Code. “For the remainder of 2013, our plan is to adapt our work in relation to the new national legal framework enacted by the OHADA system, in force since September 2012. This proactive approach will also be developed to meet the expectations of clients in light of slow administration.”

LAW E X

RTS

GLO

The Democratic Republic of the Congo - Cross Border Law Firm of the Year

PRACTICE AWARDS

Cabinet Dorothée Madiya is a law firm of attorneys specialising in matters pertaining to mines and quarries. The firm’s staff is comprised of 14 consultants with expertise in natural resources law, business law, tax law as well as labour law. Dynamism, expertise and availability of its members have enabled the firm to ensure the interests of several national and international mining companies. Cabinet Dorothée Madiya’s headquarters are located in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); meanwhile, the firm maintains an office in the province of Katanga. Expertise: • Mining Law • Energy Law • Right of Hydrocarbons • Corporate

Cabinet Dorothée Madiya, Avocats et Mandataires en Mines et Carrières Maître Dorothée Madiya Mwamba

• Tax • Labour Law • Banking

Partner Tel: +243 999305580 / +243 85 5253 667 dorothee@madiyalaw.com madiyadorothe@yahoo.fr madiyalaw.com

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 00

Egypt - Arbitration Firm of the Year HAFEZ Karim Hafez Senior Partner Tel: +20 2 2798 0200/244 karim.hafez@hafeznet.com / info@hafeznet.com www.hafeznet.com

Hafez is generally recognised as the premier trial law firm in the Arab Middle East, and our arbitration practice is acknowledged as preeminent in the region. The principal activity in which the firm is engaged is in the field of controverted claims. The firm is generally retained by states and institutions, including Fortune 500 companies, and we are ranked as a first-tier dispute resolution law firm in all major international legal directories. From its founding in 2004, the Cairo office has grown from three to 23 lawyers qualified in multiple jurisdictions, with considerable experience handling complex and high-value international arbitrations under the auspices of every major arbitral institution in the world. 2010 saw the establishment of the firm’s Paris office in response to growing demand from our European and North American clients. Our strategic plan has us opening offices in Doha, Riyadh and, security permitting, Tripoli and Baghdad Senior partner Dr. Karim Hafez is a full-time international arbitration lawyer. He regularly acts as chairman, sole and party-appointed arbitrator in disputes spanning the economic spectrum. As counsel, he is instructed by states, state-owned entities, private investors and corporations, and has prosecuted, defended and advised on scores of large-value complex arbitrations in most industries – with an emphasis

on telecom, investment, construction, project finance, power generation, oil and gas and corporate disputes. He has handled cases under most major arbitration rules, including the arbitration rules of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), among others. Moreover, he is the author of: ‘The General Principles of Law Applicable to International Disputes’, 64 Arbitration 1-15, Feb. 1998, Supp.; ‘The Supervisory Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice’, 64 Arbitration 228, August 1998; ‘Styles of advocacy, arbitrator temperament, and the analytics of arbitral scholarship’, Arab Journal of International Arbitration, 2005. Dr. Hafez’s past arbitration work includes representing state entity Telecom Egypt in multi-billion dollar arbitrations with rival outfits Orascom Telecom and Vodafone, as well as representing the Egyptian government against investment treaty claims. He has appeared on numerous arbitral tribunals, including hearing a claim against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at ICSID; meanwhile, the firm’s Gulf-related work includes representing a Kuwaiti holding company against Egypt under the Kuwait-Egypt investment treaty on behalf of one of its holdings, an Alexandria based fertiliser supplier. In that case, the firm is co-counsel with Clifford Chance in London.

Francophone Africa - Full Service Law Firm of the Year John W Ffooks & Co John Ffooks Senior Partner Tel: +261 20 224 3247 john@jwflegal.com www.jwflegal.com

John W Ffooks & Co is one of Francophone Africa’s leading international law firms. The firm specialises in advising inward investors to the region and provide unparalleled service and results. Managed by a bilingual

UK qualified lawyer, and with over a dozen nationally and internationally

trained assistants, the firm is able to offer a depth and breadth of service

John W Ffooks & Co prides itself on the quality and the targeted nature of its advice. The firm is able to advise clients at any stage of an investment. The firm has the experience of directly advising boards of listed companies on their overall strategy in Francophone Africa. Equally, the firm excels in the detailed application of that strategy, working together with local and regional manage-

which is unique in the Francophone African world.

ment to ensure its successful implementation.

The firm’s Senior Partner qualified and worked at both a leading City of

poleonic and English law expertise, making the firm better able to deal with

London law firm and a global US law firm. He has also worked in-house

Anglophone-orientated transactions. The firm’s City of London experience al-

on commercial legal issues in Southern Africa. The firm’s staff has signifi-

lows it to anticipate the client’s needs, making it a proactive partner in dealing

cant experience of their fields and in advising on Africa and the Indian

with local counsel. The firm is a member of the Lex Africa network.

The firm is the only firm in Francophone Africa with such developed Na-

Ocean region. The Senior Partner has a depth of knowledge developed

The firm’s multi-jurisdictional experience and coverage enables it to provide

from working within European legal systems and is assisted by a team of

advice on a number of fronts, whether multi-country legal framework reviews,

multilingual lawyers from Francophone jurisdictions who bring with them

assessing legal liability across a number of countries, as well as related regu-

a detailed understanding of law and practice across the region. The firm

latory issues.

is experienced in legal matters pertaining to the fields of mining, oil &

John W Ffooks & Co is delighted to have been appointed Lex Africa member

gas, banking & finance, telecommunications, stock market listing AIM –

firm for Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR). Senior Partner

TSX - ASX, mergers & acquisitions, real estate and employment law. The

John Ffooks said:

firm’s collective experience, business acumen, and efficient, cost-effec-

“This confirms John W Ffooks & Co as the pre-eminent international law firm

tive service enable it to operate well above its weight, in being one of the

in Francophone Africa. The firm is delighted at this recognition and thanks its

leading commercial legal service providers in French-speaking Africa.

staff for their hard work and its clients for their continued support.”

08 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Ghana - Commercial Dispute Resolution Firm of the Year TETTEH & CO. S Kwami Tetteh Partner and Head of Chambers Tel/Fax: (233) 0302 662 117; 661776; 7011364 Mobile: 0277 546399 tettehco@africaonline.com.gh

SOLOMON KWAMI TETTEH

Other Areas of Practice: Litigation and general practice in the following areas: Banking, Corporate Law, Investment, Commercial Law, Shipping,

QUALIFICATION

Family Law, Intellectual Property, Mergers and Acquisition; Mining and

Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public

Minerals Property Law, Securities Law, Taxation and Telecommunications.

Areas of Operation

Others

Arbitration Positions and Experience: Former Vice-Chairman of

Past President of the Ghana Bar Association, the professional association

Ghana Arbitration Centre; Member of the London Court of Interna-

of recognised lawyers in Ghana; Former Lecturer, Ghana School of Law;

tional Arbitration (LCIA); Member, Arbitration Committee of Inter-

Former Editor, Ghana Bar Reports; received an award from the Law Faculty

national Bar Association; Associate Member, Chartered Institute of

of the University of Ghana on 13 March 1999 for outstanding legal practice,

Arbitrators, UK; attended arbitration seminars in and out of Ghana;

also on 30 September 2001 the Ghana Bar Association for a distinguished

published an article on Arbitration in Ghana in 2002 in LCIA maga-

legal practice and contribution to the Association. Holder of national hon-

zine; has practised arbitration as arbitrator or counsel; participated

ours, Order of the Volta (Officer) for Contribution to the Legal Profession.

in international arbitration as expert witness and counsel in international arbitration proceedings.

Address: Heritage Tower, Ridge Ambassadorial Enclave, Accra

Author of Civil Procedure – A Practical Approach, 1152 page book

45 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue

on civil procedure in the Ghana, containing a chapter on Alternative

P. O. Box GP 14767

Dispute Resolution.

Accra, Ghana

Israel - Finance Law Firm of the Year Preis, Baharav & Co. Ronen Baharav Partner Tel: +972 3 541 5555 baharav@pnb.co.il www.pnb.co.il

Preis, Baharav & Co. has been awarded Finance Law Firm of the Year 2013 in Israel due to its continuing leading position in the Israeli market. In a short period of time since its establishment in 2011, the firm has represented leading banks, financial institutions and corporations in complex finance transactions due to its highly esteemed professionalism, expertise, reputation, experience and service. Preis, Baharav & Co. was founded in 2011 by Ronen Baharav and Dr Ziv Preis, former partners with one of the most prominent Israeli law firms, as an elite boutique law firm in the areas of banking & finance, corporate and mergers & acquisitions, based on its partners’ core values of partner level service and dedication, commitment to excellence, efficiency and teamwork. The Banking and Finance team led by Ronen Baharav has a vast experience and reputation in successfully handling complex domestic and international finance transactions, as well as providing regulatory advice to Israeli and international banks and financing institutions operating in Israel. Ronen Baharav has been involved from the earliest stages of his legal career, in the top edge of the finance realm in Israel, personally representing parties to the largest financing transactions in Israel in the last ten years. He has personally drafted, negotiated and handled some

of the financing agreements for the largest financing transactions in Israel, and built his reputation as one of the true leading banking lawyers in Israel. Ronen Baharav has worked closely with all major Israeli banks and financial institutions as well as with fortune 500 intentional banks. Since the establishment of the firm, Preis, Baharav & Co. has been representing leading corporations in their finance activities (lenders and borrowers alike), including, among others, Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Origo Leverage Fund, Altshuler Shaham Provident Funds, Meitav Provident Funds, Helman Aldubi Finance, Hadas Arazim Investments, the Azrieli Group, the Tnuva Group, and the Histadrut, Israel’s largest and prominent labor union. Given the broad international work and experience of the firm’s team members, the firm often represents and advises Israeli and Israeli related entities in their financial activities abroad. In the last 12 months, the firm has handled financing matters ranging from a few tens of millions of NIS to over a billion NIS. In addition to legal professionalism and expertise of the highest levels, Preis, Baharav & Co. provides clients with meaningful analyses of the risks involved in contemplated financial transactions; meanwhile, the firm offers significant added value in resolving and addressing business, finance and regulatory issues. Accompanied by strong negotiation skills and creativity, the firm offers a winning combination – assisting clients to close transactions on the best possible terms, efficiently and prudently.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 09

Israel - Patents Law Firm of the Year Ehrlich & Fenster G. E. Ehrlich Founder and Managing Director Tel: +73-7919199 info@ipatent.co.il www.ipatent.co.il

Ehrlich & Fenster is Israel’s leading patent attorneys firm, offering premiere expertise in all matters concerning the protection and prosecution of intellectual property. The synergism between highly personalized service and unrivalled expertise in all technological fields has made Ehrlich & Fenster the most reputable IP firm in Israel. The firm and its team are renowned for excellence in both the local and international professional arena, being ranked first in Israel by Chambers & Partners, MIP, IAM and Corporate INTL Legal Awards. Extensive professional knowledge and experience, along with scientific insight, enables Ehrlich & Fenster to offer an optimal IP strategy. The firm assists in managing the IP portfolios of clients in light of the client’s business strategy – be it in licensing, investment, financing and/or buyout exits and deals amounting to billions of dollars. The firm helps clients identify, determine and broaden the protection scope of their core IP. This is achieved by analyzing and assessing the potential business opportunities that may emerge from the client’s innovative technologies and areas of invention. Ehrlich & Fenster’ strategic advantage is in its ability to identify the individual or multi-core technologies often hidden within a development. The firm pursues all the potential business directions available to a client including buying, in-and-out licensing, selling and international expansion.

Rankings The publication Managing Intellectual Property recently published the 2011 MIP Handbook, which ranks all of the patent attorney firms worldwide. The editorial coverage included the following statements: Ehrlich & Fenster keeps its position as a leading patent prosecution firm. It is “very open-minded, has a strategic point of view of the cases and manages cases with transparency... it is also dedicated, ready to meet whatever deadline if requested and has great administration,” says a client. The firm has a market reputation of a high quality patent outfit, especially in chemistry, medicine and biotechnology. “I use more than 10 firms to handle my portfolio and cases, and Ehrlich is by far the best... when I have a complicated task, it is my first choice,” says a client. Gal Ehrlich “combines thorough understanding of a client’s business needs with the ability to expose the heart of an invention in its broader scope” says a client, while Roy Melzer “is also very good and combines creativity and practicality in drafting and prosecuting”. The “individuals are superb and very professional, the office as a whole is very reliable and is a secure place to maintain all our files without any worry, they are organized, trusted and have good back-up,” says a third client. Among recent successes, the firm saved a client from IP litigation in Japan, struck major licensing deals for drug and agro-technology companies, and advised clients on interventions, license agreements and patent sales. Ehrlich & Fenster takes pride in this achievement and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for putting your trust in us and to reaffirm our commitment to customer service and quality. This recent ranking adds to the positioning of Ehrlich & Fenster as the leading IP firm in Israel.

Mali - Business Law Firm of the Year Cabinet Juri-Partner Maître Mamadou Gaoussou Diarra Partner Tel: +(223) 20 22 28 42 mediarra@juripartner.com www.juripartner.com

Cabinet Juri-Partner’s customers are mainly companies or para-

of Labour (Labour Court, Social Chamber of the Courts of Appeal, Supreme

statals (quasi-governmental organizations). Meanwhile, the firm’s

Court) concerning civil advice and assistance.

laws and real estate.

modules on general commercial law, corporate law (OHADA uniform acts) or

active sectors include finance, IT and technology, mining, OHADA

Today, Cabinet Juri-Partner is widely known for supporting its clients

Cabinet Juri-Partner can also design and implement interactive training various other aspects of law. At local or national level, the firm works with many professionals (lawyers,

at all stages of the development of their business. Services on offer

judges, lawyers, university professors, administrators) with recognized

in this area encompass: legal advice, completion of formalities,

expertise.

following procedures for obtaining approval/authorization, writing articles, holding meetings, insolvency advice, negotiation and drafting of commercial contracts, business management, as well as litigation. Moreover, assistance in the recruitment of staff includes: prepara-

The firm’s fees are set freely and in accordance with the rules and habits of the legal profession. Maître Mamadou Gaoussou Diarra has a good knowledge of business law in Mali and in the sub-region, as well as possessing substantial experience

tion of employment contracts (CDI-CDI); advice and assistance

in the practice of law, especially in business law intersecting corporate law,

during individual or collective disputes; assistance or representation

securities, arbitration, financing etc.

during inspections; and assistance or representation in the courts

10 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

65, RUE 139 Badala SEMA II - BP.E 5354 Bamako (MALI)

Mauritius - Full Service Law Firm of the Year C&A Law Gilles Athaw Partner Tel: +230 466 0500 gilles.athaw@calaw.mu www.calaw.mu

C&A Law is one of the first law firms to have been registered by the office of the Attorney General of Mauritius. Strategically located in the prime financial services area of Mauritius, C&A Law provides a full service focusing mainly on related corporate and commercial law for both international and domestic clients. Today, the firm is dedicated to providing full assistance from the early structuring stage of a corporation throughout its business operations life by offering tailor-made legal support for the corporation’s licensing requirements, financing transactions, tax issues, employment law matters, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring or listing on the Mauritius stock exchange and insolvency law matters. According to partner Gilles Athaw, the strength of C&A Law lies in the firm’s ability to fulfil its commitments on time. Clients have never failed to show their appreciation for C&A Law’s timely, efficient and cost-effective service. One source interviewed by Chambers Global praised C&A Law for being “very responsive, thoughtful in their work and commercial in their approach”. Another source interviewed by IFLR has praised C&A Law for its corporate and litigation work: “The lawyers at the firm are very professional and they know what clients want. They have expertise on corporate law and litigation matters and we rely on them on such

matters”. When asked about the firm’s 2012 successes, Mr Athaw noted: “C&A Law has won the IFLR Asia Award 2012 - Project Finance Deal of the Year - for advising on the Financing of the Jurong Aromatics Project. The firm also won the Finance Monthly Deal Maker of the Year 2012 Award – for advising on the Acquisition of the Accra Mall by Atterbury and Sanlam; as well as being highly recommended as ‘Leaders in their field’ for the Mauritius jurisdiction by Chambers Global - The Clients Guide 2012. Moreover, C&A Law has been ranked as a leading law firm for the Mauritius jurisdiction by IFLR 1000, The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firm - 2013 Edition.” Meanwhile, partner Gilles Athaw has been recognised as a leading lawyer by both Chambers Global - The Clients Guide 2012 and IFLR 1000, The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firm - 2013 Edition. The typical clients of C&A Law consist of institutional investors, banks, investment banks, investment conglomerates and listed companies, among others. The firm’s core practice areas include: Corporate/M&A; Cross Border Financing; Collective Investment Schemes and Closed End Funds; Financial Services, regulatory and compliance laws; Insurance; Intellectual Property; Insolvency laws; Tax; Trusts; Labour & Employment Law; Litigation & Arbitration; Property Development and Investment; Securities and Listing.

Nigeria - Commercial Law Firm of the Year Hermon (Barristers, Solicitors & Notary Public) Benjamin Obidegwu LL.M Managing Partner Tel: +234 (0)8023122562 ben@hermonlaw.com www.hermonlaw.com

Hermon is a medium size law firm engaged in commercial, corporate and international law practice. The firm is divided into two broad departments – commercial and litigation – with law experts and consultants in practice areas including Arbitration. It was founded in November 1987 by the trio of Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Mr. Oludotun Kukoyi, and Mrs. Floretta Kukoyi (Nee Adokpaye). Clients of the firm include governments, private clients, companies (local and multinationals) and federal and state governments. The head office of the firm is situated in Lagos, the commercial capital city of Nigeria, with contact offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Asaba. Our team`s strategy is focused to meet the needs of the client through an understanding of the operational practices of the client and active client relationship management. The firm subscribes to and upholds the highest levels of integrity and ethics in all of its activities. The corporate commercial practice of the firm ranges from financial transaction in securities, company regulations, and company secretarial. Mr. Obidegwu is a 1990 graduate of University of Nigeria and also has a master’s degree in Law from Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria. He has been with the firm since he qualified as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with a Nigerian practice licence obtained in 1991. He brings his expertise on commercial practice to bear on transac-

tions ranging from structuring of financial securities such as share reconstruction and rearrangements, cross-border re-organization and integration projects, legal advice and company regulatory matters. Mr. Obidegwu acts regularly as attorney on behalf of government institutions in specific and general commercial law practice. He was part of the legal team that took part in the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria N4,500,000,000,000 (four trillion, five hundred billion) debt issuance programme. He is specialised in matters of: acquisition and transfer of mining exploration licenses and mining leases; pre-investment advice and approvals; asset securitization and capital market operations; as well as real estate prospecting, investigating, acquisitions, development, leasing, disposals, mortgage and finance, and corporate compliance issues with statutory/regulatory authorities. He is a fellow of the Academy of American and International Law of the Southwestern Institute for Comparative Law, Dallas, Texas, US and a member of the International Bar Association (IBA). He is also: an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, a registered capital market consultant with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria, a member of the Capital Market Solicitors Association, an associate member of the Business Recovery & Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) and a member of the Nigeria-Ukraine Business Council. Moreover, he is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School and an active member of the Section on Business Law of the Nigerian Bar Association.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 11

Nigeria - Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Tayo Oyetibo & Co. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN Founding Partner Tel: (+234) (1) 7748659 / Mobile: (+234) 8033049489 tayo@tayooyetibolaw.com www.tayooyetibolaw.com

Tayo Oyetibo, SAN is the founding partner and chief counsel of Tayo Oyetibo & Co., a multi-service law firm that provides legal services to a wide variety of clients, ranging from large corporations to private individuals with personal legal issues that require close attention and utmost confidentiality. The firm is well-known as one of the leading law firms in Nigeria in the area of Dispute Resolution, particularly Litigation and Forensic Advocacy. The firm prides itself for its widely acknowledged reputation for integrity, professional competence and devotion to client service. The fundamental principle guiding Tayo Oyetibo & Co. in its practice is to use its best endeavours at all times to protect the interests of its clients in accordance with the law – and maintain utmost confidentiality in the handling of clients’ affairs. Tayo Oyetibo graduated from the University of Lagos in 1982 and, thereafter, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, for his professional training, where he was called to the Bar in July 1983. A consummate advocate, reputed for his integrity and professional skills in the area of dispute resolution, particularly litigation and arbitration, Tayo Oyetibo was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2003, which is a rank reserved for legal practitioners who have attained distinction in legal practice in Nigeria. Tayo has a wealth of experience in dealing with complex litigations,

and most of the cases handled by him are regularly reported in notable law reports in Nigeria. He regularly advises on a broad range of high profile commercial transactions. Moreover, he has been described in respect of an extradition proceeding as a skilful advocate with great capacity to make a success of an otherwise hopeless situation. In the area of constitutional law, he was a member of a team of consultants to the National Assembly of Nigeria, appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which were carried out in the year 2010. He is a prolific writer and a highly sought after speaker. He has written many articles on diverse subjects of law and presented papers at various international and local law conferences, seminars and workshops. Since 1995, he has been a guest lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos, where he delivers a lecture on a topic in practice and procedure once a year. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Constitutional Rights Project (CRP); a foremost human rights NGO in Nigeria; meanwhile, he is listed on page 1044 of WHO’S WHO IN THE 21ST CENTURY Second Edition, published by the International Biographical Centre Cambridge England; as well as on page 711 of the new WHO’S WHO in Nigeria Second Edition, published by the Nigeria International Biographical Centre.

Local expertise. Continental reach. With expertise in numerous African jurisdictions including South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Mauritius.

Our directors have been listed as leading lawyers in their respective fields by Chambers Global 2010, PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook 2010, IFLR: Guide to the World Leading Financial Firms, Who’s Who Legal 2010, and now Best Lawyers.

Competition Law Specialists | Litigation Attorneys | Regulatory Advice | Consumer Protection Advice

Switchboard: +27 (0) 11 666 7560 | Fax: +27 (0) 86 600 5529 | info@nortonsinc.com | www.nortonsinc.com Address: 135 Daisy Street, Sandton, Johannesburg | P O Box 41162, Craighall, 2024, South Africa

Nigeria - Full Service IP Law Firm of the Year JACKSON, ETTI & EDU Tel: +234 (1) 4626841 jacksonettiedu@jacksonettiandedu.com www.jacksonettiandedu.com Lookman Durosinmi-Etti (Senior Partner) durosinmi-etti@jacksonettiandedu.com Koye Edu (Managing Partner) koyeedu@jacksonettiandedu.com Uwa Ohiku (Partner) uwaohiku@jacksonettiandedu.com Chinyere Okorocha (Partner) chinyereokorocha@jacksonettiandedu.com Obafemi Agaba (Partner) obafemiagaba@jacksonettiandedu.com

Science, Technology & Innovations Policy’s compliance with IP. Another of the partners is Nigeria’s sole member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Domain Names Dispute Resolution Panel, and has sat on three matters so far. Moreover, the firm was recently appointed by the country’s National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to review and advise on Nigeria’s country position on the Draft Terms of Reference for A Study on Intellectual Property for OPEC’s Research & Development (R&D). JEE’s trademark services include: preliminary opinions and clearance JEE’s partners have consistently worked with the Law Reform Comsearches; takeover and completion of IP matters initiated by different agents; registration of trademarks and prosecution; renewals and restorations; acquisi- mission on the amendment of the various IP legislations. They were also involved in the review of Nigeria’s Draft Science, Technology and Innovation tion, protection, enforcement, transfer and revalidation of IP rights; recordal (STI) Policy on Intellectual Property Law and requirements. of mergers, assignments, registered users/licences, changes of names and addresses; third party and other office actions; rectification and nullification of Ahead of the pack wrongful registered trademarks; as well as preparation and vetting agreeThe firm continues to advise a diverse clientele, ranging from individual ments. inventors looking to protect their IP, to multinational and global businesses – In addition, the firm is well versed in commercial IP transactions, including including philanthropic organisations for whom JEE renders practically pro IP audits and due diligence reports; conducting market investigations and raids; infringement, unfair competition and anti-counterfeiting matters; domain bono PR services. Operational excellence, client satisfaction and relationship management name registration and maintenance; dispute resolution; brand protection and illicit trade matters; as well as providing legal opinions on contentious and non- are the firm’s targets for 2013. Its partners are also looking at new product lines and processes that will complement and enhance the services that contentious trademark related issues. are currently on offer. Other unique selling points include the firm’s: continJEE is also home to an IP Watch Service – a unique selling point of the firm, which has become invaluable in the protection of clients’ rights. The Service’s ued investment in modern information technological systems, including IP software and data management systems; its continuous training for staff; primary function is the provision of expeditious/accurate search reports and its close relationships with government and other regulatory bodies; its market surveys for clients. paralegal structure and assigned portfolio managers; and finally its effective succession plan to ensure continuity and seamless service to a varied Industry recognition clientele. Our IP Department provides specialist IP services through a complement of experienced and seasoned lawyers who have distinguished themselves in this Current standing field. They are members of various international IP associations and institutions. They also hold international and local leadership positions and continue • JACKSON, ETTI & EDU was awarded IP Law Firm of the Year at the Corporate Livewire Global Awards 2012, UK. to act in various capacities of influence in this practice area. • The firm has continuously been voted (since 2002 to date) the No.1 Law Some notable transactions for the Department include handling the worldFirm for both Trademark Work and Patent Work in Nigeria in the yearly wide patent and trademark registrations of the Emergency Auto Transfusion ‘Emerging Markets Survey’ of Nigerian law firms, carried out by Managing Set (Eat-Set) device – an indigenous invention breakthrough in medical sciIntellectual Property, a Euromoney publication. ence, used for the collection and subsequent reinfusion of the patient’s own • The firm was the winner of the Finance Monthly Law Awards 2011 – a blood, funded by UNDP. renowned legal publication based in the UK – as IP Law Firm of the Year The Department has also: advised on a proposed franchise agreement bein Nigeria. tween a leading medical diagnostics company and local Nigerian companies; assisted one of the largest international pharmaceutical companies in record- • The firm emerged as a winner of the Acquisition International Legal Awards (UK) as the Nigerian IP Law Firm of the Year. ing a series of changes in its IP portfolio spanning more than 200 trademarks; • The firm was ‘Highly Recommended’ as IP Firm of the Year in an Emergrepresented and advised one of the largest multinational Asian investment ing Market by Intellectual Property Magazine & Directory (Informa Law, houses to register its trademark portfolio of some 200 trademarks in Nigeria UK). and currently manages the same; pioneered the drive for local companies to • The firm was awarded Intellectual Property Firm of the Year in the Nigeconduct IP audits as part of determining their true asset value, and helped to rian Legal Awards, 2010, organised by ESQ and BusinessDay. develop IP policies for such companies. • The firm was shortlisted as one of five firms for the Corporate INTL 2010 One of the IP partners was recently appointed a member of the Committee Legal Awards category for IP Law in Nigeria. of Experts, by the Federal Minister of Science & Technology, to review the Draft JACKSON, ETTI & EDU, (JEE) is a full service law firm based in Nigeria, with an internationally renowned intellectual property (IP) practice. Headquartered in Victoria Island, Lagos, the financial nerve centre of the country, and with four other offices (including its international operations in Ghana), the firm provides legal services throughout Africa and beyond.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 13

Nigeria - Trademark Law Firm of the Year JACKSON, ETTI & EDU Tel: +234 (1) 4626841 jacksonettiedu@jacksonettiandedu.com www.jacksonettiandedu.com Lookman Durosinmi-Etti (Senior Partner) durosinmi-etti@jacksonettiandedu.com Koye Edu (Managing Partner) koyeedu@jacksonettiandedu.com Uwa Ohiku (Partner) uwaohiku@jacksonettiandedu.com Chinyere Okorocha (Partner) chinyereokorocha@jacksonettiandedu.com Obafemi Agaba (Partner) obafemiagaba@jacksonettiandedu.com

JACKSON, ETTI & EDU, (JEE) is a full service law firm based in Nigeria, with an internationally renowned intellectual property (IP) practice. Headquartered in Victoria Island, Lagos, the financial nerve centre of the country, and with four other offices (including its international operations in Ghana), the firm provides legal services throughout Africa and beyond. JEE’s trademark services include: preliminary opinions and clearance searches; takeover and completion of IP matters initiated by different agents; registration of trademarks and prosecution; renewals and restorations; acquisition, protection, enforcement, transfer and revalidation of IP rights; recordal of mergers, assignments, registered users/licences, changes of names and addresses; third party and other office actions; rectification and nullification of wrongful registered trademarks; as well as preparation and vetting agreements. In addition, the firm is well versed in commercial IP transactions, including IP audits and due diligence reports; conducting market investigations and raids; infringement, unfair competition and anti-counterfeiting matters; domain name registration and maintenance; dispute resolution; brand protection and illicit trade matters; as well as providing legal opinions on contentious and noncontentious trademark related issues. JEE is also home to an IP Watch Service – a unique selling point of the firm, which has become invaluable in the protection of clients’ rights. The Service’s primary function is the provision of expeditious/accurate search reports and market surveys for clients. Industry recognition Our IP Department provides specialist IP services through a complement of experienced and seasoned lawyers who have distinguished themselves in this field. They are members of various international IP associations and institutions. They also hold international and local leadership positions and continue to act in various capacities of influence in this practice area. Some notable transactions for the Department include handling the worldwide patent and trademark registrations of the Emergency Auto Transfusion Set (Eat-Set) device – an indigenous invention breakthrough in medical science, used for the collection and subsequent reinfusion of the patient’s own blood, funded by UNDP. The Department has also: advised on a proposed franchise agreement between a leading medical diagnostics company and local Nigerian companies; assisted one of the largest international pharmaceutical companies in recording a series of changes in its IP portfolio spanning more than 200 trademarks; represented and advised one of the largest multinational Asian investment houses to register its trademark portfolio of some 200 trademarks in Nigeria and currently manages the same; pioneered the drive for local companies to conduct IP audits as part of determining their true asset value, and helped to develop IP policies for such companies. One of the IP partners was recently appointed a member of the Committee of Experts, by the Federal Minister of Science & Technology, to review the Draft

14 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

The Seychelles - Commercial Law Firm of the Year Law Chambers of Kieran Bhogilal Shah Kieran Shah Partner Tel: +248 461 1608 kbshah@seychelles.net

The Seychelles economy was historically based on agriculture and

Kieran Shah of the Law Chambers of Kieran Bhogilal Shah is re-

fishing. However, in recent years, with the enactment of a number

nowned as being one of the Seychelles’ leading lawyers. Moreover, of the

known as a more forward-thinking and competitive offshore business

corporate and banking work.

of business and financial legislations, the Seychelles has become centre.

country’s generalist practices, Kieran Shah’s stands out for its focus on According to his industry peers, Mr Kieran Shah has significant experience relating to corporate and banking work; meanwhile, the majority of

It has also attracted significant Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),

financial institutions in the Seychelles have counted themselves among

particularly pertaining to the tourism and real estate sector.

his client base at some point.

Competition laws have been enacted to promote a more competi-

Key case work includes acting as local counsel in the International

tive business environment. Meanwhile, a foundation law has been

Finance Corporation’s $30 million financing of Borets Group. The loan was

passed, which provides further wealth management and tax plan-

notable in that it included Seychelles securities and involved law firms

ning options to the offshore sector.

based in a number of jurisdictions.

Competition laws have been enacted to promote a more competitive business environment.

South Africa - White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year Nortons Inc. Anthony Norton Director Tel: +27 (0) 11 666 7561 anthony@nortonsinc.com www.nortonsinc.com

Fraud and corruption, in the public and private sectors, are widely regarded as two of the biggest threats to South Africa’s ability to achieve sustainable economic growth, attract foreign direct investment and give effect to the socio-economic rights enshrined in the Constitution. Reports of fraud and corruption have increased sharply during the past decade in South Africa and continue to dominate media headlines. The effect of corruption has tainted key industries, including mining, telecommunications and financial services, with a concomitant adverse effect on the perceived competitiveness of these industries. It is also worrying to note an increase in the number of disputed tender awards where the South African courts decline to set aside contracts due to fears that essential services will be disrupted, despite findings that these awards were influenced by ulterior motives. This clearly could have severe consequences for public procurement in South Africa. The South African legislature has enacted sophisticated anti-corruption legislation, with the far-reaching Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act being the prime example. This Act places a legal duty on a person in a position of authority to report corruption to the police and the obligation is triggered where the person has actual

knowledge or a reasonable suspicion of corruption. Drawing on their extensive knowledge of local anti-corruption law, as well as similar legislation in the United States (the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act), United Kingdom (the Bribery Act) and in the sub-Saharan region, Nortons Inc.’s attorneys advise local and international clients across a spectrum of industries in relation to white collar crime investigations, companies’ reporting obligations and the development and implementation of compliance programmes. Because liability and damages arising from fraud and corruption are rarely adequately addressed by legislation and law enforcement, Nortons Inc. has partnered with specialist security and technology service providers to develop novel techniques, based on global best practice, to mitigate potential losses, limit the dissemination of sensitive information and to safeguard intangible assets. Realising that a pro-active approach is often the best way to resolve potentially damaging situations, the firm maintains a good working relationship with domestic and international law enforcement agencies and regulators. During 2012, Nortons Inc. was selected as the sole South African member of the International Chamber of Commerce’s FraudNet organisation, the leading global independent network of lawyers specialising in fraud, white collar crime and asset recovery. Nortons Inc. was also voted by Best Lawyers as the White Collar Crime Firm of the Year for 2012.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 15

The US has the largest and most technologically developed economy in the world; meanwhile, business firms in the US enjoy a greater degree of flexibility compared to businesses in other regions regarding innovation and expansion. While the strategy for most companies in 2011 was about getting back to basics and weathering the storm of unemployment and recession, 2012, and 2013 thus far, have not seen a large amount of economic success for North America. In 2011, the democrats and the republicans fought for the definitive say on a Senate proposal to raise the US debt ceiling. The offices of Standard and Poor’s were working to finalise a report which would soon strip the US of its prized AAA credit rating and, according to S&P, the rating downgrade reflected the belief that the soon to be finalised plan to stabilise the country’s medium and short term debt problems was likely to fall short. Credit rating agency Fitch then reaffirmed the US’s triple-A sovereign rating, stating that: “The key pillars of the US’s exceptional creditworthiness remain intact.” The country – and its currency, which modern economies have set their very existence to for the past 70 years – has now revealed a very large weakness in its armour. The US House of Congress and House of Representatives has been recently gearing up to cut its deficit and make hard decisions regarding budget cuts and public spending reform, keeping in mind the Republican Party has already voiced a refusal to entertain any suggestions of new taxes. Since 2008, the US’s debt has increased by US$6 trillion. Canada is equipped with a high tech industrial economy, and resembles the US in its market orientated economic system, production pattern and high living standards. Canada’s economy, which has outperformed that of the US since the beginning of the financial crisis, is showing signs of slowing down. The housing market boom, which helped drive the country’s recovery from recession, is starting to stall. Yet, the housing market is being replaced by other drivers, such as business investment in machinery and equipment. Canada is expected to lead the G7 nations in economic growth for another year at least. This can be attributed to several factors, including the country’s sound banking system, its abundance of resources and its lower levels of government debt. Moreover, while the Caribbean did not escape the global financial crisis, the region withstood the difficulties more successfully than in past downturns, thanks to better macroeconomic management, more efficient structural policies and a vigorous business sector. The majority of the Caribbean’s import-export business is with the US; further, the majority of the region’s tourists are US citizens. This means that the US economy has a great deal of influence on the Caribbean – particularly as tourism is the primary industry of the region. Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. Historically, Central American trade has been very dependent on two products: coffee and bananas. Most of these exports went to the US, which created a strong trade link between the US and Central America. In recent decades, Central America has had success in diversifying its exports and diversifying its trading partners. South America’s economy is heavily reliant on the export of goods. On an exchange rate basis, Brazil, the seventh largest economy in the world and the second largest in the Americas, leads the way in total amount of exports at $137.8 billion, followed by Chile at $58.12 billion and Argentina with $46.46 billion. Brazil continues to be a most attractive emerging market country for private equity investors for 2013, according to a recent survey by the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA). A recent white paper from Siguler Guff, Private Equity Opportunities in the BRICs and Beyond, notes that investment opportunities in Brazil, Russia, India, and China are likely to dominate EMPEA fundraising. The BRIC countries already rank in the top 12 global economies and are projected to be in the top six by 2018, the report said.

16 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

The Americas GLE Winners

Contents: 19.

Argentina

Mining Law Firm of the Year / Fretes & Arieu

19.

The Bahamas

Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year / DELANEY PARTNERS

20.

The Bahamas

Cross Border Corporate Law Firm of the Year / KLONARIS & CO.

20.

The Bahamas

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year / KLONARIS & CO.

20.

Barbados

Business Formation Law Firm of the Year / Harridyal Sodha & Associates (also trading as LizaLaw)

21.

Barbados

Corporate Law Firm of the Year / Lex Caribbean

21.

Brazil

Foreign Direct Investment Law Firm of the Year / Saeki Advogados

22.

Brazil

White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year / Moraes Pitombo Advogados

22.

Canada

Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year / Sim & McBurney

23.

Canada

Public Procurement Law Firm of the Year / Procurement Law Office

24.

Cayman Islands

Trust & Estate Law Firm of the Year / Charles Adams Ritchie & Duckworth

24.

Chile

Boutique Employment Law Firm of the Year / Pizarro y Cia. Ltda. Abogados

25.

Costa Rica

Trademark Law Firm of the Year / E-Proint

25.

Jamaica

Corporate Law Firm of the Year / Gordon | McGrath Attorneys-at-Law

26.

Mexico

Administrative Law Firm of the Year / Brito Anderson, S.C.

27.

Mexico

Bankruptcy Law Firm of the Year / Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C.

28.

Mexico

Brand Law Firm of the Year / Dumont Bergman Bider & Co., S.C.

28.

Mexico

29.

Mexico

Constitutional and Administrative Proceedings Law Firm of the Year / Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C.

29.

Mexico

International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year / Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C.

29.

Mexico

Mid Market Energy Law Firm of the Year / Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 17

The Americas GLE Winners

30.

Mexico

Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year / Del Valle Torres S.C

31.

Mexico

Employment Law Firm of the Year / CERVANTES SAINZ, S.C.

32.

Mexico

Energy Law firm of the Year / López Velarde, Heftye y Soria, S.C.

32.

Mexico

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year / López Velarde, Heftye y Soria, S.C.

33.

Panama

Electricity Regulation Law Firm of the Year / Anzola Robles and Associates

33.

Paraguay

Corporate Law Firm of the Year / Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates

34.

Trinidad & Tobago

Commercial Law Firm of the Year / Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan

34.

Trinidad & Tobago Energy Law Firm of the Year / Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan

34.

Trinidad & Tobago Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year / Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan

34.

Property Development Law Firm of the Year in Arizona / Tiffany & Bosco, P.A.

35.

Litigation Firm of the Year in Arizona / Walker & Peskind

35.

Business Formation Firm of the Year in California / Lindborg & Mazor LLP

35.

Litigation Firm of the Year in California / Lindborg & Mazor LLP

36.

IP Individual Excellence Adviser of the Year in California / Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

36.

International Tax Advisory Firm of the Year in Florida / Cantor & Webb, P.A.

37.

Appellate Law Firm of the Year in Florida / Joel S. Perwin, P.A

37.

Communications Law Firm of the Year in Georgia / Sapronov & Associates, P.C.

38.

Employment Law Firm of the Year in Illinois / Franczek Radelet

38.

Employment Litigation Firm of the Year in Illinois / Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin and Tominberg, Ltd.

39.

Arbitration Firm of the Year in Louisiana / Frilot L.L.C.

39.

Corporate Immigration Law Firm of the Year in Minnesota / Myers Thompson, PA

40.

Maritime Law Firm of the Year in Missouri / Holland, Groves, Schneller & Stolze, LLC

40.

Immigration Law Firm of the Year in Missouri / Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.

41.

Tax Law Firm of the Year in New York / Shearman & Sterling LLP

42.

Emerging Growth Law Firm of the Year in New York / SorinRand

43.

Energy Law Firm of the Year in Texas / Pierce & O’Neill, LLP

43.

Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year in Texas / Pierce & O’Neill, LLP

44.

Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year in Washington, DC / Patton Boggs LLP

18 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Argentina - Mining Law Firm of the Year Fretes & Arieu Pedro Arieu Senior Partner Tel: +(5411) 4313-8856 parieu@fretesyarieu.com.ar www.fretesyarieu.com.ar

Messrs Dr Guillermo Alberto Fretes and Dr Pedro Eugenio Arieu,

and joint ventures, as well as providing bespoke client advice pertain-

lawyers with recognised experience and practice acquired in

ing to projects, explorations and exploitations.

their professional relationship in 1996.

Additional areas of practice extend to:

prestigious law firms based in Buenos Aires and abroad, began Civil and Commercial Law; Corporate Law; Banking Law - Customs Today, the firm maintains a diverse clientele and, due to the

- Insurance; Mining; Securities - Stock Exchange; Oil & Gas; Foreign

high-level professional capability and specialisation of its mem-

Investments - Transfer of Technology; Privatisations - International and

bers, is able to offer efficient legal services at both national and

National Bids; Labour Law; Taxation - Administrative Law; Communica-

international level.

tions - Transportation; M&A - Joint Ventures; Corporate Reorganisation

Fretes & Arieu was selected as the winner for the category

/ Creditor Protection; Product Liability; Environmental Law; Promotional

Mining Law Firm of the Year in Argentina in the 2013 Global

Regimes; Tax Law; Litigation; Mercosur; Industrial Property; Private

Law Experts (GLE) Practice Area Awards. The firm was award-

International Law; General practice; Arbitration; and Mediation.

ed this honour by an awards panel that evaluated more than 27,000 responses from business directors, in-house counsel, independent law firms, high-net-worth individuals, bar associations, visitors to the GLE website and LinkedIn users. These recommendations were combined with GLE’s own independent research in order to arrive at a shortlist of firms for each key country and practice area. In the area of mining, Fretes & Arieu is recognised for providing legal advice on all mining transactions, mining financings

In the area of mining, Fretes & Arieu is recognised for providing legal advice on all mining transactions, mining financings and joint ventures, as well as providing bespoke client advice pertaining to projects, explorations and exploitations.

The Bahamas - Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year DELANEY PARTNERS Lyford Manor, West Building, Lyford Cay, P O Box CB-13007, Nassau, The Bahamas Tel: +242-702-4500 Fax: +242-702-4524 info@delaneypartners.com www.delaneypartners.com

DELANEY PARTNERS is a group of leading commercial lawyers in The Bahamas advising financial, business and private clients. John K F Delaney QC, senior partner, heads DELANEY PARTNERS’ corporate governance practice and brings leading counsel experience and know-how. John regularly counsels regulated financial services entities and other major corporate enterprises on governance, compliance and disclosure issues. DELANEY PARTNERS’ approach is practical and solutions are tailored for each client’s business and risks. The firm has advised clients regarding: • Companies legislation compliance; • Central Bank of The Bahamas regulatory compliance; • Securities Commission of The Bahamas regulatory compliance; • Fiduciary duties; • Managing compliance related risks including AML; • Disclosure duties. John has previously advised international banks, trust companies and major accounting firms in The Bahamas on Bahamian law issues arising out of foreign law requirements including, relative to US legislation regarding FATCA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and the qualified intermediary regime under Treasury Regulations. In early 2012 John completed a 2 ½ year stint of public service as AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Legal Affairs. In that capacity, John led comprehensive commercial law reform in support of the financial services sector

which included legislation that enhanced corporate governance requirements for Bahamian corporate entities pertaining to international standards on accounting records; and enhanced the securities regime to the highest standards set by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) facilitating the jurisdiction achieving IOSCO signatory “A” status in January 2013. Additionally, John has served as a non-executive director of financial institutions and major trading concerns. He has also served as member and chair of audit committees of banks. In November 2012 John was appointed to the Board of RBC Financial (Caribbean) Limited, the regional parent bank of Royal Bank of Canada’s commercial and retail banking subsidiaries in the Caribbean. Securities and financial services law specialist, partner Samantha KnowlesPratt, advises on regulatory issues pertaining to the Securities Industry Act, 2011 and related financial services regulatory regimes. Samantha was previously a legal counsel and manager at the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, and a member of the task force for drafting of securities legislation. In September 2012, Samantha was appointed to a team assembled by the Securities Commission to advise on a revision of the existing investment funds legislation. Samantha regularly advises clients on the structuring and governance of investment fund vehicles, securities firms and regulatory compliance. The corporate governance practice team has policy, legislative, regulatory and senior advisory experience regarding all aspects of the prevailing corporate and financial services regulatory regimes. With a culture of personal service, professionalism and responsiveness, as trusted advisors DELANEY PARTNERS provide legal solutions for business.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 19

The Bahamas - Real Estate & Cross Border Corporate Law Firm of the Year KLONARIS & CO. Partners Mike A. Klonaris, BA, LLB (Hons), TEP Pamela L. Klonaris, LLB (Hons), LLM, TEP

Associate Sofia Papageorge Tel: +(242) 362-6006 mklonaris@klonarislaw.com pklonaris@klonarislaw.com spapageorge@klonarislaw.com www.klonarislaw.com

Klonaris & Co.’s founding partner Mike A. Klonaris attended Vanderbilt University (BA), the University of Buckingam (LLB Hons), and the University of Westminster. A member of the Bahamas Bar and Bar of England and Wales (Lincoln’s Inn) since 1993, Mr. Klonaris began his career as an attorney with Callenders & Co. before joining Alexiou Knowles & Co. in 1996 and ultimately establishing Klonaris & Co. in 2001, where he practises principally in Commercial Law with a focus in Real The Firm is experienced in all types of real estate transactions including sales, purchases and leases of residential and commercial properties, hotel Property Law. Mr. Klonaris is or has been active as a board member of various local banks and and resort development, condominiums, subdivisions, marinas, timeshares, insurance companies, is a member of the Bahamas Association of Compliance and all related areas including obtaining necessary government licenses, Officers and is the Honorary Consul of Finland in The Bahamas. approvals and concessions and financing. Pamela L. Klonaris attended the University of the West Indies, Jamaica and The Firm also has extensive experience in international and cross-border Barbados (LLB Hons), as well as attending City University (Diploma in Law) and the transactions and seeks close working relationships with its clients and their London School of Economics, University of London (LLM – Corporate and Comother professional advisers. mercial Law). The scope and diversity of Klonaris & Co.’s practice is unique in giving A member of the Bahamas Bar and Bar of England and Wales (Gray’s Inn) since it a broad knowledge of the offshore environment, markets and trends to complement an in-depth knowledge of the legal, regulatory and commercial 1989, Ms. Klonaris began her career with Ansbacher (Bahamas) Limited in October 1989, where she became manager of Corporate Services and in-house counsel. In environment in The Bahamas. It also prides itself on its personalized, dynamic and practical problem-solving approach in achieving its clients’ goals 1994, she moved to Callenders & Co. Currently, as a partner at Klonaris & Co., she practises principally in the areas of Corporate and Commercial Law, Banking and and in advising them on a full range of increasingly complex legal issues. Securities. The experience, knowledge, relationships and resources of Klonaris & Ms. Klonaris has also served as chairperson of the Society of Trust and Estate Co., along with high standards of integrity, enable it to effectively fulfil its Practitioners (STEP) from 1999 to 2001, and was director of the Bahamas Financial commitments to its clients. Services Board from 2000 to 2004. In addition, she is a member of the Bahamas Lyford Corporate Services Ltd., a wholly-owned services company of Financial Services Board and the Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers, Klonaris and Co., is a licensed Financial and Corporate Services Provider and serves on the board of several banks and asset managers. that manages in excess of 300 companies. Klonaris & Co. is a boutique law firm located at Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas that enjoys a national and international reputation for providing bespoke, efficient, client-focused service predominantly to institutional clients and high net worth individuals.

Barbados - Business Formation Law Firm of the Year Harridyal Sodha & Associates (also trading as LizaLaw) Liza Harridyal Sodha Principal Tel: +1-246-228-9888 liza@lizalaw.com www.lizalaw.com

At LizaLaw, our mission is to provide a highly qualified and efficient service to our clients, and to provide the best legal and corporate services in Barbados. In 2002, when Liza Harridyal Sodha, the Principal of Harridyal-Sodha & Associates (also trading as LizaLaw), embarked on creating a boutique international corporate practice, it was a decidedly bold move – a move which revolutionized the international business legal framework of Barbados by providing clients with a choice of a sophisticated, professional and knowledgeable law firm. LizaLaw is dedicated to servicing primarily international high net worth clients requiring assistance in setting up corporate and trust structures in Barbados and other jurisdictions, as well as providing a range of other essential corporate services. The services provided by LizaLaw include Company and Commercial matters, formation of International Business Companies, Societies with Restricted Liabilities, Banks, Insurance Companies, Private Trust Companies, Foundations, Corporate Secretarial, Environmental Law, Tax Planning, Trusts and Estate Planning, Real Estate, Financing transactions, Immigration, Mergers and Acquisitions, Employment Law. Opening for business as a solo practice, LizaLaw nonetheless delivered international quality corporate and legal work, and was soon recognized as an oasis in the international business environment. The firm rapidly

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grew from strength to strength, and moved to an established location where it continues to provide specialized commercial legal services – whilst offering an office environment where international and local clients can not only conduct business, but also experience a true taste of Barbadian culture and hospitality. LizaLaw is now a medium size boutique law firm, and its specialty and expertise in international commercial law is equal to any international firm in the world. The firm has traditionally offered its services to North American clients. LizaLaw’s future plans involve marketing its services to Asia, Europe and Latin America; meanwhile, the firm will continue to invest in the training and education of its team. The main strength of LizaLaw is in the efficiency of the services it provides. The team is dedicated to providing the fastest possible response time to clients; moreover, we understand that the majority of our clients are not based in Barbados, and therefore reliability and easy access to our team is important for the peace of mind of our clients. In 2012, LizaLaw celebrated 10 years’ excellent service to the international corporate landscape, and an unwavering loyalty to Barbados and all other agencies that work in unison to make this business the success it has become. The visionary Principal has worked tirelessly to enhance the practice with the finest strain of young, capable attorneys to further answer the call of the global investor. In addition, the firm remains dedicated to its corporate social responsibility, and continues to form alliances and assist in worthwhile charities.

Barbados - Corporate Law Firm of the Year Lex Caribbean Melanie Jones Partner Tel: +246 430 3797 melanie.jones@bb.lexcaribbean.com www.lexcaribbean.com

Melanie Jones is a partner based in the Barbados office. She leads the firm’s international business practice. Melanie was born in Barbados and grew up on the island until leaving at age 18 for England, to read law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. Melanie began her career in England in 1992 at the London office of international law firm Freshfields (now Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer). In 1997, she relocated to the Cayman Islands and practiced with Maples and Calder for six years before returning home to Barbados to join Lex Caribbean in 2003. She was admitted to the Law Society of England and Wales in 1994, to the Cayman Islands Bar in 1997 and to both the Trinidad and Tobago Bar and the Barbados Bar in 2005. Melanie specializes in international business transactions. She enjoys a practice featuring a clientele of international corporates and financial institutions with, currently, a heavy emphasis on high value transactions originating in the Far East and Canada, as well as an increasing number of projects with a South American focus. Melanie is a director and the second vice president of the Barbados International Business Association (BIBA) and, through her continuing involvement with BIBA, she contributes to initiatives concerning legislation, policy, practice and growth in the international business sector in Barbados. Melanie has also constituted and currently sits as chairman of the BIBA Legal Profession Committee. In addition, she chairs the BIBA Steering Committee, which has responsibility for planning International Business Week

2010 in Barbados. Melanie is also involved in various charitable initiatives. Most recently she has taken up a seat on the QC Give Back Committee, which raises funds for the construction of a sports pavilion at Queen’s College in Barbados where Melanie attended secondary school. On behalf of Lex Caribbean, Melanie also acts as pro bono legal adviser to the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation. Lex Caribbean was established in Barbados in 1997. Our vision was to become the first pan-Caribbean law firm providing seamless advice as to the local law of multiple territories in the region. With over 30 lawyers, we currently operate from three offices in Trinidad and Tobago (consequent upon a merger in the late 1990s with DeNobriga, Inniss & Co., a leading firm in Trinidad and Tobago which had been founded in 1967), and from single office locations in both Barbados and Jamaica. We have also formed strategic alliances with respected counsel in several other islands, consolidating our extensive reach throughout the Caribbean. In the pursuit of our vision, we offer expertise in the areas of capital markets, commercial litigation, corporate/commercial law, insolvency and restructuring, international business, project finance and property development and conveyancing to clients conducting local and cross border transactions in the Caribbean. We also advise on international business transactions from Barbados and coordinate advice from other international business jurisdictions throughout the Caribbean. Our breadth and depth of skills and experience enable us to provide intelligent, carefully coordinated multi-jurisdictional advice to regional and international clients.

Brazil - Foreign Direct Investment Law Firm of the Year Saeki Advogados Jorge Hachiya Saeki Partner Tel: +55 (11) 3016-8400 jorgehs@saeki.com.br www.saeki.com.br

Jorge Hachiya Saeki received his JD degree from the Law School of the University of São Paulo (USP) in 1982, and was admitted to the Brazilian Bar in 1983. His background includes working in legal departments of Japanese companies in Tokyo and tax counseling in an international audit company in São Paulo, before joining Saeki Advogados in 1988, where he is currently the managing partner responsible for international issues, foreign investments, corporate and tax law areas. Fluent in Portuguese, English and Japanese, he is the General Counsel of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brazil and legal representative of dozens of foreign companies in Brazil. The firm has a large experience of more than 35 years counseling and attending hundreds of foreign companies establishing their business in Brazil through subsidiaries, agents and distributors. Its activities encompass the formation of subsidiaries (full assistance and representation of foreign shareholders in the establishment and all subsequent registrations of the subsidiaries, as well as expatriate´s work permits, visas and personal registrations) and further legal counsel in all areas of law. This includes the services of the firm’s recently formed team for contract management (who specialise in drawing of workflow for contracting, compliance and governance rules, application of lean office principles

in the procurement rules, and adoption of filing and control system), and litigation in general. Saeki Advogados is a full service boutique law firm and its professionals are highly specialized in several areas of business law in Brazil, representing clients in a wide range of matters, from simple everyday transactions to complex and sophisticated deals, with a unique level of excellence in the legal market. Saeki´s team is modest in its number of lawyers; however, their backgrounds ensure that matters receive a global perspective and deep market knowledge, especially regarding Japanese companies’ activities in Brazil. Moreover, Saeki’s lawyers have extensive experience in corporate matters, working on behalf of Brazilian and foreign clients in cross-border transactions, assisting companies, executives and boards of directors in all aspects of companies´ transactions – including the drafting and negotiating of contracts as well as full negotiation. With its full service structure, Saeki Advogados is able to draw and evaluate the complex juridical aspects of companies´ operations. Saeki Advogados is cited in the ‘Yearbook 2011 – The 500 Most Admired Law Firms and Lawyers’ of Brazil, where it appears in the list of Most Admired Law Firms per sector (Automotive), Most Admired Law Firms per Category (Corporate – Full Service) and in the list of Most Admired Lawyers per Sector: Jorge Hachiya Saeki in Foreign Trade, and Michele Restum Haidar in the Automotive sector.

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Brazil - White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year Moraes Pitombo Advogados Antonio Sergio A. de Moraes Pitombo Partner/Founder Tel: +55 11 3047 3131 apitombo@mpp.adv.br www.moraespitombo.com.br

Moraes Pitombo Advogados was founded in 2001, with the scope of harmonically combining two different qualities of contemporary legal practice: personally tailored client service – which is characteristic of small Law Firms – and the cutting-edge technology and organization of big Law Firms. The firm provides expert legal services in litigation, mainly in the criminal area, focusing on white-collar crimes, money laundering and corporate-related issues. Most of our clients are companies, although we also represent individuals, acting on behalf of either defendants or victims of crimes. The attorneys at Moraes Pitombo Advogados act at federal and state courts, before trial courts and courts of appeals, as well as the Superior Courts of the country. The firm is also specialized in international cooperation, having dealt with several cases involving international mutual legal assistance, working with top firms from the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, among others. The firm is based in Sao Paulo, the financial capital of Brazil. It has also offices in Rio de Janeiro, an important hub in the infra-structure area, and in Brasilia, DF, where all the Superior Courts are located. This allows the firm to maintain a much closer contact with the development of the appeals, original actions and the Court sessions.

In the past 10 years, we have earned a reputation as a leading practice in the field. We have worked in high profile and mediatic cases, including a recent famous trial at the Supreme Court, being recognized for our dedication, best knowledge of the cases and skilled performance. Our practice is distinguished by our ethical conduct, technical acuity and discretion. The attorneys who are part of Moraes Pitombo Advogados’ staff are recruited from the best law schools in Brazil and dedicate themselves to improve the technical quality of the specialized services rendered. The attorneys of the firm are also encouraged to engage in international experiences, such as LLM courses and internships abroad. The main partners graduated at the Law School of the University of Sao Paulo, where they also received their PhD degree, after submitting a thesis on their field of expertise. The founder Antonio Pitombo has a Master’s Degree in Criminal Law with the dissertation “The Specificity of the Predicate Crime in Money Laundering”, and a PhD degree in Criminal Law with the thesis “The Specificity of The Criminal Organization”. He is the author of several newspaper articles, magazines and compilations specialized in Law and criminal procedure. He is a member of the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Science (IBCCrim); of the Institute Manoel Pedro Pimentel; of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; of the Association Internationale de Droit Pénal; and of the Association Internationale des Avocats de la Défense.

Canada - Boutique Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year Sim & McBurney Lola A. Bartoszewicz, Ph.D. Partner Tel: +1 416-849-8420 bartoszewicz@simip.com www.simip.com

The law firm of Sim & McBurney was founded in 1970 to provide a full range of services related to intellectual property in Canada. We are located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Canada’s largest city, convenient to the courts, local patent & trade-mark filing offices, and the offices of many of Canada’s largest business enterprises. Sim & McBurney is a partnership of patent and trade-mark agents entitled to file and prosecute patent, trade-mark, industrial design, integrated circuit and copyright applications in Canada and the United States of America, with connections throughout the world to enable clients to efficiently file and coordinate applications on a global basis. At Sim & McBurney, we prepare technology licensing agreements and other financing agreements, as well as carry out due diligence evaluations. Working closely with our litigation group, Sim Lowman Ashton & McKay LLP, we also deal with matters involving issues of patent infringement and validity, trade secrets and invention ownership. Our group has members in all major professional associations, including: • Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle (FICPI) • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) • Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) • Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada) Inc. (LES U.S.A. /

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Canada) • Computer Law Association • Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) • International Association For The Protection Of Industrial Property (AIPPI) • Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Observer) (APAA) Lola A. Bartoszewicz, Ph.D. Lola A. Bartoszewicz specializes in patent drafting, filing and prosecution. She has wide experience in foreign prosecution especially in the United States and Europe. Her scientific expertise is in the fields of biotechnology, which includes genomics, pharmacology, stem cells, toxicology, genetics, immunology, chemistry and biochemistry. She also works in the field of medical devices. She has experience advising startup biotech companies. Her master’s degree was completed at the Banting Institute of Medical Research and her doctorate was completed at the world renowned Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. During her studies she was the recipient of numerous awards including the J.P. Mitchell Cancer Scholarship Award, a University of Toronto Fellowship Award and a first place public speaking award from the Department of Clinical Biochemistry. She has attended and spoken at several scientific conferences held in Canada and abroad as well as having published scientific papers and abstracts. Lola became a partner in the firm of Sim & McBurney in 2001.

Canada - Public Procurement Law Firm of the Year Procurement Law Office Paul Emanuelli Managing Director and General Counsel Tel: +1 416.700.8528 Fax: +1 416.966.0196 paul.emanuelli@procurementoffice.ca www.procurementoffice.ca

Led by author Paul Emanuelli, who is recognised by Who’s Who Legal as one of the top ten public procurement lawyers in the world, the Procurement Law Office provides public institutions with standard-setting services delivered by a team of lawyers dedicated to the practice of government procurement. With a client portfolio spanning six time zones and covering every sector of government, the Procurement Law Office serves the public interest like no other law firm in Canada. The firm brings a unique preventative philosophy to procurement law, promoting the proactive avoidance of legal entanglements and developing systemic institutional solutions to help clients reduce their risks, accelerate their procurement cycles and meet their compliance duties. With a singular focus on its core business, the Procurement Law Office serves as a major research and development hub, monitoring legal developments and identifying the emerging trends in procurement law that inform its publishing and training operations and drive its unique approach to the delivery of legal services. The Procurement Law Office consolidates its research into publications that are designed to serve the needs of procurement professionals. Paul Emanuelli is the author of Government Procurement, one of Canada’s leading textbooks on the topic of public procurement, now in its third edition. The firm has also produced two handbooks, The Laws of Precision Drafting and Accelerating the Tendering Cycle, that provide institutions with practical guidance on preparing tendering documents and navigating the complexities of government procurement. Its National Tendering Law Update

newsletter delivers regular case law reports to thousands of purchasing professionals across every sector of government in every province, territory and region of Canada The firm’s educational affiliate, the Procurement Training Office, offers training geared to all phases of the procurement cycle. Through webinars, in-house seminars and public conferences, the firm has delivered training to thousands of professionals from hundreds of institutions across Canada and has successfully collaborated with industry-leading organisations including Osgoode Hall Law School, the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, the Canadian Public Procurement Council, the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Atlantic Public Purchasing Association, the Ontario Public Buyers Association (the largest North American branch of the National Institute of Government Procurement), and the Caribbean Procurement Institute. The firm’s focus on research and innovation is reinforced by a depth of practical knowledge. With decades of combined in-house government experience, its lawyers know the procurement cycle from the inside out. Today, the Procurement Law Office provides legal support to clients through all stages of the procurement process, offering institutional reviews, legal advice and opinions, template and protocol development, project support and litigation services. The firm has a strong track record of success with prominent, high-stakes projects and has updated the procurement practices of major institutions across all sectors of government and industry. With a core group of dedicated procurement lawyers and an expanding network of sector-specific affiliates, the Procurement Law Office is on par with any international law firm in its ability to handle large and complex procurement matters, including high profile commercial negotiations and litigation defence work. The Procurement Law Office is pleased to be recognised as Canada’s top public procurement law firm. The firm looks forward to serving the public interest from coast to coast for many years to come.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 23

Cayman Islands - Trust & Estate Law Firm of the Year Charles Adams Ritchie & Duckworth Antony GD Duckworth Partner Tel: +1 345-949-4544 antony.duckworth@card.com.ky www.card.com.ky

Charles Adams Ritchie & Duckworth (commonly referred to as “CARD”) was founded in 1991 in succession to the long established firm of Charles Adams & Co. and operates from offices in George Town, Grand Cayman. The firm has a reputation for providing high quality and innovative legal advice to a primarily international clientele throughout the world, including major financial institutions and law firms. The firm offers a full range of legal services with emphasis on corporate, commercial, trust and property work and on commercial and trust litigation.

Corporate & Commercial: CARD offers legal advice on all aspects of corporate and commercial law and is regularly instructed by major financial institutions and international law firms throughout the world. The firm has experience in a wide range of transactions including investment funds, securitisation, asset backed financing, joint ventures, reorganisations, partnerships and general commercial agreements.

CARD also provides for the formation of Cayman Islands companies and partnerships and offers registered office and secretarial facilities for such entities through its wholly owned and licensed corporate management company, CARD Corporate Services Ltd. CARD is also a listing agent for the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange.

Litigation: CARD offers a full range of civil litigation services with particular focus on international asset tracing, commercial, banking and trust litigation. The firm is also experienced in personal injury and professional negligence claims in the legal, medical and accountancy fields. In addition, the firm has extensive experience and expertise in building construction disputes before the courts and arbitral bodies.

Trusts: CARD has a strong reputation for expertise in the formation of, or for advising in connection with, private and commercial trusts. The firm has been instructed in relation to a number of the largest family settlements in the Cayman Islands and has extensive experience in drafting complex trust instruments. In addition, the firm has been actively involved in the development of innovative amendments to local trust laws.

Licensing: CARD has extensive experience in advising clients wishing to conduct businesses that are required to be licensed under one or more laws of the Cayman Islands. CARD enjoys an excellent relationship with the principal licensing body, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, and is regularly instructed in connection with applications for banking, trust, insurance, mutual fund and other licences.

Chile - Boutique Employment Law Firm of the Year Pizarro y Cia. Ltda. Abogados Alvaro Pizarro Maass Senior Partner Tel: +56.2.24906300 apizarro@apmabogados.cl www.apmabogados.cl

Our law firm initiated its operations in 1969, under the principal supervision of Alvaro Pizarro Maas, a lawyer with vast experience in labor and employment matters. In 1974, he was named Director General of Labor in Chile. The firm has developed up to now to become one of the most wellknown law firms in labor and employment affairs in the country, and its lawyers have participated, for the last 20 years, as advisers in Congress in the law-making process. The senior partner Mr. Alvaro Pizarro has represented the Chilean employers in the Annual ILO Conventions on numerous occasions, and was distinguished in 2012 as leading lawyer by Chambers and Partners. Further, he is a personal adviser to the Minister of Labor. We have had an astonishing percentage of law suits with favorable results: as much as 81%, which in this country is very rare – the national percentage on lawsuits that employers win is set at 5%. This has been a successful vehicle to maintain a solid and permanent list of clients, among which we are proud to represent the most wellknown Chilean enterprises in the industrial, commercial and service sectors. We have had many international clients; meanwhile, the majority of our lawyers have a fluent command of English, as well as knowledge

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of the labor environment in other countries. Our main areas of expertise are litigation, collective bargaining, and design of Human Resources strategy. We are also called upon to publish our opinions on contentious labor matters in national newspapers. We aim to keep our positive standard as advisers and litigators. Moreover, we plan to expand our services on an international level – due to the high number of foreign enterprises that are setting up in the country as foreign investors.

We have had an astonishing percentage of law suits with favourable results: as much as 81%, which in this country is very rare.

Costa Rica - Trademark Law Firm of the Year E-Proint Gabriela Bodden Cordero Associate Tel: +506 2256 4260 gbodden@eproint.com www.eproint.com

E-Proint’s vision is to be the most respected Intellectual Property law

E-Proints’ values:

American regions.

• Loyalty toward our clients

In our 10 years of leading reputation in the corporate, commercial and

• Personalized and immediate attention of cases

intellectual property businesses we have made a significant impact

• World class service with regional coverage

in the market. In 2009, we implemented certain changes which are

• Transparent billing policies

geared to continue offering excellent services at competitive costs to

• Fluent in Spanish, English and French (written and oral)

all of our clientele.

• Full service law firm operating as a corporation

firm to offer a one-stop shop service within the Caribbean and Latin-

We have built strong and active relationships with leading independent law firms (the finest legal minds) around the world, having managed to negotiate excellent discounts which we pass on to our clients. Simultaneously we offer the finest legal advice while retaining the flexibility to respond to the individual needs of each client. Our partners and associates are highly recognized professionals within the field, ranking among the best attorneys in Costa Rica.

• Highly specialized advice • Highest ethical standards

(Sociedad Anónima) • Professional relationships with over 100 preferred firms and clients in over 50 countries worldwide • Diverse clientele in a wide variety of industries such as automobiles, hotels, finance, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, beauty, music, furniture, clothing, liquor and food businesses among many others.

E-Proint is an ambitious, challenging, extremely hard working and dynamic firm, based on an ethic of excellence and loyalty to our clients.

Ms Gabriela Bodden Cordero is an Associate member of INTA, ASIPI,

We hope your experience of the firm will be unique and rewarding.

ECTA, APPICR.

Jamaica - Corporate Law Firm of the Year Gordon | McGrath Attorneys-at-Law Roderick Gordon Partner Tel: +(876) 926-7706 rgordon@gordonmcgrath.com www.gordonmcgrath.com

Gordon | McGrath, as the modern expression of the finest traditions of the Jamaican Bar, focuses on providing legal solutions to clients’ various legal problems, from commonplace to complex, combining fresh thinking with legal talent and expertise, buttressed by the use of technology. Gordon | McGrath is poised to be a leading law firm in Jamaica and ultimately the wider Caribbean. Led by its principal, Roderick Gordon, it aggressively pursues and defends the interests of its clientele in all its areas of practice, and takes its goal of providing timely legal solutions seriously. Gordon | McGrath maintains its standards of excellence as it meets – and in many cases exceeds – its clients’ expectations. Its corporate goal is to provide each client with the distinguished performance he or she deserves, and to consistently uphold its standards of integrity, sound judgment, confidentiality and professional conduct. Its proven ability to deliver consistently good representation is the competitive edge that is one of its keys to success. Corporate / Commercial Law Gordon | McGrath provides its business clients with a comprehensive range of corporate and commercial legal services and business support. The central focus of our commercial law practice is the delivery of practical and cost effective solutions to the challenges presented by the commercial environments in which our clients operate. We provide representation in connection with most forms of commercial agreements including agency and distribution contracts, sale of goods and services, franchise and licensing arrangements, joint ventures, agreements for web businesses, technology agreements, collaboration agreements and terms and conditions of trade.

The firm’s commercial clientele includes manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, retailers, developers and consultants. Our expertise covers a wide range of commercial sectors including construction, financial services, IT, hotels and catering, property development, franchising, facilities management, computer software, printing, publishing, public utilities, finance and leasing, betting and gaming, and media and entertainment. In addition to supporting our clients’ corporate and commercial activities in Jamaica and the Caribbean, we are also able to competently and cost effectively represent our clients’ overseas interests through collaboration with affiliated lawyers based in the US and Europe. Roderick Gordon, Principal, Gordon McGrath, Attorneys-at-Law Mr. Roderick Gordon has been practicing as an Attorney-at-Law since 1995. He has been involved in a number of significant civil litigation cases, including: • The landmark McDonald’s trademark dispute lawsuit • Selective Homes v. Ashtrom Building Systems, a construction suit that lasted for more than 12 weeks in the Supreme Court and is reputed to be one of the longest civil trials in the Court’s history • Eagle Financial v. Chen Young et ux, a matter that spanned 7 years, and is currently on appeal Mr. Gordon has appeared in every anti-dumping investigation and Jamaica’s first safeguard case, either representing the importer or foreign producer. In that regard he has represented FERSAN, the largest fertilizer producer in the Dominican Republic, and the Ministry of Commerce and Fair Trade, of the Peoples’ Republic of China. 2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 25

Mexico - Administrative Law Firm of the Year Brito Anderson, S.C. Rafael M. Brito Anderson Partner Tel: +52 (55) 59501590 rafael.brito@britoanderson.com www.britoanderson.com

Brito Anderson is a Mexican boutique law firm integrated by lawyers with more than 25 years of experience, with one goal: to provide legal services of excellence. Brito Anderson is highly specialized in Administrative Law, Competition/Antitrust Law, Litigation and Legal Reforms – areas in which its lawyers are nationally and internationally recognized. Brito Anderson also maintains strategic alliances with other specialized boutique law firms, as well as with media groups and the most respected Mexican economists, for the benefit of its clients. The firm handles few legal cases at the same time only: the most complex ones of its clients, as well as those relevant to its specialty practice areas. The majority of Brito Anderson´s clients are among the top-three companies in their respective fields. Meanwhile, Brito Anderson has handled an important number of the most relevant cases in Competition/Antitrust Law since the Mexican Federal Competition Commission was created. Regarding Administrative Law, Brito Anderson benefits from the previous experience of some of its partners as former key lawyers and former legal consultants of the Mexican Government, including the Presidency office, the Ministry of Communications and Transports, the Ministry of Energy, the

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Economy Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Competition Commission, the Economic Deregulation Unit, the Federal Regulatory Improvement Commission, the National Water Commission and the State Governments of Mexico and Baja California Sur. Regarding litigation, Brito Anderson is specialized in Constitutional litigation (Amparo), Administrative and Fiscal Litigation, Competition/ Antitrust Litigation, as well as Civil and Commercial Litigation, and has handled multimillionaire cases. Brito Anderson has participated in the draft of reforms to the Constitution, the Civil, Commerce and Procedure Codes, the Foreign Investment Law, the Federal Law of Metrology and Normalization, the Federal Law of Administrative Proceeding, the Law of Acquisitions, Leases and Services of the Public Sector and the Law of Public Works and Services, the draft of the Administrative Code of the State of Mexico and the draft of Regulations of the Airports Law, Civil Aviation Law, Railway Services Law, Navigation Law, Federal Economic Competition Law, Foreign Investment Law and Federal Law of Metrology and Normalization, among others. Brito Anderson´s experience in Legal Reforms has certainly benefited the firm in a significant way and has led it to develop high skills to interpret the reach and aim of the different laws and regulations, and to identify the best arguments to support the cases handled by the firm.

Mexico - Bankruptcy Law Firm of the Year Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C. Alonso Rivera Gaxiola Founding and Senior Partner Tel: +52 55 1084 1230 arivera@rgya.com www.rgya.com

Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C. is a law firm specialised in Commercial Law, Bankruptcies, Financial Restructurings, Shareholders Controversies and Disputes, Corporate, Civil and Administrative Litigation, as well as in National and International Arbitration. The firm’s headquarters are located in Mexico City and in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; moreover, the firm practises all over the country through its own staff and through strategic alliances and associations with top firms countrywide. Alonso Rivera Gaxiola is the founding and senior partner of Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C. As an attorney graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mr Rivera Gaxiola has extensive experience in civil, commercial, corporate and administrative litigation, countrywide in Mexico and in national and international arbitration. He is fluent in English, and his areas of specialism include, but are not limited to: Civil, Commercial and Administrative Litigation; International and Domestic Arbitration, Bankruptcies; Financial Restructurings; Shareholders Controversies and Disputes; Telecommunications, Aviation Law; Bonds and Bails; Insurances; and Energy. According to Mr Rivera Gaxiola, the main strengths of Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C. reside in the sum-total of the firm’s members’ contributions and efforts towards the same objective. “Maintaining and improving our firm strengths” is crucial, notes Mr Rivera Gaxiola, who adds that the firm’s main interest is in staying abreast of consistent changes regarding

cultural, political and social changes. It is also key for the firm to participate in the most important cases in Mexico, due to those cases’ national and international implications. He added that the firm’s biggest success since its foundation has been “the expansion and the consolidation of the firm as a leader in its areas of practice”. Moreover, the firm’s honed expertise has contributed to Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C.’s increasing global reputation. Mr Rivera Gaxiola noted: “Some of our areas of practice have national and international implications, so our extensive experience in the field, and acknowledgement of changes to legislation, give us a notable advantage when working internationally.” Areas of practice: • Civil, Commercial and Administrative Litigation • International and Domestic Arbitration • Bankruptcies • Financial Restructurings • Shareholders’ Controversies and Disputes • Telecommunications • Aviation Law • Bonds and Bails • Insurances • Energy

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 27

Mexico - Brand Law Firm of the Year Dumont Bergman Bider & Co., S.C. Laura collada Managing partner Tel: +52-55-5322 62 30 lcollada@dumont.com.mx www.dumont.com.mx

Dumont Bergman Bider & Co., S.C. is a Mexican intellectual property firm. The practice includes all aspects of intellectual property such as obtaining, registering and protecting inventions (patents, utility models and industrial designs), distinctive signs (marks, trade names, brand slogans and appellations of origin), copyrights (owner and author’s rights, related rights), information technologies (domain names and Internet assets) and data protection issues. It also has an extensive expertise in litigation, anti-counterfeiting and related commercial law (corporate, licensing, immigration, regulatory and tax) and our capabilities provide a full array of IP related legal services. Founded 72 years ago, Dumont Bergman Bider has remained contemporary and responsive to ever-changing client needs. Consistent with its commitment to technology, efficiency and the highest quality service, the firm is ISO 9001:2000 certified. Dumont is ranked in Chambers Latin America of Intellectual Property in Mexico; meanwhile, Laura Collada and Jorge Gomez are ranked as leading lawyers in the same publication (as well in other specialized publications). Dumont is also one of the few firms in Mexico to perform in-depth examination of patent applications. This service allows the firm to deliver the best possible advice, while prosecuting applications and avoiding the issuance of official actions, since we foresee which amendments will be required by the National Office. Moreover, the firm is highly special-

ized in providing patent linkage services. In the trademark field, we plan bespoke strategies, taking into account clients’ bespoke needs – attending not only to legal issues, but also to commercial aspects that will invariably arise. We are highly successful in litigation as well as in arriving at agreements or settlements. Many of our clients do not want to enter into lengthy litigations. Therefore, thanks to our client profile, we are highly specialized in negotiations. In addition, Dumont is the only IP firm in Mexico to have received the ISO 9001:2008 certification by the German Organization TUV Rheinland. The certification indicates that the firm meets high quality standards for its management systems, including for counseling, filing, prosecution and consulting services, litigation and managing of intellectual and industrial property rights (including filing, prosecution, etc). It also means that the quality of the firm’s legal work is reliable in each and every case. Consistent with the firm’s commitment to modern technologies, Dumont Bergman Bider has implemented PATRIX HELPWARE System, a state-ofthe-art docketing system. The firm also has digitalized its archives, and is fully able to service clients that require a paperless environment. The main contacts of the firm, as well as other colleagues, receive training in different areas – not only on the legal or technical areas, but in order to achieve client satisfaction. The firm is also home to a PR department that remains in constant communication with clients.

LAW E X RTS

GLO

Mexico - Copyright Law Firm of the Year

PRACTICE AWARDS

00 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Mexico - Constitutional and Administrative Proceedings Law Firm of the Year / International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year / Mid Market Energy Law Firm of the Year

Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C. Marco Tulio Venegas Partner, Constitutional & Administrative Proceedings Tel: +52 55 5 258 10 00 mtvenegas@vwys.com.mx www.vonwobeserysierra.com

Civil & Commercial Litigation, Constitutional and Administrative Proceedings Marco Tulio Venegas is a partner of Von Wobeser y Sierra S.C. with 18 years’ international experience on both a professional and educational level. He is the youngest partner ever promoted by the firm, and has saved his clients billions of US dollars, while protecting and resolving several of the most complex and consequential litigation and arbitration matters for multinational clients and governments around the world. His expertise includes two of the largest commercial arbitrations in Mexican history, worth more than US$1.7 billion dollars, as well as important construction and infrastructure disputes with governmental entities. He has litigated extensively throughout this time in several fields of law before the Mexican courts and arbitral tribunals. Moreover, Mr Venegas has international experience in the US and France, and has worked at law firms abroad as well as with the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Court of Arbitration in Paris. He has also given several conferences and lectures pertaining to arbitration and litigation in Mexico, Europe, China, the US and Argentina. He is the head of the firm’s Litigation Practice and has solid expertise in dealing with multi-jurisdictional matters including administrative, civil, commercial and constitutional (amparo) and industrial & intellectual property litigation. He is admitted to practice before the federal courts, the Supreme Court and many state courts and courts of appeals. Mr Venegas is renowned as one of Mexico’s top litigators, and his broad expertise in several fields of law allows him to devise multifaceted strategies to meet clients’ goals. When asked about Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C.’s strengths as a practice, he noted: “We understand civil and commercial law perfectly and are able to advise clients thoroughly. Further, we have very strong practice areas such as Corporate, M&A, Litigation, Competition, Real Estate, Banking and Finance, Tax, IP, which gives us the experience and the insight to assist, guide and solve the legal problems of any client at any moment. “We have a unique understanding of common and civil law, and can guide clients regarding all potential repercussions of their business matters. Our clients are leaders on a national and international level including government entities, and many are part of the Fortune 500. Meanwhile, the firm is expanding and acquiring new clients every day.”

Claus von Wobeser Partner, International Arbitration Tel: +52 55 5 258 10 00 cvonwobeser@vwys.com.mx www.vonwobeserysierra.com

Edmond Grieger Partner, Mid Market Energy Tel: +52 55 5 258 10 00 egrieger@vwys.com.mx www.vonwobeserysierra.com

judge ad hoc in the Inter American Human Rights Court. Mr von Wobeser has also acted as an expert witness on Mexican and international law in several international arbitrations as well as before US and English courts. Other experience includes appearing as counsel in arbitrations and before Mexican courts in disputes relating to foreign and international awards and arbitration agreements and their enforcement. “Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C. is noted for being the main firm in Mexico for arbitration matters,” said Mr von Wobeser. “We have the most experience on an international level, and are consistently being called for arbitration matters around the world. Further, we are the only firm in Mexico to be listed in the Global Arbitration Review 100. “Our firm is also expanding. We are well known internationally and we maintain strong alliances with international firms, helping to strengthen our foothold globally. Already in 2013, we have appointed two new partners, one of them being a key figure for our Arbitration practice.” Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Partner Edmond Grieger has been a part of Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C. since 1998. He specialises in environmental and energy law, and has provided legal counsel to some of the most important transnational, Fortune 500 enterprises and local companies, as well as the Mexican government. Moreover, he has broad experience pertaining to disputes in these areas – and offers substantial expertise in the practice areas of Constitutional & Administrative Proceedings, Government Procurement, Real Estate, Tourism and Hospitality. He has professional and/or academic first hand experience in some of the most important cities of the world, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Mexico City. He provides counselling with respect to environmental impact authorisations and audits, waste management, air pollutant emissions, water consumption, waste water treatment and discharges, environmental site assessments, acquisition projects, touristic developments, real estate operations and procedures initiated by federal and local environmental authorities. In general, he provides counsel on the planning, negotiation and operations of projects concerning the energy sector, specifically including renewable energy projects originated from wind, solar, geothermal, bioenergy and hydroelectric sources. Mr Grieger cited “gaining several multinational clients and being part of some of the most important projects that are taking place on a federal level” as being highlights of Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C.’s case work during 2012. Looking to the coming months, he added: “In our Energy Practice, we are continuing to grow and retain national and international clients that are pioneers or leaders in their field. These include some of the most important Mexican and international innovators, who are responsible for changing the landscape in terms of energy in Mexico.”

National & International Commercial Arbitration Claus von Wobeser is a managing partner of Von Wobeser y Sierra S.C., with almost 40 years’ experience in advising multinational Fortune 500 clients as well as governments. He has an undisputed track record acting as counsel and arbitrator appointed by international companies and governments involved in international investor-state or commercial disputes. Moreover, he has a strong background in corporate as well as litigation matters, and has been the leader in some of the most groundbreaking transactions taking place in Latin America and Mexico. Mr von Wobeser has received international recognition for his work as an arbitrator and has been involved in more than 100 arbitral proceedings globally, including the Latin American region, North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. He has represented foreign and Mexican companies in international arbitrations conducted under the rules of the ICC, AAA, ICDR, UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, ICSID, NAFTA, Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission, Hong Kong International Arbitration Center and the LCIA. He has served as an arbitrator in more than 15 investor state arbitration cases under UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, ICSID and ICSID Additional Facility Mechanism. For more information please visit www.vonwobeserysierra.com In addition, he has acted as arbitrator in ad hoc arbitrations as well as a

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 29

Mexico - Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year Del Valle Torres S.C Luis Gerardo Del Valle Partner Tel: +(52 55) 9126 1560 lvalle@dvtmx.com www.delvalletorres.com.mx

(Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Attorney at Law, magna

S.C. He is also a member of the Cambridge Overseas Society, Interna-

ning Scholarship, Master’s in Commercial Law, 2001; University of

de Profesores e Investigadores de Derecho Fiscal y Finanzas Públicas,

cum laude, 1999; University of Cambridge, England, British-Cheve-

tional Fiscal Association, Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados, Colegio

New York, NYU, Master’s in International Tax Law, 2002).

and the Asociación Nacional de Abogados de Empresa.

Mr. Del Valle received from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de

of “Sistema Fiscal Federal Mexicano.- Su Revisión ante los Principios

México authorities the Eduardo García Maynez and Gabino Barreda

Jurídicos y Económicos” edited by the “Tribunal Federal de Justicia Fiscal

medals for obtaining the highest academic achievement in his

y Administrativa”, 2001.

class. He has also been awarded with the first place in the National

Mr. Del Valle has written on tax law and tax litigation, and is the author

Practice Areas: tax consultancy services in general, including domestic

Contest of Administrative Justice organized by the Tribunal Federal

and cross-border transactions; structuring of investment funds for real

de Justicia Fiscal y Administrativa, 1999. Mr. Del Valle was a partner

estate funds and pension plans, private clients, tax litigation and consul-

of Jáuregui Navarrete y Nader S.C., one of the largest law firms in

tancy on tax policy matters.

Mexico where he led the tax practice of the firm. He is currently a founding member and chairman of the board of Del Valle Torres,

30 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Languages: Spanish, English and French.

Mexico - Employment Law Firm of the Year CERVANTES SAINZ, S.C. Alejandro Nila Partner at the Labour & Employment Practice Group Tel: +52 55 9178 5040 anila@cervantessainz.com www.cervantessainz.com

Cervantes Sainz is a full service law firm actively engaged in a dynamic and complex domestic and international practice. The firm is composed of prestigious lawyers with many years of experience, who ventured to form and achieve an innovative style of organisation. Its rapid and constant growth reflects the dynamic nature of a vital and healthy developing law firm. Cervantes Sainz offers services in a variety of law areas, which overlap and complement a mixture of client industries. Alejandro Nila, partner of Cervantes Sainz, S.C., noted: “We represent clients in a broad spectrum of transactional, banking and finance, administrative, corporate, insolvency and restructuring regulatory, labour, real estate, commercial, dispute resolution and litigious matters, among others. “Our labour and employment practice combines respected legal wisdom and business skills – in order to provide advice tailored to our domestic and international clients’ individual needs.” Notably, the labour practice group of the firm has been recognised by various publications, such as Chambers. Meanwhile, Mr. Nila has broad experience in labour matters. He provides advice to clients and represents them before federal and local labour authorities. His

experience includes litigation and legal planning pertaining to a wide range of labour issues, including union matters. The firm represents local, national and international clients, ranging from some of the world’s largest companies, including publicly and privately held companies and their owners, directors and officers, to individuals and small businesses. Mr. Nila added: “The values and philosophy that drive us, and the special attributes that make us stand apart from others, can be summarised as follows. “We emphasise high responsiveness to clients by providing prompt, personal service, and by developing an intimate knowledge of each client’s needs and objectives. We are dedicated to providing creative solutions and fresh approaches to sophisticated transactions and complex litigation. We have developed a ‘one-firm’ culture, which is best described as a spirit of teamwork and cross-utilisation and support among practice areas throughout the firm. “In addition, we represent our clients with courage in hostile and sometimes individually threatening environments. We stress efficiency and apply experience so that routine deals and cases are handled at marketdictated cost, and value is added to the more sophisticated transactions and litigation. Our practice is also sensitive to the needs and values of the client and the legal profession.”

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 31

Mexico - Energy Law firm of the Year / Project Finance Law Firm of the Year López Velarde, Heftye y Soria, S.C. Jorge Jiménez Partner Tel: +5255 3685-3302 jjimenez@lvhs.com.mx www.lvhsmexico.com Rogelio López-Velarde Partner Tel: +5255 2685-3334 rlopezv@lvhs.com.mx www.lvhsmexico.com

Jorge Jiménez’s Practice Areas: • Energy and Natural Resources • Government Procurement • Infrastructure • Project Finance • Antitrust • Automotive • Mergers & Acquisitions Education, Bar Admissions and Associations: • Universidad Iberoamericana Law School (J.D.), summa cum laude, 1996. • University of Texas at Austin, LL.M., 1999. • Admitted New York State Bar Association, 2000. • Admitted by Federal Judiciary as a certified English translator. • Member of Mexican Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Fulbright Scholars – García Robles Association, among others. Publications and Awards: Featured in Euromoney’s “Guide to the World’s Leading Energy and Natural Resources Lawyers”, Best Lawyers Magazine as an expert in natural resources and antitrust, Latin Lawyer’s “Mexico’s 40 under 40” among others. Mr. Jiménez has published legal materials on energy, antitrust and foreign investment in law reviews and business publications in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. Co-author of the book “El ABC de las Sociedades en México”. Fulbright Scholar. Rogelio López-Velarde’s Practice Areas: • Energy • Infrastructure

32 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

• Antitrust • Project Finance • Mergers & Acquisitions Professional Studies, Bar Admissions and Associations: • Mr. López-Velarde received his J.D. Degree, summa cum laude, from the Universidad Iberoamericana Law School, 1988. • LL.M, University of Houston, 1989. • Admitted to practice by the State Bar of New York, 1991. • Head of the International Practice Commites of the Energy Law. Institute, Member of the Mexican Bar Association (Former Chairman of the Energy Committee), Former Head for Latin America of Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Editorial Board Member of Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law and of the International Oil & Gas Law Review, Mexican representative of International Law Office. Other Work: Former head of the International Legal Department of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pernex). Publications and Awards: Featured in Euromoney’s “Guide to the World’s Leading Energy and Natural Resources Lawyers”, Who is Who and Latin Lawyer, among others as the top energy lawyer in Mexico and one of the top energy lawyers in the world. Featured in the Best Lawyers Magazine as an expert in energy industry including LNG, natural gas pipelines, oil & gas E&P, power regulation in Mexico, renewable energies. Mr. López-Velarde is a Professor of Private International Law and Energy Law post-graduate studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana and other universities. Active speaker on energy topics on a broad range of forums in Mexico, U.S., Europe, Canada, and Latin America.

Panama - Electricity Regulation Law Firm of the Year Anzola Robles and Associates Erika Villarreal Z. Senior Associate Tel: +507 263-0003 evillarreal@anzolaw.net www.anzolaw.net

Anzola Robles & Associates (AR&A) is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of lawyers with specific knowledge and experience in endeavours connected with the organisation and operation of an energy generation business. AR&A has significant industry experience, and is well prepared to: structure corporate entities and devise appropriate tax strategies for energy-sector enterprises; structure and negotiate real estate purchases involving titled property or ownership rights, and draft the corresponding agreements; negotiate and draft EPC, interconnection, O&M and related agreements; among other services. “Our practice with the current Panamanian Regulatory System is extensive,” noted senior associate Erika Villarreal Z. “We are well suited, and have the resources, to assist in every phase of your energy generation business.” Today, AR&A maintains an active legal practice in the energy generation business. The firm derives its experience from having assisted numerous foreign investors in their ventures to research, explore and achieve market entry in Panama. AR&A has also partaken as counsel for buyers and sellers in some of the most representative corporate acquisitions in the local power generation sector, and has assisted banks and borrowers in project finance transactions related to the energy sector in Panama, as well

as in other countries of the region. Ms Villarreal Z. said: “AR&A contributes annually to the publication Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation and Getting the Deal Through - Project Finance regulation. AR&A also regularly sponsors and participates in the Annual Private Power in Central America Conference, among other conferences and regional meetings.” Ms Villarreal Z. added that AR&A is accountable – a defining feature of the firm, and one that sets it part from its peers. “We are reliable across time zones and deadlines. We provide guidance in adherence to standards of the National Operation Regulations and the Commercial Rules for the Wholesale Market, as well as helping to comply with the CND and ASEP reporting and inquiries. “The current Panamanian government has been reviewing energy regulations and has approved significant changes. Consequently, we have assisted our clients in presenting their position, comments, objections and suggestions to the corresponding authorities. Moreover, Panama has continued to negotiate and implement regulations regarding SIEPAC and the interconnection with Colombia. We have helped our clients to adapt their business and investments to the new regional rules, and to draft their agreements considering all the new regional rules. “We understand the energy business, not only regarding Panama, but also from a regional perspective – and we look forward to continuing the expansion of our electricity practice.”

Paraguay - Corporate Law Firm of the Year Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates Pio O. Galeano Rios / Carlos M. Morales Velilla Partners Tel: +595 21 4497 82 pio@galeano-morales.com.py galeano-morales.com.py

Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates began its operations in 1994, offering professional services initially within the areas of Civil and Commercial Law as well as Employment Law. Today, the firm specialises in diverse areas, including Banking Law, Corporate Law, Commercial Arbitration, Bankruptcy Law, Contracts, M&A, eCommerce, eBanking, Cooperative Law and Administrative Law – also providing support in the area of privatisation. Since the beginning of its activities, the firm has focused on providing its services to companies and institutions, being able to provide professional advice and representation, ensuring high standards of efficiency, reliability and solvency. Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates’ office, originally located in the historic centre of the city of Asuncion, moved to the stately Avenida Mariscal Lopez of the capital in 2007. Today, the office houses a prestigious law library and is equipped with the requisite infrastructure and computer equipment suitable for the provision of services offered. It has also established working relationships with law firms in MERCOSUR countries, allowing for networking and referrals when required. Currently, the firm is comprised of two main partners, backed up

by lawyers, procurators, law students, paralegals and administrative staff as well as associated support. In the area of Corporate Law, the firm provides comprehensive advisory services to numerous companies and corporations. Its services on offer encompass advice pertaining to contracts, franchising, representation, acquisition and sale of assets, constitution, division, demerger, dissolution and liquidation. In addition, its partners’ experience covers diverse sectors of the economy, such as trade, pharmaceuticals, food, fashion/clothing, publishing, manufacturing and business succession, among other areas. In recent years, Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates has advised on landmark cases, including representation of SAECA Continental Bank, who in 2012 had materialised (for the first time in Paraguay) an emission of bonds abroad, amounting to US$200 million. The firm was also successful in negotiating for the purchase of a bank in Brazil; meanwhile, as senior advocate of Home Extterno Bancard SA, an institution owned by 12 banks, and with more than 85% market share of electronic payments, Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates directed negotiations that led to the client acquiring a majority stake in payment solutions firm Procard SA.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 33

Trinidad & Tobago - Commercial, Energy and Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan Mark Morgan Partner Tel: +(868) 623 1618 mmorgan@fitzwilliamstone.com www.fitzwilliamstone.com

The Firm is one of the oldest and largest commercial firms in Trinidad and Tobago, and traces its origins to Oliver Fitzwilliam who started practising in 1912. The Firm has steadily grown in size and expertise over the course of its existence and today enjoys a well-established reputation in the legal profession. It has a large client base, which includes numerous international corporations, energy and oil and gas companies, financial institutions as well as domestic clientele across multiple sectors. It is a full service commercial firm with expert capabilities in all major commercial areas of practice and is broadly organised into five practice areas: Commercial, Real Estate and Land Development, Advocacy and Litigation, Intellectual Property and Estates and Trusts. The Firm also regularly teams up with international law firms as local counsel on transactions involving multi-jurisdiction elements. Commercial Law Firm Award - The Firm’s Commercial Department has deep expertise in commercial issues across business sectors and covers the widest range of practice areas. It has extensive resource centres in

banking and finance, energy, oil and gas, downstream industries, foreign investment, tax, corporate, securities, employment and labour, health and safety, environmental, marine, telecommunications, industry regulation and other general commercial areas of law. Energy Law Firm Award and Oil & Gas Law Firm Award - The Firm is also known for its significant proficiency in energy and oil and gas work. It represents a substantial number of the international energy companies operating in Trinidad and Tobago, both onshore and offshore, and provides a full range of core energy and energy related services. It has been and continues to be involved in a manifold of large scale energy and energy related transactions. The Firm also has a solid background in foreign direct investment and, in particular, with assisting major industrial operators at the stage of initial investment and the subsequent stages of their operation. The Firm maintains good working relationships with the personnel at various key Government Authorities, Ministries and State Enterprises and often assists foreign investors in its discussions and negotiations with these government entities. The Firm always seeks to deliver first-rate client service as well as timely and practical advice of an excellent quality.

US - Property Development Law Firm of the Year in Arizona Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. Michael E. Tiffany Shareholder Tel: +1 602.255.6001 met@tblaw.com www.tblaw.com

Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. is a full service law firm with a national property

J. Lawrence McCormley Shareholder Tel: +1 602.255.6005 jlm@tblaw.com www.tblaw.com

more than 200 multi-family housing projects and healthcare facilities.

development practice. The real estate department concentrates in the area of commercial transactions, and in 2012 the group

Significant transactions of 2012 include:

completed more than 90 transactions with a total value in excess of

• Structured and documented two complex purchase and sale agree-

$1.1 billion. In addition to our lawyers being cross-trained, they have

ments for landowners to sell 13,260 acres of development land to a

developed specific niches in sophisticated areas of real estate law, including:

foreign purchaser after completing the entitlement process. • Engaged by a national commercial real estate company to resolve differences between legal counsel for the seller of land for an office com-

• Strategic planning and business solutions

plex and a national real estate developer; negotiated between counsel,

• Organizational structures

drafted a purchase and sales agreement, and managed the closing of

• Purchase, sale and development • Financing including workouts, restructuring and modifications

transactions. • Introduced a client to a large pension plan, structured and documented

• Leasing

loan participation between the client and pension plan for a commercial

• Management

lending program.

• Construction • Tax planning, and implementation, including 1031 Exchanges

As real estate clients’ needs and the economy have evolved over the

• Real estate security offerings

years, so has the need to entrust your real estate transactions to a firm that has been servicing the market for more than 40 years. Tiffany &

To date, Tiffany & Bosco’s national HUD insured loan practice, rep-

Bosco has the experience and knowledge to understand the needs of

resenting borrowers, has closed in excess of $2.6 billion in loans for

their clients and how to best accomplish their goals.

34 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

US - Litigation Firm of the Year in Arizona Walker & Peskind PLLC Richard K. Walker Chairman Tel: +1 480-483-6336 rkw@azlawpartner.com www.azlawpartner.com

Experience, Expertise, and Efficiency: A Vision Becomes Reality Walker & Peskind, PLLC began with its namesakes and founding partners, Richard Walker and EJ Peskind. As lawyers with long, distinguished careers and national experience in large firms, Rick and EJ shared the concern that the ever-growing billing rates of the large firms puts premier legal representation beyond the reach of most individuals and small to medium-sized companies, and make the engagement of attorneys who can provide such high caliber representation difficult to justify even for the legal departments of large corporations. In a large law firm, where billing rates are high to begin with, it is a common expectation that a premier lawyer will increase his or her rate substantially each year, which results in formidable increases in the cost of the same services over a period of even a few years. In addition to shouldering these large increases, clients often arrive at an “attorney meeting” only to find the table staffed with multiple younger partners, associates and paralegals – and their additional billing rates. These and other inefficiencies in the large firms make hiring a premier attorney simply too expensive for many. Rick and EJ knew there had to be a better way to deliver premier service without putting clients to such exorbitant expense. The answer lay in experience, expertise, and efficiency. Experienced lawyers with well-developed expertise in their fields of practice are able to arrive more

efficiently at clear assessments of the legal issues confronting their clients and devise insightful strategies for effectively dealing with those issues. When such quality service can be delivered from the context of a law firm built on a lean business model that never ceases to strive for greater operating efficiencies, clients receive the high caliber legal services they want and deserve, but at considerably lower cost than they otherwise would be required to pay for comparable service. Walker & Peskind puts experience, expertise, and efficiency together to form a new model of the premier law firm. Engage any of our partners and you put decades of experience and knowledge on your side; your attorney is AV Preeminent rated (highest legal abilities and ethical standards) and offers acknowledged expertise in his preeminent practice areas. At minimum, a Walker & Peskind attorney has excellent credentials and has been practicing law with a high degree of success for at least seven years, and our current partners have an aggregate of over 100 years of experience in the practice of law. Our emphasis on people with experience and well-honed expertise also extends to our paralegals, all of whom are required to have at least a college degree and five years of quality experience before they can be considered for a position with us. We are a growing firm, but our growth plan is premised on these core values. Accordingly, all attorneys and paralegals who join us understand and appreciate that our special emphasis on the combination of experience, expertise, and efficiency is what sets us apart and puts us in a position to ensure that everyone who works on our clients’ matters adds value.

US - Litigation & Business Formation Firm of the Year in California Lindborg & Mazor LLP Irina J. Mazor, Esq. Managing Partner Peter F. Lindborg, Esq. Partner Tel: +1 (818) 637-8325 imazor@lmllp.com www.lmllp.com

Lindborg & Mazor LLP is a full service law firm with its most significant practice areas encompassing an array of business and construction industry-related matters in Los Angeles, California and worldwide. The attorneys at Lindborg & Mazor LLP are experts at undertaking and resolving clients’ issues in the fields of business formation, construction, contracts, commercial transactions, international business, real estate, commercial leases and the litigation, arbitration and mediation of any related claims, disputes and lawsuits. Lindborg & Mazor LLP is also a certified DBE, WBE and SBE. Through the firm’s commitment to delivering high quality legal representation to a diverse client base in a creative and cost-effective manner, Lindborg & Mazor LLP is well-positioned to handle from the most complex international matters to the simplest local commercial transactions. Simply, Lindborg & Mazor LLP has established a law practice which, in many respects, is comparable to the largest and most world-renowned firms. California’s most diverse public entities and the world’s leading private enterprises place their trust in Lindborg & Mazor LLP to handle all their legal needs.

Two “real world” examples demonstrate the breadth of the firm’s practice and the depth of its skill set: • Recently, the San Diego Association of Governments retained Lindborg & Mazor LLP to perform all legal work related to planning, financing, acquiring, constructing and operating the East Otay Mesa Port of Entry, the first POE in the United States to be built by a non-federal agency. The facility will consist of two ports of entry and two toll roads on either side of the United States-Mexico border and will be designed to alleviate the congestion which currently costs the economy an estimated $7.2 billion in gross output and more than 62,000 jobs. • A 50% shareholder in two significantly-sized California-based corporations turned to Lindborg & Mazor LLP after having been completely frozen out of the management and control of the two entities he helped build. Using a combination of aggressive litigation and skillful negotiation, the lawyers of Lindborg & Mazor LLP were able to achieve a resolution of the dispute in only three months, which netted the client all of the assets of one of the corporations and half of the assets of the other entity.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 35

US - IP Individual Excellence Adviser of the Year in California Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP Claude M. Stern Co-Chair, National Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Tel: +1 (650) 801-5002 claudestern@quinnemanuel.com www.quinnemanuel.com

Claude M. Stern is a senior partner in Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, the largest business-litigation only firm in the United States. Mr. Stern serves as Co-Chair of Quinn Emanuel’s National Intellectual Property Litigation Practice, the largest practice area within Quinn Emanuel. In his 32 years of practice, he has developed extensive national and international experience in all areas of intellectual property and technology litigation. He also serves as the managing partner of the firm’s Silicon Valley office. Mr. Stern has been lead trial counsel in numerous precedent-setting cases in all fields of intellectual property, including in patent litigation, copyright litigation, trademark and trade dress litigation, false advertising litigation, trade secret litigation, as well as technology licensing litigation. He has litigated cases throughout the United States, and has achieved victories in some of the most heavily-litigated venues, including district courts in California, Delaware, Florida, New York and Texas. His numerous victories include: the first case addressing the enforceability of business method patents and claims of ownership to Internet commerce; the lead in establishing a new standard for determining patent infringement under the doctrine of equivalents; the first case to recognize and enforce the copyrightability of the user-interface of a non-video game computer program. Mr. Stern also has substantial experience in the defense of technology performance class-action cases, particularly involving allegations of defective software and hardware. Mr. Stern has tried cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, and has extensive arbitration and mediation experience before

various arbitration/mediation bodies (including the AAA and JAMS), as well as extensive experience before various federal and state agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission. Mr. Stern’s clients have included Bloom Energy, Catalina Marketing, Benchmark Capital, CBS, Google, Dassault, Electronic Arts, Hellman & Friedman, IAC Intuit., Kraft Foods, LendingTree, Match.com, Monolithic Power Systems, Orbotech, Rovi (formerly Macrovision), Shell Oil, Skype, Solidworks and Zynga. Mr. Stern has been repeatedly recognized as one of the preeminent intellectual property trial lawyers in Silicon Valley, California and the United States, by such publications as Chambers: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012), Law Dragon, San Francisco Magazine, and San Jose Magazine. Mr. Stern has consistently been recognized as one of California’s Super Lawyers (2004 - 2012) and, from 2009 - 2012, has been recognized as one of California’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers and the Top 75 Intellectual Property Litigators. In 2010 - 2013, Chambers identified Mr. Stern as one of eight lawyers in California designated as Band 1, or “most recommended”. In 2013, American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell selected Mr. Stern as a “2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property”. Mr. Stern served as President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, the most prestigious trial lawyer educational organization in California. In addition to having taught trial advocacy for over 20 years at Stanford University Law School, Mr. Stern is frequently asked to speak nationally and internationally (including in China, Japan, Korea, Israel and Morocco) on numerous intellectual property and litigation topics.

US - International Tax Advisory Firm of the Year in Florida Cantor & Webb, P.A. Steven L. Cantor Managing Partner Tel: +1 (305) 374-3886 steve@cantorwebb.com www.cantorwebb.com

Cantor & Webb P.A. focuses exclusively on the representation of high net worth international private clients in the areas of international and domestic tax and estate planning, United States tax compliance services, family office advisory services, and domestic and international property transactions. The firm has established a personalized legal concierge oriented practice that services clients predominantly from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Canada. Issues dealt with on behalf of private clients, international businesses and celebrity clients include a variety of tax matters, including planning for the entry of foreign enterprises into the United States market, the international operations of domestic businesses, and federal tax controversies, including IRS voluntary disclosure and FATCA related issues. The firm has substantial experience in tax efficient planning for foreign trusts with United States beneficiaries and for foreign nationals who intend to move to the United States. Its systematized approach to the review of foreign trusts has proven to be a very useful tool for trust companies that require the review of their trust inventories to assure that important United States tax and reporting issues of their settlors and beneficiaries have been properly addressed. With the use of the latest techniques in multi-jurisdictional planning, the firm has successfully implemented plans for its clients to remain tax compliant while maintaining tax efficiency. Cantor & Webb P.A. provides international family office advisory

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services to successful business families which have already established a single or multi-member family office to better organize their investments, or have contemplated doing so. Integrating their services with those of the family office, the firm deals first hand with issues relating to family office structure, family governance and succession, and dispute resolution. With an extensive global network of professional contacts with which the firm coordinates its efforts, Cantor & Webb P.A. provides a holistic approach to various types of legal and non-legal issues faced by the international private clients and their businesses. The team of dedicated and experienced multilingual professionals has led to the firm’s wide acceptance as one of the leading law firms dedicated to international tax and estate planning. Managing partner Steven L. Cantor has more than 30 years of experience in representing international private clients and their businesses. He handles a variety of complex foreign trusts with U.S. assets and/or beneficiaries, tax and estate planning for multinational families, pre-residency matters, and structuring on foreign investment in the U.S. Quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Cantor is a frequent author in diverse publications and has lectured internationally for various prestigious organizations around the world. He is the recipient of the 2011 STEP Founder’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and has been recognized as one of the world’s leading international private client attorneys by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, as well as being listed in Citywealth Magazine Leaders List and Legal Week’s International Trusts & Private Client Elite List.

US - Appellate Law Firm of the Year in Florida Joel S. Perwin, P.A. Joel S. Perwin President Tel: +1 (305) 779-6090 jperwin@perwinlaw.com www.perwinlaw.com

Joel S. Perwin, P.A. is an appellate law firm that practices in both

Federal and State appellate courts, in cases arising from all areas of

civil practice, and also provides litigation support to trial lawyers. This includes personally doing all appellate-level work in a case, and also preparing major trial-level motions and memoranda, and conducting

trial-level arguments-assistance that is important in preserving the cli-

ent’s rights on appeal. Mr. Perwin has more than 400 reported appellate decisions, including two U.S. Supreme Court appearances, 36 reported Florida Supreme Court decisions, 46 reported decisions of the United

States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and appearances in al-

most every other federal Court of Appeals, as well as several other State Supreme Courts. He has represented hundreds of clients in commercial, consumer and personal injury cases.

Joel S. Perwin was a shareholder for 22 years in the Miami law firm of Podhurst, Orseck, before establishing his own firm in 2004, specializing in appellate litigation and trial support. Before returning to Miami in 1981, he served as Counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee; Associate Counsel to Vice President Walter F. Mondale;

Joel S. Perwin, P.A.

Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C.; and law clerk to the Honorable Bailey Aldrich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard College in 1970, where he was National Intercollegiate Debating Champion his Junior year, and Cum Laude in 1974 from Harvard Law School, where he served as Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review. Mr. Perwin has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 1995, and in the top-tier appellate category in Chambers USA’s America’s Leading Lawyers for Business since it began listing appellate lawyers in 2004, as well as such publications as South Florida’s Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Florida Legal Elite, and the South Florida Legal Guide. Former Florida Bar President Tod Aronovitz has written: “For more than 20 years my firm’s clients have been represented on appeal by the best appellate attorney in the State of Florida, Mr. Joel Perwin. I state this because Joel enjoys a stellar reputation in Florida courts as a professorial advocate whose written and oral skills are superb. Additionally, his advocacy has resulted in appellate victories for my clients (corporate and individual clients) in complex cases pending in multiple Florida and federal jurisdictions as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court. Joel Perwin is the only appellate specialist who I would use as an advocate for my clients’ matters on appeal.”

US - Communications Law Firm of the Year in Georgia Sapronov & Associates, P.C. Walt Sapronov Managing Shareholder Tel: +1 770-399-9100 wsapronov@wstelecomlaw.com www.wstelecomlaw.com

tions contracts and regulation, including some of the largest in the U.S., for more than 25 years. Clients have included broadband, wireless, and cable providers, as well as large corporate enterprises, financial institutions, and investment firms. Mr. Sapronov’s experience spans all aspects of telecoms transactions over decades of practice, including negotiation of wholesale and interconnection agreements, spectrum licensing, large commercial procurement, data center and equipment leases, collocation, and broadband access/transmission Sapronov & Associates has represented some of the country’s largest enteragreements. Other transactional experience includes negotiation of nationwide prises and service providers in broadband/wireless transactions and regulation – including some of the largest wireless providers in the U.S. The firm has fiber optic and mobile network buildout agreements, financing, distressed asset represented clients in telecom and wireless interconnection and infrastructure, purchases, and structuring transactions with respect to regulatory compliance, privacy laws, liabilities, remedies, indemnifications, and intellectual property broadband Internet, data center, rights of way, and pole attachment transactions – both in the U.S. and abroad. Enterprise clients for whom our attorneys rights. He also represents clients on federal and state privacy matters, as well as financing and regulation of both traditional telephony, wireless, cable, have negotiated telecommunications procurement contracts have included broadband, and emerging information technologies, such as Voice-Over IP, some of the largest in the U.S., including many Fortune 50 corporations, the broadband wireless / WiFi, Internet access, and IPTV. world’s largest stock exchange, global banking institutions, private equity Mr. Sapronov also helps clients navigate federal and state regulatory requirefirms, and numerous multi-national corporations. The firm’s lawyers have participated in countless telecommunications regulatory matters before the FCC, ments, and understanding and commenting on proposed changes to those requirements. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Georgia state public service commissions, municipalities, and state legislatures. The firm also has extensive experience as telecommunications regulatory counsel Institute of Technology’s pre-law program and is a frequent speaker and author on telecommunications law. in numerous mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcy, and financing transactions. Mr. Sapronov has co-chaired numerous legal seminars, including Practicing Law Institute (PLI) Telecommunications Mergers, Acquisitions and FinancWalt Sapronov: ing. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Walt Sapronov, Managing Shareholder at Sapronov & Associates, is AV peer Technology (teaching U.S. telecommunications law and regulation), and has review rated and has been named in the International Who’s Who of Telecom authored numerous publications including Telecommunications Law, Regulation Lawyers. AVVO, a law firm rating agency, recently gave Walt Sapronov its highest rating (“superb”) among telecoms lawyers in the Atlanta area. He has and Policy (1998, Sapronov & Read, eds). He also is a frequent speaker and represented enterprise, carrier and service provider clients in telecommunica- moderator of Law Seminars International seminars and tele-briefings. Sapronov & Associates, P.C., together with its predecessors, was formed in 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm is an AV rated boutique with a U.S. domestic and international practice concentrated exclusively on telecommunications, broadband and wireless transactions and regulation. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, Sapronov & Associates, P.C. also has an office in Washington, DC.

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US - Employment Law Firm of the Year in Illinois Franczek Radelet 300 South Wacker Drive, Suite 3400 Chicago, IL 60606 Tel: +1 312-786-0300 www.franczek.com

Founded in 1994 by attorneys from some of Chicago’s largest multiservices law firms, Franczek Radelet has grown from 12 to 55 attorneys. The firm’s boutique labor, employment and employee benefits practice focuses exclusively on management, advising and representing employers both in the private and public sectors. The firm’s Labor Practice covers every aspect of managing a unionized workforce as well as assisting management with non-unionized workforces. The firm handles collective bargaining, state and National Labor Relations Board proceedings, contract administration, impasse arbitration proceedings, and grievance arbitration proceedings. The firm’s unique offering – the combination of the firm’s relationships in the marketplace and its extensive experience – maximizes its clients’ achievements and assures the attainment of their labor relations goals. Franczek Radelet advises, counsels and represents employers in all areas of employment law. The firm has extensive experience counseling on employee discipline and termination, affirmative action, sexual harassment and anti-discrimination training, downsizing and reductionin-force assistance, wage and hour compliance, workplace safety, non-resident workforce matters, employee handbook drafting and review, and employment practices audits. The firm also has a strong track record of representing clients in all aspects of employment litiga-

tion and appellate advocacy, including defense of employment discrimination and harassment claims, express and implied employment contract claims, wrongful discharge actions, employment-related torts (such as intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring and supervision), and enforcement of restrictive covenants. The firm also has extensive experience representing employers in individual and class-wide claims before federal and state courts and administrative agencies throughout the US, including the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Department of Labor, and state and local agencies. The firm’s employee benefits attorneys counsel clients with respect to virtually every aspect of benefits, pension and health law issues. The firm has extensive experience amending and restating benefit plan documents, as well as counseling clients on the administration of benefit plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans, Section 125 plans, including flexible spending arrangements and dependent care assistance programs, educational assistance programs, and transportation fringe benefit programs. The firm approaches employee benefits from a human resources perspective. The firm’s attorneys tend to the immediate benefit concerns, and are also sensitive to the impact on corporate culture and employee morale, and union issues. Some of the firm’s representative clients include Chicago Automobile Trade Association; Chicago Public Schools; City of Chicago; Dominick’s Finer Foods; Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority; Midwest Generation EME, LLC; Navistar; Northwestern University; and SUPERVALU.

US - Employment Litigation Firm of the Year in Illinois Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin and Tominberg, Ltd. Joseph M. Gagliardo Managing Partner Tel: +1 312.467.9800 jgagliardo@lanermuchin.com www.lanermuchin.com

Laner Muchin, Ltd. is one of the oldest and largest law firms in the country concentrating exclusively in representing employers in the field of labor, employment law, business immigration and employee benefits. Established in 1945 by one of the drafters of the law which eventually became the National Labor Relations Act, and the first head of the legal staff of the National Labor Relations Board’s Chicago Regional Office, the firm currently provides a full range of labor and employment services to a large and diverse public and private sector client base. We represent our clients in litigation before federal and state trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies. We provide advice and counsel with respect to all applicable labor and employment laws, matters involving labor unions and a broad range of human resources and personnel issues. We also offer comprehensive services relating to employee benefit plans, as well as a full range of business immigration services. Our mission is to be the premier law firm concentrating exclusively in the representation of employers in labor relations, employment litigation, employee benefits and business immigration. To fulfill this mission, we continuously strive to satisfy our clients by providing unparalleled service and expertise in these areas. We accomplish our goals by serving in the dual role of lawyers and business advisors who undertake to provide solutions and strategies which demonstrate a clear understanding of each client’s unique business needs.

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Increasingly, businesses are confronted with employment-related claims, including discrimination, retaliation and harassment, due to the combined effects of large awards by sympathetic juries, over-burdened government agencies and the steady passage of new employment laws. While there is little an employer can do to eliminate these underlying causes, there is a great deal it can do to minimize its legal liability. Our Litigation Department consists of lawyers who have concentrated in representing government enforcement agencies and employers in prosecuting and/or defending virtually every kind of labor and employment litigation. Our litigators understand business and business people. We know that favorable results are not enough unless they are attained in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Mr. Gagliardo is the Managing Partner of Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin and Tominberg, Ltd., and is the Chair of its Litigation Department. Mr. Gagliardo has counseled and represented employers in a broad range of employment matters for over 30 years. His experience includes litigating individual and class action claims in the state and federal courts. Mr. Gagliardo also serves as an arbitrator in employment and commercial disputes. In 2012, Mr. Gagliardo was named as Best Lawyers’ 2012 Chicago-Litigation-Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Year. Mr. Gagliardo has also been voted one of the Top 100 Attorneys in Illinois in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and one of the Top 10 Attorneys in 2012, according to Super Lawyer polls appearing in Chicago Magazine.

US - Arbitration Firm of the Year in Louisiana Frilot L.L.C. Allen J. (“A.J.”) Krouse, III Partner Tel: +1 504 599 8016 akrouse@frilot.com www.frilot.com

Frilot L.L.C. is a full-service law firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The firm offers representation in litigation and transactional matters on a local, regional, and national basis before all courts and administrative agencies. The firm has earned victories for clients involving a wide range of matters encompassed by practice areas including: Admiralty & Maritime, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Energy & Environmental, Employment, Mass Tort & Class Actions, Medical Malpractice & Healthcare, Product Liability and Transactional. In particular, Frilot has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, including mediations, structured negotiations and other creative approaches to resolving simple and complex matters. Allen J. (“A.J.”) Krouse, III is a partner at Frilot and an experienced mediator and arbitrator with more than 28 years’ legal expertise. This includes: extensive jury trial experience, advising clients in the course of defending, prosecuting and settling litigation, including pre-litigation risk analysis, conducting or directing internal investigations; negotiating with governmental agencies in connection with administrative proceedings and investigations; conducting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings; as well as managing electronic discovery (ESI) and database management. Mr. Krouse provides neutral and dispute resolution services, including serving as an arbitrator and mediator in domestic and international commercial, healthcare and life sciences, energy, securities and employment,

franchise and construction disputes. He also provides special master, early neutral evaluation, mini-trial, fact finding, assisted negotiation and settlement counsel services. Moreover, Mr. Krouse is a certified mediator with the International Mediation Institute. He is a fellow in the American College of Civil Trial Mediators (ACCTM), the Academy of Court Appointed Masters (ACAM) and the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA). Mr. Krouse also serves as an arbitrator with the American Health Lawyers’ Association (‘AHLA’) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (‘FINRA’). Mr. Krouse has been inducted as a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (‘ClArb’) and given the designatory letters FCIArb. As a member of the American Arbitration Association (‘AAA’) National Roster of Neutrals, Mr. Krouse serves on the Association’s class action, large, complex case, commercial, and employment and energy panels. Mr. Krouse has also served as an arbitrator in the AAA’s Automobile Industry Special Binding Arbitration Program and the Disaster Recovery Claims Resolution Services. Mr. Krouse noted: “As a result of Frilot’s experience in handling all types of legal matters, from simple transactions to complex multi-party litigation, the firm is capable of putting together a team to handle any legal demands that our clients may have. Frilot has found that maintaining this flexibility in handling the needs of its clients – both big and small – has allowed the firm to continually provide successful results that are consistent with clients’ goals, and which are accomplished in a cost effective manner.”

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Myers Thompson concentrates its practice on employment-based immigration representation, including preparation of petitions and assisting corporate management to develop sensible policies to manage, recruit, hire, and retain foreign-born talent. An integral part of the service Myers Thompson provides is to change the law to match the needs of its clients. The firm regularly engages in public policy advocacy to the benefit of its clients, including traveling to Washington, D.C. to advocate with federal officials, meeting with Congressional officials at local offices, and working with in-house government relations personnel. Sam is a past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and a 25-year member of AILA’s board of governors. Sam has testified before the U.S. Congress and the Minnesota

State legislature on employment-based immigration. He has participated in writing several signiﬁcant amendments to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, including the amendments to the H-1B and L-1 visa categories. Sam presently serves as Vice Chair of Minnesota’s Advocates for Human Rights. He founded the William Mitchell College of Law Immigration Law Clinic, and is an adjunct faculty member teaching immigration law at the University of Minnesota. Also a long-standing member of AILA, Elizabeth has been a national Board of Governors member, Senior Editor of AILA’s Annual Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook for more than a decade, Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter Chair, Co-Chair of the Nebraska Service Center Liaison Committee, Chair of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement Committee, and Co-Chair of the Employment Creation/Investors Immigrant Committee. Elizabeth participated in the development and writing of immigration-related aspects of the U.S.- Canada Free Trade Agreement (precursor to the NAFTA), and she continues to be a leading practitioner in immigration issues related to Free Trade Agreements and Intra-Company Transferees.

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Myers Thompson P.A. was founded in 1996 by Howard S. (Sam) Myers, III and Elizabeth A. Thompson and has been ranked a Tier 1 ﬁrm by U.S. News. Sam and Elizabeth are the longest lasting partnership of practicing immigration lawyers in the Upper Midwest, having practiced together continuously since 1985. The ﬁrm’s reputation for excellence is international in scope, but it brings a Midwestern work ethic to its clients’ projects.

US - Corporate Immigration Law Firm of the Year in Minnesota

PRACTICE AWARDS

Myers Thompson, PA 123 N. Third Street, Suite 706 Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA Tel: +1 612 349 3030 Fax: +1 612 349 3033 www.myersthompson.com smyers@myersthompson.com et@myersthompson.com

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US - Maritime Law Firm of the Year in Missouri

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HOLLAND GROVES SCHNELLER STOLZE TRIAL PRACTICE www.hgsslaw.com

Recognized as

MISSOURI’S MARITIME LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 2012 Recognized as “Super Lawyers” in Maritime, Transportation and Railroad law, the attorneys of our ﬁrm have consistently obtained record-setting verdicts and settlements for clients across the country. Steven Groves

Steven Stolze

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314-241-8111 www.hgsslaw.com

Kevin Wilkins

Gerard Schneller

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Eric Holland

PRACTICE AWARDS

US - Immigration Law Firm of the Year in Missouri Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. David W. Gearhart Partner and Lead Immigration Attorney Tel: +(1)314-444-1394 dgearhart@lewisrice.com www.lewisrice.com

With over 150 lawyers practicing in all of the major legal specialty areas, Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. is one of the leading regional law firms in the United States’ Midwest. Founded in 1909, Lewis Rice is proud to have served its communities as a full service firm for more than a century. The Firm enjoys a strong historical foundation and stellar reputation, as well as the size and resources to serve the demanding and ever-changing needs of today’s business community. To facilitate our global reach, Lewis Rice also is a member of the International Lawyers Network, an association of 91 highquality, full-service law firms with over 5,000 lawyers worldwide. The Network provides clients with easily accessible legal services in 66 countries on six continents and offers expertise in a broad range of practice areas. Our firm has a robust, award-winning immigration practice that meets the varied needs of our diverse clientele. We assist corporate clients, which include businesses of all size and from a broad range of industries in both the private and public sector, as they strive to hire and retain the foreign workers they need to secure a competitive edge in the global economy. We also routinely counsel individuals and families on immigration matters.

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Despite our vast clientele, however, it is our individualized focus that sets us apart. We take the time to understand and meet each client’s unique needs. Our attorneys are responsive and conscientious — keeping our clients regularly updated and compliant in this rapidly changing legal and regulatory landscape. Our consummate goal is to achieve the optimal solution for our clients while minimizing inconvenience and delay at the most economical, yet effective, level. Our level of success on behalf of our clients is extraordinary. Indeed, we have achieved an over 99% approval rate on immigration filings. Our immigration practitioners have been selected for numerous awards and, as further testament to their expertise, frequently speak on immigration related matters, and are invited to author practice guides and scholarly articles in this area. Further, all of our immigration practitioners practice employment law, which is a unique aspect of our immigration practice. This extensive employment law experience allows us, among other things, the opportunity to expertly counsel our employer clients regarding work authorization issues, hiring and firing, workplace investigations, and planning for the immigration impact of mergers and acquisitions. Members of our immigration team fully understand the sometime emergent nature of immigration law, and are always available for consultation.

US - Tax Law Firm of the Year in New York Shearman & Sterling LLP Laurence M. Bambino Partner Tel: +1 212 848 4213 lbambino@shearman.com www.shearman.com

Shearman & Sterling LLP has long been a recognized leader in the area of taxation, with tax lawyers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. We advise on complex matters, represent clients in tax controversies and play an integral role in our global practice. Our key areas of practice include: • Mergers and acquisitions • Spin-offs, restructurings and reorganizations • Structured finance and securitizations • Hedge fund and private equity fund transactions, including management or shareholder take-private transactions • Equity and debt issuances of all kinds, including equity-linked, hybrid and other debt securities • Financial products and derivatives • Bankruptcy workouts and insolvency restructurings • Tax controversy and litigation • Partnerships and other joint venture arrangements, including hedge fund and private equity fund formation • Debt-equity swaps, recapitalizations and distressed loan transactions • Real estate funds, REITs and other real estate transactions Clients regularly entrust us with their most complex and critical tax matters, resulting in our involvement in groundbreaking transactions throughout the world. The combination of our experience and global presence enables us to provide swift, coordinated and effective advice on a variety of tax issues in multiple jurisdictions. By establishing a wide base of technical knowledge, experience and understanding of each client’s needs, we continually test the practical implications of any tax proposals. Our clients rely on our tax planning at every stage of a transaction, from early planning to successful conclusion. We represent multinational companies in cross-border transactions and financial offerings in multiple jurisdictions. In order to meet the demands of our multinational clients, we provide state-ofthe-art advice in relation to tax law and its development on a global basis. We also have considerable experience advising multinational companies in the reduction of overall tax costs inherent in operating in multiple jurisdictions and in developing tax-efficient investment and operating structures, as well as in developing taxsensitive management/employee compensation packages and in expatriate taxation. We work with various worldwide investment banking firms and other financial advisors or institutions in developing tax-efficient structures for financings, hybrid securities, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and other investments. Our substantial representation of major investment banks and financial institutions in the area of

financial product development is an active source of business for us. Many new and long-time clients seek our counsel and representation in controversies and other matters involving tax authorities in the United States and Europe. We represent clients in audits and litigation, in obtaining rulings from tax authorities, and in competent authority proceedings, as well as working with clients to obtain advance pricing agreements. Our recent tax work includes:

Tax Corporate & Finance

AmeriGas Partners, L.P. in its acquisition of the propane operations of Energy Transfer Partners L.P. ArcelorMittal in the sale of Skyline Steel LLC to Nucor Corporation. Corning on its acquisition of Labware business in multiple jurisdictions from Becton, Dickinson. Deere & Company on the restructuring of its global operations. Dow Chemical Company on the development of a $20 billion joint venture with Saudi Aramco to build and operate a global integrated chemical complex in Saudi Arabia. Groupe Danone in its effort to acquire Pfizer’s infant nutrition business. IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), a leading operator of global overthe-counter (OTC) markets, clearing houses and regulated futures exchanges, on its launch of a new clearing facility for OTC Non-Deliverable Forward Foreign Exchange (FX) contracts. Marriott International, Inc. on United States tax matters relating to splitting the company’s businesses into two separate, publicly traded companies. Schneider Electric in its acquisition and post-acquisition restructuring of Telvent. SunGard Data Systems Inc. in the bifurcated sale of its Higher Education businesses to affiliates of Hellman & Friedman for an aggregate cash purchase price of $1.775 billion. Synthes, Inc., a premier global manufacturer of orthopaedic devices, in its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, in a transaction valued at $21.3 billion.

Tax Controversy

Ambac Financial Group in the first case involving the tax treatment of credit default swaps. $700 million of tax refunds and $7 billion of net operating losses were at issue. Ford Motor Company in a case involving whether bonuses paid to UAW members to secure ratification of a collective bargaining agreement are “wages” for FICA and FUTA withholding purposes. This is the lead case for the domestic auto makers and includes claims for UAW members as well as Ford. Freddie Mac Tax Court case involving a $2.5 billion dispute with the IRS relating to the tax treatment of derivatives used to hedge financial risk.

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US - Emerging Growth Law Firm of the Year in New York

US - Emerging Growth Law Firm of the Year in New York.indd 1

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Notable Legal Work

David J. Sorin, Esq., Managing Partner Email: dsorin@sorinrand.com

Areas of Expertise

With respect to technology and techenabled companies: • Corporate, including business and ﬁnance, entity formation and corporate governance; • Financing, including seed capital, angel and venture ﬁnancing, private equity and public offerings; • Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and strategic partnerships, including licensing; • Securities law compliance; • Intellectual property; • Litigation; • Employment; • Taxation; • Franchising and distribution.

NJ Address: Two Tower Center Boulevard, 24th Floor East Brunswick, NJ 08816 Phone: +1 732.839.0400 NY Address: 515 Madison Avenue, 13th Floor New York, NY 10022 Phone: +1 212.600.2085 PA Address: Four Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 200 100 Matsonford Road Radnor, PA 19087 Phone: +1 484.784.4320

Companies tapping the firm’s services include Scanbuy, Noveda Technologies, Second Market, Phone.com, Edifice Information Management, Fieldview Solutions, Snap MyLife, Wayside Technology Group, Systech International, US Pharma Lab, United BioScource and Vidyo. The firm also represents ff Venture Capital, Osage Partners, TechLaunch, Originate Ventures, FirstMark and Union Square Ventures, among other investors.

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“These are extraordinary numbers

Contact

The reputation of SorinRand is well established in the legal marketplace. In recent years, the firm’s attorneys proved the viability of a new model of legal service, one that delivers first-class advice at a reasonable cost to startup, emerging growth and middlemarket technology and tech-enabled enterprises and the investors who support them. The firm represents, among many others: • 14 of the 100 fastest growing companies in the mid-Atlantic region; • 5 of the 80 “hottest companies” in New York City; • 3 of the 10 leading alternative energy companies in New Jersey; and • 4 of the 50 fastest growing companies in New Jersey.

structure that is about half that of our national competitors.”

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Firm Proﬁle

for a firm of our size,” says David Sorin, managing partner of SorinRand. Equally extraordinary are the accolades the firm has accumulated. The firm was named Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year by Finance Monthly Magazine and 2011 Emerging Growth Law Firm of the Year in the United States by Lawyer Monthly Magazine. Recognition of the firm continued in 2012 – Corporate LiveWire named SorinRand 2012 Emerging Growth Law Firm of the Year, as well as 2012 Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year. Corporate Finance Magazine named SorinRand the 2012 USA Emerging Growth Company Law Firm of the Year and Lawyer Monthly Magazine named SorinRand US 2012 Emerging Growth Company Law Firm of the Year. Also in 2012, ACQ Finance named SorinRand 2012 US Growth Law Firm of the Year and US Trademark and Licensing Law Firm of the Year. But the accolades don’t stop there – SorinRand has now been recognised as Global Law Experts’ Emerging Growth Law Firm of the Year in New York in its 2013 awards. The continual recognition of the firm is a testament to its strength in representing entrepreneurial and technology companies. “Building on that strength, “ Sorin says, “we have renewed and deepened our commitment to creating client value through a lower-leverage delivery model and a competitive fee

PRACTICE AWARDS

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US - Energy & Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year in Texas

Complex Business and Energy Litigation Throughout the U.S. Complex Business and Energy Litigation Throughout the U.S.

Pierce Pierce & & O'Neill O'Neill is is Honored Honored to to be be Chosen Chosen as as the the Energy Energy & & Natural Natural Resources Resources Law Firm of the Year in Texas. Oil Oil & & Gas Gas Law Law || Commercial Commercial Litigation Litigation Litigation-Eminent Litigation-Eminent Domain Domain & & Condemnation Condemnation Pierce & O’Neill, LLP is a civil litigation firm that handles the

Pierce & O’Neill, LLP is a civil litigation firm that handles the

trial and appeal of complex civil litigation and arbitration matters.

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» Oil & Gas Litigation

»» Oil & Gas Litigation Bankruptcy Litigation »» Bankruptcy Commercial Litigation & Contract Litigation Commercial & Contract »» Environmental LitigationLitigation » Toxic Tort Litigation Environmental Litigation »» Trade Secrets & Non-Compete Litigation Toxic Tort Litigation

» Trade Secrets & Non-Compete Litigation

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pierce & o’neill, llp 4203 montrose boulevard houston, tx 77006 pierce & o’neill, llp (713) 634-3600 www.pierceoneill.com 4203 montrose boulevard 2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 00 info@pierceoneill.com houston, tx 77006

US - Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year in Washington, DC Patton Boggs LLP John H. Vogel Partner Tel: +(1)(202) 457-6460 jvogel@pattonboggs.com www.pattonboggs.com

Patton Boggs LLP is an international law firm, based in Washington, DC, with a diverse range of practice areas focused on business, foreign sovereign representation, corporate finance, public-private and infrastructure financings, public policy, litigation, administrative and regulatory law, intellectual property and bankruptcy and liquidation laws. The strength of our legal practice is grounded in the exceptional capabilities of our more than 600 lawyers and other professionals who concentrate in nearly 40 legal practice areas at offices throughout the United States and in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Patton Boggs is at the forefront of international law firms working in the complex field of Shariah-compliant finance and investment. Attorneys in the firm’s international finance and business practices, including attorneys in the firm’s Washington, DC and Middle Eastern offices, work closely to develop strategies to assist our clients with financings and other transactions that comply with Islamic law. Our experience includes dealing with all major Islamic finance structures, including the issuance of sukuk and the structuring of ijara, istisna’a, musharaka, mudaraba and murabaha transactions. Our Islamic finance attorneys have served as counsel to a number of Shariah-compliant investment funds and capital providers for

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businesses controlled by such funds on a broad range of real estate, infrastructure and other financings. On the regulatory side, our attorneys have advised in government-to-government negotiations intended to expand the range of Islamic banking products and services and improve governance and transparency in Islamic financing, as well as simplification of Shariah-compliant accounting, reporting and approval requirements. Patton Boggs has been honored as a finalist for the “Best Islamic Finance Law Firm” at the Islamic Business and Finance Awards in Dubai – one of very few non-Middle East-based institutions to qualify as a finalist in any category for these awards, which celebrate corporate and individual excellence in the global Islamic finance industry. Patton Boggs is a leader in Islamic finance, supporting internal development projects and overseas investments for our clients throughout the MENA region. Our clients, serviced from our Washington and MENA offices, include sovereign wealth funds, as well as US and international financial institutions and commercial enterprises wishing to take advantage of various Islamic finance structures in today’s competitive world. Our attorneys have published numerous articles regarding Islamic finance and have participated in panels throughout the world addressing issues of Islamic finance to audiences in the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Asia & Oceania GLE Winners

Located entirely in the eastern hemisphere, Asia is the largest continent in the world, east of Europe and northeast of Africa. Oceania encompasses Australia, New Zealand, and a host of island nations, stretching from Asia’s east coast to parts of the South Pacific in the western hemisphere. Australia escaped recession in 2010-2011, helped by a strong government stimulus as well as robust trade linkages with Asia. The country’s economy is backed by diverse, natural resources that have in the past attracted high levels of foreign investment and include extensive reserves of coal, iron ore, copper, gold, natural gas, uranium and renewable energy sources. Australia’s economic growth rate slowed during 2012 amid a drop in global demand for its resources and lacklustre domestic consumption. Overall, New Zealand’s strong investment in the first half of 2012 offset weaker consumer confidence and deteriorating exports. Further, investment remained the key growth driver for the remainder of 2012, with household spending set to improve during 2013. China’s manufacturing sector remains in a slump, renewing concerns that the world’s second-largest economy is in the midst of a sharp slowdown sparked by Europe’s debt crisis. China’s economy is still growing at a faster rate than the economies of the United States, Europe and Japan. However, there are worries that the pace is slowing due to the problems in Europe as well as sluggishness in the US. Both Europe and the US are key export markets for China. China’s central bank lowered interest rates at least twice in 2012 in an attempt to accelerate growth. It was believed that India’s economy may grow by 6.5% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012, according to a report by Moody’s Analystics, the research arm of ratings firm Moody’s. However, Fitch Ratings has cut its 2012 growth forecasts for India to 6% from 6.5%. The regional giant faces a deteriorating global growth outlook with diminished willingness or capacity to respond with domestic policy loosening, compared with 2009. Ongoing concerns over government economic and investment policy are a possible weight on business confidence. The authorities’ ability to respond with looser policy is constrained by India’s high inflation, fiscal deficit and public debt. Fitch projects India’s general government deficit at 8.5% of GDP in fiscal 2012, leaving little room for fiscal easing. Taiwan’s closer economic links with mainland China in 2012 brought greater opportunities for the Taiwan economy, but now Taiwan poses new challenges; for example, FDI in China has resulted in Chinese import substitution away from Taiwan’s exports and a restriction of potential job creation in Taiwan. In 2012, the Indonesian government faced the ongoing challenge of improving the country’s infrastructure to remove impediments to growth, while addressing climate change concerns, particularly with regard to conserving Indonesia’s forests and peatlands. The OECD expects economic growth, led by robust domestic demand, to slow to 6% when looking at data for 2012 and 2013, from a 6.5% expansion in 2011.

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Contents: 48.

Cambodia

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year / Bun & Associates

48.

Hong Kong

International Employment Law Firm of the Year / Howse Williams Bowers

49.

Hong Kong

Shipping Law Firm of the Year / Laracy & Co.

49.

India

Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year / Economic Laws Practice

50.

India

Energy Law Firm of the Year / J. Sagar Associates I advocates & solicitors

50.

India

Industrial Design Law Firm of the Year / S.S. Rana & Co

51.

Indonesia

Corporate Litigation Firm of the Year / Iskandarsyah & Partners

51.

Indonesia

IP Enforcement Law Firm of the Year / K&K Advocates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; intellectual property

52.

Japan

Structured Finance Law Firm of the Year / Davis & Takahashi

52.

Jordan

IT & Communications Law Firm of the Year / Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law

53.

Kazakhstan

Energy & Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year / Olympex Advisers Limited Liability Partnership

53.

Oman

Corporate Law Firm of the Year / Al Busaidy Mansoor Jamal & Co (Barristers and Legal Consultants)

54.

The Philippines

Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year / Esguerra & Blanco Law Offices

46 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Asia & Oceania GLE Winners

54.

The Philippines

Litigation Law Firm of the Year / Esguerra & Blanco Law Offices

54.

Singapore

Banking Law Firm of the Year / Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC

55.

Singapore

Construction Law Firm of the Year / Harry Elias Partnership LLP

55.

South Korea

Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year / Darae Law & IP Firm

56.

South Korea

Full Service IP Law Firm of the Year / Cho & Partners

56.

South Korea

Patent Law Firm of the Year / Bae, Kim & Lee LLC

57.

Syria

Corporate Law firm of the Year / Oussi Law Firm

57.

Syria

IP Law firm of the Year / Oussi Law Firm

57.

Syria

M&A Law Firm of the Year / Oussi Law Firm

57.

Turkey

Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year / Pekin & Bayar Law Firm

58.

Taiwan

Full Service Law Firm of the Year / Lee, Tsai & Partners Attorneys-at-Law

58.

Taiwan

IP Law Firm of the Year / DEEP & FAR Attorneys-at-Law

59.

Turkey

Litigation Law Firm of the Year / Baspinar & Partners

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 47

Cambodia - Real Estate Law Firm of the Year Bun & Associates Sophealeak ING Partner Tel: +855 (0) 12 884 656 ing@bun-associates.com www.bun-associates.com

Bun & Associates, an independent law firm duly registered with the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has been consistently ranked as a first tier business law firm in Cambodia by Chambers Asia Pacific, and has been recognised as a market leader, with increasing appeal to foreign clients. The firm is praised for having a “good knowledge of the Cambodian legal environment” and for providing “comprehensive and responsive services” with a “very professional and dedicated” team. Moreover, Bun & Associates was the sole Cambodian law firm listed in the rising star feature of Asian Legal Business/Thomson Reuters in 2012 as “Ones To Watch”. As a full-service and leading law firm, Bun & Associates provides innovative, high quality legal advice and services to domestic and international clients, in diverse areas such as real estate, agro-business, banking and finance, insurance, corporate, tax, commercial contracts, commercial litigation and intellectual property. Partner Sophealeak Ing noted: “Our Real Estate practice focuses on providing hands-on and pragmatic advice for our clients’ complex real estate demands, and particularly in protecting our foreign clients’ investments, which include property acquisition, property development for office, retail, residential, resort and hotel purposes, special economic zones and economic land concession projects. We attend to investors’

needs at every stage of mining investment projects – from the research and exploration to the exploitation phase, including advice on investment and tax structures, licensing and acquisition of interests in existing mining projects.” Mr Ing is the practice leader of the firm’s Real Estate, Commercial Contracts and Intellectual Property practices, and has been recognised and recommended by Chambers Asia Pacific for 2013. His recent work includes advising a major Japanese client on a world class shopping mall development project in Phnom Penh, securing the acquisition of multi-million dollar properties for foreign-based clients, as well as securing long term lease agreements on behalf of numerous multi-national companies for their multimillion dollar investments within the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone. Mr Ing is a Member of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and has previously worked at the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) in Phnom Penh, and at Gide Loyrette Nouel’s Finance Department in Paris. He added: “Bun & Associates is known for being a leading firm for domestic and foreign clients seeking expert advice and innovative solutions when dealing with significant and complex transactions involving both raw and developed property. Our three founding principles, Commitment, Professionalism and Quality, have persisted throughout the firm’s rapid growth and are the root of its excellent reputation.”

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Hong Kong - International Employment Law Firm of the Year

PRACTICE AWARDS

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Hong Kong - Shipping Law Firm of the Year Laracy & Co. Tel: +852 2525 7525 Fax: +852 2525 7526 info@laracyco.com www.laracyco.com

Languages English, Cantonese, Mandarin Number of lawyers Six Categories of work • Dispute resolution - Property /Conveyancing • Shipping - Corporate /Commercial • Insurance (contentious and regulatory) - Employment • Personal injury - Trusts and Wills • Criminal - Regulatory (HKEX, SFC) • Corporate /Commercial The firm Best known for its expertise in the areas of commercial litigation, international arbitration, and contentious shipping and trade matters, Laracy & Co. also has non-contentious capability. Because of its independence, the firm regularly receives instructions from other law firms, both locally and internationally. Meanwhile, Damien Laracy has an active arbitration practice and sits as an arbitrator.

Areas of practice The firm handles complex international commercial litigation and arbitration as well as more straightforward domestic disputes. It assists with insolvency and debt recovery matters, banking disputes, sale of goods disputes, shareholder disputes, joint venture disputes, and interim relief applications (including Anton Piller orders and Mareva injunctions). The firm regularly advises on the validity of arbitration clauses and the enforceability of judgements and arbitration awards. Clients also deploy Laracy & Co. in respect of negligence and misselling claims, employment disputes, and business diversion and fraud claims. On the shipping side, Laracy & Co. handles cargo loss/damage claims, misdelivery claims, ship mortgage enforcement, charterparty disputes, and Admiralty work generally. The firm advises banks, traders, ship owners, charterers, underwriters, and the International Group of P&I Clubs. In a regulatory context, Laracy & Co. advises company directors and others involved in the management of listed companies. On the non-contentious side, Anthony Jex (also a Notary Public) has practised in Hong Kong for 24 years. His team advises clients in relation to corporate/commercial matters, trusts and wills, employment issues, and insurance regulatory matters.

India - Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year Economic Laws Practice Rohan Shah Managing Partner Tel: +91 22 6636 7000 rohanshah@elp-in.com www.elp.com

Established in 2001, Economic Laws Practice (ELP) has carved its niche as a premium law firm focused on delivering quality results to clients. Now in its twelfth year of existence, the firm has established four offices throughout India, and has built a talented team of professionals offering comprehensive solutions based on expert advice. The firm focuses on areas ranging from advising and litigating on matters, including: Direct tax, Transfer Pricing and Indirect tax; International Trade & WTO; Corporate & Commercial; Infrastructure & Project Finance; Commercial Arbitration; Real Estate; Media & Entertainment; Private Equity & Venture Capital; Anti-trust & Competition; and Corporate Finance. The suite of services offered at ELP meets the needs of the clients from entry (structuring) to any eventual exit (including dispute resolution). ELP’s partners hold both global experience and local expertise, which certifies them to excel in international jurisdictions. The ELP team is a blend of law professionals, chartered accountants, economists and company secretaries. The firm also works closely with – and in cooperation with – various leading global law firms based in the UK, the US, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region; meanwhile, it maintains affiliations and working relationships with firms throughout India. Managing partner Rohan Shah noted: “Apart from our regular newsletters, which include write-ups on current legal matters and insights into judicial decision, ELP also adds to its in-house publications on topics

such as Indian Transfer Pricing Regulations, Key Tax Developments and Doing Business in India.” According to Mr Shah, the major legal issues relating to corporate taxation in India today include the introduction of General Anti Avoidance Rules (‘GAAR’), and the retrospective introduction of provisions on taxation of indirect transfer of shares. “These events have been so critical to the Indian taxation and legal system that the Prime Minister has appointed an Expert Committee to examine the current provisions and provide its recommendations,” said Mr Shah. ELP has assisted its clients to file the representation before this Committee by setting out the suggestions in relation to the implementation of the provisions. ELP also helps clients to structure or re-structure their current and future transactions in order to be compliant with the GAAR provisions. If a dispute arises, ELP assists its client by representing them before the tax authorities or appellant authority. Mr Shah noted that ELP’s objective for the coming twelve months is to build teams with deep technical expertise and an entrepreneurial edge. He added: “Currently, ELP’s client base is wide and includes several governments, leading multinationals, financial institutions and small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs. We have also assisted Fortune 500 companies across diverse industries in a wide range of matters, ranging from legal advisory to key business decisions in India or overseas. Time and again, ELP has earned its clients’ appreciation for timely and qualitative responses that are benchmarked to global standards.”

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 49

India - Energy Law Firm of the Year J. Sagar Associates I advocates & solicitors Tel: +91 124 4390 600 (Gurgaon) Tel: +91 11 4937 0600 & 4311 0600 (New Delhi) Tel: +91 22 4341 8600 (Mumbai) Tel: +91 80 4350 3600 (Bangalore) Tel: +91 40 4036 0600 (Hyderabad) www.jsalaw.com

J. Sagar Associates (JSA) is a leading national law firm in India comprising over 250 lawyers and consultants with offices in New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. For over two decades JSA has provided legal advice and services to international and domestic clients.

entire value-chain of the energy sector, thus, is in the unique position of being able to offer legal advice that is responsive to the ever evolving scenario of the energy sector in India. JSA has been at the forefront of dealing with all the major challenges that the energy sector has faced in the past decade and also contributed to several landmark and precedent setting developments in the sector. Currently, JSA is advising various power companies on coal policy issues and renegotiation of power purchase agreements aggregating to 19,020 MWs out of which 15,020 MWs are imported coal based power plants. Some of the clients being advised on these issues include TATA Power for their Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (4000 MW), Adani Power for their Mundra Power Project (4620 MW), Essar Power and Reliance Power for their Sasan and Krishnapatnam Ultra Mega Power Projects (4000 MW each). Recent mandates also include advising the Government of the Maldives on the reform and restructuring of their electricity sector, Government of Manipur on the reform and unbundling of the power utilities in Manipur and the Government of Manipur on the implementation of six large hydro electric projects on a PPP format as also on the Manipur Hydro Power Policy. Amongst others, some of the precedent setting matters led by JSA includes representing power utilities – (i) on the creation of regulatory assets (this set out the principles for creation of regulatory assets), (ii) on issues relating to depreciation (which set out the principles for determination of tariff and treatment of depreciation in tariff), (iii) in successfully defending proceedings relating to suspension of distribution licence initiated by a regulator, and (iv) in successfully defending the challenge to the privatization of distribution of electricity in the National Capital Territory.

JSA’s mission is to provide outstanding legal solutions in its chosen practice areas with a strong emphasis on ethics. Clients benefit from the expertise and experience as a large firm while still enjoying the privilege of personal attention and responsiveness of a small firm. Advice is delivered by well-informed, accessible, partner-led teams, which strive to provide the highest quality of service to clients, by listening, understanding their needs, responding promptly and living up to the commitments that are made. JSA has a strong Energy Practice comprising of 32 attorneys pan India. JSA has been ranked overall amongst the “Top Three Indian Law Firms” by the RSG-India Top 40 survey of 2009, 2010 & 2011. JSA is known for its domain-focused specialized full-range Energy Practice, and is acknowledged as a market leader for its ability to address complex legal issues involving public policy, market economics, technology, finance, project development and implementation challenges. It is regularly consulted by Governments, Regulators, development financial institutions, think-tanks, industry bodies, suppliers, lenders and investors on complex matters concerning the energy sector. One of the core strengths of JSA’s energy practice is that it covers the

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India - Industrial Design Law Firm of the Year

PRACTICE AWARDS

Indonesia - Corporate Litigation Firm of the Year Iskandarsyah & Partners Reno Iskandarsyah Partner Tel: +6221-29518594 reno@iskandarsyahlaw.co.id www.iskandarsyahlaw.co.id

Iskandarsyah & Partners (I&P), offers in-depth legal expertise reflected through the experience of its lawyers. Individually, each of the firm’s lawyers are among the best trained and experienced practitioners in the country and the region, with full commitment to meet the needs of their clients. I&P maintains a diversified practice, enabling the firm to offer solutions to challenging legal issues within most areas of corporate law. In this regard, the firm offers the specific legal advice clients need to compete effectively in their national or regional business environment – by utilising I&P’s legal database and network of contacts in governmental departments and agencies when clients require clear guidance on government policies. “For years, our lawyers have also advised on litigation matters,” noted I&P partner Reno Iskandarsyah. Mr Iskandarsyah added: “Meanwhile, I&P’s dispute resolution lawyers render advice across the complete spectrum of dispute resolution, from domestic courts to alternative dispute resolutions – for example, arbitration and mediation. Still, our main focus is on dispute avoidance in order to prevent clients’ problems from reaching the courts or other dispute resolution forums, which in turn benefits our clients by minimising their business disruptions.” In addition, I&P offers very competitive fees for retainer clients, and fees for litigation and dispute resolution services rendered are always tailored to suit clients’ financial capability. Mr Iskandarsyah said: “Through utilising our network of contacts in government departments and agencies – combined with our extensive computerised database of Indonesian laws – we are able

to advise clients on likely government policy positions when laws and regulations do not provide clear guidance. “We also maintain close relationships with major law firms in other jurisdictions. Our priority is to provide the highest calibre legal services possible given the time requirements of our clients. We fully understand that either an incomplete answer rendered quickly or a perfect answer provided late may be of little use to our clients. We recognise that quality is an objective that must be pursued relentlessly.” I&P continues to earn trust from clients by knowing their business and striving to realise the most favourable results; moreover, the firm’s specialist research staff provide additional expertise for researching laws and regulations. I&P provides the highest quality services to clients and, in doing so, the firm addresses clients’ legal needs in the broader context of their business operations. At all times, the firm’s approach is client-focused and governed by the highest professional and ethical standards. Mr Iskandarsyah’s professional memberships include, but are not limited to, being an affiliate of the Indonesian Advocates Association (PERADI) and the Indonesian Advocates / Lawyers Association (HAPI). His recent case work has included representing Mr Glenn M S Yusuf (former Chief of Indonesian Banking Restructuring Agency) and Mr Johannes Adrianus Bijlmer (former President Director of PT Monagro Kimia – Monsanto Group). Further, Mr Iskandarsyah is a lawyer of: PT Usayana (a subsidiary of PT Pertamina, state-owned enterprises in the oil and gas business); PT Hardaya Inti Plantation (a company owned by an Indonesian business group); as well as PT Holcim Tbk for land acquisition cases with a land owner in Tuban; among other notable clients.

Indonesia - IP Enforcement Law Firm of the Year K&K Advocates – intellectual property Risti Wulansari Partner Tel: +6221 5785 0331 risti.wulansari@kk-advocates.com www.kk-advocates.com

Delivering world-class intellectual property services geared to the realities of the Indonesian market. K&K Advocates – intellectual property (K&K Advocates) is a boutique intellectual property (IP) firm which specialises in providing services across the entire spectrum of IP. K&K Advocates provides a full range of services relating to IP and information technology with particular strengths in copyright, patent and trademark registration and enforcement. K&K Advocates’ knowledge of IP principles in an Indonesian regulatory context is regularly sought by multinational clients, foreign governments and international organisations. We also draw upon our international network to manage the IP portfolios of a diverse range of clients across many industries and technologies, including cross-jurisdictional issues. Our attorneys dedicate themselves to understanding our clients’ business and working closely with clients to achieve the best possible commercial result from the transaction. Whatever your business, seeking discerning legal advice to secure and exploit your IP rights is critical to making strategic commercial decisions. Our IP attorneys will work with you to understand your needs and to help maximise your investment. We are involved with, or act for, bodies responsible for formulating and commenting on cutting edge developments in IP and technology laws and regulations, including the International Intellectual Property Alliance, the Indonesian Anti-Counterfeiting Society (MIAP) and the

Indonesian Intellectual Property Society (IIPS). As such, we have been actively involved in the formulation of changes to the current IP laws and regulations, in particular trademark and copyright. Moreover, K&K Advocates often participates in seminars, trainings and workshops carried out by the Indonesian Intellectual Property Office, Indonesian National Police Headquarters, National IP Task Force and various Indonesian Universities. Contentious – IP Litigation/Enforcement K&K Advocates’ Litigation/Enforcement and litigation team is a recognised leader in the area of IP litigation and enforcement. Our team has a wealth of experience and has been actively involved in IP litigation for over a decade including taking lead in a series of landmark copyright cases for the world’s largest software manufacturer in 2001. We also have a strong practice in anti-counterfeiting and have maintained good relationships with relevant government bodies including the Customs Office and the National Police, as well as private investigators. Besides assisting the police with criminal investigations and carrying out anti-counterfeiting raids, we have also trained police and other law enforcement officers on IP enforcement techniques. We have handled IP litigation and enforcement on behalf of a broad range of clients in sectors such as: leading global software, fashion, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, financial services, consumer products and automotive industries.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 51

Japan - Structured Finance Law Firm of the Year Davis & Takahashi Hiroaki Takahasi Partner Tel: +81-3-6234-1240 htakahashi@davis.jp www.davis.jp

Davis & Takahashi is a boutique law firm providing specialist services for a broad range of sophisticated structured finance transactions, including ABS, CMBS, RMBS, CDO, WBS, credit-linked notes, beneficial interests, loans and project bonds. Partner Hiroaki Takahasi has been published in: The Introduction of the Mining Amendment Act in Japan (Global Business Magazine, July 2012); Grounds for Optimism: Legal Amendments Affecting Infrastructure in Japan (Infrastructure Investor’s Law 2011 Supplement, December 2011); Amendment to the PFI Act and the Rebuilding of Japanese Infra (Infrastructure Journal, April 2011); as well as The Real Estate Finance Market Reaching a Turning Point-Standardization of Information Disclosure on Real Estate Securitization (2009 Edition of the Mortgage Financing Players Directory, Sogo Unicom). Mr Takahasi noted: “2012 was a significant year of practice for Davis & Takahashi. We represented major Japanese banks and non-banks in connection with securitisation of loan receivables for major PFI projects. In addition, we closed an exotic deal for a religious corporation where lease receivables on cemetery land were securitised.” According to Mr Takahasi, Davis & Takahashi’s core client base is

comprised of major domestic and international banks, investment banks, securities companies, trust banks, insurance companies and institutional investors. The firm’s lawyers and professional staff embody an entrepreneurial spirit that yields a thriving business environment with a total focus on client satisfaction. Their approach adds measurable value to clients’ businesses. This approach extends to: alerting clients of economic and political developments so that they remain informed and compliant; presenting them with relevant and strategic business opportunities and helping initiate corresponding activities; leveraging relationships to introduce clients to potential business partners; independently developing new commercial structures; and successfully handling conflict resolution. Further to its practice in Japan, the firm also maintains offices in Canada, and is truly global in its scope. Mr Takahasi added: “More than 250 lawyers and legal professionals practise in almost 50 areas of law and industries across Japan, as well as in Canada through our associated firm Davis LLP, legal advisors since 1892. “We apply a cross-functional approach to our clients’ challenges, drawing on multiple resources across practice groups to address not just the matter at hand – but also the ‘big picture’.”

Jordan - IT & Communications Law Firm of the Year Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law Mohammad S. Beiruti Managing Partner Tel: +962 6 5862367/8 Fax: +962 6 5862365 mohd@beirutilaw.com www.beirutilaw.com

Founded in 1962, Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law is today one of the leading law firms in Jordan. The firm provides a full range of business legal services and litigation, and conducts a national and international general legal practice. Specifically, the firm offers comprehensive and integrated legal advice and assistance to local and international clients, ensuring responsible and efficient services based on a full understanding of clients’ needs, and a clear view of the best approach. Throughout its 52-year history, Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law has grown progressively by attracting and retaining high calibre professionals. Moreover, the firm has been distinguished by its commitment, experience, efficiency, communication and partnership with its clients. Our professional team embraces highly qualified and experienced lawyers, and lawyers of Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law have submitted a number of expert opinions on Jordanian Law to courts in the USA, UK, and Hong Kong. The firm also has a very well-established reputation and a solid client base, which embraces local as well as international firms. IT & COMMUNICATIONS EXPERIENCE Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law provides advice and assistance

52 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

on all matters concerning business and regulation in the ICT sector. We offer strategic legal counsel to keep our clients ahead of the competition in today’s rapid technology and communications development. Our firm monitors the regulatory evolution in order to provide proper and up-to-date guidance and advice to our clients on all regulatory affairs. In addition, our team possesses an in-depth understanding of the IT & telecommunications environment, and has developed an extensive knowledge of legal and regulatory issues affecting a wide variety of stakeholders in the ICT sector, including fixed and mobile operators, Internet service providers, distributors, agents, resellers and information service providers. We provide legal advice and counsel to one of the most highly regarded integrated telecom operators in the Middle East, and continue to serve as a corporate and regulatory legal counsel for diverse transactions. Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law has an extensive experience and practice in drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex contracts contemplating IT & telecom services, value added services and vendor agreements, in addition to various legal and regulatory matters. The latter includes responding to public consultations issued by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. It also extends to preparation and filing of anti-competitive claims before the competent courts and regulatory authorities, as well as challenging decisions issued by regulatory authorities before the High Court of Justice.

Kazakhstan - Energy & Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year Olympex Advisers Limited Liability Partnership Bolat Toktarov, Managing Partner (Chairman) Diyar Yereshev, Managing Partner Miran Maulenov, Managing Partner Yessen Massalin, Head of Corporate Practice Tel: +7 (7172) 701 901 info@olympex.kz www.olympex.kz

It’s been a decade since OLYMPEX ADVISERS entered the Kazakhstan consulting market. Over this period, our company has proved itself as a reliable, conscientious partner that provides a wide range of services at the highest professional level and is able to promptly tackle the challenges of any degree of complexity. Olympex Advisers LLP is a full-service Kazakh law firm. Since 2001, the firm has gained unique experience in providing services for state bodies and various domestic as well as foreign major international oil and gas companies. Our firm offers legal services with strength and depth in such areas as Corporate practice and M&A, Energy and Natural Resources, Taxation and Litigation, PPP. In addition, the firm provides financial analysis, audit services and ecology/environmental expertise. In the past few years, Olympex Advisers has established itself as an adviser of choice for many local blue-chip clients, including major state corporations and foreign investors. As a result, the firm has grown to a team of more than 60 lawyers and experts. Moreover, the firm is well acclaimed and has received a number of awards. In 2010, the firm was awarded ‘Oil and Gas Team of the Year’ and ‘Tax Team of the Year’ at the fifth Kazakhstan Forum of Corporate Lawyers among Kazakh law firms (the firm held these awards in 2009

as well). The firm was also shortlisted for the ‘European M&A Awards 2010 – Russia and CIS: Legal Advisers’ conducted by The Financial Times and Mergermarket Group, which was the first precedent for Kazakh law firms. This year, one of the firm’s partners, Yessen Massalin, was recognised as a “Young Dealmaker” and was nominated for ‘M&A UK Young Dealmakers of the Year’. The successful practice of the firm was also listed in the Legal 500 EMEA directory, which recognises the strong position of the firm within Kazakhstan’s legal market. Meanwhile, at a ‘Best Law Firms of the Year’ awards ceremony, held during the VII Kazakhstan Forum of Corporate Lawyers, OLYMPEX ADVISERS became the winner in the ‘M&A Team of the Year 2012’ and ‘Tax Team of the Year 2012’ catagories. Our people strictly follow the standards of professional ethic. The fact that our clients entrust us with advising them on the most challenging, critical and high-profile projects speaks of our level of expertise and professionalism. Today, the company is also actively expanding into new niche markets of professional services. We never rest on our laurels. Each of us is striving to see one step and one hour ahead of our clients – in order to help them make the right choice. For us, consulting is not just a business, it is a lifestyle. Each hour of work with a client is as unique and precious as each day of our life.

Oman - Corporate Law Firm of the Year Al Busaidy Mansoor Jamal & Co (Barristers and Legal Consultants) Mansoor Jamal Malik Managing Partner Tel: +968 2481 4466 mansoor.malik@amjoman.com www.amjoman.com

Mansoor is the managing partner and founder of this top-rated, well-established Firm. His in-depth expertise in corporate/commercial and finance law and market intelligence, gained over 30 years of contentious and noncontentious practice in Oman, have made him a uniquely experienced and respected practitioner in the jurisdiction. Mansoor advises on all aspects of banking and finance law including structured finance, securitisation, corporate restructurings, cross-border transactions and private equity and investment funds, M & A, joint ventures and capital markets. He has particular sector expertise in water, power, natural resources, shipping, real estate, and telecommunications and has been involved in most of Oman’s major energy and infrastructure projects to date. Mansoor is also active in dispute resolution and an Oman Court of Appeal panel arbitrator. He handles complex commercial cases in the corporate banking, power, water, agencies, professional negligence, insurance, employment and oil and gas sectors up to the Supreme Court. His impressive roster of clients includes major national and international corporates, financing institutions, credit agencies, government entities as well as some of the world’s leading law firms. Mansoor is often called upon by Oman’s government and regulatory

authorities to review and revise proposed laws and regulatory frameworks. He is a sought-after speaker and participant at seminars organised by the financial services industry, corporate sector and government entities and a regular contributor to legal and industry journals. Mansoor is a UK-qualified barrister and member of the leading set of chambers of Robert Jay QC and Stephen Tromans QC, London. From its origins in 1979, Mansoor has built the Firm into the first fully-integrated law firm in Oman delivering high quality legal advice and representation across a broad spectrum of domestic and cross border litigation/arbitration, contract and company/commercial matters. During this time, AMJ has built a formidable base of knowledge of the laws, practice and court systems of the Sultanate and an unrivalled network of relationships with government and regulatory bodies, industry professionals and the wider business community. Today, the Firm continues to grow and boasts eight teams of Omani and expatriate lawyers who combine in-depth knowledge of Oman’s regulatory, financial and business environment with multi-jurisdictional expertise gained in the Middle East, UK, USA, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Their commitment to providing clients with timely and practical legal advice tailored to their specific requirements has led to the Firm receiving a number of awards and accolades in recent years from prestigious international law publications.

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The Philippines - Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year / Litigation Law Firm of the Year

Esguerra & Blanco is a full-service ﬁrm that combines professional legal expertise with

unwavering client commitment. The ﬁrm advises both local and international clients on

all areas of Philippine law. Litigation, corporate, tax and intellectual property matters constitute Esguerra & Blanco’s strongest practice areas. The ﬁrm likewise excels in contracts, estate planning, labor and employment relations, arbitration, corporate rehabilitation,

real property, mining and energy, foreign investments, telecommunications, information technology, admiralty and governmental relation and regulatory affairs.

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4th & 5th Floors S & L Building, De La Rosa corner Esteban Sts. Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines 1229 Tel Nos. +(632) 840.3413 to 15 Fax No. +(632) 813.8185 Email: bleslaw@bleslaw.com Website: http://bleslaw.com

Esguerra & Blanco Law Ofﬁces:

PRACTICE AWARDS

Singapore - Banking Law Firm of the Year Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC Sunny Wong Fook Choy Managing Director Tel: +(65) 6222 8008 swong@wtl.com.sg www.wtl.com.sg

Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC was established by a group of lawyers who, up to December 1986, were senior associates with a major international law firm. The firm works frequently with lawyers from diverse jurisdictions, but has chosen not to participate in formal alliances or networks, preferring to remain independent and to maintain contacts with various firms worldwide and to choose the firms it works with on individual international transactions. The firm offers comprehensive legal services to clients with international business interests, but focuses on banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and general commercial and corporate law. The firm works frequently on referrals from international law firms as well as directly with multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies, particularly on international transactions with an Asian involvement. Moreover, Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC has established working relationships with a network of lawyers across Asia, with whom the firm has worked on many cross-border and international M&A and financing transactions. The firm’s client base includes sovereign wealth funds, statutory bodies, local corporations, multinational companies, international and foreign law firms and accounting firms, international banks and public or supranational institutions conducting cross-border business.

54 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Main Areas of Practice: Mergers & Acquisitions: The firm’s transactions in this area range from small private acquisitions to cross-border takeovers of listed companies. Corporate Finance: The firm is active in advising issuers and underwriters in IPOs and fund raising in Singapore equity and debt markets. Banking & Finance, Debt Restructuring: The firm covers all areas of banking and finance, including secured and syndicated loan transactions and guarantees, structured finance and project finance. The firm has acted for many international banks in drafting and advising on standard form documentation for general banking transactions. Corporate: The firm advises on all aspects of general corporate law, including the drafting of contracts, the provision of corporate secretarial services and provides local representation services for many foreign and multinational companies. Securities & Financial Markets: The firm is active in the capital market, working with financial institutions and companies in advising and structuring securities offerings, i.e. IPOs, placements and rights issues. The firm advises clients on regulatory and other legal issues pertaining to fund management, securities and derivatives. It also assists investment firms to structure and license their operations. Litigation & Arbitration, Mediation: The litigation department, headed by Molly Lim, senior counsel, deals with commercial litigation, national and international arbitration, and ADR. Its lawyers are frequently involved in cases before the Singapore courts, including the Supreme Court.

Singapore - Construction Law Firm of the Year

Contact details Harry Elias Partnership LLP SGX Centre 2, #17-01 4 Shenton Way Singapore 068807 Tel: +65 6535 0550 Fax: +65 6438 0550

Email: enquiries@harryelias.com.sg

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Areas of expertise: Arbitration; Aviation and Shipping; Civil and Commercial Litigation; Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Projects; Corporate and Financial Services; Family and Matrimonial Law; HEP Corporate Services; Insolvency and Asset Recovery;

Intellectual Property and Technology; Private Client and Wealth Management; Real Estate and Banking; Regulatory Compliance and Commercial Fraud; Sports and Media.

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ing focused, proactive and practical advice for its highly diversiﬁed clientele. Leading publications have even described us as a ‘Heavyweight’ Firm – one that punches above its weight. Above all else, our clients enjoy the personal attention of our vibrant Partners, who work with passion and intensity. At the end of the day, we believe that to be the best for clients means delivering legal solutions that are appropriate and effective within the practical framework of the issue at hand.

Firm profile Established in 1988 by Mr Harry Elias, Senior Counsel, our Firm is a leading player in the evolution of our legal landscape. For more than 24 years, our Firm has been on the cutting edge of legal changes, particularly on the litigation front. We are privileged to act in cases that broke new ground, and which resulted in landmark and watershed judicial decisions such as the Raffles Town Club, Horizon Towers and Digilandmall.com cases. We were involved in a number of construction masterpieces such as the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, Singapore F1 Night Race Pit Building and the Singapore Flyer projects. We have also advised and represented corporate and individual clients on complex cross-border deals. It comes as no surprise that we have been described as one of Singapore’s top law firms, renowned for provid-

PRACTICE AWARDS

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South Korea - Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year

PRACTICE AWARDS

Patent, design, trademark applications; International applications i.e. PCT for patent, Madrid for trademark; Patentability research; Prepare a written statement requested by an examiner during the process of application or registration; File an opposition and provide information and supporting evidence, documents etc; Register and management of copyrights, characters, computer programs and software applications

Patent, trademark and copyright infringement Misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and antitrust Contract, franchising, licensing Other dispute involving Intellectual Property and technology asset. Appeal to an examiner’s rejection Invalidation/cancellation of a registration Confirmation of the scope of active and passive rights of a patent and other Intellectual Property rights Correction of patent registration Grant of non-exclusive license on a patent, utility model or design right

Patent/technology research (patentability; infringement; validity; freedom to operate; right to use) Patent analysis (competitor analysis; patent trend/ patent map) Technology transaction (*Government authorized technology transfer organization since 2009) Technology/license management consultation Technology inventory services Negotiation in the transaction and commercialization of technology Transfer or license patent, trademark right or copyright

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South Korea - Full Service IP Law Firm of the Year Cho & Partners

Cho & Partners

Tel: +82 2 6207 6800 Fax: +82 2 6207 6801 ihseo@cholaw.com www.cholaw.com

The firm was established in 2002 by two senior members who decided to leave a large firm environment to create a more focused, efficient and responsive practice. Based on the reputation and capabilities of the founding members, as well as the established trust and loyalty with their clients, the firm was immediately active representing multi-national clients. The firm’s clients are among the most recognized names and leaders in various business sectors, such as software and technology, retailing, luxury goods and fashion, energy, etc. Since its establishment, the firm has continued to grow, a result of the firm’s uncompromising emphasis on maintaining its reputation for the highest level of service, professionalism and integrity. This philosophy and commitment has been essential in developing and servicing the firm’s prestigious list of clients, whose needs are sophisticated and whose matters have global impact. The firm is proud of its approach and reputation for nurturing very close and personal relationships with its clients, the foundation of the firm’s ability to know its clients and thereby serve their needs more effectively and efficiently. Intellectual property practice The firm has a strong and diverse practice in all aspects of intellectual property. It is very active with both domestic and international prosecution practice in both trademarks and patents, as well as related disputes and

administrative proceedings. Aside from prosecution matters, the firm and its members have become particularly well-known for its capabilities in the areas of CHO & PARTNERS litigation, anti-counterfeiting and internet related matters. and 13th Floors Ann Tower the firm has developed a In the6th area of anti-counterfeiting andJay enforcement, 718-2 Yeoksam-dong, Kangnam-ku very strong reputation for its effective and creative programs in combating many difficultSeoul problems in Korea. The firm represents many brand owners and man135-080 South Korea ages among the most active and effective anticounterfeiting and enforcement Tel: +82 2 6207 6800 programs in the country. Fax: +82 2 6207 6801 The firm is also very active with domain name disputes, successfully reclaimEmail: ihseo@cholaw.com ing domain name registrations from cyber-squatters for trademark owners. Website: www.cholaw.com Tae-Yeon Cho serves as outside counsel for the Internet Address Domain Name Dispute Resolution Committee, the government body that administers Korean domain name disputes. Another member of the firm, Ik Hyun Seo, serves as a panelist for WIPO. The firm’s litigation practice is particularly active. The firm Firm overview has successfully obtained several landmark decisions for its clients and is at the The firmdevelopments was established forefront of new in Korea.in 2002 by two senior members

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Patents Admini Domain Unfair C Litigatio IP Enfo Licensin Legislat

who decid create a more focused, efficient and responsive practice. Based o Languages spoken:members, English, Korean, Japanese, andtrust French founding as well as thePortuguese established and loyalty with th Number of lawyers: 12 representing multi-national clients. The firm’s clients are among the Contacts: Tae-Yeon Cho, Ik-Hyun Seo various business sectors, such as software and technology, retailing, lu its establishment, 6th andSince 13th Floors Ann Jay Tower the firm has continued to grow, a result of maintaining Kangnam-ku its reputation for the highest level of service, profession 718-2 Yeoksam-dong, commitment has been essential in developing and servicing the firm Seoul 135-080 South Korea are sophisticated and whose matters have global impact. The firm is proud of its approach and reputation for nurturing very clients, the foundation of the firm’s ability to know its clients and ther South Korea - Patent Law Firm of the Year efficiently.

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC Hoo-Dong Lee Attorney at Law, Korean Patent Attorney, Senior Partner Tel: +82-2-3404 0134 hdl@bkl.co.kr www.bkl.co.kr

Bae, Kim & Lee’s IP Group has a unique combination of specialized abilities and experience that are unparalleled by any service offered by other law firms in Korea. The firm’s IP Group provides comprehensive legal advice on all aspects of the protection and exploitation of intellectual property. Bae, Kim & Lee (“BKL”) is one of the leading full-service law firms in Korea with more than 350 professionals, and has a specialized intellectual property practice group dedicated to handling all aspects of IP-related issues, including IP prosecution, litigation, licensing and consulting. Headed by Hoo-Dong Lee, BKL’s IP Group consists of 18 IP lawyers, 19 patent attorneys and 70 staff members. BKL understands and embraces a unique approach to the practice of law, which not only provides its clients with the necessary legal services, but also enhances the likelihood of the clients accomplishing their business objectives. The firm’s IP Group has substantial experience in representing domestic and foreign multinationals from various industries, including software, hardware, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, media & entertainment, and electronics – as well as research institutes and academic R&D centers in connection with a wide range of IP matters. BKL’s IP Group provides services in the areas of consulting, information search, and application and registration procedures for intellectual

56 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Intellectual property practice

The firm has a strong and diverse practice in all aspects of intellec domestic and international prosecution practice in both trademarks an administrative proceedings. Aside from prosecution matters, the firm well-known for its capabilities in the areas of litigation, anti-counterfei In the area of anti-counterfeiting and enforcement, the firm has de effective and creative in combating manybefore difficult problems property rights, and has handledprograms various actions and proceedings the Korean Intellectual Property Office andthe trials and active litigations at effective the Patent anticounte owners and manages among most and Court level and beyond. It has consistently protected the clients’ intercountry. ests byThe utilizing andactive criminal proceedings in orderdisputes, to resolvesuccessfully re firmvarious is alsocivil very with domain name legal disputes involving IP infringements. Furthermore, the firm’s IP Group cyber-squatters for trademark owners. Tae-Yeon Cho serves as outsid provides integrated advice on all areas related to strategic IP transactions, Name Dispute Resolution Committee, the government body that ad including complex licensing, distribution, and strategic alliances involving Another member of the firm, Ik Hyun Seo, serves as a panelist fo intellectual property and technology. particularly active. The firm has successfully obtained several landm The members of BKL’s IP Group possess extensive knowledge and exforefront of new developments in Korea. perience over the entire spectrum of IP and technology practice, providing comprehensive legal services to clients. The seamless collaboration between the various professionals within the IP Group also ensures the most English, Korean, Portuguese efficientLanguages and effectiveSpoken: handling of the client matters.Japanese, For example, BKL’s Number of lawyers: 12 patent attorneys spend a substantial portion of their time working with the Seo thereby utilizing the firm’s IPContacts: attorneys inTae-Yeon connectionCho, with Ik-Hyun litigation matters, knowledge and skills gained from their litigation experience in prosecuting IP applications. Hoo-Dong Lee has given numerous speeches and lectures on how to acquire and protect IP rights in Korea. With his long time commitment to and extensive experience in protecting clients’ IP rights, he also serves as a member of the Korea Copyright Commission and as Director of the Korea Entertainment Law Society.

and Frenc

Syria - Corporate Law firm of the Year / IP Law firm of the Year / M&A Law Firm of the Year Oussi Law Firm Gabriel Oussi Partner Tel: +963-11-33500090/1 go-law@oussico.net www.facebook.com/oussilawfirm

Oussi Law Firm was established in 1968, and is an affiliate of: The Syrian Bar of Lawyers, the International Association of Lawyers UIA, the Association of European Lawyers AEA, Associated Lawyers, the International Criminal Defence Council ICDC, International Referral, The Arabic Society for the Protection of Industrial Property ASPIP, and the Arab Arbitration Chamber for Eng. & Const. Contracts. The firm’s lawyers are adept at communicating in English & Arabic. Meanwhile, its core practice areas include: Administrative Law, Arbitration, Civil Law, Criminal Law, Contract Law, Financing Law, International Law, Trademark Law, Counterfeiting & Infringement Law, Labour Law, Tax Law, Debt Collection, Banking Law, Construction Law, Insurance Law, and Business Consultancies. According to partner Gabriel Oussi, the firm offers a full range of services and is associated with a comprehensive network of distinguished experts and consultants within the fields of business management and economic feasibility studies. Mr Oussi noted: “Oussi Law Firm’s activities are conducted by several professional reputed lawyers, dedicated to providing clients with the very best legal services. Moreover, reliable contacts are maintained with other firms in Syria, the Middle East, Europe and the US.” Legal 500 recommended the firm for Corporate Law & M&A for 2011 &

2012, noting the firm’s strengths in aiding company formation, as well as for providing comprehensive legal protection. Meanwhile, Global Law Experts’ latest recommendation (2013), acknowledges the success of the firm’s overriding policy to protect clients’ rights. “My firm is a full service legal provider, consisting of a team of experts and full time lawyers,” added Mr Oussi. “Their aim is to look after the interests of our clients without forgetting the associations which my firm is a member of. These associations have assisted my firm’s good reputation nationally as well as internationally.” He concluded: “Oussi Law Firm is also specialised in trademark matters, particularly those pertaining to counterfeiting, debt collection, contract disputes, real estate disputes, etc, without analysing my competitors to see what they are doing. I learn the positives from them, but not the negatives, without criticising anybody. “There is no biggest or smallest success, as each client receives the same effort to ensure success. This policy has improved my situation; however, 2012 was beset by the troubles in Syria by terrorists, which may continue into 2013, affecting future expectations for our case work. Yet I am certain that all my clients trust my firm because I am correct with them. Moreover, being a member of several international associations has provided invaluable help moving forward. “Most recently, my son Louay Oussi joined the team to work as a lawyer under training for two years.”

Turkey - Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year Pekin & Bayar Law Firm Selin Bayar Senior Partner Tel: +90 212 359 57 00 s.bayar@pekin.com.tr www.pekin.com.tr

Pekin & Bayar Law Firm was founded in 1946 and is considered one of the most established law firms in Turkey. The firm maintains liaison offices in various locations of the country, including Ankara, Izmir and Adana, with more than 50 lawyers and 20 support staff, as well as ongoing associations with a large variety of international law firms. As a leading law firm in Turkey, Pekin & Bayar provides legal services pertaining to: banking and finance law, mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, corporate law, business law, foreign investment law, litigation, capital markets transactions, government contracts, construction tenders, privatisation, energy law, mining law, telecommunications law, property and real estate law, intellectual property law, competition law, communications and media law, entertainment, insurance law, environmental law, employment law, inheritance law, non-profit and charitable organisations legislation. Pekin & Bayar law firm is, therefore, a full-service law firm. Pekin & Bayar aims to assist clients in achieving their goals and, to this end, the firm promotes a philosophy of team work, integrity and expertise. Through a strong sense of team work – with clients as well as within office – the firm guides clients through the complexities of the Turkish legal system by getting an in-depth

understanding of their business objectives and priorities. The firm’s ethos, as well as its legacy, is based on responsiveness, integrity and thorough assistance in all aspects of clients’ needs and business, within Turkey and in the greater geographical region. As such, the firm has been involved in numerous cross-border transactions and continues to do so – with its portfolio of foreign clients from every corner of the globe. Moreover, the firm continues to collaborate closely with numerous international law firms, in order to provide informed, foreign-law related assistance to its local clients.

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Taiwan - Full Service Law Firm of the Year Lee, Tsai & Partners Attorneys-at-Law Chung-Teh Lee Senior Partner Tel: +(886 2)23785780 * 2206 ctlee@leetsai.com www.leetsai.com

Lee, Tsai & Partners Attorneys-at-Law is a full service law firm with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, media and entertainment, infrastructure projects, employment law, capital markets, general corporate affairs, environmental protection law, international trade laws, tobacco industry related legal issues, and taxation. Early in his legal career, senior partner Chung-Teh Lee served as a judge in the District Courts for Yunlin & Changhwa County in Taiwan. He was a partner at Tsar & Tsai Law Firm in Taipei for 12 years before establishing Lee, Tsai & Partners. In his private practice, Mr Lee has served as counsel to a wide range of companies and industries, both domestic and foreign, providing them with legal advice on their Taiwan related legal matters. Further, Mr Lee has authored several works regarding the structure and legal issues of BOT projects under Taiwan law, and the firm is currently an active member of the Employment Law Alliance and the International Network of Boutique Law Firms. Mr Lee said: “As a Greater China local law firm, we are intimately familiar with the language, culture and laws of the Greater China area. We leverage our local expertise and network to provide the most efficient services to our clients, while providing an international standard of legal service.” When asked about Lee, Tsai & Partners’ notable case work during the

last 12 months, Mr Lee noted that the firm served as counsel in one of the notable tender offers of 2012 – its representation of Test Rite International Co. in the sale of its majority interest in Tong Lung Metal Industry Co, a leading door lockset maker, to Stanley Black & Decker Inc. Mr Lee said: “We also obtained an arbitration victory on behalf of our client, Sita Waste Management Services Ltd. (Taiwan Branch), in its dispute against the Kaohsiung City Government, under which our client is entitled a contractual adjustment of NT$870 million to NT$1.2 billion.” Most recently, the firm has expanded its partnership with the promotion of two attorneys, Ms Grace Chou and Ms Elizabeth Pai, who have distinguished themselves in the courtroom and the community. With this promotion, Ms Chou and Ms Pai will be directly involved in the firm’s management and growth, leading Lee, Tsai & Partners into a new era. Mr Lee added: “Our high-profile clients include the largest search engine and social media network. Moreover, our deep connections in the Greater China area are unique among law firms around the world. We are on the shortlist of potential legal advisers for many international companies seeking to take advantage of the burgeoning opportunities in China. Our full service further sweetens the deal for potential clients looking for a dedicated team that intimately understands the details of their businesses at all levels. Our longstanding international clientele is proof of our success in this area.”

Taiwan - IP Law Firm of the Year

本所有如璞玉或玉礦，值得您永續無盡開採，讓所擁知識產權熠熠生輝。 We are just like an uncut jade or gem mine. If you use us, you shall soon feel like discovering treasures and ﬁnd your IP portfolio shining its light forever.

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Email: email@deepnfar.com.tw www.deepnfar.com.tw

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Tel: +886-2-25856688 / Fax: +886-2-25989900/25978989

13th Fl., 27 Sec. 3, Chung San N. Rd., Taipei 104, Taiwan, R.O.C.

台北市中山北路三段27號13樓業務涵括知識產權之申請、侵權及訴訟

深邃胸懷、淵博知識與精進不懈，始見榮耀之肇。 Deep In Mind, Knowledge and Efforts, Far Goal In.

PRACTICE AWARDS

Turkey - Litigation Law Firm of the Year Baspinar & Partners Gökmen Başpinar Partner Tel: +90 (212) 465 66 99 gokmen.baspinar@baspinar.av.tr www.baspinar.av.tr

At Baspinar & Partners, we believe that the quality of our work enables us to meet the needs of our clients efficiently and with the success that they are accustomed to. Baspinar & Partners was founded as a mid-size firm with eager lawyers who come from experienced backgrounds across various disciplines of the law, and with secondto-none legal pedigree. At Baspinar & Partners, we offer multi-lingual services to a wide array of clients, given that each of our attorneys are fluent in at least one foreign language and have an LLM degree obtained in Turkey or in the UK or US. After years of experience in a variety of different firms in Turkey and abroad, the current managing partners of Baspinar & Partners founded the firm in 2010 with the goal of offering peerless legal services within the local market, particularly to international firms entering the Turkish market for the first time. Approximately two thirds of Baspinar & Partners’ clients are international corporations investing in Turkey; meanwhile, our local client base is a who’s who of the largest companies within diverse industry sectors. The value of the transactions – and disputes under litigation – handled by Baspinar & Partners during 2011 to 2012 exceeds EUR 2 billion. (Real estate: EUR 1.14 billion, International Arbitration & Litigation: EUR 790 million, EUR M&A: 70 million). At Baspinar & Partners, we also pride ourselves on our ability to deliver the same level of service to our individual clientele, as well as small- to mid-tier level companies. Regardless of the size of work, scope of project or length of engagement, once you are a client of Baspinar & Partners, you will be considered part of our family. The success of our vision, achieved in a relatively short period of time, has allowed for us at Baspinar & Partners to announce our move to new offices in one of the very first ferroconcrete buildings of beautiful historical Istanbul, Misir Apartment (built in 1905). Our new location allows for a more centralized location within Istanbul, which will further our existing capacity to provide high quality services to local and international clients. Mr Baspinar is one of the leading lawyers in real estate law in Turkey. He has advised on a wide array of real estate transactions, and has represented numerous clients from financial investors to developers, from end customers to contractors. He has combined his experience in litigation with real estate, and currently represents a Dutch investor against Turkey before ICSID. He is also engaged in a case against Uzbekistan for a Turkish investor, which is also going to be heard before ICSID, as well as a further high-profile case before the ICC – related to a dispute between two private investors about a media investment.

Mr Baspinar is also known for his expertise in structuring deals related to distressed assets. In this regard, he is currently litigating a number of the most significant bankruptcy cases in Turkey. The amount in dispute is more than USD 500.000.000. Moreover, Mr Baspinar is on the shortlist of the Turkish Privatization Authority’s recommended lawyers. He has extensive experience in privatization deals, and was the leading counsel to the Privatization Authority in the privatization of Petkim Petrochemicals Co., 51% of which was privatized for USD 2.040.000.000. Mr Baspinar also advised a large number of M&A and NPL transactions, and represented both local and international investors. He is licensed to conduct trademark and patent applications. He is a graduate of Ankara University Law School, class of 1998. He obtained his LLM at the Marmara University Law School and worked at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg between 1999 and 2001. He was a partner to one of the largest law firms in Turkey. In 2010, he decided to establish his own firm with his partners. KEY FIGURES ABOUT TURKEY Turkey has the world’s 15th largest GDP-PPP and 17th largest Nominal GDP. The country is a founding member of the OECD (1961) and the G-20 major economies (1999). Since December 31, 1995, Turkey has been a part of the EU Customs Union and has been in negotiations since 2004 to become a member of the EU. The CIA classifies Turkey as a developed country. Turkey is often classified as a newly industrialized country by economists and political scientists, while Merrill Lynch, the World Bank and The Economist magazine describe Turkey as an emerging market economy. According to a survey by Forbes magazine, Istanbul, Turkey’s financial capital, had a total of 30 billionaires as of March 2012, ranking fifth in the world behind Moscow (78 billionaires), New York City (57 billionaires), London (39 billionaires) and Hong Kong (38 billionaires). When Forbes announced the list of billionaires in July 2012 four months after, the number of billionaires increased to 34. On 8 January 2010, International credit rating agency Moody’s upgraded Turkey’s rating with a notch. In 2012, Fitch upgraded Turkey’s credit rating to investment grade (long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) was upgraded to BBB- (from BB+) and long-term local currency IDR was upgraded to BBB (from BB+)) after an 18-year gap. During these days where almost the whole world is struggling with the economic crisis, Turkey is being pointed to as an example of economic success, and still keeps its growth between 3 – 4 %. Turkey is, economically, a very attractive and promising country – and forms a path in Europe, opening to Asia and the Middle East for its investors.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 59

2012 brought challenges to the European Union in the form of sovereign debt risks and the attempts made by governments to tackle them. In the last several years, Greece, Ireland and Portugal have received EU and IMF backed bailouts, which in partnership with strict state-encouraged austerity measures, are designed to help the member states get back on track. In late 2012, The Economist attributed recent strife in Europe to self-defeating austerity and myopic deficit targets. For Europe, there has recently been turmoil in markets, lack of consumer confidence and a drop in the Euro currency value. Yet, Europe’s unique influence is unparalleled, as the European Union is comprised of 27 nations with a total population of some 500 million, accounting for approximately 30% of the value of global GDP. Europe’s bankers rank analysing big data on customers among top 2013 priorities In November 2012, FICO, the leading provider of analytics and decision management technology, and Efma, announced the results of the sixth European Credit Risk Survey, which indicates retail bankers’ risk management priorities for 2013. In the survey, which queried credit risk professionals from 27 countries in September and October, 61% of respondents said cross-selling products to existing customers will be a priority during 2013, and 54% said they will analyse big data to better understand customers’ needs and risk. In information technology, big data is a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools. The challenges include capture, curation, storage, search, sharing, analysis and visualisation. “In this risk-averse period, banks are looking for credit growth primarily from existing customers, on whom they have more data,” said Frans Labuschagne, general manager for FICO in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “But customers are risk-averse too, so banks need to really dig into customer needs to identify offers that might work. That’s where big data comes in – it’s a new resource that, if used wisely, can guide much more customer-centric offers and services.” In the survey, 71% of respondents said demonstrating a higher return on capital is a top priority for 2013. The other highest priorities identified were using mobile channels (49%) and increasing capital to meet Basel requirements (just 40%, but 21% put it as a top priority). On the risk front, at least 40% of respondents saw delinquencies rising within six months (from November 2012) on mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, small business loans and overdrafts. “This represents an improvement on the prior survey, released in July, when these numbers were above 50%,” said Labuschagne. “For example, 44% of respondents forecast an increase in mortgage delinquencies, compared to 55% in the last survey.” The biggest change in the credit demand and supply picture occurred in the so-called ‘credit gap’ between the percentages of respondents forecasting a rise in demand for credit vs. a rise in supply. The credit gap forecast for small businesses fell sharply in this survey, to the lowest point in 2012, just nine points. The respondents forecasting an increase in volume of credit requested by small businesses fell from 37 to 35%, while those forecasting an increase in credit granted rose from 16 to 26%. However, the credit gap forecast for consumer lending rose to a full 20 points. In the November survey, 35% of respondents predicted a rise in the amount of credit requested by consumers, compared with just 15% who predict the amount granted will rise. “Governments continue to pressure lenders to expand credit to businesses, and recent programmes like the UK small business lending scheme announced by the Bank of England should help,” added Patrick Desmarès, secretary general of Efma. “However, FICO and Efma believe lenders can and should do more to make capital available to small- and medium-sized businesses, which can fuel economic growth and which continue to struggle to get credit.” 2013 to bring unprecedented level of insurance tax changes in Europe Insurers will face an unprecedented level of indirect tax changes in Europe during the course of 2013, intensifying the challenge of maintaining tax compliance, according to insurance tax specialists FiscalReps. Speaking in November to an audience of more than 100 insurance professionals at FiscalReps’ annual Indirect Tax Forum in London, founder and chief executive Mike Stalley said: “Since the start of the financial crisis we have been warning insurers that European governments would increase their focus on indirect taxation to fund budget shortfalls. Now the promised changes are upon us and in the coming 60 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Europe GLE Winners

year we will see significant insurance premium tax and parafiscal tax changes right across the continent. “From January 1st onwards, a swathe of countries will raise indirect tax rates, introduce new taxes or revise laws to increase the size of the tax base. And with these changes comes clear evidence of a tightening up of tax revenue collection measures,” he added. “It is imperative for insurance businesses to keep pace with these developments to maintain tax compliance.” Joseph Finbow, client manager at FiscalReps, brought delegates up to date with some of the changes in prospect: “The Netherlands and Finland will be first to push up IPT (insurance premium tax) rates in the New Year. Meanwhile, Greece is increasing the rate of its Motor Guarantee Fund. Anticipated new taxes in 2013 include Denmark’s introduction of IPT in January to replace stamp duty on premiums, a possible flood levy in the UK and the potential introduction by Hungary of IPT to replace its Fire Brigade Tax. In addition, we are seeing countries like Germany, Spain and Iceland rewriting their tax legislation. This is a lot of change for insurers to contend with. “However, these developments are not the end of the story – even more tax changes are likely in the months and years ahead, as cashstrapped governments go in search of fresh revenue sources,” Finbow continued. “Looking at Eastern Europe, for example, we have seen Slovenia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic introduce IPT; it therefore seems very probable that countries like Poland and the Baltic States may opt to launch similar measures.”

Contents: 63.

Albania & Greece

Full Service Law Firm of the Year / Drakopoulos Law Firm

63.

Austria

Data Protection Law Firm of the Year / Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte

63.

Austria

PPP Law Firm of the Year / Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte

64.

Austria

Dispute Resolution Firm of the Year / BLS Attorneys at Law

64.

Austria

International Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year / Graf & Pitkowitz

65.

Belgium

Business Crime Law Firm of the Year / Afschrift

65.

Belgium

Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year / Afschrift

66.

Bulgaria

Administrative Law Firm of the Year / Georgiev, Todorov & Co.

66.

Cyprus

Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year / A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC

67.

Cyprus

International Tax Planning Law Firm of the Year / Christos Patsalides L.L.C.

67.

Cyprus

M&A Law Firm of the Year / Tassos Papadopoulos & Associates LLC

68.

Czech Republic

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year / GÜRLICH & Co.

68.

Denmark

Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year / Awapatent A/S

69.

Denmark

Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year / Elmer & Partners

69.

England

Family Law Firm of the Year / MACKRELL TURNER GARRETT

70.

England

Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year / White & Black Legal LLP

70.

England

White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year / Edward Hayes LLP

71.

France

Aviation Law Firm of the Year / SCP Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes - Cabinet BOPS

71.

France

Insolvency Litigation Firm of the Year / SEH Legal 2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 61

Europe GLE Winners

72.

France

Private Equity Law Firm of the Year / DLA Piper

72.

Germany

Criminal Law Firm of the Year / Wamser Legal

73.

Germany

Insolvency Administrator Firm of the Year / HERMANN RWS

73.

Germany

Patents Law Firm of the Year / df-mp

74.

Germany

Public & Private Law Firm of the Year / Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek

63.

Greece & Albania

Full Service Law Firm of the Year / Drakopoulos Law Firm

74.

Greece

Privatization Law Firm of the Year / KLC Law Firm

75.

Iceland

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year / LOGOS

75.

Iceland

Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year / LOGOS

75.

Iceland

Litigation Law Firm of the Year / LOGOS

75.

Italy

International Corporate Law Firm of the Year / La Torre Morgese Cesàro Rio

76.

Italy

Tax & Trust Law Firm of the Year / Studio Legale e Tributario Loconte & Partners

76.

Jersey

Conveyancing Law Firm of the Year / Benest & Syvret Advocates & Solicitors

77.

Liechtenstein

IP Law Firm of the Year / Patentbuero Paul Rosenich AG

77.

Luxembourg

Boutique M&A Law Firm of the Year / AMMC Law – Avocats à la Cour

78.

Luxembourg

Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year / Lexfield

78.

Luxembourg

Tax Law Firm of the Year / Lexfield

79.

Norway

Commercial Law Firm of the Year / Deloitte Advokatfirma AS

80.

Poland

Economic Law Firm of the Year / Law Office RGW

80.

Poland

Litigation Law Firm of the Year / Krüger & Partners

81.

Portugal

Planning Law Firm of the Year / Vieira De Almeida

81.

Portugal

Trademark Law Firm of the Year / Raul César Ferreira (Herd.), S.A.

82.

Russia

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year / MONASTYRSKY, ZYUBA, STEPANOV & PARTNERS

83.

Russia

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year / Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

83.

Spain

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year / Sánchez Pintado & Núñez

83.

Spain

Insolvency Law Firm of the Year / Sánchez Pintado & Núñez

84.

Spain

Domestic Civil Law Firm of the Year / Bufet Miralbell Guerin

85.

Sweden

Aviation Law Firm of the Year / Advokaterna Liman & Partners

85.

Switzerland

Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year / KSTA Anwälte

86.

Switzerland

Construction Law Firm of the Year / Rütimann Rechtsanwälte

87.

Switzerland

Fraud Law Firm of the Year / Monfrini Crettol & Associes

88.

Switzerland

TMT Law Firm of the Year / Gilliéron Avocat

88.

Ukraine

International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year / Sergii Koziakov & Partners

62 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Albania - Full Service Law Firm of the Year / Greece - Full Service Law Firm of the Year Drakopoulos Law Firm Panagiotis Drakopoulos Senior Partner Tel: +30 210 68356561 pdrakopoulos@drakopoulos-law.com www.drakopoulos-law.com

Drakopoulos Law Firm is a full service law firm, offering legal services to businesses in Southeast Europe since 1992. The firm possesses all necessary resources and know-how to cover a wide range of services and handle large-scale transactions. Drakopoulos Law Firm’s lawyers respond efficiently to complex legal problems with flexible commercial solutions, helping clients to achieve their business objectives. Among the firm’s clients are major national and international businesses, including multinational companies, and companies listed on major stock exchange markets, active in the areas of: Consumer Goods, Food & Beverage, Health and Medical, Real Estate & Construction, Tourism, Energy and Environment, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Publishing, Media & Advertising, Sports, Entertainment, Capital Markets, Consulting, Logistics, Automotive, Defence, Manufacturing, Local Authorities, Foundations and NGOs. Senior partner Panagiotis Drakopoulos noted: “Drakopoulos Law Firm offers turnkey solutions to businesses from incorpora-

tion to liquidation, always keeping in mind that what clients need are not lawyers who know the law and tell them what they cannot do, but rather, lawyers who know the law and understand their business vision – i.e. lawyers who can assist clients in materialising their business objectives in a secure, effective and sustainable way.” According to Mr Drakopoulos, the firm’s key objective for 2013 is solidifying its position as a regional legal services provider in Southeast Europe, with an offering of legal services in 11 different countries. These comprise: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. Mr Drakopoulos added: “The typical clients of Drakopoulos Law Firm are, increasingly, multinational companies and big international and domestic groups, active in Southeast Europe. “Drakopoulos Law Firm’s experience, positioning and organisation mean that the firm is primarily focused on servicing international business. With an offering of legal services across 11 countries out of three main offices, we are strategically positioned to serve clients with presence or interests in the entire Southeast Europe region.”

Austria - Data Protection Law Firm of the Year / PPP Law Firm of the Year Saxinger Chalupsky & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH (SCWP Schindhelm) Linke Wienzeile 4/II/2 A – 1060 Vienna Tel: +43 1 9050100 Fax: +43 1 9050100 100 vienna@scwp.com www.scwp.com

SCWP Schindhelm Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH (SCWP Schind-

thorough expertise in the supervision and coordination of legal work in many different jurisdictions. We are not only experts at law, but also at identifying a client’s (legal)

helm) is one of Austria’s leading CEE-operating law firms. Our roots

needs and at explaining and summarizing any legal problems and the

date back to 1946. On the basis of this long-standing tradition, our

respective tailored solutions therefore to our clients. We can thus proudly

focus is to provide comprehensive legal advice in all relevant fields

guarantee our clients the best possible legal advice.

of domestic and international business and commercial law through our specialized teams of lawyers.

Alliance and Associated Offices

With around 90 lawyers at the commercial centres of Graz, Linz, Wels and Vienna and the foreign offices in Bratislava, Brussels,

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH (SCWP Schindhelm)

Pilsen, Prague and Budapest, SCWP Schindhelm provides national

is a member of the SCWP Schindhelm Services SE, alliance of Euro-

and international clients with support in all areas of business law.

pean business law firms with offices in Central and Eastern Europe and

Our mission is to deliver creative and pragmatic legal solutions.

Asia Pacific. With more than 150 lawyers in 18 commercial centres in 11

Our challenge – and our source of inspiration – lies in offering our

countries, the alliance members accompany national and international

clients both prompt and flexible legal services of the very highest

companies in all areas of business law. The offices of the alliance are

standard, and understandable and easy solutions tailored to the

located in: Bratislava, Wroclaw, Brussels, Budapest, Bucharest, Burgas,

client’s technical and/or commercial needs. Through our global

Graz, Hanover, Istanbul, Linz, Osnabrück, Pilsen, Prague, Shanghai,

network we can combine local expertise and know-how with our

Sofia, Warsaw, Wels, Vienna.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 63

Austria - Dispute Resolution Firm of the Year BLS Attorneys at Law Dr Wolfgang Schubert Partner Tel: +43 (1) 512 14 27 25 wolfgang.schubert@bls4law.com www.bls4law.com

Dr Thomas Boller, LL.M. Partner Tel: +43 (1) 512 14 27 12 thomas.boller@bls4law.com www.bls4law.com

BLS Attorneys at Law has more than 35 years of experience in all areas of Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Dispute Resolution, Litigation and Tort. The firm’s practical application of its philosophy to provide a sustained and personal client support has been awarded several times in the past years by many renowned trade journals, such as Corporate INTL, Legal 500, Global Law Experts, etc. Dr Wolfgang Schubert, partner, said that BLS is distinguished from its competitors because of its unique approach. He noted: “The preparation and winding up of both the procedural matter accompanying the legal proceedings, and the documentation and evidence on hand, is of particular importance to BLS since the success highly depends on these factors. To us, litigation does not only mean the committed representation of interests during the proceedings before court. In fact, it includes a variety of preparation and ancillary services, which we bestow great care on. This provides for a lasting overview of the situation, and ultimately ends up saving time and costs.” In addition, the law firm’s function as legal representatives includes arbitral proceedings, in particular within the framework of international trade disputes. Mr Schubert added: “The times when the technical and economical aspects of a legal case could be solely left to the clients are over. An efficient legal representation requires the economical and technical facts of the case to be fully understood by us also.” For clients seeking advice in a commercial dispute, Mr Schubert notes that when preparing to enter such a dispute, economic goals must be

set with the client by achieving an overall perspective in conjunction with the legal assessment. In doing so, the costs to the client throughout the proceedings for support by staff members or the business leadership must also be considered. Dr Thomas Boller, partner, added that since 1999, BLS has been the sole Austrian member of AVRIO ADVOCATI EUROPEAN LAW FIRMS ASSOCIATION. AVRIO members are chosen if they meet the highest quality standards. Mr Boller said: “Thanks to this membership, we have a practically worldwide network of internationally established lawyers, tax consultants and notaries at our disposal, making it possible to process cross-border cases quickly and successfully. Our law firm also collaborates with lawyers and clients from countries where AVRIO is not present – for example, law firms in the US, Serbia and Bulgaria, among others.” BLS’ legal proceedings for the past 12 months, which have prompted awards by both trade journals, include an immediate recall for a renowned food manufacturer in 13 European countries and a subsequent winding-up of the consequent loss, as well as the representation of a leading engineering, manufacturing and distribution company within the framework of arbitral proceedings against its contracting partner. Further, BLS was recently involved in legal cases concerning recalls of motor vehicles, i.e. in the US, recourse proceedings in Beijing, as well as providing advice pertaining to injector damages of locomotives in the US, India and South America. BLS Attorneys is known for its involvement in Austria’s best known cases, including the devastating fire in Kaprun, the Bawag-case and the Constantia Bank/Immofinanz-case.

Austria - International Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year Graf & Pitkowitz Otto Wächter Partner Tel: +43 1 401 17 0 office@gpp.at www.gpp.at

Graf & Pitkowitz is an internationally focused Austrian law firm. The firm was founded in Vienna in 1994 and expanded to Graz in 2002. Because we are not part of a formal network, we have the ability to select the best local partners for our clients’ international transactions without being limited to only firms within a given network. Our team consists of approximately 30 highly motivated specialists with outstanding national and international credentials; meanwhile, a number of our attorneys are admitted in other jurisdictions, and most have benefited from experience at foreign law firms or international companies. We are a full service business law firm and we advise our clients in all aspects of Austrian and European business law. We negotiate and structure business transactions, and successfully represent clients before Austrian and international institutions. Graf & Pitkowitz is one of the leading law firms in Austria. Recent high profile cases include representing a major international corporation in Austria’s largest arbitration to date, and representing the successful bidder in public tender proceedings to award one of the worldwide first free lane countrywide functioning electronic tolling systems for heavy vehicles in Austria. From its beginning, Graf & Pitkowitz has assisted Austrian and international companies in projects abroad, particularly in the CEE region. Based on a best-friends philosophy, Graf & Pitkowitz regu-

64 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

larly cooperates with various leading domestic and international law firms, and is respected as a dependable and discreet partner. We meet complex challenges by providing clear answers. In our daily work, we live by the motto: a simple answer is often the best solution. Because we believe that there is no clear answer without clear communication, we work closely with our clients to create individualised, business-orientated solutions. To promote this attitude, we have organised our firm into practice groups headed by one partner who acts as the communication hub and decision maker. Although that partner takes full responsibility for handling the respective client matter, the practice groups work closely together – so that all clients can benefit from the firm’s comprehensive knowledge and experience.

Graf & Pitkowitz assists Austrian and international companies in projects abroad, particularly in the CEE region.

Belgium - Business Crime Law Firm of the Year / Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year Afschrift Thierry Afschrift Partner Tel: +32 2 646 46 36 avocats@afschrift.com www.afschrift.com

“A partnership of specialised legal advisers working to defend clients in matters of tax law, criminal financial law, business law, inheritance planning, organisation and management of assets, and inheritance law.” Afschrift (Listed in www.worldfinance100.com) is a 24-lawyer boutique law firm established in Brussels, with locations in Antwerp, Geneva, Luxembourg, Madrid and Tel Aviv. The firm was rated Best Belgian Tax Law Firm 2006 (Belgian Legal Awards); Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year – Belgium 2009 (ACQ magazine); Best Law Firm in Belgium for Corporate Tax Law 2009 (Corporate International magazine); as well as Boutique Tax Advisory Firm of the Year in Belgium 2010 (Corporate International magazine). The firm provides personalised consultancy services concerning direct and indirect taxation, especially (international) tax optimisation and (corporate, estate and real estate) planning, while defending taxpayers in tax and white collar crime cases before the courts. Managing partner and founder Thierry Afschrift, professor to the Free University of Brussels and deputy judge to the court of appeal, referred as Best Tax Lawyer – Belgium 2009 (World Finance Magazine), is the human cornerstone of the firm. The major specificity of the office is that Afschrift is a niche tax boutique. That means two things: • on one hand, Afschrift’s lawyers (almost) exclusively handle tax cases because, given the speed of changes in tax law, tax practice

is a tax specialist’s sole activity. • on the other hand, Afschrift’s services are highly personalised; the result is a better client-attorney relationship, and an increase of the capacity of confidence. Further, familiarity with a client’s requirements allows for a prompt reaction when needed. Combining up-to-date theoretical knowledge to practice ensures that the firm’s lawyers are highly efficient counsellors; moreover, many of the firm’s lawyers teach at the university, giving them further opportunities to hone their skills and impart their knowledge. The firm advises several companies on reducing taxable income by using local and Swiss or Luxembourg structures. This is notable in that it has permitted – in an absolutely legal way – a multi-million economy of taxes. At the same time, the firm has defended before the courts an important number of “cash companies”, with millions of Euros at stake. This has led to a significant number of successes. Foreign clients are still – and always are – interested in Belgium. This remains a constant, primarily because Belgian law permits the “right to choose the least taxed way” principle, which provides that the taxpayer has the right to choose – when setting up an operation – the most suitable way for his operation to generate the least taxes possible, provided that there is no violation of tax regulation. Meanwhile, the firm has opened two additional offices, in Antwerp (for the proximity to the Flemish region and Holland), as well as Tel-Aviv (in order to establish a foothold in the Middle East).

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 65

Bulgaria - Administrative Law Firm of the Year Georgiev, Todorov & Co. Ivan Todorov Managing Partner Tel: +359 2 937 65 38 office@georg-tod.com www.georg-tod.com

Georgiev, Todorov & Co. provides full-scope services for a large domestic client base, as well as numerous foreign investors. The firm specialises in comprehensive services related to administrative law, including litigation. Managing partner Ivan Todorov noted: “We provide professional legal services with regards to licensing, concessions, competition, public procurement, consumer protection, any other form of governmental regulation, among other areas.” According to Mr Todorov, some core areas subject to licensing regimes include telecommunications, energy, insurance, financial services, banking and medicine products.” Mr Todorov has more than 20 years’ experience in the legal profession. He specialises in administrative law and holds a PhD degree in this area; moreover, he was involved in drafting the Administrative Procedural Code in Bulgaria. Mr Todorov has also penned a number of publications on administrative law and other legal topics. Today, Georgiev, Todorov & Co.’s main competence is dispute resolution, and the firm is strong in international arbitration. Its expertise is particularly focused on administrative law – indeed, Georgiev, Todorov & Co.’s administrative department is the leading consultant of the Bulgarian government in the area of administrative law. When asked about some current, prevalent legal issues pertaining to

administrative law, Mr Todorov noted that the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) is overloaded with cases, which leads to a slower process of case reviews. This is, to a large extent, due to an imperfection of legislation, which in many cases requires two instances of court hearings before the SAC when appealing administrative acts (i.e in this case SAC acts as instance in substance as well as instance of cassation). He said: “Members of our team have participated twice in working groups drafting specific suggestions for the amendment of more than 90 acts, including the Administrative Procedural Code, concerning the SAC’s obligation to review administrative cases as a first instance. Unfortunately the proposals in this matter have still not been reviewed by the relevant commissions of the parliament.” Meanwhile, Georgiev, Todorov & Co. has seen many successes in the past 12 months. It is of great significance that the firm, in a consortium, won the public procurement procedure regarding the development of e-government. Mr Todorov added: “This project is of crucial importance to the enactment of relevant acts that will govern the provision of e-services by administration to citizens and entities. “We also won another major international arbitration procedure defending our client BTC, thus confirming our leading position in this practice area. Through cases such as these, we are consistently developing our firm and contributing to the qualifications of our lawyers and staff – in order to ensure the best quality of legal services to our clients.”

Cyprus - Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC Angelos Paphitis Managing Director Tel: +357 25 731000 Fax: +357 25 761004 apaphitis@agpaphitis.com www.agpaphitis.com

A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC is one of the fastest growing full service law firms in Cyprus. It is headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus’ major commercial city for international companies. Since its establishment in 2006, the firm has become renowned among its industry peers for its rapid expansion, as well as for the trust and confidence that a high number of private individuals and corporations have shown to the firm. Today, the firm consists of 9 lawyers, 4 consultants, corporate administrators, as well as auditors, accountants and ancillary staff. Its departments include Commercial, Litigation and Corporate Services. Among its many accolades, A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC is awarded as Law Firm of the Year in Cyprus by: The Legal 500, ACQ Global Awards 2012, Finance Monthly 2012, Global Law Experts 2011 & 2012, Corporate – Intl Journal 2010, 2011 & 2012 and listed in top 50 Law Firms of Cyprus (by In Business) 2012. Managing director Angelos Paphitis notes: “Since its establishment, the firm has been devoted to company law and corporate governance, including corporate and civil litigation, trustee services and tax law. Moreover, it has been the founders’ aim to increase awareness regarding Cyprus as an international business and financial centre. “By taking advantage of Cyprus’ geographical location and tax incentives, the firm is active in promoting Cypriot companies as Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV). To this end, the firm provides support in setting

66 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

up complex tax structures for avoidance of double tax payments, as well as helping its clients to minimize their tax liabilities through well-structured tax planning.” In recent years, A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC has taken part in a number of deals of international significance. These have included the acquisition of a Cypriot holding company over Ukrainian assets for a total of US$700 million, as well as providing legal and financial due diligence for the acquisition of Cypriot holding companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Mr. Paphitis added: “As regards our litigation work, the firm recently defended an action in Cyprus for breach of contract in Russia worth US$1 billion. The firm is also known for its representation before the Cypriot courts and local authorities of major local companies. These include Cypriot banks such as the Bank of Cyprus PLC, Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd and Hellenic Bank PLC, as well as other local companies such as Polycliniki ‘Ygia’ PLC, a leading private hospitals company; LiteForex; United World Capital; IFC Markets; Insta - Markets; OKPAY; Metaquotes; XE-Markets; and Mayzus Investments.” Last but not least, A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC actively participates in seminars concerning international tax planning and trusts, providing detailed information on the benefits that Cyprus has to offer to investors and corporations. This is aided by Mr. Paphitis’ affiliations with the Cyprus Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the International Tax Planning Organization, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the International Law Office, and the Honorable Society of Gray’s Inn.

Cyprus - International Tax Planning Law Firm of the Year

“International Tax Planning Law Firm of the Year” -Global Law Experts, 2013

Our team of tax experts advise clients on complex issues in the area of taxation, focusing on optimal tax structures, while serving the clients’ operating needs. Expertise: Tax Distribution of

Planning Dividends

| |

Tax Efficient Tax Disputes |

Structures | Capital Taxes

Investment | Stamp

Funds Duties

Asset VAT |

Finance | Tax Advice

GLO

LAW E X

RTS

Tel: +357 22677677 Fax: +357 22674422 info@patsalides.com.cy www.patsalides.com.cy

Christos Patsalides L.L.C. Advocates & Legal Consultants 31 Evagoras Avenue , Evagoras Building Suites 41 - 43, 1066 Nicosia , Cyprus P.O. Box 25617 , 1311 Nicosia , Cyprus

Christos Patsalides, Managing Partner

PRACTICE AWARDS

Cyprus - M&A Law Firm of the Year Tassos Papadopoulos & Associates LLC Marios Eliades Partner Tel: +357 22 88 99 99 meliades@tplaw.com.cy www.tplaw.com.cy

Education: University of Kent (B.A. Hons Law); Kings College, University of London, (LL.M); Member: Cyprus Bar Association (1990); Legal Publications Languages: Greek and English Practice: Banking and Finance, Banking litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, International Transactions, Competition law, Venture Capital Investments, Corporate law, Commercial law, Employment law, Litigation, Arbitration law, Arbitrator. Tassos Papadopoulos & Associates LLC is one of the leading law firms in Cyprus providing a full range of legal services. Tassos Papadopoulos & Associates was established by the majority of partners and associates of the former Tassos Papadopoulos law firm (one of the oldest and largest law firms in Cyprus, founded in 1971 by the former President of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos). The firm’s objective and commitment is to provide high quality, speedy response and cost-effective legal services and to meet the demands of the modern specialized legal practice with special emphasis on confidentiality. The firm maintains its principal practice base in Nicosia and is associated with local firms in all towns of Cyprus. It is also a member of major international networks of independent law firms such as Taglaw and the Association of European Lawyers with several thousand well-connected lawyers in over 90 countries. In transactional and non-contentious business, the focus of the firm’s work is in banking and finance, corporate law, financial services, acquisi-

tions of companies and property, public tenders, mergers and joint ventures, the financing of major capital projects, IPOs and public listings. In the area of litigation, the firm has a very strong team of highly experienced litigation lawyers in every major field of civil litigation and arbitration including banking and finance, competition, corporate and commercial, construction, insurance, and contracts. The firm also has a substantial practice in the field of company formation, administration and tax planning (not only in respect to companies registered in Cyprus but also in foreign jurisdictions), as well as in international transactions involving Cyprus entities. The clientele of the firm includes local and international banking institutions, semi-governmental organizations including the Cyprus Stock Exchange, municipalities and other local authorities, individuals, local and international building and engineering contractors, pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment companies, shipping enterprises, local and international information technology companies, publicly listed companies, investment firms, insurance companies, professional firms, large business concerns in commerce, tourism, hotels, general trade, oil and other fields. In addition to its advisory role to the Cyprus Stock Exchange the firm has traditionally been involved in M & A activity in Cyprus (acting recently in the merger of two of the largest food and drinks’ distributors in Cyprus). The firm has also advised on mergers of insurance companies in Cyprus and acted in takeover work by venture capital firms. TASSOS PAPADOPOULOS & ASSOCIATES LLC was chosen as the winner of the Corporate Intl Magazine 2010 Legal Award for: “Mergers & Acquisitions Law Firm of the Year in Cyprus”.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 67

Czech Republic - Real Estate Law Firm of the Year GÜRLICH & Co. Richard Gürlich Partner Tel: +420222101591 info@akrg.cz www.akrg.cz

The law office of GÜRLICH & Co. was founded on the 1st of February, 2002. All members of the firm are experienced lawyers possessing outstanding professional expertise in diverse branches of law. Moreover, the firm is a member of the AEA International Network, as well as being an affiliate member of the IACCM (International Association of Contract and Commercial Managers). Currently, the firm consists of four lawyers who are supported by a qualified office staff. On a case-by-case basis, we would invite for cooperation many other external specialists and freelance lawyers. The firm is fully capable of offering legal services to both individuals and legal entities in almost all fields of civil and commercial law, all over the territory of the Czech Republic. We are capable of providing legal services in the Czech and English languages. In the event of cross-border transactions and litigation, this office hires its cooperating international law offices as well as external foreign lawyers. Today, the firm remains a purely Czech legal office free of any financial or other influence exerted by foreign and/or local nationals. This allows the firm to provide its services in compliance with law, professionally and independently.

GÜRLICH & Co.’s scope of legal services includes: • Commercial Transactions • Civil Law • Intellectual Property • Corporate Law and Business Law • Public Procurement • Labour Law • Real Estate • Litigation Insolvency

The firm is a member of the AEA International Network, as well as being an affiliate member of the IACCM.

Denmark - Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year

Awapatent– your intellectual property partner in Europe Awapatent is one of Europe’s leading consulting companies in IP. We use our legal and technical expertise to help our clients turn their ideas and innovations into business opportunities. Our 160 patent attorneys and attorneys at law are well versed in dealing with IP matters globally, and as Europeans we have a special focus on Europe and European IP Law. Awapatent was founded in 1897 and has today 300 employees at 13 offices in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. In 2011 we reported sales of USD 76 million.

LAW E X RTS

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www.awapatent.com

PRACTICE AWARDS

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Denmark - Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year Elmer & Partners Karsten Høj Attorney & Partner Tel: +45 3367 6767 kh@elmer-adv.dk www.elmer-adv.dk

The law firm Elmer & Partners deals with cases pertaining to Personal Injury, as well as Employment. This year, the firm received the Global Law Experts (GLE) accolade: Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year for Denmark; previously, the firm won in the category: Employment Law Firm of the Year for Denmark (2012). Karsten Høj, attorney & partner, noted “Tort is one of the areas of law most lawyers deal with. Often, it is perceived as a jurisdiction that a lawyer should be able to advice on; however, advanced specialist knowledge and experience are often required – especially concerning the part of tort law relating to personal injuries. This is an area characterised by complex legislation, frequent legislative changes and a large number of court rulings, including rulings from the Supreme Court, which always affect and adjust the specifics of the law.” According to Mr Høj, it has long been Elmer & Partners’ vision to be the leading expert law firm within tort and personal injury, and the firm has achieved its vision by working hard to build and develop the necessary specialist knowledge. It is now able to provide

advice on torts at the highest professional level. Moreover, the firm has chosen to only help victims – not insurance companies or public authorities – and its professionals consistently strive to ensure that all customers receive the best possible results. Sometimes, this is achieved by pursuing a lawsuit, perhaps in several instances; other times, by negotiating a settlement without going to trial. “Elmer & Partners is the law firm that leads most lawsuits – even before the Supreme Court – and we have achieved a high number of winnings,” said Mr Høj. “Many of these wins have encompassed legal matters of principal importance.” Aside from legal work related to case handling, Elmer & Partners takes an active role in the legislative processes within tort law. The firm often delivers opinions on new legislation when necessary to ensure a fair regulatory environment for the victim. For this among other reasons, Elmer & Partyers comes nationally recommended as a leading specialist law firm within Personal Injury. Mr Høj added: “To be also recognised by GLE, which is a premier guide to leading expert attorneys throughout the world, feels very rewarding. We are, therefore, only pleased for this feedback.”

England - Family Law Firm of the Year Mackrell Turner Garrett Alison Green Head of Family Law Tel: +44 (0) 20 7240 0521 alison.green@mackrell.com www.mackrell.com

Mackrell Turner Garrett is an award-winning full-service law firm with offices in London and Surrey. The practice provides a full service in Family Law and is a founding member of Mackrell International, a group of more than 4,200 lawyers around the world, which provides the firm with an international dimension. Mackrell Turner Garrett prides itself in delivering a legal service where client care is a top priority. The practice is small enough to provide a personal service, but large enough to maintain expertise in the many fields of Family Law. The firm’s Family Law department acts for individuals in all aspects of family life, whether they are married, in a civil partnership or co-habiting. The department is experienced in drafting both pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. Mackrell Turner Garrett provides divorce services including court proceedings, conciliation and mediation, assistance where the breakdown is amicable, advice on jurisdiction where a party was born or married overseas and advice on financial issues. For co-habitees the firm can assist with the setting up of co-habitation agreements along with matters following the breakdown of a relationship, including property, children and financial issues. The firm also has extensive experience in the rights of children, natural fathers and grandparents. Mackrell Turner Garrett is a member of Resolution, the organisation of family

lawyers committed to a constructive and non-confrontational approach to family disputes. As a member of Resolution, the firm’s Family Law experts follow a Code of Practice, with members encouraged to find solutions that consider the needs of the whole family, and in particular the best interests of the family. The principles of the Code are widely recognised and have been adopted by the Law Society as recommended good practice for all family lawyers. Mackrell Turner Garrett’s Family Law department works with a wide range of clients both in the UK and abroad, including high net worth individuals, foreign nationals, Premier League footballers and Royalty. Thanks to Mackrell International, the firm is highly experienced in cross-border disputes. The firm is able to provide immediate international legal advice for clients and access to any jurisdiction worldwide. Languages spoken at the firm include English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Hindi, Gujarati and Swahili. At Mackrell Turner Garrett our philosophy is to offer a hands-on expert service from a team of experienced Family Law professionals. All our clients are assigned a dedicated solicitor who will meet all their requirements, but our team are familiarised with all cases in order to respond to any queries in a prompt and expert manner. Comprising of more than 40 attorneys, the firm retains a strong commercial background, providing an extensive range of legal advice and services for individuals, partnerships and companies.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 69

England - Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year White & Black Legal LLP Phil Riman Managing Partner Tel: +44 845 201 3142 phil.riman@wablegal.com www.wablegal.com

WHITE & BLACK ADVISE ON JOINT HIGHLAND CAPITAL AND SCOTTISH EQUIT PARTNERS INVESTMENT IN MATCHES FASHION

White & Black Legal LLP is a specialist corporate and technology law firm. Since 2009, the firm has been independently ranked by Chambers as one of the top 20 UK law firms for its work in technology / venture capital transactions. Today, the firm operates as a niche practice staffed by lawyers who, at partner and associate level, have worked at leading international law firms and institutions, and are experienced in transactions spanning Europe, the US, Japan, China, Hong Kong, India and the Middle East. Phil Riman, managing partner, noted: “Venture capital / private equity and corporate transactions represent the largest area of the firm’s business. Meanwhile, the majority of the transactions on which we advise are in the technology and related sectors. In the last 12 months alone, we have advised in relation to deals in e-commerce, online retail, web-based analytics and social media software, business software and systems, application software, computer peripherals, electronics, healthcare information services, and Nano coatings.” Just over 40% of White & Black work is for international clients, particularly those in the US, Japan and France, and the majority of the firm’s work involves an international dimension. Mr Riman is former legal counsel at leading venture capital fund 3i with experience of more than 200 technology-focused transactions. In addition, John Crabtree, OBE, former senior partner of Wragge & Co and

Corporate and technology specialist law firm, White & Black, advises on major e-comm

investmentof in the Matches Fashion, one of strategic the UK’s leading luxury fashion Legal Business ‘Lawyer Year’, provides guidance to theretailers. White & Black partnership in his role as the chairman. OXFORD & LONDON, UK,firm’s 15 NOVEMBER 2012 – White & Black, the UK’s leading technolog firm has& advised on a majoron e-commerce investment by private equity investors, Scottish E In November, White Black advised a major e-commerce investment by Partners and Highland Capital, into the luxury fashion retailer, Matches Fashion. private equity investors, Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) and Highland Capital, Matches is a UK-based retailer of luxury fashion brands including Alexander McQueen, Balenc into the luxury fashion retailer, – a UK-based retailer of Tom and Ruth Chap Yves Saint LaurentMatches and Isabel Fashion Marant. Established in 1990 by co-founders the company has become an iconic brand in its Balenciaga, own right and its London stores are patronise luxury fashion brands including Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint some of UK’s most fashion literate clientele. Six years ago, it launched its online pres (www.matchesfashion.com) and the site has become a truly unique online destination in lu Laurent and Isabel Marant. fashion retail. Matches’ carries over 250 international designer labels covering both womenswea According to Mr Riman, the deal itself enabled White & Black to draw on menswear. its professionals’The deep of expertise and investment work – growing online s SEPwell and Highland funding in willtechnology enable Matches to expand its already rapidly focus on international markets and major develope-commerce its 14 luxury stores in London. Online sales are run much of it gleaned from working with other retailers, such at 120% growth against the previous period. as Sarenza and Photobox. Moreover, Matches’ CFO Fiona Greiner said of the SEP’s Andrew Davison (who led the deal for SEP) has joined the Matches board of directors tog with Samguided Brooks ofus Highland Capital. Andrew commented: deal: “[White & Black] through the process with an effective mix “We are delighted tocommercial be the company’s first private and equitypractical backer and to have the opport of total diligence, focus, commitment, awareness to support such a talented team. Tom and Ruth Chapman have built Matches Fashion i advice. Throughout wehighly had trusted total confidence in both their counsel their and iconic brand, and are dedicated to and offering their customers the hig quality retail experience. Our investment will enable the company to expand its o ability to deliver outstanding results.” operations and cement its position as a leading global fashion business.” Mr Riman added: “Most of our work has an international dimension reflectSpeaking about White & Black’s work on the deal CFO, Fiona Greiner said: ing the international credentials and interpersonal skills of team members. “It’s been a pleasure working with Phil and the team at White and Black - they guide Our team constructs effective contractual arrangements that are both bethrough the process with an effective mix of total diligence, focus, commitment, comme awareness andand practical advice. Throughout we had total confidence in both their cou spoke to our clients’ requirements practical and workable. and their ability to deliver outstanding results.” “By leveraging the use of technology, we improve our service, increase effiThein White & Blackcommunication team was led by private and venture specialist Phil Riman (e ciency and remain constant with equity our clients. Ourcapital approach Corporate partners John Allen and Mark Hodac oversaw the rest of the team with Charlotte Dun to fees is driven leading by ouronobjective ofand delivering value toon our e-commerce commercialoutstanding law issues. Commenting theclients deal, Phil said: within their budgets and without surprises.” “Tom and Ruth have created a world-class retail experience both in store and online.

Matches team were incredibly focussed on the key issues and were great to work wi particular CFO, Fiona Greiner, brought real dynamism to the process. This deal enabled draw on our deep well of expertise in technology and investment work - much of it gle from working with other major e-commerce retailers, such as Sarenza and Photo Knowing some of the SEP Crime and Highland teamFirm from my days, Year I’m sure they will pro England - White Collar Law of3i the great asset to Matches.”

Edward Hayes LLP Christopher Hayes Partner Tel: +44 (0) 20 7353 0011 chayes@edwardhayes.co.uk www.edwardhayes.co.uk

Christopher Hayes is widely recognised as an international expert in criminal and regulatory investigations and proceedings. He is rated highly by Chambers and Partners, and is “highly recommended” according to The Legal 500. Mr Hayes is joint global head of Edward Hayes LLP’s Litigation and Business Regulatory Group. He specialises in white collar crime, working for both individuals and in a corporate environment. Mr Hayes also has a high level of expertise in the field of regulatory and investigations, and has extensive experience in the execution of search warrants, interviews under caution, and compulsion statements. Today, much of his practice involves international issues undertaken by a range of UK and European prosecutors; meanwhile, he regularly advises on risk management, internal controls and accountability. He is also a specialist fraud supervisor and higher court advocate, dealing with white-collar crime, business crime, tax and VAT investigations and appeals, as well as dispute resolution and complex family cases, including a series of shaken baby syndrome matters. Recently, Mr Hayes has represented senior executives in the interna-

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tional Libor scandal. Other key cases include: R v Corcoran (successfully defended and secured release of John Corcoran, who had been accused of the murder of Helen Corrie – one of the highest profile murder cases in the South, with extensive media interest and interviews); R v Ayres (successfully defended a son accused of attempting to murder his wealthy parents – received national press publicity); R v Wragg (successfully defended an SAS soldier accused of murdering his disabled son – a mercy killing case covered extensively by the national media); R v Mote MEP (represented Ashley Mote MEP on fraud charges, currently before the criminal cases review commission – high media interest); R v Williamson (largest ever liquidation fraud); Operation Devout (one of the largest ever MTIC carousel mobile phone fraud cases). Accolades • Member of the Specialist Fraud Panel, Law Society Panels, European Criminal Bar Association, and International Bar Association (IBA). • Received an LLB (Hons) from Lancing College, Kingston University. • Recognised as a Global Law Expert (GLE).

France - Aviation Law Firm of the Year SCP Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes - Cabinet BOPS Carole Sportes Partner Tel: +33 (0)1 70 37 39 08 carole.sportes@bopslaw.com www.bopslaw.com

Having developed through years of activity prior to the creation of our Société Civile Professionnelle d’Avocats, our team’s expertise, knowledge and reputation have all equally grown over the decades preceding the creation of the Cabinet BOPS banner, known for their team spirit and dedication. The BOPS lawyers are all partners admitted to the Paris bar and can, as such, appear before any French court but the Cour de Cassation (France’s Supreme Court). The Cabinet BOPS partners have built an esteemed niche practice recognized, both in France and abroad, as being at the forefront of its fields of expertise. These include: International Commercial Litigation and Arbitration; Insurance and Reinsurance Law; Industrial Risks and Product Liability; Medical and Pharmaceutical; Medical and Pharmaceutical Law; Aerospace and Aviation Law and Air Carriers’ Liability; Bankruptcy Law and D&O Liability; Banking Law and Lender Liability; Environmental Liability. Carole Sportes Carole Sportes participates in the firm’s practice in the areas of international litigation, aviation and space law, product liability, and insurance and reinsurance. She acts for major French and international air carriers and insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Meanwhile, Carole has developed specific skills in the area of air and space transportation and is also recognized for her expertise in product liability, especially in the pharmaceutical sector where she is acting for major companies in multidistrict litigation. Carole actively contributes to current debates on product liability and aviation law. She is the French correspondent for Getting the Deal Through for air trans-

portation and regularly publishes updates on French insurance law for International Law Office. Before participating in the creation of Cabinet BOPS, Carole was an associate at Norton Rose in Paris, where she practised international litigation. AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS Décideurs Juridiques et Financiers states, in its 2008 issue on Innovation and its Protection: “Carole Sportes deploys her expertise with panache for the benefit of clients requiring advice on product liability and pharmaceutical law.” For Legal 500 (2008/2009), Carole Sportes “ranks among the best experts in the market” for air and space law. Legal 500 2008 adds: “Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes offers specialist advice in aviation-related insurance matters, cargo and passenger-related claims, and aircraft collisions. A key client is British Airways, and Carole Sportes is a leader in the aviation practice”. Chambers Europe 2009: Carole Sportes “wins praise for her thriving aviation practice”. ASSOCIATIONS A.I.D.A - Association Internationale de Droit des Assurances SFDAS - Société Française de Droit Aérien et Spatial IAWA - International Aviation Womens Association EDUCATION DEA (post-graduate degree) in business law, Montpellier University (1994) LANGUAGES French and English

France - Insolvency Litigation Firm of the Year SEH Legal Sandra Esquiva-Hesse Partner Tel: +33 1 42 65 57 66 seh@sehlegal.com www.sehlegal.com

SEH Legal works with clients to assist with corporate transactions, financing, restructuring, insolvency and liquidation proceedings, as well as corporate litigation matters. Coming from international law firms, SEH Legal’s lawyers offer expertise and excellency, while being attentive to innovation and research. Not only multilingual, SEH Legal’s multicultural approach enables its advisers to be adaptable, and gives them a notable advantage when working internationally. According to partner Sandra Esquiva-Hesse, SEH Legal forms part of a new generation of law firms – accessible, independent and innovative, providing every client with a way to think more broadly. She noted: “With a team of multicultural and multilingual attorneys, I founded SEH Legal in April 2011 to provide all clients – including SMEs, mid-caps and large caps alike – with the quality of service found in large international firms, and to guide them through the various stages of their development. Our goal: turning the law into a lever of their growth and a means to deal with challenges.” Moreover, Ms Esquiva-Hesse explained that having a modern approach means devoting time to analyse current challenges that clients and their industries are facing. “We help them to find pragmatic and appropriate solutions and have in-depth knowledge about their industries,” she said. “For example, we created a ‘think tank’, where we can hold discussions, exchange ideas and share research within our team; meanwhile, we hold ‘innovation meetings’ to inspire our clients with fresh, new ideas. “Many companies have a Research and Development department. Law

firms should also invest some of their time in R&D so that they may anticipate trends and participate in their evolution. Lawyers should strive to be useful and loyal contributors to the overall vision of their clients. Some of our work has proven this, such as our research on French trusts – so-called Fiducie – which has been implemented since 2007. Further, some innovative applications of our legal rules earned us recognition in the Financial Times in October 2010 – where we were ranked #2 worldwide in the ‘Most Innovative Lawyers of the Year’. We often take our inspiration from foreign legal systems, and challenge theories that consider the French legal environment as hostile by definition.” Today, SEH Legal generally provides close guidance to small, mid and large caps to help them overcome obstacles they encounter in operating their businesses, including inception, business operations, end-of-life and business succession. The firm also represents shareholders, creditors and other stakeholders. Ms Esquiva-Hesse concluded: “Our clients range from a turnover of EUR 1 million to more than EUR 1 billion, and include: SMEs; listed companies; investment funds; as well as French, American, European and Asian clients. The key element to cases and transactions we handle are often that they are ‘special situations’ requiring special care and attention. We specialise in crisis legal management and often partake in corporate groups’ reorganisation – striving to find positive outcomes. “Our team is also growing, and we will welcome a new partner, Jérôme Barbier, in February 2013. Our vision is to have a niche law firm that is extremely responsive, and which offers highly accurate expertise – sharing close, transparent and trustworthy relationships with clients.”

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France - Private Equity Law Firm of the Year DLA Piper Michel Frieh Country Managing Partner Tel: +33 (0)1 40 15 66 40 michel.frieh@dlapiper.com www.dlapiper.com

With more than 4,200 lawyers and a global footprint of 77 offices across the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the US, DLA Piper offers its clients a local presence in 31 countries, and can help them realise their ambitions wherever they wish to do business The firm’s international Corporate Group provides a transactional experience that is wide and varied, and extends to: flotations and fundraisings; public takeovers; corporate governance; private equity; public to private; joint ventures; employee incentive arrangements; as well as acquisitions and disposal, including recommended and hostile takeovers and all manner of domestic and cross-border deals. The Corporate Group also has a significant presence across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with more than 500 corporate lawyers acting for clients of all sizes. These include multinationals, Global 100 and Fortune 500 businesses, successful mid-market organisations, public and private companies, as well as emerging companies developing industry leading technologies. DLA Piper’s private equity offering includes, but is not limited to: fund structuring in consideration of tax and corporate aspects; advising private equity funds on investments; financing structures

and documentation; structuring of management participation and incentive schemes; portfolio management; and pre-insolvency restructuring. In addition, DLA Piper expanded its Paris presence through a connection with French law firm Frieh Bouhenic in October 2012. Frieh Bouhenic was established in January 2011 by ex-Linklaters partner Michel Frieh and former Weil Gothsal & Manges heavyweight Pierre-Alain Bouhenic. This development represents a significant jump for DLA’s corporate capabilities in Paris, with a strong focus on private equity. Michel Frieh is co-country managing partner for France and is based in DLA Piper’s Paris office. He began his career as a judge before joining the firm of Salans in 1985, and was one of the lawyers who founded Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s Paris office, where he became partner in 1994. Mr Frieh joined Linklaters in 2004, where he successfully organised the start-up and development of private equity activity. He subsequently founded Frieh & Associés in June 2007, and was a partner at Frieh Bouhenic since its founding. Mr Frieh was singled out as ‘number one rainmaker in Europe by volume, advising on 17 deals worth 3.2 billion Euros in 2005’ by Merger Market. He was also nominated as ‘Avocat de l’année 2010’ by the magazine Option Finance/Option Droit & Affaires, and was designated ‘best lawyer’ in the private equity field in Best Lawyers’ 2011 Awards.

Germany - Criminal Law Firm of the Year Wamser Legal Ingo Klaus Wamser Partner Tel: +49 (8 51) 4 90 88 69 Ingo.wamser@wamser.org www.wamser.org

Ingo Klaus Wamser was born in 1979 in Passau. After a long stay abroad, he studied law from 1998 to 2002 at the University of Passau before he was admitted to the bar in 2005 as the youngest holder of a bar admission at this time. Legal activities are concentrated on International Criminal and Admiralty Law, as well as maritime security law, and are carried out within the scope of juridical possibilities throughout Europe. Besides the traditional activities of a lawyer, Mr. Wamser works as a lecturer on the law of the sea at Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria and in the field of private security companies. He is member of a delegation at the International Maritime Organization and a legal advisor to naval operations. Increasing focus lies on measures against piracy and armed robbery on sea, as well as facility security for offshore installations, including oil rigs and high sea mining facilities. Consultancy services also extend to visitations on site. Mr. Wamser is a member of the International Criminal Bar, the professional organization of lawyers working at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. He is admitted to act before the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Mr. Wamser speaks German and English. Basic knowledge exists in French and Italian.

72 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Wamser legal is a law firm specialised in the fields of criminal and admiralty law at Passau. The spectrum of the clients reaches from individuals with classical criminal defences about shipping and private security/military companies up to listed insurance groups with preventive consultations to questions of admiralty law, maritime security law and the pursuit and defence of criminal offences according to German and foreign/international criminal law.

Increasing focus lies on measures against piracy and armed robbery on sea, as well as facility security for offshore installations, including oil rigs and high sea mining facilities.

Germany - Insolvency Administrator Firm of the Year HERMANN RWS Ottmar Hermann Senior partner Tel: +49 69 9130920 frankfurt@hermann-law.com www.hermann-law.com

HERMANN RWS has received the accolade of Global Law Experts’ award for the category “Insolvency Administrator Firm of the Year in Germany 2013”. We feel honoured that this award acknowledges our law firm`s expertise in the area of insolvency administration, insolvency-related consultancy services and restructuring, with its multi-disciplinary approach. Moreover, the award is proof positive that our services have been considered to be professional and efficient, and therefore worthy of recognition. In the last year we were able to maintain our position as one of the leading insolvency practices in Germany. With the new German insolvency law, debtor-in-possession proceedings became more favourable; meanwhile, a debt-equity swap has also been newly introduced in German insolvency law. Here, our partner Ottmar Hermann was appointed as custodian in the case of Dura group, one of the first proceedings under the new legislation, whilst our partner Rainer M. Bähr was acting as custodian of Solarwatt AG, which included the first successful debt-equity swap under the new law. HERMANN RWS advises business people as well as businesses and financial institutions in all aspects of insolvency, business (including corporate, commercial law, competition and civil law), tax, labour law, real estate and construction law. The firm’s specialty focus is on well-targeted services and diligent consultancy in all areas of business life, and in connection with corporate

crises and insolvencies, also across borders. The roots of the law firm are in the areas of insolvency and restructuring. For many years, numerous professionals within the law firm have been closely involved as insolvency administrators for the handling of insolvency proceedings, and are thus familiar with all the matters accompanying insolvency. The firm’s insolvency proceedings are carried out particularly within the fields of Automotive, Aviation, Construction and Real Estate, Energy, Finance, Freelancer, Retail, Telecommunication and Entertainment/Gastronomy. In addition, HERMANN RWS is the first law firm to receive an appointment for an insolvency proceeding by the new German Act for the Further Facilitation Of The Restructuring Of Companies (“ESUG”). HERMANN RWS offers a competent support to all parties involved in insolvency proceedings, including investors as well as other clients affected by business crisis. The administration of insolvency presupposes a profound understanding as well as the capacity to find a solution for all subjects on the basis of legal and practical knowledge. The culmination of this extensive expertise and detailed corporate knowledge means that HERMANN RWS now accompanies national and international concerns as a permanent legal adviser, apart from the administration of insolvency. Besides the firm’s core middle-class clientele, there are well-known concerns of the industrial and service sector who are clients of HERMANN RWS. In addition, HERMANN RWS is now involved in national as well as transnational M&A pertaining to diverse industry sectors.

Germany - Patents Law Firm of the Year

tional outlook and a broad scope of specialized expertise. Globally-oriented companies in such practice areas as biotechnology, chemistry, physics,

medical devices, mechanical and electrical engineering and pharmaceuticals trust the competent advice offered by our highly-rated team.

Ofﬁce and the German patent ofﬁce, as well as challenging the patents of

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ing our client’s key patents in proceedings before the European Patent

df-mp Fünf Höfe Theatinerstraße 16 80333 Munich, Germany fon: +49 89 2102960 fax: +49 89 21029633 info@df-mp.com www.df-mp.com

Our patent lawyers have considerable experience in obtaining and defend-

Another recognized speciality of the ﬁrm is client counselling on all other aspects of intellectual property such as freedom-to-operate and patent validity opinions.

df-mp is one of the top ﬁrms in intellectual property law with an interna-

third parties in such proceedings. Notable success has been achieved by the ﬁrm in nullity actions before the German courts.

GLO

df-mp - Global Expertise for Your Innovations and Trademarks

PRACTICE AWARDS

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 73

Germany - Public & Private Law Firm of the Year Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek Dr. Ute Jasper Partner Tel: +49 211 600 55-326 u.jasper@heuking.de www.heuking.de

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek is a partnership of more than 250 lawyers, tax advisors and notaries providing counsel across seven offices in Germany as well as offices in Brussels and Zurich, making it one of the leading German commercial law firms. The spectrum of our legal advice ranges from German and foreign mid-sized companies to international (including listed) large corporations in all matters of commercial law. Another focus of our client support lies in public law in which we counsel decision-makers on all levels of administration. The Public Sector practice group bundles the law firm’s expertise gained in numerous public sector projects. The priority in our work is the success of the project, which we consider to be the basis for sustained positive cooperation. The figures bear this out: more than 90% of our orders are follow-up or recommendation mandates. Further, according to the German leading directory, the JUVE Handbook, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek is in the first band in the field of Public Procurement Law. This makes the Public Sector one of our law firm’s most successful areas. In the past, we have provided advice to public sector projects with a total volume of binary billion Euro. Our lawyers are nominated as leaders in their relevant practice areas in numerous different highly respected directories such as Best Lawyers International, Chambers Global and Chambers Europe, Who’s Who Legal

and Expert Guides, to name just a few. The public law group of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek has substantial experience in all economically relevant areas of public law. All members of the group are equally competent in the field of procedural and litigation law. We have a wealth of experience in dealing with authorities and decision makers in administration and in judicial affairs. We are successfully applying this experience on behalf of our clients. Our experience is reflected in a broad range of clients. We provide advice to institutional investors, project developers, and leading industrial and commercial companies in a variety of industries as well as public bodies on municipal, state, or federal level. The law group’s partners all demonstrate many years of advisory activities, for example, in the areas of construction and specialist planning law, privatizations and public-private partnerships, environmental law, subsidy and procurement law, as well as numerous additional partial areas of public law. To guarantee a consistently high level of advice is equally important to us, as is the cost management in each individual case. We see ourselves as managers of the interests of our clients and endeavor not only to find the legally correct solution for their concern, but also to meet our clients’ economic interests in an entrepreneurial way. We do not consider our task as being limited to providing a legal assessment of facts; rather, we also provide entrepreneurial solutions and strategic action recommendations to our clients.

Greece - Privatization Law Firm of the Year KLC Law Firm Thomas Lamnidis Vice President and Partner Tel: +(30) 210 7264500 Fax: +(30) 210 7264510 thomas_lamnidis@klclawfirm.com www.klclawfirm.com

KLC Law Firm, one of the biggest law firms in Greece, was founded in 2000 and incorporates the tradition of three prominent Law Firms in a modern Corporate Law Firm. KLC excels in the provision of legal services that match deep legal knowledge, innovative legal thinking, professionalism, effectiveness and academic expertise. KLC has significant international exposure having provided services in over 33 countries to private clients and international organizations. KLC has been a pioneer in the provision of legal services in the privatizations sector by successfully completing the first privatization of a state enterprise in Greece (Heracles Cement Group). In the past decades our firm has acquired and is constantly developing valuable know-how in all types of privatizations (share deals in listed and non-listed companies, asset deals, and strategic investor schemes) in various sectors of the Greek economy. Thus, KLC is one of the top choices of major foreign investors as well as of the Greek State for such projects in view of the current market situation favoring privatizations in Greece. In addition, KLC has carried out privatization projects in Romania and Bulgaria. We maintain excellent cooperation with all the major financial advisors and competent departments of the Greek State and we are able to identify and assess already in the early stages of each privatization process the “red flag” issues of the transaction, to provide top quality legal support in the course of complex, multi-party negotiations and suggest feasible, mutually beneficial and original solutions on complex legal

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issues, by applying “out-of-the-box” methods and thinking. As far as KLC’s significant experience in this sector is concerned, our firm has been appointed as Legal Advisor to the Greek State in relation to the privatization of the state-owned postal services provider (ELTA), to the exploration of alternative solutions for the exploitation of selected state-owned real estate properties, to the exploration of legal options for the exploitation of its portfolio of clusters of small ports and marinas in Greece and to the potential sale of the commercial (banking) operations of the Consignment Deposits and Loans Fund through a complex legal unbundling scheme of its reserved public sector activities. Recently, KLC Law Firm has been also assigned as the Legal Advisor of Public Power Corporation S.A. (PPC) in the context of its privatization process. About the expert, Mr Thomas Lamnidis is an international lawyer with more than 25 years of professional experience, out of which 17 years dealing with legal and institutional issues for the reforming of the oil and gas and transport sectors in former Soviet Union countries and South East European countries. He has extensive experience in the sectors of energy, privatizations, transport and trade facilitation, investment and project finance. He has extensive experience in working with international financial institutions (EIB, EBRD, World Bank, IFC, EC). He is member of the Athens Bar Association, founding member of the Greek PHARE/TACIS initiative, founding member of the Energy Institute for the South East Europe and independent member of the Board of Directors of the National Maritime Shipping Company KazMorTransFlot JSC, Kazakhstan.

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Iceland - Banking & Finance, Capital Markets and Litigation Law Firm of the Year

PRACTICE AWARDS

Ef st aleiti 5 1 03 Reykjaví k Icel a nd 5 4 0 0 30 0 5 4 0 0 301

A Living Legacy LOGOS provides companies and institutions with legal advice based upon the firm’s legacy of practice since 1907. While our founder, Mr. Sveinn Björnsson, went on to become the first president of Iceland, his practice kept growing. LOGOS has become a leading Icelandic law firm with successful international outposts.

42 N ew B roa d Stre et London EC 2 M 1 J D E ngla nd +4 4 (0) 207 920 3020 +4 4 (0) 207 920 309 9 logos @ logos . is w w w. logos . is

LOGOS specializes primarily in corporate and commercial law providing services for both the international business community and local corporate clients requiring international legal assistance. Our teams in Reykjavík and London use well defined internal procedures to offer excellent and efficient legal advice.

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Italy - International Corporate Law Firm of the Year La Torre Morgese Cesàro Rio Studio Legale Associato Massimo La Torre Partner Tel: +39 02 8721 2101 massimo.latorre@lmclex.it www.lmclex.it

La Torre Morgese Cesàro Rio (LMCR) is an independent law firm built around the idea of providing quality advice and a modern approach to the legal profession – in line with services rendered by the international firms – in a flexible and client-focused way. The firm combines and integrates the broad academic experience of some of its founding partners and of counsels with the extensive practice skills gained by its other founding partners and associates in the course of their careers. Thanks to the wide experience and reputation of its partners, the firm has established long-lasting relationships with leading financial institutions and with large corporations engaged in a variety of industrial sectors. The firm also advises mid-sized banks and investment funds, as well as mid-cap industrial players that require highly qualified support for their growth strategies. Over the years, the firm’s partners and associates have also gained extensive experience in cross-border transactions, as well as a deep knowledge of the international market ‘best practices’. Moreover, the firm has developed strong relationships with first-class independent law firms in key foreign jurisdictions. LMCR is, therefore, not only a point of reference for foreign investors with interests in Italy, but also a qualified professional partner for domestic players with international presence or cross-border strategies. Areas of activity: Corporate and Commercial. The firm regularly advises clients in all areas of company law, including all aspects of corporate governance.

Mergers & Acquisitions. The firm assists corporations and financial institutions, both domestic and international, on acquisitions and disposals of companies, businesses and real estate portfolios, on mergers and de-mergers, public takeover bids, equity transactions and joint ventures. Private Equity. The firm assists domestic and international investment funds as well as entrepreneurs in connection with all legal aspects of leveraged buyouts, management buy-outs and buy-ins, early stage and expansion investments, etc. Banking and Finance. The firm advises on acquisition and structured finance transactions. The firm’s lawyers have gained a remarkable experience in derivative transactions both on the domestic and international markets. Regulatory and Asset Management. The firm assists financial intermediaries in connection with their incorporation, authorisation process and product offering, as well as leading financial institutions in connection with complex compliance matters and inspection processes brought by supervisory authorities. Litigation and Arbitration. The firm assists clients before the Italian Courts and the European Court of Justice, or in the context of alternative dispute resolution or arbitration procedures, in any and all areas of commercial, corporate and insolvency law, as well as in litigations relating to financial instruments and in regulatory enforcement actions commenced by supervisory authorities. Insolvency and Restructuring. The firm provides qualified advice on corporate reorganisation and restructuring matters, as well as on all legal matters relating to corporate crisis and insolvency proceedings. Languages: Italian, English, French, German.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 75

Italy - Tax & Trust Law Firm of the Year Studio Legale e Tributario Loconte & Partners Avv. Prof. Stefano Loconte Managing Partner Bari Tel: +39 080 5722880 Milano Tel: +39 0245476250 Roma Tel: +39 068419536 bari@studioloconte.it / milano@studioloconte.it / roma@studioloconte.it www.studioloconte.it

Tax & Trust Category Loconte & Partners is a firm operating since 1996. It was set up by Stefano Loconte, Managing Partner of the firm, Lawyer T.E.P., Professor of Trust Law and International Tax Law. Loconte & Partners has three offices: one in Bari, one in Milan and one in Rome. Loconte & Partners is currently organized in departments. Trust & Estates Department Loconte & Partners law firm is specialized in asset protection, especially through the use of trusts and complex company arrangements. With reference to company arrangement, the greatest problems to deal with include comprehension of company structures and transactions that have been carried out or will be carried out, including international transactions, for the purpose of asset protection. Moreover, the firm networks with its peer firms based all around the world, enabling it to remain up-to-date with legislative changes and case law in different courts and, consequently, allows it to arrange efficient and effective capital and asset protection structures for tax planning purposes. Some key complexities of the firm’s activity pertain to matters of direct and indirect taxation related to the transfer of estate. In addition to cross-border and offshore trusts, the firm is specialized in management of trusts in Italy, and avails itself also of its own trust company. At this moment in time, Italian trust practice is particularly interesting – indeed, the firm is highly active

in finding solutions for companies and natural persons. Tax Department Led by Stefano Loconte, the Tax Team of Loconte & Partners, which has its strength in interaction of economic and juridical competences, obtains successful results in important litigations through the elaboration of defensive strategies and innovative law interpretations. Meanwhile, Loconte & Partners distinguishes itself in the provision of tax advice via its proactive approach towards the client. The firm emphasises alternative solutions, rather than simply developing those scenarios as envisaged by the client. Further, the firm takes into consideration all the instruments offered by the domestic corporate and tax jurisdiction, and brings them into harmony with international regulations. Mr Loconte noted: “The international view is very important; however, the Tax Team must not forget the Italian background and the internal problems, and this is the real mission of the Tax Team. Due to the complexity of the Italian laws, it could happen that the tax treatment of a deal changes during the setting up of the same deal.” Loconte & Partners also provides qualified assistance in the management of relations with the local tax authorities – and in any claim against the same before the local tax courts. • Bari: Corso della Carboneria 15, Bari, 70123 • Milano: Via M. Pagano 61, Milano, 20145 • Roma: Via G. B. Martini, 14 – 00198

Jersey - Conveyancing Law Firm of the Year Benest & Syvret Advocates & Solicitors Philip Syvret Solicitor Tel: +44 (0)1534 706670 philip.syvret@benestsyvret.com www.benestsyvret.com

Benest & Syvret is a boutique Jersey law firm offering a full range of residential and commercial conveyancing services through its team of 2 partners and 17 staff. The Property team is headed up by Philip Syvret, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the Jersey property market. His team acts for individual buyers as well as a number of prominent property developers who have undertaken some of the largest housing developments on the island, producing accommodation for first time buyers right through to multi-million pound apartments and houses. In addition, Advocate Nina Benest, who leads up the Litigation team, has represented clients before the Royal Court in actions that have defined important aspects of Jersey Land Law and Planning Law. The key strength of the team at Benest & Syvret is their ethos of personal service. The firm’s mission statement is to be regarded as an outstanding legal practice in Jersey, respected for the excellence and energy they put into everything they do for their clients,

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community and their people. Client feedback shows that they consistently achieve that standard. Mr Syvret noted: “The property market in Jersey over the last few years has been challenging, with a slow turnover and limited opportunities for financing. In such a market, buyers and sellers need prompt and efficient service with a lawyer who looks to find solutions rather than problems. That is the service that Benest & Syvret provides. “Developers have also faced the dual difficulty of a restrictive approach from the Planning Department coupled with limited finance availability. Again, Benest & Syvret’s tenacious problem-solving approach has seen significant successes in moving development sites forward.” Benest & Syvret’s ethos of personal service, combined with decades of experience, saw the firm dealing with a significant number of high net worth clients acquiring property in Jersey during 2012. This included several residential transactions valued in excess of £5 million – and, in particular, instruction in respect of the purchase of a £12 million home, one of the highest values ever put on a Jersey residential property. Mr Syvret added: “Benest & Syvret’s reputation for providing high quality advice in these areas has led to a growing international client base.”

Liechtenstein - IP Law Firm of the Year Patentbuero Paul Rosenich AG Buero- und Gewerbezentrum (BGZ) Rotenbodenstrasse 12 9497 Triesenberg Liechtenstein Tel: +423 265 33 00 Fax: +423 265 33 01 office@rosenich.com www.rosenich.com

According to our service principles, we seek to provide: • Innovative strength, broad general knowledge and creativity which help us provide increment value for the benefit of our customers. • International operations in a well-tested and efficient team. • Background experience including years of experience, legal and technical know-how and interdisciplinary understanding and approach of all supervising Our main focus is the preparation, filing and defence of intellectual property rights employees. causes (in particular Patents, Trademarks, Designs, Domain Names and Licenses). • Our team’s personal commitment. • Security in our productivity by clear definition of tasks and responsibilities and We are also active in the filing of pleas and actions of nullity. Our international team of internal and external associates represents patents before utilization of internal quality control methods. • Our understanding of customers‘problems from the viewpoint of industrial patent the: attorneys with years of experience. • German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) • European Patent Office (EPO) We prefer personal customer care. Our international contacts are also cultivated • Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and expanded constantly in this matter. • Trademark Office of Liechtenstein and the County Court of Liechtenstein Expert: • Austrian Patent Office Dipl-HTL-Ing., EUR ING, BSc, LLM Paul Rosenich • Swiss Patent Office (IGE) • CEO Patentbüro Paul Rosenich AG • Hungarian Patent Office (HIPO) • European, Swiss and Liechtenstein Patent Attorney • US Patent Office (US PTO) • Electrical engineering, optics and optoelectronics, machine engineering • World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) • Prosecutor, litigator (Liechtenstein) and consultant • WIPO – mediator Providing value to our clients and customers is our top priority. According to our clients’ wishes and specifications, we strive to acquire the broad- • Teacher of EPO law and practice • Member of expert group for EPO filings, oppositions and appeals est possible intellectual property rights for them and energetically defend their • Member of epi (EP), UNION (EU), VPP (DE), VESPA (CH), RING (AT), LIPAV (LI) intellectual property rights against opponents when required. We are an international patent law company with head office in Liechtenstein. Patentbüro Paul Rosenich AG (PPR) cooperates with companies in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Portugal and the United States. PPR also has extensive contacts in China and Japan.

Luxembourg - Boutique M&A Law Firm of the Year Marjorie Allo is a partner and head of the corporate and M&A department. Her practical, problem-solving approach, backed up by extensive experience of all types of transactions across many jurisdictions, means that she is highly recommended by both clients and fellow professionals. AMMC Law is an independent, top tier Luxembourg law firm with a steadily growing presence in Luxembourg and abroad. Described as “a genuine alternative to the ‘big’ Luxembourg law firms”, we provide legal advice to national and international clients, both individuals and organisations, across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. Our lawyers are recognised as experts in their fields, and underpinning our legal advice is both an understanding of the commercial challenges faced by our clients and a desire to help resolve those challenges in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. The quality of our work means that we advise many NYSE, LSE listed businesses and major private equity firms, including a number of household names on cross-border transactions. We are delighted to be able to say that the majority of our new clients come from recommendations from existing clients, as well as their intermediaries and service providers, all of whom appreciate our responsiveness and efficiency.

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Tel.: +352 26 27 22 00 - Fax: +352 26 27 22 33 - www.ammclaw.com

AMMC LAW 2-4, rue Eugène Ruppert - L2453 Luxembourg

We always aim to develop long–term relationships with our clients, which improves our understanding of their businesses and legal requirements. With the introduction of a representative office in New York, we aim to be even more accessible to our clients in their places of business and in the same time zone.

PRACTICE AWARDS

Luxembourg - Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year / Tax Law Firm of the Year LEXFIELD Jonathan Burger Investment Management Partner Tel: +352 260 082 50 jburger@lexfield.com www.lexfield.com

LEXFIELD is a Luxembourg niche law firm focused on investment funds, corporate, tax and finance laws, capable of handling sophisticated legal matters with a high level of tailor-made services. The firm was created with the ambition of setting new benchmarks in the Luxembourg legal market to provide the highest quality in a creative and dynamic environment. Luxembourg is Europe’s number one investment fund centre and the world’s leading hub for global fund distribution. The continuing development of the Grand-Duchy as a centre of financial and investment fund services has led to a unique concentration of specialist service providers. This unparalleled blend of expertise in the areas of fund administration, management and distribution enables Luxembourg to offer fund promoters and investors an extraordinarily wide range of investment products. Since its inception, LEXFIELD has developed an extensive and growing investment management practice, and serves the whole investment management value chain. The firm specialises in a wide range of regulated investment funds with a focus on Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), including a specific expertise on private equity and real estate investments. Partner Jonathan BURGER founded the investment management practice of LEXFIELD. He combines his strong tax expertise of international tax structuring with the creation and organisation of Luxembourg regulated investment funds, including UCITS and Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs), advising domestic and international fund promoters, distributors, investment bankers, asset managers, depositary banks, central

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administrations and other agents providing fund-related services. Before joining LEXFIELD, Jonathan was working in international law firms established in Luxembourg, including one of the “Magic Circle” law firms. Jonathan is also actively involved in the tax structuring of corporates, financial institutions and asset managers across a broad spectrum of matters including international tax planning, fund structuring, M&A mandates, private banking and wealth management. In recent years, he has frequently advised fund promoters and asset managers on the launching of Alternative Investment Funds structures such as SIFs platforms with a wide range of alternative investment strategies, including (among others) long-short equity, long only, contrarian, real estate, credit funds, renewable energies, physical gold, forestry assets, etc. His recent handlings include: • Acting as legal advisor of a merchant banking in relation to the set-up of a complex Alternative Investment Funds structuring with SIF vehicles (2013 and 2012), • Launching of a sophisticated UCITS for a Swiss asset manager (2012), • Acting as legal advisor to a Luxembourg fund promoter in relation to the new UCITS IV rules and substance-related matters of domestic management companies (2012), • Launching of several stand-alone SIFs structures for a large Swiss asset manager (2012), • Launching of several umbrella SIFs for a Luxembourg fund promoter (2011 and 2010).

Norway - Commercial Law Firm of the Year Deloitte Advokatfirma AS

Joakim Marstrander Partner / Lawyer Tel: +47 48 12 63 26 jmarstrander@deloitte.no www.deloitte.no

Deloitte Tax & Legal is one of Norway’s biggest law firms, with more than 180 lawyers and offices in all the big cities. Deloitte Tax & Legal covers all aspects of business law. Deloitte Tax & Legal are cooperating with Deloitte lawyers all over the world and, in fact, no other provider of legal services has a bigger footprint throughout the world than Deloitte. Deloitte Tax & Legal works closely with other professionals within the Deloitte brand, such as consultants, tax and VAT experts and auditors. The Deloitte Commercial Law team is led by high profiled attorney/ partner Joakim Marstrander. His team is especially acknowledged for contracts, transactions, debt enforcement and intellectual property rights. Litigation is by Norwegian tradition an integrated part of being a lawyer. Deloitte Tax & Legal has five partners admitted to the Supreme Court, and litigated 54 matters for the courts last year. In addition to GLE, Deloitte Tax & Legal is acknowledged for business law in the directories of Chambers, Legal500, Who’s Who and IAM 250. For Tax and VAT, we have been the number one law firm in Norway for many years. Deloitte Tax & Legal distinguishes itself from other commercial law firms by being the only provider of so called 4D legal advices, as the Deloitte lawyers are always considering international implications, tax implications and even business complications (if any) as part of their advice. This makes their advice more complete, accurate and valuable than the advice from the traditional sectororientated boutiques. These days, the Commercial Law team is working together with consultants for the Municipality of Oslo in order to apply for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Together with the tax/VAT department, they have developed a cross-border competence group for Global Trade ,with specific tools in order to handle logistics and customs

to the benefit of the clients. Deloitte Tax & Legal is Norway’s number one commercial law firm for Global Employment Services. Meanwhile, Joakim Marstrander is the only member of IMGL (International Members of Gaming Law), and will host the IMGL conference in Oslo Autumn 2013. Joakim and his commercial law team is working together with Deans and Microsoft on clients in the Start-Up Lab in Oslo Science Center. Deloitte’s typical Commercial Law clients are either foreign businesses that want to enter into contracts and/or establish and/or acquire and/or enforce claims in Norway, or domestic clients that want to expand to other markets. Deloitte Tax & Legal has a strong market position in the Norwegian legal market. The market seems to have acknowledged that Deloitte’s 4D approach to the legal market could very well be the future of all legal advice. Further still, our competitors within the Big Four have put their eyes on Deloitte’s success model, and have started building up their own commercial law competence accordingly. Globally, Deloitte aims to be the first adviser to take 1% of the 600 billion USD commercial law market.

Deloitte Tax & Legal has a strong market position in the Norwegian legal market. The market seems to have acknowledged that Deloitte’s 4D approach to the legal market could very well be the future of all legal advice.

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Poland - Economic Law Firm of the Year Law Office RGW Wojciech Rocławski Partner Tel: +48 22 883 62 50 w.roclawski@rgw.com.pl www.rgw.com.pl

Wojciech Rocławski specializes in corporate law, including M&A, project finance transactions, company acquisitions, the trading of shares as well as mergers and demergers of business entities. He advises companies on the execution of complex transactions, conducts negotiations and has many years of experience in matters concerning all current corporate practices and the conduct of day-to-day business. In particular, Mr. Rocławski has extensive experience in issues of economic and corporate law, both in an advisory capacity and in cases requiring litigation. Wojciech Rocławski also has many years of experience in proceedings regarding protection of competition (antitrust law) and consumer protection. He conducts cases involving the abuse of dominant market position and agreements restricting competition. He represents clients in proceedings before the relevant authorities of the European Union and the President of the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. Mr. Roclawski’s clients come from many and varied sectors of the economy, including the petrochemical industry, logistics, the energy sector, the entertainment media and telecommunications industries, and from clients that have needs in the area of environmental law.

Since 2007, the Law Office RGW has been steadily building a stable and recognizable brand in the legal and tax consultancy services market. RGW has been successful in expanding its circle of clients by including entities which, apart from traditional corporate consultancy, can benefit from legal consultancy in criminal commercial proceedings. RGW is able to provide comprehensive legal advice thanks to our implemented policy of cooperation between our civil and commercial departments which, when complementing each other, can develop a consistent programme to serve our corporate clients. The Law Office RGW is also a member of CONSULEGIS – an international association of independent law firms with its headquarters in Munich. Thanks to its close cooperation with respected law offices associated with CONSULEGIS, the Law Office RGW can provide legal aid to both Polish entrepreneurs active in international markets and foreign firms seeking legal advice in Poland. The Law Office RGW also cooperates with Swiss government organizations. The partners at the firm are experts on the Business Network Switzerland in Poland, and are involved in numerous specialized projects. In 2012, the RGW group was also joined by RGW Finance, which became a platform of tax consultancy for clients of the Law Office RGW.

Poland - Litigation Law Firm of the Year Krüger & Partners Zbigniew J. Krüger Advocate, Partner Tel: +48 61 222 47 48 z.kruger@krugerlegal.com www.krugerlegal.com

Krüger & Partners is a boutique law firm based in Poznan, Poland, focused on litigation practice in business and commercial disputes. The firm provides comprehensive litigation services, with an emphasis on litigation in intellectual property disputes, unfair competition disputes and entertainment and media disputes. According to partner Zbigniew J. Krüger, one of the firm’s most prominent practice areas is Criminal Law. Mr Krüger noted: “Although Krüger & Partners’ primary expertise is litigation, we are proactive in developing our offering pertaining to other aspects of law and business. This includes contributing to publications on intellectual property and copyrights on topics such as the film and music industries. We also maintain affiliations with networks, including the Association of Competition Law and the European Criminal Bar Association.” Today, Krüger & Partners is highly active in providing bespoke services for individual clients as well as businesses of all sizes. Mr Krüger acknowledges that understanding and familiarity of clients’ professional backgrounds are of key importance in providing effective and successful legal counsel. “We are not afraid of challenges and accept difficult cases, even those of precedent nature,” he said. “What I believe businesses are

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seeking foremost is effectiveness. Litigation is a long process, so we pay a special attention to injunctions and temporary protective orders that provide immediate effect in litigation, which is especially important in intellectual property and trademark cases.” As court proceedings become more and more formal, it is crucial to provide expert legal counsel where presenting and securing evidence are concerned. Mr Krüger added: “It is a fact that evidence proceedings have grown increasingly difficult – and so there is a resultant potential threat for the parties that act without professional counsel. As regards our own recent successes, in 2012 alone we took part in interesting litigations, including litigations on copyright and unfair competition in the furniture industry, concerning furniture design plagiarism. “Further, within the music industry we took part in a sampling case in hip hop music, and in a dispute related to the use of a song in political campaign by a PM candidate without the artist’s consent. We also represented a plaintiff in the first litigation relating to the defamation and personal rights protection of a prototype of a film character in the successful film You Are God. Our client received a temporary injunction; meanwhile, DVDs of the film, as well as online distribution, have been halted as a result.”

Portugal - Planning Law Firm of the Year Vieira De Almeida Sofia Galvão Partner, Planning & Tourism Tel: (+351) 21 311 3516 ssg@vda.pt / lisboa@vda.pt www.vda.pt

Portugal and abroad.

As a law firm We know how vital each step of each deal is to our client. We pre-

She has held the position of Secretary of State to the President of the

pare and take them together, as a team, based on our accumulated

Council of Ministers (at the XVI Constitutional government) and of Secretary

knowledge, experience and our ability to innovate.

of State for Public Administration (at the XVI Constitutional government).

As a professionals’ firm

ment of the Law for town planning and urban development, which is a

She was asked by the Portuguese Government to prepare the amendWe chose our people for their technical skills and business-minded approach, but also for the human qualities that each and every one of us brings to the team, to the clients and to the community.

fundamental law in the Planning and Tourism areas. She was a consultant to the High Commission for the redevelopment of equipment and administration of the State in juridical/development matters, namely in the preparation of new legislation related to the instruments for managing the territory.

Sofia Galvão Law Degree at the University of Lisbon Faculty of Law. Master in Juridical Sciences at the University of Lisbon Faculty of

She was also a member of the work group responsible for the conception and publication of the proposed Law for town planning and urban development, and a member of the investigative team in the area of

Law. Assistant teacher at the University of Lisbon Faculty of Law, where she is responsible for the Development Law subject and for the

Development law, assembled by CESUR - Centre for Urban & Regional Systems (Higher Technical Institute).

Town Planning and Urban Development subject in the post graduate

Before joining the firm, she was a partner at Sérvulo Correia & Associ-

course in Juridical-environmental science. In 2012-2013, she is also

ates law firm and at PLMJ - A.M. Pereira, Sáragga Leal, Oliveira Martins,

teaching Sea Zoning Law, in a new course dedicated to Maritime

Júdice & Associates law firm.

Administrative Law. Joined Vieira de Almeida & Associados in 2007, where she is the

She has written several books and articles, both in juridical publications as in general media.

partner that coordinates the Planning & Tourism areas of practice,

Member of the Portuguese Bar Association.

where she has worked thoroughly in various operations, both in

Languages: Portuguese, English, French

Portugal - Trademark Law Firm of the Year Raul César Ferreira (Herd.), S.A.

João Jorge Chief Operating Officer Tel: +351 213 907 373 mail@rcf.pt www.rcf.pt

Raul César Ferreira (Herd.) S.A. is a well-established company in the industrial property field, founded in 1929, and today regarded one of the leading firms in Portugal. We are a dedicated IP services firm with proven expertise in all fields of industrial property. RCF works in Portugal, in the African Portuguese speaking countries of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, in Timor and also in Macao. The Trademark Department has expertise in clearance searches and search opinions, prosecution, enforcement and oppositions in national, community and international trademarks, as well as litigation. There is no typical client for RCF as our portfolio of clients includes some of the most important Portuguese companies, as well as the most significant European, American and Asian companies in various business fields. Moreover, we provide services to national and foreign SMEs that have chosen us directly themselves, or through referral from our colleagues abroad. Independently of the types of clients we retain, all of our clients receive the same attention, dedication, commitment and quality that have always been present in the relationships between our clients and business partners. In this portfolio of clients, RCF acts as outside counsel for several owners of well-known trademarks, where RCF counsels and acts in the enforcement of their IP assets. Remarkably, RCF has developed a very effective anti-counterfeiting

strategy that IP owners have adhered to, and which has transpired to be highly effective in achieving the required results. The Patent Department also offers expertise in several technical areas (chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, mechanical engineering, etc) as well as offering expert knowledge of drafting, prosecution, enforcement and litigation. Further, RCF has a vast expertise in matters such as utility models, designs, copyrights, and also IP-related due diligence – namely: validity analysis, infringement analysis, technical expertise in litigation, infringement probative searches, state-of-the-art and advanced technical searches, skilled surveillance, maintenance and technical translations. Our team collaborators, both external and in-house collaborators, are specialized in all sorts of IP rights. Having made a great investment in highly skilled persons, our collaborators are mainly trademark and patent attorneys, but also collaborators specifically qualified in the field of mechanics, chemistry, computer science, biology, molecular biology, pharmacy, biochemistry, etc. These collaborators possess experience in infringement analysis and validity assessment of IP rights, conducting state-of-the-art searches and promoting a very active expert cooperation in IP disputes. The RCF team is keen to promote and participate in the discussion of important IP matters. Consequently, several of our collaborators are strongly involved in the work carried out by international organizations, including: INTA, ECTA, AIPPI, FICPI, MARQUES, PTMG, ITMA, UNION, VPP, GRUR, CIPA, ABPI, ASIPI, CIPA and EPI.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 81

Russia - Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year MONASTYRSKY, ZYUBA, STEPANOV & PARTNERS Yuri Monastyrsky Partner Tel: +7 495 231 4222 moscow@mzs.ru www.moscow@mzs.ru

Welcome to MZS — оne of the leading law firms in Russia Formed in 1991 and based in Moscow, we have an almost un-

We have a tight-knit, talented and energetic group of individuals who work as a team on challenging projects without becoming overstretched. We provide a completely dependable, professional and seamless level

equalled track record and reputation across a diverse range of

of service that you would expect from any major international law firm. This

largest and best companies.

of hands for many large Russian and international corporates, as well as

practice areas and industries – representing some of the world’s

MZS is ideally placed to solve the complex challenges of interna-

level of quality has established MZS as a safe (and highly successful) pair foreign law firms requiring representation in Russia. Yet, our firm is also infused with a dynamic personality and a dedication

tional and Russian law that are increasingly arising in everything

to specialisation traditionally associated with the best “boutique” firms.

from Mergers & Acquisitions to Dispute Resolution. The founda-

Speed of thought and action is essential for success, and through our flex-

tion of much our success is based on our long term investment in

ible approach, we regularly find new and innovative ways of responding to

people and resources.

new and old issues to solve our clients’ concerns.

Our knowledge of, and contribution to, doctrinal work has consistently enabled our lawyers to provide winning arguments

All our advice is based on the principle of the practical application of sound academic knowledge.

based on proven academic authority – with a strong heritage in dispute resolution and the courtroom. Most importantly, this experience has provided a solid founda-

Dispute Resolution Since 2004, our firm has been rated the leader in dispute resolution by

tion for expertise and growth that feeds into virtually every part

various leading international law surveys and journals – evidenced by the

of the MZS service portfolio – in products ranging from Taxation

fact that we have successfully represented corporations and organisations

through to Employment and Antitrust and across sectors from

as diverse as Gazprom, EBRD, Svyazinvest and IKEA in disputes involv-

Energy & Metals to Retail.

ing billions of dollars. These high rankings have been earned through our

As a result, we are now one of the leading independent Russian law firms with strong links to the legal establishment. For the past

continuous success in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. The only way to become a truly great litigator – with all that entails, from

decade we have been repeatedly recommended by Chambers

quick wits and outstanding public speaking ability to scrupulous prepara-

and The Legal500 and we continue to feature highly in various

tion, analytical skills and lateral thinking – is to spend time in court.

professional ratings.

On average, our firm has a lawyer in the Russian courts (from the trial courts to the highest appellate courts) every working day of the year.

“The best of the local firms continues to lure good work away from the English and US firms”

- The IFLR’s Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms

82 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Our innovative approach to dispute resolution combined with solid academic background allowed MZS to repeatedly achieve success in cases that discouraged other litigators. We remain committed to these principles while keeping up with the highest international standards of legal services.

Russia - Real Estate Law Firm of the Year Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Philipp Windemuth Partner Tel: +7 495 775 4805 pwindemuth@orrick.com orrick.com

Olga Sirodoeva Partner Tel: +1-202-339-8400 osirodoeva@orrick.com orrick.com

Orrick is a global law firm with 25 offices throughout the world, including in Moscow. Founded in San Francisco in 1863 and celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2013, Orrick is recognized by Law 360 as one of the ‘Global 20’ leading firms. Orrick’s Russia group is one of the most qualified and experienced in the world. With top qualified lawyers specializing on Russia-related transactions located in Moscow, London, Berlin, Düsseldorf, New York and Washington, DC, Orrick assists international and Russian clients on local projects in Russia as well as a wide variety of cross-border transactions between Russian and international investors. Real estate investments in Russia are one of the prime focuses of Orrick’s Russia group. The two Orrick partners specializing in real estate are Olga Sirodoeva, based in Moscow and Washington, DC, and Philipp Windemuth, based in Moscow and Berlin. Olga Sirodoeva graduated with highest honors from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1992, obtained an LLM from the University of Virginia in 1993 and a PhD in Law from Moscow State University in 1995. Her practice focuses on cross-border acquisitions and finance, with an emphasis on infrastructure and real estate projects in Russia. Before joining Orrick she was a partner at Coudert Brothers LLP, working in Moscow, NY, Tokyo and Washington, DC. Philipp Windemuth graduated from Harvard College in 1982, studied at Leningrad State University in 1984 and obtained his JD from New

York University Law School in 1987. Over the past 22 years, he has represented leading multinational companies and financial institutions in their investment projects in the Russian Federation and other CIS countries. After working at Cleary Gottlieb in NY from 1987 to 1991, he founded the Moscow office of Salans in 1991, and co-founded its St. Petersburg office in 1993, worked as a partner in the Moscow and Berlin offices of White & Case from 2005 -2010, and joined Orrick in 2011. His real estate projects include the first Coca Cola factories and McDonald’s restaurants in Russia. In 2012, Olga Sirodoeva and Philipp Windemuth concluded a number of the highest profile real estate projects in Russia. Olga Sirodoeva represented Hines in the sale of the Ducat Place III office complex in Moscow, one of the premier office addresses in the city, to O1 Properties Group. Meanwhile, Philipp Windemuth represented the Immofinanz Group on its forward financing and acquisition of the Golden Babylon Rostokino shopping center, a flagship for the Moscow retail sector and one of the largest shopping centers in Continental Europe. Olga Sirodoeva is listed in Chambers Global 2012, in the Spotlight category for Corporate/M&A. Chambers states: “Clients praise her efficiency and enthusiasm, claiming that she “really understands business logic and allows us to progress quickly.” Further, Philipp Windemuth was recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers Global for his “strong reputation for his skills in Russian real estate law and prodigious expertise in Russian M&A and financing transactions.” In Legal 500, reviewers noted him as “highly acclaimed, a man of great energy who gets things done.”

Spain - Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year / Insolvency Law Firm of the Year Sánchez Pintado & Núñez Luis de Valle Partner Tel: (+34) 91 426 11 55 ldevalle@sp-n.com www.sp-n.com

Sánchez Pintado & Núñez is a law firm comprised of a team of profes-

sionals specializing in all areas of business law to provide comprehen-

TRAINING • Luis is responsible for the areas of Bankruptcy Law and Banking & Finance

sive legal advice both locally and internationally. The firm has offices in

• Degree in Economics from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1994), gradu-

maintaining a presence in the main business areas of Europe, the U.S.

• Is Prof. Dr. of Law in the dual degree program (ADE and Law) at the University

Madrid and associate offices in Barcelona, Oviedo and Pamplona, also and China through its membership in the International Association The Parlex Group, founded in 1971.

ated (1996) and Doctor of Laws (2010) from the same University (cum laude) Francisco de Vitoria EXPERIENCE

Sánchez Pintado & Núñez’s team of professionals specialize in

His career before joining the firm has developed in the fields of financial, cor-

diverse areas of business law, all of which provide added value

porate and bankruptcy both domestically and internationally. Luis has been an

to clients’ businesses. Meanwhile, the firm’s international focus is

Associate at Clifford Chance, a Senior Associate at Allen & Overy, a Baker &

demonstrated by its affiliation with Parlex and the opportunities for col-

McKenzie Partner and Of Counsel at DLA Piper. He is an attorney and economist

laboration that that brings.

collegiate. He has worked very relevant operations in the domestic and interna-

The firm’s attorneys have a strong commitment to quality and

tional markets pertaining to corporate finance, project finance, acquisition financ-

efficiency. They operate autonomously and independently while

ing and insolvency administration matters, and has been secretary of the board of

respecting compliance with ethical standards in their fields. Moreover,

corporate partnerships, limited liability companies, risk management companies

the firm’s working ethos encourages the sharing of knowledge and

and investment funds.

acquired expertise at all times. Luis De Valle, Partner - Bankruptcy Law, Banking & Finance

LANGUAGES Spanish and English.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 83

Spain - Domestic Civil Law Firm of the Year Bufet Miralbell Guerin Luis Miralbell Guerin Founder and Director Tel: +34934123121 bmgbarcelona@bufetmiralbell.com www.bufetmiralbell.com

Bufet Miralbell Guerin, a law firm founded in Barcelona in 1992 by brothers Luis and Mario Miralbell Guerin, comprises not only lawyers but also economic and business experts. The firm’s aim is to support companies and individuals by offering expertise and support in finding solutions to legal, economic and business problems across the broadest possible spectrum of options. The firm’s services include the following practice areas: Banking and Finance, Commercial and Civil Liability, Accounting and Tax Consultancy, Civil Law, Business Restructuring and Insolvency, as well as Labour Law and Social Security. Luis Miralbell Guerin, the founder and director of the firm, is a lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience, gained both in court and extra-judicially. In addition to his co-ordinating role, he deals with commercial and civil issues involving contracts in general, banking contracts, corporate law and insolvency. He also establishes guidelines for other departments involved in each of these fields. According to Mr Miralbell Guerin, Bufet Miralbell Guerin’s services range from occasional consultations to full legal representation in major conflicts and, of course, in the courts – drawing on the firm’s team of expert litigation lawyers. He noted: “Our integrated staff of lawyers and economic and business experts are engaged in exchanging professional viewpoints, thus enriching their outlooks and enabling the firm to provide clients with comprehensive advice and assistance.” Mr Miralbell Guerin added that the firm aims to work in accordance with principles of fairness in its dealings with colleagues and competitors. He said: “We believe that, in order to ensure the transparency that is so necessary in our profession, it is essential for there to be many independent professionals. We insist on the utmost rigour in our work, as appropriate in situations where timely responses are vital. “Our members and staff offer a balanced combination of professional and personal skills, enabling us to offer support and assistance to clients seeking not only the best technical expertise but also human qualities of personal confidence and trust.”

84 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

A commitment to globalisation

Today, Bufet Miralbell Guerin is home to 50 professionals specialised in the banking industry. The firm maintains a clear commitment to fully globalising its service offering; meanwhile, it maintains a high level of diversification (civil, commercial and financial law are specialist areas, being especially applicable to dispute and procedural activity). Mr Miralbell Guerin said: “Even though Spain is still in recession and the crisis is becoming deeper, Bufet Miralbell Guerin has seen growth in 2012, and in 2013 we expect to continue growing. Reasons for this include an enhanced consultancy offering – such as international assistance to non exporters and restructuring advice – as well as an expansion of services for foreign companies. Bufet Miralbell Guerin Russia, for example, is focused on citizens from the Russian Federation; meanwhile, we are giving support to our customers in Maghreb countries and the Middle East.” Looking to the coming 12 months, Mr Miralbell Guerin noted that the firm would be focusing on consolidation of its new areas of activity in Maghreb and Russia, as well as on the new activity pertaining to its consultancy offering. He added: “We are already a medium-sized familiar company, based primarily in Spain, but we are growing our scope and service offering all the time. Currently, we are improving our expertise in international matters – by taking on new professionals such as lawyers and economists, with strong skills in international business, particularly within the areas of Maritime Law and International M&A.”

Bufet Miralbell Guerin is home to 50 professionals specialised in the banking industry.

Sweden - Aviation Law Firm of the Year Advokaterna Liman & Partners Stephan Eriksson Attorney at Law Tel: +46 (0)8 671 60 21 stephan.eriksson@limanpartners.se www.limanpartners.se

Attorney at Law Stephan Eriksson of Advokaterna Liman & Partners specialises in both domestic and international aviation law. He obtained his Masters of Laws (LL.M.) from Uppsala University, Sweden and has a postgraduate certificate from the Institute of Air and Space Law in McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Before joining Liman & Partners in 2007, Mr Eriksson worked for several prestigious practices and organisations such as the District Court of Gävle, Advokatfirman Smitt AB, and Foyen Group, as well as managing his own law practice for a number of years. Today, Mr Eriksson specialises in aviation mass disaster litigation and has represented clients in several major aviation accidents including the Air France Concorde flight AF 4590 air tragedy in Gonesse, France, 2000; the Scandinavian Airlines Flight SK 686 air catastrophe in Milan, Italy, 2001; and the DHL/Bashkirian Airlines midair collision over Überlingen, Germany, 2002. In 2004, he advised the families in Flash Air, flight 604, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. He also represented a majority of the families in the Helios Airways flight 522 air disaster in Grammatikos, Greece, 2005. He represented families in the air disasters of Kenya Airways flight 507 in Douala, Cameroon, 2007 and Air France flight AF 447 off the Coast of Brazil. He currently represents families in the Air India Express, flight IX 812 air disaster at Mangalore-Bajpe Airport, 2010. In addition to his aviation work, Mr Eriksson also has expertise in the US

Law of Torts, Construction Law, and Swedish and International Business Law. Drawing upon his extensive knowledge of aviation law, he regularly lectures as an adjunct professor at the Institute of Air & Space Law at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. In addition, Mr Eriksson arranged and moderated conferences in aviation liability and insurance in Toulouse, France 2008 and in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2010 in a cooperative effort between the Institute of Air & Space Law at McGill University and the Pan-European Organization of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL). He was a speaker at the McGill/ABA aviation liability conference in Montreal, Canada, October 2009 and the IFFAAD Second International Conference on Current Developments in Air & Space Law, National Law University, Dwarka, New Delhi, India, November 2010. Mr Eriksson is a member of several legal alliances and associations including the Swedish Bar Association, admitted to all Swedish courts; the American Association of Justice (AAJ); the American Bar Association (ABA); the European Air Law Association (EALA); and the Pan-European Organization of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL). Advokaterna Liman & Partners is a mid-size independent Swedish law firm focusing on commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, building/construction law, and the law of damages and torts. Founded in 1988, the law firm currently employs 11 lawyers specialised within these fields. Advokaterna Liman & Partners’ goal is to avoid disputes and problems before they arise, and to always deliver the most appropriate and effective solution based on individual clients’ needs.

Switzerland - Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year KSTA Anwälte Roger Foehn Partner Tel: +41 44 644 00 50 foehn@ksta.ch www.ksta.ch

KSTA KSTA Anwälte is a boutique law firm specializing in capital market transactions, mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments. We provide legal advice on highest standards of quality and in an efficient manner. Our partners have many years of professional experience gained in preeminent law firms and investment banks. We guarantee highest standards of quality combined with a transparent and fair remuneration policy. We deliver innovative solutions custom-made for our clients. We listen to what our clients need. We combine our specialist knowledge and wide-ranging experience to provide tailored and innovative solutions to our clients. Roger Foehn Roger Foehn is a partner at KSTA. His main areas of practice include capital markets law, stock exchange law, banking law and corporate law. He has a wide range of experience advising both issuers and banks on capital market transactions and corporate finance related matters. Roger obtained his law degree from the University of Zurich Law

School in 1995. He was admitted to the Swiss Bar in 1997. Roger received an LL.M. from the University of New South Wales Law School (Sydney) in 2004. He is also admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales (currently no practising certificate). Roger started his career in a small law firm serving small and medium companies and in a cantonal district court in Zurich. Following his admission to the bar he worked two years for the group legal department of UBS AG and three years for Homburger AG. After receiving his LL.M. degree he worked two years in the legal department of UBS Investment Bank in Zurich and three years in the legal department of UBS Limited in London, advising on an extensive range of capital market and M&A transactions. After his return to Switzerland he was a senior associate in the Capital Markets and Corporate/M&A practice teams of Niederer Kraft & Frey AG. He became a partner at KSTA in 2011. Roger has a wide range of experience in the Swiss and European equity capital markets. He worked on a large number of IPOs, rights offerings, convertible and exchangeable debt offerings, block trades and share repurchase offers in Switzerland as well as in many other countries in the EMEA region. Roger also worked in the research compliance department of UBS Limited in London and is closely familiar with the compliance aspects of any research and sales activities conducted by the underwriting banks in equity and equity linked securities offerings.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 85

A goal is a dream with a deadline ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rütimann Rechtsanwälte

Stadthausstrasse 39, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland I Phone +41 52 269 11 00 Napfgasse 4, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland I Phone +41 44 279 11 00 E-Mail: kanzlei@ruetimann.ch Rütimann Rechtsanwälte Peter Rütimann, Senior lic. iur., Rechtsanwalt / Coach & Mediator SAV / NCRC

Rütimann Rechtsanwälte

Switzerland - Construction Law Firm of the Year

Website: www.ruetimann.ch

Peter Rütimann Senior Partner Tel: +41 52 269 11 00 (Winterthur, Switzerland) Tel: +41 44 279 11 00 (Zürich, Switzerland) kanzlei@ruetimann.ch www.ruetimann.ch

“A Goal is a Dream with a Deadline” is the guiding motto, which accompanies the members at the law firm Rütimann Rechtsanwälte in their daily endeavours to find the best strategies that will lead their clientele to success. Providing professional, loyal and individual support to its clients, the firm passionately works to help them achieve their goals. Founded in 1990 by barrister Peter Rütimann, the firm has established a reputation in the regions of Winterthur and Zurich as a specialist in construction law, and a highly skilled and reliable partner in a wide range of everyday legal matters. The firm’s select team of legal experts counsel its clients to reach desired outcomes. The law firm Rütimann Rechtsanwälte caters to a long-standing clientele, including private individuals as well as businesses and municipal authorities. The firm has taken on the task of supporting each and every client along their legal journey in a secure and personal manner. The collaboration with the firm provides clients with the comfort of knowing that specialists will give timely attention to their legal issues and seek the optimal solution for them. Acting in accordance with the clients’ wishes, the law firm can engage

in several ways: by providing legal representation, acting as a mediator, or filling an advisory function. Throughout these procedures it remains the firm’s priority to ensure that the client views this process as a means towards achieving personal success. Peter Rütimann’s core competencies lie in the field of public and private construction law, property law, as well as municipal administration and strategy consultancy. He successfully completed a course in Economic Mediation at the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego and in Supervision Consultancy in Bremen, Germany. Particularly noteworthy is Peter Rütimann’s successful role as a mediator, which often allows him to mitigate in critical situations before they escalate and end in long, timeconsuming and stressful court procedures. Rütimann’s background as a Building Inspector for the city of Winterthur, and his ongoing 15-yearlong departmental presidency within the construction recourse court for the Canton of Zurich equips him with unique and specialised knowledge for dealing with legal matters related to both public and private building legislation. Due to the steadily increasing number of mandates, Rütimann Rechtsanwälte has grown in numbers and developed into the present multifaceted, committed and professional legal team ready to serve the needs of their clients. Rütimann Rechtsanwälte I Coaching & Mediation I Gemeindeberatung I UnternehmerPartner Stadthausstrasse 39, 8400 Winterthur I Tel 052 269 11 00 Fax 052 269 11 09 Napfgasse 4, 8001 Zürich I Tel 044 279 11 00 Fax 044 279 11 09 kanzlei@ruetimann.ch www.ruetimann.ch

Peter Rütimann’s core competencies lie in the field of public and private construction law, property law, as well as municipal administration and strategy consultancy.

86 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Switzerland - Fraud Law Firm of the Year Monfrini Crettol & Associes Enrico Monfrini Partner Tel: +41 22 310 22 66 emonfrini@mcswisslaw.com www.mcswisslaw.com

Monfrini Crettol & Associes, Geneva The firm which is now named Monfrini Crettol & Associes was founded in Geneva in 1945 by the late Alexandre Hauchmann. Over the years, it gained renown in international trade and maritime law. Enrico Monfrini joined the firm as a partner in 1978 and developed the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice in complex litigation, arbitration, international banking and finance law. After Alexandre Hauchmann passed away, Gilles Crettol and Albert-Ray Mermet, a former cantonal judge, joined as partners, and Yves Klein was made partner. The firm now is composed of eleven attorneys. Fraud profile Partners Enrico Monfrini and Yves Klein have developed the fraud practice of the firm since the end of the 1990s. They have received instructions from foreign governments in the most prominent corruption cases, shareholders involved in class actions regarding market fraud cases, trans-national companies defrauded by their counterparts or employees, bankruptcy estates, clients defrauded by their portfolio managers, etc. The amounts involved range between a few thousand US dollars to several billion US dollars. They have developed legal strategies combining criminal proceedings, mutual assistance in penal matters proceedings, civil proceedings and bankruptcy proceedings in multi-jurisdiction cases, and have gain the trust of magistrates and law enforcement authorities in numerous jurisdictions. Enrico Monfrini and Yves Klein are the representatives in Switzerland of ICC FraudNet (www.icc-fraudnet.org), an international network of lawyers created by the International Chamber of Commerce, grouping the best specialists of asset recovery in more than 60 jurisdictions. Enrico Monfrini Enrico Monfrini holds a law degree of the University of Lausanne and was admitted to the bar of Geneva in 1970. He joined the firm in 1978 as a partner. Enrico Monfrini is acknowledged worldwide as the foremost specialist in asset recovery, in particular the recovery of corruption proceeds on behalf of foreign governments (Nigeria vs. Abacha, Haiti vs. Duvalier, Tunisia vs. Ben Ali among others) for which he has recovered more than USD 1.3 billion since 1999.

As such, Enrico Monfrini is the only private attorney to have been invited by the World Bank to join Friends of StAR, a group of experts supporting the World Bank and UNODC Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative. He was also one of the few private attorneys invited in 2006 by UNODC to join the group of experts to draft the Technical Guide to Promote the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Enrico Monfrini is regularly invited to speak at international conferences on asset recovery issues, including the Lausanne Seminar on Asset Recovery, organized by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs for foreign law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies. Enrico Monfrini has published papers and chapters on the international recovery of corruption proceeds. Enrico Monfrini is also active in recovery proceedings on behalf of individuals and companies victim of transnational fraud and economic crime, and has been retained in several fraud cases exceeding USD 100 million. He speaks French, English, German, Italian and Swedish. Yves Klein Yves Klein holds a Law Degree of the University of Geneva and a Diploma of Higher Studies in International of Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva. He is admitted to the Geneva bar since 1995 and is a partner at Monfrini Crettol & AssociĂŠs, which he joined in 1999. His main activity is litigating and coordinating transnational asset recovery proceedings before civil, criminal and bankruptcy courts on behalf of victims of economic crimes. Together with his partner Enrico Monfrini, Yves Klein has conducted the ground-breaking corruption recovery proceedings in the Nigeria vs. Abacha case, where more than USD 1.2 billion have been recovered in ten jurisdictions since 1999, as well as the Haiti vs. Duvalier, Tunisia vs. Ben Ali. He has also been individually retained as Swiss counsel in several other corruption recovery cases. Yves Klein is also active in transnational fraud recovery proceedings on behalf of companies, individuals and bankruptcy estates. He has published on tracing and recovery of assets issues since 1996 and regularly speaks at international conferences on these matters. Yves Klein speaks French, English, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as some Italian and German.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 87

Switzerland - TMT Law Firm of the Year Gilliéron Avocat Philippe Gilliéron Founder Tel: +41 21 922 35 51 pgillieron@gillieronavocat.ch www.gillieronavocat.ch

Gilliéron Avocat was founded in April 2012 as a boutique firm dedicated to IP/IT related work. Services in the TMT areas offered by the firm notably include non-contentious work in the high-tech and computing industry. Founder Mr Philippe Gilliéron has now been working for more than a decade within the IP/IT area as a practising attorney. Having published extensively both in Swiss and international reviews over the years, as well as lecturing in prestigious venues such as Harvard or Cornell, ITAM in Mexico or Sciences Po in Paris, his expertise has led to his appointment as Professor at Lausanne Law School, where he co-directs the Master in New Technologies. Mr Gilliéron is noted for providing highly responsive and sophisticated services at competitive rates. Strong expertise at the intersection of IP/IT and the digital area enables him to offer a very specific expertise in these converging areas. Mr Gilliéron commented: “Recent trends in the market include the growing concern related to the use of social platforms, consumerrelated analytical tools resulting from such platforms, and the unstoppable evolution of the software industry towards XaaS platforms – be it SaaS, IaaS or PaaS – that requires the implementation of new best

practices. This is particularly true in terms of data protection, security, sustainability, stability and a need for increasing support resulting therefrom.” According to Mr Gilliéron, during the coming 12 months, Gilliéron Avocat intends to increase its range of activities, and will set up in Lausanne with additional staff, having the same passion and dedication to serving clients in the IP/IT area. “At present, our clients range from start-ups to multinational companies,” added Mr Gilliéron. “Most, if not all of them, are repeated players based in Switzerland. Becoming a long term partner to our clients to help them achieve their business goals, rather than acting as mere service providers for one shot players, is key to us. Contentious work services in the IP area have, however, shown an increasing number of foreign clients, benefiting from the highly competitive rates offered thanks to a light infrastructure, in spite of the strength of the Swiss currency. “Non contentious work in the IT area is, to a large extent, transnational by essence, although local specificities always need to be taken into account. Transnational expertise gained in Silicon Valley – during the several months I spent within the tech transaction group of a highly respected law firm – has enabled me to serve clients on both sides of the Atlantic, with a common understanding in terms of legal culture and business expectations.”

Ukraine - International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year Sergii Koziakov & Partners Sergii Koziakov Senior Partner Tel: +380 (44) 590 48 28 office@kievbarrister.com www.kievbarrister.com

Sergii Koziakov & Partners was founded in 1994 and is one of the leading and most prestigious firms in the legal market of Ukraine. The firm has earned a solid reputation for the provision of excellent legal services, and its lawyers have repeatedly been among the leaders of various national and international rankings. Moreover, Sergii Koziakov & Partners has gathered one of the best law teams in Ukraine in the fields of Litigation and Arbitration, Antitrust and Competition Law, International Trade Law, Energy Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate, Banking and Finance. Sergii Koziakov & Partners has advised (and retains as clients): General Motors Company, Adam Opel AG, Chevrolet Central and Eastern Europe LLC, DELPHI France SAS, Lenovo, TP-LINK Technologies Co. Ltd., Hyundai Corporation, Euroglas Polska Sp. z o.o., Samsung Electronics Group, Korean Electronics Association, Korean Textile Association, Budhouse Group Ltd (one of the largest Ukrainian real estate developers), AE Nibulon Ltd (the largest Ukrainian agricultural exporter of grain), Amarant Ltd (one of the largest Ukrainian agricultural producers), and OJSC Farmak (the largest Ukrainian pharmaceutical producer), among others. Over the years, Sergii Koziakov & Partners has grown its service offering as a leading law office in Ukraine, specialising in international arbitration and litigation. The firm’s latest experience includes representing the interests of a large agricultural company in a case involving debt recovery in the Vienna International Arbitral Centre. The firm has also ad-

88 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

vised Samsung Electronics Ukraine in the course of an arbitration proceeding in the London Court of International Arbitration – in a case of failure to fulfill contractual obligations. Meanwhile, the firm has represented its clients in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, as well as in the ad hoc arbitration courts in accordance with domestic arbitration rules or the UNCITRAL arbitration rules. Sergii Koziakov has served as an arbitrator, and was the first chairman of the Court of Arbitration under the auspices of the Ukrainian Bar Association. During the last 15 years, Sergii Koziakov has often participated as an expert on matters of Ukrainian law in the courts of arbitration, as well as the domestic courts of diverse jurisdictions, including Great Britain, France and the US. Further, in February 2012, Sergii Koziakov provided an expert report on a situation regarding corruption in Ukraine and, in particular, its impact on the judicial process. He also opined on key systemic issues in the Ukrainian judicial system which may affect the judiciary’s independence, including political intervention in and/or influence upon judicial decision making in commercial litigation. As of 2012, Sergiy Koziakov & Partners has cooperated with several distinguished professors of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University – in order to extend the firm’s practice in legal academic expertise.

Global Accountancy Experts (GAE) Introduction

GLOBAL ACCOUNTANCY EXPERTS (GAE) IS THE PREMIER GUIDE TO LEADING ACCOUNTANTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WE ARE THE ONLY ORGANISATION TO RECOMMEND JUST ONE ACCOUNTANCY EXPERT IN EACH KEY PRACTICE AREA AND COUNTRY. WE DO THIS TO AVOID REPETITION, COMPETITION AND THE NEED FOR EXTENSIVE COMPARATIVE RESEARCH. All GAE endorsed accountants must be either recommended personally, apply, or be selected by Global Accountancy Experts’ research department before they are given the opportunity to feature and be profiled on the website. It is not possible to simply buy entry onto GAE. Applicants go through an intensive research process before being passed onto the Nominations Panel for final assessment and validation. Only then are accountants invited to join Global Accountancy Experts and thus be endorsed by our organisation. Global Accountancy Experts has become a valuable tool for business leaders, high net-worth individuals, operations directors, investors, accountants, law firms, and the general population looking for quality accounting advice in all corners of the world and in all relevant fields. We now recommend nearly 1,000 accountants from 100 countries in 25 practice areas.

CONTENTS: 90. Africa & the Middle East GAE Winners 92. The Americas GAE Winners 95. Asia & Oceania GAE Winners 97. Europe GAE Winners

It’s often easy to assume bigger means better, but that is not always the case with accountancy firms; boutique practices specialise in just one field and as a result can often offer the same (if not better) advice on a more personal level at a typically lower hourly rate. Global Accountancy Experts looks at the independent accountants and accountancy firms as well as the full service ‘big players’ in the market to showcase an in-depth cross section of quality international advisers, to suit a variety of needs and budgets. Anyone involved in business may need to gain accounting advice at some point. Our simple yet effective search system allows users to identify a credible accountancy adviser instantly for the field and geographical location required. GAE is designed to make the arduous process of searching for a competent accountant on a global level as straightforward as possible with no fees or delays. The initial contact can often be the most difficult part of selecting a new accountant. GAE gives its users all the necessary details and information to get in touch with the relevant individual and firm. We therefore offer a valuable first step, without the need to spend valuable time and money on internal research as this has already been carried out by GAE’s extensive and experienced research teams. We are regularly approached by companies and individuals from all over the world in a variety or sectors and circumstances looking for our help in choosing an accountant or accountancy firm. Typically accountants profiled on GAE are contacted by potential clients be it via phone or email – however, visitors are more than welcome to contact us directly with their queries if they require additional assistance or advice in locating a relevant accountancy firm for their case, transaction or issue. Simply email office@globalaccountancyexperts.com and provide an overview of your query, and someone will respond to you promptly and confidentially with the information needed or relevant contact person who can assist you moving forward. Visitors to the site interested in being kept up to date on the accountancy community, practice area developments, people moves or jurisdictional accountancy updates can subscribe to our quarterly practice area electronic newsletters. Global Accountancy Experts’ award winners are separate from those of Global Law Experts. We have therefore organised them according to region, country and practice area in the coming pages. Congratulations to each of the recipients of GAE’s 2013 Practice Awards. For more information please visit www.globalaccountancyexperts.com

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 89

Africa & the Middle East GAE Winners

Finance and accounting are seen as essential components for the successful implementation of market-based development policies supporting economic liberalisation in the rapidly emerging economies in Africa & the Middle East. IFAC - International Federation of Accountants Governance of IFAC rests with the IFAC Council, which comprises one representative from each member, and the IFAC Board. The IFAC Board is responsible for setting policy and overseeing IFAC operations, the implementation of programs, and the work of IFAC boards and committees. IFAC is responsible for the following standard setting authorities: • International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) • International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) • International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) • International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) Website: www.ifac.org

Contents: 91.

Mauritius

90 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Company Formations Accountancy Firm of the Year / Premier Financial Services Limited

Mauritius - Company Formations Accountancy Firm of the Year Premier Financial Services Limited Mr Vimal D. Damry Managing Director Tel: +230 2456703 vimal@premier.mu www.premier.mu

“Winning this award testifies our hard work and determination towards quality and personalised services to our clients,” noted managing director Mr Vimal D. Damry. “We would like to dedicate this award to all our valued clients, intermediaries and staff.” Premier Financial Services Limited is a licensed trust company providing company formation, trust, accounting, international taxation planning and fiduciary services to high net worth individuals and corporates, including listed entities and investment funds. The promoters and directors have been in financial services for more than a decade, and have managed companies and trusts holding assets of more than US$1 billion in aggregate. Premier is also a member of the INAA Group (www.inaa.org), a worldwide association of independent accounting firms consisting mainly of audit, tax and accounting firms. Consequently, Premier is able to draw resources from experts in this network for the benefits of its clients. INAA’s influence is worldwide; in fact, the organisation is represented by more than 65 firms in more than 50 countries and the number is constantly increasing. Mr Damry said: “In addition to Mauritius companies, trusts and foundations, we also offer companies in popular jurisdictions such as Seychelles, the British Virgin Islands and Singapore, among others.

Moreover, Premier provides financial licence applications in Mauritius for investment dealers, advisers, fund, CIS manager and others.” Today, Premier provides its client base with all bookkeeping, accountancy services, tax computations, filings with revenue authorities, calculation of the net asset value (NAV), preparation of management accounts and other related services. The firm’s capacity to provide bespoke solutions means that it is distinguished from its competitors. The firm is a one-stop-shop for all clients, and is able to assist them with extremely diverse matters.” In 2012, the firm added several large companies, involved in diverse sectors, to its client base. Recently, Premier has also participated in various international conferences as exhibitor participants, hence reaching new clients and intermediaries. Mr Damry added: “Our overall aim for the coming 12 months is to maintain a consistent growth in our quality clients and staff. We have recently moved into a brand new office with modern state-of-the-art facilities; further, we plan to open a new trust company in another jurisdiction soon. Being part of a network of accountants and tax advisers (INAA Group), and given our extensive worldwide network, we have a distinct advantage in international dealings. We have a real international reach to deal with any major country or financial centre. In brief, we have all the ingredients to move forward and face new challenges with confidence.”

Premier is also a member of the INAA Group (www.inaa.org), a worldwide association of independent accounting firms consisting mainly of audit, tax and accounting firms.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 91

The Americas GAE Winners

The Americas represent approximately 40% of the Big Four firms’ combined global revenues; however, the region’s share has been falling over the years. From 2005 to 2012, there was a noticeable drop of approximately 3% in the Americas’ share of the total revenue for all of the firms. In 2005, 42% of combined firm revenues were reported from the Americas region, whereas in 2012, it had dropped to only 43% of total firm revenues. While Latin America, and particularly South America and Mexico, have provided good opportunities for growth in recent years, the predominance of the mature markets of the US and Canada – with their slower growth – has generally limited the expansion of Big Four firms in the Americas. For example, KPMG noted that 2012 revenues in Brazil grew 20+%; meanwhile, Deloitte reported that Latin American countries grew 16%. E&Y Brazil grew at 17.5%. South and Central America for PwC grew 13%, while North America and the Caribbean revenues grew 13%. GAA - Global Accounting Alliance The Global Accounting Alliance represents more than 700,000 of the world’s leading professional accountants. It was formed to: promote quality professional services, provide global membership support, share information, as well as collaborate on important international issues. The Alliance works with national regulators, governments and stakeholders, through member-body collaboration, articulation of consensus views, and working in collaboration, where possible, with other international bodies. Member Bodies • The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants • Chartered Accountants Ireland • The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants • The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland • The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia • The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants • The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants • The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants • Institut der Wirtschaftsprufer in Deutschland e.V. • Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants Website: www.globalaccountingalliance.com

Contents: 93.

Brazil

Human Capital Advisory Firm of the Year / Ernst & Young Terco

94.

Mexico

Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year / PwC Mexico

92 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Brazil - Human Capital Advisory Firm of the Year Ernst & Young Terco Tatiana Ponte Partner Tel: +55 11 2573-3288 / +55 11 9 7543-3646 tatiana.ponte@br.ey.com www.ey.com.br

Ernst & Young Terco provides global services in four main areas: Assurance, Tax, Transaction and Advisory. Through these services, the firm helps clients to retain the confidence of investors, manage risks, strengthen controls and achieve their maximum potential. Human Capital is a sub area of Tax, and offers an end-to-end service to cover the complete life-cycle of expatriates in Brazil and Brazilians abroad, from immigration, tax, labour and social security perspectives in Brazil. Partner Tatiana Ponte is in charge of the Human Capital practice at Ernst & Young South America (SASA), covering 10 countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chili, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Mrs Ponte is also a member of the Ernst & Young Brazil Executive Committee and member of the board of EYU Brazil (Ernst & Young Corporate University). Moreover, she is an economist with post-graduation studies in business administration at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), and has more than 23 years’ professional experience in major accounting/consulting firms, in addition to international experience acquired by working at the US office of San Francisco, California. Mrs Ponte noted: “Ernst & Young Terco’s Human Capital team is the only one capable of providing end-to-end services for the complete

global mobility life-cycle in Brazil. Our services are divided into five specialised areas: Assignment Services, Labour, Tax Compliance, Immigration, Tax Advisory. “We detain 52% of the market share for expatriates in Brazil; meanwhile, we were leaders in growth in 2012, due to our solid client relationships. We are contributing to a better working world in Brazil, and have been selected to be the exclusive human capital vendor for the Olympic Committee for the 2016 games. We are also assisting oil & gas companies to bring the necessary specialist foreign labour force to assist with the pre-salt – the significant oil reserves that were found in Brazilian deep waters.” Today, Mrs Ponte is renowned by her peers for being a leader in regional assistance and coordination of Human Capital Global Mobility programs in areas such as tax, labour, social security, immigration, as well as assignment services for Brazilian Top End Accounts and multinationals in Brazil. During March and April each year, she participates in the daily radio show ‘CBN Notícia’, showcased by journalist Roberto Nonato of CBN. She noted that Ernst & Young Terco’s plans include furthering its geographic expansion. She added: “We have already reached the largest coverage among human capital providers by maintaining practices in six major locations in Brazil: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Belo Horizonte, Recife and Porto Alegre. However, we aim to continue this expansion – and the next potential cities being analysed are Curitiba and Salvador.”

Human Capital is a sub area of Tax, and offers an end-to-end service to cover the complete life-cycle of expatriates in Brazil and Brazilians abroad, from immigration, tax, labour and social security perspectives in Brazil.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 93

Mexico - Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year PwC Mexico Mauricio Hurtado Partner Tel: +52 (55) 5263 6045 mauricio.hurtado@mx.pwc.com www.mx.pwc.com

The PricewaterhouseCoopers transfer pricing practice in Mexico has been the advisor of choice in Latin America since 1994, when Mexico entered into the global treaty network and Mexico became a member of the OECD. On the consulting side, PwC’s reputation has been long established in being the go-to resource for resolving transfer pricing disputes, structuring and restructuring assistance, the development and implementation of new global operating models, including conversions to low risk Maquiladora manufacturing activities, financing alternatives, risk assessment, assistance relating to optimization of costs relating to employee service companies, negotiation of advance pricing agreements and mutual agreement procedures. As many know, an annual statutory tax audit obligation requires the preparation of annual transfer pricing studies for international and domestic transactions (compliance). PwC is also fully dedicated to this compliance need with specialized teams and procedures to ensure the efficient preparation of the annual transfer pricing studies, and is in the envious position of also performing the majority of the compliance in the Mexican market. This responsibility is significant because it has enabled PwC to have the appropriate local infrastructure, and has permitted PwC to develop specialized expertise in diverse industries – thus accustomed to complex situations. This is extremely important because the transfer pricing study is the first line of defense upon audit by the tax authorities. The PwC Mexico transfer pricing practice is a leading practice with close to 80 full-time specialists and five full-time partners. Several of the staff and some partners spent a part of their apprenticeship in the transfer pricing area of the Mexican Tax authority. PwC Mexico is the largest transfer pricing practice in terms of full-time specialized/expert personnel and has the appropriate complement of staff to meet the client requirements. Companies are under increasing pressure to optimize operating efficiencies and to bring the global tax rate to a more competitive level while balancing the planning with the need to minimize the risks of taking on contingent tax liabilities as part of global initiatives. PwC’s clients appreciate the balanced consulting services provided by PwC because they feel that they are being given the relevant information to understand and support the substance, tax and legal requirements to avoid unnecessary risks, and the client is being provided with practical advice on how to accomplish their individual and corporate goals. Importantly, the global client views PwC as the go-to team to avoid any unnecessary surprises in relating to transfer pricing.

94 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Perhaps one of the most distinguishing features is PwC’s uncompromising commitment to teaming with clients to support them, and being there whenever the need arises in the transfer pricing area. In this sense, PwC’s clients know that they have the top firm in Mexico that will quickly mobilize resources to help resolve problems and provide value to the individual and the multinational group. PwC is the first resource to inform clients about opportunities and potential risks for clients, and to provide possible solutions to these problems. The advantage of the PwC global skill sets and global network is applied at a local level and yet the individual client receives personalized services founded on consistent and timely delivery of value. The value of PwC’s expertise extends to operating assessments, including benchmarking key costs, and profitability, and analyzing industry trends, helping to bring possible tax and non-tax efficiencies to the local business. PwC is aware that the client’s time is being pulled in many directions, and clients appreciate that the PwC team is organized and structured to free up the client’s time so they can focus on areas other than transfer pricing. The transfer pricing “compliance” market in Mexico is highly competitive in terms of pricing, and this often causes quality to be sacrificed. Further, there is a temptation to tolerate lower quality, especially when this implicit decision is made by foreign-based headquarters when the operation in Mexico is relatively small. However, savvy tax directors are informed of the excessive interest and penalty regime in Mexico, as well as the risk of unpredictable decisions in the Mexican tax court system. Therefore, their choice is to select advisors that can provide an efficient analysis, but which will help avoid the transformation of a small documentation problem into a major tax contingency. That is why those Savvy tax directors choose to use PwC, even when the engagement pricing is higher than those offered by others. A key issue faced by clients is the need for the advisor to understand their business and their industry. PwC has specialized transfer pricing expertise in the automotive, pharmaceutical, communications, energy, agriculture, mining, Maquiladora, tourism, and service industries, as well as considerable experience in resolving disputes for large multinationals as well as mid-sized groups. This is important because each business has its own peculiarities, and PwC has the experience and infrastructure to make sure PwC fully understands the client’s specific business. Understanding the business is critical in the transfer pricing area because the business profitability and cross-border charges could differ considerably, depending on the model used from group to group, and the sample selection criteria used by the preparer. There are a number of variants for manufacturing and distribution models – and unique circumstances influencing the attribution of profit to key intangibles – and so a thorough understanding of both sides of the transactions is required. PwC fits the bill to take care of your transfer pricing needs in Mexico. Fred Barrett is the lead partner in charge of the transfer pricing practice in Mexico, and has been in the Mexican market serving global multinationals for approximately 19 years.

Asia & Oceania GAE Winners

Finance and accounting are seen as essential components for the successful implementation of marketbased development policies supporting economic liberalisation in the rapidly emerging economies in Asia & Oceania. IFAC - International Federation of Accountants IFAC is the global organisation for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest – by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 173 members and associates in 129 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry and commerce. The International Federation of Accountants was founded on October 7, 1977 in Munich, Germany at the 11th World Congress of Accountants. The organisation’s headquarters have been based in New York City since its founding. IFAC was established to strengthen the worldwide accountancy profession in the public interest by: • Developing high quality international standards and supporting their adoption and use; • Facilitating collaboration and cooperation among its member bodies; • Collaborating and cooperating with other international organisations; and • Serving as the international spokesperson for the accountancy profession. Website: www.ifac.org

Contents: 96.

Turkey

Taxation Advisory Firm of the Year / Legal Bagimsiz Denetim YMM A.S.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 95

Turkey - Taxation Advisory Firm of the Year Legal Bagimsiz Denetim Yeminli Mali Müsavirlik A.S. Korkut YET Partner Tel: +90 212 274 60 66 legal@legaldenetim.com www.legaldenetim.com

Based in Istanbul, Legal Bagimsiz Denetim Yeminli Mali Müsavirlik

must adequately meet the needs of international investors. Reliable finan-

an affiliate of Legal LEA Global – Leading Edge Alliance.

each country, and differing accounting principles and practices at interna-

In recent years, changes to Turkey’s financial legislation have led

to internationally accepted accounting and auditing practices.

A.S. was set up in its initial form in 2001. In 2012, the firm became

to an increased need for companies to seek out legal tax strategies

cial information is paramount; however, contrasting legal regulations in tional level, necessitate the preparation of financial statements that adhere Legal Bagimsiz Denetim Yeminli Mali Müsavirlik A.S.’s work within the

when planning transactions. Legal Bagimsiz Denetim Yeminli Mali

scope of independent audit of company management, company owners

Müsavirlik A.S. has, consequently, made this consideration a priority

and third parties includes, but is not limited to:

when providing comprehensive counsel to each of its clients. The professional staff of Legal Bagimsiz Denetim Yeminli Mali

• Independent Audit

Müsavirlik A.S. are recommended for the services that they provide

• Special Inspection Services

as Certified Public Accountants and Public Accountants – analysing

• Corporate Finance Services

the financial structures of businesses and undertakings in order to

• Valuation Services

set out the most efficient tax structure. Year-end financial audit is

• Purchase / Mergers Services (Due Diligence)

also provided on a regular basis.

• Feasibility Studies

In today’s increasingly globalised business arena, business combinations, as well as matters of foreign trade and financial resources,

• Initial Public Offering Services • Project Finance Services

In recent years, changes to Turkey’s financial legislation have led to an increased need for companies to seek out legal tax strategies when planning transactions.

96 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Europe GAE Winners

Accounting rules are key for insurers as they define the nature and extent of the information insurers communicate to the external world through their financial statements. Key transformations of fundamental accounting rules for companies reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are currently underway. The changes are intended to create accounting standards that are strong, consistent and workable, and that increase the transparency of financial statements under IFRS. Insurers are some of the largest institutional investors in Europe; moreover, financial instruments account for the vast majority of the asset side of insurers’ balance sheets. The current work to replace the international accounting standard for financial instruments (IAS 39) with IFRS 9 is therefore of significant importance. As the IASB issues new standards, the European Commission needs to consider their endorsement into European law. FEE - The European Federation of Accountants The European Federation of Accountants/Fédération des Experts Comptables Européens (FEE) is the representative organisation for the accountancy profession in Europe. FEE’s membership consists of 43 professional institutes of accountants from 32 countries. FEE member bodies are present in all 27 member states of the European Union and three member countries of EFTA. FEE member bodies represent more than 500,000 accountants in Europe. Roughly 45% of these accountants work in public practice, providing a wide range of services to clients. The other 55% work in various capacities in industry, commerce, government and education. FEE commenced operations on January 1, 1987. It took over responsibility for the activities previously carried out separately by the Union Européenne des Experts Comptables, Economiques et Financiers (UEC) and the Groupe d’Etudes des Experts Comptables de la CEE (Group d’Etudes). Both organisations had served the European accountancy profession since 1951 and 1961 respectively. The governing body of FEE is the General Assembly, which has its ordinary meeting every two years. Management of the Federation is the responsibility of the Council. Responsibility for implementing Council’s decisions rests with the Executive, which comprises FEE’s President, Deputy President and Vice Presidents. Website: www.fee.be

Contents: 98.

Cyprus

Full Service Accountancy Firm of the Year / A. A. Xenophontos & Associates, Chartered Accountants

99.

Sweden

Corporate Tax Advisory Firm of the Year / Ernst & Young Sweden

99.

Sweden

Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year / Ernst & Young Sweden

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 97

Cyprus - Full Service Accountancy Firm of the Year A. A. Xenophontos & Associates, Chartered Accountants Andreas Xenophontos Financial Adviser, Partner Tel: +357 7000 0066 info@xenophontos-associates.com www.xenophontos-associates.com

During periods of economic uncertainty, every company and every individual wishes to save on expenses, naturally. Saving on taxation expenses could be the key to stabilising the situation and will also help to encourage growth. Cutting expenses becomes a priority. Andreas Xenophontos, partner at A. A. Xenophontos & Associates, Chartered Accountants, noted that this consideration was all-too clear during the economic downturn’s peak in 2009, when companies had to slash expenses on such items as purchasing, travelling, marketing and HR. Mr Xenophontos said: “Now, as Europe, and much of the rest of the world gets ready for a double dip, cut-backs are continuing and they might even get worse. When looking at saving costs, there is no doubt that benefits can be found at a tax level. A beneficial corporate tax structure, such as one offered by the Cyprus tax environment, can in many ways be the most optimal solution to help stabilise a company’s financial situation.” At the same time, looking abroad at a location such as Cyprus could help expansion and encourage growth. “For example,” added Mr Xenophontos, “European companies will be in a much better position, financially and geographically to target the Middle East, Asia and Africa if they have operations in Cyprus. And the reverse is also true for example, Asian companies may be granted easier access to the European market via Cyprus.” Moreover, some primary advantages of the Cypriot tax regime, which can be used for tax optimisation, include: the lowest standard rate

of corporate taxation in the EU at only 10% tax on profits; one of the most advantageous personal income tax structures, with the first EUR 19.500 tax free and rates of 20-30% for incomes up to EUR 60.000 and 35% for higher incomes; no withholding tax on dividend, interest, royalty or other payments to shareholders abroad; and gains from the disposal of securities are exempt from taxation for companies that do not own immovable property in Cyprus. Mr Xenophontos added that Cyprus’ wide network of double tax treaties enables lower withholding tax rates on dividend or other income received by Cyprus holding companies from subsidiaries abroad. Other advantages include: no withholding tax on dividend income received by Cypriot holding companies from subsidiary companies abroad under certain conditions; no withholding tax on dividends received from EU subsidiaries; profits earned from a permanent establishment abroad are fully exempt from Cypriot tax, subject to certain conditions; and reorganisations of companies, such as mergers, can be effected without any tax consequences. Mr Xenophontos concluded: “At A. A. Xenophontos & Associates, we meet your targets by taking advantage of a favourable Cyprus tax system through strategically planning optimal entity structures to minimise tax and maximise shareholder wealth. “We provide a wide range of financial services, with customer satisfaction being the driving force behind everything we do to serve the client. These services include accounting, auditing, taxation, advisory and consultancy, corporate, trust services, assisting in obtaining Cyprus investment firm licences, assisting foreign nationals obtaining work permits, as well as providing winding-up services.”

Looking abroad at a location such as Cyprus could help expansion and encourage growth.

98 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

Sweden - Corporate Tax Advisory Firm of the Year Ernst & Young Sweden www.ey.com/se

Today’s business and tax environment is increasingly complex. There are more and more demands for transparency; meanwhile, tax departments are under pressure to be more effective and highly qualified professionals can be hard to obtain.

The scope and nature of our services may differ depending on whether you are an audit or non-audit client. What’s consistent is the high-quality service our professionals provide to address your unique needs, throughout the entire tax life

To help you respond to these demands, we provide assistance in three key areas: • Tax accounting: supporting quarterly and annual tax provision calculations, validating tax balance sheet accounts and implementing new accounting standards under IFRS and/or local GAAP • Tax function performance: improving operating strategy and organization design, tax process and controls, and data and systems effectiveness • Tax risk: identifying and prioritizing key risks and assisting with controls monitoring and remediation

cycle of planning, provision, compliance and working with the tax authorities. Our talented people, consistent global methodologies and tools and unwavering commitment to quality service will help you build strong compliance and reporting foundations, sustainable organizational strategies and effective risk management protocols, helping your business achieve its potential.

Sweden - Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year Ernst & Young Sweden Mikael Hall Tax Partner, Transfer Pricing Tel: +46 8 520 590 00 mikael.hall@se.ey.com www.se.ey.com

Ernst & Young’s transfer pricing team helps clients implement, manage and defend their transfer pricing policies and processes, while aligning them with the appropriate business strategy. Ernst & Young’s talented people work with clients to build the proactive, pragmatic and integrated strategies that address the tax risks of today’s market and help businesses to achieve their potential. Mikael Hall is a tax partner and leader of Ernst & Young’s Swedish and Nordic transfer pricing practices. He has extensive experience in helping clients with supply chain restructurings, the design and implementation of transfer pricing structures, the preparation of transfer pricing documentation, litigation and negotiating with competent authorities. His team’s clients include many of Sweden’s large companies as well as other significant global companies. Mikael Hall, partner, commented: “We also team with other Ernst & Young colleagues to deliver integrated services in areas ranging from supply chain optimisation and process improvement to post-merger integration with our M&A colleagues. We offer leadership in all tax disciplines, including transfer pricing, business tax, indirect tax, international tax, transactional tax and tax-related issues associated with human capital. We place particular emphasis on the most pressing issues facing companies worldwide today.” Mr Hall has previously worked as a legal adviser at the Ministry of

Finance, International Tax Division and has been a delegate to the OECD’s Working Party No 6. At the Ministry he dealt with advance pricing agreements and mutual agreements with treaty partners. Mr Hall earned a LLM at the University of Stockholm. He has lectured on and authored several articles on transfer pricing and international tax issues. Transfer pricing and tax effective supply chain management Ernst & Young brings clients a global perspective based on its long-standing experience of what really works in transfer pricing and tax effective supply chain management (TESCM). The firm believes that setting tax-efficient intra-company pricing that complies with the law is essential in today’s global economy. The Ernst & Young team has extensive experience in helping its clients find the right solutions across industries, products and borders. “Our multi-disciplinary TESCM teams work with our clients on supply chain design, business restructuring, systems implications, transfer pricing, direct and indirect tax, customs and accounting. We can help our clients build and implement the structure that makes sense for their business, improve their processes and manage the cost of trade,” explained Mr Hall. In Sweden, Ernst & Young continues to assist customers in the areas of transfer pricing planning, global documentation, global transfer pricing controversy and risk management, tax effective supply chain management and transfer pricing in financial services.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 99

Index

A B C D

100 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

A. A. Xenophontos & Associates, Chartered Accountants

–

98.

A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC

–

66.

Advokaterna Liman & Partners

–

85.

Afschrift

–

65.

Al Busaidy Mansoor Jamal & Co (Barristers and Legal Consultants)

–

53.

AMMC Law – Avocats à la Cour

–

77.

Anzola Robles and Associates

–

33.

Awapatent A/S

–

68.

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC

–

56.

Baspinar & Partners

–

59.

Beiruti Attorneys & Counselors at Law

–

52.

Benest & Syvret Advocates & Solicitors

–

76.

BLS Attorneys at Law

–

64.

Brito Anderson, S.C.

–

26.

Bufet Miralbell Guerin

–

84.

Bun & Associates

–

48.

C&A Law

–

11.

Cabinet Dorothée Madiya, Avocats et Mandataires en Mines et Carrières –

07.

Cabinet Juri-Partner

–

10.

Cantor & Webb, P.A.

–

36.

CERVANTES SAINZ, S.C.

–

31.

Charles Adams Ritchie & Duckworth

–

24.

Cho & Partners

–

56.

Christos Patsalides L.L.C.

–

67.

Darae Law & IP Firm

–

55.

Davis & Takahashi

–

52.

DEEP & FAR Attorneys-at-Law

–

58.

Del Valle Torres S.C

–

30.

DELANEY PARTNERS

–

19.

Deloitte Advokatfirma AS

–

79.

df-mp

–

73.

DLA Piper

–

72.

Drakopoulos Law Firm

–

63.

Dumont Bergman Bider & Co., S.C.

–

28.

E F G H I J

E-Proint

–

25.

Economic Laws Practice

–

49.

Edward Hayes LLP

–

70.

Ehrlich & Fenster

–

10.

Elmer & Partners

–

69.

Ernst & Young Sweden

–

99.

Ernst & Young Terco

–

93.

Esguerra & Blanco Law Offices

–

54.

Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan

–

34.

Franczek Radelet

–

38.

Fretes & Arieu

–

19.

Frilot L.L.C.

–

39.

Galeano Rios, Morales & Associates

–

33.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co.

–

66.

Gilliéron Avocat

–

88.

Gordon | McGrath Attorneys-at-Law

–

25.

Graf & Pitkowitz

–

64.

GÜRLICH & Co.

–

68.

HAFEZ

–

08.

Harridyal Sodha & Associates (also trading as LizaLaw)

–

20.

Harry Elias Partnership LLP

–

55.

HERMANN RWS

–

73.

Hermon (Barristers, Solicitors & Notary Public)

–

11.

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek

–

74.

Holland, Groves, Schneller & Stolze, LLC

–

40.

Howse Williams Bowers

–

48.

Iskandarsyah & Partners

–

51.

J. Sagar Associates I advocates & solicitors

–

50.

Jackson, Etti & Edu

–

13., 14.

Joel S. Perwin, P.A

–

37.

John W Ffooks & Co

–

08.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 101

Index

K L

M N O P

102 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 2013

K&K Advocates – intellectual property

–

51.

KLC Law Firm

–

74.

KLONARIS & CO.

–

20.

Krüger & Partners

–

80.

KSTA Anwälte

–

85.

La Torre Morgese Cesàro Rio

–

75.

Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin and Tominberg, Ltd.

–

38.

Laracy & Co.

–

49.

Law Chambers of Kieran Bhogilal

–

15.

Law Office RGW

–

80.

Lee, Tsai & Partners Attorneys-at-Law

–

58.

Legal Bagimsiz Denetim YMM A.S.

–

96.

Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.

–

40.

Lex Caribbean

–

21.

Lexfield

–

78.

Lindborg & Mazor LLP

–

35.

LOGOS

–

75.

López Velarde, Heftye y Soria, S.C.

–

32.

MACKRELL TURNER GARRETT

–

69.

MONASTYRSKY, ZYUBA, STEPANOV & PARTNERS

–

82.

Monfrini Crettol & Associes

–

87.

Moraes Pitombo Advogados

–

22.

Myers Thompson, PA

–

39.

Nortons Inc.

–

15.

Olympex Advisers Limited Liability Partnership

–

53.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

–

83.

Oussi Law Firm

–

57.

Patentbuero Paul Rosenich AG

–

77.

Patton Boggs LLP

–

44.

Pekin & Bayar Law Firm

–

57.

Pierce & O’Neill, LLP

–

43.

Pizarro y Cia. Ltda. Abogados

–

24.

P Q R S

T V W

Preis, Baharav & Co.

–

09.

Premier Financial Services Limited

–

91.

Procurement Law Office

–

23.

PwC Mexico

–

94.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

–

36.

Raul César Ferreira (Herd.), S.A.

–

81.

Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C.

–

27.

Rütimann Rechtsanwälte

–

86.

S.S. Rana & Co

–

50.

Saeki Advogados

–

21.

Sánchez Pintado & Núñez

–

83.

Sapronov & Associates, P.C.

–

37.

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte

–

63.

SCP Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes - Cabinet BOPS

–

71.

SEH Legal

–

71.

Sergii Koziakov & Partners

–

88.

Shearman & Sterling LLP

–

41.

Sim & McBurney

–

22.

SorinRand

–

42.

Studio Legale e Tributario Loconte & Partners

–

76.

Tassos Papadopoulos & Associates LLC

–

67.

Tayo Oyetibo & Co

–

12.

TETTEH & CO.

–

09.

Tiffany & Bosco, P.A.

–

34.

Vieira De Almeida

–

81.

Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C.

–

29.

Walker & Peskind

–

35.

Wamser Legal

–

72.

White & Black Legal LLP

–

70.

Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC

–

54.

2013 GLE and GAE Practice Awards 103

2013 Global Law Experts and Global Accountancy Experts Practice Awards www.globallawexperts.com www.globalaccountancyexperts.com