THE EXPERTS
FEATURE | Hot 100 >>
Technically brilliant and boasting superior skills in existing and emerging areas, these are the lawyers who have been at the vanguard of change in the profession
Name: Celia Lam Title: Partner Firm/organisation: Linklaters Location: Beijing
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Name: Simon Watt Title: Partner Firm/organisation: Bell Gully Location: Wellington
Why hot: Bell Gully’s environmental law team came in for high praise during ALB’s client survey for the 2008 environmental law guide. Watt has made a name for himself as a leading climate change law specialist, not only in the New Zealand market but also globally.
Name: Diana Chang Title: Senior partner Firm/organisation: Chang, Pistilli & Simmons Location: Sydney
Why hot: This commercial litigation and dispute resolution specialist, who was one of the founding partners of Chang, Pistilli & Simmons, has been consistently nominated as a leading practitioner by peers and in practice guides. This was capped off by her appointment to the Takeovers Panel this year. The work must be a comfortable fit; as an M&A boutique firm, Chang, Pistilli & Simmons has worked many times with the Panel.
Why hot: Lam topped off a wonderful year by winning the International Dealmaker of the Year at the ALB China Law Awards 2008, cementing her reputation as a leading equity dealmaker. In the last year, Lam has worked on a series of market-shaping deals, including ICBC’s US$5.5bn acquisition of a strategic interest in South Africa’s Standard Bank and China Railway Group’s US$5.5bn IPO.
Name: Pip Greenwood Title: Partner Firm/organisation: Russell McVeagh Location: Auckland
Name: Teresa Handicott Title: Partner Firm/organisation: Corrs Chambers Westgarth Location: Brisbane
Why hot: Greenwood’s involvement in some of New Zealand’s highest profile deals, including Telecom New Zealand’s multi-billion dollar disposal of the Yellow Pages Group, saw her propelled into the spotlight at this year’s ALB Australasian Law Awards, picking up the prize for New Zealand Dealmaker of the Year ahead of a strong field of nominees. Greenwood is also a member of the New Zealand Takeovers Panel.
Why hot: Handicott was instrumental in achieving ACCC approval for the Suncorp–Promina merger and the complicated financing associated with the project. She was recognised for her work at the ALB Australasian Law Awards 2008, where she won the prize for Australian Dealmaker of the Year. Handicott is a member of the Australian Takeovers Panel.
Name: Martijn Wilder Title: Partner Firm/organisation: Baker & McKenzie Location: Sydney
Name: Margaret Cole Title: General counsel Firm/organisation: Babcock & Brown Location: Sydney
Why hot: Nowadays climate change law and carbon trading expertise are fashionable areas of practice, but spare a thought for those who were involved in the this work back when it was considered an eccentric niche area. Wilder has been practising exclusively in the area for nearly 10 years and is recognised as one of the pre-eminent climate change lawyers in the world. He is chair of the NSW government’s Climate Change Council (formerly the Greenhouse Advisory Panel).
Why hot: Winner of In-house Lawyer of the Year at the ALB Australasian Law Awards 2008, Cole led Babcock & Brown’s key involvement in a number of headline deals over the course of 2007, including the A$8bn ‘auction-style’ acquisition of Alinta, which was the largest M&A transaction in the energy sector for the year.
Asian Legal Business ISSUE 8.9