Global - 2016

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Global Awards 2016

SIA Group Asset Disposal Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Plant & Property Valuation Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Corporate Insolvency Advisor of the Year - United Kingdom Maalouf Ashford & Talbot LLP Law Firm of the Year - USA, China, Lebanon, Brazil, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, UAE, Russia and Bahrain Rosenbaum IP, P.C.

M&A Today

Law Firm of the Year - Patents - Illinois, USA Solon Group, Inc. Corporate Governance Advisory Firm of the Year - USA AECOM Environmental Advisory Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Coller IP Intellectual Property Management and Evaluation Firm of the Year United Kingdom

moc.puorgaidemhmk.www


Europe

United Kingdom

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Europe

United Kingdom

Asset Disposal Firm of the Year Plant & Property Valuation Firm of the Year Corporate Insolvency Advisor of the Year

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Europe

United Kingdom

“SIA undertook the collateral due diligence prior to our investment in Allied Healthcare, a business which Aurelius acquired from Saga Plc in December 2015. SIA was instrumental in helping us secure the financing package for the transaction in a timely fashion, and we were particularly impressed with their commercial approach throughout the process.� Will Stamp, Principal, Aurelius Investments

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Europe

United Kingdom

We are delighted to announce the opening of a new Manchester office, further expanding our operations across the UK. SIA Group has grown significantly over the past five years. Our strategically located hub in the UK’s manufacturing and industrial heartland will enable us to meet the ever increasing demand for our services from asset based lending, bank, private equity and restructuring clients across Northern England, & Scotland.

“I have worked with Paul, Matt and Scott on a number of projects requiring hands on support, not only in the UK, but also across Scandinavia and the US. SIA Group always push the boat out. They are flexible on timing, easily contactable and very often exceed expectations and deliver early. Their ability to both appraise and sell assets, combined with their thorough grasp of technical, legal and commercial issues makes them a rare and valuable asset themselves.” Greg Beamish, Director, ESO Capital

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Welcome to the M&A Today Global Awards 2016 By broadening the focus beyond advertising alone, the purpose of the Annual Awards is to lift the perception of creativity above clever headlines and provide the readership with a comprehensive understanding of those firms that are truly leaders within their chosen areas of specialisation. The intellectual and emotional achievement of communication transcends the barriers of distance, language and culture. The Annual Awards programs extend over regional, national and international boundaries and reach out to the readers in an empirical, impartial and comprehensive way. It is a strict requirement for all M&A Today Awards programs to receive no less than 18% in votes from the global readership, currently in excess of 151,000. This policy is applied to further endorse the worthiness of the awards presented and any marketing carried out as a result of the awards process. As with each of the ten editions of M&A Today produced during the year, the M&A Today Global Awards 2016 provides the reader with in-depth analysis and coverage of the ever changing legal and financial landscape across the globe, whilst documenting those firms that are truly leaders within their specific areas of specialisation. In summary, in the current challenging times, the M&A Today Annual Awards programs provide a benchmark of the very best of the best industry leaders, exemplary teams and distinguished organisations based on the simple principles of veracity, accuracy and insight. The M&A Today Global Awards 2016 edition has been divided into six sections. Furthermore, you will find a full and comprehensive winners index towards the front of the supplement. We would like to extend our congratulations to all of the 2016 Global Awards winners.

Richard Baker Editor in Chief

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CONTENTS

Editor’s Introduction

Page 8

Winner’s Index

Page 20

Page 24

Africa

Asia and The Middle East

Page 40

Australasia

Page 44

Europe

Page 84 Page 106

North America South America

Editor in Chief Richard Baker Advertising Manager David Wakefield KMH Media Patrick House, 5 Maney Corner, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1QL United Kingdom +44 (0)20 3291 3493

The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the proprietor’s believe to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted for any errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher. © KMH Media Limited 2016

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Index

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Africa Amie Bensouda & Co

Law Firm of the Year - The Gambia

BHEEROO CHAMBERS

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration and Litigation - Mauritius

Centum Investment Company Ltd

Investment Business of the Year - East Africa

Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs

Law Firm of the Year - Energy - South Africa

Erriah Chambers

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Mauritius

FB Attorneys

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Commercial - Tanzania

Fluxmans Inc

Law Firm of the Year Litigation - South Africa

22

G. Elias & Co.

Commercial Litigation - Nigeria

GENI & KEBE SCP D’ AVOCATS

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Commercial and M&A - Senegal

Kosheri, Rashed & Riad Law Firm

Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Egypt

KPMG

Business Auditing - Firm of the Year - Zambia

Nortons Inc

Law Firm of the Year - Competition - South Africa

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation - South Africa

Ntrakwah & Co.

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Ghana

Rubeya & Co - Advocates

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Burundi

Shonubi, Musoke & Co Advocates

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Uganda

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Uganda

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Uganda

Law Firm of the Year - Energy - Uganda

Spoor & Fisher

Trademarks Law Firm of the Year - South Africa

Full Service IP Law Firm of the Year - South Africa

Tabacks

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - South Africa

Waweru Gatonye & Co. Advocates

International - Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Kenya

WKC Group

Best Environmental Consultancy - South Africa

Asia and The Middle East Advanz Fidelis Sdn Bhd

Advisory Practice of the Year - Intellectual Property and Patents - Malaysia

Mr. Hassan Mohsen Elhais Al Rowaad Advocates & Legal Consultancy Criminal Lawyer of the Year and Family Lawyer of the Year - United Arab Emirates Amica Law LLC

Intellectual Property - Singapore

Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co

IP Law Firm of the Year - Israel

Anand and Anand

Law Firm of the Year - Trademark Prosecution and Intellectual Property - India

Intellectual Property - India

AZB & Partners

Commercial Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - India

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - India

International - Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - India

International - M&A Law Firm of the Year - India

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - India

Competition and Insurance Law Firm of the Year - India

Braddell Brothers LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation & Arbitration - Singapore

Dave & Girish & Co.

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Structured Finance - India

Davutoğlu Attorneys At Law

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Turkey

D. H. Law Associates Deep & Far

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26

Law Firm of the Year - Foreign Direct Investment - India

IP Law Firm of the Year – Taiwan

Dhall Law Chambers

Competition Law Firm of the Year - India

Edelman

Financial PR Firm of the Year - Indonesia

Enfinium

Best Forex Broker & Forex Execution House - South East Asia

Esin Attorney Partnership

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Turkey

Europe Finance

Russian Emerging Manager Solutions Firm of the Year

Gagrats

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance, Tax, Capital Markets, Anti-trust and Competition - India

Group Law Firm

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Turkey

Herzog Fox & Neeman

Law Firm of the Year - Israel

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Index

KAP Razikun Tarkosunaryo (KAP RTS)

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Auditor of the Year - Indonesia

Karanjawala & Company

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation - India

Boutique Litigation Firm of the Year - India

Kesikli Hukuk Burosu / Kesıklı Law Fırm

Law Firm of the Year - Construction & Energy - Turkey

Khaitan Sud & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Project Finance - India

Kosheri, Rashed & Riad Law Firm

Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Egypt

Lall Lahiri & Salhotra

IP Enforcement Law Firm of the Year - India

LCS & Partners

Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Taiwan

Lee and Li - Leaven IPR Agency Ltd.

Law Firm of the Year - Patents - China

Lee, Tsai and Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Taiwan

LNT & Partners

Most Trusted’ Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Vietnam

Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Litigation - Indonesia

Commercial Litigation Lawyer of the Year - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Competition and Antitrust - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Insolvency - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Finance - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Banking and Finance - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Capital Markets - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Indonesia

Law Firm of the Year - Project Finance - Indonesia

Luthi & Co

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Israel

MarksPro Philippines Law Firm of Reyes Rara & Associates

Patent Litigation Firm of the Year - Philippines

Mehta & Mehta Associates

Boutique - Patents Law Firm of the Year - India

Mohsin Tayebaly & Co.

Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year - Pakistan

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30

Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners Law Firm of the Year - Dispute Resolution - Russia Okabe & Yamaguchi

Law Firm of the Year - Shipping & Maritime - Japan

O.P. Khaitan & Co.

Client Choice - Company Law Firm of the Year - India

Oussi Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Syria

Pang & Co.

Law Firm of the Year - IPO Transactions - Hong Kong

Securities & Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong

Paz Itzhaki-Weinberger Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Business Law - Israel

Pekin & Pekin

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, M&A and Tax - Turkey

Phuoc & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Vietnam

Pollyanna Capital Partners

Firm of the Year - Mergers, Acquisitions & Disposals - Russia

Firm of the Year - Debt Financing - Russia

PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal & Tax Consultant Ltd.

Mergers & Acquisitions and Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Thailand

Puno and Puno Law

Law Firm of the Year - Energy - Philippines

Rajani Associates

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial - India

Law Firm of the Year - Property - India

Rajinder Narain & Co

Most Trusted’ Law Firm of the Year - Aviation - India

RIAALAW

Law Firm of the Year - Banking and Finance - Pakistan

Law Firm of the Year - Competition - Pakistan

Law Firm of the Year - Income Tax - Pakistan

Law Firm of the Year - Construction - Pakistan

Law Firm of the Year - Franchise - Pakistan

Rich IP & Co.

Boutique - Patent Law Firm of the Year - Taiwan

Sahra Petroleum Consulting

Advisory Firm of the Year - Oil & Gas - Yemen

Singhania & Co. LLP

Maritime Law Firm of the Year - India

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Soewito Suhardiman Eddymurthy Kardono Indonesian Law Firm of the Year for Labour and Employment Sovereign Corporate Services JLT

Company Formation Agent Firm of the Year - United Arab Emirates

Squire Patton Boggs Moscow LLC

Law Firm of the Year - Mining - Russia

Strategic Public Relations Group Limited Communications Consultancy of the Year - Hong Kong Tan Swee Im, P.Y. Hoh & Tai

Law Firm of the Year - Construction - Malaysia

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Index

ÜNLÜ & Co

Investment Bank of the Year - Turkey

WAKHARIYA & WAKHARIYA | Advocates & Solicitors

Cross-Border Transactions Firm of the Year - India

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Yamaner & Yamaner Hukuk Bürosu / Law Office

Company Formations Advisor of the Year - Turkey

Yuasa and Hara

Osamu Yamamoto - Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year - Japan

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Zhong Lun Law Firm

Ms. Jihong Wang - Construction Lawyer of the Year - China

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Australasia DLA Piper

Law Firm of the Year - Dispute Resolution - Australia

Law Firm of the Year - Insurance - Australia

Law Firm of the Year - Risk - Australia

Grant Thornton New Zealand Ltd

Financial Advisory Firm of the Year - New Zealand

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Private Equity, Competition and M&A - Australia

Inpact Innovation Pty Ltd

Company of the Year (Manufacturing) - Australia

Lowndes Associates

Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand

Meredith Connell

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Property - New Zealand

Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Lawyers

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand

Pacific Equity Partners

Australia - Private Equity Firm of the Year

Russell McVeagh

Law Firm of the Year - Competition - New Zealand

TaxCoach TM

Superannuation/Trusts Lawyer of the Year - Australia

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Europe

A. A. Xenophontos & Associates Ltd

Full Service Advisory Firm of the Year - Cyprus

Acxit Capital Management GmbH

Boutique Merchant Banking Firm of the Year - Germany

Ad Astra per Aspera

Energy & Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year - Portugal (Clients’ Choice)

AECOM

Environmental Advisory Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Governance - Cyprus

Afschrift Law Firm

Tax Law Firm of the Year - Luxembourg

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Tax - Luxembourg

Tax Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland

Akugur Law Office

Law Firm of the Year - Restructuring Projects - Turkey

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Turkey

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Turkey

Aleksey Pukha and Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Ukraine

Alison Matthews Consulting Limited

Anti Money Laundering - Firm of the Year - UK

Aon M&A Solutions

Firm of the Year - M&A - Sweden

Arcadis

Management and Engineering Consultancy of the Year - The Netherlands

Argos Soditic

Private Equity Firm of the Year - Switzerland

Private Equity Firm of the Year - France

Arthur D Little

Management Consultancy Firm of the Year - Worldwide

Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - Worldwide

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Atfis

Financial Advisory Firm of the Year - France

Atrium Partners

Advisory Firm of the Year - Financial - Denmark

Averian Global

Business Advisory Services Firm of the Year - United Kingdom and Ireland

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Avondale Corporate Limited

M&A - Adviser of the Year - United Kingdom

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Awapatent AB

Denmark - Boutique Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year

Babbè

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Property - Guernsey

df-mp

Law Firm of the Year - Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences - Germany

Babić & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Competition - Croatia

Studio Professionale Associato a Baker & McKenzie

Law Firm of the Year - Regulatory Communications - Italy

Bencis Capital Partners

Private Equity Firm of the Year - Benelux

Buse Heberer Fromm Rechtsanwälte

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Steuerberater PartG mbB

Law Firm of the Year - Employment - Germany

Bergamin & Gielink pensioenrechtadvies B.V.

Law Firm of the Year - Pensions - Netherlands

Bezen & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Projects - Turkey

Law Firm of the Year - Energy & Infrastructure - Turkey

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Turkey

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation & Arbitration - Turkey

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Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte GmbH Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Litigation - Austria Böhret Lindstedt Sehmsdorf & Partner

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and Venture Capital - Germany

Boller Langhammer Schubert KG

Full Service Law Firm of the Year in Austria

Bonn & Schmitt

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Luxembourg

Bonn Steichen & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and M&A - Luxembourg

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Luxembourg

CABINET BOUCHARA - Avocats

Law Firm of the Year - Trademarks - France

Bryan Cave

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - United Kingdom

Benedikt Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Start-ups - Austria

Bureau Van Dijk

M&A Solutions Provider of the Year (Business Intelligence) - United Kingdom

Cam Trade Marks & IP Services

Law Firm of the Year - Trademarks - United Kingdom

Caiado Guerreiro

Law Firm of the Year - Banking, Aviation, Litigation, Arbitration, Tax, Real Estate and Intellectual Property - Portugal

Capita Employee Benefits

Pensions Management - United Kingdom

Carlton Strategy Advisors

Advisory Firm of the Year - Commercial Due Diligence - United Kingdom

GRM Law

Anglo-German Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Catalyst Corporate Finance

Corporate Finance Advisory firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Cermak a spol.

Czech Republic Patent Law Firm of the Year

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Consumer Products - Europe

CMS DeBacker Luxembourg

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Luxembourg

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate & M&A - Luxembourg

Law Firm of the Year - Insolvency & Restructuring - Luxembourg

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53, 54 and 55

Law Firm of the Year - Private Equity - Luxembourg

Coller IP

Intellectual Property Management and Evaluation Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Compass Rondelli Advisers

Advisory Firm of the Year - M&A - Italy

Connell Associates

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Litigation- United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Debt Recovery - United Kingdom

Cross Equity Partners AG

Mid-Market Private Equity Firm of the Year - Switzerland

Dalla Verità & Partners

Financial Planning Advisory Firm of the Year - Italy

Davutoğlu Attorneys At Law

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Turkey

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

DINAMIKI EPE

International Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Greece

Director Legatus Law

Rashmi Dubé LLB (Hons) Mediator ADR - Business Turnaround Lawyer of the Year - England

Dittmar & Indrenius

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Finance - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Capital Markets - Finland

Douglas Silas Solicitors

Education Lawyer of the Year - England

Drakopoulos Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Greece

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Greece

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Greece

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Romania

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Romania

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Romania

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Albania

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Albania

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Albania

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DSM Di Stefano Moyse Avocats à la Cour Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Luxembourg Duff & Phelps Ltd

Advisory Firm of the Year - Corporate Restructuring - United Kingdom

EC3\Legal LLP

Insurance & Reinsurance - Law Firm of the Year - UK

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Index

ELIG Attorneys-at-Law

Law Firm of the Year - Antitrust - Turkey

elkington and fife LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property and Trademarks - United Kingdom

EMC Corporate Finance

SME Advisory Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Endrös-Baum Associés

Law Firm of the Year - Product Liability and Industrial Risk - France

Gürlich & Co. Advokátní Kancelář

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Transactions and Intellectual Property - Czech Republic

EOC Partners LLP

Boutique Firm of the Year - Corporate Finance - Sweden

Eric Ericsson Advokat AB

Law Firm of the Year - Competition - Sweden

Esin Attorney Partnership

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Turkey

Esquivel Advogados

Projects Law Firm of the Year - Portugal

EthosData Limited

Sustained Excellence in Data Room Services - United Kingdom and USA

Most User Friendly Dataroom - USA

Data Room Provider of the Year - Spain & Asia Pacific

Eurofast Global Ltd

Regional Tax Firm of the Year - Cyprus

Europe Finance

Russian Emerging Manager Solutions Firm of the Year

Eversheds

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Austria (Clients’ Choice)

Mergers & Acquisitions Law Firm of the Year - Latvia

EY Luxembourg

Cross Border Real Estate Advisory Firm of the Year - Luxembourg

FDL Studio legale e tributario

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Italy

FranckelLaw

Law Firm of the Year - Trust & Probate - Jersey

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Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Finance - Germany

Law Firm of the Year - Insurance & Reinsurance - Germany

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Germany

Fulcrum Chambers LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Anti-Corruption - United Kingdom

Translink Fusion Corporate Finance

Corporate Finance Advisor of the Year - United Kingdom

George Z. Georgiou & Associates LLC

Law Firm of the Year - Employment - Cyprus

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Cyprus

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Cyprus

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation - Cyprus

Law Firm of the Year - Alternative Dispute Resolution - Cyprus

Giambrone Studio Legale Internazionale Law Firm of the Year - Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution - Italy

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Gill Jennings & Every LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Patent Protection - United Kingdom

GLI Finance Limited

Investment Funds - Firm of the Year - Guernsey

Hermann Rechtsanwälte, Wirtschaftsprüfer, Steuerberater

Law Firm of the Year - Insolvency & Restructuring - Germany

Graf & Pitkowitz

Law Firm of the Year - Project Finance - Austria

Finance Law Firm of the Year

Graham Associates (International) Ltd

Advisory Firm of the Year - Taxation - United Kingdom

Grant Thornton

Advisory Firm of the Year - Taxation - Ireland

Grata Law Firm

Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year - Republic of Kazakhstan

Green Square Associates Limited

Corporate Finance - United Kingdom

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Poland

Group Law Firm

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Turkey

HAGER & PARTNERS

Italian Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Energy Sector Advisory Firm of the Year - Italy

Hauser Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Finance - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Austria

Havel, Holásek & Partners s.r.o.

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Slovakia

Heinkelein | Voigt Rechtsanwälte

Format Law Firm of the Year - Germany

Helvetia Insurance

Company of the Year - Switzerland

Herfurth & Partner

Cross-Border Law Firm of the Year - Germany

International Law Firm of the Year - Germany

Heuking Kuehn Luer Wojtek

Law Firm of the Year - Advertising - Germany

Heymann & Partner

Law Firm of the Year - Private Equity - Germany

Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance

ABL Product of the Year - Inspired Cashflow

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Index

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Insurance - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Transport - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Energy - United Kingdom

ICON Corporate Finance

Corporate Finance Boutique of the Year - United Kingdom

Id Est Lawyers

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - Finance - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Switzerland

DR. IHLAS GMBH

Best German Insurance Broker

Infinity Partnership Limited

Corporate Finance Boutique of the Year - Scotland

ING Belgium SA

Leveraged Finance Provider of the Year and Bank of the Year - Belgium

Inter-Tax Consultants GmbH

Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Switzerland

Intralinks

VDR Provider of the Year - Worldwide

Leumi ABL

Asset Based Lender of the Year - United Kingdom

LJRR Rechtsanwälte Jesch Racky Roitzsch Krause Partnerschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung Dr. Benno A. Packi - Lawyer of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Germany Joelson Wilson LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Finance - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Commercial - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - AIM - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Licensing - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Gaming and Betting - United Kingdom

Jones Day

Banking & Finance Lawyer of the Year - Belgium

KallioLaw

Law Firm of the Year - Biotechnology - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Mining - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Finance and Capital Markets - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property Rights - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Private Equity - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Finland

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Finland

International Business Law Firm of the Year - Finland

KB Associates

Advisory Firm of the Year - Offshore - United Kingdom

Kellerhals Carrard

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Switzerland

Kesikli Hukuk Burosu / Kesıklı Law Fırm

Law Firm of the Year - Construction & Energy - Turkey

Kirk Larsen Ascanius

Law Firm of the Year - Transportation - Denmark

KLC Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Privatization - Greece

Kleopas Alliott Business Consultants

Accountancy Firm of the Year - Greece

Konecna & Zacha

Law Firm of the Year - Czech Republic

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial, Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Banking & Finance, M&A and Arbitration - Czech Republic

Kotiranta & Co

Law Firm of the Year - Dispute Resolution - Finland

KPMG Advisors

Corporate Finance Accountancy Firm of the Year - Greece

KPMG

Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Iberia

KPMG Turkey

Advisory Firm of the Year - Turkey

Kubas Kos Gaertner

Client Choice Law Firm of the Year - Poland

Lamont Pridmore

Dynamic Advisory Firm of the Year - England

Landwell & Associés

Law Firm of the Year - Taxation - France

Law Firm of the Year - Business - France

Law Firm of the Year - Employment - France

Langham Hall UK LLP

Private Equity Fund Administrator of the Year - United Kingdom

Langham Hall UK LLP

Real Estate Fund Administrator of the Year - United Kingdom

La Torre Morgese Cesàro Rio Studio Legale Associato

International Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Italy

La Torre Morgese Cesàro Rio Studio Legale Associato

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Italy

Law Offices of Grechkivsky

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial - Ukraine

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Index

LD&A Jupiter GmbH

Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year - Technology - Germany

Leitner Leitner

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Tax - Austria

Lexence

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - The Netherlands

LexField

Law Firm of the Year - Investments Funds - Luxembourg

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Luxembourg

Linkage & Mind LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Kazakhstan

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Liquidity Services Inc. - GoIndustry DoveBid Asset Valuation & Appraisal Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Litmus Advisory Limited

Firm of the Year - Debt Advisory - United Kingdom

Lorenz

Law Firm of the Year - Labour and Employment - Belgium

Macesic & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Croatia

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Croatia

Law Firm of the Year - Shipping & Maritime - Croatia

Law Firm of the Year - Insurance - Croatia

Law Firm of the Year - Energy - Croatia

Law Firm of the Year - Dispute Resolution - Croatia

Mackrell Turner Garrett Solicitors

Law Firm of the Year - Full Service - United Kingdom

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration - United Kingdom

MATTHEW WILKINSON SOLICITORS LIMITED Professional Liability Law Firm of the Year - England MCE - Avocats - Attorneys at Law

Will & Estates Lawyer of the Year - Switzerland

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year - Belgium

Mannheimer Swartling

Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year - Sweden

Marinos - Katsas - Liaskos & Associates

IP Law Firm of the Year - Greece

Marriott Harrison

Law Firm of the Year - Venture Capital - United Kingdom

McEvoy Partners

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Ireland

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Investment Funds - Belgium

meyerlustenberger lachenal

Real Estate Lawyer of the Year - Switzerland

MGRA

Law Firm of the Year - Administrative, EU, Corporate Finance, Tax, Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Employment, Litigation and Insolvency & Restructuring - Portugal

Midaxo

M&A Software Solution of the Year - Global

Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners Law Firm of the Year - Dispute Resolution - Russia CABINET M. OPROIU

IP Law Firm of the Year - Romania

Motieka & Audzevicius

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Lithuania

Competition & Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - Lithuania

Muranov, Chernyakov and Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Russia

Norton Rose LLP

Safety Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

O’Gradys, Solicitors

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate, Commercial, Wealth Management, Property, Litigation Services, Bankruptcy and Taxation - Ireland

Oliver Wyman

Advisory Firm of the Year - Financial Services Industries - United Kingdom

Oppenheim

Competition Law Firm of the Year - Hungary

Cabinet M. Oproiu

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Romania

Orangefield Legis

Hedge Fund Administrator of the Year - Channel Islands

Fund Administration Specialist of the Year - Guernsey

Fund Administrator of the Year - Offshore

Osborne Clarke

Energy and Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Ospelt & Partner Attorneys at Law

Law Firm of the Year - International - Liechtenstein

Osprey Capital Limited

Seed Investor Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

OST Energy Limited

Renewable Energy Advisory Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Oxford Consulting Associates LLP

Consultancy of the Year - Healthcare - United Kingdom

P+P Pöllath & Partners

Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year - Germany

PATENTSHIP Patentanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Telecommunications Patents Law Firm of the Year - Germany

14

Law Firm of the Year - Patents - Germany

IP Litigation Law Firm of the Year / IP Lawyer of the Year - Germany

Pavia E Ansaldo

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation - Italy

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration - Italy

Penev LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Telecoms and Media - Bulgaria

Penkov, Markov & Partners

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Bulgaria

Law Firm of the Year - Company - Bulgaria

www.kmhmediagroup.com

69


Index

PAGE

Pekin & Pekin

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, M&A and Tax - Turkey

Platinum Partners GmbH

Cross-Border M&A Advisory Firm of the Year - Germany

Poledna Boss Kurer AG

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - Insolvency - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Switzerland

Pollyanna Capital Partners

Firm of the Year - Mergers, Acquisitions & Disposals - Russia

Firm of the Year - Debt Financing - Russia

Prager Dreifuss Ltd

Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Sustainability Private Equity Adviser of the Year - Global

70

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Business Continuity Management Consulting Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

71

PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

Private Equity Advisory Firm of the Year - Germany

72

QUADRIGA CAPITAL

Private Equity Firm of the Year - Germany

73

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Large Tier - IP Law Firm of the Year - Germany

Intellectual Property & Patents Law Firm of the Year - Germany

Cabinet Ratheaux

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate, M&A, Tax and Labour Law - France

ROCG

Profit Enhancement Consulting Firm of the Year - Ireland

Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & partners, o.p., d.o.o.

Full Service Lawyer of the Year - Slovenia - ALEŠ ROJS

Ruben Peeters

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Belgium

Russell Advocaten

Medium-Sized Law Firm of the Year - M&A - The Netherlands

Medium-Sized Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - The Netherlands

Medium-Sized Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - The Netherlands

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Environmental - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Anti-Corruption - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - PPP - Austria

Schalast Schmidt Rechtsanwälte

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Germany

Law Firm of the Year - Private Equity - Germany

74

Schindhelm Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Germany schmid-ip

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property and Trademarks - Austria

Sensimed AG

Company of the Year - Switzerland

Shawbrook Bank Limited

Invoice Discounter of the Year - United Kingdom

SIA Group

Asset Disposal Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Plant & Property Valuation Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Corporate Insolvency Advisor of the Year - United Kingdom

Smart HR Solutions Limited

HR Consultancy of the Year - Isle of Man

Sorainen

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Baltic Region

Soteris Pittas & Co LLC

Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Corporate & Commercial - Cyprus

Squire Patton Boggs Moscow LLC

Law Firm of the Year - Mining - Russia

SRS Advogados

Law Firm of the Year - Company & Commercial - Portugal

SRS Advogados

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Governance - Portugal

Stelios Americanos & Co

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Cyprus

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial - Cyprus

Sterling X-AG

VDR Provider of the Year - Global

Studio Legale Sutti

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Litigation - Italy

Italy - International Commercial Litigation Advisory Firm of the Year

Szabó Kelemen & Partners Law Office

Corporate Lawyer of the Year - Hungary

Dynamic Law Firm of the Year - Hungary

2, 3, 4 and 5

75

76

15


Index

Tavernier Tschanz

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Finance and M&A - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Switzerland

Law Firm of the Year - Banking - Switzerland

Thomas & Thomas Partners LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Licensing - United Kingdom

Tomov & Tomov

Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Bulgaria

Transfer Pricing Services

Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year - Central Europe

Tughans

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Northern Ireland

ÜNLÜ & Co

Investment Bank of the Year - Turkey

PAGE

77

Valente Associati Studio Legale Tributario GEB Partners Law Firm of the Year - Transfer Pricing - Italy

Tax Firm of the Year - Italy

Valteq GmbH

Consultancy Firm of the Year - Corporate Finance - Germany

Consultancy Firm of the Year - Due Diligence - Germany

Consultancy Firm of the Year - Asset Management - Germany

Vanbelle Advocatenkantoor Cabinet D’ Avocats

International Tax Law Firm of the Year - Belgium

Law Firm of the Year - Company Law - Belgium

Van Oers Corporate Finance

Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year - The Netherlands

79

VAYANOS KOSTOPOULOS Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property Law - Greece

80

Versus lögmenn

Law Firm of the Year - Criminal - Iceland

Vilau and Mitel

Law Firm of the Year - Romania

78

VVGB Advocaten

Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Belgium

Rechtsanwalt Wamser

Law Firm of the Year - Criminal Law - Germany

Walker Morris LLP

David Hinchliffe - Sports Lawyer of the Year - United Kingdom

Wedlake Bell LLP

Competition Law Firm of the Year - England

81

Welcome Real Time SAS

Niche Solutions Provider of the Year - Retail Banking - Global

82

White & Black

Law Firm of the Year - Venture Capital - United Kingdom

Wildgen, Partners in Law

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Luxembourg

WILKINSON CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS LTD

Fire Safety Specialists of the Year - United Kingdom

Willheim Müller Rechtsanwälte

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - Competition Intellectual Property - Austria

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Austria

Wollen Michelmore Solicitors

Licensing Law Firm of the Year - England

Yamaner & Yamaner Hukuk Bürosu / Law Office

Company Formations Advisor of the Year - Turkey

Yehuda Raveh & Co

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Europe

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Europe

Zepos & Yannopoulos

Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year - Greece

North America

Agilith Capital Inc.

16

Fund Management Firm of the Year - Canada

Arias, Meurinne, y Rodríguez, S.C.

Tax Litigator of the Year - Mexico

Arifa

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Panama

Arochi, Marroquín & Lindner

Law Firm of the Year - Advertising - Mexico

AT&T

Company of the Year - North America

Baker & McKenzie Abogados, S.C.

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Tax - Mexico

Bartholomew & Wasznicky LLP

Collaborative Law Firm of the Year - California, USA

Bennett Jones SLP

Law Firm of the Year - Full Service - Canada

Bennett Jones LLP

Internet & E-Commerce Law Firm of the Year

Bingham McCutchen LLP

Law Firm of the Year -Banking Litigation - North America

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency - North America

Law Firm of the Year - Debt Capital Markets - North America

Law Firm of the Year - Securitization - North America

Brito Anderson

Mexico - Administrative Law Firm of the Year

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP H. James Wulfsberg

Law Firm of the Year - Construction Law - California, USA Lawyer of the Year - Construction Law - California, USA

www.kmhmediagroup.com

86 - 87


Index

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Product Liability - Canada

Cervantes Sainz

Law Firm of the Year - Employment - Mexico

Chapman Tripp

M&A Law Firm of the Year - North America

Consortium Centro América Abogados

Law Firm of the Year - Due Diligence - El Salvador

DIAZ REUS, LLP

White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year - Florida - USA

Dickinson Wright PLLC

Gaming Law Advisory Firm of the Year - USA

Dobrusin Thennisch PC

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - United States of America

Dolus Advisors

Fraud and White Collar Crime Advisory Firm of the Year - United States of America

Dumont Bergman Bider & Co., S.C.

Trademark Lawyer of the Year - Mexico

PAGE

90

Ernst & Young LLP

Transaction Dispute Resolution Advisory Firm of the Year - Global

Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - Global

Transaction Risk Advisory Firm of the Year/Advisor of the Year (Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services)/Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - USA

Fitzpatrick & Co

Law Firm of the Year - Mediation - Canada

Fortis Law Partners LLC

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Colorado, USA

Fragomen Worldwide

Business Immigration Lawyer of the Year - Canada

Fund Tax Services

US Alternative Investment Tax Firm of the Year

Goodrich Riquelme Asociados

IP Law Firm of the Year - Mexico

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Securities - North America

Law Firm of the Year - Real Estate - North America

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Mexico

GTCR LLC

Private Equity Firm of the Year - Information Services & Technology - North America

HANDLER THAYER, LLP

Large Tier - Estate Law Firm of the Year - Illinois, USA

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP

Ross P. Lanzafame - Best New York Lawyer - Healthcare - USA

Hill, Farrer & Burrill LLP

Daniel J. McCarthy - Best Lawyer - Debtors’ & Creditors Rights - USA

Merchant & Gould P.C.

Lawyer of the Year - Intellectual Property Litigation - USA

Herrick, Feinstein LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Asset Management - United States of America

J.A. Treviño Abogados

Law Firm of the Year - Financing - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - International Business - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Mexico

Jennifer Jones & Partners

Best Communications Firm - Venture Capital - North America

Best Communications Firm - Private Equity Industries - North America

Kawa Capital Management

US Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund of the Year

KLEIN LAWYERS LLP

Best in Auto Accidents - Canada

KSi Mexico

Accountancy Firm of the Year - Mexico

Corporate Recovery Accountancy Firm of the Year - Mexico

Ladas & Parry LLP

US - Patents Law Firm of the Year in New York

Law Office Of NiaLena Caravasos, LLC

US - White Collar Law Firm of the Year in Pennsylvania

Niehaus

Law Firm of the Year - Immigration - Costa Rica

Law Office of Paul W. Reidl

Law Firm of the Year - Trademark Law - United States of America

Lisiten Associates Business Brokers

Business Broker of the Year - North America

Lommen Abdo, P.A.

Phil Cole - Professional Liability Litigation Attorney of the Year - Minnesota, USA

Maalouf Ashford & Talbot LLP

International Trade & Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA

M&A Law Firm of the Year - USA

Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - USA

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - USA

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - USA

Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA

Shipping & Maritime Law Firm of the Year - USA

Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA

Tax Law Firm of the Year - USA

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - USA

Cross Border Law Firm of the Year - USA

International Law Firm of the Year - USA

Mining Law Firm of the Year - USA

88 - 89

91

92

93

96 94 - 95

17


Index

18

Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - USA

Securities Law Firm of the Year - USA

Litigation & Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - USA

Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year - USA

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA

Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - USA

Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year - USA

Renewable Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA

Asset Management Law Firm of the Year - USA

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - China

Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - China

Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - China

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - China

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon

Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Overseas Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Overseas International Finance Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - UAE

International Finance Law Firm of the Year - UAE

M&A Law Firm of the Year - UAE

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Russia

M&A Law Firm of the Year - Russia

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Russia

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain

Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain

MARVIN J. HUBERMAN, LL. B., LL. M.

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Arbitration - Canada

McColl Partners

Independent Investment Bank of the Year - North America

McKool Smith

Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - North America

MOI Solicitors | McCullough O’Connor Irwin LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Private Equity - Canada

Molo Lamken LLP

Supreme Court Law Firm of the Year - Washington DC, USA

Cross-Border White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year - New York, USA

Müggenburg, Gorches y Peñalosa, S.C.

Law Firm of the Year Administrative & Constitutional, Commercial and Intellectual Property - Mexico

Ogier

Law Firm of the Year - Investment Funds - Cayman Islands

Oscós Abogados

Law Firm of the Year - Insolvency - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - Cross Border - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - Energy - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration - Mexico

Law Firm of the Year - International Litigation - Mexico

Osha Liang LLP

Intellectual Property Advisory Firm of the Year - Texas - USA

Pardini & Asociados

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Litigation - Panama

ParrisWhittaker

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - The Bahamas

ParrisWhittaker

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation - The Bahamas

ParrisWhittaker

Law Firm of the Year - Shipping & Maritime - The Bahamas

www.kmhmediagroup.com

PAGE

97


Index

PC Capital

Firm of the Year - Private Equity - Mexico

Firm of the Year - Investment Banking - Mexico

Pegasus Intellectual Capital Solutions

Investment Banking Boutique of the Year - North America

Phalanx Capital Management, LLC

US Multi-Strategy Firm of the Year

PAGE

Portilla Ruy-Díaz y Aguilar S.C Abogados Mexico Company Formations Law Firm of the Year Rivera Gaxiola y Asociados, S.C.

Law Firm of the Year - Civil Litigation - Mexico

Rosenbaum IP, P.C.

Law Firm of the Year - Patents - Illinois, USA

Sadis & Goldberg LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Private Funds - North America

Seward & Kissel LLP

Law Firm of the Year - Shipping and Maritime - North America

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Employment Law Firm of the Year - Global

Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

Lawyer of the Year - Employment - United States of America

Solon Group, Inc.

Corporate Governance Advisory Firm of the Year - USA

VÁZQUEZ ALDANA, HERNÁNDEZ GÓMEZ / ASOCIADOS

Leading Law Firm of the Year M&A, Contract, Banking & Securities, Real Estate and Corporate Transactions - Mexico

Vazquez, Sierra & Garcia, S.C.

Law Firm of the Year - Mining - Mexico

Viscogliosi Bros. LLC

Medical Merchant Banking Firm of the Year - Global

Walker & Peskind, PLLC

Law Firm of the Year - Labour and Employment - United States of America

Wells Fargo & Company

Best Bank of the Year - Insurance Trust - Global

Willis Global Energy

Energy Risk Management Consulting Firm of the Year - Canada

Winthrop Couchot Professional Corporation Richard H Golubow - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year - California, USA

98

100 102 - 103

101

104

South America

Almeida Guzmán & Asociados

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Ecuador

A. Pizarro & Cia. Abogados

Law Firm of the Year - Labour & Employment Law - Chile

Bufete Aguirre Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Banking & Finance - Bolivia

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Bolivia

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Bolivia

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - Bolivia

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation & Arbitration - Bolivia

Bustamante & Bustamante Law Firm

Ecuador Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year - Ecuador

CorreaGubbins

Chile - Environment Law Firm of the Year

Dantas, Lee, Brock & Camargo Advogados Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Brazil David Do Nascimento

Patents Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Di Blasi Parente & Associados

Law Firm of the Year - PCT - Brazil

Estudio Jurídico Otero

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Chile

Law Firm of the Year - Labour - Chile

Law Firm of the Year - Employment - Chile

EY Brazil

Human Capital Advisory Firm of the Year - Brazil

Koury Lopes Advogados

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Tax - Brazil

Law Firm of the Year - M&A - Brazil

Law Firm of the Year - Regulatory Communications - Brazil

Lobo & de Rizzo Advogados

Law Firm of the Year - Project Finance - Brazil

Moraes Pitombo Advogados

White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Quiñones Cruz Ltda

Law Firm of the Year - Tax - Colombia

Rocha e Barcellos Advogados

Labour Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Zancaner Costa, Bastos e Spiewak Advogados

Law Firm of the Year - Life Sciences - Brazil

19


Africa

AFRICA

20

www.kmhmediagroup.com


Africa

Erriah Chambers

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Mauritius

22

21


Africa Corporate Law Firm of the Year

ERRIAH CHAMBERS was set up in response to the demand for Mauritius-based lawyers with international exposure and specialized expertise in the fields of International tax law, International trusts law, International Business laws, and all aspect of offshore business activities. The Chambers specialises in International Trust, International Finance, Banking Law, Shipping Law, Aircraft Finance and Leasing, Project Finance, Corporate & Commercial Law, Litigation and cross border insolvency, tracing and debts recovery, enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, arrest of foreign vessels, drafting of transactional documents. ERRIAH CHAMBERS acts as legal adviser and legal consultant to various banks, corporate clients and High Net Wealth Individuals in Mauritius and internationally. More than 80% of the Chamber’s practice involves advising international clients, multinational enterprises, international law firms, the top ten international accountant firms, management companies, domestic and international banks. The Chambers is also involved in setting up of various investment funds with very complexed structures in India, various jurisdictions in Africa, and China etc. The Chambers provides litigation services, advice and legal opinions on any aspect of the laws of Mauritius, international tax planning, domestic taxation, import and export services, all cross-border transaction, hotel industry and construction law, international investments, international trusts law. Erriah Chambers is headed by Dev Erriah and consists of a team of nine barristers and has associateship with many foreign law firms. The Firm is also a member of LEX Africa - Africa’s First Legal Network for 2014.

The Firm has until now won the following Awards: 1. Acquisition International Legal Awards 2011 - Erriah Chambers Mauritian Corporate Law Firm of the Year; 2. Chambers and Partners 2012 - Dev Erriah - Leading Lawyer in General Business Law 3. Chambers and Partners 2012 - Erriah Chambers Leading Firm in General Business Law 4. Capital Finance International - Erriah Chambers Best Law Firm Africa 5. World Finance Legal Awards 2012 - Dev Erriah Best Tax Consultant, Mauritius 6. World Finance Legal Awards 2012 - Erriah Chambers Best Tax Firm, Mauritius 7. ACQ Global Awards 2012 - Erriah Chambers Corporate Law Firm of the year, Mauritius 8. Finance Monthly Global Awards 2012- Erriah Chambers International Tax Law Firm of the Year, Mauritius. 9. ACQ Global Awards 2013(ACQ5) - Erriah Chambers Corporate Law Firm of the year, Mauritius

Address: Erriah Chambers, 2nd Floor, Hennessy Court Cnr of Pope Hennessy & Suffren Streets, Port Louis 11325, Mauritius Tel: (230) 208 2220 / (230) 208 3220 Fax: (230) 212 6967 Email: deverriah@intnet.mu / eclaw@orange.mu Website: www.erriahchambers.com

22

Mauritius 10. Chambers and Partners 2014 - Dev Erriah Leading Lawyer in General Business Law 11. Chambers and Partners 2014 - Erriah Chambers Leading Firm in General Business Law 12. ACQ Global Awards 2014(ACQ5) - Erriah Chambers (Lex Africa) Leading M&A Advisory Firm of the Year 13. Fenice Media - Corporate Live Wire - Most Outstanding Corporate Law Firm Mauritius - Innovation & Excellence Awards 2015 14. Acquisition International 2016 Most Innovative Law Firm in Mauritius. 15. ACQ5 - ACQ Law Awards 2016 - Erriah Chambers Mauritius - Corporate Law Firm of the Year 16. M & A Today - Global Award 2016 - Erriah Chambers Mauritius - Corporate Law Firm of the Year.

Individual Profile Dev Erriah graduated in the UK and holds LLM in international tax law, Company law, law of International Finance and International Trusts from the University of London. Dev Erriah worked for a number of years in England and did his pupilage with Philip Baker QC at Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers. Dev Erriah was the first Chairman of STEP Mauritius (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) respectively. He is also a member of the International Bar Association and forms part of Committees N (TAX) and E (Banking).

Areas of Practice: Commercial Litigation • Represented Standard Chartered Bank (Mauritius) Limited in a commercial litigation for enforcement of various securities given in favour of the bank; • Telecom Italia for Insolvency Matters Overseas Litigation • Rhodes Trustees VS Dena Gamble & Ors C.A. No. 11 of 2014 (Final Court of Appeal) - Seychelles; • Appleby Trust (Mauritius) Limited & Other vs Ms Cristina Crociani/ Mrs. Camilla Crociani Anor - Privy Council. Recent Aircraft Finance & Leasing & Project Finance (1) Compagnie Française d’Assurance pour le Commerce Extérieur (COFACE); (2) Billund Transaction - Billund Mauritius Leasing 2 Limited ATR 72-600 MSN 1032, MSN 1023, MSN 1041, MSN 999, MSN 995 with Air Nostrum , Deutsche Bank and Clifford Chance LLP; and (3) Air Asia (Mauritius) Limited - Financing and Leasing of Airbus A320-200 bearing MSN 5344, 5812, 5762, 5866, 5851, 5839, 5918, 4979, 4098, 4964, 4917 & others. (4) Akara/Kingsgate - Asia Gold Ltd’s - Investec Bank Credit Finance - King & Wood Mallesons (5) Represented Bayport Management Ltd in connection with a USD 250 Million Loan from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (“OPIC”) a US government development finance institution. • Key Client: Air Asia, Linklaters, Standard Chartered Bank, Clifford Chance, Investec Bank, Yes Bank Limited, White & Case Ltd, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Dentons UKMEA LLP, Enko Capital Management (Pty) Limited, OPIC International Work: All aspects of Global/Offshore business laws banking, Finance and Project, Commercial litigation; Corporate & Commercial, Trust, Tax and International Tax; International Trust Litigation.

Erriah Chambers

www.kmhmediagroup.com


International - Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year

Kenya

23


Asia and The Middle East

Mr. Hassan Mohsen Elhais - Al Rowaad Advocates & Legal Consultancy Criminal Lawyer of the Year and Family Lawyer of the Year - United Arab Emirates

24

26

Herzog Fox & Neeman

Law Firm of the Year - Israel

Karanjawala & Company

Law Firm of the Year - Litigation - India

27

Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Litigation - Indonesia

30

Rich IP & Co.

Boutique - Patent Law Firm of the Year - Taiwan

30

www.kmhmediagroup.com

28 - 29


Asia and The Middle East

ASIA & THE MIDDLE EAST

Singh & Singh Lall & Sethi

Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property - India

35

WAKHARIYA & WAKHARIYA |

Advocates & Solicitors Cross-Border Transactions Firm of the Year - India

36

Yuasa and Hara

Osamu Yamamoto - Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year - Japan 37

Zhong Lun Law Firm

Ms. Jihong Wang - Construction Lawyer of the Year – China

38

Deep & Far

IP Law Firm of the Year - Taiwan

39

25


Asia and The Middle East Family Lawyer of the Year Criminal Lawyer of the Year

United Arab Emirates

With over 10 years' extensive experience practising as a legal consultant, Mr Hassan Mohsen Elhais has a wealth of knowledge and experience within the legal sector. Mr Elhais is committed in delivering the best possible legal solutions through his varied expertise which includes, amongst other things, arbitration, banking law, commercial law, company law, criminal law, family law, extraditions, inheritance law, the incorporation of companies, labour law and maritime law. With significant experience in the UAE local market, Mr Elhais specialises in drafting statements of claim, memos, replies and legal opinions for both corporate and individual clients. Email: hassan@professionallawyer.me Tel: +971 4 355 8000, Fax: +971 4 355 2121 Mobile: +971 50 506 5861 (SMS only) Web: www.professionallawyer.me

After qualifying as a lawyer in his native Egypt within the field of criminal and public law, Mr Elhais has practiced as a Legal Consultant in Dubai since 2005. Working exclusively with Al Rowaad Advocates & Legal Consultancy, Mr. Elhais is an effective leader of the company, the spokesperson and driving force. Hassan has a strong ethical stance with regards to the place of the law firm and its work on behalf of its clients, from clarity on the legal processes through to the fee system. Specialising in the drafting of all statements of claim, memos and consultation on litigation of all manner, Mr. Elhais has worked his way through the ranks of Al Rowaad Advocates from joining as a legal advisor to his current role as Senior Partner at Al Rowaad Advocates & Legal Consultancy. He has drafted and supervised drafting in more than 5000 cases in all areas of law over the past decade.

26

Mr. Elhais has attended various international and European conferences in France, Germany, Czech Republic and Hong Kong as a guest speaker on topics as varied as real estate, business administration and professional issues. With over 10 years’ extensive experience practising as a legal consultant, Mr Hassan Mohsen Elhais has a wealth of knowledge and experience within the legal sector. Mr Elhais is committed in delivering the best possible legal solutions through his varied expertise which includes, amongst other things, arbitration, banking law, commercial law, company law, criminal law, family law, extraditions, inheritance law, the incorporation of companies, labour law and maritime law. With significant experience in the UAE local market, Mr Elhais specialises in drafting statements of claim, memos, replies and legal opinions for both corporate and individual clients.

www.kmhmediagroup.com


Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year - Litigation

Mr. R. N. Karanjawala Mr. R.N. Karanjawala is the educational bi-product of St. Columbus School, Delhi and was conferred with the degree of Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from the Sri Ram College of Commerce where he was also the College Union President. Mr. Karanjawala studied at the Government Law College in Bombay before setting up Karanjawala & Co. along with Mrs. Manik Karanjawala in 1983. Mr. Karanjawala has authored the India Chapter for The Litigation Review, an annual guide to developments in Dispute Resolution in the most significant jurisdictions worldwide, designed to help counsel and private practitioners navigate the complexities of foreign or transnational disputes. Mr. Karanjawala was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) by the Amity University in 2014. Mr. Karanjawala is an experienced practitioner in the field of Dispute Resolution and has serviced a wide variety of clients from ordinary litigants to royal families, politicians, corporate houses and the largest media companies.

Karanjawala & Co. Karanjawala & Company was founded in 1983 by Mr. Raian Karanjawala and Mrs. Manik Karanjawala, and operates today out of two offices in New Delhi with eight partners and a strength of about 70 lawyers at present. The firm over the years has come to dominate the litigation landscape and has serviced a wide variety of clients from ordinary litigants to royal families, politicians, corporate houses and the largest media companies. The firm has also been engaged before various Commissions of Inquiry setup in India to investigate politically sensitive events that have occurred which the government felt were of sufficient importance to merit the appointment of a special commission of inquiry. Over the years, the firm has developed a very strong arbitration and mediation practice. The firm features in over 520 reported judgments of the Supreme Court and has filed and dealt with more than 21,000 matters till date. Though historically, the firm’s practice began with a predominant Supreme Court and High Court emphasis, it has today expanded in a manner which ensures that it has a presence in all the subordinate courts and tribunals in the NCR, including: District Courts, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, National Green Tribunal, Company Law Board, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, Competition Address: 9th Floor, Hindustan Times House, 18- 20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi - 110001, India Tel: +91 11 435 88888 Email: karanjawala@karanjawala.in Website: karanjawala.in

India

Appellate Tribunal, National Consumer Disputes’ Redressal Commission, State Consumer Disputes’ Redressal Commission, Appellate Authority of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction, Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction, Debt Recovery Tribunals & Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal, etc. The approach of the firm is reflected in its working creed. The firm believes in thought-through advice, effective and expeditious execution, and competitive and cost effective pricing. The firm’s pragmatism and all round professionalism has been highly valued by clients. Also, the client is always that of the firm and never of an individual; and therefore the most optimum and client friendly utilisation of talent is assured. The Firm has appeared in several high profile cases representing well-established corporate houses and high profile individuals. The firm acts as the principal Firm for litigation for India’s largest Real Estate Company- DLF Ltd. The firm acts as a Retainer for Yes Bank, India’s fifth largest private sector Bank. The firm represents many large Indian multinational conglomerates, such as the Adani Group, Hindustan Times, Tata Group, Proctor and Gamble. The Firm advises Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia, on various disputes related to the succession to the sovereign estate. The firm represents Coca Cola before the National Green Tribunal. The Firm represents ANI Technologies [OLA Cabs] in a multi-layer litigation initiated by Association of Radio Taxis and PIL Petitioners. The Firm represents the interests of Mr. Naveen Jindal in the Indian Coal Allocation Scam. The Firm represents Tata Steel in a matter pertaining to the potential closure of five key mines of Tata Steel. The Firm successfully represented Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd. in an Arbitration Petition against NHAI, before the Delhi High Court. The Firm successfully represented GVK EMRI in a Writ Petition filed against them before the Supreme Court, challenging a multi-core contract which had been awarded to it. The Firm represents Air Asia International Ltd. and Tata Singapore Airlines in a series of litigation which began with a PIL filed by Dr. Subramanian Swamy. The Firm represents GMR in a series of matters including the arbitration against NHAI pertaining to the GMR Kishangarh-UdaipurAhmedabad Expressways. The firm represents Tecnimont, a well-known Italian multinational company, in an international commercial arbitration, arising out of a contractual dispute with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

R.N. Karanjawala Managing Partner

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Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year

Israel

Over the past 40 years, Herzog Fox & Neeman (“HFN”) has grown to become Israel’s premier law firm, earning a reputation as market leader through its involvement in every major development that has shaped the Israeli Economy. Since its founding, as a boutique firm for international clients doing business in Israel, HFN continues to be the law firm of choice for prominent multinational companies. HFN’s unrivalled experience in cross-border and domestic matters enables it to address clients’ legal needs across all industries. HFN is Israel’s most diverse law firm, with over 270 lawyers of whom more than 100 are partners. The firm has some of the brightest legal minds in the profession, possessing both intimate knowledge of local markets and a clear understanding of global business. HFN employs over 50 dual-qualified and foreign-born lawyers who have worked at leading firms in the USA, the UK and Australia. In keeping with the firm’s global perspective, the majority of HFN’s business is conducted in English, and lawyers work closely with leading firms in jurisdictions around the world.

Our Expertise HFN’s clients range from private individuals to hi-tech companies, multinational corporations, local and foreign banks and financial institutions, government entities, venture capital and investment funds and others. Many of the referrals to HFN come from leading law firms around the world, with whom HFN enjoys very strong relations. HFN is a full-service international law firm, offering the entire range of legal expertise in the corporate, commercial and tax arenas. The firm’s lawyers are divided into more than 50 practice groups, each staffed with specialist lawyers. The ability of the firm to provide the highest level of legal service,

in mainstream areas of legal activity as well as numerous specialist and niche practice areas, is at the core of HFN’s firm personality. It is this diversification that enables the firm to consistently set the highest standard of legal service in Israel in each practice area.

Commitment to Excellence HFN’s commitment to excellence is reflected in its prominent status in all major international and domestic publications. Both HFN and many lawyers within the firm have received top-tier rankings for consecutive years in almost all major practice areas in leading directories including: The European Legal 500, Chambers Global, IFLR 1000, PLC Which Lawyer, BDI and Dun’s 100. HFN is the most highly ranked amongst all Israeli law firms.

Forging New Paths HFN is proud to announce the opening of its Silicon Valley Representative Office. Since the establishment of our firm, HFN has been a bridge between the business communities in Israel and the USA. We have accompanied global corporations investing and establishing operations in Israel, and more recently we have accompanied Israeli entrepreneurs expanding their business operations into the USA and elsewhere. The close economic and cultural ties between Israel and Silicon Valley have made the Bay Area the single most important commercial center for the booming Israeli technology community. We are delighted to be increasing our active role in that community by establishing a Representative Office in Silicon Valley, to provide a direct, real-time line of communication between our Tel Aviv office, our clients and the wider Silicon Valley community.

Contact us: Herzog Fox & Neeman Address: Asia House, 4 Weizmann St., Tel Aviv 6423904, Israel Tel: +972 3 692 2020 Fax: +972 3 696 6464 Email: hfn@hfn.co.il Website: www.hfn.co.il Blog: www.unfolding.co.il Twitter: @hfnlaw

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Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year

Israel

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Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Litigation

Boutique - Patent Law Firm of the Year

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Indonesia

Taiwan


Asia and The Middle East

Singapore

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Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions

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India


Asia and The Middle East Firm of the Year - Tax

The Philippines

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Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year - Aviation Law

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India


Asia and The Middle East Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property

India

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Asia and The Middle East Cross-Border Transactions Firm of the Year

India

WAKHARIYA & WAKHARIYA ADVOCATES & SOLICITORS

Wakhariya & Wakhariya, Advocates & Solicitors, is a full service law firm with a unique pedigree. Shabbir S. Wakhariya - an Indian lawyer qualified and trained in Mumbai and New York - founded the Firm in 1998, bringing with him internationally recognized best practices from his experience at a New York law firm and his post-graduate (LL.M.) education at Duke University School of Law. The Firm’s legacy is derived from and is a continuation of the ethos of hard work, integrity and practical advice for which Shabbir’s father, Saifuddin N. Wakhariya, was known all his life in Mumbai’s (and some say even India’s) legal circles. Hard work, integrity and practical advice continue to be the guiding principles on which the Firm’s representation of clients is based. The Firm represents a diverse segment of international and national clients providing strategic Indian law advice. In addition, Shabbir volunteers considerable time in advising charitable institutions on legal issues. Shabbir’s passion for quality legal advice over the past almost 30 years is reflected in the warmth of the words of the Firm’s clients and friends, quoted below: Shabbir is a wonderful lawyer - he is smart, creative, hardworking and principled. He is admitted to practice law both in India and in the USA, which is a rare combination. I would trust him with any legal matter that I had. H. Thomas Davis - Partner at Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP Shabbir is a highly experienced law professional who is meticulous with detail whilst being able to keep the high level objective in mind. He is business oriented and well versed in relevant laws and procedures and has a very good track record in the market. Simen Munter - General Manager Group Hubs at ANZ Shabbir has a great sense of evaluating a legal situation from multiple perspectives and provide solutions which have high probability of closing the issue with a win - win approach including great focus on risk mitigation. I have worked extensively with Shabbir on various business issues including Joint Venture formation, acquisition, litigation and various business deals and collaboration agreement and each one of them Shabbir has added tremendous value. Masood Alam - Country Head Vaccines at Pfizer (formerly at Novartis Vaccines)

Address: Tel: Fax: Email:

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810 Maker Chambers V 221 Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021 India + 91.22.2283.5253 + 91.22.2283.5255 shabbir@wakhariya.com

Shabbir is very smart, effective and gets the big picture. James Saunders - Senior Managing Director at Newmark Shabbir is excellent at International Law, having thorough knowledge and experience in the field. A good human being and a friend in need. S.B. Jalan - Chief Executive at Gemini Studios & Innovations Private Limited I have known Shabbir for over six years. Shabbir is extremely knowledgeable in his field and works diligently to seek favorable resolutions. Shabbir is articulate, smart and brings great judgment and integrity to his matters. I confidently recommend him. Ananth Nayak - Co-Founder & CEO at Prescient Legal Services Pvt.Ltd. In-depth knowledge of the subject matter, eye for detail, punctuality and creative thoughts with implementation strategies provides clients associated with Shabbir Wakhariya the experience of a cutting edge legal advice. He has solutions for the problems that clients approach him with. Khozema Anajwalla - Partner, KNAV-International Tax, Audit & Business Advisory Services Firm

Shabbir S. Wakhariya, B.A., LL.B. (India); LL.M. (USA) India, New York, England & Wales

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Asia and The Middle East Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year

Our firm was established by Judge Toyotaro Yuasa in 1902. After undergoing several name changes, our firm was named YUASA and HARA in 1972. Since the early days of the firm, provision of an international service for both Japanese and foreign clients has been at the core of our legal and intellectual property practice. YUASA and HARA is organized into four divisions: Law, Patent, Trademark & Design, and Accounting & Auditing. YUASA and HARA has unprecedented expertise across all relevant legal and technical fields, and provides seamless integration of intellectual property protection, business law, and accounting.

Patent Division / Chemical Section The firm’s Patent Division is organized into three sections: Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical. The Chemical Section has 27 patent attorneys, and covers all areas of chemistry. The Chemical Section includes a strong core contingent of biotechnology and pharmaceutical experts, consisting of 17 exceptionally experienced patent attorneys, each of whom has extensive background experience in biotechnology and/ or pharmaceuticals; with a number of the patent attorneys holding higher degrees such as PhDs in their field.

Japan

result of his background, he is keenly aware of the necessity for a patent strategy to be compatible with research and commercial development, and in his work he strives to provide effective protection for a client’s invention accordingly. Mr. Yamamoto has represented a variety of companies in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and food/beverages. He is experienced in all aspect of patent issues, including filing patent applications, dealing with JPO actions, providing expert opinions, defending or attacking patent rights in invalidation trials, and infringement litigation. Moreover, he also has wide experience in working in close strategic alliance with Japanese and US companies in the launch of new drugs in some counties. Mr. Yamamoto was chosen by Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2014 and 2015 as “Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year,” chosen by Corporate LiveWire Global Awards 2015 as “Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year,” and chosen by M&A Today Global Awards 2015 as “Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year.” He is listed in “Global Law Experts” as an expert in Patent Law in Japan.

Our firm’s Areas of expertise • Intellectual Property

Osamu Yamamoto

• Patent

Mr. Yamamoto is a patent attorney, and a partner of YUASA and HARA, and is the acting Chief of the Chemical Section.

• Utility model

Mr. Yamamoto has experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and worked in the field of development at a chemical company for around ten years before specializing in intellectual property. In particular, Mr. Yamamoto has worked in research into and development of bacterial production of a macromolecular sodium hyaluronate, and application thereof in injectable form for the treatment of knee joint pain arising from osteoarthritis. As a

Address: Section 206, New-Ohtemachi Building, 2-1, Ohtemachi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan Tel: +81-3-3270-6641 Fax: +81-3-3246-0233 Email: yamamoto-ch@yuasa-hara.co.jp Website: www.yuasa-hara.co.jp

• Trademark • Design • Copyright • Unfair Competition • Trade Secret • Corporate / M&A • Transaction / Contract

Osamu Yamamoto Partner

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Asia and The Middle East Construction Lawyer of the Year

Ms. Jihong Wang, a renowned urban construction legal expert, is Senior Partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm, a top-tier full service Chinese law firm with over 1600 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide. She leads a team that has won many awards and Deals of the Year, and was recently recognized as a 2016 Leading Lawyer by both Chambers and Legal 500. Ms. Wang has extensive experience in all PPP project legal aspects and over a decade focusing on investment, financing, construction and M&A within the infrastructure, real estate, environment, natural resources and energy industries. She advises Chinese and foreign clients on domestic and overseas PPP projects including expressways, railways, subways, bridges, airports, ports, docks, stadiums, oil, natural gas, water works, wastewater and sewage treatment, hazardous waste treatment, underground piping, power plants (thermal, nuclear, hydro, etc.), river training, land reclamation, municipal buildings, schools, and hospitals (totaling over RMB 300 billion in investment). Ms. Wang has represented clients in all types of real estate projects including the CCTV Headquarters, National Museum of China, and Beijing National Stadium. As one of the first attorneys to connect insurance funds with infrastructure and real estate projects, she has expertise in land development projects, urban project development, urbanization projects, and combining real estate projects with infrastructure as well as real estate development projects with land leveling. She is familiar with every stage of real estate projects including development model selection, financing, project company establishment, M&A, tendering and bidding, contract negotiation and execution, acquisition of land use rights, project claims and counterclaims, post-construction leasing and operation, and dispute resolution. Having begun her environmental, resources, and energy practice at an early stage in her career, Ms. Wang has been involved in all forms of environmental projects, and was/is

Address: Tel: Email:

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31/F, SK Tower, 6A Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, P.R.China (+86) 10 5957 2063 wangjihong@zhonglun.com

China

the legal advisor for the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, the China Environmental Protection Foundation, and several other domestic and foreign environmental organizations. She has participated in discussions and deliberations on several important environmental administrative and appellate cases including the Songhua River case as well as provided legal support throughout Beijing’s first environmental assessment hearing. She has advised on the financing, M&A, and dispute resolution aspects of various resources and energy projects. Energy clients include Chevron, China National Offshore Oil, China Gold International Resources, Sinochem, and the National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy. An active contributor to Chinese legislation, Ms. Wang has engaged in the drafting and revision of various key laws such as the Construction Law, Provisions on the Management of Construction Market, Environmental Protection Law, Atomic Energy Law, Air Pollution Prevention Law, Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, Renewable Energy Law, and Energy Conservation Law. Ms. Wang has also been the keynote speaker in various seminars held by PRC administrations such as Researching Several Legal Issues on Large-Scale Municipal Works Construction and Operation and Research Seminar on Administrative Discretion in Penalties for Nuclear Radiation Pollution. As a bidding evaluation expert, she has evaluated property transactions throughout China. She is an arbitrator for the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), and her publications include the China Engineering Construction Project Tendering and Bidding Guide and Practical Legal Manual for Urban Water Enterprises. Over the past few years, Ms. Wang has advised on cross-border projects in over a dozen countries including Australia, Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and the United States.

Ms. Jihong Wang

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Asia and The Middle East Intellectual Property

Taiwan

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Australasia

AUSTRALASIA

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Australasia

TaxCoach TM

Superannuation/Trusts Lawyer of the Year - Australia

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Australasia Australia

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Australasia Superannuation/Trusts Lawyer of the Year

Harry Rigney is an Australian legal practitioner and tax agent, providing professional service for clients in all Australian jurisdictions and Asia-Pacific. Harry is a recognised specialist in revenue law, graduated in Law (Honours First) from UTAS in 1978 and attended Harvard Law School for his LL.M. in 1979 as Menzies Scholar. He served as Associate for the late Everett J. in the Supreme Court of Tasmania in 1980, and has tutored, mentored and practised in tax, trusts and estate law since. His key services are in professional guidance for trustees and trust managers, accountancy advisors to trusts and estates, providing planning support, quality assurance and board governance support for fiduciary responsibilities. He has been National Tax Director for PKF, senior tax manager for PWC, and author of numerous articles and other texts. He is Convenor for Commercial Law and Tax for Trusts courses offered by The Tax Institute, and was founding chair of the National Education Advisory Board of The Tax Institute. He is a tax and superannuation writer for LexisNexis in Australia.

Email: taxcoach.live@gmail.com Twitter: @TaxCoachOz Website: www.taxcoach.com.au

Australia

Harry has been a registered tax agent continuously since 1982, he is a Chartered Tax Advisor and member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He has made contributions to tax policy and tax law drafting through participation in industry interaction with the Australian Taxation Office. Harry Rigney founded TaxCoach TM in Australia in 2001; the concept has been rolled out since around the globe by unrelated parties. TaxCoach TM delivers a portfolio of services for professionals and trustees: • TaxCoach ProCare: delivery of professional training programs, devised and developed by TaxCoach, aimed at building and supporting the levels of professional competency, as and when required but underpinned by regular sessions; • TaxCoach Mentor: delivery of direct access (telephone, email, in-person) for mentor support in client services; and • TaxCoach Accredit: entitlement to certified accreditation status as being professionally supported by TaxCoach

Harry HM Rigney

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Europe

AECOM Environmental Advisory Firm of the Year - United Kingdom 46 Afschrift Law Firm Tax Law Firm of the Year - Luxembourg Law Firm of the Year - Corporate Tax - Luxembourg Tax Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland 47 Aleksey Pukha and Partners Law Firm of the Year – Mergers & Acquisitions - Ukraine 48 Arthur D Little Management Consultancy Firm of the Year - Worldwide Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - Worldwide 49 Averian Global Business Advisory Services Firm of the Year United Kingdom and Ireland 50 Avondale Corporate Limited M&A - Adviser of the Year - United Kingdom 51 Bureau Van Dijk M&A Solutions Provider of the Year (Business Intelligence) - United Kingdom 52 Carlton Strategy Advisors Advisory Firm of the Year - Commercial Due Diligence United Kingdom 53, 54 and 55 Coller IP Intellectual Property Management and Evaluation Firm of the Year - United Kingdom 56 Dalla Verità & Partners Financial Planning Advisory Firm of the Year - Italy 57 DINAMIKI EPE International Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Greece 58 Endrös-Baum Associés Law Firm of the Year Product Liability and Industrial Risk - France 59 EthosData Limited Sustained Excellence in Data Room Services United Kingdom and USA Most User Friendly Dataroom - USA Data Room Provider of the Year - Spain & Asia Pacific 60 EY Luxembourg Cross Border Real Estate Advisory Firm of the Year Luxembourg 61 Fulcrum Chambers LLP Law Firm of the Year - Anti-Corruption - United Kingdom 62 Giambrone Studio Law Firm of the Year Legale Internazionale Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution - Italy 63 Leumi ABL Asset Based Lender of the Year - United Kingdom 64 LJRR Rechtsanwälte Jesch Racky Roitzsch Krause Partnerschaft Dr. Benno A. Packi - Lawyer of the Year mit beschränkter Berufshaftung Mergers & Acquisitions - Germany 65 Kesikli Hukuk Burosu / Kesıklı Law Fırm Law Firm of the Year - Construction & Energy - Turkey 66 OST Energy Limited Renewable Energy Advisory Firm of the Year United Kingdom 69 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Sustainability Private Equity Adviser of the Year - Global 70 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Business Continuity Management Consulting Firm of the Year United Kingdom 71 PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Private Equity Advisory Firm of the Year - Germany 72 QUADRIGA CAPITAL Private Equity Firm of the Year - Germany 73 ROCG Profit Enhancement Consulting Firm of the Year - Ireland 74

EUROPE

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Europe

SIA Group Smart HR Solutions Limited Squire Patton Boggs Moscow LLC Transfer Pricing Services Vanbelle Advocatenkantoor Cabinet D’ Avocats Van Oers Corporate Finance VAYANOS KOSTOPOULOS Law Firm Wedlake Bell LLP Welcome Real Time SAS

Asset Disposal Firm of the Year - United Kingdom 2, 3, 4 and 5 Plant & Property Valuation Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Corporate Insolvency Advisor of the Year - United Kingdom HR Consultancy of the Year - Isle of Man 75 Law Firm of the Year - Mining - Russia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year - Central Europe International Tax Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Law Firm of the Year - Company Law - Belgium Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year - The Netherlands

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Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property Law - Greece Competition Law Firm of the Year - England Niche Solutions Provider of the Year - Retail Banking - Global

80 81 82

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Europe Environmental Advisory Firm of the Year

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United Kingdom


Europe Tax Law Firm of the Year

AFSCHRIFT (Listed may times, among prominent corporations and firms worldwide, in www.worldfinance100.com) is a multi-awarded boutique law firm established in the first place in Brussels in 1994. Strong of an immediate success, the firm established offices in Antwerp, Geneva, Fribourg, Luxembourg, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. Thierry AFSCHRIFT, professor at the Free University of Brussels, one of the most well-know tax lawyers in Europe, is the founding and Managing partner of the firm. He is also, in Belgium, the founder and Chairman of the Tax Management School-Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management and deputy Judge at the Court of Appeal in Brussels. The clientele includes individuals, industrial and commercial companies, banks and estate companies, established in Switzerland or willing to establish/transfer their activities in the country, or even companies from abroad, in the most tax efficient way. The clientele can thus benefit of AFSCHRIFT’s expertise on European tax law, and specific knowledge of Swiss, Belgian, Luxembourgian, Spanish, Israeli and Hong Kong tax law.

Switzerland

The firm also participates in Switzerland to conferences on Swiss and international taxation. The firm’s Geneva and Fribourg offices office are, almost exclusively, active on international tax law, especially on tax optimization procedures and structures, as Switzerland’s one of the most interesting European financial places for investors and its tax regime is much more reasonable and business-friendly comparing to the one of the neighboring countries. The firm has adopted a boutique form, as tax consulting and litigation require an almost exclusive practice of the continuously changing tax law. Furthermore, this allows the firm to achieve a high level of confidentiality and a highly personalized service, and also to create a privileged client-attorney relationship, in order to provide services tailored to the client’s needs, personal/ corporate/geographical situation and country of residence or establishment. This is very important for the firm, as its main activity is tax consulting and patrimonial restructuring and planning, implicating the legal use Swiss or foreign structures in order to achieve tax optimization, whether it concerns direct or indirect taxation (inheritance and gift taxes).

AFSCHRIFT engages in all matters of international tax law, mergers and acquisitions, financial instruments and, especially, tax planning, as well as white collar crime cases.

Address: Barreau de Bruxelles/Brussels’s Bar Tel: +32.2.646.46.36 Email: spyridon.chatzigiannis@afschrift.com Website: www.afschrift.com

Spyridon CHATZIGIANNIS Avocat associé/Partner

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions

Aleksey Pukha and Partners Company is one of the leading Ukrainian law firms with worldwide business contacts. Company details are included in all official State Registries. The headquarters of the Company is located in Kyiv, in the heart of Ukrainian business. The Company is one of the most reputable organizations and professional associations, which include the Court of Arbitration, the Taxpayers Association of Ukraine, the Union of Lawyers of Ukraine, the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Ukrainian Bar Association. Aleksey Pukha is the managing partner of the company and the head of the Commission in Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and member of the Commission in International Chamber of Commerce and NGO Public Private Partnership Development Platform. Aleksey Pukha and Partners Company cooperates with USAID, the World Bank Group and IDLO within international research projects.

Ukraine

Aleksey Pukha and the Partners Company follows high standards of legal services and has vast experience in a wide range of industries and legal practices including agriculture, pharmaceutics, real estate and construction, media and communication, insurance, intellectual property, banking and finance, capital market, trade, energy and natural resources, automotive, oil and gas industry, hotel and restaurant industry, metallurgical industry, primary industry, transport, chemical and sport industry, public and private partnership. The Company also provides services for private clients on family law, surrogacy, adoption, divorce, representation and protection of interests, business decisions, contracts, real estate, migration, inheritance, taxation, licensing and criminal and civil law. The Company has many publications in the fields of bank law, labor, corporate, litigation, immigration, criminal, investment, inheritance, customs, agricultural, medical, family law, arbitration, intellectual property, M&A, patents and public private partnership.

Every day the Company provides legal services to international companies and individuals in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and North Africa. Annually, the Company contracts with clients worldwide and from all continents.

Address: 21 Patrisa Lumumby, St., office 416, Kiev Ukraine, 01042 Tel: +38 (044) 528 30 94 Fax: +38 (044) 528 30 54 Email: office@puhaipartnery.com.ua Website: www.puhaipartnery.com.ua/en/

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Aleksey Pukha partner

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Europe Management Consultancy Firm of the Year Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year

Worldwide

Arthur D. Little - Consultancy of choice Founded in 1886 as the world’s first management consultancy, Arthur D. Little has continually transformed business thinking and practice by applying its expertise in linking strategy, innovation and transformation. Today, Arthur D. Little helps our clients to achieve superior returns, while guiding companies to create growth, overcome challenges, and increase their efficiency and competitiveness in a globalized marketplace. The Arthur D. Little brand is synonymous with technological ingenuity, innovative thinking and problem solving, a reputation that stems from its involvement in some of the modern world’s greatest achievements and most important breakthroughs - these include putting the first man on the moon, the synthesis of penicillin, the development of electronic ticketing, and the creation of the NASDAQ stock exchange. The company remains at the cutting edge of developments affecting both the future of business and society, with recent studies examining M2M communication, changes to pharma business models and future urban mobility challenges. Arthur D. Little transaction teams provide independent, impartial and expert advice to ensure that appropriate strategies get developed and implemented, good deals get done, preparing and reviewing business plans for both vendors and acquirers. Our work focuses on the mid-term (rather than on forecasts for the current financial year) and is differentiated by our understanding of the commercial and technological environment, and by our aim to provide a quantitative assessment of identified risks and opportunities. ”Arthur D. Little is committed to deliver the best value-for-money and the most innovative services. We are proud to be recognized for our skills by investors worldwide and by M&A Today as the provider of choice to due diligence assignments as well as for our traditional management consultancy services” says Petter Kilefors, Arthur D. Little Nordic’s Managing Partner.

Address: Arthur D. Little AB Kungsgatan 12-14 107 25 Stockholm Sweden Tel: +46 8 50 30 65 00 Fax: +46 8 50 30 65 02 Website: www.adlittle.com

Petter Kilefors Managing Partner ADL Nordics kilefors.petter@adlittle.com +46 708 83 00 42

Jonas Fagerlund Associate Director fagerlund.jonas@adlittle.com +46 709 47 46 00

Rebecka Axelsson Wadman Manager axelsson-wadman.rebecka@adlittle.com +46 708 83 00 04

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Europe Business Advisory Services Firm of the Year

Firm Profile Averian Global was established in 2008 to meet the needs of clients undergoing organisational or strategic change. The firm has grown organically and through acquisition (most recently Bridgewater Management in Ireland) to become one of the leading consulting firms in Europe and the Middle East offering Strategic, Technical and Solution Consulting to clients of all sizes. Averian Global now helps meet the needs of the world’s largest companies experiencing strategic challenges and undergoing significant business transformation. Since formation, the company has built a client base of successful SME’s, multinational and blue chip clients. Averian has been instrumental in adding significant value to these organisations and has a track record of success across many sectors to include Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Financial Services, Insurance, Utilities and Telecommunications. Our team of experienced and dedicated strategy professionals are

chosen for their broad range of skills and are expected to have practical hands on entrepreneurial experience allied with sound academic knowledge. Our consultants have experience in delivering business strategies, transformation and organizational change programmes. Through our innovative ‘CSI’ offering (C-Suite Initiatives) we focus on the achievement of business value along with very strong analytical and communication skills which enable us to manage change initiatives to solution delivery. To date we have created initiatives valued at over $1bln for our clients. On our Technical side, we have built specialist SWAT teams - experts in Software Analysis and Testing to ensure clients position only the best and most appropriate solution to meet their needs. Averian has also recently acquired BusinessChallenger.com, an innovative cloud based solution to provide consistent and expert reviews of business documents in order to remove ambiguous or vague requirements within initiatives from the earliest possible stage.

United Kingdom and Ireland

This solution is currently in use amongst several Enterprise Support agencies and bodies across Ireland and the UK. At Averian, we understand the link between People, Process and Technology - we build on this and develop practical workable solutions through strategic guidance, business analysis, design, planning and solution delivery. It is our passion for helping businesses grow that makes Averian the best there is.

Areas of Expertise: Our service offerings are as follows • Strategy / Business Model Development • Technical and Solution Design and Programme Management • Financial/Accounting Services/ PMO / Test Services • Business Restructuring - Operational, Organisational, Strategic • Business Planning and Feasibility Studies • Training & Business Mentoring

Averian Global Bridgewater House 89 O’Connell Street Limerick, Ireland Tel: +353 1 6603400 Email: info@averian.com

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Europe M&A Adviser of the Year

United Kingdom

Tim Hardman Managing Director

From our origins in 1991, Avondale have focused on providing clients with outstanding, first in class service. Their in-depth expertise of all aspects of business sales, acquisitions and strategy enables them to provide clients with an unrivalled range of award winning, specialist services regardless of their objectives. Avondale believe their clients’ aspirations are everything and work with company owners to unlock value and realise ambitions. With genuine business acumen, Avondale provide outstanding transactions, practical advice and solutions to achieve, if not exceed clients’ expectations. Their work is predominately obtained via recommendation, a reflection of technical abilities, strong service ethos and principles led approach. They are the Institute of Directors’ preferred provider of business sales, mergers and acquisitions, won 13 M&A industry awards in 2015 and have a second to none success rate. Tim Hardman, managing director, Avondale comments “This is the second, consecutive year that we have received the accolade of “M&A Adviser of the Year - UK” from M&A Today readers and we are absolutely thrilled with the award. 2015 was a big milestone for Avondale; the Institute of Directors appointed us as their preferred provider of business sales and acquisitions and we were presented with a record breaking 13 M&A industry awards. We look forward to 2016 being equally, if not more, successful for Avondale and our clients.”

Avondale key milestones • 1991 - First M&A specialist in SME arena • 1997 - First M&A online portal • 1999 - International specialist research and partners • 2007 - Kevin Uphill, Avondale’s chairman, publishes “How to Buy & Sell a Business for Wealth” • 2009 - Strategy service launched accelerating business growth and shareholder value • 2013 - Highest M&A success rate in the industry • 2014 - Presented with 5 M&A industry awards • 2015 - Institute of Directors appoints Avondale as their preferred provider of business sales and acquisitions • 2015 - Presented with 13 M&A industry awards • 2016 - Kevin Uphill, Avondale’s chairman, publishes “Creating Competitive Advantage”

Tel: 01737 240888 Email: av@avondale.co.uk Website: www.avondale.co.uk

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Europe M&A Solutions Provider of the Year (Business Intelligence)

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United Kingdom


Europe Advisory Firm of the Year - Commercial Due Diligence

United Kingdom

Translating business owners’ vision of opportunity and their backers’ language of risk Business owners, investors and lenders are often not speaking the same language when talking to one another about company trading opportunity and risk, according to David McClelland of Carlton Strategy Advisors director; winner of the M&A Today - Global Awards - 2016 - Advisory Firm of the Year - Commercial Due Diligence - United Kingdom. There are three zones of interest that investors and lenders look at when sizing up potential transactions. They are: • How realistic are the ambitions of the business’s management, • is the level of strategic thinking in the team aligned and in tune with the market, and • is the company’s competitive advantage sustainable? All too often that essential common understanding between the parties is lost in translation because, where business managers see opportunity, financial investors and lenders see risk. The role of the firm of commercial due diligence reporting consultants in an investor/investee transaction is first and foremost to be able to provide an independent ‘translation service’, having taken a pragmatic view of the issues that are truly important to the success of the deal. Fundamentally, due diligence should always seek to identify the investee business’s competitive positioning within its industry sector supply chain; particularly in terms of relative market buyer-power and supplier-power, including the role and influence of agents and distributors as channel partners. If business income is dependent on a concentration of key customers, the investor or lender will want confirmation that the commercial interface between the company and its most important customers will stand up to independent referencing? Can the drivers of the sales team’s expectation of a strong customer pipeline on which the revenue forecast, and therefore the investment case, is predicated be confirmed in a conversation with that customer’s purchasing manager or technical director? An even more elementary question is whether or not those customers are the correct ones being targeted in the first place. Here due diligence would sit with the company’s management to discuss the processes by which business direction and strategy

is set. Early questions might be around personal inputs into that process and how consensual it is between company directors and tier-II management. Further diligence will provide analysis of the business plan; how robust and evidenced is it across subjects such as the company’s understanding of the makeup of the marketplace, including the locations of market volumes from specific consumer groups and rival offerings from competitors? Do the rates of predicted growth stated within the context of a business plan or vendor’s memoranda stack up, and with what sensitivity and probability? However, the scope of a due diligence project should be set to suit the deal’s complexity and the specifics of each investment opportunity. In cases where the sector faces structural change or an investor, or lender, is not quite familiar with the industry a more broad-based risk and opportunity analysis may be required. Alternatively, early stage work may suffice in situations where an investment opportunity looks promising on the face of it, but a few key questions remain for the client’s understanding and comfort before shaping further proposals. Lastly, there can be special situations where the investee business is in some distress and in danger of breaching its banking covenants or missing a loan repayment, but the company’s management believes that the difficulties are short term. Here, the due diligence assignment can be scoped to focus on the specific operational or strategic issues proposed by the management team to resolve the particular issues. The languages spoken by business owner-managers and their financial backers may never be quite the same. Independent commercial due diligence can bring greater transparency and perspective to the deal process, facilitating the communication of transaction value and attractiveness between the parties - to the benefit of all.

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Europe

United Kingdom UK Economic Outlook - 2016: no free lunch on cheap debt, but grounds for cautious optimism There has been some relatively good economic news coming out of the UK in recent months, but referencing a leading supermarket group recently the interviewee, a senior manager, advised, “The outlook for retail at the moment is on the up, but things are going to be short lived. The recovery of the sector after 2011/12 was a false improvement because it’s been juiced up by low interest rates and money printing. It’s backed by nothing really and I don’t see it having legs.” My interviewee went on to say, “This is the real high point before the low. Too many business managers see this sales growth and they don’t realise it’s a lot of debt money, it’s cheap money. When interest rates do go up, and they have to, they’re going to be stuck.” So what is really happening out there? Which sectors will be the winners and losers in 2016? What is the medium term view at this stage of the UK’s economic cycle? David McClelland, Director of Carlton Strategy Advisors, presents some thoughts for corporate finance investors and lenders to consider before their next possible transaction…

UK macroeconomics increasingly reflect the global harmonic Global growth was recorded at 2.4% in 2015, and is expected to increase to just over 3% this year. By comparison, the UK’s economy is expected to maintain its 2.2% annual growth rate for 2015 through 2016 and 2017 - slightly above the average for other advanced economies. Possibly because of a happy alignment of the stars, the UK’s present day economy, similarly to that of other advanced nations, is benefiting from markedly lower global commodity prices. The reasons are twofold: • Firstly, we have the impact of the slowdown in China’s demand-side economy, as the nation reduces its debt burden and rebalances away from industrial production and infrastructure/fixed asset investment towards greater supply side domestic consumerism; • Secondly, against a backdrop of generally softer global demand, Saudi Arabia has maintained levels of hydrocarbon production bringing prices down, as OPEC’s leading swing producer maintains its market share land-grab in competition with higher cost North American frackers and re-emergent Iraq and Iran. The direct impact of a slowing Chinese economy on the UK is limited given that China is not by any means the UK’s most important export destination; North America and the rest of Western Europe carry significantly greater importance. Of greater significance is the fact that the economy of the UK is shaped more markedly by the level of its internal consumption.

Cheaper commodities and low inflation hand consumers a one-off ‘freebie’ Shoppers in the UK have benefited from the effect of cheaper commodities lowering the cost of everything they buy and no more so than for heating and fuel. In effect, consumers have been handed a pay rise, without employers having to ‘fork out’. Since 2014, retail volume has risen by about 5% a year. Nonfood retailers have done particularly well from the consumer’s extra discretionary spending power on everything from cars

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to holiday travel. Annual spending on recreation rose by c.7% in 2014 and restaurants and hotels saw spending rise by c.5% in 2015. So have the services supporting those sectors. For example, Q3’15 year-on-year advertising industry expenditure increased by almost 7%. Such growth, combined with an unemployment rate a little above 5%, should mean living standards for UK citizens are solidly improving. However, gains in household disposable incomes have come about because of the decline in inflation and this direct effect is not going to persist; it’s a one-off impact - oil cannot fall another $70/barrel. Real incomes have been stagnant for most of the post-crisis phase, meaning that households have not been building up long-term savings. Nor is the rise in household spending underpinned by rising UK productivity. Sustained increases in national living standards require higher productivity, allowing employers to pay more. However, whole-economy productivity lagged growth in labour costs in 2015. From this point on, wages rises will be at the expense of employers, starting with the recent increase in the minimum wage. This will have particular ramifications for those industries staffed and resourced by low skilled workers such as in retail, a sector where c.40% of employees receive close to the minimum wage with likely consequences on sector margins and employment levels in turn. The UK economy can be further characterised by the nature and phasing of its property market - and one can be reminded of the frothy nature of the sector in the run up to 2008 and quick collapse not long afterwards. Jumping forwards six or seven years, land conditions are once again positive for builders with sales price inflation outstripping build cost inflation as demand outstrips supply. The average price of a home in England & Wales rose over 6% in Dec’15, compared to a year earlier, with house price inflation now at its highest level since Jan’14. Builders report continuing growth in the gross development values of both short and long-term land pipelines. However, in another characteristic of the UK, building planning consent remains a perennial problem serving to constrain supply.

No free lunch on debt Low saving rates, changes in pension regulations and city population influx drive property market demand. These stimulants can reasonably be expected to be with us for a while. The 3% increase in the rate of stamp duty applied to Buyto-let properties from April might curb demand from landlords and investors, but Help-to-buy and other ‘ease-of-entry’ schemes will act to bolster market activity, particularly demand from first time buyers serving to ‘prop up’ property from grassroots levels. This, no doubt, will be good for the makers of kitchen and bathroom furniture! The net effect of the UK’s consumer-led ‘mini-boom’ has been to see the annual growth rate for (unsecured) consumer credit over the year to December rise to c.9%, a near 10-year high. Additionally, with mortgage approvals hitting heady heights not seen since 2008, this creates an overall debt burden that leaves borrowers exposed to rising interest rates. When rates do rise, more spending on mortgage interest will leave less for the high street. Folks have done well out of deflation, but the future may become tougher!

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Europe

United Kingdom Seeking a middle ground on interest rates The UK’s position on interest rates is caught between the US 0.25% rate rise in Q4’15 and the Eurozone’s round of further monetary stimulus following that. The slump in the price of oil to under $30 a barrel, at the time of writing, from $114 in June 2014 will continue for as long as Saudi Arabia, Russia and others fail to curb production - and world trade fails to soak up supply. With subdued inflationary and wage pressures, interest rates in the UK might not follow the US for another several months before continuing to drift further upwards in 2017. Present domestic demand eases concern that the UK maybe facing an abrupt economic slowdown, but it suggests robust growth may not return until the world economy regains composure. Meanwhile, political ‘do-nothing-for-the-moment’ sentiment on interest rates has pushed the value of Sterling down against the Dollar and up against the Euro, adding another layer of complexity for exporters.

Manufacturing dependent on world trade and strategic alignment to markets Manufacturing in the UK is particularly dependent on world trade, as home-built GDP skews increasingly towards services. Output amongst UK manufacturers contracted 0.1% over 2015 and remains approximately 6% lower than its precrisis high of 2007. The automotive and civil aircraft manufacturing sectors, for example, remain in positive phases of their respective economic cycles driven by continuing strong demand from customers, particularly in Asia. However, the immediate outlook remains bleak for all those businesses involved in the oil and gas sector supply chain until such times as oil reverts to something north of $80 per barrel. Until then the focus of global

Address: Carlton Strategy Advisors Limited Carlton Mews, Arterberry Road London SW20 8AG Website: www.carlton-advisors.co.uk

O&G exploration and production will be on cost reduction and containment as new investment projects are cancelled and others mothballed. The winners, of course, will be those industries that stand to benefit from cheaper fuel and raw materials input prices, such as domestic airlines and elements of the downstream chemicals and plastics industries serving consumer driven OEM type markets.

Grounds for cautious optimism All told, CSA is cautiously optimistic about the UK economic outlook and therefore prospects for business managers and their financial backers. Key positives are the present buoyancy of consumer markets. Public sector expenditure will be tamed and brought to heel, if slowly, releasing budgets for more productive re-investment. On top of this export opportunities will re-present themselves as mainland Europe recovers and an already resurgent North America consolidates traction. Lastly, there will be further prospects for the UK’s products and services suitably targeted towards China and India’s growing consumer markets. Headwinds include the muted prospects for global oil and gas. There will be further uncertainty surrounding the UK’s commitment to the EU, placing a possible moratorium on both local and inward investment decision making. Lastly, rising nation state protectionism and QE-initiated currency wars will do nothing positive for global trade. So is the UK out of the woods… or heading into further economic quick sands? For equity investors and debt lenders the answer boils down to… an ability to partner best-in-class business owners and management teams, understanding the industry sector and carrying out sufficient due diligence to mitigate levels of transaction risk.

David McClelland Director

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Europe Intellectual Property Management and Evaluation Firm of the Year

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United Kingdom


Europe Financial Planning Advisory Firm of the Year

Dalla Verità & Partners, founded by Gianluca Maria Dalla Verità, is a team of experienced professionals who provides services to international Groups and high-networth individuals (HNWI). The team combines a large expertise with in-depth knowledge of corporate law and international taxation. The firm is young and innovative and matches legal competences with the ongoing analysis of global economics; its staff regularly takes part in international events, forums and studies. An extensive, worldwide network of fellow professionals and organisations ensures a friendly, tailored approach: this not only makes Dalla Verità & Partners the ideal investment advisor, but also an invaluable partner for the optimisation and restructuring of existing entities from the legal, tax and financial perspectives. Gianluca Maria Dalla Verità, a chartered public accountant, auditor, TEP and published writer, is the founder of Dalla Verità & Partners, with branches in Bologna and London, specialized in advisory, M&A (advisor and originator) and cross-border taxation. He is experienced in financial instruments and securitisation vehicles in compliance with EU legislation, and has a longstanding and successful track record in the Far East and in African countries.

Tel: +39 051 269900 Email: gianluca.maria@dallaverita.it gianluca.maria@dallaverita.co.uk Website: www.dallaverita.it

Italy

He is a member of various international bodies in the field of international tax law, and a member of STEP, the London-based Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Gianluca Maria Dalla Verità works with HNWI in areas such as tax structures for managers and sportsmen, real estate tax planning and regulations, and the arts. His considerable experience in trusts and probate proceedings makes him the best counsel for wealth management and family businesses. He is a regular contributor to leading publishers such as WOLTERS KLUWER with more than a hundred publications on taxation and corporate, trust and business law. He regularly lectures on these subjects for private entities and associations. Gianluca Maria Dalla Verità has been studying worldwide trends and habits for decades. His analyses are marked by an insatiable curiosity about the individual motivations and behaviours that underlie macroeconomic phenomena. He is equally at ease both exchanging ideas with common people and scholars and leading entrepreneurs. His desire to understand the “stories behind the story” underpins astute strategic analyses of future events - insights that he enjoys sharing with clients and friends alike in open conversations.

Gianluca M. Dalla Verità Founder

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Europe International Tax Advisory Firm of the Year

Greece

DINAMIKI EPE was founded in 1990. It is comprised of tax consultants specialized in international tax law. From the start of its operation, DINAMIKI has set - through the relevant treaties for avoidance of double taxation, which have been conducted between Greece and a further 47 countries - the goal to support foreign customers in tax-related issues and their investment plans. According to Spyridon Michopoulos, partner and managing director, Greece’s complex tax environment requires the use of specialized consultants. Fluent in English and German, the DINAMIKI team offers a bespoke service spanning the gamut of financial services: from the consulting level during the investment in the local market, during the phase of implementation and setting the operation; to the completion of an operation cycle. Mr. Michopoulos noted: “DINAMIKI offers a comprehensive package of bookkeeping, tax and labor law-related services by cooperating with professionals of each area.” The Greek economy has been in a state of unparalleled crisis. Mr. Michopoulos explained that innovative structural reforms are required. These include: changes in the public sector of the country and its organization; increasing employees’ productivity; structural changes in the insurance and finance sector; and privatizations to minimize the public sector.

Address: 12A Eleftheriou Venizelou Str., GR - 151 27 Melissia, Athens, Greece Tel: +30 210 612 4663 Fax: +30 210 806 9239 Email: dinamiki@dinamiki.com Website: www.dinamiki.com

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He said: “The political parties of the country have been illequipped to address these matters. As a result, the economy has shrunk by some 25%, and there is no vision for a better future.” Despite unfavorable conditions the country is located at the crossroad of three continents, and the port of Piraeus has increased its ability to accommodate container transport ships, meaning new investments are expected, while privatization of the rail network will increase opportunities for goods transfer to the centre of the European market. Mr. Michopoulos concluded: “The Greek economy is under pressure to be transformed, to become more efficient and less bureaucratic. “DINAMIKI helps its customers to understand the tax environment; it observes bookkeeping best-practice; it helps its clients make correct decisions regarding the tax consequences of their business activities in order to protect them from hidden charges.”

Spyridon Michopoulos Partner / Managing Director

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Product Liability and Industrial Risk

EBA Endrös-Baum Associés deals with the questions, plans, problems, projects and visions of international enterprises and companies with interests in France, providing services in a prompt, efficient, purposeful and pragmatic manner, at a reasonable cost. The Franco-German firm intervenes, both as a consultancy and as a litigation firm, in the practice areas of industrial risk, plant construction, industrial product liability and safety, and the related insurance law. Its clients are international industrial groups as well as international insurance companies. International companies operating in cross-border business between French, German and English speaking countries often encounter communication difficulties. These may arise from language differences, different cultures or sometimes from substantial differences in law. EBA Endrös-Baum Associés and its trilingual partners, Dr. Florian Endrös, Marguerite de Vaublanc, Myriam Bennaïm, Muriel Mazaud, and Céline Lustin-Le Core, not only offer their clients detailed knowledge of the French legal system, but also the understanding of linguistic and cultural differences necessary for efficient dealings and well-organised international negotiations with cross border counterparts. This applies also to intra-company communication between parent and subsidiary.

Tel: +33 (0)1 53 85 81 81/ +49 (0)89 2420785-0 Email: eba@eba-avocats.com Website: www.eba-avocats.com

France

Practice areas EBA Endrös-Baum Associés gives advice and assistance in the field of supply contracts, construction law and plant construction, and provides contract coordination as well as claim handling, from the stage of entering into contracts with public or private clients, through to subcontracts, including questions of insurance and liability. This enables the client to conduct business transactions and legal proceedings as free of legal risks as possible or in full knowledge of the risks involved. The firm also gives advice on reinsurance and related cross border insurance problems, particularly in cases where the local insurance coverage is linked to a master or umbrella policy stipulating a governing law different from the one applicable to the local policy. EBA Endrös-Baum Associés has longstanding experience in expertise proceedings involving French court-appointed experts and European party-appointed experts. The firm works at the interfaces between law and technology, language and culture, offering its clients assistance in several languages as well as prompt local assistance. EBA Endrös-Baum Associés cooperates closely with commercial law firms all over Europe, mainly in German, French and English, but also in Danish, Russian, Portuguese and Hebrew.

Dr Florian Endrös Partner EBA Endrös-Baum Associés

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Europe

Europe, US and Asia Pacific Sustained Excellence in Data Room Services - United Kingdom Most User Friendly Dataroom - USA Data Room Provider of the Year - Spain & Asia Pacific

EthosData is a global provider of virtual data room services. EthosData was founded in 2,007. With its secure,simple & fast platform and professional client service, EthosData has become the data room of choice of many global law firms, investment banks and corporations, working with a diverse set of clients spanning from industry leaders to small boutique start-ups. In the last few years, EthosData has been used in some of the most public M&A and IPO transactions worldwide.

We are excited to receive the following awards • Most User Friendly Dataroom - US • Sustained Excellence in Data Room Services - UK • Virtual Data Room Provider of the Year Spain & Asia Pacific Region Recognition broadens visibility. Awards and rankings are a strong tool when it comes to differentiating and selecting services. They provide leverage in terms of acknowledging a firm’s experience and abilities and help clients take a call on the most appropriate professionals for a certain requirement. We at EthosData are very proud that our clients, partners and the industry as a whole have recognized us with these awards.

What makes us different? The due diligence process has evolved rapidly over the years from its initial paper based dataroom to the more sophisticated Virtual data rooms. Technology has greatly transformed the way in which transactions are executed, saving time and making it easier to manage multi-party global transactions. There are a number of Virtual Data Room providers in the market today but only a handful of global professional data room providers provide a service and security that is professional enough to really drive multibillion dollar transactions.

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Despite being in a competitive industry, EthosData has always stood out from the rest. Our business grew very strongly in all the regions last year. In some key markets in Europe, Asia and Americas, the EthosData brand has become synonymous to the word Virtual data room. What is so different about EthosData in an industry that is becoming more and more commoditised? • Passion for service • Built by dealmakers has meant thinking like dealmakers • Be local while being global • Unmatched security • The people behind the scenes Our aim is to save our clients time and to become a part of our client’s deal team to be able to manage their project, being reliable and giving them peace of mind. In EthosData, we have always believed that to stand out from the competition and to deserve our client’s trust we have to provide a superior professional service and a platform that is easier and faster than our competitors. Bigger deals and shorter time-lines leave the professionals involved extremely busy. We pride ourselves on being resolute and innovative in our service delivery, striving to adapt to changing circumstances by blending our local knowledge with international expertise and best practice. Our only Objective is to provide a platform and service that we ourselves would demand if we were using a Virtual Data Room for a transaction.

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Europe Cross Border Real Estate Advisory Firm of the Year

Luxembourg

EY Luxembourg’s real estate team Today’s real estate industry must adopt new approaches to address regulatory requirements and financial risks, whilst meeting the challenges of the current economic environment and achieving sustainable growth. Luxembourg has emerged as the leading domicile in Europe for vehicles investing directly in internationally diversified real estate portfolios. Key factors behind Luxembourg’s success include the stable legal and fiscal environment, the ability to structure crossborder investment and investors’ desire to diversify their portfolios. Due to the highly international nature of Luxembourg based real estate investment funds, the EY Luxembourg team is highly connected with real estate professionals around the world and is a key hub in our global network, where people and ideas come together to develop cutting edge thought leadership and insights for the benefit of our clients. Our market leading Luxembourg team includes 120 professionals with deep industry knowledge and experience, particularly in fund and asset management, where we deploy services that match needs over the lifecycle of investment products, each step of the way. In certain fields our team members are considered industry thought leaders, identifying and creating points of view on emerging business issues and risks, and developing practical solutions.

Address: 35E avenue John F. Kennedy L-1855 Luxembourg Tel: +352 42 124 8104 Website: www.ey.com/luxembourg

Michael Hornsby Partner EY Luxembourg EMEIA* Real Estate Funds Leader

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Anti-Corruption

United Kingdom

Fulcrum Chambers Ltd is an innovative legal advisory and consultancy business comprising barristers, solicitors and other high caliber professionals. We have established ourselves as an award winning firm providing strategic advice and representation for public bodies, private individuals and commercial entities in a range of fields including bribery & corruption, corporate governance, corporate fraud, due diligence and regulatory and compliance issues. Our clients are spread across a range of sectors including oil & gas, extractive industries, publishing, financial services, construction, transport and infrastructure. We are based in London and have an office in Dubai, however, we work where our clients work and have ‘on the ground’ experience in jurisdictions all over the world including in particular, Europe, Africa, the United States, the Middle East and the Far East. With connections and expertise around the globe and access to expert help at a moment’s notice, we can bring together the right team to suit every business need.

Our work includes: • Anti-Bribery & Corruption. Including Risk assessments, legal advice and representation, internal investigations, advice on adequate procedures, policy and code of conduct drafting, training, due diligence in corporate transactions and advice on self-reporting. • Anti-Money Laundering. Including advice and representation in Regulator or Prosecutor led investigations, development of AML strategies, training and guidance to ensure compliance with professional obligations and national or international legislation. • Due Diligence. We undertake Integrity and Enhanced Due Diligence reporting for the purpose of M&A, Joint Ventures, agency agreements and counter-party contracts. We conduct market entry risk assessments examining bribery & corruption risks in emerging markets. • Corporate Governance. We provide guidance on regulatory regimes and assist in the development of robust and effective compliance programs. • Compliance and Risk. We help businesses navigate the regulatory landscape, comply with policies and manage risk effectively. We help identify risks before they pose a threat.

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David Huw Williams QC Joint Managing Director

Ivan Pearce Joint Managing Director

Contact Tel: +44 (0)20 7186 0420 Email: davidwilliams@fulcrumchambers.com Website: www.fulcrumchambers.com

Contact Tel: +44 (0)20 7186 0420 Email: ivanpearce@fulcrumchambers.com Website: www.fulcrumchambers.com

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution

Italy

Giambrone’s highly respected team of litigation lawyers are academically strong, efficient, and well-trained in contentious matters. They work with focus and determination to resolve disputes or claims between individuals and/or companies, negotiating and, when necessary, issuing and defending proceedings in court. With their in-depth knowledge and vast experience within the field of ligation, coupled with their ability to quickly and meticulously examine all the facts presented to them, clients can be sure that they will be receiving the very best advice tailored to their unique set of circumstances.

The lawyers conduct advocacy in hearings, trials and arbitrations, regularly appearing before all levels of civil, employment and criminal courts. Our senior lawyers have experience at first instance and appellate levels (including in the Criminal Court of Appeal and Italian Supreme Court).

Giambrone’s litigation team is particularly active in the following areas:

Disputes that cannot be settled by negotiation are concluded either by court litigation or by ADR. The most common forms of ADR are arbitration (the preferred method in commercial contracts) and mediation (achieved through structured negotiations between parties and overseen by an independent mediator).

• Civil litigation • Commercial litigation (domestic and international) • Criminal litigation • Employer’s compensation • Family and Matrimonial • Forex Litigation • Lender liability litigation • Personal injury • Professional negligence • Property litigation

The team has represented clients in numerous international commercial arbitrations governed by a variety of rules, in disciplinary proceedings and in expert determination. The lawyers have extensive experience negotiating in numerous different legal arenas. These skills enable them to achieve an extremely high success rate in mediation where it is of utmost importance that a balance is found between aggressively representing and defending a client’s interests and attaining the overall objective, which is an agreement satisfactory to both parties.

If you require further information please email Avv. Alessandro Gravante, Head of L&DR on alessandro.gravante@giambronelaw.com

Avv. Alessandro Gravante Head of L&DR

Gabriele Giambrone Managing Partner

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Europe Asset Based Lender of the Year

United Kingdom

INVOICE FINANCE // STOCK // P&M // TRADE // PROPERTY // TERM LOANS

You build the business. We’ll build the confidence. e flexibility and expertise of an independent, together with the strength and extended product range of its parent, Bank Leumi (UK) plc, make a winning combination. Specialising in structured ABL facilities up to £30m with exceptional levels of client service.

Leading supplier of instant powder food products required flexible funding

Leading automotive components supplier required flexible funding to support growth

Leumi ABL provided

Leumi ABL provided

£14m ABL package including CID, stock, P&M finance + term loan

£3.1m ABL facility including CID + term loan

To find out more about the Leumi ABL approach to business call Phil Woodward on 07900 802774 or email pwoodward@leumiabl.co.uk or visit www.leumiabl.co.uk Brighton ■ London ■ Birmingham ■ Leeds ■ Manchester ■ Reading ABL MULTI FINANCIAL AWARD WINNERS 2014 -2015

01652 Leumi ABL M&A Mag Full Page Ad - Jan16.indd 1

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12/01/2016 10:25


Europe Lawyer of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions

Germany

LJRR Attorneys helps companies and investors, directors and shareholders to lead and expand their business. Its clients benefit from personal and tailored advice. According to the law firm’s philosophy, trust is the basis of a long-term and beneficial relationship that provides best solutions for its clients. The highly qualified attorneys distinguish themselves by their expertise and their entrepreneurial thinking, which are key to a commercially successful transaction. Dr. Benno A. Packi, Associated Partner and Attorney at Law at LJRR Attorneys, helps clients with mergers & acquisitions, real estate transactions, financing, capital markets, corporate and reorganization law (i.e. merger, demerger, spin-off and conversion law). Given his wide-ranging experience in corporate and real estate transactions gained over a decade, Dr. Packi quickly identifies the opportunities and the risks that may apply in order to proceed efficiently on a perfectly thought through legal basis. He is frequently recommended by his clients as an attorney who consummates transactions whilst being mindful of the clients’ economic objectives. Moreover, Dr. Packi helps in particular companies and investors from abroad with their investments in the German and European market including share deals, asset deals, private equity investments, auction proceedings, privatizations, joint ventures, and public takeovers. Dr. Packi helps both medium-sized companies and listed stock corporations. He provides legal advice and coordinates the entire process with the other professionals involved in the transaction including tax advisors and public accountants. While acting on the buyer side, his task is also to investigate the critical details of the target company decisive for a successful

post-M&A integration into the buyer’s group. Project financing and acquisition financing are further fields in which Dr. Packi’s expertise is sought by project principals, investors and buyers. With respect to real estate transactions, Dr. Packi helps clients to structure the transaction in order to acquire or sell properties, real estate projects, real estate portfolios, and special-purpose real estate. He specializes in cross-border transactions which are facilitated by his close to native level of proficiency in the English language and his worldwide network of attorneys, tax advisors, M&A advisors, financial advisors, and investment bankers. Furthermore, as plaintiff’s or defendant’s attorney he represents clients in corporate litigation and post-M&A disputes, before courts and arbitral tribunals. Dr. Packi chairs a roundtable for corporate succession matters and is member of a number of associations, inter alia, the German Corporate Law Society (VGR), the International Bar Association (IBA, Corporate and M&A Law Committee and Investment Funds Committee), the German Association of Medium-Sized Companies (BVMW). Dr. Packi is a sought after speaker and writes articles on corporate and financing law which have been cited both by courts and leading commentators.

“Creativity makes the difference between a good and an excellent attorney.”

Address: Tel: Fax: Email: Website:

LJRR Rechtsanwälte Jesch Racky Roitzsch Krause Partnerschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung Lennéstr. 9, 10785 Berlin, Germany +49 30 516 518 0 +49 30 516 518 99 Benno.Packi@LJRR.de www.LJRR.de

Dr. Benno A. Packi Associated Partner Attorney at Law

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Construction & Energy

Kesikli Law Firm combines experience in Energy Law, Construction Law and Corporate Law counseling and litigation with deep industry knowledge to serve clients involved in the Real Estate, Construction and Energy industries. The firm represents EPC Contractors, Engineers, O&M Contractors, Project Developers, Independent Power Producers, Renewable Energy Companies, Power Traders, and Private Equity and Venture Capital Investors. The team is intimately familiar with the entire package of contractual arrangements, in particular the EPC Contracts, FIDIC model contracts, Power Purchase Agreements, Concession Agreements, BOT agreements, Operation & Maintenance Contracts involved in the development of real estate, construction and power projects, from siting and permitting, to engineering, construction, and operation. Industry Knowledge: Kesikli’s extensive experience with a wide range of Construction & Energy projects, together with its industry knowledge, allows it to provide hands-on advice to its clients in structuring the legal background of their projects and resolving issues and disputes that arise during the development, construction, and operation stages. Power & Energy Projects: From regasification facilities and gas fired power plants, to solar and biomass generation and waste to energy facilities, Kesikli’s Projects team represents clients in all phases of the development process, from regulatory matters, licensing, initial contract preparation and negotiation through construction and operation phases for projects located in Turkey as well as in cross-border jurisdictions. Kesikli advises industry participants on projects involving construction, commissioning, operation and management of power plants and industrial facilities such as combined cycle power plants, coal or natural gas fired power plants, co-generation facilities, renewable energy plants, mining facilities, compressor stations, waste water treatment facilities, factories, hotels and railways. Corporate Law: Kesikli’s corporate team is an integral part of the firm’s representation on broad corporate transactions, and provides a high standard of industry expertise with a practical and commercial approach. Kesikli recognizes that in today’s complex business world projects and problems often require total comprehension of a variety of disciplines and possibilities. Kesikli assists its clients in the drafting and negotiating of special (tailor made) agreements or arrangements such as

Turkey

project development agreements, shareholders agreements, corporate guarantees, credit agreements, letters of intent, contingency agreements, non-disclosure agreements, exclusivity agreements and memoranda of understanding. Kesikli also assists its clients with the formation of specialpurpose companies, joint ventures and consortia for complex infrastructure investments and tenders. Employment Law: Kesikli boasts a strong reputation for representing employees, executives and partners in all areas of employment law. From representing senior executives in contract negotiations, to protecting individuals’ rights in the workplace, to litigation of unjust termination cases, Kesikli is exceedingly experienced in employment law. Dispute Resolution: Kesikli represents its clients in courts to resolve any disputes arising out of joint venture & consortium contracts, defective work claims, injury claims on construction sites, change order issues, costs overrun claims, bonding and liquidated damage claims, insurance disputes, engineering malpractice, construction and contract disputes, employment law matters, tender disputes and intellectual property disputes arising out of engineering, design, construction and/or procurement contracts.

Awards and Recommendations: Recognized and awarded by the Global 100, 2015 rankings: the “Law Firm of the Year - Construction and Energy - Turkey” Winner of the 2015 Corporate Intl Magazine Global Award: Construction Law Firm of the Year in Turkey Winner of the 2015 Corporate Intl Magazine Global Award: Power and Energy Law Firm of the Year in Turkey Recommended and Ranked by Legal 500: “Kesikli Law Firm is ‘a boutique which knows the construction sector’, with ‘first-class’ founding partner Ömer Kesikli attracting high praise as having ‘keen knowledge of the power industry’, ‘commerciality’ and ‘dedication to his clients’.” Recognized and awarded the M&A Today Global Award - 2014: the “Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Construction - Turkey Recognized and awarded the Global 100 M&A International Award - 2013: the “Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Construction - Turkey”

Address: Bagdat Caddesi No.149/5, Selamicesme Kadikoy / Istanbul - TURKEY Tel: 00902163482924 Email: info@omerkesikli.av.tr Website: www.kesikli.com

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Arbitration

Italy

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Europe Law Firm of the Year – Start-ups

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www.kmhmediagroup.com

Austria


Europe Renewable Energy Advisory Firm of the Year

United Kingdom

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Europe Global Sustainability Private Equity - Adviser of the Year

We believe sustainability is at the core of business success, so we provide a comprehensive range of services to support business leaders achieve growth, reduce and manage risk, maintain supply chain integrity, improve efficiency and strengthen reputation. PwC’s global sustainability team works with public and private sector clients, NGOs, private entrepreneurs, policy makers and think tanks to make business and economic sense of sustainability and climate change. We are a team of around 800 globally, with 100 specialists based in the UK. Our award-winning Private Equity team focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues faced by our private equity (PE) clients. Whether it’s protecting value through managing risk, or generating value by spotting opportunities, ESG issue management plays an important role in value creation. As shown in our recent survey and report Bridging the Gap, 88% of investors believe that there is added value in responsible investment and 97% predict the importance of the ESG agenda will grow in the next 2 years. The most critical finding for PE houses, however, is that nearly a fifth of respondents have withheld capital, or would withdraw from an investment, on ESG grounds. Our findings are also supported by a CFA Institute survey of its members, which found that 73% take ESG issues into account in their investment analysis and decisions in order to manage investment risks.

However, investor pressure is only one reason that our PE clients are thinking about these ESG issues. A broader range of stakeholders are also concerned - and in the case of regulators, this may lead to regulatory risks such as the Modern Slavery Act or the ‘soft law’ disclosure requirements of the Walker Guidelines, which include transparency on environmental and social issues. Aside from external pressures, PE clients are also increasingly seeing that ESG issues can impact more directly on the bottom line. The concept of saving resources, such as water or energy use, by doing more with less (so-called ‘ecoefficiencies’) can lead to significant financial savings as well as environmental benefits. On the upside, tighter regulatory pressures, particularly in relation to carbon, and the continued rise of the ethical consumer, has provided some PE portfolio companies with opportunities to grow revenue streams from more responsible products. Therefore, by focusing on ESG risk and opportunities at all stages of the deal cycle - from pre-acquisition sustainability assessments, portfolio company ESG reviews during the “hold” period and to sustainability advice at exit - we identify the value that can be protected, created and monetised. And, as stakeholder interest in ESG issues increases, ESG management will continue to become an area in which PE houses can show that they make a real and measurable difference.

Increased focus on responsible investment

Areas of PE Responsible Investment

Influenced by their LPs, some PE houses demonstrate strong interest in embedding consideration of ESG matters in their investment strategy. Notably, through the implementation of ESG policies and procedures at house or fund level, conducting “ESG reviews” of portfolio companies to establish baselines for action, and eventually assessing the environmental and social impact of their investments.

Development of Responsible Investment strategies, policies and procedures; provision of “tools” for policy implementation, including electronic tools for screening potential investments for environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities; provision of Responsible Investment training and facilitation of ESG forums and workshops to share good practice and common challenges; ESG due diligence preacquisition; portfolio company ESG reviews, monitoring and improvement programmes and reporting during the hold period, and; IPO readiness exercises prior to exit.

A number of PE Houses now use our ESG reviews as part of the fund raising process to demonstrate to potential investors that their expectations around investing responsibly will be met. The ESG portfolio reviews are used to communicate to investors that this is a means of protecting and raising the value of their investments.

Email: philip.v.case@uk.pwc.com Website: www.pwc.co.uk/sustainability

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United Kingdom

Phil Case Director PwC Sustainability & Climate Change

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Europe Business Continuity Management Consulting Firm of the Year

United Kingdom

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Europe Private Equity Advisory Firm of the Year

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www.kmhmediagroup.com

Germany


Europe Private Equity Firm of the Year

Germany

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Europe

Ireland

Profit Enhancement Consulting Firm of the Year in Ireland

ROCG Europe is a firm that prides itself on turning common sense into common practice. We obtain significant and meaningful results for our clients by excelling in five key areas: 1. Understanding business owners and maximising their return on investment 2. Bringing clarity to what will drive business performance and build value 3. Creating common sense strategies that are realistic and achievable 4. Communicate growth strategies to key stakeholders - to achieve planned outcomes 5. Improving performance and managing change - adding measurable value!

7 Doctor Croke Place, Clonmel Co Tipperary, Ireland T: +353-52-6127729 E: info.europe@rocg.com W: www.europe.rocg.com

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Europe HR Consultancy of the Year

Isle of Man

Smart HR Solutions Limited (‘SmartHR’) is a leading provider of multi-sector HR consultancy, outsourcing and training solutions. We partner with organisations to help them drive sustainable performance improvement, achieve their people management objectives, and minimise the risk of litigation by offering a comprehensive range of flexible and effective HR solutions including the delivery of professional advice or services that are ethical, responsible and value-adding.

With employment legislation constantly changing it is vital that employers keep up-to-date with developments and ensure that they comply with employment legislation. SmartHR’s solutions include:

Since SmartHR was established in May 2010, it has successfully provided tailored HR solutions to organisations covering a wide range of industries, including accountancy, advertising & PR, architects, audit services, aviation, banking and financial services, building services, charities, childcare, CSP/TSP, e-gaming, e-business, healthcare, investment management, IT services, manufacturing, motor industry, nursing homes, optician, pharma, retail, ship management and the travel industry.

• Reviewing and updating employee handbooks, HR policies and procedures;

From supporting new business start-ups and SMEs through to global organisations, we pride ourselves on our reputation for delivering a professional, knowledgeable and value-adding solutions to our clients and the excellent testimonials we receive. Our HR expertise gained over 20 years and flexibility ensures that clients receive tailored HR solutions bespoke to their needs; supported by a friendly, collaborative, and clientfocused service.

• Performance management frameworks; and

Over the last 18 months, SmartHR has provided support to companies with acquisitive growth strategies including detailed HR due diligence reporting, harmonisation of terms and conditions of employment, and post-acquisition integration activities covering various jurisdictions including the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and Hong Kong.

For further details of SmartHR’s solutions or to view our testimonials, please visit www.SmartHR.co.im

Tel: +44 (0)1624 619619 / +44 (0)7624 478764 Email: contact@smarthr.co.im Website: www.SmartHR.co.im

• HR audits and planning; • HR due diligence reporting and acquisition support; • Reviewing and updating employment contracts;

• Fully outsourced HR management; • Ad hoc or retained HR advisory services; • Organisational design and restructuring; • Redundancy and outplacement support; • Training and development; • Other ad hoc projects such as implementing customised HR management information systems. I am extremely delighted that SmartHR has been formally recognised by M&A Today as a leading provider of HR consultancy services and has been awarded “HR Consultancy of the Year - Isle of Man”.

Gail Yeowell Chartered FCIPD FInstAM(Dip) FCMI FIRP Dip IOD Owner & Managing Director

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Mining

Russia

Mining is one of the most important practice areas of the Moscow branch of Squire Patton Boggs. Attorneys of the Moscow branch represented Russian and foreign clients in numerous transactions in mining industry in Russia and Kazakhstan, providing legal services which included due diligence of mining assets, analysis of mineral licenses, negotiating and drafting sale and purchase transactional documents, finance agreements in mining sector. Moscow branch lawyers advised clients and prepared documents in connection with issue and registration of mineral licences, participation in tenders and auctions, negotiated and settled disputes related to the use of mineral licences. Litigators of the Moscow branch of Squire Patton Boggs represented clients in courts and arbitration tribunals in numerous disputes related to finance of mining projects, enforcement of results of tenders and auctions in mining sector. In spite of global economic crisis, at present the Moscow branch is advising international clients on two silver mining projects in Russia. The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa lists the Moscow branch of Squire Patton Boggs among the top firms in Russia for energy and natural resources. Squire Patton Boggs is a top global law firm that operates at the nexus of business, law and government, exerting global influence through local connections. It has represented participants in the global metals, mining and natural resources industry for over 100 years.

The Firm has more than 2,600 lawyers and support staff in 44 offices across 21 countries - in nearly all major capitals around the world. Together we collaborate effectively across a diverse range of local, regional and international markets, business models and practice areas, often handling large, significant and ground-breaking cross-border matters. Lawyers of Squire Patton Boggs have unrivalled commercial and legal expertise gained from a long history of working on significant mining and resources projects around the globe. We are strongly connected within the peak industry bodies and associations and are regular contributors to thought leadership in the field. This experience is connected with the local regulation of mining relations in various jurisdictions, as well as with the international financing and regulation of mining projects. In addition to corporate issues, project financing, and international taxation, we are active in areas such as mineral rights and royalty disputes, litigation, and regulatory counseling. Squire Patton Boggs’ global team has truly global experience and is among the industry leaders with significant offices in Australia, Japan, Middle East, Russia and China. We have extensive experience and proven track record in assisting local and international mining companies in gathering business intelligence, analyzing target markets, conducting operation and production feasibility studies, all the while taking into account the legal and regulatory considerations, the role that local politics may play and how that would impact business operations, and any other factors that may enhance or impede on the intended business objectives. We are always happy to assist you.

Squire Patton Boggs Moscow LLC Address: 2, bld. 1 Romanov Pereulok, 125009, Moscow, Russian Federation Tel: +7 495 258 5250 Fax: +7 495 258 5251

Sergey Treshchev Partner sergey.treshchev@squirepb.com

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Nataliya Zaiser Public Policy Advisor nataliya.zaiser@squirepb.com

Georgy Borisov Partner georgy.borisov@squirepb.com

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Europe Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

When OECD said, three years ago, “What the BEPS we are talking about”, we started to think seriously about that. We read between the lines and we finally agreed - BEPS is about BE Prepared to Switch! OECD’ BEPS package is more than “neutralizing the effects of hybrid mismatch arrangements”, than “taking into account transparency and substance”, than “aligning locations savings and other transfer pricing outcomes with value creation”, than “elaborating new mandatory disclosure rules” or than “making dispute resolution mechanisms more effective”. BEPS package is the political answer to the current international tax environment mainly aimed to re-establish trust among governments. That’s why we have developed the TPS’ BEPS Approach. It is more than neutralizing effects of “not addressing at the right time the fiscal risks”, more than explaining the new mandatory rules of the local fiscal legislation, or being in the European Arbitration Commission and covering the full range of fiscal and legal services required to solve fiscal disputes. BEPS Approach means anticipate and react. Finding how to deal with the new normal of the EU fiscal environment. Protecting you now and tomorrow, when CCCTB (Common Consolidated Corporate Taxation Base) or minimum effective taxation will come.

Central Europe

About us is always About you: Established in 2009, Transfer Pricing Services (TPS) has become one of the strongest and most appraised independent tax consultancy firms in the field of transfer pricing in Central and Eastern Europe, providing specialized services to over 400 clients, subsidiaries of multinational and national groups. Based on its results, during 2011-2015 the TPS team was designated by various specialized publications as the best team in the field of transfer pricing in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe. Adrian Luca, the founding partner, is among the first specialists in transfer pricing in Romania, participating at the implementation of OECD standards in the local legislation. The TPS team has now over 20 consultants and each of them is accredited or under accreditation by the standards of ADIT. TPS is the only tax consultancy firms to have two of the five members proposed by Romania in the European Arbitration Commission for removing the double taxation in the relation between affiliates. Since 2010, TPS is part of the largest global network of independent consultants in transfer pricing, valuation and customs services, TPA Global (www.tpa-global.com), with a network covering over 50 countries.

*Starting 2016, Romania contemplates to introduce contemporaneous transfer pricing documentation requirements for major taxpayers. As such, the transfer pricing file will become mandatory and should be presented when the tax man rings! Once!”

In 2016, TPS signed a strategic partnership with Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (NNDKP), one of the strongest law firms in Romania. The objective of the alliance is to continue to offer a complete package of legal and tax services for the Romanian companies and other CEE, when the intra-group transactions have become one of the “hottest” topics for the Romanian fiscal authorities.

Adrian Luca Founding Partner adrian.luca@transferpricing.ro

Daniel Sacal Partner daniel.sacal@transferpricing.ro

So, if you are looking for safety, for Transfer Pricing Safety, call TPS!

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Europe International Tax Law Firm of the Year

Jo Vanbelle commenced his career as a specialised lawyer in company and (international) tax law in 1995, directly after obtaining his Master of Laws degree with cum laude from Louvain University (LLM, K.U. Leuven). His own law firm, which he successfully founded in 1999, is best classified as a highly specialised boutique-style law firm: every case and everyone is unique and should be treated with the highest level of professionalism! Mr Vanbelle has published books, over 30 essays and many more court case reviews on specific legal topics related to real estate, company law, and contracts, financial and banking law - some of which are still used as references within the profession. He was also editor-in-chief of several prestigious law reviews and a member of the European Association for Banking and Financial Law. To date he has been serving as professor of law and lecturer at seminars and trainings for the Brussels Bar Association, several international private banks, insurance and audit companies - activities he started in 1990. Since 2006 he has been appointed by the Belgian King as a deputy judge at several Brussels courts and therefore has a complete overview of law-in-action both as a lawyer and a judge, an experience of which his clients still benefit like nowhere else.

Tel: +32 (0)2 431 64 00 Fax: +32 (0)2 431 64 01 Email: jv@vanbelle-law.be Website: www.vanbelle-law.be

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Belgium

Vanbelle Law offers highly specialised advices, assistance and solutions for the professional market covering both (inter) national companies and enterprises wishing to establish, merge, acquire or improve their business in Belgium or elsewhere in Europe, or wanting to obtain tax and company advices, audit or assistance during court proceedings, rulings or (inter)national tax planning operations. The firm also offers similar services to high-net-worth individuals or families in their quest for solutions or improvements regarding their assets and wealth, both privately held as through their companies or other legal structures. The team consists of several (internal and external) highly qualified, trained and experienced lawyers, mostly with an additional degree in tax or company law, and several paralegals. Given its boutique size and solid partnerships, the firm excels in offering efficient, detailed and personalised services covering Belgium and EU member states, within the legal field as well as in accounting, audit, financial analysis, real estate, notary issues, banking and insurance. Vanbelle Law is located on the prestigious Avenue Louise in Brussels, from where all core services of the firm and its partners operate. Thanks to a solid network association with “Navas & Cusi Abogados�, the firm also covers similar operations with a group of over thirty lawyers in Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella (Spain).

Jo Vanbelle Managing Partner

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Europe Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year

The Netherlands

Van Oers Corporate Finance is a mid market M&A firm in the Netherlands. With a team of 10 professionals Van Oers Corporate Finance assists its clients on sell-side and buy-side transactions (acquisitions, MBO’s) and provides access to and assists in funding requests at investors and financial institutions. With its specialized valuation desk (accredited Register Valuators) Van Oers Corporate Finance furthermore assists in all sorts of company valuations.

firms and debt funds bulge out of cash and are eager to do acquisitions against higher transaction multiples. On the other hand, many Dutch entrepreneurs have postponed their desire to sell their company in recent years due to decreased company profits. As the Dutch economy recovered and company profits have grown again, shareholders are increasingly willing to sell their shares at the higher offered transaction multiples”.

On a yearly basis Van Oers Corporate Finance is involved in approximately 30 to 40 (inter)national transactions. Over the last 12 months Van Oers Corporate Finance has been involved in notable deals such as the sale of a 60% stake in goat cheese maker Bettinehoeve to the Swiss listed EMMI Group, the sale of CEPRO to the Swedish industrial holding company Indutrade and multiple add-ons to the Dutch leading Dental Chain DentConnect.

A careful and professional approach is crucial to get an optimal transaction result: “Strong process management is precisely the approach we offer our clients in selling their company or acquiring a business”.

According to Sander Collé, partner at Van Oers Corporate Finance, the current market shows strong M&A activity. “The current low interest rates results in a bulk of money finding its way for return. As a result many international private equity

In the course of the years Van Oers gained broad and thorough sector expertise. As part of the Leading Edge Alliance network, with offices in more than 90 countries, Van Oers has a strong international presence. The assistance provided by Van Oers Corporate Finance can be summarized in two words: dedicated and professional. The 24/7 approach is explained in more detail on the website www.vanoers-cf.com. In addition you can find references and inspiring stories from our clients.

Address: GINNEKENWEG 145 4818 JD BREDA Tel: 0031 76 5303 800 Website: www.vanoers-cf.com

Sander Collé Partner

Alexander den Boer Partner

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Europe Law Firm of the Year - Intellectual Property Law

Greece

VAYANOS KOSTOPOULOS, founded in 1900 is one of the leading law firms in Greece. Through dedication, commitment and flexibility, the diverse needs of businesses and associates are catered for by client-tailored solutions and state-of-the-art legal advice in a timely and precise manner. Its broad client base encompasses both multi-national and local enterprises, comprising of not only businesses, but also individual inventors, creators, designers, authors and other IP holders. The original establishment location of the Law Firm has been retained in the vicinity of the Centre of Athens at Stournara Str. 37, near the Athens Polytechnic University and the National Archaeological Museum. The Offices are structured to encompass the following main departments: • Trademarks Filing and Prosecution • Trademarks Watching and Searching • Patent Filing • IP Rights Maintenance • Litigation for Administrative & Civil Courts A wide range of IP related services are rendered, including prosecution and litigation of all kinds of rights on intangible assets such as trademarks, patents and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs), domain names, copyright. Further areas of IP practice are successful representation in Customs Interventions, IPR infringement proceedings before all court instances, including interlocutory injunctions. The drafting of contracts, market supervision law (health, consumer, advertising and privacy), legal consultancy and supporting services (administration, translations and IPR maintenance) constitute the core of the VAYANOS KOSTOPOULOS team’s activities. A diverse workforce comprising of European Patent Attorneys, Lawyers, Trademark Attorneys and Litigators, Technical Advisors, Paralegals and IP Rights Administrators, enables the firm to offer a top-class, comprehensive service to its broad client base. Some of the market leaders in the industry and service provision sectors are included among the clientele, such as pharmaceutical companies, automobile manufacturers, chemical industries, electronics, tobacco, food beverages, cosmetics, entertainment and financial enterprises, et al.

Address: 37 Stournara Str., GR-106.82 Athens, GREECE Tel: +30-210-3808501 Fax: +30-210-3816685 Website: www.vklaw.gr

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The efficient operation of the offices is supported through the use of up-to-date customized software and hardware facilities, enabling fluid execution of necessary functions, including the maintenance of reliable electronic records, an indispensible tool in serving the needs of not only large, but also small and medium-sized enterprises. Since 1993 the firm is under the directorship of Dr. Nikolaos Lyberis, who, being a litigator, is admitted before the Supreme Courts for civil and administrative matters. Nikolaos represents prestigious clients in trademark, patent and other IP rights conflicts from all sectors of industry and commerce. He also handles counterfeiting matters before Customs and the courts. Furthermore, he successfully deals with contract law, IP licensing, consumer protection law and internet law disputes, as well as domain names and IP protection against unfair competition. Dr Lyberis is a member of numerous international associations focusing on IP law. He currently serves as a council member of the European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA) and as member of the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. He is also secretary of the Hellenic Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). Dr Lyberis was appointed as the sole institutional representative of the Athens Bar Association to the government’s legislative committees for drafting the new Trademark Law (4072/2012). He lectures regularly on patent and trademark law, and has participated in training programmes on absolute and relative grounds for refusal for the Greek Trademark Office Examiners. He has authored numerous articles on key topics of IP law for IP-specialized magazines and is fluent in German and English.

Nikolaos Lyberis

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Europe Competition Law Firm of the Year

Love it or hate it (we love it!), competition law is a fact of business life that there is simply no escaping. And it affects not just mega-corporations, but SMEs as well; in fact, no business, however great or small, can afford to ignore it. Wedlake Bell LLP - a long-established full-service law firm headquartered in the heart of legal London - has many years’ experience of advising on all aspects of this important area of law, both domestic and EU, and can point to a long trackrecord of specialising in it. Our award-winning competition law team advises clients on its own account, and also acts as support for the firm’s Corporate Department in connection with those sectors of competition law relating to mergers and acquisitions. The range of clients is a considerable one and extends from (for example) national trade associations in the construction sector and professional bodies to commercial organisations operating in the agro-chemical field. One of our highest-profile successes was to take the French Republic to the European Court of Justice on behalf of a pharmaceutical client on the grounds that French legislation contravened free-competition provisions of the EC Treaty, and to secure a unanimous decision from the Court requiring the legislation to be repealed. Other examples of competition law advice given by our team include the following:• successfully defending a household-name UK supplier of products to supermarkets against high-profile allegations by regulators of anti-competitive activities; • advising a leading international provider of hardware products on the EU and domestic competition law aspects of a major asset acquisition transaction, including successfully finding a way around having to notify the acquisition under the EC Merger Control Regulation; • drafting the UK competition law compliance manual for a very well-known global logistics company; • designing and delivering a series of bespoke workshops on competition law compliance to a listed household-name player in the UK drinks industry;

England

• advising one of the world’s leading suppliers of antiinterception technology on the EU competition law aspects of its European patent licensing programme; • advising a multi-million-pound European energy company on the extent to which it was a victim of abuses of a dominant position by UK monopolist; • representing a leading European healthcare provider in connection with complex competition law issues arising from major NHS outsourced contracts; • advising numerous trade associations on the extent to which their Articles of Association and membership criteria contravene the Competition Act 1998. With specific reference to strategic planning based on competition law, the firm has long and extensive experience of advising clients who wish to enter into potentially anticompetitive agreements and/or who hold dominant positions in their respective markets on how to organise their affairs in such a way as to eliminate or at least minimise the risk of contravening the relevant EU and UK prohibitions. And we frequently advise clients on establishing and maintaining competition law compliance programmes, for we firmly believe that ‘prevention is better than cure’. We have lectured extensively on the subject of competition law in both Europe and North America, and have shared platforms on various occasions with national and supra-national regulators. Our lectures range from general “out-house” client seminars to bespoke in-house client training workshops. And our work on competition law has repeatedly been the subject of awards and prizes. Finally, we also advise on competition law on a pro bono basis, as the Head of our Competition Law team has served for years as an adviser to the United Kingdom Competition Law Pro Bono Scheme. The Scheme is designed to provide an independent source of expert advice to those who believe that their rights under competition law have been infringed or who are concerned that they may be infringing, and is based on referrals by national competition authorities.

Wedlake Bell LLP Jonathan Cornthwaite Head of Competition Law Email:

jcornthwaite@wedlakebell.com

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Niche Solutions Provider of the Year - Retail Banking

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Global

Welcome Real Time in a nutshell Welcome Real Time is part of the Collinson Group, a global leader in shaping and influencing customer behaviour to drive revenue and add value for our clients. At Welcome Real Time, we provide the banking and payment industry with payment-based loyalty solutions, helping them run real-time loyalty marketing programmes that drive change in customer behaviour leading to improved customer satisfaction, retention and profitability. Our unique knowledge of payment based loyalty and real-time burn & earn at point of sale, combined with our understanding of best practice, delivers a powerful insight into customer behaviour. We help clients understand more about their customers, resulting in better informed decisions and more successful marketing campaigns. We have the flexibility to provide the business model best suited to the client, from a managed service to an on-site solution. We have developed and implemented our unique and awardwinning payment-based solutions for the banking and payment industry across the 5 continents, for over 20 clients, reaching over 100 million customers and over 1 million merchants. Our proven experience in stimulating customer engagement has helped our clients maximise both the number of active customers and the level of commitment - resulting in more loyalty and increased revenues. Typical clients • Card issuers • Issuers-Acquirers • Processors • Retail Banks A few clients’ references • Cielo, Brazil’s biggest payment processing company • Alpha Bank, second largest bank in Greece • NCB, Saudi Arabia’s largest financial institution • Mandiri, largest bank in Indonesia in term of assets, loans and deposits. • RSB, the pioneer of Russia’s consumer lending sector and the exclusive partner of American Express and Diners Club in Russia Why clients choose us • Worldwide track record in the banking and payment industry • Innovation driven company - developing a unique loyalty solution to convert, satisfy and retain customers • Unique know-how on payment-based loyalty and real-time earn & burn at the point-of-sale • A scalable & robust platform with large transactions volumes • Solutions covering the entire spectrum of financial services organisations: issuers, acquirers, processors, transversal retail banking, etc.

Our product portfolio The product portfolio consists of three powerful solutions:

Key people:

Key people:

Thierry Reginato - General Manager

Vincent Macé - Financial Controller and HR Manager

Nicolas Weiss - Head of Professional Services Xavier Delaroue - Head of Pre-Sales

Ravisankar Sundararaj - Head of R&D, Managed Services, Maintenance & Support

Pierre Boces - Head of Product Marketing and Consulting

Contact us at marketing@welcome-rt.com

XLS is our award-winning loyalty technology solution for payment and banking eco-systems. Designed to implement effective loyalty programmes to drive greater engagement with the banks’ customers, XLS is powerful, versatile and future-proof: • Enabling real-time loyalty marketing programmes • Driving positive change in customer behaviour • Maximising client profitability

• Empowers retailers to design their own loyalty programmes or promotions and reward their customers in real-time

• Customers receive notifications and messages on their mobile devices through BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacons Our professional services Underlining our commitment to make our clients’ implementation a success, Welcome Real Time’s Professional services help our clients maximise their success through a combination of expertise, methodologies, tools and a comprehensive portfolio of professional services offerings. These offerings span all phases of the project life cycle including: • Business & Marketing consulting • Delivery & Integration services • Training • Managed Services • Maintenance & Support Latest news and insights Make sure to visit our website welcome-rt.com to find out all of our latest thinking about what’s going on in the financial services and loyalty industries. A few of our latest articles: • “Are Card-linked Offers the solution to a decreasing interchange?” • “Our tips to increase customers’ engagement in a loyalty programme” • “5 loyalty trends that will impact the financial services market in 2016” • “Redemption makes or breaks a loyalty programme” • “The future of payment facilities”

www.kmhmediagroup.com


Europe

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North America

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP Law Firm of the Year - Construction Law - California, USA H. James Wulfsberg Lawyer of the Year - Construction Law - California, USA Dolus Advisors

Fraud and White Collar Crime Advisory Firm of the Year United States of America

86 - 87 90

Ernst & Young LLP Transaction Dispute Resolution Advisory Firm of the Year - Global Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - Global Transaction Risk Advisory Firm of the Year/Advisor of the Year (Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services)/ Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - USA 88 - 89 Fortis Law Partners LLC

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Colorado, USA

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Harter Secrest & Emery LLP

Ross P. Lanzafame - Best New York Lawyer Healthcare - USA

92

KLEIN LAWYERS LLP

Best in Auto Accidents - Canada

93

Lommen Abdo, P.A.

Phil Cole - Professional Liability Litigation Attorney of the Year - Minnesota, USA

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Maalouf Ashford & Talbot LLP

International Trade & Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA M&A Law Firm of the Year - USA Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - USA Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Corporate Law Firm of the Year - USA Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - USA Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA Shipping & Maritime Law Firm of the Year - USA

NORTH AMERICA

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Maalouf Ashford & Talbot LLP (continued)

Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Tax Law Firm of the Year - USA Full Service Law Firm of the Year - USA Cross Border Law Firm of the Year - USA International Law Firm of the Year - USA Mining Law Firm of the Year - USA Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - USA Securities Law Firm of the Year - USA Litigation & Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - USA Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year - USA Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - USA Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year - USA Renewable Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA Asset Management Law Firm of the Year - USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - USA Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - China Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - China Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - China Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - China Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas Private Equity Law Firm of the Year Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas International Finance Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - UAE International Finance Law Firm of the Year - UAE M&A Law Firm of the Year - UAE Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Russia M&A Law Firm of the Year - Russia Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Russia Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain

MARVIN J. HUBERMAN, LL. B., LL. M.

Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Arbitration - Canada

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Rosenbaum IP, P.C.

Law Firm of the Year - Patents - Illinois, USA

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Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Employment Law Firm of the Year - Global

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Solon Group, Inc.

Corporate Governance Advisory Firm of the Year USA

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VÁZQUEZ ALDANA, HERNÁNDEZ GÓMEZ / ASOCIADOS

Leading Law Firm of the Year M&A, Contract, Banking & Securities, Real Estate and Corporate Transactions - Mexico

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Winthrop Couchot

Richard H Golubow - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year Professional Corporation California, USA

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North America Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP - Law Firm of the Year - Construction Law H. James Wulfsberg - Lawyer of the Year - Construction Law

Address: 1901 Harrison Street, Suite 900 Oakland, CA 94612-3501 Direct line: 510.903.8826 Tel: 510.273.8780 Fax: 510.839.9104 Email: jwulfsberg@bwslaw.com Website: www.bwslaw.com

California, USA

H. James Wulfsberg Partner – Oakland

H. James Wulfsberg, Chair of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP’s Construction Law Practice Group, is a nationally recognized expert in construction law. He has over 35 years’ experience in all phases of the construction process, including design, bid design, design-build, engineering procurement construction contracting, construction management at risk, and numerous public works projects. He has assisted EPC contractors, project owners, contractors, architects and engineers, construction managers, and developers in finding procurement and evaluation methodologies, developing all phases of the construction process documents, providing procurement documents, negotiating and drafting contracts, negotiating and administering contract claims, and developing claims avoidance and dispute resolution strategies and procedures. Mr. Wulfsberg has tried numerous cases to verdict including jury, court trials and arbitration proceedings, with matters exceeding $500 million in dispute. Mr. Wulfsberg has represented clients in mediation, arbitration and litigation. He has represented EPC contractors, public and private owners, architects, and engineers in a variety of major private-public works, and power process projects throughout the United States, Latin America and the Middle East.

Representative Matters

Presentations

• Water and Wastewater Facilities • Combined Cycle Power, Co-Generation Power and Petro-Chemical Facilities • Low Sulfer Diesel Refinery • Port Authority • Combined Cycle Co-Generation Power Facility • Latin American Natural Gas Liquids • European Wastewater Facility • Mexican LNG Facility • Middle East Power Facility • Airports Commission • Waste-to-Energy Projects • Local Sports Complex • Local School Districts • Owner-Developers High-Rise Office Buildings • Local County • International Engineering Procurement Contractor • Owners, Design Professionals, Construction Managers Insurers and Insureds

• Advocacy in Construction Disputes III: Bad Facts, Construction SuperConference, 2015

Recognitions

• United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, frequent lecturer

• BTI Client Services All Stars 2016 • The Legal 500 – 2016 • The International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers – 2016 • The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers – 2016 • Northern California Super Lawyers – 2015 • Expert Guides, The Best of the Best USA – Construction – 2015 • Lawyers World Magazine – Leading Lawyers Award – 2014

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• Advocacy in Construction Disputes: Litigating Delay and Disruption Claims, Construction SuperConference, 2014 • Advocacy in Construction Disputes, Construction SuperConference, 2013 • All the Fun of P3S and Getting Paid Too: Payment Claims and Dispute Resolution on P3 Projects from the Contractor and Subcontractor Perspectives, American Bar Association Forum, 2013 • Managing Insurance Claims in a Claims-Made/Cost Inclusive World, Construction Litigation Superconference, 1990 • American Bar Association, frequent lecturer • Construction Litigation Superconference, frequent lecturer • New York University Continuing Education Program on Real Property, frequent lecturer

• Lorman Education Services, Construction Contracting for Public Entities, frequent lecturer • California County Counsels Association, Public Works Section, frequent lecturer

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North America

California, USA Publications • Essential Risk Shifting Provisions in Construction Documents, October 2014, Best of the Best USA Expert Guides, Construction

• Construction and Design Agreements: Negotiation, Drafting & Litigation/Surety Claims Factual Summary, 1990, Prentice Hall Law & Business

• Amended Rule 26 Expert Witness Disclosure Requirements, January 2013, Insight from Hindsight – a Navigant Construction e-Journal (Quarterly), Issue Five

• Strategy and Tactics in Environmental Insurance Litigation (From the Insurer’s Perspective), 1990, The Environmental Law Institute

• Language Barriers: International Service Abroad Under the Hague Convention, April 29, 2009, by Richard Elder and H. James Wulfsberg, San Francisco Daily Journal

• Construction Contracts and Litigation 1987: The 1986 Commercial Liability Insurance Program, 1987, Practicing Law Institute

• Electronic Discovery in the Construction Industry: Legal Requirements and Practicalities of Preservation and Production, Fall 2004, URS Claims Resource, URS Claims and Dispute Resolution Group

• Design and Construction Contracts – New Forms – New Realities, 1987, American Bar Association (contributing author)

• 1992 Supplement to Construction Subcontracting: A Legal Guide for Industry Professionals, Chapter 7, Subcontracting and Insurance: Protection and Sources of Recovery, 1992, John Wiley & Sons (contributing author)

• The Deskbook of Construction Contract Law, 1981, PrenticeHall, Inc. (co-author)

• Advantages of Arbitrating Construction Disputes: Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Construction Industry, 1991, John Wiley & Sons • Construction Contracts and Litigation 1990 – What Every Owner/Contractor Should Know About Hazardous Waste and Toxic Torts, 1990, Practicing Law Institute (contributing author)

• Avoiding Liability in Architecture, Design and Construction, 1983, Wiley-Interscience (co-author

• Prepared Defense of Delay Claims, 1980, Architectural Record • Key to Avoiding Litigation is Performing Defensively, 1979, Architectural Record (co-author) • Alternate Dispute Resolution in the Construction Industry, John Wiley & Sons (co-author) • The Wiley Guide to Handling Construction Disputes through Arbitration, Mediation, and Mini Trials, John Wiley & Sons (co‑author)

For more than eighty years, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP has served the public agencies and private business entities of California. Today, with over one hundred attorneys and nine offices throughout California, we are fully prepared to meet your legal needs. Our clients value not only our expertise and efficiency, but also our integrity and responsiveness. In each of our seven primary practice groups, our only focus is to serve our clients so that they may receive the very best possible result. Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP originated as a law firm in 1927, founded by two brothers, Louis H. Burke and Martin J. Burke, and Thomas P. White. From its inception, the firm specialized in corporate law and business litigation. In 1938, the firm also embarked on what was at the time a unique specialty – the representation of public entities. Always striving for excellence in its attorneys, two of the firm’s founding partners, Louis H. Burke and Thomas P. White, went on to serve as California Supreme Court Justices. Throughout its growth over the years, and into the new millennium, Burke has retained its roots in real estate and business law and litigation, and as one of the preeminent firms in the fields of public law, education law, and labor and employment law.

Inland Empire 1600 Iowa Avenue, Suite 250 Riverside, CA 92507-7426 Tel: 951.788.0100 Fax: 951.788.5785

Oakland 1901 Harrison Street, Suite 900 Oakland, CA 94612-3501 Tel: 510.273.8780 Fax: 510.839.9104

San Francisco 101 Howard Street, Suite 400 San Francisco, CA 94105-6125 Tel: 415.655.8100 Fax: 415.655.8099

Los Angeles 444 South Flower Street, Suite 2400 Los Angeles, CA 90071-2953 Tel: 213.236.0600 Fax: 213.236.2700

Orange County 1851 East First Street, Suite 1550 Santa Ana, CA 92705-4067 Tel: 949.863.3363 Fax: 949.863.3350

Silicon Valley 1503 Grant Road, Suite 200 Mountain View, CA 94040-3270 Tel: 650.327.2672 Fax: 650.688.8333

Marin County 181 Third Street, Suite 200 San Rafael, CA 94901-6587 Tel: 415.755.2600 Fax: 415.482.7542

Palm Desert 73929 Larrea Street, Suite 4A Palm Desert, CA 92260-4305 Tel: 760.776.5600 Fax: 760.776.5602

Ventura County 2310 East Ponderosa Drive, Suite 25 Camarillo, CA 93010-4747 Tel: 805.987.3468 Fax: 805.482.9834

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USA & Global Transaction Risk Advisory Firm of the Year / Advisor of the Year (Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services) / Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - USA / Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - Global

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. We help build confidence in capital markets and economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who work together to serve all of our stakeholders and thereby help build a better working world for our people, our clients and our communities. EY refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. Ernst & Young LLP is a clientserving EY member firm operating in the US.

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USA & Global Transaction Risk Advisory Firm of the Year / Advisor of the Year (Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services) / Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - USA / Forensic Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year - Global

About EY’s Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services (FIDS): Dealing with complex fraud issues, regulatory compliance and business disputes can distract you from efforts to succeed. Managing your fraud and compliance risks is a critical business priority - no matter the industry sector. With more than 4,000 EY FIDS professionals around the world, we can assemble the right multi-disciplinary teams to work with you and your legal advisors. We can give you the benefit of broad sector experience, deep subject matter knowledge and the latest insights from work worldwide. Transaction Forensics, part of EY’s FIDS practice, provides dispute-related services for proposed or completed mergers or acquisitions, as well as services in connection with investigations stemming from transactions and due diligence services relating to anti-corruption and other forensic issues. These services include assisting companies in pre-closing contractual language assessments and pre-arbitration dispute analysis, performance of forensic and accounting

Address: 155 North Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois 60606 Tel: 312 879 3383 Email: gregory.wolski@ey.com Website: www.ey.com/us/fids

transactional due diligence, and post-acquisition assistance with preparation of accounting mechanisms and post-closing arbitration and dispute services. When focusing on potential issues with cross-border transactions, our global teams provide knowledge of local business culture, language, and geographically distinct areas of heightened compliance risk. Additionally, our solutions are tailored to industry and geography specific risks to assist an acquirer in its management of compliance based risks. Post-close disputes that involve accounting and financial reporting issues often relate to the purchase price adjustment mechanism contemplated in the purchase agreement or the buyer’s claim of a violation of the seller’s representation or warranty - both of which can be challenging to navigate and very complex. Our professionals work with our clients and their legal advisors to bring them deep subject matter knowledge, the benefit of significant and broad post-close dispute experience and insights from our work worldwide.

Gregory E. Wolski Partner Ernst & Young LLP Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services

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North America Fraud and White Collar Crime Advisory Firm of the Year

Dolus Advisors is a boutique New York-based consultancy specializing in human risk forecasting and soft data analytics. Founded in 2010, Dolus has established a reputation as a peerless advisory firm to a broad range of public and private companies across an international spectrum of sectors and markets. We deliver unparalleled, strategically actionable expertise at the core of risk, malfeasance, and decisionmaking: human unpredictability, irrationality, and deceptiveness. Breaches of trust, imminent lawless action, chicanery, and percolating deceit are stealthy by intention and design. Fraudsters, malicious insiders, and other bad actors duplicitously cajole, entice, and induce. They exploit blind spots and laxity and, with artifice and charm, the ever-present human propensity to be hoodwinked, bamboozled, and manipulated; they innovate and creatively adapt to new technologies and environments. Conventional behavioral analytics, algorithmic attack surface reduction programs, and compliance-based anti-threat protocols are limited to monitoring or auditing observable patterns and registering anomalous deviations. This invariably leaves the subterranean psychodynamic machinations and convoluted interactional nuances over-simplified, underestimated, misdiagnosed, or outright missed. To help companies more robustly forecast and manage human factor risks, mitigate insider and white-collar threats, and strengthen ethical culture, Dolus decodes, triangulates, and leverages the complex, inscrutable underpinnings of motivation and behavior at key junctures in the human factor ecosystem. Our proprietary risk and threat assessment, mitigation, and defense solutions are grounded in deep knowledge of mental architecture, organizational dynamics, and cutting-edge psycho-social science.

Address: Tel: Mobile: Email: Website:

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80 5th Avenue, Suite 901 New York NY 10011 USA + 212.242.7126 + 917.328.0096 alexanderstein@dolusadvisors.com www.dolusadvisors.com

United States of America

Dolus also maintains an active asset recovery practice, partnering with international investigations firms, litigation funds, and multinational fraud and asset recovery organizations (such as ICC FraudNet). We act as embedded specialists in leveraging sophisticated three-dimensional profiles of the fraudster, his network of affiliates, and their organizational operations, and providing precision forecasts in counteroffensive stratagems and complex settlement negotiations. Dolus’ founder and managing principal, Dr. Alexander Stein, wrote the manual on psychodynamic intelligence and soft data analytics in asset recovery cases: “Warfare of the Mind: Innovations and Strategic Applications in the Psychology of Fraud,” heralded as “a ground-breaking tour-de-force,” is forthcoming in the FraudNet World Compendium of Asset Tracing and Recovery (2nd Ed). Dr. Stein is widely regarded as a global authority in the psychology of human risk forecasting and fraud, a pioneer in the development of psychodynamic intelligence analysis and soft data analytics, and is a sought-after keynote speaker, panelist, educator, and expert commentator. A prolific thought-leader, he is a former monthly Fortune Magazine columnist, and is author, co-author, and cited expert in numerous articles in many national and international publications, including Risk & Compliance, The Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation, Fast Company, INC, Financier Worldwide, The New York Times, The FraudNet Report, O Estado do São Paulo, and Asset Recovery Watch. He is currently writing a book: a practical field-guide for senior executives, corporate directors, founder/entrepreneurs, risk and information security officers, and counter-fraud professionals to recognize, understand, and actionably leverage soft data and predictive psychodynamic intelligence to more effectively detect, deter, and mitigate fraud and human risk.

Dr. Alexander Stein Founder & Managing Principal

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North America Law Firm of the Year - Corporate

Fortis Law Partners is a boutique law firm located in downtown Denver, Colorado specializing in Corporate/Securities, Commercial Real Estate, Development & Finance and Tax. Fortis is one of the leading firms in the region, having negotiated and closed over 40 transactions valued at over $1.5 billion in the last three years. The attorneys at Fortis provide practical and effective solutions to a diverse range of clients from entrepreneurs to Fortune 200 companies. The corporate/securities department has extensive experience in structuring and organizing legal entities from start-up companies to multi-national joint ventures and has represented businesses in complex securities regulation and compliance matters, financings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations and management buyouts. The commercial litigation department handles a broad range of complex commercial matters in state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the country. The Fortis attorneys have experience litigating complex securities cases, business matters, real estate/property disputes, complicated contract disputes and collection cases, stock option cases, insurance disputes and trade secrets and unfair competition matters.

Tel: +1(303)295-9707 Email: jherzog@fortislawpartners.com Website: www.fortislawpartners.com

Colorado, Country USA

Our legal team is licensed to practice law in multiple states including Arizona, Colorado, California, Illinois, New York and Wyoming and acts as regional and national litigation counsel for several clients. The commercial real estate department includes the representation of businesses, developers, investors, lenders, property owners, property managers, landlords and tenants in a wide variety of real estate matters, including real estate acquisitions, commercial lease transactions, real estate development, land use and development, common interest community law. Julie Herzog specializes in corporate, securities, and merger and acquisition transactions. She has handled transactions valued at over $3 billion for major public companies and investment banks and enjoys working with a diverse clientele ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to startups, family offices, and venture capital and private equity funds. In August 2015, the Denver Business Journal announced that Julie was selected as a finalist for their 2015 Outstanding Women in Business Award for the area of law. She was among 12 women in the Denver area who the DBJ recognized for excelling professionally through innovation, perseverance and leadership.

Julie Herzog Member/Manager

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North America Best New York Lawyer - Healthcare

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP provides legal services to the full spectrum of clients ranging from individuals and familyowned businesses to Fortune 100 companies. With offices in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Corning, and New York City, HSE comprises more than 130 attorneys and 260 staff. U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers® ranked HSE #1 among all Western New York law firms for 2013-14 and awarded our Health Care practice Tier 1 status each of the four years that the rankings have been conducting. In an increasingly complex regulatory environment, the “profession” of health care is now the “business” of health care, with providers facing new risks, challenges, and opportunities. Providers must rapidly adapt to these challenges, addressing issues across the health care spectrum involving statutory and regulatory compliance, corporate compliance, shrinking reimbursements, competition, managed-care contracting, new contractual relationships, and the need to develop a more efficient delivery model. For almost 50 years, HSE has represented the full range of health care providers regarding a myriad of legal issues. HSE’s Health Care attorneys bring uniquely diverse talents (including regulatory, corporate, tax, employment, and litigation) to our

Address: 1600 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604-2711 Tel: 585.232.6500 Email: rlanzafame@hselaw.com Website: www.hselaw.com

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New York, USA

practice. With years of experience and thorough understanding of the complex legal and business problems facing providers, HSE crafts creative and varied solutions to those problems. HSE guides providers on day-to-day operational, business, and regulatory issues involving patients, medical staff, medical records, financing, reimbursement, tax, contracts, and the numerous other matters that regularly arise. HSE is adept at handling the full range of special projects, serving as counsel in affiliations, reorganizations, corporate structuring and governance matters, for not-for-profit and for-profit entities/ systems. HSE offers clients a variety of options and solutions, and then assists in selecting and implementing an approach designed to achieve the desired result. HSE clients are discerning, relying on them for high value, cost effective results and the foresight to anticipate challenges before they arise. HSE earns their loyalty and trust by consistently exceeding expectations and actively partnering with clients to successfully resolve their legal and business challenges. HSE is the go-to firm for health care professionals and organizations seeking legal wellness in all regulatory, operational, and business arenas.

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq.

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North America Best in Auto Accidents

Klein Lawyers is one of the leading providers of legal expertise in motor vehicle accident claims in British Columbia, Canada. The firm also represents clients from across Canada to obtain compensation in a broad range of class action lawsuits. The head office in Vancouver, British Columbia, is the hub for the motor vehicle group who represent the injured victims of motor vehicle accidents against ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia). This specialized group handles plaintiff only injury claims and maximizes each claim by utilizing a wellestablished network of experts including doctors, occupational therapists, vocational consultants, engineers and economists. The firm is led by proprietor David Klein, who is recognized as one of Canada’s leading litigators by Best Lawyers in Canada, Benchmark Canada and Lexpert Canada. David has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for thousands of victims in a wide range of landmark cases. Mr. Klein is a prolific writer and speaker on legal issues, and has provided over 100 papers and presentations to various organizations, universities and trial lawyers associations across North America. Mr. Klein is frequently sought out by the media to comment on current legal issues in Canada.

Address: Tel: Fax: Email: Website:

400 - 1385 West 8th Avenue Vancouver | BC | V6H 3V9 604.874.7171 604.874.7180 info@callkleinlawyers.com www.CallKleinLawyers.com

Canada

History of the Law Firm Klein Lawyers is respected nationwide employing over 50 staff with offices in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada. Many of the firm’s lawyers have been called to the bar in British Columbia, Ontario and Washington State. The motor vehicle group has grown to help thousands of people obtain settlements for injuries, lost wages, property loss and medical expenses. Klein Lawyers has successfully negotiated millions of dollars in settlements from minor to catastrophic injuries. They have also represented plaintiffs in landmark class action cases including Breast Implants, Hepatitis C Tainted Blood, Woodlands Residential School, Air Canada (Retiree Benefits), Crocus (Financial Advisor Negligence) and more. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been won and distributed to clients. The firm supports a healthy society by donating to the Sauder School of Business at UBC and the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. They support various community organizations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Drop It And Drive, and Dress for Success.

David A. Klein Managing Partner

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United States of America

Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP remains at the forefront of the legal profession, year after year, structuring complex international business transactions worldwide. The Firm represents clients in numerous high-profile matters involving mergers & acquisitions, oil & gas transactions, banking, IPO’s, private equity, project finance, arbitration, commodities, mining and cross-border transactions across the globe. At Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, the Firm’s Senior Partner, John J. Maalouf is personally involved in every large transaction the firm handles. Mr. Maalouf is ranked as one of the Top 10 International Trade & Finance Lawyers in the United States by the U.S. Lawyer Rankings for the past 10 years in a row. John is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of international trade and finance law, mergers and acquisitions, business and corporate law, oil & gas law, energy law, banking law, cross-

border transactions and project finance. John is also co-author of the book: “Inside the Minds: Best Practices for Mergers & Acquisitions in China”, published by Thomson West, the world’s most respected name in legal publishing. Mr. Maalouf has represented clients throughout the world, including the U.S., China, Middle-East, EU, Japan, India, Australia, Russia, Africa and South America in complex matters involving international trade & finance, mergers & acquisitions, public offerings, international banking, project finance, capital markets, private equity, international oil & gas, mining and energy transactions. Maalouf Ashford’s reputation for excellence and breadth of expertise has made it the law firm of choice for many of the worlds leading corporations as they address the diverse legal and business challenges which they face.

Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP Tel: 212.537.5035

Fax: 212.537.9268

Email: john.maalouf@maaloufashford.com

Website: www.maaloufashford.com

40 Wall Street, 28th Floor, New York, New York 10005 New York | Dubai | Hong Kong | Riyadh | Shanghai | São Paulo | Beirut | Moscow

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United States of America

International Trade & Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon

M&A Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon

Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Corporate Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Brazil

Shipping & Maritime Law Firm of the Year - USA Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Tax Law Firm of the Year - USA Full Service Law Firm of the Year - USA Cross Border Law Firm of the Year - USA International Law Firm of the Year - USA Mining Law Firm of the Year - USA Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Overseas Private Equity Law Firm of the Year Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Securities Law Firm of the Year - USA Litigation & Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - USA Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year - USA

Overseas International Finance Law Firm of the Year United Kingdom Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - USA Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year - USA Renewable Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - UAE International Finance Law Firm of the Year - UAE M&A Law Firm of the Year - UAE

Asset Management Law Firm of the Year - USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - USA

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Russia M&A Law Firm of the Year - Russia

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - China

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Russia

Overseas M&A Law Firm of the Year - China Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - China Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - China

Overseas Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain Overseas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain Overseas Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain

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North America Professional Liability Litigation Attorney of the Year

Phil Cole has been litigating cases for over 45 years, handling the most serious and complex claims professionals face. He defends attorneys, trustees, CPAs and accounting and law firms in claims involving negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, licensing disputes and insurance coverage. Phil was selected as the “Minneapolis Best Lawyers Legal Malpractice Lawyer of the Year” for 2011 and as the “Minneapolis Best Lawyers Legal Malpractice Lawyer/ Defendants Attorney of the Year” for 2014. He and his team have won hard fought battles in courtrooms, in ADR forums and in appellate courts. Phil has been counsel on leading cases involving legal malpractice issues in Minnesota, but he and members of the Lommen Abdo professional liability team also travel throughout the U.S. to assist in handling all types of professional liability matters. Phil’s and the firm’s professional liability clients speak highly of Lommen Abdo’s litigation skills. Two clients told Best Lawyers that: Lommen Abdo attorneys have the ability to cut to the heart of the legal malpractice case, resulting in precise, creative and effective resolution strategies. They “get it,” whereas many in this field simply don’t. They are a huge asset in the defense of lawyers nationwide. Lommen Abdo is a tremendous firm for handling legal malpractice defense. The lawyers get great results at a fair price. They have a supreme knowledge and expertise in the field.

Minnesota, USA

Lommen Abdo has also been selected for the 2016 Corporate Intl Magazine’s Global Award: Professional Liability Litigation Law Firm of the Year in Minnesota. Members of Lommen Abdo’s professional liability litigation practice include attorneys who have been selected as the Best Lawyers in America (Phil Cole and Kay Nord Hunt); are included on the Minnesota Super Lawyer list (Phil Cole, Kay Nord Hunt, Keith Broady and Barry O’Neil); and are listed as Rising Stars in the area of professional liability by Minnesota Super Lawyers (Bryan Feldhaus). Phil is a board certified civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also certified in legal malpractice by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. (This national organization is not accredited by the Minnesota Board of Legal Certification.) Kay Nord Hunt, who handles the professional liability appeals, is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and was named the “Minneapolis Best Lawyers Appellate Practice Lawyer of the Year” for 2012. Congratulations, Phil. You are an outstanding litigator and a role model of excellence for Lommen Abdo’s professional liability team and for the firm as a whole!

Address: Minnesota / Wisconsin / New York Tel: 800.752.4297 Website: www.lommen.com

Phil Cole Lommen Abdo

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North America Law Firm of the Year - Commercial Arbitration

Canada

MARVIN J. HUBERMAN, LL.B., LL.M. Marvin J. Huberman is a senior litigation lawyer practising in Toronto. He is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in civil litigation, and is a mediator, arbitrator, former administrative law judge, and adjunct law professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. For over 30 years, Mr. Huberman has served as independent and general counsel for a variety of individuals, businesses, financial institutions, governments and other organizations. Marvin has expertise in corporate-commercial litigation and administrative and public law, including cases involving contracts, labour, drug and alcohol testing, corporate governance and shareholder remedies, securities, tax, insurance, cross-border litigation, directors and officers fiduciary duties, torts, transportation law, professional liability and ethics, and constitutional/human rights before all levels of trial and appellate courts and numerous administrative tribunals. Marvin holds a Master of Laws Degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School where he taught legal ethics and trial advocacy, and served as a negotiation and mediation coach. He has also served as a civil litigation and advocacy Instructor at the Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course. He is a past Chair of the National and Ontario Civil Litigation Sections of the Canadian Bar Association, and a recipient of a Dedicated Professional Service Award from that organization. Mr. Huberman was appointed by the Chief Justice as a

Address: 20 Dundas Street W., Suite 1100 Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2G8 Tel: 416-646-1372 Fax: 416-946-1961 Email: mhuberman@marvinhuberman.com Website: www.marvinhuberman.com

member of the Civil Rules Committee (Comité des règles en matière civile), pursuant to the Courts of Justice Act (Ont.). Mr. Huberman has authored/co-authored six books and numerous published articles, including Carswell’s texts entitled “Civil Actions”, “Appellate Advocacy”, and “Pre-Trial Conferences”, and “Advocacy, War, and the Art of Strategy”, published by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Marvin is a tenacious, effective litigator, mediator, and arbitrator with demonstrated integrity, professional judgment, and a trail of success. Mr. Huberman is a founding member of the Chief Justice of Ontario’s Advisory Committee on Professionalism (2001), and was appointed to the Competition Law and Policy Task Force of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He served as Chair of the ADR Institute of Ontario Inc.’s Intellectual Property and Technology Section, and was a director of that organization. He served as the Chair of the Governance Committee of the British Canadian Chamber of Trade and Commerce. Marvin has been recognized by the ADR Institute of Canada by being accredited with the designation Chartered Arbitrator (C. Arb) indicating his degree of skill and experience as a professional in the field. Marvin wrote several Arbitration Decisions that were Honourably Mentioned and Rated in the Top 10 Insurance/Accident Benefits cases in 2014 and 2015.

Marvin J. Huberman, LL.B., LL.M. Barrister, Mediator, Chartered Arbitrator Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation

97


North America Law Firm of the Year - Patents

Illinois, USA

Rosenbaum IP, P.C. ‌Ideal Outcomes for Your Ideas! What: We partner with high technology companies to assist in developing intellectual property assets, formulating and executing strategic plans for achieving maximal value for our clients. Results of our work are evidenced by our clients having realized over $1.6 Billion (USD) in market value from IP portfolios we have developed over the past fifteen years. This value has been recognized through financing rounds, merger and acquisition, licensing or litigation awards and represents an almost 4,400% return on the cost of IP portfolio development. To realize this level of success, we combine professional and technical skills with level-headed business experience and principles. Our practice is exclusively devoted to strategic intellectual property asset development, asset commercialization and IP asset risk management. Planning: We unwaveringly focus on securing maximum value for your intellectual property assets. The desired business outcomes are first identified and then an IP asset development plan is created together with implementation steps. Strategy: Once the IP asset development plan has been created it is pressure tested against the identified outcomes. Congruence between the plan, the ongoing research and development initiatives and the business outcomes desired is then challenged to identify potential problems and obstacles. The plan’s strategies are then revised to anticipate these potential problems and obstacles. Being dynamic, the plan is consistently and constantly assessed, revised, and reassessed as new outcomes are identified, new opportunities are presented or new challenges arise. Who: Members of the firm have scientific training and regularly work across a spectrum of technologies including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, therapeutics, diagnostics, nanotechnology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, agricultural chemicals, plant breeding, environmental protection systems, semiconductor processing, industrial and medical lasers, computer hardware and software, digital and analog electrical systems, water purification systems, evaporative cooling systems, skin care products, clothing, motor vehicle assemblies and systems, and general mechanical and electrical technologies.

Address: 1480 Techny Road, Northbrook, Illinois 60062 Tel: 847-770-6000 Fax: 847-770-6006 Email: info@RosenbaumIP.com Website: www.RosenbaumIP.com

98

David G. Rosenbaum

www.kmhmediagroup.com


North America

99


International Employment Law Firm of the Year

Global

Key areas of experience and expertise include:

Seyfarth Shaw LLP is an 800+ lawyer firm with global reach and unparalleled capabilities in international employment law. The firm’s team of specialist international employment lawyers is the largest of its type globally, and its practice is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading practices in the area. All the partners in the international practice are internationally-trained, and each has assisted many of the world’s largest companies with numerous complex and high-profile global employment-related strategic, compliance and transactional projects across a wide range of industries. The team has experience across more than 170 countries, often working on projects covering up to 150 countries at one time. Seyfarth’s international employment law team has assisted in more than 100 international acquisitions/workforce integrations. In each of these transactions, the team was appointed by the client to provide specialist international employment advice where other firms were the client’s appointed transactional counsel. This is a testament to the profile and capability of Seyfarth’s international employment practice. The experience and credentials of Seyfarth’s international practice have led to its reputation as a global leader in the practice of international employment law and have positioned the team as ‘go to’ advisors for large multinational companies requiring strategic employment advice covering their global operations.

• Structuring and implementing employment related strategic initiatives on a multi-jurisdictional basis • Workplace policies and handbooks • Terminations - individual and large scale reductions in force • Workplace harassment, anti-discrimination and equal opportunity law matters • Protection of employers’ proprietary and confidential information • Multi-jurisdictional privacy/data protection and employment law compliance issues • Employment and contingent workforce arrangements and documentation • Employment and labor issues arising from international mergers and acquisitions • International outsourcing arrangements • International workplace investigations Seyfarth’s international employment team is located in key global locations and provides a true cross-border expertise. Its unique service model has been developed over a number of years and is very well tested by many of the world’s largest companies. The team’s success is the result of a constant, unrelenting focus on the needs of its clients and a commitment to excellence using the strength of an integrated team-based approach to deliver international employment law services in a creative, innovative and commercial way.

Darren Gardner Chairman, International Practice

Seyfarth Shaw LLP Tel: +1 (415) 544-1018 Email: dgardner@seyfarth.com Website: www.seyfarth.com

100

www.kmhmediagroup.com


Central America Leading Law Firm of the Year - M&A, Contract, Banking & Securities, Real Estate and Corporate Transactions

Fernando Hernandez is a partner at Vazquez Aldana, Hernandez Gomez & Asociados (VAHG). VAHG is the firm to go in western Mexico for corporate, M&A, banking & finance transactions, personal wealth Management, commercial and residential real estate practices, with more than 75 years of combined experience and a large number of highprofile deals back the quality of the Firm. VAHG is proud to have a broad understanding of the opportunities, strengths and challenges of each matter presented to us. We approach transactional (M&A and Financing) deals with an aim to cover every legal and business angle for the benefit of our clients, and help our clients achieve their business goals with full legal protection and optimal risk mitigation. As a result of its non-stop search for high added value, VAHG is proud of having the trust of worldwide known Mexican and multinational companies as a result of the adoption of its business model. VAGH represents an invaluable sum of prestige and reputation with strengths and capabilities to conduct international transactions, operating under the highest standards of services and quality, together with a singular personal approach,

Mexico

developing a unique strategic competitive factor and high appreciation of its clients. Our focus on nine strategic pillars have allowed us to be seen by relevant domestic and international law firms, banks, funds, financial advisors and business consultants: high ethical values, experience and reputation; performance with high ethical and professional standards; responsiveness and accountability, local knowledge with immediate global access to other jurisdictions; trained staff and team work; personal treatment; proactive communication with client; development of long term professional relationships and state of the art technology. When doing business in Mexico, investors better serve their needs when they receive quality legal advice from professionals with a high degree of preparation and knowledge of the legal and business environments. In VAHG, we will provide you with the tools to safely and effectively navigate through Mexico’s legal system, and we are equipped to collaborate closely with private and governmental institutions alike. We will do all the legal work, you can focus on operating and expanding your business.

NOTARÍA Y CORREDURÍA Address: Juan Ruiz de Alarcón 320 Col. Arcos Sur Guadalajara, Jalisco México 44100 Tel:

52 (33) 38171731 ext. 225

Fax:

52 (33) 38171732

OFICINA CD. DE MÉXICO Address: Av. Presidente Mazaryk 111 piso1 Col. Chapultepec Morales México, Distrito Federal México 11560 Tel:

52 (55) 3300-5801

Fax:

52 (55) 3300-5919

Fernando Hernandez Partner Vazquez Aldana, Hernandez Gomez & Asociados

101


North America Corporate Governance Advisory Firm of the Year

Solon Group and Deborah Hicks Midanek

Deborah Hicks Midanek

Solon Group, Inc. and its founder Deborah Hicks Midanek have built their reputation by taking on the tough jobs, often when others will not. Time and time again, solutions have been found, and new paths to growth have been realized. Solon brings the steady hands of experience, the attitude of an owner, and the creativity of entrepreneurs to every role the firm accepts.

Deborah brings a warm and inquisitive style to the work she does. Throughout her career on Wall Street in the early days of the derivative market and structured finance, as an entrepreneur building her own institutional money management company, and as a well known corporate turnaround executive and independent director she has helped build valuable enterprises against long odds. She leads with her ears, assimilates information rapidly, and encourages those around her to work together to achieve common goals that have been carefully identified. She has an enviable record of stimulating growth and corporate renewal.

Solon Group: Realizing Possibility Though many of our engagements are not disclosed, recent activities include serving as a consulting expert for the defense in significant litigation against a major US law firm, serving as business advisor to a US district court in connection with a case of cross border investment fraud, advising the board of a private company with respect to acquisitions, serving as strategic consultant for a rural US county looking to build jobs and foster economic development, and advising the board of a private pharmaceutical company regarding its need to downsize rapidly in face of a patent loss. We have also handled myriad financial advisory roles for investors and companies in difficulty. We focus relentlessly on listening to the parties, conducting thorough analysis of available data, on finding the opportunities that distress often reveals, and crafting solutions that serve the interests of all.

Tel: +1 917 853 3598 Email: dhmidanek@solongroup.com Website: www.SolonGroup.com

102

United States of America

Deborah’s primary focus at present is on serving as an independent director. She has chaired the boards of six companies, public and private, and led audit, compensation, nominating and governance, and special independent committees. She has served a corporate director for 22 companies in various stages of development. She is currently a director of a private company, an investment firm, and of Innovate Mississippi, a state mandated entity charged with encouraging technological innovation in existing MS companies and investing in new technology companies based in the state. Amongst the challenges she has undertaken are the leading of companies through serious liquidity challenges driven by both rapid growth and sudden decline, government investigations, malfeasance by the majority shareholder, sales of portions of or the entire company, purchases and integration of operating units, removing and replacing the CEO, and many more.

Deborah Hicks Midanek

www.kmhmediagroup.com


North America

United States of America Solon: Why We Love Corporate Governance Work When we first started working in corporate governance in 1990, there were no books and little guidance available as to what the board was charged with doing. CEOs were the visible leaders. Though now a great deal of attention is paid to boards of directors, they often need help clarifying and sequencing the actions required. Thus our services may be even more necessary now, as the glare of public scrutiny can be blinding. Solon has been recognized with several awards lately in connection our work in corporate governance. This is a good time, therefore, to talk a bit about what we do and why we think we help the companies we serve realize better than average results. Veteran corporate directors ourselves, we approach the board and each director as peers, following an artisanal approach. We focus our attention and lead with our ears. First, what IS the issue the board is grappling with? Often folks inside the situation are too close to it to be able properly to define the root causes and the various related consequences. Second, who cares about getting the issue resolved, why, and what are the stakes? Third, how does the board and this company generally go about making key decisions, and how can we best work within their framework while preserving the objectivity necessary to be helpful and effective? Serving as a director is a fundamentally ambiguous undertaking, in which the board is charged with stewardship of shareholder value and protection of their interests through ensuring the health and longevity of the enterprise. At the same time, those shareholders are often faceless until and unless they are unhappy, while the board needs to work with, and is often chosen by, the CEO and the other directors. It can be very difficult to keep in mind that the management team is accountable to the board, and not the other way around, especially when directors are faced with that lovely condition called asymmetrical information, meaning they will never have the same degree of information available to them as is available to management. The fact that the board meets infrequently and directors are on their best behavior, communicating in a highly ritualized environment, makes the role even more difficult. Nevertheless, the job must be done, and done well. So how do we proceed? First, what is corporate governance? There are many definitions in use, but we define it as the being the process by which companies make decisions, and we look at that process as system. Each part needs to work well within the context of the whole, and the clearer that system is, the freer the people operating within it are to pursue their objectives. Thus most of our work is dedicated to developing a common understanding of who makes which decisions, and what do people filling the various roles and functions need to consider in order to make best possible decision in the circumstances. We often hear that advisors tell people what they already know. We agree, and consider it a valuable service, because just as

we listen closely to our clients, they listen closely to us. Most importantly, because we are outsiders who have sat in the director’s chair, our message can be framed and heard, free of the filters resulting from organization structure, company politics or fear of looking uninformed or unworthy. Put in industrial terms, we collect data from various points, inside and outside the company, and add value by converting it to useful information that the right people at the company, most often the CEO and the board, can understand and act upon. No outsider will ever know as much as the people at the company do, but it is difficult to solve a problem while sitting in the middle of it, as fish cannot see water. Solon’s challenge is to access the needed information and help the board array it so that it can be understood and acted upon. Time after time, the solution has been found by properly connecting the dots. Solon has countless examples of the effectiveness of this approach. We have helped resolve thorny succession issues that had paralyzed a family company for years; have helped deleverage a company within weeks by helping the board see which assets were non core once we had reframed the way they looked at their business. We have helped a board determine how to respond to the unexpected loss of critical patent protection and the resulting steep revenue decline. We have helped develop solutions that meet the needs of activist shareholders while allowing the board comfort it was doing its job properly. We have helped the board of a troubled company insist on reduction in overhead when management believed it was not possible, by building ideal overhead up from the bottom. This cut overhead by almost half while improving performance. Cash flow was radically improved and the thorny issue of servicing debt addressed. We have helped the board of a large trucking company address the company’s poor accident record by working with management to develop a safety program. They had never had one, and it led them to setting safety records in their peer group, significantly reducing insurance and repair costs. The Solon approach to realizing possibility has effectively reimagined and redesigned processes in countless companies and industries. Clients and others have asked how we were able so quickly to reach conclusions and develop plans that have eluded the board for years. The answer is we did not do it, the company did. We held up a mirror, and helped remove barriers to communication among directors, allowing people to think clearly. We assimilated what we heard, added a critical apparatus, and presented the company’s own information, organized for practicality, impact, and implementation, in a format that can be understood easily. We help to define the decisions needed at each level, and to provide the information and process required to make them well. Something bugging you? Give us a call at +1 917 853 3598 or send an email to dhmidanek@solongroup.com. We love to listen, and it shows. See more about our work, including comments from happy clients, at www.SolonGroup.com.

Current problems cannot be solved with current thinking. Current problems are the result of current thinking. - Albert Einstein

103


North America Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year

Richard H Golubow is a founding member and the managing shareholder of Winthrop Couchot Professional Corporation, a premier bankruptcy, insolvency and financial restructuring law firm established in 1995 and located in Newport Beach, California. Devoting his practice to the areas of financial restructuring, insolvency law, complex bankruptcy and business reorganisations, litigation, liquidations and acquisitions, Mr Golubow’s clients include debtors, creditors, creditor committees, bankruptcy trustees, assignees for the benefit of creditors, receivers and asset purchasers in a wide range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, distribution, importing, construction, entertainment, education, non-profit institutions, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, automotive, golf and country club, biotech, transportation, telecommunications and Internet businesses. Mr. Golubow has been honored as the recipient of bankruptcy or financial restructuring attorney of the year awards by several leading international financial publications. The awards collectively recognize success and excellence, expertise, service, achievement and innovation as chosen by industry peers. He has achieved an ‘AV Preeminent’ (5 out of 5) Peer Rating, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer recognition, generated from evaluations by other members of the bar and the judiciary for legal ability and ethical standards. He is also rated “superb” (10 out of 10) by the leading independent attorney rating service, AVVO, and has been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer, representing the top 5% of practising attorneys in Southern California. Mr Golubow is a member of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF), an invitation only network of lawyers from single-discipline boutique law firms with the highest level of knowledge, experience, reputation and credentials comparable or superior to what can be found at the highest-ranking full-service law firms.

Tel: +1 949 720 4135 Email: rgolubow@winthropcouchot.com Website: www.winthropcouchot.com

104

California, USA

Mr Golubow has lectured, written about, or been interviewed on varied insolvency related topics including: as an author, Corporate Principles for Thriving and Avoiding Bankruptcy, Orange County Business Journal, November 2015; as a panellist, Bankruptcy in the Americas Roundtable, Financier Worldwide Magazine, September 2015; as a panellist, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Annual Review 2015, Financier Worldwide Magazine, June 2015; as an author, Use of the Common Interest Doctrine in Bankruptcy Cases, Corporate LiveWire Bankruptcy & Restructuring Expert Guide, March/ April 2015; as a guest interviewed on Your Money Talks radio show, host Jerry Slusiewicz, a Bloomberg radio affiliated program, January 5, 2015 about corporate bankruptcy and financial restructuring; as a moderator, Comparative Analysis of Receiverships, Bankruptcies and Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors, California Receivers Forum Loyola VI Conference, January 23, 2015; as a panellist, Bankruptcy in the Americas Roundtable, Financier Worldwide Magazine, September 2014; as a guest interviewed on Commercial Real Estate Radio (creradio.com) about Commercial Real Estate Bankruptcy - What You Need to Know, on April 4, 2014 and Investing in Distressed Real Property in Bankruptcy, on February 13, 2014; as a panellist, ‘But I Thought We Were Safe: Are Priority Claims and Legacy Employee Liabilities at Risk in a 363 Sale?’ at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 25th Annual Winter Leadership Conference in December 2013; and as a panellist, ‘War of the Roses, The Impact of Divorce Proceedings on Business and Personal Bankruptcy Cases’ at the California Bankruptcy Forum’s 25th Annual Insolvency Conference in May 2013. Prior to entering private practice, Mr Golubow served as judicial law clerk and judicial extern to the Honourable John J Wilson, United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Central District of California, Santa Ana Division.

Richard H Golubow Founding Member

www.kmhmediagroup.com


North America

105


South America

SOUTH AMERICA

106

www.kmhmediagroup.com


South America

107


South America Law Firm of the Year – Advertising

108

www.kmhmediagroup.com

Bolivia


South America Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year

Costa Rica

109


South America Tax Advisory Firm of the Year

110

www.kmhmediagroup.com

Brazil


South America

111


T

www.kmhmediagroup.com


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