Nominated entirely by in-house counsel and corporate decision-makers in the In-House Community, the following Commended External Counsel of the Year, 2018, all received the outstanding recommendation of their clients.
This year’s In-House Community Counsels of the Year awards ceremony will take place on May 10, 2018 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse in Hong Kong. All of the commended counsel in attendance will be recognised at the celebration. In addition, our individual External Counsel of the Year will be selected from among the Commended Counsel below and announced at the ceremony.
With select testimonials, the In-House Community Commended External Counsel of the Year, 2018 are:
(click on the respective jurisdictions to open the lists)
In no particular order:
“Liu Huang Huan of JunHe is outstanding” … “a very professional lawyer”
“Arthur Mok (Ropes & Gray regional Managing Partner) and Geoffrey Lin (Ropes & Gray Managing Partner, Shanghai) lead a great team. Experienced with unparalleled service.”
“XiaoGang (Sean) Wang of Shearman & Sterling is a sharp lawyer, quickly identifying the client’s needs giving targeted advice.”
“Judie Ng Shortell, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison is very responsive … good communication with client.”
“Michael Han of Fang Da is an outstanding external lawyer.”
“Alex Aitken of Herbert Smith Freehills is academically excellent, which is a true compliment in this money-driven region.”
In no particular order:
“Teresa Ko is an excellent problem solver.”
“Nicholas Plowman at Ogier has great knowledge and gives ‘out of the box’ solutions”
“Martin Tam, of Baker McKenzie stands out for his expert knowledge in insurance in Hong Kong” …“My choice of outstanding counsel is Martin Tam of Baker McKenzie”
“Vivian Ho of Proskauer Rose is responsive, professional and has good project management skills.”
“Jonathan Stone at Skadden knows his stuff and his way around closing a deal.”
“The IP lawyer Loke-khoon Tan at Baker McKenzie is incredibly responsive. With deep knowledge and legal expertise. He also has great communication and interactive skills.”
“Ricky Yiu of Mayer Brown JSM stands out with his wealth of industry knowledge. He is conscious of his client’s budget and sensitive to our unspoken concerns. He is always there for the client, 24/7, literally, giving client peace of mind.”
“Eva Chan at Simmons & Simmons is very responsiveness and has outstanding knowledge of the funds space.”
“KK Cheung of Deacons stands out for his good service.”
“I am impressed by the legal expertise and knowledge of Tommy Tong of Herbert Smith Freehills.”
In no particular order:
“Anjan Dasgupta, Partner at HSA Advocates, always keeps himself up-to-date with national and global trends. He understands business from an operational point of view and provides timely and practical advice.”
“Cyril Shroff brings complete knowledge and skill as a lawyer to bare across the spectrum of issues affecting the financial services sector.”
“Yashasvi Mohanram of Platinum Partners in Mumbai handled a number of equity dispositions for us and did an excellent job, working through a variety of problematic issues with multiple internal stakeholders.”
“Atul Dua (Advaita Legal) has always provided me with practical solutions instead of plain-vanilla legal verbage.”
In no particular order:
“I definitely consider Dr. Mohamed Idwan Ganie as my outstanding lawyer. His skills, experience and attitude are all excellent.” … “My vote for outstanding corporate lawyer goes to Kiki Ganie because he has practiced for a long time and proves eligible in all criteria” [see Dr. Ganie’s profile]
“Ahmad Soemadipradja has excellent business knowledge, is creative, highly-reputable and experienced in private legal matters.”
“Widyawan of Widyawan & partners is good in managing his associates to provide good-quality legal solutions. He knows our industry very well”
“Bagus SD Nur Buwono (Bagus Enrico & Partners) stands out for his business knowledge and legal expertise.”
“Mark Innis at Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners has a wealth of experience and provides very sound legal advice in his area of expertise.”
In no particular order:
“Hy Chong (Managing Partner at Azman Davidson & Co) is quick to understand the needs of a company and thorough in his work, he gives practical, value for money advice.”
“Sharizan Sharif, Partner of Azmi & Associates – excellent level of responsiveness and always keeps track of corporate-legal developments.”
“Hanim Hamzah (ZICO Law) is an outstanding external counsel.”
“John Matthew of Christopher & Lee Ong has vast knowledge in different areas of law and is meticulous in his legal analysis.”
“Ms. Sarita Ashok Khandar from Messrs. Alvin John & Partners is just amazing in her work.”
“Christopher Lee – Speak to any of his clients and it is clear that his experience and skills make him second to none in his field.”
“Lilian Liew (Zaid Ibrahim & Co) demonstrates legal expertise, business acumen and good understanding of our business.” … “Lilian Liew, is a master in financing.”
“Tan Kong Yam from Kadir Andri & Partners is very knowledgeable and competent. He is able to meet the deadline even though tight timeline was given.”
“Ms. Tang Ai Leen at ZUL RAFIQUE & partners has great experience in handling property related transactions and joint ventures.”
“Chang Wei Mun (Raja, Darryl & Loh) is an extremely experienced lawyer in construction. He is full of ideas, and importantly, solutions which are usually acceptable to all parties.”
“We found Jaya Singam of Messrs B H Lawrence & Co to be knowledgeable and skillful. He is very approachable and carries with him a friendly but professional working manner when he deals with his clients at all times.”
“Chong Yee Leong of Rahmat Lim & Partners (and Allen & Gledhill) is qualified in both Singapore and Malaysia. He (along with his team) is very efficient, reliable and always takes extra efforts to assist the client. He gives us confidence that our case is well taken care of.”
“Shannon Rajan of Skrine – His advice is clear and will always aligned with our business needs, without compromising the legal position. He is accessible 24-7. He gives recommendations that are in the best interests of the company.”
“Norazmi Norazman of Messrs Azmi Fadzly Maha & Sim is an up and coming lawyer in corporate and litigation matters. Very prompt and highly responsive. Offers sound legal advice that is both legally and commercially viable.”
“May Tai of Herbert Smith Freehills is responsive and able to address client concerns and anticipate expectations.”
“Khairul Fazli Abdul Kadir of Azmi & Associates is helpful, attentive to client’s needs and an expert in Intellectual Property. He is always professional whilst maintaining a good rapport with his client.”
“Ms. Fuzet Farid (of Fuzet Farid) has vast knowledge in her specialist areas of Maritime, Shipping and Aviation, she also provides valuable support to our company in basic taxation and company secretarial matters.”
In no particular order:
“Atty. Raul Tito Maxelmo A. (Toby) Estrella (Gerodias Suchianco Estrella) is very responsive and considers his client’s management realities when providing his opinions.”
“Atty. Victor Lazatin and Patricia-Ann Prodigalidad of ACCRA are both outstanding. They think outside the box.”
“Atty. Mario Bautista (Managing Partner of Poblador Bautista & Reyes) takes a hands-on personal approach to his work.”
“Atty. Alexander J. Poblador is a well-rounded lawyer who assesses transactions from various angles, especially potential litigation.”
“Atty. Jose Martin R. Tensuan (ACCRALAW) stands out for his responsiveness, ability and expertise.”
“Atty. Albert Vincent Y. (Albert) Yu Chang (Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)) is licensed in the Philippines and US and thus able to effectively assist Philippine clients navigate the US legal environment.”
“Atty. Vicente Gerochi (VI) of Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan shows legal expertise, highly-professional, and responsive to the needs of the client.”
“Atty. Perry Pe of Romulo Mabanta – He is one of the best, if not the best among private practice lawyers in the Philippines. Always provides timely and accurate advice.”
“For his legal expertise and professionalism, Atty. Carlos Roberto Z. Lopez at SyCip stands out”
“Atty. Francis Ed Lim (ACCRA Law) is an outstanding, competent and professional lawyer.”
In no particular order:
“Steve Tan at Rajah & Tann is a fast, value-adding, effective counsel”
“Susan Kong of Q.E.D. Law Corporation is strong in banking, finance, corporate and M&A. Sharp, intelligent, driven and hardworking.”
“K. Muralidharan Pillai of Rajah & Tann is extremely skilled, knowledgeable and competent. Very practical, he picks up on commercial needs and concerns quickly. Prompt, despite being in heavy demand, he is a man of integrity who gives he’s best no matter how big or small the matter.”
“Eng Beng Lee, managing partner at Rajah & Tann is a legal heavyweight.”
“Danny Lim (Rajah & Tann) very dedicated and a deal maker in M&A, provides practical solutions and can get the deal moving within a tight deadline.”
“Alvin Yeo of Wong Partnership is a brilliant legal strategist.”
“Nandakumar Ponniya at Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow (and his team) give quality advice at a competitive price and give prompt responses.”
“Edwin Tong (Allen & Gledhill) is well-regarded, advises with a common sense approach and is commercially sensible. What’s more, his fees are reasonable and he is a lawyer with a heart.”
“Francis Mok at Allen & Gledhill is an expert on regulatory matters and the ‘go to’ guy for banking & finance regulatory matters.”
“Celeste Ang (Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow) is an excellent practitioner. Very responsive and ready to help. Great to work with.”
“Low Kah Keong (WongPartnership) will consider and tailor his advice to suit the requirements of the business and the prevailing circumstances. Such flexibility coupled with deep legal expertise makes him an exceptional lawyer.”
“Sandy Foo from Rajah & Tann provides great advice and has worked on an impressive list of deals.”
“Sim Chong from Sim Chong LLC is a great litigator, with particular expertise on injunctions.”
“Ken Chia (Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow) is very experienced in negotiating IT outsourcing documents and he does it with a smile, no matter how antagonistic the vendor!”
In no particular order:
“Kwang-wook Lee at Yoon & Yang stands out for his kindness and professionality.”
“Hye Yeon Lim at Hwang Mok Park is excellent in corporate and competition law. She has great communication skills and understands the client needs very well, providing proactive legal service.”
“Hyun Wook Park at Bae, Kim & Lee has incredible knowledge in acquiring reorganized companies whilst also leading a team of attorneys covering M&A, real estate and corporate governance, meeting most of our company’s needs.”
“Jessada Sawatdipong at Chandler MHM is simply one of the best in the area of banking and project finance.”
“Chavalit Uttasart of Siam City Law provides outstanding expertise and insight into the legal issues affecting for those working in the Thai Jurisdiction.”
“Khun Rittichai Ngodngam (Norton Rose) has outstanding technical knowledge advising with the right balance of legal and business requirements.”
In no particular order:
“Chris Gunson always provides excellent value and blends legal and commercial advice to ensure a transaction will progress in a manner agreeable to all parties.”
“Nick O’Connell gets into the detail of the matter and also brings ancillary issues to the attention of his clients. To put it simply, Nick thinks ahead of the issue itself to protect his client’s interests. He is very responsive and responsible.”
“Nick Sharratt is a rising star. He displays business knowledge, responsiveness, legal expertise, is professional and good at listening.” … “Nick Sharratt at Winston & Strawn is outstanding for his client service and project management”
“Dr. Faraj A Ahnish stands out for his business knowledge, acumen and professionalism”
“I consider Matthew Shanahan (Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla) to be the leading private practice lawyer in this region because of his extensive knowledge and experience in financial services and regulation as well as his pragmatic approach.”
“Naji Hawayek of Clyde & Co. really knows how to take care of his client, even when work is done with a different department in the firm. He’s always on top of the ongoing matters and ensures consistency and quality in all legal work done. If there is an area that he is uncomfortable with, he will simply state that and would not risk quality of work for the sake of the bill.”
“Charles Fuller at Hogan Lovells is very good at client relationship management. A proactive and commercially-minded lawyer.”
In no particular order:
“Duc Tran of Allen & Overy remains an outstanding counsel. His profile tells.”
“Ms. Dao Nguyen of DN Legal always has a practical approach to legal issues.”
“Nguyen Hoang Anh at Mayer Brown JSM stands out for his business knowledge, acumen and responsiveness. He provides value for money service.”
“Bui Ngoc Hong at LNT & Partners … for his professionalism, customer experience, budget accuracy and creativity.”
“Chau Huy Quang at Rajah & Tann (LCT) is an intelligent, open-minded and effective lawyer.”
At the Awards evening on May 10, 2018 we will celebrate the best in both in-house and external legal practice. To see a list of the over 100 In-House Teams nominated for recognition click here.
The In-House Community Counsels of the Year Awards are generously supported by
Axiom
The supporting charity for the awards is Yayasan Orang Kurang Upaya Kelantan (Yokuk). Otherwise known as the Kelantan Foundation for the Disabled, Yokuk was established 18 years ago to alleviate the plight of people with disabilities in Kelantan, one of the poorest states in Malaysia.
For more information on the Awards, which will take place on May 10 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse in Hong Kong, and how to attend the ceremony, please contact:
Yvette Tan: yvette.tan@inhousecommunity.com
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Rahul Prakash: rahul.prakash@inhousecommunity.com