Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2019 - SHORTLIST

The nominations for the fifth annual Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards have been announced. On Thursday, September 19, Asia’s leading dispute resolution lawyers will gather at the island Shangri-La in Hong Kong to celebrate the process of litigation and disputes resolution in the legal profession.

The awards will celebrate the foremost leaders in 11 practice areas and 14 jurisdictions around the region. During the evening, there will be awards for disputes stars in each jurisdictions, as well as one Asia-Pacific rising star, a female lawyer of the year and one arbitration practitioner of the year. There will also be awards for the most impactful matters of the year and an inductee into the Benchmark Hall of Fame.

To reserve your place, please email James Murray at james.murray@euromoneyasia.com or call +852 6019 4668.

See the full shortlist below. Information on the methodology is at the bottom of the page.


COUNTRY AND REGIONAL WINNERS

AUSTRALIA

Firm of the Year
Ashurst
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Gilbert + Tobin
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons

Lawyer of the Year
Jason Betts, Herbert Smith Freehills
Andrew Carter, Ashurst
Luke Hastings, Herbert Smith Freehills
Mark Wilks, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

CHINA

Firm of the Year
AllBright Law Offices
DaHui Lawyers
Fangda Partners
Jingtian & Gongcheng
JunHe
King & Wood Mallesons
Zhong Lun Law Firm

Lawyer of the Year
Lijun Cao, Zhong Lun Law Firm
Dong Chungang, Jingtian & Gongcheng
Nuo Ji, Fangda Partners
Arthur Ma, DaHui Lawyers
Huawei Sun, Zhong Lun Law Firm
Helen Shi, Fangda Partners

HONG KONG SAR

Firm of the Year
Deacons
Gall
Howse Williams
Oldham Li & Nie
Stevenson Wong & Co
Wilkinson & Grist

Lawyer of the Year
Nick Gall, Gall
Keith Ho, Wilkinson & Grist
Chris Wong, Gall

INDIA

Firm of the Year
AZB & Partners
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Khaitan & Co
L&L Partners
Phoenix Legal
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Lawyer of the Year
Rajendra Barot, AZB & Partners 
Ajay Bhargava, Khaitan & Co
Jyoti Singh, Phoenix Legal
Vijayendra Pratap Singh, AZB & Partners 
Pallavi Shroff, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

INDONESIA

Firm of the Year
36 Sovereign Chambers
Assegaf Hamzah & Partners 
Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners
Makarim & Taira S
SSEK Legal Consultants
Suhardi Somomoeljono & Associates

Lawyer of the Year
Lia Alizia, Makarim & Taira S
Dianyndra K Hardy, Suhardi Somomoeljono & Associates
Eri Hertiawan, Assegaf Hamzah & Partners
Dewi Savitri Reni, SSEK Legal Consultants

JAPAN

Firm of the Year
Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi

Lawyer of the Year
Norimitsu Arai, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Yoshimasa Furuta, Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
Mugi Sekido, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Hiroyuki Tezuka, Nishimura & Asahi
Koki Yanagisawa, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

MALAYSIA

Firm of the Year
Ariff Rozhan & Co
Cecil Abraham & Partners
Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
Rahmat Lim & Partners
Skrine
Tay & Partners
Wong & Partners

Lawyer of the Year
Cecil Abraham, Cecil Abraham & Partners
Kherk Ying Chew, Wong & Partners
Yee Leong Chong, Rahmat Lim & Partners
Cindy Goh, Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
William Lim, Ariff Rozhan & Co
Chee Wee Lim, Skrine
Leonard Yeoh, Tay & Partners

NEW ZEALAND

Firm of the Year
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Chapman Tripp
Lowndes
Russell McVeagh
Wilson Harle

Lawyer of the Year
Scott Barker, Buddle Findlay 
Sebastian Bisley, Buddle Findlay
Ian Denton, Wilson Harle
David Friar, Bell Gully
Jacque Lethbridge, Lowndes
Polly Pope, Russell McVeagh

PHILIPPINES

Firm of the Year
Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)
Quisumbing Torres
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

Lawyer of the Year
Anthony Mark Gutierrez, Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)
Francisco Lim, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Emmanuel Lombos, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Simeon Marcelo, Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
Patricia-Ann Prodigalidad, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Ramon Quisumbing, Quisumbing Torres

SINGAPORE

Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
Drew & Napier
Rajah & Tann Singapore
Shook Lin & Bok
TSMP Law Corporation
WongPartnership

Lawyer of the Year
Cavinder Bull, Drew & Napier
Aaron Lee, Allen & Gledhill
Andre Yeap, Rajah & Tann Singapore
Alvin Yeo, WongPartnership
Thio Shen Yi, TSMP Law Corporation

SOUTH KOREA

Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Shin & Kim
Yoon & Yang
Yulchon

Lawyer of the Year
Jin Yeong Chung, Kim & Chang
Sang-Goo Han, Yoon & Yang
Doo-Sik Kim, Shin & Kim
Wook Rae Lee, Bae Kim & Lee
Sung Bom Park, Yulchon

TAIWAN

Firm of the Year
Chen & Lin
Formosan Brothers
Lee and Li 
Lexcel Partners
Lin & Partners
Tsar & Tsai Law Firm

Lawyer of the Year
Che-Hung Chen, Chen & Lin
Edgar Chen, Tsar & Tsai Law Firm
Alan Lin, Lee and Li
George Lin, Lin & Partners

THAILAND

Firm of the Year
LawPlus
LS Horizon
Natipatana Law Office
Tilleke & Gibbins
Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners

Lawyer of the Year
Nattaphol Chinawong, Natipatana Law Office
Thawat Damsa-ard, Tilleke & Gibbins
Nandana Indananda, Tilleke & Gibbins
Sakchai Limsiripothong, Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners
Kowit Somwaiya, LawPlus

VIETNAM

Firm of the Year
Dzungsrt & Associates
Frasers Law Company
Tilleke & Gibbins
VILAF
YKVN

Lawyer of the Year
Dang Viet Anh, Dzungsrt & Associates
Luu Tien Dzung, YKVN
Mark Fraser, Frasers Law Company
Loc Xuan Le, Tilleke & Gibbins
Nguyen Duy Linh, VILAF
Truong Nhat Quang, YKVN


PRACTICE AREA FIRM AWARDS

Commercial & Transactions Firm of the Year
Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Drew & Napier
Kim & Chang
Skrine
Zhong Lun Law Firm

Competition/antitrust Firm of the Year
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Yulchon

Construction Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
King & Wood Mallesons
O’Melveny & Myers
Pinsent Masons
Wong & Partners
WongPartnership

Government & Regulatory Firm of the Year
Fangda Partners
Khaitan & Co
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Natipatana Law Office
Russell McVeagh

Insolvency Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
AZB & Partners
Kim & Chang
Kirkland & Ellis
Rajah & Tann Singapore
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Intellectual Property Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Anand and Anand
Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff
Fangda Partners
Kim & Chang
Wong & Partners

Labour & Employment Firm of the Year
Bae Kim & Lee
Baohua Law Firm
Kim & Chang
Skrine
Wong & Partners

Shipping Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Christopher & Lee Ong
Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
Kim & Chang
Rajah & Tann Singapore
Shook Lin & Bok

Tax Firm of the Year
Advaita Legal
Kim & Chang
Raja Darryl & Loh
Shearn Delamore & Co
Yulchon

White Collar Crime Firm of the Year
Allen & Gledhill
Allen & Overy
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Rajah & Tann Singapore


ARBITRATION AWARDS

International Arbitration Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Bae Kim & Lee
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
WongPartnership
Zhong Lun Law Firm

International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
Barbara Chiu, King & Wood Mallesons
Justin D'Agostino, Herbert Smith Freehills
Matthew Gearing QC, Allen & Overy
May Tai, Herbert Smith Freehills
Andre Yeap, Rajah & Tann Singapore
Alvin Yeo, WongPartnership


BOUTIQUE FIRM OF THE YEAR
BlackOak
Braddell Brothers
Cecil Abraham & Partners
Gaggar & Partners
Nair & Co
Providence Law Asia


INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

International Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Mayer Brown
O’Melveny & Myers

International Firm Lawyer of the Year
Denis Brock, O’Melveny & Myers
Simon Clarke, Allen & Overy
Matthew Gearing QC, Allen & Overy
Martin Rogers, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Paul Starr, King & Wood Mallesons
Gareth Thomas, Herbert Smith Freehills
Kyle Wombolt, Herbert Smith Freehills

Methodology

After four successful years as the Asialaw Dispute Resolution Awards, the ceremony is being rebranded as the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2019 (in association with Asialaw). The Benchmark Litigation Awards launched in New York over eight years ago and has since expanded into ceremonies in Toronto, San Francisco and London.

In previous years, there has been a dedicated submission process. For efficiency (and following law firm feedback), this year the majority of the shortlist and winner decisions have been made using the existing research for the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific directory. The latest issue of the directory covered the calendar year of 2018, so firms who participated in research for that product were invited to submit extra information on cases which closed in January to June 2019.

Firms who did not participate in the directory research were invited to submit key cases from July 2018 to June 2019 inclusive. This included firms from Australia and New Zealand, which were not covered in the latest issue of the directory, but will be included in the 2019 awards (and likely next year’s directory).