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FEATURE | Hot 100 FEATURE | Hot 100 >> >> B ALBUSINESS ASIAN LEGAL ALASIAN LEGAL BUSINESSB Foresight, business A wealth of lawyers have set newsrooms abuzz acumen and a in their pursuit of excellence, in one of the most measure of cunning are the traits of lawyers challenging years for legal sectors seen across the profiled in Asian region. this category. Now in its sixth year, ALB’s HOT 100 aims to Meet the names provide an – admittedly subjective – overview of behind some of the the personalities of the past year. We list those watershed events in Name: Andrew Grech Name: Ken Siegel Title: Managing director Title: Tokyo managing partner who have performed outstandingly in their field, the industry this year. Firm/Company: Slater & Gordon Firm/Company: Morrison & Foerster or courted controversy and turned heads. Location: Australia Location: Japan After all, winning the game is not always the Why hot: Grech’s Slater & Gordon Why hot: The downturn has proved be all and end all – it’s the style, poise, and class legal practice remains the only law to be fortuitous for some, and firm in the world to have listed on MoFo’s Tokyo office is among them. with which you play that also counts.This list is a stock exchange. Specialising in Not only is it rumoured to be one THE STRATEGISTS commercial law, the Australian of the most profitable of the firm’s intended to entertain, not offend, and certainly is firm’s growth since its IPO in 2007 offices worldwide, but its headcount not a definitive guide to the industry. provides a model for other legal has substantially increased over the firms who are looking to follow in past year. This has come on the back Please enjoy this year’s ALB HOT 100. the same path. of a number of high-profile deals for blue chip clients, including Fujitsu, Hitachi and Toshiba. Name: Sam Farrands Title: Head of Asia major projects & infrastructure Firm/Company: Minter Ellison Location: Hong Kong Why hot: One of the region’s leading lawyers in projects and PPPs, Farrands is considered the brains behind the firm’s recent acquisition of boutique construction firm Cordells. Name: Lindsay Esler Name: Nicola Wakefield-Evans Name: Hwang Ju Myung Name: Kim Byoung Jai Title: Managing partner Title: Asia managing partner Title: Joint managing partner Title: Senior partner Firm/Company: Deacons Hong Firm/Company: Mallesons Firm/Company: Hwang Mok Park Firm/Company: Lee & Ko Kong Stephen Jaques Location: Korea Location: Korea Location: Hong Kong Location: Hong Kong Why hot: Esler sealed lucrative Why hot: In an industry where Why hot: One of the Korean legal Why hot: Kim told the Korea Times Lex Mundi membership for the glass ceilings are conspicuous, industry’s most prominent figures, “no matter who will come, we are firm earlier this year as it goes Wakefield-Evans can be widely Hwang splits his time managing the ready to beat them all,” a clear about cementing its position as the commended for being among a expansionary firm while sitting on indication that his firm is ready for island’s premier domestic law firm. rare few to have broken through it. the board of Korea Telecom. Korea’s a good old-fashioned scrap. The Unfazed by the decision of Deacons Wakefield-Evans has also built the first in-house counsel for Gulf Oil, firm has been upping its market Australia to partner instead with profile of the Australian-based firm he helped the firm secure a merger aggressively over the last few years, Norton Rose, Esler, says there are to a level where it is rivalling US and with boutique firm Hanseung Law acting on more of Korea’s most no similar plans in the work for the UK firms, for a share of the most Firm. HWP is widely considered as prominent transactions. It will no firm in HK, at least for now. lucrative China-related work. one of the firms nipping at the heels doubt pose a strong rival for leading of the larger firms in the market. firm Kim & Chang in the years ahead. 48 Asian Legal Business ISSUE 9.9 FEATURE | Hot 100 FEATURE | Hot 100 >> >> sees N E C li Name: Austin Sweeney Name: Philip Rapp Name: Jeff Smith Name: Doug Peel Name: Kenneth Aboud Title: Herbert Smith Title: Singapore managing partner Title: Head of Asia energy and Title: Singapore managing partner Title: Joint managing partner Firm/Company: Singapore Firm/Company: Clifford Chance infrastructure Firm/Company: White & Case Singapore managing partner Location: Singapore Firm/Company: Norton Rose Location: Singapore Firm/Company: Allen & Overy Location: Singapore Location: Singapore Location: Singapore Why hot: A winner in the firm’s Why hot: With the government Why hot: Another of the Lion Why hot: There’s no doubt about Why hot: After being granted a QFLP management reshuffle, Sweeney introducing new measures to Nation’s new QFLP licensees, Smith where the QFLP license fits into this QFLP license last year, A&O broke was duly installed as the Singapore develop Singapore’s legal sector, told ALB that the granting of the firm’s Asia strategy – India. Peel away from JLV partner Shook, Lin office’s managing partner. With Rapp will be at the vanguard of license was more than just a “pat forms a core part of White & Case’s & Bok to establish its footprint in he its newly-issued QFLP license in change. He will lead the Magic Circle on the back” for foreign firms in India team. According to a number Singapore. Aboud led a team that T arm, Sweeney will be leading an firms’ operations in the newly- QFLP Singapore. Keep an eye out for of industry insiders the firm is said worked on a groundbreaking deal office that is widely considered licensed Singapore office and Norton Rose to build its practice to be on the brink of sealing a ‘best- in the Indonesian Islamic finance to be head and shoulders above oversee the India desk. The firm in the staple areas of energy and friends’ alliance with one of the sector – the Republic of Indonesia’s other international firms in dispute plans to cement its large footprint projects in the year ahead. subcontinent’s largest firms. inaugural global US$650m sukuk. The resolution matters across southeast in the region by dipping into the deal will likely serve as a precedent for Asia. local employment market. future Islamic bond issues. Name: Jyoti Sagar Title: Managing partner Firm/Company: J Sagar & Associates Location: India Why hot: In a period where the whole world seems to be watching India, Sagar has responded by growing his firm from mid-tier in size, to one of the largest law firms in India. As part of this process, the firm recently acquired boutique Name: Abdulaziz Al Bosaily Name: Samantha Bradley Name: Simon Marchant Name: David Wang outfit M&C Partners, increasing its Title: Local partner Title: Hong Kong managing Title: Asia managing partner Title: Shanghai managing operations in Bangalore. Firm/Company: Clyde & Co director Firm/Company: Freshfields partner Location: Riyadh Firm/Company: Withers Location: Hong Kong Firm/Company: Paul Hastings Location: Hong Kong Location: Shanghai Name: Chew Seng Kok Title: Managing partner Why hot: After breaking away Why hot: As the first onshore Why hot: After having this position Why hot: Wang’s nine years with Firm/Company: Zaid Ibrahim from its alliance with DLA Piper – law firm to launch in an offshore vacant for three years, Freshfields the firm paid off this year after Location: Malaysia which only lasted six months – his jurisdiction after entering the appointed Marchant to the position he ascended to the position of independant law office found a BVI earlier this year, there is of Asia managing partner earlier Shanghai office chair, where he new ally in Clyde & Co and is set to no doubting that Withers is a this year, saying that the time replaced incumbent Mitchell Dudek. Why hot: Chew has ambitious capitalise on the increasing number trailblazer. Bradley heads up was right to reinstate the role as Wang has previously practiced plans to grow Malaysia’s largest of cross-border disputes arising another of the firm’s newly opened the attention of investors turns in the Los Angeles and Hong law firm. After opening new offices in the Gulf region at the moment. offices (in Hong Kong) which to the Asian region for growth Kong offices before relocating to in Vietnam and Dubai over the Al Bosaailly works in the Middle services the legal needs of Greater opportunities and investment. Shanghai. He will be responsible for past year, Chew says his firm will Eastern corporate and financial China’s increasing numbers of high- rebuilding the firm’s China practice, be looking to compete with “the services group. net worth individuals. after layoffs in the region. international big boys now.” Name: Aloysius Wee Name: Dang The Duc Name: Robert Milliner Name: Clive Cook Name: James Harris Title: managing partner Title: Managing partner Title: Chief executive partner Title: Managing principal Title: Local managing partner Firm/company: Dacheng Central Firm/Company: Indochine Firm/Company: Mallesons Firm/Company: Baker & McKenzie Firm/Company: Lovells Lee & Lee Chambers counsel Stephen Jacques Location: Singapore Location: Singapore Location: Singapore Location: Vietnam Location: Australia Why hot: Wee announced that his Why hot: Duc’s decision this year Why hot: Ever the active hiker, Why hot: Cook’s appointment as Why hot: As the Singapore head firm had struck up an alliance with to forge an alliance with Hanoi’s Milliner has overcome many Baker & McKenzie’s chairman of of one of the three remaining joint- China’s largest firm, Dacheng, to Leadco was a crafty move in a peaks this year – after climbing its Singapore office and member law ventures in the Lion Nation, target clients looking to expand into developing legal market.