Regina Leung, patron member of the Federation of Women Lawyers, began the evening with a keynote speech to an audience of in-house and private practitioners. The attendees had gathered to celebrate the achievements of law firms setting the standard in female-friendly working practices, and women leading the field in practice areas across Asia.
Attending guests also heard speeches from the lifetime achievement winner Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan and the outstanding practitioner winner, Fiona Loughrey of Simmons & Simmons.
In the firm categories, Baker & McKenzie was named best international firm for women in business law, and also received the prize for best firm for pro bono work. In other international categories, Herbert Smith Freehills collected the award for best firm for talent management. TSMP Law Corporation was announced as the best national firm for women in business law and it also won the award for best gender diversity initiative by national firm.
A full list of winners is detailed below.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Best in banking and finance
Susan Wong, WongPartnership
Best in capital markets
Cathy Yeung, Latham & Watkins
Best in competition and antitrust
Kala Anandarajah, Rajah & Tann
Best in corporate governance
Joy Tan, WongPartnership
Best in dispute resolution
Lucy Reed, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Best in energy and natural resources
Elisabeth Ellis, Minter Ellison
Best in insolvency and restructuring
Kelly Naphtali, Lipman Karas
Best in IP litigation
Kherk Ying Chew, Wong & Partners
Best in labour and employment
Seraphim Mar, Baker & McKenzie
Best in M&A and private equity
Chun Wei, Sullivan & Cromwell
Best in offshore
Ann Ng, Maples and Calder
Best in patent and trade mark prosecution
Annie Tsoi, Deacons
Best in real estate
Susheela Rivers, DLA Piper
Best in shipping
Rosita Lau, Ince & Co
Best in structured finance
Mary Matson, Linklaters
Best in tax
Goh Ka Im, Shearn Delamore & Co
Best in TMT
Michelle Chan, Bird & Bird
Best in transfer pricing
Joanne Su, EY
RISING STAR NOMINEES
Rising star: Corporate
Kana Itabashi, Baker & McKenzie
Rising star: Finance
Xiaohui Ji, Linklaters
Rising star: IP
Sukontip Jitmongkolthong, Tilleke & Gibbins
Rising star: Litigation
Koh Swee Yen, WongPartnership
Rising star: Tax
Makiko Takewaki, DLA Piper
COUNTRY AWARDS
Australia
King & Wood Mallesons
Brunei
Abrahams Davidson & Co
China - PRC firm
Jun He Law Offices
China - international firm
Hogan Lovells
Hong Kong - independent firm
Deacons
Hong Kong - international firm
Simmons & Simmons
India
Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co
Indonesia
Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners
Japan
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Malaysia
Albar & Partners
New Zealand
Russell McVeagh
Pakistan
Liaquat Merchant Associates
Philippines
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles
Singapore
TSMP Law Corporation
South Korea
Shin & Kim
Sri Lanka
FJ & G de Saram
Taiwan
LCS & Partners
Thailand
Tilleke & Gibbins
Vietnam
Vision & Associates
FIRM AWARDS
Best gender diversity initiative by national firm
TSMP Law Corporation
Best gender diversity initiative by international firm
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
Best firm for diversity by national firm
Simpson Grierson
Best firm for diversity by international firm
Jones Day
Most innovative firm
Khaitan & Co
Best international firm China practice
Hogan Lovells
Best national firm mentoring programme
Albar & Partners
Best international firm mentoring programme
White & Case
Best national firm for work-life balance
Rajah & Tann
Best international firm for work-life balance
Simmons & Simmons
Best firm for pro bono work
Baker & McKenzie
Best national firm for talent management
Tilleke & Gibbins
Best international firm for talent management
Herbert Smith Freehills
Best national firm for women in business law
TSMP Law Corporation
Best international firm for women in business law
Baker & McKenzie
IN-HOUSE CATEGORY
Outstanding practitioner award
Fiona Loughrey, Simmons & Simmons
Lifetime achievement award
Ambiga Sreenevasan, Sreenevasan Advocates & Solicitors
In-house team of the year (under 50 lawyers)
Fidelity
In-house team of the year (over 50 lawyers)
Goldman Sachs
China Law & Practice in-house award
Simoon Zhao, The Coca-Cola Company
Asialaw in-house award
Gill Meller, MTR
International Financial Law Review in-house award
Amy Reich, Citi
Managing IP in-house award
Karen Law, Alibaba
International Tax Review in-house award
Greta Chan, IBM
