2015 Dispute Resolution Awards

DISPUTE resolution Best in Financial Service Disputes – China Accolades such as these are a recognition for the dedication and commitment we have provided for our clients. Over the past 12 months our team has been working to maintain this high standard for clients by focusing on numerous banking/financing disputes and has successfully protected the clients’ legal interests through arbitration, litigation and other ADR means.

Wilson Wei Huo, Zhong Lun law firm

Best Dedicated Mediation Chambers – UK We were delighted to have won this award and feel that it is recognition of our achievements since the launch of the company.

David Douglas – Chief Executive, Independent Mediators

DISPUTE resolution

Litigator Firm of the Year - Portugal

www.acquisition-intl.com/dispute-resolution-awards

Parke Lawyers is an Australian legal practice committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity and to providing quality, cost-effective legal services.

Parke Lawyers have developed a well-deserved reputation as a firm that gets results.

We provide a friendly, professional and confidential approach that offers commonsense and practical solutions. We achieve this by taking the initiative to identify potential problems and give advice designed to provide timely effective solutions.

We show our commitment to our clients through our global accreditation for security and legal best practice.

Be well advised

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www.pl.com.au

We speak: English, German, Greek & Italian

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foreword

DISPUTE resolution

Welcome to AI Magazine’s 2015 Dispute Resolution Awards.

As anybody in the corporate world will tell you, even the most minor of disputes can, if not dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, quickly escalate into a costly and time-consuming saga, diverting precious resources away from important day-to-day business.

With this in mind, a swift and satisfactory resolution is key to preserving a firm’s reputation and relationships, and to ensuring that the focus remains fully on the things that matter most.

The 2015 Dispute Resolution Awards highlight and celebrate the work, dedication and commitment of the firms whose sole aim is to provide their clients with the peace of mind and incredible results that can only be achieved by a team or individual at the very height of their profession.

So, to get the inside track on those businesses who have proven themselves to be one step ahead of the competition, seamlessly blending innovation, stellar performance and results with customer care that is second to none, read on...

Zhong Lun Law Firm

Independent Mediators Limited

Best in Financial Service Disputes – China / Page 4

Best Dedicated Mediation Chambers – UK / Page 8

Scarinci Hollenbeck

wkk law

TRLPLAW

RYUKA

Litigation Team of the Year - New Jersey / Page 12

Criminal Defence Firm of the Year – Austria / Page 16

Award for Excellence in Energy Disputes – Nigeria / Page 18

Best for IP Disputed - Japan / Page 20

Bosley International Ltd

St Catherine’s Chambers

VISCHER Ltd

Laurie & Brennan LLP

Award for Excellence in Transport Disputes – UK / Page 22

Best in Contract Claim Disputes - Greater London / Page 24

Best for Insurance Litigation – Switzerland / Page 26

Best for Construction Disputes - United States of America / Page 28

Pittman MacIsaac & Roy

Carol Ludington

Greg Curtin SC FCIArb

Afschrift

Best for Transfer Pricing Disputes – Canada / Page 30

Best for Commercial Litigation Issues - USA / Page 32

Litigator of the Year – Australia / Page 34

Tax Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Belgium / Page 36

Fama Firm

Kronbergs & Cukste

Ladas & Parry LLP

ACCRALAW

Independent Construction Adjudicator of the Year – UK / Page 38

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Latvia / Page 40

Award for Excellence in Negotiating International Licences - USA / Page 42

ADR Law Firm of the Year - Philippines / Page 44

Weil & Associés

NNPC

Remedy Law Firm

Graham Thompson

Best in Complex Corporate Litigation – France / Page 46

Best for Oil & Gas Disputes - Nigeria / Page 48

Best for Maritime Disputes - Russia / Page 50

Best for Asset Recovery - Turks & Caicos Islands / Page 52

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China national grand theatre in the evening.

It is 46.68 meters tall.Hosted by the French architect Paul andreu design, is Asia’s largest theater.

Songquan Deng / Shutterstock.com

DISPUTE resolution

Best in Financial Service Disputes – China

Wilson Huo is a Partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm, based in the firm’s Beijing headquarters.

His practice focus includes arbitration and commercial litigation, in particular, resolution of foreign-related disputes and banking/financing disputes. We spoke to him about his wealth of experience and why risks are the top priority when working with disputes.

When dealing with dispute resolutions, our first move is how important to put risks and disputes as the priority to consider when entering into a commercial agreement. Instead of paying too much attention to provisions such as price, payment terms, assets, and etc, transacting parties have to be highly risk-alerted, make evaluation of risks and structure their deal based on their risk awareness before entering into transactions. It is also important for them to consciously set the provisions such as governing law and dispute resolution. In this regard, the dispute resolution lawyer shall be involved much earlier at the very beginning of the transactions, in lieu of after arising of the disputes.

Furthermore, we have observed that lawyers are classified as transaction lawyers vs. dispute resolution lawyers, and they rarely know what their counterpart is doing. A good combination of the two groups of lawyers will definitely enhance your success of business transactions. Once this is complete, dispute resolution lawyers have to truly understand what the business goal the client wishes to achieve through legal proceedings, how the transactions have been done, its nature and practice to avoid the situation and reputation that dispute resolution lawyers know nothing but legal proceedings.

Name: Wilson Wei Huo Company: Zhong Lun law firm Email: huowei @zhonglun.com Web Address: http://www.zhonglun.com Address: 31/36/37/F, SK Tower, 6A Jianguomenwai Avenue, Beijing 100022, P.R. China Telephone: +8610 5957 2288

These measures are regularly implemented by both myself and my firm. As for my background, I have expertise in both transactions and dispute resolution matters. My in-depth experience and understanding in the sectors of finance, investment, trade and banking transactions have enabled me with a solid basis as a representing lawyer, an arbitrator, or an expert witness, whilst my long term practice in dispute resolution has made me capable of being an expert to spot, prevent, and resolve disputes. Moreover, my enriched experience in transactions ensures that I am able to steer the negotiation with sophisticated skills combining mediation/reconciliation and other ADR manners in order to achieve the client’s interest of resolving the disputes with the most efficient time-line and the lowest costs. Additionally, I have outstanding bilingual communication skills and regularly conduct hearings in English.

Among the range of cases I have represented include China International Economics and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC), Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC), Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC), Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and International Center of Dispute Resolution of American Arbitration Association (ICDR of AAA), etc. The arbitration cases I have represented range from traditional “onshore” PRC arbitration to “offshore” overseas arbitration with the foot-steps of PRC companies to go abroad.

Except for arbitration cases, I have been active to represent clients, mainly MNCs and FIEs on various levels of the People’s Court, from the City District Court to the Supreme Court of China.

I am also an arbitrator of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC), an arbitrator of the International Dispute Resolution Center (ICDR) of American Arbitration Association (AAA), as well as an arbitrator of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA). Furthermore, I have been recommended in the dispute resolution area by Chambers Asia with high ranking for consecutive years. Also, I have been rated by the Legal Media Group of EuroMoney as the Benchmark Asia- Pacific Local Dispute Star.

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DISPUTE resolution

Accolades such as these are a recognition for the dedication and commitment we have provided for our clients. Over the past 12 months our team has been working to maintain this high standard for clients by focusing on numerous banking/financing disputes and has successfully protected the clients’ legal interests through arbitration, litigation and other ADR means.

Specific examples of major cases we have worked on in the past 12 months include: -

Representing a huge bank against a comprehensive insurance company in in a CIETAC arbitration for insurance claim arising from an international sales of goods transaction and export financing in the amount of more than CNY80M or USD13M

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Representing a foreign bank to claim its creditor’s right against the debtor and right of pledge over the cargo stock in a litigation case in the amount of more than CNY180M or USD30M; successfully attached the debtor’s cargo stock through court proceedings;

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Representing a securities company against a debtor in a structured financing transaction in a BAC arbitration in the amount of more than CNY42M or USD7M;

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Representing a large European bank as a “dissenting party” to take part in arbitration and court proceedings in relation to an aircraft after-sale leasing deal; eventually releasing tens of aircrafts from court procedures for attachment and enforcement initiated due to the borrower’s incapacity to pay overdue debts; and etc.

One of the defining features of our firm is its enormous size and scale. Zhong Lun is a full-service national PRC law firm with more than 200 partners and more than 1100 lawyers in total as of end of 2014. The firm has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Chongqing as well as in Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and now more recently in New York.

When working for a client base of such magnitude, we regularly receive accolades such as this award for the services we provide. In the recently released Chambers Asia Pacific Guide for 2015, Zhong Lun was awarded 16 band one rankings and seven band two rankings, and 46 Zhong Lun lawyers were recognized as leading practitioners in China.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Zhong Lun has received more band one rankings, more total rankings and had more ranked lawyers in the Chambers Guide than any other PRC law firm. Moreover, Zhong Lun is the first PRC firm to have no ranking lower than band two, demonstrating the uniformly high standard of quality of the firm across all practice areas.

The firm received band one rankings in the following categories: banking and finance, capital markets – Hong Kong and overseas listings, capital markets – securitization and derivatives, construction, corporate/commercial – Guangdong Province, corporate/commercial – Sichuan Province, corporate/M&A, dispute resolution – Beijing, employment, energy/natural resources, environment, international trade/WTO – respondents, private equity: buyouts, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, and TMT. The firm was awarded band two rankings for capital markets – domestic listings, competition/anti-trust, dispute resolution – Shanghai, healthcare, intellectual property – litigation, investment funds and tax. Additionally, Zhong Lun was previously named PRC Law Firm of the Year by Chambers Asia Pacific for both 2014 and 2011.

Dispute Resolution Awards 2015 / 7

DISPUTE resolution

Best Dedicated Mediation Chambers – UK

Independent Mediators Limited Independent Mediators Limited is a group of leading, full time commercial mediators whose independent practices are centrally managed. The company operates both in the UK and internationally. We were recently in contact with their Chief Executive, David Douglas, to chat about his firm’s Best Dedicated Mediation Chambers – UK award.

Name: David Douglas – Chief Executive Company: Independent Mediators Email: david.douglas@independentmediators.co.uk Web Address: www.independentmediators.co.uk Telephone: 020 7127 9223

We were delighted to have won this award and feel that it is recognition of our achievements since the launch of the company Independent Mediators (IM) was formally launched in June 2007. We are the only genuine Mediation Chambers in the UK and, we believe, in Europe. All the mediators work full time as mediators and are only appointed through Independent Mediators. The operation is based on the barrister’s chambers model with the mediator’s practices and their diaries being centrally managed.

When forming IM we decided that the mediators should offer a far more efficient and cost-effective service, by making the process of instructing them simpler and to recognise and to meet the requirements of instructing solicitors. It was with this in mind that we decided that a Chambers format was the most effective model with all our mediators working exclusively through IM. We are very conscious of the need to provide a competitive service and are recognised as offering exceptional value for money. We make the country’s top mediators available at affordable prices for any size dispute. We do not charge any admin fees to the parties.

The founding members, Michel Kallipetis QC, Nicholas Pryor, Charles Dodson, Bill Marsh and David Douglas, had all recognised that there were great opportunities for Independent Mediators to capitalise on the market’s desire to make appointments directly with mediators (rather than through mediation organisations). They have subsequently been joined by Mark Lomas QC, Phillip Howell-Richardson, Jonathan Lloyd-Jones and on 1st April 2015 by Kate Jackson. All the mediators are listed in the top bands in Chambers and Legal 500 We were the first group to recognise these needs and to structure ourselves in this way. Only Mediators recognised by the leading directories as being in the top tiers of UK Mediators are invited to become members of Independent Mediators. We are unashamedly “elitist” offering solicitors quality mediators of especially high esteem and we will never offer an inappropriate mediator for any instruction.

The concept has worked extraordinarily well. Instructing solicitor’s feedback shows that not only was our business model correct but that the quality of the mediators’ performance and the administrative service that supports them has probably exceeded expectations.

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DISPUTE resolution

The number of mediations per year has increased since our launch and we have consistently been appointed in 450 to 500 mediations per year since 2012. We are able to report that since we launched the group we have received in excess of 3300 appointments.

It is difficult to give any specific information about cases mediated as the details are confidential, but we have been involved in a large number of high value and very high profile cases.

The cases IM members mediate include; multinational companies through to pro-bono cases involving litigants in person; with sums claimed from as little as £25k to multi billion.

In the extreme we have mediated a dispute valued at over $4b and another over $1.5b UK appointments are received from a broad range of sources, top ten City firms; West End firms, regional and high street practices, international law firms, increasingly from in-house lawyers, government departments, security services, local authorities, police forces and litigants in person.

The subjects mediated to name a few categories cover all aspects of commercial/financial services/banking/employment/regulatory/class actions and insurance disputes Our appointments are not just from all major UK firms, but increasingly from international sources with lawyers and clients from such countries as; USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and other African countries, large number of European countries, Switzerland, Ireland, Hong Kong, Qatar, Dubai, China, Russia, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands making enquiries and appointments.

Instructions from lawyers, clients and governments along with training and consultancy means our mediators have worked in over 85 countries worldwide. The international market now represents a good proportion of our mediation business and will continue to grow.

Following the implementation of the European Mediation Directive we took the decision to recognise the mediators experience and to offer our services to a wider audience who may wish to take advantage of the combined expertise whilst acknowledging the growth of International/Cross Border /Multiparty disputes.

UK and international solicitors are happy to use our UK based mediators with an established reputation in the international market rather than those of unknown pedigree.

Our growing international presence has been recognised by Who’s Who International who acknowledged Independent Mediators (company) as the leading mediation “outfit” in the country and nominated all seven of our mediators in the top group in the World. Bill Marsh has been listed in the top 10 since 2012 and in the 2014 edition Bill was named Global Mediator of the year. Michel Kallipetis QC was listed in the top 10 in 2013 and number three in 2014.

We thank you for this award, which we are delighted to have received.

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Jersey City 9/11 Memorial at sunset, New Jersey, USA Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

DISPUTE resolution

Litigation Team of the Year - New Jersey

Scarinci Hollenbeck, Attorneys at Law is a corporate law firm that serves a diverse group of private and public clients within many different industries. We caught up with Partner, Robert E. Levy, Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Group, after they won our award for Litigation Team of the Year - New Jersey.

Robert E. Levy, Esq. is a partner at Scarinci Hollenbeck and Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Group. He has been certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil and Criminal Trial Attorney. As Chair of the Litigation Section, Mr. Levy supervises all litigation. He is responsible for complex litigation in State and Federal Courts, nationwide as well as alternate dispute resolution venues. He works with transactional and business attorneys in order to anticipate litigation issues during corporate and business establishment phases.

Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC (www.scarincihollenbeck.com) is a New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. law firm that serves a diverse group of clients in numerous industries. The full service, general practice law firm retains a highly trained legal team with expertise in several areas, including, Complex Litigation, Labor & Employment, ERISA & Employee Benefits, Corporate Transactions and Business Law, Commercial Real Estate, Environmental & Land Use Law, Tax, Trust & Estate Law, Cyber and Data Privacy Law, Insurance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights, Public Law, and Sports and Entertainment Law. Top-tier personnel, innovative technology and superior client service adds to Scarinci Hollenbeck’s reputation as one of the most highly ranked law firms in the New York and New Jersey Metropolitan area.

Name: Robert E. Levy, Partner, Chair, Litigation Group Email: rlevy@scarincihollenbeck.com Telephone: 201-806-3386

Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC takes pride in its reputation as being a partner with its clients during the dispute resolution process. Our attorneys take the time to understand our clients’ goals and then to establish an “end game” strategy taking into consideration our client’s business and financial objectives. Communication and honesty, coupled with experience and common sense are the factors which set our attorneys apart from the rest. In addition Scarinci Hollenbeck utilizes that most advanced electronic communication systems in order to save time and to save costs.

Winning this award confirms our paradigm which is designed to understand our clients’ needs as well as the most direct and cost effective way to meet them.

During the past 12 months our attorneys have been successful in achieving resolutions of complicated business and private disputes which resolutions have been hard fought, and in some cases based upon innovative strategies. They are a result of careful thought and analysis of the problems presented, hard work to develop facts and find the relevant law and apply the two together in order to make persuasive arguments to an adversary, court or arbitrator. Analysis includes looking at a dispute from all sides and often times creating and proposing a solution that all parties can accept. We understand that litigation is often time consuming and expensive. And while we do it for a living we believe that good alternatives serve our clients best.

In many cases business disputes are caused by failure to plan and failure to communicate. If parties’ expectations are not communicated or planned for, diverse beliefs and expectations will necessarily cause disputes. It seems that parties entering into a business relationship choose not to anticipate the possibility that the relationship might turn sour and end. And in many cases deadlocks occur. A wisely crafted business agreement will anticipate methods of resolving deadlocked disputes in a way that will not bankrupt the enterprise. Scarinci Hollenbeck prides itself in its ability and experience of prophylactic analysis which is utilized in business entity creation. We have seen the results of our efforts in commercial arrangements time and time again. While the parties may have disputes, they are appreciative to have avoided costly litigation.

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top 50

DISPUTE resolution www.dvc.hk

DISPUTE resolution

The dispute resolution industry continues to grow. It is enhanced by changing technology and a growing “savviness� of the business community. The more ways dispute prevention and resolution can become cost effective, the more innovative dispute resolution will become the norm. The historic businesses of provided dispute resolution services are changing. Where once there were only a few arbitration companies, there now are multiple and creative ways to anticipate problems and resolve them through effective and streamlined mechanisms. Ultimately, whether the mechanism is more traditional or innovative, or whether it is performed in person or via remote access, the most important factor is the confidence the parties have in the system being utilized.

The Firm’s Litigation Group can be found at www.scarincihollenbeck.com/practices/litigation.

Venturelli Luca / Shutterstock.com

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DISPUTE resolution

Criminal Defence Firm of the Year – Austria

wkk law

wkk law is one of Austria’s leading criminal law firms specialising in white collar crime.

We recently spoke to Partner, Dr. Norbert Wess LLM, MBL, after the firm won the award for Criminal Defence Firm of the Year – Austria.

Name: Dr. Norbert Wess LLM, MBL Company: wkklaw Rechtsanwälte Email: n.wess@wkklaw.at Web Address: www.wkklaw.at Address: Himmelpfortgasse 20/2, 1010 Vienna Telephone: 0043/1 532 13 00

wkk law was established in 2006 by Mag. Bernhard Kispert, Mag. Christian Kux and Dr. Norbert Wess. In addition to our criminal law expertise, our team of four lawyers and ten associates focuses on in the following practice areas, medical law, real estate law, internal investigation and compliance, litigation and arbitration, event- and sports law, restructuring and corporate law.

Our lawyer´s expertise derives from their experience gained at various law firms. Moreover, our young team of lawyers and associates is highly trained and educated in a wide range of fields, very motivated and connected to an international network. Our broad collective experience provides a solid foundation for legal guidance.

Over the past few years, one of the major business disputes in Europe with a significantly impact in Austria is clearly the Hypo Alpe Adria AG dispute.

ODR are a recent phenomenon and I think they will likely become more and more an effective mechanism to resolve international disputes. On the other hand electronic communications are no substitutes for the ability of face-to-face conversations to assist the important process values. Furthermore the ODR creates electronic records which could mislead a party to use the records abusively.

Our philosophy: wkk law strives to exceed our client´s expectations. We work hard to provide sound solutions to our client´s legal problems. Our client´s satisfaction defines our goal and we commit in becoming trusted counsellors. We believe that a precise understanding of our client’s needs is essential; therefore, our first priority is to listen to our clients to ensure to completely understand their legal issues. We focus on clear communication and prompt service. Within the company, we maintain a friendly relationship among lawyers and associates. We support each other and also encourage our associates to build teams and work together on solving complex cases.

As a result of the recent legal amendments it will be possible to file a suit directly against a provision to the highest Austrian Constitutional Court beginning with 1.1.2015. In practice, it means that we have to focus and connect white collar crime with constitutional questions.

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DISPUTE resolution

Award for Excellence in Energy Disputes – Nigeria

Olufunmi Oluyede is the Founding/Managing Partner of TRLPLAW Solicitors and Advocates, a consortium of international commercial lawyers and arbitrators operating out of three offices in Nigeria and affiliate offices in the United Kingdom and the United States.

She spoke to us about the major disputes she has been involved with over the past 12 months, and her thoughts on the ever evolving industry.

Name: Olufunmi Oluyede [MRS.] Company: TRLPLAW Solicitors & Advocates Email: olufunmi.oluyede@trlplaw.com Web Address: www.trlplaw.com Address: D96 Landbridge Avenue, Oniru Estate, Victoria Island Ext., Lagos Telephone: +234 1 453 3100

Within the past 12 months the firm has been involved in series of high profile cases. One particularly interesting case we were involved in was when we successfully represented a major oil company in Nigeria in a dispute with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria. Although the dispute resulted to litigation, parties with the aid of counsel involved were able to reach an amicable settlement through mediation and the agreed terms were entered as consent judgment by the court.

Speaking about disputes in general, we believe that the vagaries of the global economy and its manifestation in various parts of the world and in important sectors such as banking and finance, manufacturing, and recently in the petroleum industry have caused many more business disputes. These disputes throw up issues that are usually not provided for in many agreements and provide a platform for opportunism.

With greater opportunities come greater competition, and we enforce many measures to separate ourselves from our competitors. We create teams out of our highly competent practitioners to meet the diverse needs of our clients, thus bringing on every occasion needed expertise to confront each situation a client faces. Moreover, we develop strategies that ensure the efficient resolution of disputes in the best interest of our client. Our track record in litigation and alternative dispute resolution marks us out as a leader in our sphere of operation.

We view this award as a mark of our success. I feel elated and a sense of assurance that the effort we are putting into dispute resolution is not going unnoticed. The award provides even more motivation to put in more effort into the work we do and to strive for greater achievements.

Looking towards the future, I see the increased resort to alternative dispute resolution as a vital aspect of the judicial system in many jurisdictions even as the litigation process is streamlined and introduces electronic and online services.

As multilateral trade increases the need for a dispute settlement mechanism that guarantees predictability, is equitable and effective will continue to increase. One of the challenges to the industry in the next 12 months will include harmonising the various institutions being set up in many countries to meet this need.

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DISPUTE resolution

Best for IP Disputed - Japan

Based in Japan, RYUKA are an intellectual property law firm led by IP Professionals with rich backgrounds in many technical fields and expertise in a variety of jurisdictions.

We spoke to their President, Aki Ryuka, on the company and how it endeavours to be proactive for its clients.

Mr. Ryuka is the Japan Patent Attorney, Certified to practice IP litigation in Japan and Attorney at Law, California, USA. Our key practice areas include patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, designs, utility models, and litigation, with areas of technical specialty in electronics, telecommunications, software, optics, mechanical engineering, semiconductors, electronic materials, chemicals, and biochemistry. Mr. Ryuka specializes in electronics, semiconductors, software, data communication, and radio communication In terms of how we separate ourselves from our competitors, we provide clients with proactive suggestions for obtaining more valuable patents, trademarks, copyrights, and others in our practice areas. Our clients can always expect a prompt response, and we have always demonstrated professionalism to meet our clients’ needs and expectations.

Name: Aki Ryuka Company: RYUKA IP Law Firm Email: info@ryuka.com Web Address: www.ryuka.com/en/ Address: 1-6-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku L Tower 22nd Floor, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 163-1522, JAPAN Telephone: +81-3-5322-6375

As for the award, we feel it is a great honour and pleasure for us to be selected as the winner for such a prominent award like the “2015 Dispute Resolution Award.” This award is among the many achievements and accolades we have received over the past 12 months, including: Rising Star in Japan IP, ILASA, Top 5 Japan Patent Firm & Top 10 Japan Trademark Firm, Asia IP, Top 12 Japanese patent firms & Top 12 Japanese trademark firms, ALB, Top 20 Japan Patent Firm & Top 20 Japan Trademark Firm, and MIP.

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DISPUTE resolution

Award for Excellence in Transport Disputes – UK

Bosley International Ltd is a leading London-based commercial and contract management consultancy. We were recently in contact with Stuart Bosley, Managing Director, to talk about his firm’s Excellence in Transport Disputes – UK award win.

We are extremely privileged to have won this award and appreciate the national recognition for our commitment to the UK transport industry.

Over the last decade, we have been fortunate to have been involved in some of the largest multi £bn transport investment programmes in Europe. Supported by several accreditations including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and other organisations such as the Law Society, we have developed extensive commercial leadership experience and a notable reputation for providing efficient Commercial recovery and defence of major claims. With a results led approach, we continue to provide specialist Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Commercial Management, Forensic Analysis and Strategic Negotiation services to the construction industry.

Bosley International prides itself on specialist commercial and delivery expertise which remains contemporary by the direct engagement of our Directors who, unlike our competitors, operate daily on live major contracts.

We pride ourselves on providing only the best service levels founded by genuine relationships built on trust and integrity.

Name: Stuart Bosley Email: stuart.bosley@bosleyinternational.co.uk Web Address: www.bosleyinternational.co.uk Address: 124 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 1DX Telephone: 0845 2247604

Over the last 18 months, Bosley International has been instrumental on several major infrastructure contracts across the UK transport network. It has certainly been a challenging environment but a privilege to be involved in providing a strong platform that transforms the transport services of tomorrow.

In our professional opinion, the major causes of business disputes are errors and/or omissions in the contract documentation. This is further compounded by poor contract administration which invariably leads to a fragmented understanding of obligations. Where possible and within the principles of ADR, Bosley International strive to support clients to avoid unnecessary litigation by steering open dialogue in efforts of resolving the problem.

In this business, parties are invariably influenced by the characteristics of the ADR and commercial professional to enable a meeting of minds. Unfortunately, at times, geographically separated disputants does not always allow for physical interaction. Therefore, Bosley International have recently adopted a ‘hybrid’ approach where an initial face to face meeting is continued through an online ODR process via face to face conference calling which is then combined with online tools. The combination of mediation firms and online solutions are becoming more common, which broadens the market to regions usually out of reach.

In our opinion, the key attributes required for success are integrity, positivity and remaining personable. In a market where reputation is important, it is essential that a moral soundness is retained, providing clients only the best service possible. We understand the importance of our network capital and establishing trusting professional relationships. Therefore, we actively encourage networking events and training seminars which keeps us abreast of current market conditions.

Our team at Bosley International will remain key business partners in delivering results led Commercial and Disputes resolution service for years to come.

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DISPUTE resolution

Best in Contract Claim Disputes - Greater London

St Catherine's Chambers St Catherine’s Chambers is a legal practice company, based in Central London. They were recently awarded our title of Best in Contract Claim Disputes - Greater London. We have been in touch with Sean J Randall Morris, Partner and Head of Chambers at St Catherine’s Chambers LLP to find out more about the firm.

Sean is a Chartered Surveyor, Arbitrator and Advocate with over 30 years’ experience of building and construction related commercial disputes.

St Catherine’s Chambers is much more than a traditional law firm. We are principally an Arbitration set specialising in all types of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Adjudication, Mediation and Litigation. Our work is centred around the construction industry both in the UK and overseas.

Our Chambers consists of Advocates, Arbitrators and a comprehensive range of Experts from the fields of Architecture, Surveying, Civil and Structural Engineering and Project Management. We represent a wide range of clients, developers, main and sub-contractors including insurance companies and underwriters, where we work in the areas of subrogated claims, claims recoveries and loss adjusting. We guarantee a fast response to requests for opinion on liability and recovery, and the appointment of Experts.

Attracting lawyers and professionals from around the world, experienced in a wide variety of specialisms, we remain one of the most varied and versatile law firms in the UK. Name: Sean J Randall Morris Company: St Catherine’s Chambers LLP Email: sean.randall@scclaw.uk or clerks@scclaw.uk Web Address: www.scclaw.uk Address: 15 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7EF Telephone: 0207 666 3069

We tailor fit our service to what our clients require, so we fit them, whatever it is they need, and wherever it is they need it. In today’s global marketplace our clients trade across borders between different countries and across different legal jurisdictions. At St Catherine’s Chambers, so do we. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, quick, effective and client focused, we ensure we deliver “Perfection through Simplicity”.

St Catherine’s Chambers is based in central London directly opposite the Old Bailey, England’s Central Criminal Law Court, and a short walk from the Strand and the Royal Courts of Justice.

We are delighted to have won the award, because the nature of our work is usually private and seldom reported, so we consider it a real achievement to get recognition.

We always make an effort to really know our clients businesses as well as they do. Our diverse experience and technical backgrounds means that, unlike other lawyers, we hit the ground running and we don’t need to be educated in the subject matter. Our Clients often complain at the time and cost they suffered in trying to explain the technical complexities of their problems to their previous lawyers. As International Attorneys we have a go anywhere, and do anything attitude, and many of our long term Clients are from outside the UK. Our winning formula could be that we understand the problem, and we care about the client, or it could be, we are tenacious, relentless, and we win. One Client once said we were “lawyers with sharp teeth”. We’ll leave that for others to decide.

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DISPUTE resolution

Best for Insurance Litigation – Switzerland

VISCHER Ltd

VISCHER is one of the largest commercial firms based in Switzerland. It offers assistance in all relevant commercial matters and was recently awarded the title of Best for Insurance Litigation – Switzerland. We spoke to Partner, Daniele Favalli, about the company and the wider insurance litigation industry.

Name: Daniele Favalli Company: VISCHER Ltd Zurich, Switzerland Email: dfavalli@vischer.com Web Address: www.vischer.com Address: Schuetzengasse 1, 8021 Zurich, Switzerland.

Telephone: +41.58.211.3434

My name is Daniele Favalli, a Zurich-based litigation and arbitration practitioner. I have been at VISCHER since 2006 and a partner since 2010. I regularly represent clients in litigation and arbitration matters before Swiss courts and arbitral tribunals. Specifically, I do advise a number of insurers on coverage issues and I do represent insurers in coverage litigation proceedings and/or accompany insurers in proceedings abroad, e.g., the U.S., Italy, and Latin America.

VISCHER is among the top firms in Switzerland and distinguishes from other firms because of its focus on key industries. We have a business oriented approach and are particularly strong in the fields of Life Science and Pharma, new technologies, TMT, M&A, regulated markets and, in particular, public (administrative litigation matters) and commercial litigation, international arbitration as well as white collar matters.

This award is an appreciated token of appreciation for the work performed in recent years which was increasingly focused on insurance litigation matters. We do feel honoured to learn that our clients, although having a choice, do choose us often. In particular in the field of insurance litigation, there is growing interest in handson advice on a high level by attorneys with an understanding of business needs.

We pride ourselves to be available for our clients and understand their businesses, the insurance business in particular. In the past 12 months, we have continued to provide advice which we believe is pragmatic where it has to be and cutting edge were it needs to be.

In the field of insurance litigation, there is a notable pressure and an increased litigious approach which insures sense. The situation is likely linked to difficult economic environments combined with an increasingly shorter response time. This leads to an insurance mentality where customers expect to have insured virtually any and all risks.

In the international arena, the quality and the response time to render a decision do vary a lot depending on the applicable forum. Even the best agreements do not lead to timely decisions if the matter is heard before the wrong forum. Therefore, careful consideration of the adequate dispute resolution provision may prove to be a key factor for success.

There are a number of important factors that a firm in our industry needs to possess to be successful. Significant dispute require, among other things, tailor made advice. Disputes are always different and are never a commodity. In particular, important attributes are readiness to assist on short notice, sufficient staffing where needed, quality control by a partner who is in charge of the matter, prompt response times, and, most importantly, excellent work and persistence.

We ensure that our business is always at the forefront of any changes or developments in the industry by listening to our clients actively. We communicate with them regularly, even if there is no dispute at hand.

The challenging political and economic environment will likely continue to exist in 2015. Nonetheless, industries will grow and markets will even more intertwine and require swift reactions by client’s counsel. However, the economies seem to get used to volatile markets and changing environment and adjust fairly quickly.

Dispute resolutions will be an opportunity for firms if they are in a position to assist quickly and solve issues within short time. Emergency arbitrators, fast track arbitrations, and the like will become more important, in particular, in smaller and mid-size disputes. Time may be more important than price!

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Best for Construction Disputes - United States of America

Laurie & Brennan, LLP, a Chicago-based construction law firm, was founded by partners Ty Laurie and Dan Brennan. We spoke to them about their select team of highly skilled attorneys, and how they provide the highest level of comprehensive legal representation with respect to major, local, regional, national, and international construction projects.

Name: Ty Laurie Company: Laurie & Brennan, LLP Email: tlaurie@lauriebrennan.com Web Address: www.lauriebrennan.com Address: Two N. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1750, Chicago, IL 60606 Telephone: 312-445-8780

Our Partners, Ty and Dan, have been consistently ranked as top construction lawyers in numerous prestigious publications and have almost 50 years of combined experience practicing construction law.

A significant number of our clients use our services solely for resolving disputes. Ty Laurie has mediated numerous construction disputes to successful conclusions throughout his 20 years of experience as a certified mediator. His success rate is over 90% and most of the cases he has not settled as a mediator have ultimately resulted in settlements due to the significant progress made during the mediations he conducted.

Several attorneys, contractors, owners, design professionals, insurers and sureties can attest to Mr. Laurie’s effectiveness, fairness and persuasiveness as a mediator. He is listed as a leading lawyer in construction law and alternative dispute resolution law by the Leading Lawyers Network. Mr. Laurie is a member of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

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Best for Transfer Pricing Disputes – Canada

Pittman MacIsaac & Roy (PMR) is a law firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We spoke to Shaun MacIsaac, founding member of PMR, after the firm won our Best for Transfer Pricing Disputes – Canada award.

PMR Law was established in 1992, and is a boutique firm specializing in Transfer Pricing Disputes and Real Estate Transactions. I have led the transfer pricing practice of the firm.

The firm has been counsel to the taxpayer in various successful cases before the Tax Court of Canada that have articulated clear direction on proper practice and approach to transfer pricing disputes. In the AP Circuits v. The Queen 2011 TCC 232, 2011 DTC 1177 decision where our firm was successful in having a tax appeal allowed, the court outlined the correct approach to transfer pricing taken by our client, the taxpayer and our expert, and noted that the tax authority had simply “dropped the ball” by failing to consider the facts and issues as identified for them for consideration.

Web Address: http://pmrlaw.ca Address: 2600 West Tower Sun Life Plaza 144 – 4 Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3N4 Telephone: 403.237.6566

Given the upcoming changes facing taxpayers from the base erosion and profit shifting (“BEPS”) project of the G20 nations, the challenges facing taxpayers are increasing, as the rules applicable at the time that many transactions were priced are now subject to new interpretations that support more favourable interpretations for taxation authorities. Taxpayers are well advised to obtain independent and privileged reviews of their transactions from the point of view of defending audits and reassessments. This trend is continuing, and the areas of conflict are widening.

Disputes are started by a misunderstanding of the relevant facts, and then are compounded by a failure to try multiple approaches to deal with the issues; both types of failure add to the cost and time required to resolve a dispute.

Opportunities for dispute resolution in tax appeals arise at two main stages. The first is at either appeals or competent authority, depending on the nature of the dispute, and the second is part of the litigation process to the Tax Court of Canada. The best single opportunity for dispute resolution is the ability to raise the case with lawyers acting on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency that are not part of the agency itself. The second major dispute resolution opportunity is the dispute resolution offered by the settlement conferences held before a judge of the Tax Court of Canada, where cases are considered informally by a “real judge”. Although the process is not binding, it has a high success rate.

I and my colleagues at Pittman MacIsaac & Roy are of the view that the ability to identify and articulate to a client and to a tax authority the strengths and weaknesses of a case is the key factor in dispute resolution.

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Best for Commercial Litigation Issues - USA

Carol Ludington possesses a unique perspective on dispute resolution as a result of her varied experience as a damage expert in U.S. domestic litigation, U.S. arbitration and international arbitration, as an arbitrator, and as a consultant. We took a closer look at her firm, Ludington Ltd, and her background in dispute resolution.

Carol is a CPA with over thirty years of experience in financial and business analysis, including consideration of damages, related to complex commercial and intellectual property disputes. She frequently consults regarding alternative dispute resolution, early analysis of damages, licensing, and valuation considerations.

She has been retained by law firms in hundreds of matters involving parties ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small companies and individuals, has frequently assisted preparation for trial and hearing, has testified in numerous trials, hearings and depositions, and has served as a sole arbitrator and as a member of arbitral panels.

Her experience includes consideration of financial, economic, licensing, accounting, marketing and management issues, including damages, valuation, business operations and other issues. As a result of involvement in a wide range of commercial litigation issues and intellectual property engagements (including patent infringement, trade secrets, copyright and other issues) she has extensive experience in a variety of damage measures, including lost profits, reasonable royalties, price erosion, unjust enrichment and others. Furthermore, she has been engaged in matters across numerous industries, including computer hardware, software, medical, agricultural and consumer and industrial products.

Name: Carol Ludington Company: Ludington Ltd Email: cludington@ludingtonltd.com Address: 321 Stillwater Road P.O. Box 760 Willernie, MN 55090 Phone: +1.651.287.4024

As an arbitrator, her expertise enhances the decision-making process. She helps resolve disputes by providing realistic assessments of the value of each case by utilizing early damages analysis and creative dispute resolution processes and by implementing strategies to effectively complete discovery and case preparation.

Too often, disputes become more about the fight than the resolution. Carol Ludington focuses on the resolution. Typical dispute resolution processes do not tailor the process to fit each dispute. This frequently results in disparity between the realistic value of the dispute and the amount of time, energy and cost incurred. By realistically assessing the value of a dispute and addressing the dispute resolution process at the outset, Carol helps better match costs and value, and facilitates effective dispute resolution.

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Litigator of the Year – Australia

Greg Curtin SC FCIArb commenced practice as a barrister in 1989, and was appointed Senior Counsel (the Australian equivalent of Queen’s Counsel) in 2010. He acts as advocate, adviser, arbitrator and mediator. He accepts briefs from solicitors and in house legal departments across the country and internationally practising in the Singapore International Commercial Court, the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and in international arbitrations. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Greg is a highly adept and experienced trial and appellate advocate, practicing from Level 22 Chambers. He recently won our Litigator of the Year – Australia award, so we caught up with him to find out a little more.

Name: Greg Curtin SC Chambers: Level 22 Chambers Email: gcurtinsc@level22.com.au Web Address: http://www.level22.com.au/ Address: Level 22, 52 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia

Greg’s practice includes a wide range of commercial and common law cases commonly involving contractual disputes, equity, trade practices and consumer law, corporation’s law, negligence, professional liability, product liability, construction, insurance, various royal commissions and the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption.

He has appeared in a wide range of cases including cases such as an $80m claim against accountants for investment advice, multimillion dollar actions against directors for defrauding creditors, a $32m engineering dispute, various cases and inquiries arising from large corporate collapses, multimillion dollar cases for and against various professional advisors and various subrogated recoveries. Having some higher education in engineering and mathematics Greg is highly accomplished in cases involving accounting, engineering and other natural and physical science evidence issues.

Greg is distinguishable from other barristers having been appointed Senior (Queen’s) Counsel in 2010 and his many years of experience in a wide variety of large and compex cases.

To be appointed Senior (Queen’s) Counsel in NSW barristers must be judged by judges, senior barristers and solicitors to meet exacting standards in relation to legal learning, skill, integrity and honesty, independence, diligence and experience.

Greg is very pleased to have won this award. This is definitely an accomplished achievement from over the past 12 months.

Courts, whether domestic or international (such as the Singapore International Commercial Court) are always available to resolve disputes, just as are other forms of dispute resolution, such as mediation, if the parties agree to engage in an alternative process to contested litigation in courts.

In Greg’s view view, the main attributes that a barrister needs to possess to be successful are highly developed skills in legal and factual analysis, highly developed written and oral advocacy skills, common sense, practicality and efficiency.

To ensure that he is always at the forefront of any changes or developments within the industry he subscribes to a number of publications concerning changes or recent developments, and reads the latest cases delivered by the superior courts.

Greg tells us that parties with international disputes now have the opportunity to utilise the Singapore International Commercial Court (which only commenced operation on 5 January 2015) as a neutral venue for dispute resolution between parties from different jurisdictions and utilising a panel of experienced judges comprising specialist commercial judges from Singapore and international judges from both civil law and common law traditions.

The SICC provides a well-designed, court based mechanism which enables parties to avoid one or more of the following problems often encountered in international arbitration: • Over-­‐formalisation of, delay in, and rising costs of arbitration; • Concerns about the legitimacy of and ethical issues in arbitration; • The lack of consistency of decisions and absence of developed jurisprudence; • The absence of appeals; and • The inability to join third parties to the arbitration.

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Tax Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Belgium

Afschrift

The Afschrift Law Firm is more than just an association of tax lawyers. All of its members share the same vision of their profession and support the same commitment to advise and defend taxpayers, be they individuals or businesses, both in Belgium and abroad. We spoke to them about their company and their highly extensive approach to settling disputes.

Company: Afschrift Web Address: www.afschrift.com Address: Avenue Louise, 208 1050 Brussels Belgium Telephone: +32 2 646 46 36

Created in 1994 by Thierry Afschrift, our law firm brings together lawyers with extensive knowledge in every field of tax law in the widest sense of the term. All our lawyers share the same values. They fully understand the importance of adopting a global vision in every situation, in response to queries from our clients on the management of their professional businesses or their private assets. They also know that the success of their interventions depends upon speed, efficiency and confidentiality.

We are also aware of the increasing internationalisation of our clients’ private and professional activities and of the complex nature of their taxation matters. As a result, we have opened offices at Antwerp, Madrid, Geneva, Luxembourg, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong, where clients who would like face-to-face meetings with our lawyers can make appointments in any of these offices.

With disputes, we understand that nobody wants to get into an argument with the Inland Revenue. However, if a dispute does arise, it is best to get hold of correct advice right at the start, meaning as soon as the income tax inspection begins.

In such circumstances, the role of the lawyer is not only to speak for the client in a court of law, but also to take an active part, right from the first notice from the tax authorities, in drawing up a defence strategy with the client and his income tax adviser or accountant. This strategy will provide guidance for all future defence in discussions with the Inland Revenue.

When searching for an agreement, a lawyer can also intervene, if need be, in the process of searching for an agreement with the tax authorities, where this looks feasible, in order to avoid long drawn-out legal proceedings. A great many legal disputes can also be resolved at the administrative stage, pre-empting any formal lawsuits – when submitting a claim to the regional income tax office, for example.

But even when it seems inevitable that the matter will end up in court, the intervention of a lawyer right from the first contacts with the tax office can prove most useful. This would indeed enable the best possible preparation of the lawsuit by controlling what goes into the case file, in deciding which papers should (or should not) be sent through to the tax office and in the careful drafting of answers to their questions.

At the stage of the legal proceedings, lawyers in the Afschrift law firm are competent to represent clients on taxation matters before every jurisdiction.

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Independent Construction Adjudicator of the Year – UK

Fama Firm

Fama Firm is one of the leading commercial law firms in Northern Nigeria. We spoke to them about the growth of their business and how they provide the highest professional legal services for their clients.

Company: Fama Firm Web Address: www.famafirm.com Address: 36 Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, Nigeria Telephone: +2348034033655

We were founded in 1988 as Ibrahim Buba & Co, by the Hon Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court of Nigeria as a full services law firm. Hon. Justice Ibrahim Buba managed the law firm for 18 years before he was appointed a Federal High Judge in 2004. Since then, he grew the Firm tremendously and the firm was reputed as one of the best litigation firm in Northern Nigeria.

From a litigation based law firm, Fama Firm under the leadership of Idris Mohammed as Managing Partner, we have moved towards being a full-fledged Corporate/Commercial law firm offering legal services principally to Telecommunications Company and other Companies. We are also developing an online portal to be used to access its clientele and make legal services more accessible to all and sundry.

The promise we give to all of our clients is to serve them diligently, conscientiously, innovatively, efficiently and timeously using international best practice standards. We aim to be the leading Commercial/Corporate law firm in Northern Nigeria and serve all of our clients using the international best practise standards.

The firm provides legal services in the following areas: - Telecommunications Law - Company Secretarial - Property/ Real Estate Law - Banking and Finance - Litigation - Appellate Practice - Criminal Law Telecommunications Law is the Firm’s main area of expertise. The Firm provides and has provided advisory services on regulatory issues on the deployment of network facilities to several Telcos.

The firm also carries out site/property acquisition, due diligence/searches on properties, advisory services on local and national regulations, procurement of building permits from local authorities and other ancillary services in relation to network roll-out for telecommunication companies. The Firm has also represented Telecommunications Companies in various Court cases across Nigeria.

Till date the firm has acquired over 200 sites for various telecommunication companies. The Firm’s services is retained by several telecommunications companies.

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Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Latvia

Kronbergs & Cukste

Kronbergs & Cukste is a full service corporate commercial law firm founded by two former ‘big four’ accounting firm law service line partners based in Riga Latvia in 2005. We got in touch with them to talk about about their wealth of experience in providing legal services to the Latvian market dating back to 1993.

Company: Kronbergs & Cukste Email: Advocate@lv.blslawfirm.com Web Address: www.blslawfirm.com/bls-latvia/home Address: Muitas iela 1A Riga, Latvia, LV-1010 Telephone: +371 67043803 Fax: +371 67043804

Our firm has extensive experience in corporate and transaction advisory services, real estate, IT, public private partnership matters, energy and utilities, restructuring, insolvency and litigation. Our core team of lawyers includes experienced lateral hires who extensive knowledge in the banking sector, public sector and regulatory environment.

Partner Vineta Cukste has extensive experience in public private partnership matters, and currently serves as Chairperson of the Latvian Public Private Partnership Association. Ms Cukste has a similar level of experience as a lawyer within multinational organizations, including IBM Latvia where she served as in-house counsel.

She also served Arthur Andersen, where she managed the Latvian legal team, and EY Law, where she served in a management capacity prior to the formation of Kronbergs & Cukste. She is recognized as a leading energy and utilities practitioner in the Baltics.

Partner Valters Kronbergs has extensive experience in corporate commercial matters and management-side labour law matters, both in Latvia and Canada where he continues to be licensed as member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Mr. Kronbergs has served as corporate counsel to a considerable number of multi-nationals, both in Latvia and Ontario. He is also a licenced administrator in insolvency in Latvia.

We are highly regarded in our industry, and have been favourably rated by market watchers such as Legal 500, IFLR, Chambers & Partners and PLC. Our firm is a founding member of Baltic Legal Solutions, a pan-Baltic legal network including Glikman & Partnerid in Tallinn and Baltic Legal Solutions Lithuania in Vilnius.

Baltic Legal Solutions offers: • Over 85 practicing lawyers in the pan-Baltic group, • Reliable and comprehensive legal service, • A well-equipped team to manage complex pan-Baltic assignments; • One account manager for the entire Baltic assignment.

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Award for Excellence in Negotiating International Licences - USA

Ladas & Parry LLP

As an enterprise grows, its need for intellectual property (IP) protection expands.

Ladas & Parry represents owners of IP rights at every stage of development, both domestically and internationally. They spoke to us about their firm and what makes them unique.

Company: Ladas & Parry LLP Address: New York 1040 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10018 Telephone: 212.708.1800 Fax: 212.246.8959

Our firm has been managing high-profile, global IP portfolios for decades, bringing a deep understanding of local legal nuances in order to achieve maximum benefits for our clients. With our depth of experience, we are able to anticipate pitfalls that might not be apparent without our highly specialized knowledge developed over the more than 100 years since our founding. Our firm’s business-friendly approach supports our clients’ objectives, within their budgetary requirements, while protecting their most valuable IP assets worldwide.

Global Leader in Intellectual Property Founded in New York in 1912 by British patent agent Lawrence Langner, Ladas & Parry has over a century of experience as a leader in global intellectual property law. With offices New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Virginia, London, and Munich our firm enjoys a far-reaching international reputation and an impressive history.

We have a deep understanding of international intellectual property law and stay on the cutting edge of legal developments in every country in the world. Our longstanding connections with intellectual property law firms around the globe allow us to serve clients creatively and cost-effectively. Many Ladas & Parry attorneys are qualified to practice in several countries and before domestic and international patent offices, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), the European Patent Office (EPO), and specialized tribunals, including The International Trade Commission.

In addition to litigation, counselling, portfolio management, and transactional matters, Ladas & Parry files and prosecutes in excess of 4,700 patent (utility and design) and trademark applications in the U.S. and overseas each year. The firm has been ranked on multiple occasions among the top firms in contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters.

Diverse Client Base The firm’s diverse client base has over its rich history included as many as 360 of the Fortune 500 companies and ranges from high-profile, multinational corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises in an array of industries, including electronics and software, fashion, media and telecommunications, consumer and industrial goods, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, food and beverage, and travel, and financial and insurance services. Ladas & Parry’s established reputation as a leader in copyright law has also attracted numerous entertainers, entrepreneurs and celebrities affiliated with the music, film, and publishing industries in addition to major content providers working in a variety of media. Our attorneys have a rich understanding of the intellectual property issues and challenges faced in particular industries, allowing us to provide a practical, business-minded approach.

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ADR Law Firm of the Year - Philippines

ACCRALAW

ACCRALAW was founded in 1972, out of the shared vision of its five founding partners to establish an institutional law firm based on the highest standards of legal competence.

We spoke to them about how the company has grown and the philosophy behind the firm.

Name: Clarita Ordonez Company: ACCRALAW Email: accra@accralaw.com Web Address: www.accralaw.com Address: 22/F ACCRALAW TOWER Second Avenue corner 30th Street, Crescent Park, West Bonifacio Global City, 0399 Taguig Metro Manila, Philippines Telephone: (632) 830-8000 Fax: (632) 403-7007; (632) 403-7009

The Firm was initially conceived by Edgardo J. Angara and Manuel G. Abello+, who had known each other since their student days at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law. In a landscape then dominated by larger and more established firms primarily designed to serve multinational corporations, Angara and Abello saw an emerging and dynamic generation of local enterprises and individuals whose legal requirements were not being prioritized and adequately addressed. They saw this as an opportunity to establish a law firm which would focus on this new group and provide exceptional legal advice and expertise.

Teodoro D. Regala and Jose C. Concepcion, former classmates at the University of the Philippines College of Law, soon joined Angara and Abello and with the arrival of Avelino V. Cruz, Angara’s classmate at the University of Michigan Law School and an alumnus of the San Beda College of Law, the Firm’s founding partners were complete.

In March 2010, ACCRALAW relocated its Head Office from Makati City to Taguig City, in the modern, premier business district of Bonifacio Global City. The Head Office at ACCRALAW Tower provides unparalleled full service practice with primary concentrations on business, labour, litigation, tax and intellectual property as well as other non-business related practices such as electoral, constitutional and family law.

Our Head Office is composed of more than 100 lawyers, 38 of whom are partners and recognized pioneers and experts in various fields of law. Complemented by 141 support staff, state-of-the-art video conferencing and real time internet communication facilities, the Head Office is strategically located to seamlessly and efficiently serve the Firm’s diverse local and international clients. The Head Office also houses one of the best legal libraries in the country with antique as well as current resources and advanced research computer software. In 2000, the ACCRALAW library was conferred the Millennium Library Award of Excellence by the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines and remains a primary research point for lawyers within and without the Firm.

As a highly successful company, we are also fully cognizant and committed to our social obligations and responsibilities to Philippine society. The Firm has always taken this commitment seriously even before the same had taken the form and label of Corporate Social Responsibility.

The Firm renders pro bono work for indigent clients in coordination with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

The research, preparation, quality, and time devoted to pro bono work are on par and indistinguishable from fee- earning work. Our lawyers take particular pride in their pro bono work. The gratitude and release to freedom of a grateful indigent client is a priceless reward and a badge of honour for the Firm and its lawyers.

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Best in Complex Corporate Litigation – France

Weil & Associés

Since its inception in 1974, Weil & Associés has been providing dedicated service to international companies. We got a chance to speak to them about their firm and the diverse range of clients they represent across the globe.

Company: Weil & Associés Email: weil-paris.fr Web Address: www.weil-paris.avocat.fr/ Address: 26, Avenue de la Grande Armée 75017 Paris Telephone: +33 (0) 1 44 15 98 98 Fax: +33 (0) 1 44 15 98 99

Our business is focused on supporting businesses, multinationals and SMEs in their commercial and industrial activities in France or abroad, be it in terms of the board or in the defence of their interests before the courts or during arbitration.

Historically, economic relations with the German and English speaking countries have always been an important area of our business, our firm counting both registered lawyers to the Bar in France, Germany and the United States. Because of our international business, all the cabinet members speak and write fluent English and German. Our work led us over time to also represent the interests of companies working in different backgrounds, such as Japanese firms, Korean and Chinese.

If each lawyer has expanded its areas of expertise, we believe in enriching the legal creativity through a wide range of experience counselling and litigation.

Our work is based on a close relationship of trust with each of our clients, be it a large multinational or a small family business and we always integrate the economic purpose in our legal thinking. To this end, we consider the specificity of the activity, products and the working environment of each client in order to propose a customized solution.

Because of our size, we are a dynamic, responsive and flexible team that never forgets that it is primarily for an economic result that our client comes to see us or entrust the defence of its interests.

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Best for Oil & Gas Disputes

Dr Louis Brown Ogbeifun The NNPC is one of the Federal Government Agencies through which Nigeria regulates and participates in the country’s petroleum industry. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, is the Manager, Employee Relations. He is an employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Here, gives a summary of his experience and the challenges facing the oil and gas industry.

Thank you for this award. I believe this will spur me to greater service in the search for peace anywhere I find myself. I am an Accredited Mediator of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution-UK, I possess Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Benin, Nigeria and a proud member of so many bodies that regulate, practice or train people in the use of Negotiation and Mediation skills. These include: • Fellow at the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators • Certified Professional Manager and Trainer in Workplace Conflicts: MTI, U.S.A • Member of the Panel of Neutrals with the Abuja Multi-Door Courthouse (AMDC) • Member at the Conflict Management and Leadership Training Institute, Canada • Member of the Governing Council, Institute of Mediation and Conciliation (Nigeria) • Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) • Associate Member with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK/Nigeria • Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Nigeria and Secretary of the NNPC National Joint Negotiating Council, 2011 and 2013.

Name: Dr Louis Brown Ogbeifun Company: The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Web Address: www.nnpcgroup.com Address: NNPC Towers, Central Business District, Herbert Macaulay Way, P.M.B. 190, Garki, Abuja.

I have also been involved in the successful mediation of disputes between the Union and Management of Addax Petroleum Limited Nigeria; Mobil Producing Unlimited, (Exxon Mobil), Nigeria: Chevron, Nigeria; Shell Petroleum Development Company.

In addition, I have also served on a number of important committees involved in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. These include: • On Socio-Economic Impact of Downstream Deregulation in Nigeria, 2003 • Independent Consolidated and Cushioning Measures Committee, 2004/2005 • Committee on Privatization of the Downstream Operations of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); 2003-2004 • 10th National President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), 2003-2005 • Member, Nigerian Stakeholders’ Working Group of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI); 2004-2005.

Over the past 12 months, the most prominent project I have been involved in was being a member of the 13th Man Committee, set up by the Minister of Labour and Productivity to resolve industrial relations disputes in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

I have also put my wealth of knowledge and experience to use in the publication of a book titled ‘The Roles of Labour Unions in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Perspective’. In addition, I am also a volunteer Special Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Looking to the future, I can cautiously say that the oil and gas industry in Nigeria shall continue to face operational challenges except the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed. If passed, it will bring into force new structures, transparency, accountability and laws that will regulate the industry in line with international standards. There are likely going to be agitations from the workers that will be transferred across the value chain over issues of pension and other people issues. As crude oil price slides, there will be further divestments in the industry that will pitch the workers’ representatives against the employers with regards to redundancy, retrenchment of workers and Collective bargaining issues. The Collective bargaining cycles may be greatly altered and firms will need to be proactive in handling industrial relation matters.

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Best for Maritime Disputes - Russia

Remedy Law Firm

No matter in what field this term is used – jurisprudence or medicine – the meaning remains the same: remedy is something that helps. Remedy Law Firm spoke to us about how they bring this philosophy to their business and how they provide the perfect ‘remedy’ for their clients.

Company: Remedy Email: general@remedy.spb.ru Web Address: www.remedy.ru Address: 40-42 Nevskiy prospect, St.Petersburg, 191186, Russia Telephone: +7 (812) 702-51-00 Fax: +7 (812) 702-51-01

Our goal and founding philosophy is focused on supporting clients both locally and internationally, on creating a law practice in maritime law to provide the complete range of legal and commercial services.

Mr. Suprunenko and Mr. Puslis established Remedy Law Firm in St Petersburg in 1996 to assist clients in making well-founded profitable decisions.

From our foundation, the values we share are: - We work as a single team - We find new approaches to issues on a properly analysed basis - We are open and honest in our communication with partners and colleagues Now that Russian ship-owners and all those involved in every aspect of shipping and transportation of goods have entered the free market, they need more than ever to find excellent legal skills and business strategy competence of a Russian law firm independent of any formal alliances, but with close ties with other leading law firms around the world.

For more than 10 years Remedy Law firm helps in obtaining a highly professional and commercially oriented advice on issues relating to shipping and transportation in the widest range.

Our basic activity is to safeguard the interests of Russian ship-owners, shippers and receivers of goods. Much of Remedy’s work involves negotiations with the P&I clubs and cargo underwriters. The firm frequently advises shipyards and the work also includes recovery actions arising from cargo damage. Remedy Law Firm deals mainly with claims handling, represents cases of its clients in common law courts, arbitrations and appeals courts on all aspects of civil, maritime and administrative law, scrutinizes documentation and its enforceability under Russian and international laws and gives legal opinions on different issues. We also offer advice on the interpretation of charter party clauses, bills of lading, insurance policies and other contracts.

Remedy offers a full range of legal support for complex problems, including advice on customs legislation.

If necessary, we use services of major surveyors, brokers, advisors and experts on various technical and commercial issues. We have broad experience of all kinds of disputes on reimbursement of damages and debts receivable; we act as counsel before state and judiciary institutions, courts, arbitral tribunals as well as arbitrators.

Sometimes litigation is inevitable, and in those cases we closely monitor developments to ensure that the matter is resolved in the most satisfactory and cost–effective way. But nevertheless we prefer to find an amicable agreement whenever and wherever it is possible, to the best of our abilities.

Co-operation with Remedy gives our clients the ability to work with a reliable and committed partner.

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DISPUTE resolution

Best for Asset Recovery

- Turks & Caicos Islands

GrahamThompson Graham Thompson has been one of the pre-eminent law firms in the Bahamas since 1950, and has continued expanding to Providenciales in the Turk and Caicos Islands in 2012. They spoke to us about how they advise leading domestic and international institutions, corporations, law firms and private clients, with an outstanding reputation for achieving the desired outcome.

Firm: Graham Thompson Web Address: www.grahamthompson.com Address: Turks and Caicos Office Graceway House Leeward Highway Suite A200 P. O. Box-965 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands Telephone: 649-339-4130 Fax: 649-339-1069

Graham Thompson (“GT”) prides itself on its unique combination of expert legal skills and real-world experience in working out effective solutions to complex problems. With more than 60 years of continuous history and a first-rate balance between seasoned practitioners and dynamic young lawyers, GT is excellence-driven in every way and accordingly, well known as a leading Bahamian law firm. Producing and sustaining a satisfied clientele drawn locally and from across five continents is the common focal point of the Firm’s efforts. Hard work, understanding the “bigger picture” that frames the specific legal needs of clients, creativity, rigorous ethical restraint in the charging of fees, and uncompromising loyalty to the client, are key ingredients of the GT ethos.

The Firm, well known as the largest commercial law firm in the Bahamas, has successfully expanded from its main downtown Nassau location in recent years to better serve its broad range of corporate and private clients. In 2000, the Freeport, Grand Bahama office was opened, followed by the launching of licensed affiliate GTC Corporate Services in 2001, and the Lyford Cay, New Providence office in 2011. In December 2012, GT expanded to Providenciales, in The Turks and Caicos Islands, where it already enjoys a reputation as one of the leading firms for civil and commercial litigation.

The Firm has built up an enviable reputation both domestically and globally in a variety of important legal disciplines. Our attorneys are sought after by leaders in the real property, resort development, banking and capital markets sectors. We are highly regarded for our expertise in trust and estate planning, commercial matters, civil litigation, family law, securitization, employment and immigration matters. The Firm is consistently ranked a tier one law firm by the leading international ratings publications, including CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS, IFLR 1000, and CITY WEALTH LEADERS LIST, among others. Currently, two of the Firm’s Partners have been appointed Queens Council (QC).

Unique among law firms, GT has all through the years made notable contributions to high public service. GT’s former Partners have played critical roles in the Bahamas’ judiciary including three of the nation’s past Attorneys-General, the current Chief Justice, several Justices of the Bahamas Supreme Court, and the Chairman of the Judicial Review Commission. Other Partners have served the Bahamas government as Senators, a Minister of Labour & Housing, a Gaming Board Chairman, a Water & Sewerage Corporation Chairman, a Broadcasting Corporation Chairman, and the Vice-Chair of the College of The Bahamas. Presently, our Partners serve as Chairman of the Utilities Regulatory Commission and the Chairman of the Constitutional Commission. This record of service to successive governments and the judiciary is wholly without parallel in the history of the legal profession of the Bahamas.

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Directory

DISPUTE resolution

TRIPLEOKLAW Advocates Based in Kenya, TRIPLEOKLAW Advocates are a law firm founded in 2002 as a result of the merger of three firms: Ochieng’ Oduol & Company, Onyango, Ohaga & Company and Kibet & Company. We spoke to them about the growth of their company and how they keep up to speed with the constantly changing demands of their clients.

Company: TRIPLEOKLAW Advocates Email: info@tripleoklaw.com Web Address: tripleoklaw.com Address: ACK Garden House, 5th Floor, Wing C, 1st Ngong Avenue, off Bishops Road, Box 43170 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: +254 20 2727171

In their own right, the three predecessor firms we emerged from had grown steadily in both size and expertise.

In less than a decade since their formation they had become well established in the legal practice field in Kenya, and it is the synergies created by this merger that have seen us grow rapidly to become the firm that we are today.

It has been many years since we began our journey together and in that time we have continued to grow the company. Our team consists of eight partners and a growing number of Associates currently standing at eleven who together form a skilled team of lawyers with considerable expertise in a wide variety of practice areas. We are a team known for being meticulous, hardworking, ethical and professional.

Informed by the changing needs of our clients, we recently changed from being a traditional partnership (Ochieng, Onyango, Kibet & Ohaga Advocates) to become a (Limited Liability Partnership), LLP (TripleOKlaw Advocates).This we feel will allow us to extend our service offering beyond just legal advice and representation.

It will allow us to provide legal services to our clients, in and out of court, during and after transactions-basically conventional legal services plus more.

Basically, we are a company that is going over and above to meet the demands of our clients and to develop our services.

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Project Development International was established to provide a service oriented approach to the management of construction projects. They are committed to protecting the owner’s interests in the successful completion of their capital investment projects. The company recently won our award for Dispute Resolution excellence.

We spoke to James E. Lalumiere, President of the business, to find out more and gain an insight into how this award has impacted his company.

DISPUTE resolution

Mr. Lalumiere is President of Project Development International, an EPC development consulting firm based in Dunedin, FL with affiliate offices in Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile, and Turkey. Internationally, Mr. Lalumiere currently oversees the development, financing, design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of social infrastructure projects. Domestically, Mr. Lalumiere is in charge of Project Development International’s Owner’s Representative and Dispute Resolution consulting services providing Owner’s with the expertise to assure the on time, within budget, and dispute free success of their projects.

Mr. Lalumiere is a Florida licensed General Contractor and a Certified Planning and Scheduling Professional as designated by AACE International. Mr. Lalumiere has testified as an Expert Witness in construction litigation and arbitration in several State venues in the U.S. He has been a construction Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association for 30 years. He is a Fellow and Chartered Arbitrator of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the Dispute Board Federation. He was named as one of 2014’s Most Regarded Arbitrators by Acquisition International magazine last August.

Name: James E. Lalumiere, President Company: Project Development International, Inc. Email: jel@pdiusa.com Web Address: http://www.pdiusa.com Address: 424 Skinner Boulevard, Dunedin, FL 34698 USA Telephone: +1 727-734-8589

Mr. Lalumiere provides Owner Representation for projects of major concern internationally. He is a published author of several articles on Construction Claims Prevention. He has been accepted as a Construction Expert Witness in Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and Massachusetts courts with specific emphasis on Delay, Disruption, Acceleration, and Lost Productivity related damages. He has provided Owner Representative, dispute resolution, and contract management services for major U.S. and international public and private entities for infrastructure and building projects ranging in size to US$15 billion.

“Project Development International, Inc. is a Program Management consulting firm providing Owner Representation, Infrastructure Development, and Dispute Resolution services internationally.” says Mr. Lalumiere.

“Since 1984 Project Development International has been developing innovative and effective management techniques to assure the on-time, within budget, and dispute free success of capital investment projects.

Project Development International’s services make winners of all parties to a project.

Our firm brings real world experience to the dispute prevention and resolution sides of the construction industry. We continue to manage significant construction projects internationally and incorporate dispute prevention and resolution techniques on an active basis. We’ve lived through what works and what doesn’t and utilize our experience to continually develop and improve effective dispute prevention and resolution strategies.

There is one common denominator that overwhelmingly controls how construction projects are managed and how risks are controlled: The human beings who build the project. The beauty of construction is that it is an astounding human endeavor. Hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people and companies come together to manufacture a unique project. Even the same type of project, built in a different location from the last one, has its own idiosyncrasies.

A lack of attention to improvements in management techniques and contract language in the construction industry, that put the tools for dispute prevention and resolution directly in the hands of the human beings who build the project, has been one of the major causes of disputes on projects. There are a seemingly endless number of sophisticated programs, procedures, systems, and theories available and propounded to improve construction productivity, efficiency, management effectiveness, and reduce the risk of project disputes and/or failure. They vary in usefulness depending upon the expertise of those practitioners who utilize such methodologies and the resources available to them.

As much as we strive for greater automation, standardization, and controllable precision, every project is still built by human beings endowed, or limited, by their own talents. The success or failure of any program or system is keenly dependent upon how human beings utilize and manage them. Contractually encouraging managers to perform their duties (i.e., paying timely attention to issues and events) may be the best practical way to control the risk of project problems and failure regardless of management programs or systems being used.

The consequences for failing to consider adequate dispute prevention and resolution provisions when entering into a construction Agreement can be severe in both time and money. Should a dispute arise, even despite utilizing sound prevention techniques, the only means of mitigating severe financial consequences is a speedy and equitable resolution. The Agreement should clearly detail a path to prompt dispute resolution. We provide the guidance for Owners to incorporate these safeguards into their Agreements.”

Mr. Lalumiere additionally stated, “We directly participate in construction arbitration and litigation on a regular basis. Our ongoing active participation on both the management side and the dispute prevention and resolution sides of the construction industry keeps us abreast of any new developments and innovations. We believe that dispute resolution starts with dispute prevention and we strive to implement this philosophy on every project we engage in.”

I’m honored to accept this prestigious award on behalf of Project Development International. I believe it serves to highlight our expertise, innovative ideas, and commitment to effective dispute prevention and resolution.

This award complements some of my main achievements over the past 12 months such as having been designated as one of 2014’s Most Regarded Arbitrators by Acquisition International and also being designated as a Fellow of the Dispute Board Federation.

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Barlow Robbins LLP Barlow Robbins has been in existence for over 200 years. We spoke to Partner and Head of Dispute Resolutions, David Foster, about their method of dispute resolution and the high profile cases he has been involved in.

Name: David Foster Company: Barlow Robbins Web Address: www.barlowrobbins.com Address: The Oriel, Sydenham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3SR Telephone: 01483 464243

Over the past 12 months, we have won some extremely large professional negligence cases in the financial services industry. We have also handled a number of high profile judicial review cases. Our property litigation continues to increase and I have been involved in a number of successfully settled mediations. I am a specialist dispute resolution lawyer, and the areas I especially handle are commercial litigation, professional negligence and judicial review. I am also a nationally known commercial mediator.

As for what separates us from our competitors, we are a boutique firm providing a sophisticated tailor made service. We are based in Surrey with offices midway between Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The clients who use us value the degree of individual care and attention to detail which we give to each matter. We are involved with a number of international networks and have a leading German speaking corporate lawyer.

We believe that for a firm to be successful in our industry, they need to possess good values, astute management and lawyers with a passion and vision for what they do. We invest in not just lawyers but the support services such as human resources, marketing and information technology. Marketing is being increasingly web based, and we are always trying to adapt to changes such as these.

We find that many disputes are caused by lack of cashflow. Over the past few years there has been more vigorous competition which has led to businesses getting into difficulty, making mistakes and thus finding themselves involved in litigation.

In terms of dealing with disputes, it is imperative that business people ensure that alternative dispute resolution provisions are included in their commercial agreements. The necessity is to have a mediation clause before even an arbitration clause. Mediation allows the client to maintain full control of the process and is really an obvious term when it comes to including the right contractual terms.

As for recent developments such as online dispute resolution services, we find that they have both advantages and disadvantages for clients. Inevitably you can find far more out about those involved in a dispute face to face rather than on line. On line dispute resolution has its place, particularly in low-value disputes but if you are going to invest in proper settlement of a complicated case, it pays generally to have face-to-face time so that there are no misunderstandings and a sustainable agreement is reached.

The DR team is delighted to have won the Dispute Resolution Award for 2015. It justifies the hard work everyone has put in and is further proof of the focus of the department. Looking towards the future, we are determined to continue to be at the forefront of any changes and meet our clients’ demands. As society becomes more fragmented, so the challenge for dispute resolution teams is to understand the fragmentation and adapt strategies and solutions accordingly.

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DISPUTE resolution

Lodovico Isolabella Studio Legale Lodovico Isolabella Studio Legale are an institution with a strong and long family tradition.

Collectively, for more than 100 years, an Isolabella has been a member of the Milan bar. We spoke to Attorney and partner, Francesco Isolabella, about how they put the client and the case in a context where deep analysis of the case and the prospective/interest of the client are the sole priorities.

Name: Francesco Isolabella Company: Lodovico Isolabella Studio Legale Email: francesco.isolabella@studioisolabella.it; elena.maraniello@studioisolabella.it Address: Via Fontana n. 4, 20122 Milano Telephone: 0039 025992101

As an attorney I specialise in the “White Collar Crimes” area, and mainly deal with corporate crimes and corporate investigations. I also represent companies with the preparation of a considerable number of legal opinions in the area of economic, financial, banking, bankruptcy, tax, environmental, health and editorial crimes. Furthermore, I’ve also gained particular experience in the banking and financial sector.

Over the past 12 months we are proud and pleased to be appointed by so many relevant companies. If I have to pick one specific highlight -and public - achievement, I would say that the victory of the Parmalat case in the market rigging case before the Court of Milan, where I represented an important international bank.

When dealing with disputes, we find that most are the result of a lack of market regulation as well as the different “philosophies” which dictate the main legislations and the main world economic authorities. In particular, the different ways used to rule the same behaviours have determined the most important trials in the last few years. The Parmalat case is maybe the best example of a conduct (bankruptcy and market manipulation) which had a very strong impact on the national and on the International economy.

According to my background, many negative consequences of failing to consider adequate dispute resolutions come from, as far as the criminal side is concerned, not only from the conclusion of a wrong commercial agreement but, in particular, from the lack of compliancy procedures. These are the result of a lack of juridical background and a lack of knowledge.

When seeking to resolve a dispute, it is essential to use a good mediation firm, which means choosing a firm with a deep and direct experience in a certain field. It is essential to have good professionals working inside the Firm who are the following: i) smart, ii) have a great knowledge of the law-fields and of their principles and iii) maintain a great ethical sense.

To ensure that we are at the forefront of any changes in our industry, we keep the professionals constantly updated by participating in conferences, masters, attending meetings with colleagues and of course with the clients themselves.

Looking towards the future, I believe that the new fiscal rules and agreements through various countries (such as Switzerland, USA, Italy, Luxembourg etc), the new rules regarding the money laundering (in particular the self-money laundering) and the new cross boarding anti bribing laws are opening new international scenarios.

As an experienced firm, we are confident that we can adapt to these changes and continue to give exceptional services to our clients.

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Founded in September 2013 as The Haberman Partnership, Haberman Ilett is a fast-growing specialist practice, providing accounting expert witness and related services in UK and international litigation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution. We spoke to them about how being an independent company allows them to provide the same high standard service as the ‘big-4’ accounting firms, but without the constraints.

At our company, we offer the same level of expertise and quality that clients expect from a big-4 accounting firm because all our senior people have had successful careers in these firms. But, where large firms are constrained and might give an impression of being influenced by their wider commercial relationships, as an exclusively forensic firm, we are truly independent.

Leading this independent firm are our founding partners, who are two of the best-known expert witnesses in the world, with more than 30 years between them as partners in big-4 firms before launching an independent practice.

Our philosophy is long term, and depends on our reputations as individuals for quality and user-friendliness.

We are here to help our clients and their legal representatives to resolve disputes in a time- and cost-effective way.

Name: Liz Perks, Partner Company: Haberman Ilett LLP Email: office@hiforensic.com Web Address: http://www.hiforensic.com Address: City Tower, Level 3, 40 Basinghall Street, London, EC2V 5DE Telephone: +44 20 3096 6500

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We extend that same long term approach to our team; we aim to provide the opportunities and scope for all of them to develop successful and fulfilling careers with us. We celebrate diversity in the people we employ, encourage family-friendly working practices, and are pleased to have just promoted our first female partner.

Equally as diversified are our clients, who range from individuals through privately-owned businesses and listed companies, to multinationals and global groups, and even governments. They are based both in the UK and internationally, and span all business sectors. Moreover, with a Russian partner supported by a Russian and Ukrainian speaking team, we have a thriving practice for clients in the CIS region.

As for the award, we are delighted to have won this award and be recognised for our achievements. When we launched as a team of four, we did not imagine that, in less than two years, we would be a five-partner practice, supported by a team of more than 20 experienced forensic accountants, working on cases with over USD 10 billion in dispute. We have plans to continue building the firm and delivering value to our clients and their legal advisers.

DISPUTE resolution

Severson & Werson, A Professional Corporation Severson & Werson celebrates its 70th year in 2015 and operates offices in San Francisco and Irvine, California. The firm’s three core practice groups are Financial Services, Insurance and Construction. We spoke to Michael B. Murphy, Shareholder and Firm General Counsel and Chair of the firm’s global Insurance Practice Group, about why face-to-face interaction is essential for effective and successful dispute resolution.

I have now been with the firm for 27 years handling matters covering a wide variety of different disciplines including litigation, insurance coverage, coverage litigation, professional and general liability, energy, employment, product liability and sports, leisure & entertainment. In addition to litigation engagements, I act as Underwriters’ representative and monitoring counsel to U.S., European, London, Bermuda, Chinese and Asia Pacific markets. This has exposed me to a vast variety of disputes, cultures and personalities.

When dealing with disputes, I have found that the impediments to resolution typically arise from any one or combination of the following factors:

Name: Michael B Murphy Company: Severson & Werson Web Address: www.severson.com Address: One Embarcadero Center, Suite 2600, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States Telephone: +1 415-398-3344

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

One party’s unrealistic expectations of deliverables.

Interpersonal conflicts between the parties.

Making decisions based upon misinformation.

Dishonest and/or fraudulent conduct.

Escalating costs of doing business.

“The blame game” meaning if something goes wrong, there must be someone (else) to blame.

One party taking advantage of another’s deficiency to the point of exploitation.

Use of the legal process as a calculated business strategy.

Inappropriate attempts to shift or transfer risk.

Prompt and efficient resolution of disputes is optimal, if not crucial, for any business. While litigation is always an option, the potential consequences of failing to consider alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) include otherwise potentially avoidable litigation expenses as well as employee downtime and negative impact upon productivity due to time requirements of the litigation process. Furthermore, there may also be reputational damage caused by publicity associated with litigation versus the confidentiality protections of ADR. When settling disputes, it has been my experience that face-to-face negotiation is most effective – and the ADR process presents the perfect controlled environment for this. Evaluation of a dispute in the absence of direct contact between the disputing parties precludes the insight and valuable perspective gained by not only the ADR neutral but also the adversarial parties. These insights include factors such as emotions and other intangible aspects that might very well be driving the dispute or otherwise interfering with the ability of the parties to resolve the dispute.

Our firm distinguishes itself by providing personal “hands on” services to our domestic and international clients. We believe in face-to-face interaction with our clients and efficiently delivered and strategically targeted services. Our firm size allows us to provide competitive pricing while competitively operating internationally in numerous global markets.

We often find that our depth of knowledge and experience with the ADR process results in the neutral’s perceiving our client’s “camp” as the “room of reason” and source of the creative “next move” when the neutral has run out of ideas or is otherwise in need of effective assistance. This, in addition to otherwise available litigation skills has allowed Severson & Werson attorneys to be consistently held in highest regard by neutrals, opposing counsel, co-counsel and of course, our clients.

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Hasberger Seitz & Partner Hasberger Seitz & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH is a leading Austrian law firm with a strong international focus. We spoke to them about their commitment to thinking outside the box and finding new ways to be successful.

Enforcement of your claims In accordance to our motto “Thinking outside the box- New ways to become more successful.”, HSP understands dispute resolution comprehensive and radical. The aim is to avoid and to solve conflicts. HSP takes this to include not only the traditional methods of the enforcement of legal claims but also other alternative methods of dispute resolutions.

The holistic approach of HSP ideally starts before the emergence of a conflict, and is focused on preventive advice. This includes a performance-based risk management and the ability to engage effectively and goal-orientated in advance of a forthcoming conflict.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION- PRINCIPLE AREAS OF ACIVITIES PRINCIPLE AREAS OF ACTIVITIES OF THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION TEAM OF HSP • Comprehensive risk management • Ongoing advice in connection with forthcoming and already existing conflicts • Settlement of disputes • Litigation before courts and authorities • National and international arbitration procedures HSP works globally and has access to a national and international network, which allows for effective representation, sometimes in different jurisdictions at the same time. HSP coordinates the cooperation among independent and government experts and lawyers, which leads to a professional obtaining of evidence.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND KNOW-HOW HSP has decades of know-how in achieving conflict resolutions. The dispute-resolution team is lead by experienced litigators. HSP´s internal and external network makes it possible to solve problems strategically and adopt new approaches according to the motto “Thinking outside the box”.

Names: Michael Hasberger, Wilhelm Huck Company: Hasberger Seitz & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH Email: office@hsp-law.at Web Address: http://www.hsp-law.at/ Address: 1010 Wien, Gonzagagasse 4 Telephone: + 43 1 533 0 533 Fax: + 43 1 533 0 533 - 33

The early and comprehensive approach to dispute resolution has highest priority for HSP. Aside from the legal know-how, this also includes industry expertise and the ability to identify complex legal contexts. The knowhow of the dispute resolution team of HSP is seen in particular in following principle areas of activities: • Enforcement/Defence of indemnity and warranty claims • Enforcement/Defence of insurance law claims (major claims, professional liability, other liabilities) • Enforcement/Defence of claims under the Product Liability and Product Safety Act • Enforcement/Defence of special liability claims (after corporate transactions etc) • Enforcement/Defence of claims relating to the law on tenancies • Enforcement/Defence of labour and social law claims before labour courts • Support in data protection proceedings before the Data Protection Authority and the administrative courts • Support in cases related to commercial criminal law (including the representation before the court) • Major proceedings before the courts HSP Dispute Resolution Team The dispute-resolution team is lead by experienced partners, which have decades of experience in the field of dispute resolution. These partners are also contact persons for the clients of the HSP dispute resolution team.

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DISPUTE resolution

Breiteneder Rechtsanw채lte Breiteneder Rechtsanw채lte Attorneys at Law advise national and international private and institutional investors in dispute related to capital markets. We spoke to owner, Eric Breiteneder, about their company and how they are always finding new ways to improve their business and provide a better service for their clients.

Name: Eric Breiteneder Company: Breiteneder Rechtsanw채lte .

Attorneys at Law Email: breiteneder@breiteneder.pro Web Address: www.breiteneder.pro Address: Walfischgasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria Telephone: +43 1 512 98 88

Creativity is our key to our success. We do not stop to find solutions for our clients in the national jurisdiction but look abroad to find the most suitable solution. We believe in strong international networks.

Our firm needs to constantly stay ahead of the curve for our clients. Like no other industry the banking industry is permanently developing new business models and methods, which results in the requirement of constantly monitoring the market.

From our experience, we feel that disputes are the result of a lack of fair information distribution in the capital markets which leads to several disputes which could have been avoided by promoting transparency in the industry. In our field of expertise there is a lack of instruments of collective redress mechanisms under procedural law which leads to collateral damages on both sides i.e. investors and issuers/banks.

For a firm to be successful in our industry, legal services ought to be rendered by independent law firms, acting fast and in the best interest of the client. Over the past 12 months, there have been several important court decisions at the Supreme Court, including civil fraud related to capital market by a national bank and record breaking injunction on behalf of Austrian consumer association where 61 clauses of terms and conditions of an international company have been terminated by the court.

This is not the first time our company has been recognised by Acquisition International. Together with the 2014 award for investor protection we feel delighted that our successful work has been recognized. Looking towards the future, Austria is developing a collective redress system and establishing a method of collective settlements will be key to success in the year to come.

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Tonucci & Partners Tonucci & Partners is an international law firm with offices in Rome, Milan, Padua, Florence, Bucharest and Tirana.

Tonucci & Partners is one of the largest Italian independent firms.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Rome, the firm’s operations and practices are international.

Tonucci & Partners’s six offices in Italy, Romania and Albania ensure that domestic and foreign clients have access to prompt, reliable and customized legal services for their Italian and Eastern European activities. Additionally, we have consolidated working relationships with leading foreign global law firms with offices in the most important markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Through this network Tonucci & Partners’s clients have direct access to local market expertise on a truly global basis.

Tonucci & Partners’ work focuses on complex cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions and litigation. We have significant experience in corporate and financial transactions; civil, criminal and administrative litigation; public tenders and procurements; telecommunications and information technology; EU and antitrust matters; employment; and tax. Tonucci & Partners has also acted as legal advisor in major privatizations in the banking and telecommunication industries in Italy and abroad. Our client base includes domestic and foreign corporations active in a wide range of industries, financial institutions, governmental entities and individuals requiring personal legal services.

Tonucci & Partners’ lawyers include professionals admitted to practice in Italy, Romania, Albania, England and Wales and New York.

Several of our lawyers have received post-graduate legal education and training abroad and have previously worked for other leading international law firms, multinational corporations and financial institutions. The firm encourages the academic activities of its lawyers and many of them hold university teaching positions.

Tonucci & Partners’ working languages are Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Romanian and Albanian.

Tonucci & Partners’ geographic reach, the quality and experience of its lawyers and its diverse client base make it an ideal partner in finding legal solutions tailored to each client’s individual requirements. The firm’s mission is to look beyond the legal aspects and help clients meet the challenges of their continuously evolving businesses.

mail@tonucci.com

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