AI Legal Awards 2015

2015

LEGAL awards

Excellence in Litigation

Litigaid Law provide an insight into one of its recent projects, the outcome of which raises serious questions about the UK tax system.

Visionaries in Visa Advice We profile Rodriguez Law Firm which specialises in providing immigration and visa support.

www.acquisition-intl.com

welcome to the 2015 Legal Awards

M&A awards

The 2015 Legal Awards Some of the most successful and well respected legal firms have started to feel the pressure as profits begin to grow, due to the steadily improving economic conditions. Smaller firms have also noted rise in the workflow, caused by a number of different factors, such as the increased volumes and importance of game changing legal implications, triggered by the wider use of technology in their day to day activities.

Moreover, market competition has, without doubt changed the legal landscape significantly, which has in turn caused many boutique and midsized firms to change their approach towards new business in order to stay on top and maintain their strong position.

With new associate levels stagnating, most companies operating in the market have started to look at locating new talent in the quest to improve both productivity and income.

With these challenges and opportunities in mind the 2015 Legal Awards were created to showcase the extraordinary talent and unshakeable resolve of firms operating within this dynamic and evolving industry. Legal practices and professionals of every size and from every sector have been selected to produce this exciting and enlightening series of articles, in which we provide our deserving winners with the chance to explain the reasons behind their success in their own words.

contents 6. Litigaid Law Limited has won Best Specialist Litigation Law Firm - UK 12. Rodriguez Law Firm has won Best for Employment Visa Advice - Colorado 14. Nevrivy Patent Law Group P.L.L.C has won Sustained Excellence in Biotech and Pharmaceutical Patents - USA 16. 174 Law Solicitors has won Best Commercial Property Lawyer - UK & Best Matrimonial Mediator - UK 18. Adnan Kelana Haryanto & Hermanto has won Best Independent Law Firm - Indonesia 20. Bennett Licensing has won Best Medical Licencing Services - USA 21. Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co LLP has won Best Food & Drink Team - Germany 22. Cameira Legal has won Best for Business Immigration Law - Portugal & Recognised Leader in M&A – Portugal 24. Fairhurst Menuhin and Co Ltd has won Best General Practice Law Firm - South East 26. Dr. Jan-Christopher Kling, LL.M has won Best Tax Consulting Law Firm - Germany 28. Lee International IP & Law Group has won Best Litigation and Arbitration Specialist - Korea 30. Pinsent Masons has won Best for Contentious IP - Germany 33. Andrew Goodman has won Best for Professional Indemnity - UK 34. 1215 Chambers has won Best Public & Administrative Barrister - UK 36. 2 Bedford Row has won Best for Health & Safety Law & Enforcement - UK 37. 2 Bedford Row has won Best for Professional Disciplinary Law - UK 38. Tahir Ashraf has won Best Commercial Barrister - UK 39. ABR Avocats has won Best in M&A Law - Switzerland 40. Admincontrol has won Best European Data Room 2015 41. Afriwise Consult has won Legal Consultancy of the Year - South Africa 42. AllBright Law Offices has won Best in Foreign Direct Investments - Greater China 43. Arias, Meurinne y Rodríguez, S.C. has won Best for International Tax Litigation - Mexico 44. Badokh Law and Tax Services has won Best in Insurance Law - Czech Republic 45. Bakkali Law Firm has won Best Corporate Law Firm - Morocco 46. Barlow Robbins has won Best for Owner Managed Business Litigation - UK 47. Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram LLP has won Recognised Leader in Private Equity & Joint Ventures - UK 48. Bawtrees LLP has won Best Family Law Firm - Essex 49. Benson Watkins Solicitors has won Best Full-Service Law Firm - Wales 50. Brevalex has won Trademark Attorney of the Year - France 51. Brinks Gilson & Lione has won Best Post-Grant Patent Practice Group - USA 52. Dallhammer & Kellermann has won Award for Excellence in Corporate Law - Germany & Best E-Sport Law Firm - Germany 54. Dean Manson LLP Solicitors has won Best for Civil Liberties & Human Rights - UK 46. Decisis Ltd. has won Best E-Commerce Law Firm - UK 58. Donnery & Co Solicitors has won Best in Immigration Law - Ireland 59. Douglas Hedstrom Cossey, P.A. has won Best In House Council Service - USA 60. Edmonds Marshall McMahon has won Best City Boutique - UK 61. Elijah Ltd. has won Best for Legal Technology Solutions - USA 62. EmployEasily Legal Services Ltd has won Best Employment Law Advisory Firm – UK 64. FranckelLaw has won Best Litigation Firm - Channel Islands 65. Giglio & Scofferi Studio Legale del Lavoro has won Best Labour Law Firm - Italy 66. Matthew Richardson has won Best for Cyber Crime - UK 67. Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre has won Best ADR Law Association - China & Most Trusted ADR Advisors - China

68. John M Lewis & Co Ltd. has won Best Local Conveyancers - Derby 69. Jordan IP Law LLC has won Best for Foreign Patent Prosecution - Washington DC 70. JordanRechtsanwalts GmbH has won Civil Law Firm of the Year - Germany 72. Julian Hunt has won Best for Road Transportation Law – UK 73. Kenyon & Kenyon has won Best Trademark, Copyright and Design Practice Group - New York 74. Klein Lawyers LLP has won Best Class Action Law Firm - Canada 75. Lamb Brooks LLP has won Best Owner-Managed M&A Adviser - UK 76. Lars Gothlin has won Best Swedish Arbitrator 2015 78. Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has won Best for Business Practices - Florida 79. Lonich & Patton LLC has won Best for Divorce Litigation – California 80. Legal Alliance has won Best Full-Service Commercial Law Firm - Ghana 82. M.Meilak and Associates has won Best Full-Service Tax Advisory Firm - Malta 83. McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC has won Best for Insurance Litigation - Idaho 84. Merrill Corporation Ltd. has won Best M&A Due Diligence Platform 2015 86. Midaxo has won Best M&A Software Company 88. Miskin Law Offices has won Best Personal Injury Lawyer - Canada 89. Moroglu Arseven has won Best for Commercial Dispute Resolution - Turkey 90. Neff Law Firm has won Best Technology Law Firm – California 92. Nevyan Intel has won Best for Investment Scamming Investigations - UK 93. Nuno Cerejeira Namora, Pedro Marinho Falcao & Associados has won Law Firm of the Year - Portugal 94. Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte has won Best in Copyrights Law - Germany 95. PKWA Law Practice LLC has won Best Family Law Firm - Singapore & Recognised Leader in Divorce Law - Singapore 96. Pro-Link GLOBAL Visa & Immigration Services has won Best-in-Class Global Immigration Provider 97. Rogério Alves & Associados has won Best for Business Law - Portugal 98. Rosenbaum IP has won Best for Biomedical IP - Illinois 99. Rosenblum & Newfield has won Best Medical Liability Law Firm - USA 100. SA Law LLP has won Best Family Lawyer - St Albans 101. Schiweck Weinzierl Koch GbR has won Best for Life Sciences IP Law - Germany 102. SENAT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY FZC has won Best International Management Consultants - UAE 103. Shah & Kishore has won Best Immigration Law Firm - Maryland 104. Shin & Kim has won Best for International Dispute Resolution – Korea 105. Shipley IP has won Best for Licensing Agreement Negotiations - UK 106. Solicitors Title LLP has won Best Corporate Law Firm - South West 107. Soteris Pittas & Co LLC has won Best Boutique Law Firm - Cyprus 108. St Philips Chambers has won Best Corporate Barrister - UK 110. SZ Law Ltd has won Best Independent International Law Firm - UK 111. VILAF has won Best for Infrastructure Projects - Vietnam & Foreign Investment Law Firm of the Year – Vietnam 112. Walker & Peskind, PLLC has won Best for Complex Technological Issues - USA 113. Walker Morris has won Best Regulatory & Compliance Team - UK 114. Winthrop Couchot Professional Corporation has won Best Business Reorganization Lawyer - California 115. Wixted and Co Ltd has won Best for Financial Mis-Selling - UK 116. Wollen Michelmore has won Best Private Client Team - Devon 117. Zyda Law has won Best Infrastructure Boutique - UK

M&A awards

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LEGAL awards

Best Specialist Litigation Law Firm - UK

Litigaid Law Limited

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Litigaid Law were instructed by Pacific Computers Limited, a successful and growing United Kingdom IT supplier to represent its appeal to the First Tier Tax Tribunal, following HMRCs decision to refuse repayment of VAT input tax incurred in relation to several consignments of Computer Processing Units bought by Pacific Computers Limited in 2006, and exported to Holland.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards As is common in these type of appeals the Appellant was alleged to have had knowledge or the means of knowledge that the transactions under consideration were connected to a VAT loss, arising from fraud.

The Judgment, released on 20 January disagreed with the HMRC case and effectively exonerated the Appellant from having either direct knowledge that the transactions arose from fraud, or that they ought to have known that their transactions were connected to fraud.

The Judgment also makes clear that the directors were vindicated in their belief that at the time they were entering into the relevant transactions, they were normal commercial deals and that they could reasonably expect to have the VAT repaid on the deals, as they would expect in the normal course of business.

Whilst the Judgment has no controversial aspects of law to it, it does pass comment on the way that HMRC fought the appeal and in the main they are particular to the case that was actually fought.

Company: LITIGAID LAW LIMITED Name: Samantha Essenhigh Email: samantha.essenhigh@litigaidlaw.co.uk Web Address: www.litigaidlaw.co.uk Address: 162 Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside PR9 0QA Telephone: 0044 1704 503 320

However the Judge passed comment on the conduct of not only this appeal, but also that of all MTIC appeals in general when he stated: “HMRC should consider how and by whom its cases are presented. This is not to suggest that on the evidence before us any different result would have been achieved, but it does raise the question of the value for money of an almost three week trial when the evidence was not there to get the result HMRC wanted”.

Clearly Judge Shipwright has made these comments in the context of the evidence that was before him.

They should not be discounted as only relating to this appeal though and clearly Judge Shipwright believes greater consideration of evidence should be made by HMRC prior to the engagement of a full appeal. Of course such a system is already in place in HMRC with the Appeals Review Officers that examine every decision, apart it would seem from MTIC appeals.

One key element of the Judgment is the approach that Judge Shipwright and the Tribunal took in examining the evidence before them. The Judgment states that though HMRC proceeded look at a whole chain and by asserting there was a tax loss, the only explanation for the Appellant’s transactions were that they were part of the fraud that led to the tax loss. However, this Judgment makes clear that this approach ignores the taxpayers’ position and the Judgment makes clear that this is something that the Tribunal should take into account.

Perhaps the best description of such an approach is that the Tribunal, certainly in the present case, has decided to look through the eyes of the Appellant to decide what they knew, or what they should have known. Whether other Judges will follow this approach or state their approach as baldly as this Judgment does, remains to be seen and will to a certain extent depend on the evidence that is before the court.

Services Litigaid Law works in a number of areas together with specialist Counsel and or other nominated experts.

They also confirm for the avoidance of doubt that their team has experience in the County Court, High Court, Crown Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court as well as within the Tax Tribunal. They are also experienced in dealing with complaints and investigations before they reach the stage of a court hearing. It is always important to have the correct representation from the start of any dispute.

They draw to your attention that if you require assistance with a subject matter that doesn’t appear then they will still be more than happy to help put you in touch with another reputable firm who does. This can take the stress out of your search at what we know is likely to be a time of difficulty and or anxiety. Their extensive services are as follows: • Asset Forfeiture; • Business Crime; • Civil Litigation; • Criminal Defence and Appeals • Clinical Negligence; • Cosmetic Negligence; • Contentious Probate; • Conveyancing;

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards • Commercial Law/Litigation (Contracts, Agreements, Shareholders Disputes, Asset Purchase, Joint Ventures, etc); • Construction • Corporate Tax Disputes; • Debt Recovery; • Defamation/Libel; • Education; • Employment; • Entertainment, Media and Music Disputes; • Environmental; • European Law and Human Rights; • Excise Duty; • Government Disputes; • Family & Matrimonial; • First & Upper Tier Tax Tribunal Claims and Appeals; • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Foreign Property/ Time shares; HMRC, FCA or NCA Investigations; Housing Disrepair; Immigration; Insolvency/Bankruptcy; Intellectual Property; International Law; Judicial Review; Legal Advice upon the provision of Financial Services; Licensing & Gaming; Medical Negligence Mental Health; Personal Injury in the work place; Personal Injury in a public place; Personal Injury sustained by minors; Personal Injury sustained by the vulnerable who, in some cases are unable to represent themselves without the assistance of loved ones; Professional Negligence (mis-sold mortgages, interest variable rate swap loans, global investment funds and or other products); Property Litigation; Regulatory Road Traffic Accidents Sports Law; Third Party Representation in POCA proceedings and representation of those involved in POCA proceedings; Transport/Road Haulage VAT Planning, Health Checks & Advice

Litigaid Law Ltd. launches new Business Concierge Service Litigaid Law would like to introduce their new dedicated Business Concierge Service and invite Business clients both current and prospective to contact their offices today for further information.

There is no joining fee for the first 12 months and the benefits of this service are as follows:• 24 hour service allowing you to call Litigaid Law at any time day or night in the event of emergency; • Free Consultations on ALL new matters that you wish the firm to deal with for and on your behalf; • 10% discount on ANY and ALL Invoices raised; • One individual together with their PA will deal with your Company/Personal Profile at all times meaning that you don’t have to deal with a number of people nor will you find yourself leaving numerous messages with individuals who are not familiar with your legal matters; • A free yearly health check will be undertaken for you during which the Firm will consider the contracts that you have in situ and ensure these meet up to date legislation e.g. rental, employment etc;

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LEGAL awards •

The aforementioned meeting will be followed up should you wish with a business development meeting during which we can together consider your future needs and Litigaid Law Ltd can where appropriate put you in touch with Managed Professionals who can assist in areas such as tax planning, coaching and mentoring, banking, recruitment and other.

About the author: Samantha Essenhigh Samantha Essenhigh was one of the founders of Litigaid Law UK and Gibraltar. Samantha is a Senior Litigation Executive, the Managing Director and HOFA of the Firm.

With over 12-years working in the field of civil litigation, Samantha has extensive experience in Personal Injury, Clinical/Medical Negligence, Cosmetic Negligence, Professional Negligence, Sports Injury and complex Commercial Litigation including areas that encompass Breach of Contract, Asset Purchase and Shareholders Disputes.

Samantha has also been involved in claims against Government(s), HMRC, the FCA, international professional practices and is actively pursuing cases against major Financial Institutions in the wake of alleged negligence surrounding Interest Variable Rate Swap loans, Mis-sold Mortgages and Global Investment Funds.

Samantha’s approach to her clients, and indeed the Law, maybe considered “unconventional”. Unlike many law firms and lawyers, she has always been passionate about ensuring that clients do not enter into protracted litigation purely for the sake of it: “It is important to remember that the needs of our clients come first. They have approached us with a problem causing them heightened anxiety and stress as a result, more often than not, of financial loss, pain and suffering. Our job wherever possible is to ease that burden and to ensure that we don’t encourage arduous and costly court proceedings, which only create further hardship and negativity.

In essence: to resolve our clients’ problems as amicably and as quickly as possible should be our primary concern at all times” she said.

Samantha understands how difficult a case can be for clients, and is dedicated to providing an exceptional service. She will always endeavour to ensure that clients of Litigaid Law are not only represented, but are also supported through the legal process, both professionally and personally: “I understand that our clients’ worries do not simply subside outside of working hours. This is why I invite all our clients to contact me at any time if they feel it necessary. I am accessible via both my mobile and email” she comments.

Samantha also understands the financial stress faced by many individuals in the UK as a result of changes in legislation, and the mechanisms of larger law firms and organizations that make gaining justice prohibitive. She continues to actively seek new methods of funding for clients so that they can seek the justice they rightfully deserve.

As Practice Manager, Samantha leads a highly talented and experienced legal and support team. She is the allocated and SRA approved “COFA” (Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration) ensuring that all areas of the business meet the high expectations both individual and corporate clients have come to expect from the firm.

Samantha has a keen business development and legal focus. She has created global contacts with a wide range of expertise making Litigaid Law a well-connected and client ready firm.

“Litigaid Law isn’t a conventional or traditional law firm. We are different because we care. Our client focused approach, and the high level of care and support we offer is extended to all our clients, both individuals and corporate. We will do our very best to ensure our clients gain the justice they deserve and peace of mind” she added.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards

Best for Employment Visa Advice - Colorado

Rodriguez Law Firm

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Rodriguez Law Firm was founded in 2005 to serve and protect the rights of immigrants and help professionals abroad make new homes in the United States. Throughout the years they have represented corporations and individuals alike in their immigration needs with a high rate of success. We spoke to them to get their insight and views on the highly complicated world of immigration law.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards We are dynamic, we are force for good, and we are assertive, creative and adaptive in meeting our client’s needs. We relish achieving success when other immigration practitioners have dismissed cases as being impossible.

Our unparalleled success rate – demonstrated in the complicated and highly technical legal specialty that is immigration law – manifests our skill and experience in employment-based immigrant visas, as well as in obtaining waivers of inadmissibility in extremely difficult cases. We also obtain unequalled results in family-based petitions, removal defense, employment based immigrant visas, by finding the best immigration alternatives for each and every case. Humanitarian and asylum practice are special areas of success, we are able to handle any other immigration matter, regardless if its complexity.

Company: Rodriguez Law Firm (main office) Name: Lourdes Rodriguez, Esquire Email: Lourdes@rodlawfirm.com Web Address: www.rodlawfirm.com Address: 6990 W 38th Ave., Ste 104, Denver, CO 80033 Telephone: (303) 477-2422 Rodriguez Law Firm 710 11th Ave., Ste 200 Greeley, CO 80631 Ph: (970) 292-6633

Immigration law is greatly influenced by politics, and that is why we take an activist approach. The greatest challenge is that immigration policy is antiquated, and not in pace with the United States; a land of immigrants, and the most ethnically diverse country in the world. In addition, changes in immigration law are almost non-existent in a highly hierarchical and bureaucratic government, uninterested in structural procedures and standards.

Because of stricter and ever changing immigration case law and policy, we continually train our staff and attorneys, and educate them through conferences and seminars, assisting them to find the best strategies, and the most efficient methods so that our services are also affordable. It is essential for us to follow trends in immigration demographics that would enable us to shape our services to meet client’s needs.

We believe that global immigration is essential to the growth and prosperity of every country – including the United States: This is the bedrock of our professional philosophy. The electoral year of 2016, as we predicted, will stimulate controversy and needed discussion of immigration policy. Immigration issues will play a critical part in deciding who will become President of the United States in 2017. We are optimistic and believe that the United States Supreme Court will affirm the 2014 Executive Action of President Obama, thereby removing the impasse to immigration reform.

We are a force in building momentum for change in immigration law and policy that would create a more humane society, and recognize the inherent human rights of immigrants. Additionally, our unique ability of having been exposed to different business cultures, here and abroad afford us the ability to extend and fortify those bridges for the full benefit of our corporate clients in accessing the best and brightest human talent to fit their business needs. We strive to create diversity within our community. We take on the challenges of real life issues and develop strategies that work. We strongly believe that our expertise, dedication, and discipline, is what has made us leaders within our immigration community. Our goal is not simply to defend through litigation, it’s to educate our people, our neighbors, and our society in the social movement that is immigration.

Capability is our hallmark. As immigrants ourselves, we value the trust placed on us by our clients, and the critical importance of the ethical practice of law, as well as the importance of following case status and deadlines in tracking the progress of a case through successful resolution. We provide both private and corporate clients with up-to-date information on changes in the law that could affect them negatively; or, in the alternative, provide unexpected advantages to our clients. The quality of service we provide is only possible because of our depth of experience and comprehensive knowledge of substantive immigration law and international law.

Investment and immigration law are two very different fields and although they may not seem to coexist, they do. Immigration is an investment into quality of life, and people are the most important investment of any Corporation. Our expertise is of paramount importance in the area of employment-based immigration where the dangers of non-compliance can be catastrophic. Our employment-based clients value the advice and assistance we provide for them to ensure positive results, and be in compliance with Federal immigration laws.

We are very optimistic about the future of our firm, and welcome challenges as they present us with opportunities for growth and success. We presently are expanding our services to include professional visas for nurses and medical personnel, including professionals in the oil and gas industry at all levels. Of particular mention, we are very excited to develop a sophisticated one-of-a-kind match-making program that will revolutionize the fiancée visa program forever. At the core of everything that we have planned is community outreach through education and supporting social movements. We strongly believe that investing in education is investing in a better future for our new citizens. Excellence is our goal. We ensure that our clients obtain the best outcome and receive real value for their investments of time, money and trust. Excellence is achieved every day. We never rest. Professionalism is what we stand for. Professionals is who we are.

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M&A awards

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LEGAL awards

Sustained Excellence in Biotech and Pharmaceutical Patents - USA

~ Nevrivy Patent Law Group P.L.L.C. is a boutique firm that specializes in intellectual property law within the healthcare industry. We invited Daniel J. Nevrivy from the firm to talk us through their work and provide us with an insight into the American legal landscape at present.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Nevrivy Patent Law Group P.L.L.C. specialises in patent procurement and strategic IP counselling, which includes advising clients regarding patentability, infringement, and validity of patent claims. In addition to this we also represent clients in transactions involving intellectual property, such as mergers and acquisitions, licensing and development agreements.

Our firm represents a wide range of clients, from individual inventors, start-ups and emerging firms to Fortune 500 firms, located throughout the world. The majority of our work is in the biotech, pharmaceutical and energy fields, although we also represent a number of clients having mechanical device and consumer products related inventions.

Name: Daniel J. Nevrivy, Ph.D. Email: info@nevrivylaw.com Web: www.nevrivylaw.com Address: 1000 Potomac Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20007 Telephone: 202-650-6905

The key driver of our firm’s success is our relationship with these clients and close contacts, and as such we measure our success by the success of our clients, which means providing successful outcomes in their matters.

The majority of our clients are repeat purchasers of legal services, and so we benchmark our business success by their continued growth and engagement with us, which is directly tied to our performance on their matters.

In order to ensure these repeat purchasers continue to use our business for their legal needs we are dedicated to focusing our efforts and spending a lot of time in understanding our clients’ technologies and the particular sector that they compete in. With patents it is important to have a very deep understanding of the underlying technology and invention and how it fits into the overall technological landscape and most importantly how it is different.

Once armed with that information, we are best able to counsel and advise the client. Strong and persuasive writing ability is also a critical element for success, since an important aspect of our job is to convince patent examiners or judges to agree with us.

Each client engagement and each matter we work on is viewed by us as an opportunity to showcase our knowledge and talent and demonstrate how hard we work for clients. That is our overriding philosophy for acquisition of new business; keeping clients very happy and impressing them with our work, so that they will give us new projects and tell others about us. Alongside a strong working relationship we find that the most important attributes are having a very high degree of technical and legal competence along with a focus on providing excellent client service at all times. It is also important to be able to be nimble and adapt since the industries and clients we serve can change rapidly.

Currently, we do not set any benchmarks or targets for firm growth. Instead we are steadily growing based on the business that comes to us from existing clients and from referrals and other marketing activities. We then focus on providing outstanding work product and client service, and grow with the clients. Our client focused approach has put us into contact with a wide variety of clients, and the variety of cases we have worked on for them has provided us with unique insight into the legal industry, which is very dynamic and currently undergoing rapid change.

The major outside influence we find is technology, which has enabled many law firms to become much more innovative in how they organize, manage workflows and deliver legal services to clients. Many of these technological changes are enabling the law firms to run more efficiently and be more collaborative, which directly benefits clients. However, implementation of some of these technologies, such as cloud computing, raises challenges regarding maintaining adequate data security, which is crucial for law firms and clients.

In pharmaceutical and biotech patents, there also are some legal headwinds facing our clients in view of recent court decisions involving patenting laws and products of nature, which has important implications for personalized medicine and diagnostics. Further, in-house legal departments are also undergoing rapid change in how they manage their cases and work with outside counsel. Many in-house legal departments are expecting greater flexibility and versatility from their outside legal counsel, so it is important for law firms to adapt how they operate in order to mesh with their client’s needs as well.

There is a trend currently in the legal industry for larger companies to move more and more of their legal work in-house to try and minimize costs instead of using outside counsel, and that trend might continue into 2016.

However, there are significant opportunities to represent new start-ups and emerging firms who will need IP legal services. Further, there are also increased opportunities for IP due diligence work in mergers and acquisitions which should continue into 2016 and which we are excited to capitalise on in the future.

In order to capitalise on these opportunities we will likely be adding a few attorneys to our practice in the coming year to help us manage our growth. We are also expanding some of the pro bono work our firm does helping disabled U.S. veteran entrepreneurs with their IP matters, which is very satisfying and rewarding work.

Additionally, maintaining a diversified client base is key to ensuring that we are buffered against any reduction in business from one particular sector, and whilst we currently have a fairly diversified client base and revenue distribution, which insulates us from swings in the marketplace we are keen to diversify further in the future.

This has the added advantage of providing us with additional experience within our field, which will help us to offer a fuller service to our clients moving forward.

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M&A awards

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LEGAL awards Best Commercial Property Lawyer - UK & Best Matrimonial Mediator - UK

174 Law Solicitors

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174 Law Solicitors are a dedicated, growing legal practice offering a wide range of services. Managing Director David Hayhurst provides us with a unique insight into this dynamic and invigorating company.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Company: 174 Law Solicitors Phone: 0151 647 7372 Website: http://174law.co.uk/

174 Law has offered conveyancing services for many years to all parts of the country , but in recent years we have seen a particular growth in business in the London area. We attribute this to the fact that we offer a Partner led service but with fees that are competitive (particularly when compared with fees charged by solicitors in the London area).

As such we offer a better quality service for a lower price, and as our clients have realised this we have had an influx of work, and our property business in particular has been growing steadily over the past few years.

Alongside our domestic growth we have also grown internationally, as have been approached by a number of agents in Hong Kong and China to support them with their investment in UK student accommodation.

This work has now become a key aspect of business, and we now represent the Hong Kong based agents of around 2,000 units of student accommodation in the UK. One of the key aspects of our international work is working with buyers overseas, which means visiting the country and satisfying ourselves about the due diligence procedure. Due diligence internationally is one of the challenges we face when working with our international clients, as it harder to identify sources of funding when working in markets we are less familiar with.

However we work hard to ensure that due diligence is always observed, as this is paramount to retaining clients. Additionally, we always work hard to ensure clients are aware of the level of risk involved in any transaction.

We are fortunate that our international associates have a strong translation team, so language barriers are less of an issue, as communication is another important aspect of our role. It is vital that clients understand the cost implications and to do that we need to have good communication with them.

All of these aspects and more have drawn hundreds of clients to seek out our services, and as such we have opened central branch office which we have deemed as a ‘centre for excellence’. We are essentially one headquarters where all 35 staff see each other daily, ensuring that we are all communicating and working effectively.

Having a central office also enables me as the Managing Director to ensure that my values and mission for the firm are fully understood and implemented by all of my staff. Some of the larger firms with multiple offices and more staff are unable to do this, and as such I fully believe that our strength is our size.

Although our central base enables me to keep my staff updated on the latest thinking within the company, there are constant changes within the legal industry as a whole which need to be addressed as well so that my staff can provide the best possible service to our clients.

Training is a crucial element to this, and we engage with other industry leaders across the accountancy and legal markets and buy in good information to ensure our staff are kept fully aware of changes to the law and the legal sector.

However instinct is just as valuable for lawyers when looking at the industry trends. Throughout my career as a lawyer I have gained experience which means that there is not much new legislation which comes into effect that I haven’t already anticipated, through reflected by moods and nuances in the market. As such instinct will lead you to stay ahead of the trends, and is the best vehicle to help our firm remain at the cutting edge of industry.

Our clients, particularly investor clients, look to us to ensure that they understand factors, such as government budgets, that will have an impact on them. Our work revolves heavily around our clients, and therefore we benchmark our company against the testimonials and feedback we receive, whether it be on LinkedIn, Facebook or through our website. We also receive cards, boxes of chocolates and even bottles of wine in appreciation from our clients, which our dedication to providing quality client service.

Looking to the future we have a number of exciting developments ahead. A significant number of new clients have been referred to us by those we have worked with in the past and we are looking forward to delivering to those clients expectations in 2016 and beyond.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards Best Independent Law Firm - Indonesia

Adnan Kelana Haryanto & Hermanto

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards One of Indonesia’s leading independent law firms with extensive experience in cross border and transnational transactions, Adnan Kelana Haryanto & Hermanto (AKHH) is packed with legal talent such as Andy Kelana who specializes in telecommunication and energy and is also responsible for the firm’s M&A practices. Andy spoke with us about his firm, the professionals he works along-side of and what the future holds for them.

Company: Adnan Kelana Haryanto & Hermanto Name: Andy Kelana Email: akelana@akhh.com Web Address: AKHH.com Address: Chase Plaza, Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 21, Jakarta, 12920, Indonesia Telephone: +62-21-5208270

Each of the founding partners has been practicing law for over fifteen years, and is well-known in their respective practice areas. Founding partner, Helena Adnan specialises on banking and finance and is an active member of the Association of Capital Market Lawyers; Stefanus Haryanto is well-known for his works in dispute settlements and is the firm’s partner in charge of litigations, competition law, insurances and environmental practice areas.

AKHH is fortunate that it is able to retain and attract talents and has a relatively low turn-over rate for its attorneys. When we recruit attorneys, we look not only at personal capabilities (such as experiences, intelligence and motivation) but also at the attorney’s ability to work with the existing team and clients. We believe that our greatest assets are our people so we spend a great deal of efforts to develop and improve employee levels of competence through training. Our lawyers are encouraged to attend courses, workshops, training and exposure to International Legal Practices ensuring their in depth understanding of both the International and Domestic legal landscape. Our attorneys are periodically seconded to the clients, allowing them to forge a closer relationship and have first-hand experiences with the clients’ operations. Specialising in cross-border and transnational transactions allow us to attract better talents and to expand our client base.

We focus on the client’s individual need and offer flexibility in terms of how the works (and the associated fee) are to be structured. For potential clients, AKHH is traditionally known for being more of a project company’s firm. We prefer to grow with our clients and serve them on a long term basis. Many of our major clients have been working with the firm for more than 10 years. Our clients include major multinational as well as domestic institutions such as: Apple, American Express, Axiata, Boeing Corporation, Chevron, Ericsson, Google, Mitsui, Oracle, and Siemens; and domestic clients including: PT Telkom, Indosat, Tower Bersama Infrastructure, Bank BNI, Perusahaan Gas Negara ((PGN) and PERTAMINA. In addition to private clients, AKHH also assists public organizations, such as the United States Department of Agriculture, Bank Indonesia, and IATA, and non-profit organizations, such as Rainforest Alliance.

We take client interests as our paramount priority and strive to provide them with highly responsive, accurate and effective services. We measure our level of success based on the clients’ satisfaction with our services.

AKHH strongly believe in being pro-active and we aim to advise clients on the most current developments in Indonesian law and its interpretation where it stands to affect them, thus reducing clients’ risk exposure arising from changes in the Indonesian legal landscape.

The legal industry in Indonesia has developed tremendously in the past 20 years and with it come new challenges, which include increased competition and higher expectations from clients. Indonesia is also affected by recent consolidations in the international legal markets bringing pressure on fees as well as scarcities in local talents.

The global and domestic economic conditions are a concern for us. Since our firm corporate practice areas largely rest on infrastructure, any economic downturn is likely to have an impact on us. We are hopeful of foreign investors’ renewed interest on Indonesian infrastructure projects or assets. The most difficult challenge is to maintain our good reputation. However, we are confident that we will succeed and achieve our goal as a leading independent law firm in Indonesia.

AKHH’s competitive edge lies in its ability to deliver individualized value-added solutions aimed at addressing specific client needs. We firmly believe that a successful client-lawyer relationship involves an investment in time familiarizing ourselves with our client’s operational needs and fostering strong professional relationships.

Our competent and dedicated team of lawyers is selected through a rigorous selection process to ensure delivery of only the highest quality of work, consistency, efficiency and responsiveness to our client’s needs.

We aspire to become a first-class independent firm. Our plan is not to expand into too many practice areas, but to focus on certain key practice areas where we have established a strong presence. We plan to build strong working relationship with international firms that specialize in those areas.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards Best Medical Licencing Services - USA

Bennett Licensing

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Bennett Licensing assists prospective doctors and physicians in obtaining a medical license.

Company: Bennett Licensing Phone: (713) 225-6000 Address: 525 North Sam Houston Parkway East Suite #570 Houston,Tx 77060 Website: www.bennettlicensing.com

Bob Bennett Licensing Services for Professionals understand the issues that professionals in Texas face.

Licensing and disciplinary issues are an insular area of professional licensing with unique procedures and standards for every different profession. But at the office of Bob Bennett Licensing Services for Professionals, the firm centre their practice on serving the distinctive needs of professionals whose livelihoods have come under attack.

The firm’s staff in Houston, TX apply experience and knowledge of the relevant procedures, applications and ethical codes to help each of their clients present a compelling defence of their professional licenses and reputations.

Bob Bennett himself relies on his nearly 40 years of experience in his practice in defending professionals against allegations of professional misconduct. Moreover, he draws on the skill and dedication of other experts where appropriate.

Bob Bennett Licensing Services for Professionals understand the stress and uncertainty that can accompany allegations of professional misconduct. They have represented hundreds of professionals across numerous professions in a variety of licensure issues. As such they offer free initial consultations, flexible hours and a convenient office location in the historic district of Downtown Houston with ready access to parking and public transportation.

The firm are regularly praised for the quality of their client services and the support they give, which is why they often receive referrals for new business.

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New ideas take ambition & creativity Making them a success relies on the right team - ‘Best Food & Drink team - Germany’

Whether your next step is to grow and acquire, promote your brand, respond to a regulatory issue or protect your IP, it's important to work with people who bring the right mix of skills, expertise and attitude.

Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (WLG) is a UK-headquartered international law firm, providing a full service to clients worldwide.

Whether advising FTSE 100 and 250 businesses, multi-national corporations, or high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs, its people deliver outstanding service and sector knowledge.

In Germany, WLG is best known for its cutting-edge legal services in IP/ IT and commercial law, but excels likewise for its clear commitment as trusted legal adviser for regulated industries in the food & drink and life sciences sectors.

Our award-winning German Food & Drink team is led by frequently recommended industry expert Dr. Ina Gerstberger who brings a strong track-record in delivering advertising, regulatory and contractual advice to the food sector. Ina is particularly praised for her combined legal and scientific expertise in product delimitation, novel foods, botanicals and advertising law, including health and nutrition claims, as well as feed law with a clear focus on intra-European matters.

Consequently, the expertise of the German Food & Drink team also extends to other regulated sectors like pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics and consumer goods. Clients are regularly guided through all stages of project development; from drafting commercial agreements to advice on marketing measures and statutory labelling.

The German team closely dovetails with the renowned firm's UK Food & Drink practice enabling innovative, pragmatic and commercial full-service solutions in cross-border matters for global businesses.

Whatever your product or service and whichever jurisdiction you operate in, WLG has the capability to field the right people for the job.

From 2016 WLG will combine with leading Canadian law firm Gowlings to create Gowling WLG. The combination, confirmed in July, will create a top 100 global law firm with more than 1,400 legal professionals in 18 cities worldwide.

At the core of Gowling WLG will be a focus on providing world-class legal expertise and multi-jurisdictional support in key industry sectors.

These include real estate, life sciences, food & drink, manufacturing, power generation and distribution, projects and infrastructure, mining and oil & gas, and technology and communication.

T: 0870 903 1000

| www.wragge-law.com/gowling-wlg/

Cavendish Trust is an independent, international service provider based in the Isle of Man with a sister company in Jersey and affiliated offices in Malta, Cyprus and the BVI. We strongly believe that service should be based upon respecting traditional values, building personal relationships with our clients and focusing on attention to detail. This is how we ensure that modern day expectations for outstanding service standard and delivery are always met.

• • • • • •

31-37 North Quay, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 4LB, British Isles Telephone: +44 1624 679000 www.cavendishtrust.com

Company/ Trust/ Foundation Establishment & Management Corporate & Private Jet Ownership and EU Importation Structures Ship and Superyacht Ownership and EU Importation Structures E-Gaming & E-Commerce Licensing and Management Services Aerospace and Satellite Ownership and Management Services Multi/ Bespoke Family Office Services Regulated and licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority

M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards

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Best for Business Immigration Law - Portugal & Recognised Leader in M&A – Portugal

Cameira Legal Cameira Legal bring a creative, quality and business-aware approach to all of their work, no matter what the complexity. Their genuine commitment to understanding and supporting clients by building stronger, deeper, more mutually beneficial relationships brings about a straightforward commercial and dynamic approach. They enjoy close working relationships with leading law firms across the world.

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Company: Cameira Legal Name: Maria Antónia Cameira Email: mac@cameiralegal.com Web Address: www.cameiralegal.com Address: Av. Eng. Duarte Pacheco, Torre 1, 6º Piso, 1070-101 Lisboa, Portugal Telephone: 00351 21 342 1086

Diversity is important to the firm as individuals and as a business, and the wider economic environment remains a significant challenge. Their particular strengths as a firm have helped them to remain busy and provide a positive and constructive service to all their clients. They firmly believe in maintaining a sense of perspective – the firm’s clients will certainly be best served if an element of warmth and humour is in the mix.

History CL@Cameira Legal is a leading Portuguese and Brazilian law firm with its roots in the City of London and Lisbon, a prestigious, international client base and a reputation for excellence. Established over a decade ago, with the objective of creating a unique legal bridge linking international investors carrying out business through the UK’s financial centre to Portugal and, particularly, Brazil.

Always forward-looking and ahead of the game, they continue their proud tradition of providing business-focused legal advice that goes beyond borders and narrow areas of expertise. Committed to quality of service and outcome, they remain at the forefront of an evolving legal industry as it adapts to the demands of an increasingly complex, faster moving, more interconnected world.

International Position CL@Cameira Legal is a full service practice with offices in two continents and three countries with the necessary expertise to find innovative solutions to the most complex of legal problems.

They actively contribute to the cutting edge of knowledge as it develops in the legal industry with their professionals regularly delivering high quality analyses and presentations of both cross-border and jurisdiction-specific legal issues currently facing businesses, to an international audience of lawyers and business figures. The firm also regularly publishes in leading academic journals.

Their expertise is supported by a solid infrastructure of administrative staff, IT systems and sophisticated document management processes that allows for a seamless process from start to finish in managing and obtaining successful outcomes in clients’ legal matters and cases. Also, their reputation is confirmed by the firm’s rankings in the legal directories.

Approach - Unwavering Commitment to Excellence Insight, experience and commercial acumen are just some of the qualities that CL@Cameira Legal’s professionals have in order to achieve success for their clients. The firm understands what legal advice they want and how they want their services delivered, cutting through complexity to provide clarity, precision and insightfulness. Constantly striving to find the best solutions, they aim to build enduring relationships.

Teamwork – with clients, other law firms and each other – is at the heart of their work philosophy, recognising that their impact is greater when they combine energies.

Business Immigration Cameira Legal offer their clients world class immigration services and they have a dedicated Practice Groups that work with clients to ensure that their programs are in compliance with local immigration regulations. The professionals in these practice areas have the in-depth knowledge and experience to provide their clients with strategic advice and efficient solutions necessary to create sound programs.

As provider of immigration services, they are able to provide effective and efficient solutions for any type of migration needs anywhere in the world. Their knowledge of the priorities, needs and challenges of the industries they serve enables them to provide immigration counsel best suited to each client.

Their knowledge of international legal, regulatory and policy issues allows them to provide their clients with strategic advice and effective and efficient immigration solutions to assist them in achieving and maintaining a competitive edge in the global marketplace.

The firm place particular emphasis on partnering with their clients to deliver highly personalized service. They invest time and resources throughout the course of our relationships to truly understand their clients’ business drivers and refine their service model to meet their evolving needs. They continuously evaluate and enhance their processes and technology to implement innovative solutions that improve efficiencies, add value and control the bottom line for their clients.

Careers Cameira Legal are recognised for their differentiated approach to attracting, retaining and developing great people. In their organization, whether they are a partner, associate, HR practitioner or secretary, they need to be highly skilled and highly motivated.

In order to make a valid contribution to the development of their clients’ businesses every one of their staff has to share a very simple, but very successful, philosophy.

The firm aim to constantly, and consistently, set new standards in the commercial value they offer to their clients as well as in the quality of their legal advice. That’s why they need talented and motivated individuals who can be extremely effective business people as well as extremely efficient lawyers.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards Best General Practice Law Firm - South East

Fairhurst Menuhin and Co Ltd

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Fairhurst Menuhin and Co Ltd offers a broad range of services to clients of all backgrounds. Their commercial law department deals with SMEs and company directors advising on mergers and acquisitions, director duties, shareholder agreements, restructuring and aspects of company law. They have a thriving family law department working on various matrimonial matters. The company’s criminal law department focuses on Road Traffic law acting for clients who risk loosing their licence or face heavy fines.Our criminal department also deals a spectrum of criminal offenses from murder to fraud and road traffic.

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Company: Fairhurst Menuhin and Co Ltd Name: Aaron Menuhin Email: aaron.menuhin@fmc-solicitors.com Web Address: www.fmc-solicitors.com Address: Thorn House, 11A Hill Street, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1EH Telephone: 01799 526 849

The firm also have a specialised private client department to help with wills and probate matters for high net worth individuals with assets in multiple jurisdictions. Their litigation team can step in at any time for clients who need help with contentious issues.

“The legal industry in our region is thriving” says the firm’s Aaron Menuhin when asked about his views on the state of the legal industry in the UK and the major challenges it currently faces as well as major external influence factors. “Although many of the low cost service providers are entering the market we have found that by providing a high quality service within deadlines we are able to keep clients satisfied. People want to be able to come in to the office a speak to someone they trust. When someone comes to the law they need to know the person they speak to will have their best interest at heart. Clients need to be able to trust their solicitor and build a long terms relationship on that trust” he goes on to explain.

For company to become truly successful and be able to provide the best possible service to its clients, “A firm should always put the client first and be good at problem solving” he says before explaining that his overriding philosophy to areas such as client service and the acquisition of new business “is to put the client first, offer peace of mind in all legal matters and exceed expectations.”

Corporate law Fairhurst Menuhin and Co Ltd’s focus on corporate law comes from “the background of two of our partners who hold and MBA and an MSc in International Management respectively” Menuhin explains. “They have both had experience in business and can bring that experience to bear on the legal advice and solutions that are offered to our clients. At our firm we are able to speak French, German, Polish and Mandarin thus enabling us to advise an international client base” he adds.

“The legal industry is an incredibly diverse and fast-paced place to do business. How do you ensure that your firm remains on the cutting edge of new developments and how do you ensure that you are always best placed to meet your clients’ needs?

“We are always trying to improve our service. We are not perfect and where we fall short we regroup and establish how to improve our offering. We listen to our clients and to their needs. The client is always best placed to tell us how to improve and how to remain competitive.”

Measuring success, being competitive and client needs When asked what standards or criteria does he measure success, both with regards to individual clients or projects, or as a business as a whole Menuhin comments, “We measure our business according to the client feedback on particular matters and projects. When a client returns to use our services again we know we have done something right.”

Working in such a competitive industry, differentiating their business from that of their competitors is done by placing “a lot of emphasis on the corporate image of the firm. We make sure we are the first to open and the last to close. We open on Saturdays and many of us will work on weekends and remain available to our clients in case of emergency” Menuhin outlines.

Concerning clients, how does the firm balance quality and cost to ensure cthey receive the best possible service for a manageable price? “We are always sure to establish from the outset the client’s needs and the likely costs those needs will incur. It is always of matter of communication with the client and managing the costs together” Menuhin reveals. “The business relationships we build are the bedrock of our firm. A satisfied client will spread the word. There is no better marketing” Menuhin adds when asked about his dedication to forming relationships with his clients to help him build his business further.

The future When it comes to choosing both staff and clients, “we only hire staff who agree with our standard of client service. When it comes to clients we try to be of service to anyone who requires it” Menuhin emphaises.

As regards to the future, “we aim to expand regionally over the upcoming three years and then internationally with offices targeted at commercial and corporate services” Menuhin explains. “The challenges are those that come with a growing firm in terms of managing the recruitment process, maintaining staff satisfied and more importantly offering a seamless service to our clients” he concludes.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards Best Tax Consulting Law Firm - Germany

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Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater Wirtschaftsjurist is a society comprising charted accountants, lawyers and tax consultants, which covers all the areas of consultation in legal, tax-related and economic environments. Besides the classical sectors the society also offers asset management, consulting, mediation and coaching, and can therefore assist with consultation for the entire scope of business management.

“Our clients usually are medium-sized companies” says the society’s Dr. Jan-Christopher Kling, LL.M. “Most of them are managed by their owners and particularly appreciate the individual assistance of consultants, who accompany them over many years. We also advice internationally globally operating stock-exchange listed companies. Moreover we are also active in the area of the public sector, particularly in the areas of non-profit organizations and research institutions. A central contact enables categorisation of the knowledge accordingly via the clients and to offer the best possible solution for the customers” he continues.

“As we work supra-regionally, i.e. nationally and internationally, we are influenced by the condition of the consulting business in the entire consultation sector. Here it can be determined that there is competition between the large market participants, which does not leave us unaffected. However, as we consult many medium-sized owner-run businesses, this gives us a lot of leg room for organisation. Owner-managed companies appreciate it not to be consulted by employed managers, but rather by operators, and to have a contact person, who speaks their language and understands their company.”

Name: Dr. Jan-Christopher Kling, LL.M Wirtschaftsprüfer - Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Address: Fischerstraße 11 - 67655 Kaiserslautern Telephone: +49 631 362 39 - 0 Fax: +49 631 362 39 – 10

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Further more, constant changes in jurisdiction and legislation strongly influence the work of the society Kling believes, particularly if one considers the international environment, for example in the EU

M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Employees In the society’s opinion, a company in their sector should have extremely motivated employees, training and further education being central, having a finger on the pulse of time and being responsive to the requirements of the clients, solving their problems and not just presenting themselves as a problem to the solution. “The fact that the client has or could have problems, is surely known, but he expects solutions and not simple the presentation of the problems” Kling underlines.

“As a rule we are looking for motivated employees and those who are firmly rooted in the region. This is the way to concentrate on the professional tasks and which, because of the regional attachment of the employees, often avoids changes of the employer, so this provides a high degree of continuity in personnel. We almost have a zero-fluctuation of employees and thus the know-how is available to the clients for decades. The result is that our employees know the company and it’s business as well or sometimes even better than the clients themselves. This is achieved by providing appropriate further training and continuing education programmes in the company and other features of motivation.”

Consultation The approach of the society is to have an overall observation of the type of consultation required. “It is not only the legal solution or consequence of a case that is presented, but rather an consideration of the overall economy” Kling states.

“We in particular check the possibility of gaining advantages from the resulting problems and finding a solution without large legal disputes, which leads to the business basis remaining in place, and the clients and their opposing party can continue with their business relationships, which mostly have been in existence for many years” Kling continues.

“Moreover in our opinion it is essential for a consultant with special sector know-how and many years of experience and successfully managed projects to be able to point out potential results to the client already at the start of new projects.

Focus areas The major areas of activity for Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater Wirtschaftsjurist are tax configuration consultation, also with tax expertises, the accompaniment of tax audits and representation in fiscal court proceedings, the complete support of companies, from foundation, purchase and sale, configuration and succession advice. “In this context we of course also carry out due diligence checks. Another main focus is on software and other technological companies” Kling says.

What is it then that makes this firm stand out from the others? “We differ from our competitors while in our understanding having the same broad specialist knowledge, but we can act at lower cost and shorter processing times because of our structure” Kling explains.

“In particular medium sized companies value this ability, that we are not focussed on providing the maximum number of consultation hours, but focus on the goal in order to manage the mandate on the long term and in the best case be a companion and contact person for all legal, financial and tax matters for decades Kling explains. “For this purpose we have a matrix structure in the company which enables the client to get an appropriate contact partner and further employees in the team who can accordingly act for him” Kling elaborates.

The road ahead The society cannot discuss future projects, but they are looking forward to the future with great expectations and assume that they will be able to continue their positive development of significantly overproportionate growth in personnel and clients.

“We see 2016 as a great challenge in connection with the partially uncertain global political situation and the outgoing financial imponderables. But we are available to our clients as problem-solvers even in such situations.

“In this we wish already to progressively advise our clients, i.e. approach any problems with early critical advice, so that these can be recognised and companies can react to them, so that any negative developments do not become too large and no unpleasant surprises follow.

“We see the greatest challenge for our wealthy business clients in the current low interest rate phase, which must be countered with alternative investment strategies, as well as the resulting opportunities for companies needing capital to be able to cover their capital requirement during the low interest rates in order to realise projects. In the legal environment the aim is to minimise liability potential and master the tightened tax restrictions” Kling concludes.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards Best Litigation and Arbitration Specialist - Korea

~ Lee International IP & Law Group is a synergistic team of passionate and exceptionally skilled professionals specialising in litigation and arbitration. We speak to Lance Lee who explains the firm’s strategy and how this has ultimately led to him winning this prestigious award.

Company: Lee International IP & Law Group Name: Lance Lee Email: lblee@leeinternational.com Web Address: www.leeinternational.com Address: 14F Poongsan Building, 23 Chungjeongro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-013, Korea Telephone: 82-2-2262-6037

Founded in 1961, Lee International IP & Law Group are a diverse group of individuals who have come together from different backgrounds and experiences to achieve success. As a full service law firm, our multilingual members connect with multinational corporate and individual clients from various countries, cultures and traditions to meet each of their specialized needs.

Our firm operates in Korea, which boasts a dynamic legal industry Korea which is globalizing at a rapid pace.

Korean companies are heavily investing overseas and multinational companies’ investments into Korea are concurrently on the rise. A major outside influence amidst this change is the increasing impact of innovation: technological, legal and corporate. Amidst new methods of resolving commercial issues, a major issue for innovation in the legal industry is the inherent challenge of “stepping out of the box” and adopting innovative new methods of handling emerging legal issues.

We believe that flexibility and innovative thinking in approaching legal issues are important attributes for success in the legal industry. There are three things that I encourage my colleagues and associates to do when completing tasks on a daily level: Pause, reflect, and suggest a new, transformational approach toward resolving a current issue. The legal industry in and of itself is full of cutting edge issues driven by new technologies and products, which makes it fertile grounds for innovation. When an issue emerges, what is encouraged is to not just formulate a by-the-book response from a purely legal perspective, but to assess how to optimize long-term benefit for the company.

In order to ensure we achieve this, I look for both prospective employees and potential clients who have the ability to think outside of the box in approaching an issue. When an issue emerges, are we simply formulating a by-the-book response from a purely legal vantage point, or are we looking ahead of the game and tackling the issue of how one can do something better for the future.

Choosing our clients carefully means we are able to build a strong relationship with them. We focus on developing long-term partnerships with our clients, and not short-term gain for the benefit of one party or entity. In other words, we view the success and well-being of our clients directly as our success and well-being. This philosophy is manifested in our services, where the best interests of the client are put first, and we then align our interests with those of our clients.

Our partnerships with law firms on a global level are also long-lasting, and for the long-term benefit. Even if in current immediate circumstances, it may appear that a legal issue in one part of the world is separate and independent, that issue will invariably impact similar issues in another part of the world. Thus, our global network of law firms enables us to raise and resolve issues initially occurring domestically for our clients on a global level.

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards The legal industry, particularly in the area of dispute resolution, is at a critical defining moment due to the expansion of legal issues. In the case of international arbitration, the volume of international arbitrations are continually increasing, and a concurrent trend has been a noticeable expansion in the scope and number of issues being raised. Economic and political stakes have become higher as the broadened definition of what is arbitrable has led to new issues previously falling outside the scope of arbitration.

As such our market is currently evolving, so we have to work hard to adapt to this. We feel we are redefining the game in the legal industry by incorporating innovative corporate growth strategies to resolve new issues.

For example, in response to increasing practical challenges in the arbitration space, what I have developed is the Dispute Innovation Practice, which essentially seeks to make disputes an innovative means of increasing corporate growth, rather than simply remaining as something to be resolved. This is done by newly introducing M&A technologies, strategies and methods into the space of arbitration. Newly discovered facts and evidence via corporate fact-finding methods that emerge in arbitrations can provide important keys that pave the way for commercial growth that can far exceed day to day processes to increase revenue.

Looking towards the future, we intend to continue adapting to these changes and growing as a company.

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M&A awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards

LEGAL awards Best for Contentious IP - Germany

Pinsent Masons

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Pinsent Masons is an international firm with offices in the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and Australia. At their firm, almost 1900 legal advisors help clients achieve their goals, and their roots date back about 250 years. With this wealth of experience, Pinsent Masons firmly believe that they can deal with whatever demand or needs their diverse range of clients may have. We spoke to Marc L. Holtorf, Partner at Pinsent Masons, to find out more.

Company: Pinsent Masons Germany LLP Name: Marc L. Holtorf Email: marc.holtorf@pinsentmasons.com Web Address: www.pinsentmasons.com Address: Ottostraße 21, 80333 Munich, Germany Telephone: +49 89 20 30 43 574

Although our company has been around for quite a long time, Pinsent Masons is always providing up to date and innovative legal solutions and state of the art legal services. A testament of this is that we have just won the Financial Times “Innovative Lawyers” award.

From our experience, the overall legal market is growing but on a more moderate basis. Therefore, it is interesting how the legal market is reacting. In this environment, we are seeing an increased importance of the large international firms like Pinsent Masons that can offer a truly global reach. Furthermore, in certain legal areas highly specialised national boutique firms are also doing quite well. With this in mind, we believe that the German market will become more and more difficult for mid-sized national firms that do not have either a sector-focused or international approach.

Despite the many changes occurring in the legal world, the fundamental attributes to be successful haven’t change so much over the years. Like many other successful law firms, Pinsent Masons provide high quality and efficient legal services, with the advice tailored to the client’s business needs. What has changed drastically in the recent years is the way legal services are provided and that trend is not going to stop at any time soon. IT solutions will continue to help deliver legal services and probably also replace a certain amount of commodity work. Pinsent Masons is certainly at the cutting edge of delivering legal services by using technology that is truly state of the art.

It is no secret that nowadays even industries that used to have a relatively simple business model are becoming increasingly more complex because modern technology is changing everything. Alongside these developments, regulatory requirements are tightening faster and faster. We work in a lot of these of high tech and highly regulated industries, including financial services, energy and infrastructure as well as advanced manufacturing and technology sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, IT and automotive.

In order to ensure that we are at the forefront of our industry, we identify important business, legal and technology trends by applying a strategic approach and we allocate the appropriate amount of human and other resources to help our clients to understand the challenges and opportunities. Examples of such trends are connected driving, smart cities and homes, mobile payments, sharing economy and digital health.

Above all, we believe that being a fully integrated firm is the best approach for our clients. It ensures, among other things, that the best people for a job will actually do it. Therefore, our most important benchmark is always how the entire business is doing compared to our plans to provide even better services, e.g. in terms of new product offerings or new offices.

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards At Pinsent Masons, everything is centred around our clients. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we ask what can we do for clients rather than what they can do for us.

Looking further ahead, implementing Pinsent Masons’ client centric strategy will inevitably bring even more opportunities and growth and we will do our best to use these to improve and enhance our services. On a personal level, I hope and I am confident my experience of being a lawyer will remain as exciting as in the first 15 years of my career. The trend of law firms becoming even more international will certainly go on and at Pinsent Masons we are ready to play an important role in the global legal market.

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best for Professional Indemnity - UK

Andrew Goodman

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Andrew Goodman is an independent practitioner at the professional indemnity Bar. He provides us with a tantalising glimpse of his more unorthodox role.

Throughout my career as a barrister and mediator and I have always tried to be a pioneer, helping to shape my field in the legal industry and change the way legal services are provided.

Having been a founder and then Secretary of the Professional Negligence Bar Association for nearly 20 years, I rode the wave of the first tranche of lender claims throughout the 1990s, acting as leading junior for three major banks before moving into high value indemnity claims brought by private high net worth individuals.

In 1989 I first saw the potential for commercial mediation as a vehicle for dealing with professional indemnity work, and started manoeuvring my practice in that direction as a mediation advocate, an activity in which I now specialise.

As such I spend much of my time in that capacity, working in an advisory and strategic role for clients in the UK, the Gulf and the Far East.

Name: Andrew Goodman LLB MBA PhD FCIArb FInstCPD FRSA Barrister, CEDR Mediator, SCMA Mediation Advocate and trainer.

Company: Chambers of John Ross QC, 1 Chancery Lane Email: agoodman@1chancerylane.com Web Address: www.1chancerylane.com Address: 1 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1LF Telephone: +44 (0)207 092 2900

Practice in my sector requires flexibility of approach, which is why I find mediative solutions are much better suited to client need. Professional indemnity claimants have already been subject to some error or systemic failure by a fellow professional, and feel let down. Therefore from the outset their legal representative needs to ask whether being right – obtaining judgment – is actually enough to give the client what he wants, which often is an explanation, an apology, a vehicle to restore confidence or relationships, or a change in practice as well as financial settlement.

Sometimes the power of the court does not provide the optimum solution; and it comes at too great a cost in terms of fees and disbursements, management time, damage to relationships, reputation and concomitant stress in the client.

Ultimately I measure my success by the client relationships I develop, which transcend any one piece of litigation, and become close acquaintanceships, if not friendship. I also like to pass on my knowledge and techniques through training and writing, which ensures that I am making a difference both to individual clients and the wider legal industry.

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LEGAL awards Best Public & Administrative Barrister - UK

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Richard O’Sullivan is the Head of 1215 Chambers, a small London based barristers’ chambers which also has members practicing in Dehli, Dublin and Rome. We spoke to him to learn more about his practice, as well as get his insight on the changing face of the legal industry.

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LEGAL awards Our practice started in 2011 and we have five members at present. Personally, I practice in civil, commercial, construction and public law. We also have a personal injury and medical negligence specialist, an Immigration specialist and also do corporate crime and regulatory work. Generally speaking, most of our clients are either SMEs or their directors and other professionals.

I began my career in what we call a “general common law set” and practiced in every area of law you can think of, except ecclesiastical law. That broad introduction, together with completing part of my training in Malaysia and Ireland and my consultancy work with Prati Legal in Rome, has been gradually whittled to a more manageable field. Nonetheless, having worked in such a variety of different areas has helped me understand the work the other members of chambers do and also means that we can work closely together for the benefit of clients.

Company:1215 Chambers/ Richard O’Sullivan Ltd/ Be Coherent Ltd Name: Richard O’Sullivan Email: Richard.osullivan@1215chambers.com Web: www.1215.london www.osulllivanslaw.com www.becoherent.ltd.uk Address: 1 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1BR Telephone: +442032911215

From my experience, barristers and their clients need to be clear about what their role is. A Barrister provides you with high quality advice and representation, and that advice and representation is cost effective because it is focussed. The danger for barristers in direct access work is that they become drawn into supporting the client in a broader sense or engaging in protracted correspondence with the other side and thereby lose their focus.

Despite the potential dangers behind Direct Access, being able to come directly to a barrister is a real advantage for a client who needs swift, accurate, business focussed advice on a discrete legal issue. Most of the direct access work for all our members falls into this category.

In my field, a client that wants to use direct access for any steps after the initial advice needs to have the relevant skills and support network to manage the litigation, arbitration or mediation with a barrister on hand to advise. Direct access saves money only when somebody other than the barrister is doing the work the solicitor would normally do. Often I find myself providing initial advice and then putting the team together for the client to enable the matter to be dealt with in accordance with my advice. I think it is as acting as a legal consierge.

As for our approach, we find that barristers have to focus on quality, and we are specialist advocates and experts in our fields. We have the time and space to think deeply about the case and the experience to know how that case will play out in court. For that reason, I am always careful not to take on too many clients or to take on clients who have needs that we can’t meet, unless I can refer them to somebody else (a solicitor or business adviser) who can deal with the less case critical issues.

Personally I regard a case that settles without litigation, or at an early stage, as a real success. Litigation rarely benefits anyone (except the lawyers), and we often get referrals from other lawyers for interesting cases that fall more within our areas of expertise. I always find that one of the highest compliments is to be recommended by our peers.

I firmly believe that the future for the Bar is much like its past, where individuals or small groups of advocacy and law specialist provide high quality legal advice and representation. When barristers spend their time engaging in protracted correspondence with the lawyers on the other side, or spend too much time on client support that isn’t case critical, they lose the ability to provide that deeply thought out legal analysis that a client really needs.

With so many challenges and opportunities facing us a present, we are always looking towards any emerging trends or developments that may impact our clients. We believe that we are pioneers in our industry, in the sense that 1215 Chambers was one of the first boutique sets, and the fact that many others have since arisen and that suggests to me we are doing something right. I formed one of the first phase of Barrister Only Entities and now practice as Richard O’Sullivan Ltd. At first there were twelve, and now there are over one hundred.

Again, I believe that is evidence of staying ahead of the curve.

Looking further afield, the greatest challenge facing us internationally is always the legal culture. Good British lawyers are generally a pragmatic bunch, and I think 1215 Chambers has a particularly good understanding of the business case for legal action (or inaction). Regretably, the legal culture in other countries we work with is often not so outcome focussed.

Looking further ahead, we are launching a new vehicle where we hope to put the consierge approach to legal services on the map for SMEs- It’s tentatively titled “Coherent Law”. I also run a training company Be Coherent Ltd (www.becoherent.ltd.uk) with another member of chambers and we’ll be launching a series of new public speaking and communications courses at the start of 2016.

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LEGAL awards Best for Health & Safety Law & Enforcement - UK

~ Austin Stoton is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading health and safety barristers, and his experience covers the entire gamut of health and safety related offences.

Name: Austin Stoton Company: 2 Bedford Row Web: www.2bedfordrow.co.uk Email: astoton@2bedfordrow.co.uk Address: London WC1R 4BU Tel: 0207 440 8888 Fax: 0207 242 1738

Dr Stoton is a chartered process engineer and as a result of his experience, he understands and gets to grips with technical engineering cases at a much quicker rate than his opponents. Furthermore, he cross examines experts thoroughly and more effectively, and often gets more from his own expert witnesses into evidence at trial in order to assist his own clients’ cases.

Throughout his career, Stoton has acted in many prominent cases involving the oil and gas industry, pharmaceutical and healthcare facilities, nursing homes, large scale construction projects of prominent landmark buildings and buildings of national and historic importance.

Dr Stoton is described by his instructing solicitors as having a forensic intellect, inclusive in his case preparation, having immaculate written work, approachable and a pleasure to work with. Furthermore, his clients have described him as a ‘fearless advocate’ when representing their cases.

Dr Stoton may be contacted through his clerks at 2 Bedford Row.

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LEGAL awards Best for Professional Disciplinary Law - UK

~ Timothy Kendal is a leading barrister specialising in professional and regulatory enforcement proceedings, major fraud and corruption investigations and trials, corporate governance advice and internal investigations relating to business crime. We profile him and his work within top legal firm 2 Bedford Row.

Name: Timothy Kendal Phone: +44 (0)20 7440 8888 Email: tkendal@2bedfordrow.co.uk

He has represented appellants in the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords, the Supreme Court and the European Court, and is highly regarded within the legal profession. As such he has received many plaudits from clients, courts and judges.

As a member of both the Financial Services Lawyers Association and the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association he is able to remain at the forefront of developments in the legal sector.

One of his most successful cases was when he successfully represented one of the defendants in the Stephen Lawrence murder trial – appearing at the Magistrates’ Court, the Central Criminal Court and at the Stephen Lawrence Public Inquiry.

Tim has recently lectured on the Bribery Act, FCA enforcement, Disciplinary Proceedings of Professional Regulatory Authorities, money laundering and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, asset restraint and civil recovery together with the interface between civil and criminal law in the area of fraud and restraint. He has appeared on television and on radio as a legal commentator including several appearances for CNN and the BBC. Overall Tim Kendal is recognised by the law directories as a leading criminal barrister in London. Tim is recognised as a leading practitioner before disciplinary professional tribunals and is uniquely well-placed to achieve results for clients having served as a legal advisor to several regulatory bodies.

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LEGAL awards Best Commercial Barrister - UK

Tahir Ashraf

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Tahir Ashraf is Barrister of Lincoln’s Inn and an alumnus of the University of Oxford, and brings his unique commercial acumen and life experience to the Bar. He enjoys his work in commercial law “because it encompasses a broad range of legal areas relating to business. My corporate law work includes helping clients with company structure, agreements, contracts, banking, alternative fuels and energy, mergers & acquisitions as well insolvency and intellectual property law matters” he explains.

“I assist clients from a diverse background. I work with solicitors and industry clients. My recent clients include those at the cutting edge in the automotive, banking and energy and transport sectors. I also work with small to medium sized businesses” he adds.

The major challenges currently facing the legal industry and the major outside influence factors are characterised by two crucial aspects according to Ashraf. The first is regulatory and the second is emerging technologies. He goes on to explain: “Insofar as regulation is concerned, previously the lines of professional services were clearer with the Law Society Regulation Board pre-2007 or Solicitors Regulation Authority for the Solicitors Profession and the Bar Standards or Barristers Profession. These lines have blurred over the last few years with the advent of direct access and in Alternative Business Structures which have opened the legal sector to external businesses. This has seen the emergence of private equity investment into law firms as well floatation on the stock market.

Name: Tahir Ashraf Email: ta@tahirashraf.co.uk Web Address: http://tahirashraf.co.uk Address: 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, London, WC1R 5AH Telephone: 07830 729959

“Conversely, many barristers remain firmly wedded to the traditional ways of the Bar. The crucial challenge therefore, is for the legal profession to continue to provide a better service to professional and lay clients in an evolving business landscape.

“Turning to technology, as a significant outside influence factor, technology is here to stay. It has and continues to transform the way in which we now communicate. Particularly when compared with five or ten years ago. One example of where this can be seen are the Rules concerning Civil Procedure, service of documents.

Ten years ago, deemed service by ‘other electronic method’ was the second day after the day it was transmitted. In 2015 deemed service is on the business day it was sent if it was before 4.30pm, or the next business day after the day on which the document was sent.”

In closing, Ashraf outlines the attributes a commercial barrister should possess in order to become truly successful and be able to provide the best possible service to clients. “The ability to understand intrinsically a client’s business is most certainly a key to the success of a good commercial barrister. A focus on the needs of the particular client’s business certainly helps me to provide a more practical solution to a particular problem.

The ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with clients and solicitors is also a fundamental attribute to become a truly successful commercial barrister.”

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LEGAL awards Best in M&A Law - Switzerland

ABR Avocats

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ABR Avocats is a Swiss business law firm which advises clients on sophisticated M&A transactions, with a special focus on those involving financial institutions. Founding partners Nicolas Béguin and Alexandre Richa tell us more about the firm’s activities.

Company: ABR Avocats Names: Alexandre Richa (Banking & Finance) & Nicolas Béguin (Corporate/ M&A) Emails: alexandre.richa@abrlegal.ch nicolas.beguin@abrlegal.ch Web Address: www.abrlegal.ch Address: 11 rue de Beaumont, 1206 Geneva Telephone: + 41 22 703 51 00

ABR Avocats is an independent business law firm based in Geneva. The firm has extensive experience and expertise in dealing with complex domestic and cross-border transactions. In the past year, ABR Avocats acted as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous sophisticated M&A and financing deals, many of them involving several jurisdictions. ABR Avocats benefits from a team of high profile experts with longstanding experience, offering a broad range of services relating to M&A deals, including corporate, contractual and regulatory advice. A tax partner will join the firm as from January 1, 2016 and further strengthen the team.

The firm also received the awards for best Swiss law firm of the year 2015 in the fields of banking & finance and cross-border financial disputes. It is also very strong in arbitration including post M&A disputes.

Asked about the state of the legal profession in 2015, Alexandre Richa says “The Swiss legal industry is becoming increasingly competitive. Besides, the strong Swiss franc is a challenge which puts pressure on costs and is likely to continue to impact the level of M&A activity in 2016. This being said, we are confident that we will maintain a very strong and active M&A practice. Imminent legal and regulatory changes in Switzerland will bring further work to specialized firms”.

“Sophisticated clients have increasing expectations as regards the quality and cost-efficiency of legal services.

We believe that there is a great opportunity for the best boutique firms to capture market shares and improve profitability” continues Nicolas Béguin.

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LEGAL awards Best European Data Room 2015

Admincontrol

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Norway-based Admincontrol is a leading provider of secure board portals and virtual data rooms offered as ‘out-ofthe-box’, ‘software-as-a-service’. Admincontrol facilitates secure collaboration and user friendly sharing of information related to business critical processes, as well as access to sensitive documents. The company is headquartered in Norway with eight local European offices, serving clients globally. Admincontrol`s stronghold is Northern Europe, and the company is rapidly growing and expanding into new markets.

Company: Admincontrol Email: info@admincontrol.com Web: www.admincontrol.com Address: Fridtjof Nansens Plass 2, 0160 Oslo, Norway Telephone: +47 2283 6100

Admincontrol offers reliable collaboration related to M&A with secure and compliant virtual data rooms. The solution is used to share sensitive documents and information, and swift and secure information sharing is key in connection with transactions, stock exchange listings, the raising of capital and restructuring processes.

The company has a history of facilitating more than 1300 transactions and has currently more than 10 000 active data room users, making Admincontrol a trusted partner for data management, information sharing and collaboration in M&A activities.

Furthermore, this technology is both user-friendly and intuitive. The solution provides a clear overview of extensive structures, and no installation is required. Through this process, Admincontrol helps you to get started quickly and efficiently. The virtual data room is established within a few hours, and best-in-class support is readily available throughout the process. Moreover, all data is stored in a highly secure environment on dedicated servers in Norway. Admincontrol offers our clients full confidentiality and information security, and we have a duty of confidentiality right from their first query.

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LEGAL awards Legal Consultancy of the Year - South Africa

Afriwise Consult

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Afriwise is pioneering a new consulting model for Africa, designed to assist clients with advice that is genuinely tailored to situations and local environments in African countries, through collaboration between the best African experts. We spoke to them to find out more about their firm and how they deliver their truly specialised services for their clients.

Company: Afriwise Consult (Pty) Ltd Email: info@afriwise.com Web Address: www.afriwise.com Address: 33 Ballyclare Drive, Ballywoods Office Park, Bryanston, 2191, Johannesburg, South Africa Telephone: +27 10 596 8516

As African economic development continues apace, international and local law firms alike have been wrestling with the problem of how to best provide a comprehensive Africa-wide service. While firms’ strategies for covering the region differ wildly, none of the traditional firms has managed to create a truly pan-African legal offering.

Thanks to our unique delivery model of working with established local experts throughout the continent (which become part of our so-called Afriwise Community), Afriwise comes very close to a true pan-African legal offering: we are able to put together tailored teams on each of its clients’ projects and transactions, throughout the African continent, to reflect the required skills and expertise, on-the-ground knowledge and local socio-cultural and language affinity.

From our experience, conventional solutions often don’t work in African markets. There is a need for flexibility and creativity when tackling country specific challenges, which is why we have also chosen for an interdisciplinary approach. With Afriwise, we try to break free from silo thinking and take into account the different angles to a project or a transaction from the outset. Through our integrated process, we save both time and costs for our clients.

One of our most distinguishing features is that we have a unique value proposition that strives to maximize efficiency for clients. Our delivery model provides clients more control over the team that advises them and we also strive to provide our clients more control over and value out of their consulting spend.

We achieve this in a number of different ways. Firstly, clients don’t pay for multiple layers of seniority as is often the case in traditional professional services firms. We don’t incur the significant overhead costs, which characterize large traditional firms, and our fees don’t need to cater for so-called beach or down-time time of underutilised consultants. Furthermore, we guarantee our clients correct pricing, and clients benefit from our knowledge of local markets and pricing cultures.

Throughout our process, we keep processes simple and ensure that the work is completed as efficiently as possible.

We are also deeply committed to offer our clients innovative and flexible fee arrangements to provide predictable costs, reduce billing complexities and align the cost and value of our services. Client satisfaction is our most important measure for success, and we want to become our clients’ adviser of choice when they need advice in Africa.

Looking ahead, we are currently developing an online platform to enable us to collaborate even more efficiently with our Afriwise Community members throughout the continent. This platform will also enable us to pick up trends in Africa and harness the collective intelligence of the African experts we work with throughout the continent around specific issues.

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LEGAL awards Best in Foreign Direct Investments - Greater China

AllBright Law Offices

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AllBright Law Offices is one of the leading full-service law firms in the People’s Republic of China. As the only national law firm headquartered in Shanghai, the firm provide a comprehensive range of legal solutions and services to both domestic and international clients from their headquarters and additional offices across the region.

Company: AllBright Law Offices Address: 14F, Citigroup Tower, 33 Hua Yuan Shi Qiao Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, P. R. China Phone: 8621）6105－9000 Fax: 8621）6105－9100 Website: www.allbrightlaw.com/en/home

Since the 1980’s, the Chinese economy has demonstrated dramatic growth and development, during which time new business models were invented, science and technology rapidly developed, and various laws and regulations in China were constantly enacted, revised, improved and unified accordingly.

Faced with this evolving marketplace and continuous change in laws and judicial decisions, corporations and citizens, both domestic and abroad, were in need of high quality, full service, and efficient professional legal services to help them to both protect their rights and maximize commercial benefits.

With this evolving legal landscape, both domestic and international needed a new style of law firm. AllBright was established in 1999 through the merger of three existing law firms to meet this need and drive innovation in the region. The firm rose to this challenge and, in 2007, formed the first international legal referral network in Mainland China alongside a group of other likeminded law firms who shared the AllBright’s mission to offer high quality legal services for high-end business transactions in China and abroad, and for litigation and other legal matters.

The firm specialises in supporting foreign direct investments, and partner Philip Zhang dedicates himself to supporting clients with these transactions. His other specialist areas include mergers and acquisitions; real estate; commercial law and labour law. His ability to speak English, Mandarin and French have provided him with the ideal skills to ascertain his client’s needs and provide them with the services they need.

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LEGAL awards Best for International Tax Litigation - Mexico

~ The company Arias, Meurinne y Rodríguez, S.C. provides effective solutions to the most complex litigation and consultation problems regarding tax law, anti-trust law, telecommunications law, international trade law, administrative law, human rights and constitutional law in Mexico.

The firm regularly gives service to several Fortune 500 and Expansion 500 companies, establishing long lasting institutional relationships, which provides to the firm in-depth knowledge of the businesses style of each client, tailoring solutions that suit their individual goals and needs, all while adhering to strict ethical business codes.

The firm is well known as providing litigation solutions of cases others consider lost. Many cases that have been lost by other firms, have been successfully litigated by Arias, Meurinne y Rodriguez, indeed these cases often have been highlighted by the media.

Company: Arias, Meurinne y Rodríguez, S.C. Name: Elena Gonzalez Email: megs@amyr.com.mx Web Address: www.amyr.com.mx Address: Prol. Paseo de la Reforma 1236 Piso 5, Desarrollo, Santa Fe, Cuajimalpa, State of Mexico Mexico 05348 Telephone: 0052 55 5280 5240

Main areas of practice Tax Law The law firm’s tax law practice represents clients in all aspects regarding Mexican tax law and international agreements related to taxation entered into by this country. The firm is involved in many complex litigation cases dealing with these matters. This representation includes all levels of litigation, before Federal and Local Tribunals, including remedies before the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice. Being fully aware of how Courts interpret the law, the firm is able to provide sound legal counsel on consultation and planning matters, including counselling before tax authorities during audits and the reimbursement procedures of excess payments made to government agencies.

Anti-trust Litigation The law firm’s anti-trust litigation team has been involved in some of the most media followed cases in Mexico during the past three years, dealing with mergers that exceed billions dollars in value in the telecommunications industry. The success rate in these cases has been absolute.

Telecommunications Litigation The law firm is involved in litigations dealing with all types of matters that surround the telecommunications industry, including cases that have dealt successfully with the renewal of radio-electric spectrum concessions, charges of duties applicable to this industry, fines and interconnection tariffs charged between telecommunication companies, among other issues.

International Trade The law firm provides counsel and litigation on a wide array of matters dealing with international trade, such as importation duties, interpretation of free trade agreements entered into by Mexico and incentive programs such as maquiladoras, among other matters.

Administrative Litigation The law firm’s practice in this subject matter, deals with a wide variety of issues, such as construction regulations, urban development programs, media content matters, airport law, among many others.

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LEGAL awards Best in Insurance Law - Czech Republic

~ BADOKH is a leading specialist firm dedicated to providing first-class service which builds upon the practice of individualized client care.

After more than fifteen years practice in London, Prague and Bratislava, former White & Case partners, Petr Kuhn, Jakub Dostal and Ivo Barta, together with a number of talented experts, established a Prague-based boutique law firm, BADOKH, in 2014.

Within its first years of existence, the business reached a unique position in the Czech market as it provides its clients with excellent legal services following the highest international standards combined with the in-depth knowledge of the local law and business environment.

The firm’s legal professionals advised clients on a number of local and cross-border deals, including project and export transactions, mergers, acquisitions and divestments, acquisition and real estate finance, and also advised clients on complex corporate projects and high-profile transactions carried out in the CEE market.

BADOKH has created one of the best-recognized insolvency and restructuring practices, which advises its clients from various industries, including energy, mechanical engineering, foundry operations and welding, on matters to do with out-of-court restructuring. The firm represents its clients (i.e., creditors, shareholders and investors) in judicial insolvency proceedings both in the Czech Republic and the CEE region as a whole.

For more than 20 years, the experts of BADOKH have devoted themselves to energy, industrial, and infrastructure projects, representing major Czech and multinational corporations and financial institutions.

BADOKH has established one of the biggest dispute resolution practices on the market, which advises its clients on judicial and arbitral proceedings both in the Czech Republic and across the CEE region as a whole.

The firm’s professional team currently consists of four partners, seven advocates and tax advisors, two counsels, seven junior lawyers and seven legal trainees.

Company: BADOKH Name: Petr Kuhn; Jakub Dostal Email: petr.kuhn@badokh.com; jakub.dostal@badokh.com Web Address: www.badokh.com Address: 28. rijna 767/12, Prague 1 Telephone: (PK) +420 606 631 366; (JD) +420 603 158 883

Petr Kuhn is a co-founding partner of BADOKH. Petr heads the corporate and financial restructuring and insolvency practices within the company.

Before he co-founded BADOKH, he was involved in a number of major projects in Prague and London as a part of his 15-year career with an international law firm. This included advisory services for the first-ever IPO in the Czech Republic, advisory services for the first-ever listing of shares of a foreign company at the Prague Stock Exchange, complex takeover bids, domestic and international large-scale takeovers, and dozens of various cases of court restructurings and out-of-court restructurings of domestic and foreign companies.

Jakub Dostal is a co-founding partner of BADOKH. Jakub has extensive experience in banking & finance, M&A and private equity and heads the Banking & Finance Practice at BADOKH. As counsel for multinational corporations and financial institutions, municipal and governmental entities, he has advised on all aspects of their domestic and cross-border financings, with a particular emphasis on corporate finance, project finance, acquisition finance and structured finance, including deal structuring, negotiation and documentation.

Before co-founding BADOKH, he was involved in a number of major transactions in the Czech Republic and abroad, as a part of his 15-year career with the international law firm, in London and Prague, where he was partner of the Bank Finance practice group from 2007 to 2013.

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LEGAL awards Best Corporate Law Firm - Morocco

Bakkali Law Firm

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Bakkali Law Firm is one of the oldest and most established law firms in Morocco, and was founded by Mr Rubio Chavari in 1938 when Tangier was under the International Administration.

Company: Bakkali Law Firm Web: bakkalilawfirm.com Email: abdellah@bakkalilawfirm.com Address: 11 Khalid IBN AL OUALID, TĂĄnger, Marruecos 90010 Telephone: (+212) 539370950 Fax: (+212) 539935581

Prior to Bakkali Law Firm, Mr Rubio Chavari was the Finance Minister in the First Spanish Republican Government ousted by General Franco. As a Lawyer he was the President of the Bar of Tangier on three separate occasions and a very well respected figure. Before his retirement, he trained the current Managing Partner Mr Abdellah Bakkali.

The firm changed its name to its current name in 1990 to rebrand and take on new challenges in an ever demanding and developing legal services market. Throughout its history, the firm has always been known for its commercial and corporate work. In fact, we are proud to say that we have represented some organisations for more than half a century.

As an established professional legal services practice, our values are based on the principle of delivering prompt responses to all of our clients’ needs. Our Lawyers are available throughout the day and are contactable outside normal working hours by mobile phone and emails.

Furthermore, our long history of success stems from the basic principle of integrity. We believe that honesty, transparency, fair and reasonable billing are qualities that underpin our professional ethics and the quality of our service. Across our firm, our Lawyers are driven by results and our clients come to us for sound advice and first class representation.

In our firm, we pride ourselves on providing a wide variety of services to our clients. Among these include property and real estate, IP, corporate, insolvency and restructuring, commercial law, banking and finance, employment, tax and general litigation including ADR and white collar crimes.

Our clients come from a number of different backgrounds, ranging from owner-managed companies to large domestic and multi-nationals. Our sector experience covers: telecom and IT, real estate, manufacturing, engineering, banking, finance and insurance, transport and logistics including shipping and marine trade as well as retail and charities.

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LEGAL awards Best for Owner Managed Business Litigation - UK

Barlow Robbins

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Barlow Robbins are here to help you with legal issues on which you might need sound legal advice. They provide such advice for successful individuals, businesses, schools and charities on a wide range of issues but concentrate on what they are good at.

Company: Barlow Robbins Name: David Foster Email: davidfoster@barlowrobbins.com Web Address: www.barlowrobbins.com Address: The Oriel, Sydenham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3SR Telephone: 01483 543210

Everyone at Barlow Robbins shares responsibility for living up to their high standards and ensuring that the firm delivers on their promise. They aim to make you feel strongly supported by them, and they want you to be well informed at all times and to feel in control with advice that is prompt, incisive and clearly communicated.

Here is a list that summarises all the services Barlow Robbins offer: • Asset & Wealth Protection; • Banking & Finance; • Business Disputes; • Mediation; • Charities; • Children & Family Matters; • Commercial; • Commercial Property; • Corporate; • Divorce, Separation & Financial Issues; • Employment Issues – Employees; • Employment Law – Employers; • Independent Schools; • International Family Law; • IP, Technology & Media; • Notarial Services; • Personal Disputes; • Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice and; • Residential Property.

A Distinct Style Barlow Robbins are a part of the community they serve and so pride themselves on understanding their Small and Medium Enterprise clients some of whom are high profile and have considerable turnover. They also look after a number of charities which have deep connections with their high net worth individual clients.

In their contentious work the firm seeks to be commercial and use alternative dispute resolution models such as mediation where appropriate. The firm especially handles commercial litigation, professional negligence and property litigation.

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LEGAL awards Recognised Leader in Private Equity & Joint Ventures - UK

Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram LLP

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Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram LLP are a London based legal practice specialising in property, private client and commercial law. It also has a strong litigation department. We invited Julian Charles to talk us through the firm and their approach to clients.

Contact person: Julian Charles Company: Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram LLP Website: www.bacisolicitors.co.uk Phone: 020 8349 7680 Fax: 020 8346 8245 Email: J.Charles@bacisolicitors.co.uk Address: Sovereign House, 1 Albert Place Ballards Lane, London N3 1QB

Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram was formed in 2001 by the merger of a central London commercial firm and a local mainly property law firm.

We are located in modern premises in Finchley, London (within easy reach of Central London).

The major part of our work revolves around property and property development, but we also work within the areas of business and commercial law, which I deal with specifically, and also litigation, employment and private client. We offer a broad range of business and commercial law support as well as full services in our other areas of work..

We act for a wide variety of clients. I deal with the corporate work, such as joint ventures, LLP and partnership agreements, for our property investor/development clients. I also act for businesses and companies, large and small, and businesspeople/entrepreneurs, dealing with private equity/joint ventures, buying/selling companies and businesses, commercial contracts and Company law, shareholder, partnership and LLP agreements and disputes, insolvency and employment law.

Most of our clients are based in the UK but we also act for a significant number of clients who are based, or require our services for transactions, overseas.

As a firm we act in a hands on capacity emphasising individual service and tailored solutions for our clients.

We strive to be approachable, forward thinking and transparent. We have ten lawyers, all highly experienced in their fields. We retain experienced lawyers and support staff, ensuring that all services provided to our clients are top quality.

Our growth is through repeat instructions and referrals, which is ultimately how we measure our success as a legal practice.

We are keen to grow as a practice and broaden our practice areas, through the taking on of new staff, which could include trainees and younger lawyers. This will ensure that we get fresh new ideas and experiences into the business.

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LEGAL awards Best Family Law Firm - Essex

Bawtrees LLP

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Bawtrees LLP provides legal services to businesses and individuals in Witham, Essex and the surrounding counties since 1875. The foundation of their practice is the personal interest they take in meeting and indeed exceeding the requirements of their clients. They understand that the relationship between client and solicitor is one built on mutual respect and confidence. They devote their personal attention to your matters, which permits them to attain the outcome you are seeking by focusing on excellence, communication, effectiveness and results.

Company: Bawtrees LLP Name: Damian Clancy Email: d.clancy@bawtrees.co.uk Web Address: http://www.bawtrees.co.uk/ Address: Bawtrees LLP, 65 Newland Street, Witham, Essex CM8 1AB Telephone: 01376 513491

They represent clients in matters of company and commercial agreements, sale of business, debt recovery, commercial property, employment law, litigation, wills probate and trust, landlord and tenant law, personal injury, family law and residential conveyancing. Their experienced and friendly team can assist and guide you with your legal requirements.

As this is the award for the Best Family Law Firm – Essex, we will now take a look at Damian Clancy LL.B (Hons) MCIArb who is a solicitor/partner and head of the family department. Damian was admitted as a solicitor in 2000.

Damian deals with all aspects of Family Law including: divorce, nullity and separation (including same sex) and financial matters arising out of divorce/civil partnership (same sex) dissolution. He is also very competent in drafting separation agreements and pre and post-nuptial agreements as well as final orders by consent on financial matters arising out of divorce.

Damian’s other areas of expertise lie in assisting clients to secure injunctions under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 – non-molestation and occupation orders; Children Act 1989 proceedings including applications for child arrangement orders (previously contact/residence), parental responsibility as well as financial applications under the Children Act 1989. Damian also has considerable experience in advising on areas involving international child abduction.

He is also a keen advocate and often attends at court with clients on all manner of hearings to maintain consistency for his clients. Damian is also an Accredited Specialist with Resolution in Advanced Financial Provision, Children Law Private and Domestic Abuse. Damian also sits on the Essex Family Justice Board.

In 2015 Damian qualified under the Family Law Arbitration Scheme and is a qualified arbitrator and is a firm believer that not all disputes need to proceed through the courts and is a keen advocate on alternative dispute resolution.

In his spare time, Damian likes travelling, cinema, cycling and has worked with Crisis for the Homeless during their annual Crisis for Christmas campaign.

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LEGAL awards Best Full-Service Law Firm - Wales

Benson Watkins Solicitors

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Celebrating over 65 years in business and individual legal services, Benson Watkins is a dynamic legal practice committed to client service with the ability to assist clients with their complex and demanding legal problems.

Company: Benson Watkins Solicitors Name: Sunny Sohal Email: ssohal@benwat.co.uk Web Address: www.bensonwatkins.com Address: 4 Tawe Business Village Phoenix Way, Swansea, SA7 9LA Telephone: 01792 704320

Their approach to service begins by understanding the clients’ problems and assessing the implications of their instructions, before applying the resources necessary to help achieve their clients’ objectives.

Benson Watkins has over 100 years combined in house experience and first opened its doors in 1948.

The Legal World at your Fingertips Benson Watkins understand that the economy and marketplace today is very competitive. In the age of E-commerce and cut price Online Legal Solutions they are still in a position to offer that personal touch and yet be more than comparable in price. Benson Watkins has evolved into a modern day practice which is very flexible and yet still offers unbeatable client care.

They are therefore well placed to move your problems forward and find solutions that will give you peace of mind. Individuals and Businesses alike face an array of difficulties on a day to day basis. As such they don’t want their clients to be let down by offering one service and not another one that they desperately need to utilise. In order to rectify this Benson Watkins has recruited a Team that is able to deal with every possible Legal problem you may encounter and provide a solution to that problem without you having to look elsewhere. All your legal needs can be met under the Benson Watkins Umbrella. Let the Experts provide you with everything you need secure in the fact that it is all done in house under one roof giving you direct access and updates to your files on a daily basis.

The services they provide are as follows: • All Aspects of Civil & Commercial Litigation; • Conveyancing - Commercial & Residential - including Construction Law; Property Development; Commercial Leases; Real Estate Disputes; Property Finance; Landlord & Tenant; Planning disputes; Boundary Disputes; • Personal Injury & Medical Negligence; • Immigration; • Equine and Agricultural Law; • Family Law; • Employment Law; • Commercial Credit Disputes - PPI claims and Finance refunds; • Wills & Probate - Court of Protection/Power of Attorney.

Property and Land Transactions Benson Watkins advise both corporate and individual clients on a range of transactions. They have expertise in all aspects of the property practice areas – buying, selling, leasing and developing commercial, industrial and residential properties for dealers and investors as well as individual owner/occupiers.

The Residential Property team provides a practical and proactive legal service to buy and sell your house.

Working with you, your agents and your financial advisers, the firm help to make what can be a stressful experience as hassle-free as possible.

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LEGAL awards Trademark Attorney of the Year - France

Brevalex

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The BREVALEX law firm is one of the leading European IP firms, and among the largest in France. It has been providing specialised services in all sectors of intellectual property for more than 50 years, including: patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, copyright, software, contracts and other related areas. Jean-Baptiste Duranton, Chairman & CEO, shared his thoughts on the strengths of his firm which led them to win this award.

Name: Jean-Baptiste Duranton Chairman & CEO Tel: +33 1 53 83 94 00 Email: brevets.patents@brevalex.com marques.trademarks@brevalex.com Web Address: www.brevalex.com

The Industrial Property Attorney firm, BREVALEX, is a member of the BREVALEX INTERNATIONAL group, chaired by Eric Augarde and currently including 21 partners, who are all Industrial Property Attorneys.

Our teams are made up of experts qualified to advise and represent you with ‘Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle’ (INPI) in France, in the case of patent applications, trademarks, designs and models, the European Patent Office (EPO) in the case of European patent applications, the Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM) in the case of community trademark and design and model applications, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the case of international patent (PCT), trademark (Madrid system) and model (Hague system) applications.

Owing to our technical and legal expertise and our experience, we are capable of covering any technological sector, in particular: micro and nanotechnologies, biotechnologies, cosmetics, aeronautics and space, motor vehicles, electro-technics, energy production, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and, more generally, any innovation involving fundamental sciences and technologies such as physics.

With its many years of experience and an outlook resolutely focusing on the future, the firm’s aim is to offer a quality service in line with its clients’ financial constraints. It provides clients with a high level of reactivity and local advice, with the various technical and legal areas of expertise represented on its four sites. BREVALEX is constantly adding to its staff, with more than 80 employees currently divided between its Paris, Grenoble, Toulouse, and Bordeaux offices.

The diversity of the firm’s client base, made up of internationally renowned research institutes and multinationals as well as small businesses and start-ups, is an indication of its ability to adapt to each business’s specific requirements and provide support at the various stages of their development.

Further, given the remarkably high proportion of BREVALEX’s business obtained outside France, and its international network of foreign associates carefully selected for their expertise, clients will be guaranteed effective protection and defence of their rights worldwide.

At BREVALEX we believe that their clients’ business’ best asset, in an increasingly competitive market, lies in its ability to innovate on an ongoing basis, to protect the results of their innovation effectively and enhance their value actively. With this in mind and for this very reason, the firm will do its utmost to earn clients’ confidence every day.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Post-Grant Patent Practice Group - USA

Brinks Gilson & Lione

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At Brinks Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., we focus exclusively on serving our clients’ needs to create, enforce and protect their intellectual property rights worldwide.

With a wealth of experience in prosecution, counseling, licensing and, litigation, Brinks boasts more than 135 attorneys and IP professionals who provide thoughtful, effective legal strategies and creative insights to help clients realize their business and legal objectives. Many also have undergraduate and advanced degrees in research sciences, in applied sciences, in engineering, in business, and more.

So we’re comfortable with complexity. We understand the effort that goes into creating products and bringing ideas to market. We have a deep bench and the experience to tackle the most important of our clients’ problems. That’s why Brinks is asked by some of the world’s most innovative companies to protect their intellectual asset portfolios—from strategic prosecution to licensing, from efforts to resolve disputes through mediation or arbitration to litigation.

Company: Brinks Gilson & Lione Names: Marc V. Richards and Jon H. Beaupré Emails: mrichards@brinksgilson.com; jbeaupre@brinksgilson.com Web Address: www.brinksgilson.com Address: NBC Tower – Suite 3600 455 North Cityfront Plaza Drive Chicago, IL 60611 USA Telephone: 312.321.4200

The U.S. legal industry has seen significant transition in recent years. The advent of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) created new post-grant proceedings that allow parties to challenge patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), rather than in the traditional venue of federal courts. The statutory mandate to complete these proceedings within twelve months, offers a lower cost alternative to court litigation, and has shifted the venue of many patent battles to the USPTO. Our firm can more than accommodate for changes such as these, as Brinks Gilson & Lione’s Post-Grant Patent Practice group includes over 40 patent attorneys with experience both in the courtroom and at the USPTO. The Brinks team will work with clients to develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated litigation plan designed for success in the courtroom, in the patent and trademark office, and in the marketplace. And this will be done in a cost-effective manner designed to meet the client’s budget and exceed their expectations.

Although inter partes reviews (IPRs) and covered business method patent reviews (CBMs) have only been available for a few years, BGL has jumped to the forefront of this new type of proceeding and has served as lead counsel in many cases before Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”), including some of the first CBMs and some of the first appeals of post-grant PTAB proceedings to the Federal Circuit.

As for the award, we are proud to have been selected Best Post-Grant Patent Practice Group – USA. This is a reflection of the trust our clients have placed in our legal guidance and determined efforts to achieve the best outcomes in the new AIA post-grant patent proceedings.

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LEGAL awards Award for Excellence in Corporate Law - Germany Best E-Sport Law Firm - Germany

Dallhammer & Kellermann

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Dallhammer & Kellermann is a midsized law firm located in the heart of the Rhine-Main and Rhine-Neckar region.

We spoke to them to find out more about their firm as well as the challenges and opportunities facing them in their region.

Company: Dallhammer & Kellermann Name: Dominik Suoniemi Email: suoniemi@IhreAnwaelte.de Web Address: www.IhreAnwaelte.de Address: Wormser StraĂ&#x;e 62, 64625 Bensheim Germany Telephone: +49 (0)6251 84290

Our highly recommended and respected law firm advises mid-sized companies on all fields of commercial and corporate law, occasionally acting as an outsourced legal department. Thanks to the reputation we have built for ourselves, the firm enjoys a robust workflow in commercial litigation, employment law and transport law.

In our region, the international work for foreign companies in Germany has significantly grown and the firm expanded in 2015 by adding two new lawyers to our practice. We are located in the heart of the Rhine-Main and Rhine-Neckar region, which is one of Germany`s strongest regions with global players such as SAP, BASF, Freudenberger, Boehringer and KSB all having their headquarters in this region.

The region is also home of a wide range of midsized German companies as well as branches of foreign companies as Suzuki, John Deer or Roche. The major challenge of the region is to attract well educated employees to this region and maintain its growth. In order to achieve this goal, it helps that the region contains globally recognised university towns such as Heidelberg and Mannheim.

Due to the breadth of the companies and industries that are represented in the region, it is important to offer a diverse range of legal services. For this reason, Dallhammer & Kellermann is driven by a full-service approach and is also active as an external legal department for German and foreign companies. The full-service approach gives way to develop specialties, and one of our specialities is in E-Sport which will give us the opportunity to drive growth in areas such as intellectual property and venture capital.

As a full-service accounting firm, we advise clients in all fields of business law and has resulted in us building a network of tax accountants and midsized law firms around the world. The firm is well-connected and our clients get very good value for their money. For this reason the company is often called by other law firms or tax accountants.

Furthermore, this network has allowed us to broaden our spectrum and expand our company into different areas. The firm positions its younger lawyers in fields of growth and also tries to position them to their traditional clients and working fields. The firm is open minded to new practice fields and grows with its clients.

Despite the growth of the firm, the quality of our services has remained the same. This gives us the opportunity for personnel growth and to further increase our current client base.

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LEGAL awards

Best for Civil Liberties & Human Rights - UK

Dean Manson LLP Solicitors

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Muzaffar Mansoor is a well-known Solicitor Advocate, Founder, Senior Member and Chief Executive of Dean Manson LLP Solicitors.

Company: Dean Manson LLP Solicitors Name: Muzaffar Mansoor Email: info@deanmanson.com Web Address: www.deanmanson.com Address: 243 Mitcham Road, London, SW17 9JQ Telephone: 020 8767 5000

As a human rights activist and lawyer, he has served and benefitted the communities since 1996. Since 2006 Dean Manson Solicitors have been able to help over 5400 human beings pro bono free of costs.

He has successfully advocated 100s of immigration, deportation, removal, asylum and human rights cases.

He is a philanthropist and fundraiser who facilitates charitable causes and educational development. He has been contributing as an approved local authority governor of education since 2007. The Law society of England and Wales has recognised his pro bono social responsibility services for an Excellence Award in 2008.

His services to humanity in West Africa are phenomenal. In 1990 he opened a chain of science and technology based educational institutions - nursery to post-secondary schools, “Kano Model Schools” in Nigeria benefitted 1000s of students who have excelled in many fields such as Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Education, Economy, Accountancy, Law, Aviation and other professions in Nigeria and Diaspora.

He has encouraged and motivated the less privileged students with educational scholarships at all levels of each year. His services in Nigeria have contributed immensely to the social and economic development of agriculture and wheat production. He believes that education constitutes the core of human development and is also a veritable tool for transformation and sustenance of qualitative life. He is much focused, respectful, composed, charismatic and receptive. He sets some clearly defined goals and provides a clear vision and guidance for achieving these desired goals.

The school is nurtured in his able guidance. Today, the school enjoys a wonderful reputation and commands a great deal of respect in educational circles of Nigeria and Africa especially in Science, Agriculture and Technology projects.

Mr. Mansoor’s contribution and achievements to the development of humanity are varied and of far-reaching impact to the present and future of Nigeria.

He has been advocating immigration, asylum and human rights cases in the tribunals of England and Wales since 1996 during his pre-qualification training period. One of his cases before IAT was reported in the Immigration Law Digest, January 2000 on page 34. He is a Solicitor Advocate with a Higher Courts Civil Advocacy qualification since 05.10.2013. He is a recognised expert in asylum and human rights Pakistan cases.

Mr Mansoor has had conduct of various other matters including benefit fraud, parking, family law, child abduction and contact, nullity, divorce, domestic violence, land and tenant matters, evictions and possessions, setting aside orders, personal injury, libel and defamation, assessment of costs and road traffic offenses including insurance and driving and sale of knives to under 18, in the Tribunals, County Courts, Magistrate Courts, Senior Courts Costs Office, Family Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

He has made a successful out of office hours’ emergency application before the Duty High Court Judge in order to make the child ward of court prevent his removal to another jurisdiction and bring the client back to the UK and avail her contact with the child.

After three hearings, the child was returned to the care of her mother by order of the court. The whole work for over £25000 was done on pro bono. It was a unique case in the history of the Home Office for non EEA family members and a new precedent was set to allow the client to return to the UK. The Liberian community is proud of Mr Mansoor for his role in taking timely initiative in bringing back the dignity and restoring the human rights of the Liberian people so that they can once again take their rightful place among the comity of nations as an Ebola free country. The World Health Organization has declared Liberia an Ebola free nation since 3rd May, 2015 if no new cases are reported. He has been extending his voluntary services as a legal adviser to ULOUK - Union of Liberian Organisations in the UK since 2008. He is somebody you can rely on. He is honest trustworthy, humble, highly skilful, competent and really deserves to be recognised.

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LEGAL awards Best E-Commerce Law Firm - UK

Decisis Ltd.

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Decisis is a consultancy providing specialist advice and services in Intellectual Property (IP) law and related legal areas, particularly focusing on registered and unregistered trademarks or brands, copyright and designs, confidentiality agreements, the transfer and acquisition of IP rights, Internet and e-commerce issues, the commercial exploitation of IP Rights and IT, particularly IT transactional work.

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LEGAL awards Company: Decisis Limited Name: Michael Bilewycz Web Address: www.decisis-law.co.uk Email: iplaw@decisis.co.uk Address: 5 St John’s Lane, London EC1M 4BH Telephone: +44(0)20 7250 4732

Decisis was founded in 2007 by Michael Bilewycz, who was previously Managing Director of the Omnicom boutique IP firm, Markforce Associates, until its sale in 2007. Types of clients now include law firms/legal services businesses (both within the UK and internationally), global marketing businesses, management/ training consultancies, food businesses, branding/design consultancies, IT businesses, investment/financial brokerages, beverage businesses, telecommunications businesses, media, entertainment and TV production businesses, as well as the automotive and horological industries.

At present the London legal market is very much a market in constant flux. Trainee opportunities are fewer than they were, as are the number of partner-level positions and opportunities. My perception of the London legal market is that the growth of small independent specialist law firms is its most striking feature. They are flexible, provide a high standard of expertise and specialisation, and manage their costs very effectively.

Simultaneously, medium-sized firms without a strong specialism are finding themselves under ever increasing pressure. The challenges are multifarious, including an ever-changing regulatory environment (and the changes that brings), greater competition, ever increasingly expensive overheads and professional indemnity insurance, and more demanding clients. These challenges seem to affect medium-sized law firms more adversely than the rest of the legal sector. This has led to increased outsourcing of some key functions.

In order to become truly successful as a company a great deal depends on the types of clients involved.

Business owners in SMEs and their senior personnel want someone to speak to and correspond with, and who will handle personally or at least be intimately aware of their particular issues, whilst applying a high level of expertise. At the same time, those types of clients will appreciate an understanding of their business issues and where possible, the provision of a business-workable solution.

In terms of the firm’s approach the client’s business should come first. The aim is to provide commercial and business insight as well as significant cost benefits to the client. Decisis places an emphasis on flexibility and the benefits of providing a personal, bespoke and expert service to its clients and to deliver, wherever possible, solutions to those clients’ issues. Results should be reflected in the achievement of the clients’ business objectives and the adding of value to their businesses.

The majority of our work concentrates on helping clients to establish their rights and putting their brands, their business models and innovation on sound legal foundations. Intellectual property is becoming increasingly important in today’s business environment, particularly given the ever-growing digital/online environment. I learned of its importance during my experience as an in-house lawyer with a major FMCG multinational. The digital environment then was not as prevalent as it is now.

To remain on the cutting edge of new developments it is important to stay in touch with people from all types of business sectors (not just legal services), and to remember that we are always on a learning curve.

The technology solutions for “keeping track of our client’s IP needs” are out there and we use them all.

However, relying just on technology to keep track on a client’s IP needs is a mistake. Human interaction must play a key role.

To benchmark the business we try to apply solutions that other businesses (including non-legal) find useful. At the same time we do not seek to imitate other legal practices whose circumstances may well be very different.

I really do not pay much attention to what my competitors are doing unless they are being completely radical.

As for measuring success, we ask the questions “Have we achieved the desired result for our client?” or “Have we provided a solution to our client’s needs?”

We differentiate ourselves from our competitors through branding, being flexible, commitment, and my personal approach to clients and their needs.

We are currently developing a new website, and I am looking forward to working on this project. The aim is to clarify our marketing message to our clients, and prospective new clients, as well as associates both in the UK and internationally. The intention is to combine the latest technology and communications methods with human interaction wherever possible. Without human interaction, advanced technology and the use of digital social media will fail. After all, technology and all technology related methods should be servants or tools, not the be all and end all.

As we head into 2016, technology, the Internet and social media will present both a challenge and an opportunity. They are critical to conducting business. Against this background it is clear that Intellectual Property rights should be the main business assets category of the 21st-century. Branding and innovation are represented in Intellectual Property rights. If you strip out from businesses depreciating assets (e.g. equipment, leases), cash (always fluid), and (where appropriate) stock which is worth nothing until it is sold, you are left with intangible assets, with innovation and branding at their core.

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LEGAL awards Best in Immigration Law - Ireland

~ Donnery & Co solicitors are an established experienced and client focused law firm specialising in providing services for international clients. We speak to Elizaveta Donnery about the firm’s work and how her experience is vital to their success.

Donnery & Co solicitors in an Irish law firm established by Elizaveta Donnery a Russian speaking solicitor who is qualified and practicing in Ireland, also qualified in Russia and admitted on roll of solicitors in England and Wales. Prior to setting up in practice she worked as a solicitor in largest Irish corporate law firm. She is a Council member of Irish Russian Business association and holder of Law Society Diploma in Finance Law. Elizaveta Donnery is the only solicitor in Ireland with this type of qualifications and experience, she writes a weekly legal column in newspaper and has appeared on RTE radio and Dublin City FM. I provide a range of legal services in various areas of law, such as immigration, commercial, property, contract, employment, family and litigation. My clients are both private individuals and large foreign investors who are interested in various immigrant programmes in Ireland. I have been prominent in providing legal advice to foreign clients and investors from Russia, China etc which subsequently have benefited the Irish economy.

Applying my previous corporate legal experience and knowledge of general practice areas and immigration law on a daily basis when dealing with my clients is key to ensuring their satisfaction.

Name: Elizaveta Donnery Address: Donnery & Co solicitors 57 Clontarf Road, Dublin 3, Ireland Email: info@dtsolicitors.ie; elizavetadonnery@hotmail.com Website: www.dtsolicitors.ie Phone: +353 1 853 7301

In my opinion the key to a successful practice is to be able to develop an individual approach to each client and their needs. This is now especially prevalent with the legal sector and society in general facing massive challenges in immigration law and human rights issues.

One of my biggest achievements in 2015 included representing a client in a very unique High Court action.

In this case the person who was over 70 years old and lived in Russia for the majority of his life was seeking to have his birth registered in Ireland. After years of preparation we achieved a positive result and High Court decision had been made in our client’s favour.

My strategy and goal is to work on developing further economic activity and business relationships between Ireland, UK, Russia and other countries. I aim to continue providing high quality legal advice to all clients who are interested in investing either funds or highly skilled workers into the Irish economy. I also aim to continue working with the Irish Russia Business Association (IRBA), Enterprise Ireland, Embassies and other organisations order to achieve my goal.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best In House Council Service - USA

Douglas Hedstrom Cossey, P.A.

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Douglas Hedstrom Cossey, P.A. know that their law firm, that every time they represent a client, they have the opportunity to make a difference. The desire to make a difference drives their lawyers and staff to provide the highest levels of legal representation and client service. Whether you have an estate planning matter, a business law matter, or a real estate, family, criminal defense or other type of case, the firm are always focused on doing what is right for you.

Company: Douglas Hedstrom Cossey, P.A. Name: Joshua Cossey Email: jcossey@sentinelfirm.com Web Address: www.dhclawyers.com Address: 601 St. Johns Ave., Palatka, FL 32177 Telephone: 001 800 369 6657

Giving their clients the time they need At Douglas, Hedstrom, Cossey, P.A., they are focused on quality, not quantity. They are not looking to handle as many cases as they possibly can; rather, they are focused on giving each case the time and attention necessary to achieve success.

They will carefully explain the steps in your case, the range of possible outcomes and what they can do to achieve your goals. Their attorneys are flexible and accessible and can meet with you in your home or at your business if that is more convenient for you. You will work directly with our lawyers and can count on receiving personal attention each step of the way.

They are fully invested in their community Many of their lawyers have returned to Palatka after working at law firms in larger cities. They know what Northeast Florida has to offer and are dedicated to helping Palatka flourish. They devote their time to many worthy organizations, including Haven Hospice, Relay for Life, Putnam First Cancer Fund, The ARC, Kiwanis of the Azalea City and the Boy Scouts of America. Their commitment to their community is matched only by their commitment to their clients.

Finally, their lawyers have the resources and experience to meet all of your legal needs. Their attorneys take on a variety of matters, including: • Business And Corporate Law; • Real Estate; • Trusts, Estates And Probate; • Education & Administrative Law; • Agricultural And Environmental Law; • Maritime and Admiralty; • Employment Law; • Immigration; • Securities Law and Investment Fraud; • Family Law; • Criminal Defense; • Personal Injury; • Bankruptcy & Foreclosure; • Government Affairs; • Hospitality Law; • IT & Software Law; • Veteran Appeals.

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LEGAL awards Best City Boutique - UK

Edmonds Marshall McMahon

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Edmonds Marshall McMahon is a private prosecution law firm specialising solely in private prosecutions, the only one of its kind in the UK. Tamlyn Edmonds talks us through the firms work and how they have become a market leader.

Company: Edmonds Marshall McMahon Tel: +44 (0)20 7583 8392 Email: enquiries@emmlegal.com

Established in 2012 Edmonds Marshall McMahon was and still is the only law firm to specialise solely in private prosecutions and is the market leader in this area. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors as all three partners in EMM are experienced prosecutors, each having extensive experience prosecuting for most government departments. We therefore have a vast array of expertise in prosecuting complex, serious fraud and are able to advise on all aspects of the prosecution process without having to revert to counsel or law enforcement for assistance. In addition we also have our own in-house advocacy team consisting of experienced barristers and solicitors.

EMM prides itself on being a boutique firm with one specialist area; this enables clients to receive focused advice in a timely and efficient way. We are very different from our competitors in that we are often instructed by other firms to work alongside them where civil proceedings are afoot or contemplated.

Our work is varied and so is our client base, being a mixture of corporate clients, charities, NGO’s and individuals.

Our firm is a market leader in this area. The establishment of our firm and the genesis of this area of law has benefited clients hugely, as previously no other such firm existed that specialized solely in private prosecution.

State criminal investigations and prosecution agencies have come under incredible resourcing pressures over the last few years, resulting in a reduction in the investigation and prosecution of financial crime.

We therefore look to fill this gap by helping victims of fraud who feel that not only have they been cheated by a fraudster, but that the system has let them down too. In times where public resources are so meagre and justice is so difficult to obtain, we offer clients another avenue which is often far more focused and quicker than state prosecutions.

We have also adapted to the sudden increase in demand for preparing submissions to the CPS on behalf of clients under the Victims Right to Review scheme, caused in part by a decrease in the number of specialist fraud prosecutors and lack of public sector appetite to pursue difficult cases.

Additionally we have built up expertise in preparing and presenting complex fraud cases for submission to the police to ensure cases are accepted and investigated where they may have otherwise been rejected. It is through our work in these neglected practice areas that we have established ourselves as market leaders.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best for Legal Technology Solutions - USA

Elijah Ltd.

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Founded in 2003, Elijah is an industry leader in providing electronic discovery, computer forensic and data security solutions. Among other recognitions, Elijah was named as the Best Overall E-Discovery Company by the Daily Business Review’s “Best of 2015” survey and as one of the 20 Most Promising Legal Technology Solution Providers by CIO Review in December 2014.

Name: Andy Reisman, CEO, Elijah Telephone: 866 354 5240 Web: http://www.elijaht.com

Elijah offers flexible eDiscovery managed services solutions to companies and firms of all sizes, leveraging its proprietary eDiscovery Integrator project management software. With joint headquarters in Chicago and Miami and additional offices in California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan and Texas, Elijah is called upon by many of the largest law firms and Fortune 500 companies to meet their computer forensic, eDiscovery and data security needs.

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LEGAL awards Best Employment Law Advisory Firm – UK

EmployEasily Legal Services Ltd

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EmployEasily Legal Services is a Glasgow based legal services provider specialising in all areas of employment law and HR. We invited Gary Sutherland to share his insight into how the firm has become so successful and to what they attributed this accomplishment.

Company: EmployEasily Legal Services Ltd Phone: 0800 612 4772 Address: Baltic Chambers, 50 Wellington Street, Suite 544-545, Glasgow, G2 6HJ Website: www.employeasily.co.uk

Established in 2008, EmployEasily Legal Services supports a range of clients from across the UK, from the north of Scotland through to London, where we have recently set up an office. We support clients in a wide variety of ways, from drawing up contracts of employment to offering advice on day-to-day employment issues, and even representing clients at employment tribunals.

Offering this broad spectrum of services means we have a variety of competitors, from solicitors’ offices to HR providers, but what sets us apart is our wide ranging expertise, and understanding of how to balance compliance with UK employment law with the practicalities of successful people management in an operational environment where organisation objectives need to be delivered. Staff at our firm have backgrounds in business, HR and law, and leverage this expertise to provide advice and support based on the preferred outcomes sought by our clients, to ensure we help them manage issues promptly and effectively, so they can focus on running their business.

All of our employment law practitioners are members of the IoP (Institute of Paralegals) and on the Professional Paralegal Register, giving clients confidence and peace of mind knowing they are being advised by specialists who are authorised to undertake legal work, who are recognised as experts in their field and who work to the highest standard of service. Through these professional bodies and other corporate memberships, the team at EmployEasily Legal Services has access to all of the latest changes to employment law, tribunal and court rulings, new case law, and the latest in best practice which ensures the service we provide our clients is always fully relevant.

It is this dedication to providing a quality service that has helped to ensure that we work with many of our clients on a long term basis. Although we do engage in one off projects and occasionally receive repeat requests for our services from these clients, our core client base is firms with whom we have worked with over a period of years, supporting them in all aspects of their employment law and HR requirements, providing advice and support whenever required.

Looking to the future we are keen to expand as a business. We have grown considerably year on year and are keen to continue to do so into 2016 and beyond as we look to expand further in SE England from our London base.

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LEGAL awards Best Litigation Firm - Channel Islands

~ FranckelLaw, established in October 2008, is a specialist litigation and dispute resolution firm which draws upon the expertise and experience of Advocate Simon Franckel, to provide quality legal services. Simon Franckel comments on what this business award, Best Litigation Firm - Channel Islands, means for the firm and how it was achieved.

Company Name: FranckelLaw Name: Simon Franckel Email: Simon.Franckel@franckellawjersey.com Web Address: www.franckellawjersey.com Address: FranckelLaw Jersey, PO Box 128, St Andrews Studios, 3 St Andrews Place, St Helier, Jersey JE4 9QW Telephone: 01534 871212

“I am delighted with the recognition the efforts of the firm have been given. Receiving this business award means a great deal to a small firm such as FranckelLaw, which does not have the full weight of a marketing department nor a significant marketing budget, to make sure that the industry knows of our existence and the services we have to offer” Franckel explains.

“In my view, the award for Best Litigation Firm – Channel Islands reflects a recognition of the level of experience and expertise which we offer our clients in litigation and dispute resolution matters, across a number of disciplines including our core experience in trusts and fiduciary law but also encompassing professional negligence claims, insolvency and Compliance” Franckel underlines.

Whilst FranckelLaw represent clients in relation to a wide range of disputes, they specialize in advice and assistance in relation to trust disputes, as reflected in this business award for the Best Litigation Firm in the Channel Islands.Their clients are trustees, HNWI and Protectors. “Whilst there can be advantages to a larger firm, we firmly believe that in the area of client service we have a real competitive edge. It is our philosophy that the firm’s clients are entitled to high service levels from a fee-earner with whom they are familiar” Franckel explains.

Challenges in the industry and the future “As the trust and financial services industry is constantly changing and evolving to address new challenges, I believe we benefit from Jersey being a small jurisdiction” Franckel reveals. “The Jersey Legal Information Board reports on all judgments of any significance. The Royal Court is very busy at the moment. The result is an efficient, regular source of significant trust-related decisions, often of relevance beyond this jurisdiction. We also retain good connections with other firms and professional advisers in other jurisdictions, all in the effort to remain at the forefront of emerging developments and trends, ensuring that our services are always ahead of the competition” he goes on to explain.

“As we look to the future we are certain that FranckelLaw will continue to grow; since we were established, the emphasis has been on steady growth whilst ensuring that we are capable of maintaining the level of service which our clients have come to expect from us” Franckel concludes.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Labour Law Firm - Italy

~ Giglio & Scofferi, based in the heart of Milan, Italy, close to the Leonardo’s Last Supper in Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, is a business law firm focused on the labour law assistance for its clients. Vincenzo Fabrizio Giglio, Partner, talked to us about the current newsworthy Italian trend.

In the last few years, Italy has refreshed its labour laws, following two main tracks: simplifying the laws and adopting new solutions which take into account a more valued point of view of the employer. As these laws have been revamped several important goals have been reached.

On the first hand, the recent laws known as the ‘Jobs Act’ innovates matters regulated by laws dating back to the 70’s such as the Social Safety Nets; and has reduced dozens of laws to a smaller number. Many innovations have been introduced which match the business needs in the management of the labour relationships, even amending big issues that employers used to face.

The new rules move from a double start line and pursue a greater efficiency and system-costs-reduction of the management of employment issues. For instance, in the case of judicial litigation for individual dismissals or collective redundancy, the risks arising from the length of the trial is not entirely supported by the employer but is capped to a predictable range, except in cases of discrimination and other serious faults which are avoidable with due professional support.

Company: Giglio & Scofferi Studio Legale del Lavoro Email: info@giglioscofferi.it Web: www.giglioscofferi.it Address: Via Boccaccio, 14 20123 Milano (MI) Telephone: +39 02 4953 0760

Furthermore, the new rules for employment contracts have made them more risk-free. It is now possible to sign a fixed term contract without any mention of specific reasons which were necessary up to last year and originated thousands of law-suits. Also, it allowed the signing of the new ‘Increasing Protections Contract’ by which the severance pay is not the maximum from the first day of employment but starts after a monthly salary indemnity for new employees which increases over the years of service.

There are many interesting opportunities in the labour law market for entrepreneurs who wish to set their business in Italy and, of course, a professional support is a crucial key to grab these opportunities.

This is our vision: we look at ourselves as a business partner of our clients, sharing their problems and tailoring the best suitable solutions available at the moment.

I always think that the best law-suit is the one you can prevent and the best effort to prevent a litigation, or win it, finds its place more in signing a good contract than in filing a good law-suit to enforce (or resist) a bad contract.

Our law firm is a fellow traveller for our clients assisting them in day by day issues as well as in big operations and litigations.

We represent both big and small companies operating in Italy, based in our country or abroad, and working in several sectors. Heeding our clients’ needs is revealed in the building of our fees which may be tailored by focusing on their predictability or flexibility.

A long lasting use of technology and a careful organization allows us efficiency in our processes and of a deep control of the quality, requirements that are essential in our work. When litigation is necessary, we are ready to face it, even profiting from time and costs saving opportunities provided by the Internet Civil Trial tools available in Italy.

We have been operating in the labour law assistance for nearly 15 years and cover all HR management needs, from drafting staff or high profile executives’ contracts, as well as special individual covenants and companies’ policies, etc.; we also assist companies in operations, like restructuring or transfers of undertakings, drafting and so on.

We are very glad to have received this award as an acknowledgment of the work we have done to support our clients in the area of labour law in Italy and we take it a as call to focus closer and closer on our clients’ needs in these days of new opportunities in our country.

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LEGAL awards Best for Cyber Crime - UK

Matthew Richardson

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Henderson Chambers is one of the leading sets of barristers’ chambers in the country. Led by Head of Chambers Charles Gibson QC, they are based at 2 Harcourt Buildings, in the Temple, in the heart of legal London, and are home to 49 barristers, including 11 Queen’s Counsel.

Company: Henderson Chambers Name: Matthew Richardson Email: MRichardson@hendersonchambers.co.uk Web Address: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk Address: 2 Harcourt Buildings, Temple, London, EC4Y 9DB United Kingdom Telephone: 020 7583 9020

Since their foundation in 1954, they have developed a solid reputation for excellence in both advocacy and advisory work. This reputation is reflected in their recognition by Chambers UK and Legal 500 as leaders in all the main areas of their practice.

According to Chambers UK, they are “large enough to offer a versatile and wide-ranging service, but not so large as to be impersonal”. Their clients say that they are “excellent in delivering clear, concise advice” (Legal 500).

Henderson Chambers are proud of the quality of the service that they provide. They strive to be approachable, user friendly and enthusiastic team-players. They are particularly commended for the quality of their client service by the legal directories Chambers UK and The Legal 500.

Their clients are broad ranging and include solicitors in private practice, in-house lawyers and direct access clients. Their work spans many different market sectors.

The achievements of many of their former members have been recognised by judicial appointment – including Lord Justice Gage, Mr Justice Davies, Mr Justice Owen and many circuit judges. Many of their current members serve in the part-time judiciary including in Employment Tribunals, medical disciplinary bodies and in the Land Registry.

They regularly work with lawyers in other jurisdictions and some of their door tenants practise in law firms overseas: • Clive Stanbrook OBE QC & Phillip Bentley QC at McDermott Will & Emery/Stanbrook LLP in Brussels; • Conrad Griffiths QC at Griffiths & Partners in the Turks & Caicos Islands; • Jeremy Scudamore at Scudamore Law in Madrid; • Frank Schoneveld in Madrid and; • Natasha Newell at Mourant Ozannes in Guernsey.

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LEGAL awards Best ADR Law Association - China Most Trusted ADR Advisors - China

Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre

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Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre (HKMAAC) is a professional association in Asia Pacific region established in the year of 2009 by a group of professionals after the civil justice reform in Hong Kong. All of its members come from different jurisdictions with various professional backgrounds: solicitors, barristers, former prosecutors, regulators, government officers, accountants, university lecturers, medical doctors, nurses, bankers, senior management executives, engineers, surveyors, social workers, counselors, psychologists and teachers etc.

Ever since its establishment, HKMAAC aims to promote mediation, arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution services through both efficient and cost effective ways. It is now one of the leading and most reputable Alternative Dispute Resolution Centres in the Asia Pacific region which has been dedicated to serve the development needs of Asia Pacific as a mediation and arbitration centre.

To enhance the public awareness on mediation and Alternative Disputes Resolution, HKMAAC has been providing Pro Bono mediation and legal consultation services to different organizations, NGOs and the general public. To demonstrate its dedication and commitment in educating the young future leaders, it has established scholarships (Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre Scholarship) and (Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre Professional Award Scheme) with 9 universities. In year 2013, HKMAAC organized the first Joint University Mediation Competition and had provided full sponsorship for the champion to receive further education at Harvard University.

Mr. Albert So is the Chairman of Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre and the practicing solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong.

Organization: Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre Name: Albert So Email: mediation@hkmaac.org Web Address: www.hkmaac.org Address: Level 12, Infinitus Plaza, 199 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3796 3366

Mr. So has over 10 years of professional experience in both Hong Kong and England legal industries. Starting from 2003, he held the in-house legal position as the Team Head of Legal and Compliance section at an international banking group, responsible for handling its various legal, compliance and litigation issues.

Later on, Mr. So had also been working at London and China, where he was responsible for global legal and regulatory matters. Upon the global financial crisis and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, he had been one of the senior investigation team members of Hong Kong Monetary Authority, responsible for conducting investigations on banks’ suspicious fund movements, Know-Your-Client procedures, handling prosecutions and disciplinary-related professional proceedings.

Throughout his professional time at regulatory authority, he had personally handled over 1,000 financial disputes and the relevant litigations.

Recently, Mr. So had also been working as a consultant for one of the largest global investment banks, in-charging of the global legal/compliance team and being responsible for different regulatory legal projects across 12 jurisdictions (including Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, PRC, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong) in the Asia Pacific region.

Save for professional activities, Mr. So has also devoted his time on legal and ADR education. He has been the Programme Leader of City University of Hong Kong (SCOPE), part-time lecturer/instructor of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, YMCA, the Open University of Hong Kong (LiPace), former lecturer of mediation at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (MBAAA), external trainer and speaker of different governmental departments (including Hong Kong Police College, Hospital Authority, Department of Health, Inland Revenue Department, Correctional Services Department, Labour Department, Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data etc.) and the Honorary Advisor of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Outstanding Students’ Union. To recognize his outstanding professional services at the community, Mr. So has received Gold Awards for his Pro Bono services from Social Welfare Department in both 2014 and 2015.

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LEGAL awards Best Local Conveyancers - Derby

John M Lewis & Co Ltd.

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With over 25 years’ experience in property law, conveyancing, will writing and probate cases and based in Derby, John M Lewis & Co, deal with clients from all over the Midlands, and have built a reputation of being honest, reliable and extremely efficient. Julie Rock, Practice Manager, was forthcoming with her thoughts on how their work has risen above their peers and what has lead to their success.

We are the only Licensed Conveyancing Firm within Derby and one of the East Midlands leading Conveyancing firms, providing specialist advice to, property developers, landlords and the general public throughout Derbyshire and its surrounding areas since 1989. We have worked hard to establish our reputation with our new and existing clients. Our in depth knowledge and strongly built relationships means that we are able to liaise seamlessly, providing clients with the best service possible.

Our company offers access to live matters and their progress online, via our secure log-in panel on our website. We keep clients updated via text messages or emails, specifying important developments with updates as they occur during the transaction; this means that clients are kept up to date with their matters wherever they are in the world. Whether our clients are first time buyers or experienced property developers, our dedicated teams provide a professional, efficient and friendly service, keeping clients informed every step of the way.

Company: John M Lewis & Co Ltd Address: 92 St Peters Street Derby, DE1 1SR Pictured are Lisa Wills and Liz Knott, Directors of John M Lewis & Co Ltd.

The vast majority of our clients are repeat clients, or recommended by existing clients, and we regularly achieve 5 star ratings from them which is a benchmark standard for which we work hard to maintain. We are also able to offer a wide range of professional services including: property law, conveyancing, probate and will writing as well. We are very proud to have achieved the Legal Eye Quality Standard which sets us apart in the conveyancing field.

Our company is active in the local business sector working with the local BID (business improvement district) teams to get involved in new development opportunities but also to improve the environment around us. With this in mind, our lawyers and support staff receive very similar training and we receive regular updates by subscribing to legal websites and the latest literature available to us.

We are very ambitious in our future plans and we are looking to double the business, diversify into commercial conveyancing and become the East Midlands leading conveyancing firm in the next five years. Our plans have already started and we are currently recruiting more staff to achieve this aim.

Cyber-crime is our biggest issue at this time which we are constantly alert for. This issue is something that is affecting the industry on a whole and will continue to build through 2016 and beyond.

We are extremely proud to have won the AI award for Best Local Conveyancer Derby 2015.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best for Foreign Patent Prosecution - Washington DC

Jordan IP Law LLC

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Jordan IP Law LLC is an Intellectual Property law firm that specializes in patenting all types of technical innovations.

Company: Jordan IP Law, LLC Web Address: www.jordaniplaw.com Address: 1701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 Telephone: 202.683.9317

The legal industry is currently in a state of transition from a handful of large firms with considerable overhead and relatively high billing rates to a greater number of smaller, efficient firms that are able to offer “Big Firm� work product at much more competitive rates.

As such, firms must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and have a strong understanding that changing facts may necessitate a corresponding change in plans, which can ultimately mean the difference between success or setback.

With these facts in mind, Jordan IP Law LLC dedicates itself to being flexible and adaptable whilst at the same time putting an emphasis on generating quality work product and providing sound advice to their clients. The firm draws on their decades of experience to ensure their advice is tailored to the individual needs of their clients.

In order to stay ahead in such a fast paced and vibrant industry, the firm is always looking for ways to eliminate waste and inefficiencies, improve internal processes and enhance their knowledge base. Additionally, their attorneys frequently speak on evolving topics in the IP field and have published numerous pieces dealing with cutting edge issues.

Jordan IP Law also frequently uses benchmarks to check on their progress by closely monitoring work product turnaround time as well as success rates in ultimately achieving patents for their clients.

Moving forward, the firm has a number of exciting plans as it looks ahead to 2016. The firm recently began handling work for a major multi-national electronics company and they are excited about the challenges presented by this opportunity.

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STUTTGART Baden-W端rttemberg

LEGAL awards Civil Law Firm of the Year - Germany

JordanRechtsanwalts GmbH

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards JordanRechtsanwalts GmbH are a boutique legal firm offering a range of corporate legal services. Helmuth Jordan provides us with a unique insight into the firm and the role it plays in the German legal market.

Company: JordanRechtsanwalts GmbH Address: Kerner Straße 28 · DE-70182 Stuttgart Email: info@jordan-ra.com Phone: + 49 (0) 711/25 54 04 60 Fax: + 49 (0) 711/25 54 04 70

JordanRechtsanwalts GmbH operate in Stuttgart, Southern Germany. There is a real difference between the North and South of Germany, and as such legal firms such as ours tend to be smaller.

As such we are a boutique law firm, operating just four lawyers, however within our region this about average.

Our small size means that we are able to focus on providing a quality service to our clients, who are usually mid-sized manufacturing firms. We specialise in corporate law, including overseas expansion and M&A transactions.

As a firm we focus on building a strong relationship with our clients, some of whom we have worked with for as long as twenty years.

Within the German legal market there have been a number of changes over recent years, which have provided firms such as ours with challenges, particularly the new laws regarding online trials. This approach has been highly successful in our neighbouring country Austria, but in Germany around 50% of lawyers are against it, which is why the Government has staggered the implementation of these laws, with online trials due to become a full offering after 2020.

Additionally the legal market in Germany has grown at an alarming rate over recent years, providing us with more competitors. Over a 45 year period the legal industry in Germany has increased by 500%, which has made ours a crowded and competitive market in which quality is vital to ensuring clients work with the practice again and refer it to new clients.

One of our specialisms is overseas expansions, which also brings with it additional challenges as we work across global markets. It is vital when advising firms overseas to ensure that the terms and conditions are adjusted and that there are no conflicting aspects to contracts.

Our approach is cautious and we try to examine contracts and identify issues so that no legal problems occur later, as this is easier and more convenient for everyone involved. We are also keen on settling issues out of court, as we believe the courts should only be turned to in an extreme situation.

Therefore we try to offer arbitration in many of our cases, as it is quicker and less expensive. Arbitration may be advantageous for another reason: For example, if you win a Court case in the State Courts either in Germany or Russia, you are not permitted to execute this judgement both in Germany and Russia. There are no such obstacles with an Arbitration Court Judgement, based on the New York Arbitration Convention.

This dedication to finding quick, out of court solutions is popular with our clients as trials, particularly overseas, can be very costly and time consuming. We always serve our clients diligently and are well mannered in everything we do, as this is an important aspect of our work. In return we always prefer to look for clients acting the same way.

Also, because we often work with our clients long term it is important that we develop a strong relationship.

Many of our clients have been working with us for decades. This highlights our talents as solicitors and our dedication to providing strong client service.

Looking to the future I am keen to spread the idea that arbitration is a good alternative to traditional legal proceedings. Additionally, as we become increasingly reliant on technology, internet security is of vital importance. We will continue to develop our software to ensure that our client records are secure, and advising our clients to do the same.

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LEGAL awards Best for Road Transportation Law – UK

Julian Hunt

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Julian Hunt is a barrister who specialises in transportation and road traffic law alongside other civil work. With a proven track record of over ten years’ experience, Julian is well placed to advise both individuals and companies in respect of traffic and transportation issues.

Name: Julian Hunt Email: info@julianrhunt.co.uk Address: 21 Ellis Street, London, SW1X9AL Web: www.julianrhunt.co.uk Telephone: 02074988781 Fax: 02074988781

Along with corporate clients, Julian regularly advises professionals who may find themselves falling foul of regulatory and transportation issues. As well as this award, Julian is a former winner of the Acquisition International UK Motoring Barrister of the Year Award and travels extensively defending, in particular, motorists in the courts.

Julian is a keen proponent of direct public access whereby members of the public and corporations can now come straight to a barrister for advice as opposed to the traditional route of going to a solicitor. He has advised individuals and companies in this form and encourages you to come straight to him should you have a regulatory, criminal or transportation issue. Working with Legal 500 firms and other trusted solicitors Julian is a position to manage and handle disputes that come this way should he require the assistance of a solicitor.

Highlights for Julian over the past year have included acting as junior counsel in a five million pound fraud against a bank defending one of three men accused of mortgage fraud and his continued successful representation of motorists accused of road traffic offences. His website lists his recent cases and results along with articles and other media appearances. Julian makes regular appearances on the BBC to discuss transportation and traffic law.

Julian aims to work on a fixed fee level so as to keep costs at a competitive rate when dealing with members of the public. Indeed, one of the added attractions of instructing him directly as a barrister is the serious cost savings you can make as his structure is very often better value than similar legal service arrangements.

As for the award, Julian is delighted to have won this 2015 award from Acquisition International. He says: “I am extremely happy to have received this award. This is testament to the growing impact my Chambers is having in the ever liberalising legal market along with affirming my approach to the pragmatic and cost effective legal advice you will receive from me directly”.

Feel free to contact Julian for a brief conversation or visit him by appointment at his Chambers in Sloane Square in central London. Julian travels both nationally and internationally to visit and assist clients.

Julian’s most important case is always his next case.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Trademark, Copyright and Design Practice Group - New York

Kenyon & Kenyon

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Kenyon & Kenyon LLP is a law firm specializing in intellectual property law. The firm outline their services and how they support their clients.

Company: Kenyon & Kenyon Website: www.kenyon.com Email: mediainquiries@kenyon.com

At Kenyon & Kenyon, we partner with our clients to provide the full range of intellectual property services. We represent clients in a broad range of industries and technologies, including automotive, chemicals, computer hardware and software, financial services, food and beverage, interactive entertainment, life sciences, mechanical, media and sports, pharmaceuticals, retail, universities and research institutions, and venture capital.

From our offices in New York, Washington and Silicon Valley, we serve clients in a cost-effective and efficient manner across the globe in such areas as federal court litigations; U.S. Patent Office post grant proceedings; trademark oppositions and cancellations; International Trade Commission proceedings; patent prosecution, counselling and portfolio management; trademark prosecution, counselling and portfolio management; trademark clearance; copyright counselling and licensing; trade secrets and unfair competition; brand and technology licensing and development agreements; and social media counselling.

Our IP practice has received widespread recognition, having been named a Top IP Firm by such publications as Chambers USA, Legal 500, IAM 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, Managing Intellectual Property and World Trademark Review.

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LEGAL awards Best Class Action Law Firm - Canada

Klein Lawyers LLP

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Class action litigation is a highly specialised and extremely diverse field of law in Canada and Klein Lawyers is recognised as one of the country’s leading class action firms. Having served as plaintiffs’ counsel in the first class actions certified in several provinces, including British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, Klein Lawyers has both the experience and resources to tackle even the largest corporations and are a respected national leader in advancing the rights of victims of corporate wrong doing.

Company: Klein Lawyers Web: http://www.callkleinlawyers.com/ Address: 1385 West 8th Avenue #400 Vancouver, BC V6H 3V9 Telephone: (604) 874 7171

David Klein, founder and managing partner of Klein Lawyers, is a pioneer in Canadian class action litigation and is recognised as one of Canada’s leading litigators by Best Lawyers in Canada, Benchmark Canada and Lexpert Canada. A past president of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, he has represented plaintiffs in class actions law suits in provinces across Canada. David and his team of lawyers have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for thousands of victims in a wide range of landmark cases.

Alongside this expertise, Mr. Klein is a prolific writer and speaker on legal issues, and has provided over 100 papers and presentations to various organisations, universities and trial lawyers associations across North America. Furthermore, Mr. Klein is frequently sought out by the media to comment on current legal issues in Canada.

History of the Law Firm Klein Lawyers is respected nationwide employing over 50 staff with offices in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada.

Many of the firm’s lawyers have been called to the bar in British Columbia, Ontario and Washington State.

The motor vehicle group has grown to help thousands of people obtain settlements for injuries, lost wages, property loss and medical expenses.

The firm has successfully negotiated millions of dollars in settlements from minor to catastrophic injuries. They have also represented plaintiffs in landmark class action cases including breast implants, hepatitis C tainted blood, Woodlands Residential School, Air Canada (Retiree Benefits), Crocus (Financial Advisor Negligence) and more. Throughout our history, hundreds of millions of dollars have been won and distributed to clients.

Additionally, the firm supports a healthy society by donating to the Sauder School of Business at UBC and the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. They support various community organisations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Drop It And Drive, and Dress for Success.

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LEGAL awards Best Owner-Managed M&A Adviser - UK

~ Lamb Brooks LLP is a full service law firm based in North Hampshire and providing legal advice to clients across England and Wales. Simon Arthur talks us through the firm’s work and how they came to win such a prestigious award.

Lamb Brooks LLP comprises eight partners and around 60 members of staff. The commercial team within the firm deals with all of the company and commercial law enquiries and transactions – and can be involved in standard Companies House filing requests from clients through to multi-million pound mergers, acquisitions or MBOs. The two partners heading up the commercial team are Alec Brooks and Simon Arthur. Simon has been advising corporate clients for over 15 years and joined Lamb Brooks in 2012. His expertise has led him to advise on, amongst many others, MBOs, BIMBOs, disposals, and acquisitions.

The legal profession for commercial lawyers is changing rapidly. The larger businesses are more likely to keep lower value work in-house and deal with it within their own contract teams, and the larger transactional work which comes along is therefore far more complex and better suited to more experienced teams. This will impact on the firms like ours which offer full service commercial work, but fortunately we have breadth and depth in mine and Alec’s knowledge which means that we are geared up to deal with the more weighty deals which a more junior team would struggle with.

Company: Lamb Brooks LLP Name: Simon Arthur Email: simon.arthur@lambbrooks.com Web Address: www.lambbrooks.com Address: Victoria House, 39 Winchester Street, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 7EQ Telephone: 01256 844888

To be successful a commercial adviser and their team need to fully understand their clients and those client needs. It’s not good enough in this fiercely competitive world to merely do a good job – clients want to see value added to their business in the advice provided, and in the interest and time given to their passion.

With this in mind, Lamb Brooks is very much focussed on exceeding client expectations and taking time to understand the challenge which each of our clients face. We consider the needs of any new client very carefully when we first meet them, and will not take on new clients who we do not feel will fit with the firm’s core values of trust, integrity and respect. It is as important for a new client at a pitch to like and value us as is it is for us to feel likewise.

Lamb Brooks is fortunate enough to be a member of LawNet, a national network of solicitors’ firms. LawNet provides benchmarking tools and reports to ensure we provide the best quality and care to our clients. We also have ISO accreditation and different departments have relevant accreditation for their specialist area (such as CQS for conveyancing, and STEP for our private client team).

As a firm we are looking to the future and assessing how best to serve our clients. This comprises a major overhaul of our internal software to ensure ease of secure access of information and secure access for clients to keep abreast of their own matters.

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LEGAL awards Best Swedish Arbitrator 2015

Lars Gothlin

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Lars Göthlin is an experienced arbitrator and mediator and has served as chairman, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator in a very large number of cases. He has a broad background as an in-house counsel, chief legal counsel and as a board member of several companies.

Name: Advokatfirman Lars Göthlin AB

He has handled mergers and acquisitions, disputes, sensitive business issues and crisis management. This has given him great commercial experience and knowledge of different aspects of commercial law.

For the past 15 years, Lars Göthlin has primarily worked as an arbitrator in both Swedish and International arbitration proceedings in addition to his mediation work.

In the legal industry one of the biggest challenges for Swedish firms is to be competitive with the large English and American firms. In order to be truly successful within the commercial area you have to be a specialist or be able to offer an all-round service.

In terms of my overriding philosophy as I’m a sole practitioner I only take assignments as an arbitrator or mediator. The basis for my work is that clients appreciate my independence, reliability and legal/commercial competence. In order to meet my client’s needs I have to follow any developments in the arbitration area.

For me as a sole practitioner my reputation is built through mouth to mouth feedback among litigators, arbitrators and general counsels.

Receiving this award was really pleasing not least as I am coming towards the end of my career, so to be still in demand is very satisfying.

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LEGAL awards Best for Business Practices - Florida

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP

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Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP is a Florida based law firm offering legal practice in more than 35 specialties, and a multitude of sub-specialties associated with each practice area. Michael Platner, chair of the firm’s National Corporate Practice Group and Co-Chair of the firm’s National Business Practice, spoke with us about how the firm’s diverse range of services has contributed to their success.

Michael is a partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and serves as Chair of the firm’s National Corporate Practice Group and Co-Chair of the firm’s Business Practices.

His varied commercial and business practice focuses on assisting companies and their owners build value and manage risk. His specific industry experience includes software, e-business, manufacturing, restaurant/ hotel management and operating agreements, computer systems acquisition and internet strategies, private equity, venture capital, corporate finance and Mergers & Acquisitions.

This wide range of experience provides him with the ideal background for working among the diverse practice areas that Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP offers. Michael provides us with an overview of these fields, showcasing the wide range of services the firm provides.

“Our national practice is sophisticated, multi-faceted and well-versed in current legal trends, while our individual state practices provide vast resources and knowledge of procedural and legal nuances.

Company: Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP Name: Michael Platner Website: http://lewisbrisbois.com

Our attorneys have broad knowledge, expertise, and sensitivity to their clients’ unique needs. Through interaction among its practice groups, Lewis Brisbois provides a wide range of legal services to each client with a continuity of representation over multiple disciplines. We have built longstanding relationships with corporate and institutional clients based on our ability to provide comprehensive service on a national scale.

Our practice includes pre-suit counseling and problem solving based on a structured and accurate analysis of likely outcome. We know our clients’ objectives are often best served by a pre-suit resolution, and we are often judged by the advice and counsel we provide toward that end. However, when trial is the answer and in the client’s best interest, no law firm in this country understands and better executes a trial strategy than Lewis Brisbois. We are truly client driven and result oriented.

The firm’s nationwide business practices include substantial groups addressing mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, venture capital and private equity, as well as intellectual property, litigation and governmental regulations and investigations for US and foreign clients doing business and owning real estate in the U.S., including a unique focus on middle market and emerging companies.”

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LEGAL awards Best for Divorce Litigation – California

Lonich & Patton LLC

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Established in 1994 by Michael Lonich and David Patton, Lonich & Patton, LLP has developed into one of the most respected firms in Northern California. They specialize in two complementary practice areas: Family Law and Estate Planning. The firm’s attorneys take a genuine interest in their clients’ needs, and take the time to understand their objectives, and provide strong representation in a timely, effective, and efficient manner.

Company: Lonich & Patton LLC Name: David Patton Email: dpatton@lonichandpatton.com Web Address: www.lonichandpatton.com Address: 1871 The Alameda, Suite 475, San Jose, CA 95126 Telephone: 001 408 553 0801

Certified Family Law Specialists* and highly qualified Trust and Estate lawyers provide a wide range of planning, litigation and mediation services in San Jose and throughout the Bay Area.

What sets Lonich & Patton, LLP apart? At Lonich & Patton, they are a true litigation firm with the resources and training to bring about positive results at trial when a settlement cannot be reached. They draw upon that experience when addressing client needs in family law, estate planning, trust, or probate matters.

Family Law The Family Law Group at Lonich & Patton, LLP is one of the largest family law practices in the State and regularly represents business owners, executives, foreign nationals, and their spouses in complex divorce and family law matters. Family law cases often involve business, real estate, tax, trust and estate matters and their Certified Family Law Specialists benefit from the expertise of the firm’s other practice groups. When outside help is needed they collaborate with experienced forensic accountants, business valuators, real estate appraisers, and mental health professionals.

Resolving family law matters is often emotional. During these trying times, they are here to help you protect your family, your assets, and your future. At Lonich & Patton, LLP, they will fully prepare you for the divorce process and guide you through the accompanying issues, including: • Child Support; • Spousal Support; • Domestic Violence and; • Child Custody and Visitation.

Their attorneys also have significant experience developing effective pre-nuptial or post nuptial agreements and can help you pursue any modifications to an original divorce agreement.

Lonich & Patton, LLP recognize that high-asset divorces can be extremely complex. Many of the legal and financial issues involved in these cases are convoluted. Resolving issues involving business ownership interests, determination of joint and separate property, child custody and support, spousal support, estate and trust administration, litigation, and probate require significant family law and business acumen. Their ability to draw on resources from inside and outside the firm ensures that their clients will receive quality legal advice and representation during divorce planning, settlement negotiation, mediation and any necessary trial.

More than 90% of the firm’s divorce cases are resolved through settlement, mediation, arbitration, or other forms of collaborative law. However, when a settlement cannot be reached they rely upon their considerable trial experience to pursue favorable results for their clients.

Partner Michael E. Lonich offers several alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services such as mediation, arbitration, and “neutral evaluation” of disputes for other litigants and attorneys. He has extensive experience in this emerging area of the law. *As certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

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LEGAL awards Best Full-Service Commercial Law Firm - Ghana

Legal Alliance

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Yaw Adjei Afriyie Nketiah, Esq is the Managing Partner of the company Legal Alliance in Accra, Ghana

He has an impressive list of qualifications, which are as follows: Qualifications • BL, Ghana School of Law, Accra (April 1998); • BA, (Hons) French and Spanish, University of Ghana Legon (1986); • Post Graduate Diploma(Public Relations/Marketing), GIJ, Accra(Project Work Not Submitted) (1997); • Diplome Superieur – Alliance Francaise, Paris (1980); • Diploma, Spanish Proficiency, University of Havana, Cuba (1984-Year Abroad); • Certificate in Managerial Leadership Skills, MDPI, Accra (1992); • Attended many local and International Legal Conferences.

Work experience His remarkable record of work experience is summarised as follows: • Worked with The National Service Scheme and Ministry of Education for about ten years as a Project Coordinator and Head of Public Relations and Editor, “National Service Today”. (1986-1994); • He later worked with the Ghana Institution of Engineers, as Legal Advisor / Corporate Relations Officer and Editor of the “Ghana Engineer”(!997-1999); • Associate with Ntim Boateng &Associates(Kyidom Chambers) Accra from 1997 to 2009; • Since April 2009 he has been the Managing Partner of a Private Law Firm, Legal Alliance, Ringway Estates, Osu, Accra.(Just moved to a new location near the Nima Roundabout, Accra);

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LEGAL awards Company: Legal Alliance Name: Yaw Adjei Afriyie Nketiah Email: yawnketiah@yahoo.com Web Address: Elena Gonzalez Address: 212/5 P. O. Box KIA 16141 (Premises of the Old Pan African Hotel) Airport, Accra. (Near Nima Roundabout) Ghana. Accra. , Ghana Telephone: +244 260538

Consulting He has consulted for many foreign and local companies, and NGOS including: • Academy for Educational Development (AED); • Ghana Sustainable Change Project (GSCP)(Subsidiary of AED); • SHARP.(Subsidiary of AED); • AED – Ghana – CEDEM; • Linkages (Subsidiary of AED); • DevTech Systems, Inc / Safe School Project on some labour related issues; • Grameen Foundation; • Emmaland Resources Ghana Ltd; • Cadero Resources/Cadero Ghana Ltd; • Abzu Resources Ghana Ltd.; • Goldline Mining Ghana Ltd; • Universal Oil Company Ltd; • Mitsumi Computer Ghana Ltd; • Vikings Investment Fund/Vikings Hostels Ltd; • Cedars Real Estates Company Ltd; • CNQC (QINGJIAN INT’L(GHANA)DEVELOPMENT CO.LTD; • Songlin Beverages Ghana Ltd etc.

He was also the Honorary Legal Advisor to the Ghana Red Cross Society and Member of the Council (2007-2009).

Professional Membership He is also a member of a number of learned and respected associations, which are: • Member of the Ghana Bar Association; • Member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association; • Member of the International Bar Association; • Member of Advocates Africa; • Member of Advocates International; • Allied Attorney of Alliance Defense Fund (ADF).

International Conferences Yaw Adjei Afriyie Nketiah has attended an astounding number of International Conferences including: • Advocates Africa, Conference in Lagos, 2003; • Advocates International, Conference in Virginia, USA 2004; • Advocates International, Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 200; • Advocates Africa, Conference, Washington DC, USA Nov. 2008; • West Coast / Central Africa Legal Advisors Conference of ICRC, Lagos, Nov. 2007; • Legal Advisors Conference, International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC), Geneva, 2008; • Legal Advisors Conference, International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), Geneva, 2008; • West Coast and Central Africa Legal Advisors Conference, IFRC, Abuja, Nov. 2008; • Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference in Hong Kong, April 2009; • Legal Advisors Conference, International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC), Geneva, 2009; • Legal Advisors Conference, International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), Geneva, 2009; • National Litigation Academy of the Alliance Defense Fund Conference in Chicago, October 2010; • Represented the Ghana Red Cross Society at a Workshop on Management of Community-based Projects of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Beijing, China (07/01/ 2009-07/14/2009); • Advocates Africa Biannual Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, August 2011; • International Bar Association Annual Conference, Dubai (UAE) October 2011; • International Bar Association Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 2012; • Commonwealth Lawyers Conference , Cape Town , South Africa, April, 2013; • International Bar Association Annual Conference, Boston (Massachusetts) USA, October 2013.

Local conferences and seminars Has also taken part in several local conferences and continuous Legal Education and Professional Development Seminars including:• Mediation Advocacy – August 2008 (Ghana Association of Certified Mediators and Arbitrators (GHACMA); • Sensitization Seminar on Court – Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution Course (CCADR) for Lawyers, August 2008 (Judicial Training Institute); • Sensitization Seminar on Court-Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution for Selected Lawyers, April 2014.(Judicial Training Institute/Ghana Bar Association); • Training Programme for Selected Lawyers on Ghana Sentencing Guidelines, June 2014.(British High Commission/Ghana Bar Association).

Other activities Finally, his other activities include being: • National Secretary (Mensah Sarbah Alumni Association, University of Ghana Legon) • Director, Secretary &Vice President, Legon Chapter, Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International,(FGBMFI); • Secretary & President, Kingsmen Fellowship (Men’s Fellowship of the Covenant Family Community Church, East Cantonments, Accra; • Deacon, Covenant Family Community Family Church, East Cantonments, Accra.

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LEGAL awards Best Full-Service Tax Advisory Firm - Malta

M.Meilak and Associates

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M.Meilak and Associates are driven to provide exceptional tax services, delivered in a highly personalised way. We have the experience of the big accounting firms, but without their bulk. In this way, we can move swiftly and confidently in order to manage the tax needs of multinationals, while providing unparalleled results.

Company: M.Meilak and Associates Name: Malcolm Meilak Email: malcolm@mmeilak.com Web Address: www.mmeilak.com Address: Archbishop P Pace Street, Victoria, Gozo Telephone: +356 21561216

We employ a unique, powerful blend of people, process and technology to provide a wide range of quantitative tax solutions and business advisory services for international and domestic businesses. Our specialised, turnkey combination of tax advisory services and business accountancy services equip businesses, ranging from small organisations to enterprise-level corporations, with the quantitative analysis, computation, calculation and consulting they need to make their most profitable decisions.

Our vision at M.Meilak & Associates is to provide exceptional accounting and tax advisory services to our clients by focusing on the needs of the business community. With this in mind we build long lasting relationships, which deliver value and growth to our customers.

Through our continuous investment in technology we succeed in maintaining high quality standards and are at the forefront in presenting innovative solutions, which assures our clients that we are constantly focused on their needs.

We believe that our team is the bedrock of our organisation and fundamental in reaching our goals. Our organisational structure promotes a business environment encouraging continuous career development and dedication towards our customers.

We are committed to working closely with our clients to enable them to effectively respond to tax-saving opportunities and to help ensure their business is administrated to adhere to all compliance stipulations.

We believe that passion for tax law and our commitment to our clients has earned us this award, and being recognised for two years running by Acquisition International’s Legal Awards is a true testament to our success.

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LEGAL awards Best for Insurance Litigation - Idaho

McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC

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McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC has earned an outstanding reputation for providing comprehensive and cost-effective legal advice, solutions and support in matters of complex business litigation, construction and real estate, as well as employment law.

Company name: McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC Name: Rick Stacey Email: stacey@mwsslawyers.com Web Address: http://mwsslawyers.com/ Address: 827 E. Park Blvd, Suite 201 Boise, ID 83712 Telephone: 001 208 489 0100

Their areas of practice are: • Construction Law • Employment Law • Business Litigation • Real Estate Litigation Construction Law The attorneys at McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC have over 80 years of collective experience practicing construction law and are recognized as some of the leading construction lawyers in the Northwest.

In addition to litigation, they excel in other aspects of the building industry, including negotiation of construction and design agreements, and other related business arrangements. Their combined focus on construction law and real estate law allows them to excel at the prosecution and defense of construction lien claims.

Employment Law Employment law is both complex and rapidly developing. At McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC, their focus on employment issues keeps them abreast of developments in the statutes and case law that directly affect their clients. Today’s employers require the practical and strategic legal solutions delivered by McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC employment attorneys.

Avoiding litigation is a top priority for most people. However, civil litigation is sometimes a reality in the business world, and litigation is a significant part of their employment law practice. McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC represent clients in employment disputes before administrative agencies, and state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Business Litigation The attorneys at McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC have experience in all areas of business litigation, including trials and appeals, arbitration, mediation, and regulatory and administrative proceedings. Their work includes complex corporate and business matters, UCC claims, employment issues, fraud claims, insurance related issues, product liability claims, and land use litigation.

McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC’s litigation team takes a problem-solving approach to complex legal disputes. Through careful analysis and planning at the outset, they continuously advise their clients regarding potential benefits and risks associated with litigation and other legal options. With every case, their objective is to chart the best course for achieving their clients’ goals as the most effective and forceful advocate for their interests.

Real Estate Litigation McConnell Wagner Sykes + Stacey PLLC’s attorneys offer excellent representation in complex real property litigation and disputes in all areas of commercial real property law, including foreclosures, contract disputes, boundary disputes, easements and rights-of-way, title issues, development issues, condemnation proceedings and land use issues.

Their clients include developers, investors, landlords, tenants, buyers, sellers, lenders and title insurance companies. The firm pride themselves in finding practical solutions to complex real property issues.

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LEGAL awards Best M&A Due Diligence Platform 2015

Merrill Corporation

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Merrill Corporation is a firm which prides itself on reputation for industry leadership and exceptional service.

Merlin Piscitelli talks us through the firm and the role it plays in document management and due diligence.

Merrill Corporation has provided secure document management and communications solutions to the world’s leading corporations and their advisors for nearly 50 years. We have experience of working on major financial events of all types and sizes globally through our market-leading virtual data room, our expert financial print services, and our innovative document collaboration systems – all focussed on helping clients achieve their business goals.

For us here at Merrill Corp, it’s always been vitally important that we understand our clients and the world they operate in. We need to know what pressures they face, what they are trying to accomplish and basically use that knowledge to expedite fast and efficient delivery for them through our services – ultimately aimed at making their jobs easier.

This award for Best Due Diligence Platform to the legal industry is really important to us. Awards, such as this, validate what we are doing for our clients and that we are doing the right thing.

Company: Merrill Corporation Name: Merlin Piscitelli Email: Merlin.Piscitelli@merrillcorp.com Web Address: www.merrillcorp.com Address: 101 Finsbury Pavement, London, EC2A 1ER Telephone: 0207 422 6266

The legal advisors we work with on a daily basis have an incredibly large workload; they are time pressed each and every day; and the expectations on them from their clients are always exacting. So, for us to work with these professionals, to build relationships with them and establish trust that spans years is a truly significant achievement for our business.

Merrill Corporation has never stood still as an organisation. We embrace change and continually develop our business and our value-add proposition to clients as part of our DNA. This is where the DataSite due diligence platform sprang from, as we were the first to market, replacing the traditional paper document room 15 years ago. And, it’s why we continue to develop new solutions, such as Merrill Bridge, a collaboration tool for online regulatory filing.

We know that the world our clients work in never stands still either. They have changing needs related to new markets opening up or closing down, new regulations being applied in their country or across borders, new technology hitting the headlines or being withdrawn, and we adapt our approach and services anticipating these changes, so our relationships with our clients can continue to develop, thrive and grow.

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Smart.

WINNER OF THE BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR A VDR SOLUTION 2015

There is an art to due diligence. When you are preparing for a transaction, think Merrill DataSite - the smart, simple, secure virtual data room for your deal.

datasite.com

M&A awards

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LEGAL awards Best M&A Software Company

Midaxo Digital M&A to drive efficiency, engagement and better deal outcomes.

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LEGAL awards Company: Midaxo Name: Kalle Kilpi Email: kalle.kilpi(@)midaxo.com Telephone: +1 (617) 500-7096

Acquisitions have become a key method for companies to grow and transform. Therefore, it is no wonder that there is a huge pressure on M&A to take a quantum leap into becoming a mature, continuously improving process, producing consistent results.

Shortcomings in M&A process management practices While there often is a small, dedicated M&A team, most people are only temporarily assigned to M&A projects.

Therefore, they are able to evaluate acquisition targets on a quite superficial level. After their assignment is over, they take all the knowledge they have accumulated and it needs to be created again for the next project.

Deal leads then have to spend an enormous effort just to guide the newly assembled team through the process, rather than focusing on deal-specific objectives or continuously improving and accumulating their knowledge. The same mistakes are made repeatedly, and expensive external advisors are used to foster an adequate skill level in the team rather than using their time on giving truly value-added advice.

In M&A process management practices there can be shortcomings such as no systematic and constantly improving approach, no centralized source of reference, information sharing relies on phone conversations, emails, hallway conversations, and insecurely shared files, and the best practice playbooks and checklists do not translate into reality.

Digital M&A enables a new way of working M&A is being reinvented as the internet and software enable new ways of working, and one of the key players leading this field is Midaxo, trailblazing a whole new niche of players that are now focused on cloud-based software for M&A and corporate development. These new software suites provide end-to-end solutions for M&A. They can be used to accumulate process best practices, centralize all M&A information, guide projects from start to finish, generate reports, and facilitate collaboration. Digital M&A is an umbrella term for this new way of working, combining people and processes with a modern technology platform.

Jay Plueger, VP of Strategic Initiatives at AvidXchange, shares his experience on using the Midaxo platform. “Not having multiple spreadsheets throughout the company has let us become more efficient in tracking M&A activity and strategic partnerships, and allows us to share that information across multiple departments. One of the key things is that it allows us to create a reusable playbook for each new acquisition target and each new integration.�

As information becomes centralized, management becomes easier. These platforms can capture experience from the changing M&A teams and deal advisors, which can be used to systematize the process, help make better judgments on acquisitions, and avoid reinventing the wheel. Companies have tried to use due diligence (DD) checklists and M&A playbooks to provide a standard for the acquisition process, but usually these are understood only by the in-house M&A expert or the consultants who wrote them.

A modern M&A platform can transform static playbooks into interactive project plans, which can be easily customized to meet the needs of individual projects. Compared to Excel sheets with hundreds of checks, these provide a visual presentation of the phases, key deliverables, functional streams, and individual tasks.

Rather than overloading team members with information, these platforms allow a more detailed guidance.

Best practices, document templates, and any deal documents are easily on hand when needed.

Precise instructions make teams more productive and reduce hassle So, how does this look to a team member working on an acquisition? For them, the acquisition process is clearly presented along with task assignments, guidance, and access to the relevant documents. Team members receive sophisticated instructions regarding what they should pay attention to and why.

This allows them to understand the big picture and what is expected from them. More time can be spent on reviewing material and producing analysis. Team members can also record any findings and observations in the system rather than writing long reports.

For the project manager, the system can provide real-time reports of what has been done, learnings, and what analysis has been produced. The system can also automate some basic project management tasks like sending task reminders and follow-ups.

Quantum leap in M&A productivity An M&A platform significantly improves efficiency by making new team members productive much faster with less training and more focus. They enjoy greater freedom to work more independently, and they still provide a consistently high standard of work.

Directors can scale teams with confidence, use new resources in the team, engage in deals that are more complex, and automate much of the basic project management work. They can use consultants for more strategic and higher value-added advice.

Furthermore, having a process that is being continuously improved ensures that the company accumulates organizational M&A capabilities even if the individuals change. This is key because M&A teams start learning from past cases and avoid the same mistakes. Over time, this organizational knowledge will translate into a real competitive advantage.

Who is Kalle Kilpi?

Kalle leads product design at Midaxo and is interested in ways of making M&A more efficient and successful.

He studied management and information systems and has had the opportunity to work with top-tier clients. At Midaxo, he works hard to link cutting-edge M&A processes with the latest enabling technologies.

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LEGAL awards Best Personal Injury Lawyer - Canada

Miskin Law Offices

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The Miskin Law Office based near the City of Toronto, in the province of Ontario, is one of very few Canadian personal injury law firms with a national focus, representing clients from all parts of Canada. Our firm members travel across Canada to see clients as needed for cases.

Company: Miskin Law Office Name: Murray H. Miskin Email: miskinlaw@yahoo.com Web Address: www.adrworks.com Address: 263-380 Armour Rd., Peterborough Ontario Canada K9H 7L7 Telephone: 1-416-492-0989

In Canada’s constitution, the law of contract is a provincial and not a federal jurisdiction. Lawyers are licensed provincially. The law of insurance is set on a provincial basis. Most Canadian personal injury law firms work only in the province where they are located and access courts in their local area. These firms focus on motor vehicle and other accident compensation, which comes through liability insurance. Miskin Law Office does that, and much more.

Miskin Law Office brings claims for people across Canada internationally and in particular in the United States. Since the 1980s, Murray Miskin has regularly attended American legal conventions and worked with US lawyers on cases involving Canadians injured in the United States and Americans injured while in Canada.

The international work expanded as the Miskin Law Firm began acting for Canadians in drug manufacturer liability cases in 2004 with the recall of the drug Vioxx. In an effort to maximize compensation for clients from every part of Canada, Miskin Law brought Vioxx claims to US Courts. That case settled in the US on the basis that foreign claimants would not be entitled to compensation and would have to proceed in their own jurisdiction to bring their claims. This led to Miskin Law working with Canadian Class actions brought in each Province of Canada, settling nationally to get client compensation. This work has continued with other drug cases now pending.

While working with an American law firm on Vioxx cases, the Miskin Law firm was encouraged to find clients in Canada for asbestos cancer compensation claims. One form of cancer, Mesothelioma, can only be caused by exposure to asbestos and so there is maximum compensation for it.

Canadians are entitled to claim from asbestos trust funds set up from bankrupt companies, which have manufactured asbestos products. Most of these companies have provided products to Canada and also operated in Canada. Canadians are eligible to claim compensation from US based asbestos trust funds and Miskin Law represents individuals from across Canada in making these claims.

The Miskin Law firm is Canada’s national personal injury law firm working hard to provide quality legal services to clients in every part of the country.

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LEGAL awards Best for Commercial Dispute Resolution - Turkey

Moroglu Arseven

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Moroğlu Arseven is a full service law firm, established in 2000. Outstanding client service, delivery of results and the support of their distinguished Of Counsels are all key contributing factors the success of their firm, permitting them to support the success of their clients.

Company: Moroğlu Arseven Name: Orcun Cetinkaya Email: ocetinkaya@morogluarseven.com Web Address: www.morogluarseven.com Address: Odakule Kat:12, stiklal Caddesi No:142, Beyoğlu 34430,İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 377 47 00

Their primary purpose in representing and advising clients is to provide and implement clear, applicable and pragmatic solutions which focus on the specific needs of their clients’ transaction, legal question or dispute.

They also focus on their clients’ business sectors and actively participate in professional associations and events. They are capable of communicating in English, German and French. These are some of the factors that contribute to their ability to consistently provide the best possible experience for the client.

Practice areas The company’s practice areas are as follows: Corporate, Commercial and Finance • Angel Investing; • Business Set-up; • Commercial Contracts; • Construction and Real Estate Law; • Corporate; • Corporate Governance; • Corporate Restructuring; • Employment, Human Resources and Outsourcing; • Financial Loans and Facilities; • Foreign Investment; • Mergers and Acquisitions; • Private Equity; • Privatization and PPP; • Research and Development; • Start-ups and Emerging Growth; • Venture Capital.

Regulatory and Compliance • Anti-Corruption; • Anti-Money Laundering; • Antitrust and Competition; • Banking; • Data Protection and Privacy; • Energy, Utilities and Renewables; • International Trade Regulation and Economic Sanctions; • Natural Resources, Mining and Metallurgy; • Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Life Sciences; • Products Liability and Standards; • Public Procurement and Government Contracts; • Real Estate Development; • Securities and Capital Markets; • Tax and Fiscal Regulations; • Telecommunications.

Intellectual Property and Brand Protection • Anti-Counterfeiting; • Commercial Intellectual Property; • Copyrights; • Domain Names and Internet Infringement; • Industrial Design; • Intellectual Property Licensing; • Patents and Utility Models; • Trademarks; Dispute Resolution • Construction and Real Estate Litigation; • Corporate and Commercial Litigation; • Employment Disputes; • Intellectual Property Litigation; • International Arbitration and Mediation; • Shareholder Disputes; • Tax Litigation; • Unfair Trade Practices.

Industries The industries they cover are: • Automotive and Parts; • Banking, Insurance and Financial Services; • Education; • Energy, Utilities and Renewables; • Industrial and Manufacturing; • Information Technologies and Telecommunications; • Leisure and Hospitality; • Media, Entertainment and Sports • Natural Resources, Mining and Metallurgy; • Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Life Sciences; • Retail and Consumer Products.

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LEGAL awards Best Technology Law Firm – California

Neff Law Firm

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Neff Law Firm is a well-known technology-focused transactional intellectual property law firm based in Los Angeles, specializing in corporate transactions, startups, licensing, M&A, intellectual property protection/disputes, trademark and copyright registration and counseling, as well as privacy and data security primarily for technology/software, ecommerce and media companies. Richard Neff provides us with a unique insight into the firm and its role in the legal industry.

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LEGAL awards Company: Neff Law Firm Name: Richard Neff Email: richard@nefflaw.com Web Address: http://nefflaw.com/ Address: 1600 Rosecrans Ave. Media Center, 4th Floor Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Telephone: +1 310 321 7660

We handle diverse corporate, commercial and structuring transactions for our clients and are known to be effective negotiators, able to close deals on favorable terms, as well as very client-service oriented.

Our client base by revenue is approximately 50% from Silicon Valley/Northern California, 25% from Southern California, and 25% from all over the world, including clients from the major European and Latin American countries, Canada and Japan. We have a strong specialty in international law, and are able do business and deals in Spanish, Portuguese and sometimes French. Many of the transactions we handle are cross-border deals. We are unique in that we do many transactions in Latin America for well-known technology companies, and have deep experience working in the major markets there.

The Firm also has a large startup practice focused primarily on Apps, technology/software and ecommerce companies, and we handle financing rounds and investor documents also. We manage numerous international trademark portfolios, advise on many copyright issues, especially related to online content, and we counsel clients on global data/privacy issues. We have been M&A counsel in connection with various transactions including the sale of our German App and game developer client to Zynga, and the sale of a leading European online poker technology developer (based on Malta) to Bally Technologies. The Firm’s clients include Informatica, Logitech, LinkedIn, lynda.com, Box.com, APM Music, Roland U.S., and I also have represented Microsoft, Intuit, Apple, Symantec, Yahoo!, SunGard, Autodesk, Dailymotion, Mandalay Entertainment, pricegrabber.com and Business Software Alliance (BSA) for many years. I was a former Chairman of the BSA and later became international policy counsel to the organization for many years, focused on Latin America.

Evolution of Our Practice. Our work has evolved over the past five years in significant ways. First, whereas once we focused primarily on software/technology, increasingly we focus on ecommerce and internet issues, content and media companies, reflecting the convergence of technology and media. In addition, over the past five years, we have been involved with ever more Apps, developed generally for both Apple and Android environments, falling into our growing startup practice, where we also have developed a specialty. For App developers, we sometimes handle formation of the appropriate entity, the investor issues and documents, all trademark and domain name issues, development agreements, and Terms of Service and privacy policies.

Moreover, on the technology side, where we still do a great deal of work for software publishers, and sometimes large customers acquiring software and systems, so much of our focus is on SaaS and Paas (Software/ Platform as a Service), the Cloud, and the many issues that derive from Cloud computing, relating to security, data privacy, online performance (e.g., Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Information Security Agreements.

What’s exhilarating (and sometimes daunting) about this area of practice is that we’re always learning something new, and doing work on the cutting edge.

Challenges We Face. Fortunately, we are small, nimble and very specialized. Moreover, our niche is hot. Our biggest challenge is the growth of in-house legal departments that sometimes displace outside counsel, as well as the proliferation of lawyers and law firms claiming to be technology, intellectual property (IP) and IT law firms, whereas our expertise used to be seen as almost unique. We still believe that we generally do it better, but don’t always get the opportunity to prove it. Add to this the downward price pressure by clients, although our focused niche practice and reputation for expertise generally helps us.

Our Firm’s Approach to Client Acquisition. We have been fortunate over the past five years to be fully allocated virtually all the time by serving several dozen clients who tend to remain with us over long periods of time.

We have acquired most new clients based on “word-of-mouth,” either recommendations from existing clients or having individuals who leave existing clients bring us into their new companies. In the past year, one Cloud officer at a large software company took over the presidency of a well-funded startup. He engaged us at his new company. We did two large technology license deals with banks for his startup, but the startup quickly sold to one of the world’s leading technology companies. While doing those two deals, we worked with their CFO for the first time, and she soon brought us into two more technology companies where she also serves in the CFO role. I have one peripatetic client who has worked in top positions at six Silicon Valley companies, and we have been brought into each one. One can never stand still, because nothing lasts forever. Our largest client recently sold to an overseas equity fund very focused on cutting costs, so we need to be adding new clients all the time. Fortunately, we are increasingly known and respected in various geographies, and keep attracting good clients.

Unique Antipiracy Background. While our practice is very transactional, historically I have focused much time and energy on running antipiracy programs in Latin America (and Asia) for the BSA, and for Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk, Symantec, Apple and others. My firm ran additional programs for the Association of American Publishers and for the predecessor of the Entertainment Software Association. As a result, we have unique experience in eliminating piracy, and continue to work to recover domain names, and remove pirate content from websites all over the world.

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LEGAL awards Best for Investment Scamming Investigations - UK

Nevyan Intel

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Nevyan is an award winning agency with over 20 years’ experience in the diverse field of asset identification and recovery for corporate and private clients. Simon Sutton provides us with an insight into the firm and the services it provides.

Company: Neyan Intel, associate of CNBI Solutions Name: Simon Sutton Email: nevyanintel@hushmail.com Web: www.nevyan-intel.com Address One Hardwick Square, London SW18 4AW

Using extensive contacts and resources throughout the world, Nevyan have the capability of identifying an individual or company’s assets, specifically those that are hidden and protected by third party entities, such as Offshore Trusts or Foundations. We operate our business intelligence consultancy from offices based out of South-West London, and have affiliated offices in Amsterdam, Holland and Phoenix, United States.

We work mainly for the corporate sector and high net-worth individuals who may have been the victim of an investment fraud or who may need evidence for Court in multiple jurisdictions. We recently worked for a South-African diamond company who had been the victim of a set of diamonds being stolen from them in a scammed meeting in London. The diamonds were worth in excess of ÂŁ5m. We worked with the metropolitan police in London to have the perpetrators arrested and questioned, and we worked with the direct access barrister scheme to obtain quick Court injunctions and freeze orders on the diamonds to prevent them being moved. This case had a successful outcome and the client recovered their monies.

We work for many law firms and our role is predominantly in research and asset tracing for presentation to Court. Therefore we work in line with PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) and the Civil Act. The legal industry at present can be slow to react to complex fraud, especially when that fraud crosses multiple-jurisdictions. Criminal Law Firms and barristers definitely have a much stronger grasp of the nature of international and high-level, sophisticated frauds, but civil fraud lawyers can sometimes struggle with the complexities and find it challenging to profile the mind of the high-level criminal. The challenge for us arrives when the client prefers a civil pursuit of the monies in the High Court, and the lawyers are slow to react.

Monies get moved and transferred and liquidated by high-level criminals with alacrity and the law firms are sometimes heavy-set and slow to respond.

Our clients would like to have access to legal teams on the civil side that are more streamlined and prepared for the mind set of high level crime, in order that their processes and evidences can get to Court faster and more accurately, chasing on the tail of the criminals with more assertiveness.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Law Firm of the Year - Portugal

Nuno Cerejeira Namora, Pedro Marinho Falcao & Associados

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Nuno Cerejeira Namora, Pedro Marinho Falcão & Associados law firm has over 20 years of experience, during which time it has grown to encompass 50 employees working on cases across a wide range of practices.

Name: Nuno Cerejeira Namora, Pedro Marinho Falcão & Associados - Sociedade de Advogados RL Email: geral@sociedadeadvogados.eu Web Address: www.sociedadeadvogados.eu Address: Rua Doutor Joaquim Pires de Lima, 388 Porto - Paranhos 4200-348 Porto Telephone: 225 573 520

The law firm works in a wide range of legal areas, which include labour, tax and public law. Clients of the firm include a large variety of companies across sectors such as of healthcare services, banking, industry, sports, retail and hospitality.

This wide range of clients and practice areas has provided the firm with a wealth of experience which they draw on when supporting all clients, ensuring the internal growth of the firm’s lawyers in their specific areas and opening their area of activity to the upcoming legal areas, with the main focus of the company being to provide a high standard of service at all times.

Within the firm they always have the goals to be the top legal professionals in their various practice areas and to enjoy a strong and confidential relationship with their clients, based in total transparency of methods and communication.

These goals help support the company’s overall aim to provide their clients with the best possible level of service. As such every case is approached with the professionalism and commitment.

This client centred approach has led the firm to benchmark themselves not against their competitors, as is traditional, but against their client’s expectations, although economic factors are taken into account to ensure the firm is able to meet their client’s needs whilst also providing a fair and transparent pricing system.

Moving forward, the firm is continually investing in the qualification of their trainee lawyers and also in the promotion or their senior lawyers, throughout an efficient management of their resources to ensure organic growth within the firm.

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LEGAL awards Best in Copyrights Law - Germany

ORTH

KLUTH

R E C H T S A N W Ä LT E

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Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte are passionate about providing quality legal services tailored to their client’s individual needs. We speak to Philipp Mels from the firm about the how the company’s client centred approach has led them to the success of winning this prestigious award.

Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte is a leading German law firm, one of just 50 law firms which has the honour of being ranked in the “Nationaler Überblick Top 50″.

Through our offices in Düsseldorf and Berlin we provide comprehensive advice on commercial law issues for national and international companies.

IP-law is one of the firm’s top practice groups, and we provide this service to clients ranging from medium-sized business to international groups all of whom put their trust in us to protect their intellectual property.

To ensure that these clients always leave our practice satisfied, we always endeavour to combine our efficiency with a hands-on mentality and a favourable cost structure. Providing creative solutions even in the most challenging and complex projects are also features which set our firm apart from our competition.

Company: Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB Name: Dr. Philipp Mels Email: philipp.mels@orthkluth.com Web Address: www.orthkluth.com Address: Kaistraße 6, D-40221 Düsseldorf, Germany Telephone: 0049211600350

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Diversifying ourselves from our competitors is particularly important currently as we the industry at present is incredibly competitive. A trend we have seen recently is a period of intense competition in which each competitor tries to cut fees below those of the others.

However, we avoid being drawn into this trend by continually applying our high standards to every project we approach, as this is the best strategy for long term success. Additionally, we already try to go along with the new trend of digitalization of legal departments.

Moving forward, we are optimistic for the future of Orth Kluth. Our development within the last 18 years has been tremendous and constant. The best practice approach has been very successful and we predict that we will further continue our business development.

M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Family Law Firm - Singapore & Recognised Leader in Divorce Law - Singapore

PKWA Law Practice LLC

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PKWA Law Practice is a full service legal company specialising in divorce services. Senior Litigation lawyer Lim Chong Boon talks us through the firm’s divorce team and how the firm’s success is built upon its client centred approach.

With over 130 employees, PKWA Law is an established and well known law firm, and our extensive clientele includes all the major banks, financial institutions and CPF Board. As such we have one of the largest family and divorce law practice in Singapore.

Our firm are recognised as a leading law firm in family and divorce law, with an experienced family and divorce law team which is headed by myself, drawing upon my more than 25 years of experience in family and divorce law to provide every client with a service tailored to suit their needs.

Within our family and divorce law practice we endeavour to always be responsive to clients’ needs throughout the process.

In order to ensure that we always all other aspects of our service are the best they can be we always use the latest technology and stay up to date with the developments in the legal industry, which enables us to give our clients fully informed advice.

Company: PKWA LAW PRACTICE LLC Name: LIM CHONG BOON Email: chongboon@pkwalaw.com Web Address: http://www.pkwalaw.com/lim-chong-boon.html http://www.sgdivorcelawyer.sg/ Address: 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #16-01 HDB Hub East Wing Singapore 310480 Telephone: +65 6397 6100

Although are clients are of vital importance to us we place equal emphasis on our employees, and provide them with regular training to ensure they are confident enough to provide our clients with the service they expect.

An example of our expertise is the bitterly fought case in which myself my colleague Dorothy Tan were successful in helping a mother obtain care and control of her two children in a bitterly contested legal battle spanning three years.

The father had argued that the mother should not have custody because she was having an affair and was not a good parent whereas he was the more loving and caring parent.

In a Judgment announced on 17 August this year, Judicial Commissioner Debbie Ong agreed with our arguments that the mother is a good and nurturing parent, despite the husband’s efforts to portray her as otherwise. The Learned Judge awarded custody of the two children to the mother and ordered the father to hand over the children to the mother within seven days or face contempt proceedings.

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LEGAL awards Best-in-Class Global Immigration Provider

Pro-Link GLOBAL Group

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Pro-Link GLOBAL Group provides customized corporate global immigration and visa services in more than 140 global destinations with over 1,600 professionals.

Company: Pro-Link GLOBAL Group Visa & Immigration Services Website: https://pro-linkglobal.com/ Address: 1813 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL, 34205 USA Phone: +1 (941) 794 6461 Email: info@pro-linkglobal.com

The ability to deploy talent strategically throughout the world provides multinational corporations with additional opportunities for success. However, every new opportunity brings risks that must be managed. In the case of global relocation, one of those risks is compliance with local laws. With constant changes in immigration regulations, it is imperative that HR and Global Mobility professionals partner with an extraordinary immigration provider to ensure constant compliance, standardized processes and consistent user experiences.

That’s why many multinational corporations are choosing to partner with Pro-Link GLOBAL. AI’s 2015 Legal Award Winner for Best-In-Class Global Immigration Provider, Pro-Link GLOBAL has over 1,600 immigration professionals in over 140 global destinations all working together with one focus. Their client.

Not only does Pro-Link GLOBAL reduce immigration compliance risk and implement standard processes, they partner with their client to learn the company as if it were their own. They do not view themselves as a traditional vendor but as a trusted advisor who educates and empowers their client to make the best immigration decisions for their business. By actively collaborating across multiple functions and always going the extra mile for their clients, Pro-Link GLOBAL prides itself in providing ready solutions and positive results.

Pro-Link GLOBAL provides their clients with a comprehensive immigration program: best-in-class visa and immigration services, customized direction and guidance on difficult and new locations, complementary immigration updates covering the latest immigration changes around the world, and client-specific consultations for any sized project. All of these services are backed by integrated technology and reporting capabilities that allow their clients to operate their global mobility program with ease.

The Pro-Link GLOBAL experience is one of expert knowledge, customized immigration strategy, and steadfast partnership. Their utmost dedication to their clients and their relocating employees is why Pro-Link GLOBAL is AI’s 2015 Legal Award Winner for Best-In-Class Global Immigration Provider.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best for Business Law - Portugal

Rogério Alves & Associados

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ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM, in Lisbon, is formed by the coming together of several lawyers around former Bar Association Chairman Rogério Alves, partaking in their love for the profession and their individual track-record.

Company: Rogério Alves & Associados - Law Firm Email: geral@raassociados.pt Web: www.raassociados.pt Address: Av. Álvares Cabral 61, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal Telephone: (+351) 21 391 10 40

ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM’s motto is: the strong and determined defense of our clients’ rights, wherever it matters.

Our main concern is to advise our clients, in a highly skilled, permanent and attentive manner, on how to best fulfil their rights and comply with their duties and obligations. To choose pre-emptive legal advice as centerpiece of dispute resolution, to uphold the law in all its aspects, to abide with applicable professional ethics and to defend, wherever necessary, the rights we are entrusted with.

ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM’s determination and focus are the centerpiece in providing flawless and thorough legal advice to our clients. In the defense of our Client’s rights, ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM assesses all angles in each dispute and advise its Client on how achieve their goals, under the Law. ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM’s business law practice area has been created in order to provide a fully integrated and comprehensive legal service for professional clients - companies and entrepreneurs - as to start, develop and grow a business venture. Thriving to provide a vast array of legal advice designed specifically for businesses.

In permanent liaison with our clients, we provide a pragmatic, regular and ongoing legal advice in all business related areas such as corporate and commercial law, finance and banking law, tax law, real estate and construction law, sports law, counselling on internationalization projects in Portuguese speaking countries, financial restructurings and bank liabilities management, health and pharmaceutical law, media and technology.

In furtherance to the harsh times suffered by the Portuguese companies in the last years, ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM has procured to find innovative and tax friendly investment solutions, providing in-depth hindsight to the investment opportunities in Portugal, either for institutions or individuals, in the most relevant rising economic markets such as tourism, export industries, new cutting edge R&D investments and property acquisition for investment purposes.

In ROGÉRIO ALVES & ASSOCIADOS - LAW FIRM, our experience continues to grow based on the needs of our Clients.

This practice area is co-lead by its partners Filipe Barata and João Pedro Varandas.

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LEGAL awards Best for Biomedical IP - Illinois

Rosenbaum IP

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Rosenbaum IP partner with high technology companies to assist in developing intellectual property assets, formulating and executing strategic plans for achieving maximal value.

Company: Rosenbaum IP Email: info@RosenbaumIP.com Phone: (847) 770-6000

Rosenbaum IP represents a diverse range of clients including individual inventors, start-up companies, emerging and established companies, publicly traded companies and educational and research institutions.

The firm’s clients represent a diverse range of businesses, including, pharmaceuticals, nutriceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, gene therapy, genomics, therapeutics, diagnostics, nanotechnology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, agricultural chemicals, medical testing equipment, surgical instrumentation, plant breeding, environmental protection systems, semiconductor processing, industrial and medical lasers, construction materials and equipment, plumbing and electrical equipment and fixtures, computer hardware and software.

Additional sectors represented by the firm’s diverse range of clients include geolocation systems and applications, targeted marketing advertising, digital and analog electrical systems, food production and service, private equity, water purification systems, exercise equipment, sporting goods, nutritional supplements, evaporative cooling systems, skin care products, clothing, motor vehicle assemblies and systems, and general mechanical and electrical technologies.

This diverse range of clients requires a flexible and dynamic approach, which Rosenbaum IP is dedicated to providing. The firm have assisted in developing intellectual property assets, formulating and executing strategic plans for achieving maximal value for our clients.

Clients of the company have achieved over $1.6 Billion (USD) in market value, either through financing rounds, merger and acquisition, licensing or litigation awards. To achieve this success, Rosenbaum IP combines professional and technical skills with level-headed business principles and experience. As such the firm’s practice is devoted to supporting their client’s intellectual property asset development, commercialization and, when necessary, enforcement.

This dedicated practice is staffed by experienced and professional staff who endeavour to adapt to the needs of their client to provide a truly unique service. Members of the firm have scientific training and regularly work across a spectrum of technologies including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, therapeutics, diagnostics, nanotechnology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, agricultural chemicals, plant breeding, environmental protection systems, semiconductor processing, industrial and medical lasers, computer hardware and software, digital and analog electrical systems, water purification systems, evaporative cooling systems, skin care products, clothing, motor vehicle assemblies and systems, and general mechanical and electrical technologies.

This vast range of specialities and huge wealth of knowledge enables the company to provide their clients with high quality IP services exactly meet their needs and requirements.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Medical Liability Law Firm - USA

Rosenblum & Newfield

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Founded in 1992, Rosenblum Newfield, LLC is a law practice with offices in New York and Connecticut. It has established a record of accomplishment based on its core values and on proprietary methodologies that have proven successful for its clients. We are happy to report that our clients have remained with us for years. They like the personal service. They like our expertise. They like our responsiveness. And they like our results. Clients receive the warmth and personal attention of small firms and the depth and expertise of large firms.

Company: Rosenblum Newfield LLC Name: James Rosenblum Email: jbresq@msn.com Web Address: www.rosenblumnewfield.com Telephone: 203.358.9200

The firm concentrates in the defense side of civil litigation matters (with a special focus in medical liability cases/malpractice claims), administrative hearings and health care law. It is known for highly informed representation of medical professionals, nursing homes, home health care companies, and businesses in a variety of other industries. It maintains relationships with liability insurers throughout the United States, based on an appreciation of the business and financial pressures these companies face, as well as their reporting and procedural needs. Its model is to remain a small firm of experienced lawyers. Each client receives the individual attention of senior attorneys.

Electronic healthcare records and cyber Liability continue to be growing challenges. They change the way information is stored, evaluated and transmitted. Health care communications has always been an art. It is still an art, but digitization has add to the complexity of the process.

Rosenblum Newfield provides specialized services in this and other emerging areas of the law, including practice management, coordination with hospitals and physician owned mega-groups, and large joint enterprises.

The transformation of American Medicine now includes transformation of the structure of healthcare delivery.

The interference between government programs and private insurance, plus changing methods of accountability and impersonalization of health care governance, make it essential for health care providers to have counsel who works closely with them in navigating all these pitfalls. Rosenblum Newfield has the experience and expertise in medical liability defense and risk management To help providers meet these needs.

Lawsuits against health care professionals, particularly unfounded claims of malpractice can threaten a provider’s productivity, reputation and financial well-beingThe increasing role of state disciplinary agencies adds further challenge to any medical complaint.

We would be happy to meet you at your office, in the United States, Europe, or elsewhere. We are also happy to discuss the legal climate in the jurisdictions where we practice - no charge.

Rosenblum Newfield has successfully represented nursing homes in New York and Connecticut, both at trial and on appeal. The firm brings to bear broad and deep experience in areas of the law specific to nursing homes i.e. Extensive, state and federal regulations, Rules regulations and protocols and Record keeping.

As health care costs continue to rise, and as the need for elder care explodes with the aging of our population, home health care agencies are, in many cases, providing a more cost effective alternative to inpatient skilled nursing care. Providing care in the intimacy of the patient’s home can lead to liability claims similar, in some cases, to those possible in nursing home care, and some that are very different. In the home, there is often greater interaction with families and patients may have more independence than they would in a nursing home setting. In addition, care is often provided one-on-one so there may be no other health care professionals on site to corroborate adherence to proper protocols.

Rosenblum Newfield has the experience and track record of success to defend home health care clients against claims related to: falls; medication problems; management of medical emergencies; psychiatric problems; intravenous care; pressure sores & wound care; oxygen administration, pediatric care, transportation issues and accidents.

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LEGAL awards Best Family Lawyer - St Albans

SA Law LLP

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SA Law is a leading law firm based in St Albans and London that provides comprehensive legal services to organisations and individuals. Richard Morgan talks us through the firm’s dedicated family law department.

Company: SA Law Name: Richard Morgan Email: richard.morgan@salaw.com Web Address: www.salaw.com Address: Gladstone Place, 36-38 Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3UU Telephone: 01727 798 000

SA Law’s family department is ranked as a regional leader by independent researchers Chambers & Partners, and enjoys an exceptional reputation for delivering the best possible outcome and client satisfaction.

Recent developments within the legal environment have created new challenges. The system is under pressure from a rise in the number of litigants representing themselves due to the demise of Legal Aid. Meanwhile, new procedural changes and the establishment of the Family Court structure will continue to evolve and have a profound impact.

Alongside this, the legal industry as a whole has been changing rapidly over recent years. Following the introduction of the Legal Services Act 2007, law firms have been able to offer a much broader range of services to their clients and also make these services much more affordable. This continues to drive competition in the industry.

We’re also seeing an increase in the number of niche firms specialising solely in family law. As such, it is vital that firms such as ours differentiate themselves from their competitors in order to stay ahead. We view representing every client as an honour and responsibility. In addition to placing the client at the centre of the process, we support them with a superior level of client care.

Communication is also a key feature of our service. We make sure we support clients in as many other ways as possible, including out-of-hours. More importantly, as a department within a much larger law firm, we can call on the expertise of colleagues in specialist fields such as property, corporate law, employment and Wills to name just a few. This makes our advice significantly more effective for clients. This has all led to consistently high levels of business through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Looking to the future, changing social values and trends are set to drive developments in the way family law serves its clients, which means legal professionals always need to keep ahead of emerging trends. We work hard to remain open-minded and ensure that we are always ahead of the game in order to best serve our clients.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best for Life Sciences IP Law - Germany

Schiweck Weinzierl Koch GbR

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A relatively young but dynamic and experienced patent attorney’s office, Schiweck, Weinzierl Koch has a strong technical background across the chemical, pharmaceutical and life science sector. Having spoken with the Firm, we had the chance to hear their thoughts on what it takes to win an award in this competitive practice area.

Company: Schiweck Weinzierl Koch GbR Email: info@ip-matters.de Web Address: www.ip-matters.de Address: Landsberger Straße 98, D-80339 Munich, Germany Telephone: +49 (89) 1894769-0

The Munich region is a hot spot for life sciences and innovations. There are a remarkable number of patent law firms specialising in protection of intellectual property rights in this field. Thus, keeping an eye on competitors is as essential to commercial success as keeping up with our clients’ demands.

In our business, it is indispensable to have direct contact with the clients to work as a team to get the best results. Moreover, a company should place emphasis on transparency and trust. The main step for defining an excellent client service is the understanding of client needs and expectations, and repaying their trust with loyalty and professionalism.

Our clients are internationally prominent pharmaceutical and chemical companies, medium-sized businesses, biotech start-ups and renowned research institutions and universities. Our focus is always on their representation and defence. To achieve clients’ business goals we look beyond the traditional structures and pursue unconventional models.

By virtue of strong technical and legal competence, coupled with practical experience, we are able to clearly identify innovations in the field of life science and protect our clients’ ideas at their core. Accordingly, it is important to be intensively engaged with the market and competition in order to adapt IP strategies in the best possible way. Thus, our focus is always on the latest developments in the legal protection of intellectual properties and our clients much appreciate this.

The international market for patents constantly grows, reflecting importance that companies attach to intellectual properties. Patents are key indicators and their importance is recognized for strategic development of companies. With an increasing significance for companies to secure their latest developments on the market, patent attorneys help their clients’ businesses in building up a solid and balanced IP portfolio.

In addition to economic factors, success of our business is measured by client satisfaction and their economic success. We benchmark our business by comparing the achievements and number of acquisitions with law firms that practice in the same region and the same technical areas, thereby increasing our effectiveness and profitability and making the best use of our time and resources while reducing risks.

However, success also means to adapt our services and standards to the situation, time and need of our clients. It is a time of strong expansion of our team and we are extending our range of activities – besides life science – to further areas in the field of intellectual property.

In the near future, a particular challenge in Europe will be the proposed unitary patent and the unified patent court designed to hear cases regarding infringement and revocation proceedings of European patents including unitary patents.

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LEGAL awards Best International Management Consultants - UAE

Senat Management Consultancy FZC

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Since 1984, Senat has been assisting individuals, SMEs and start-ups in Dubai. We primarily work on establishing tax efficient corporate structures and helping businesses with mergers and acquisitions, corporate services and expanding their operations towards the Middle East and Asia.

Company: Senat MEA Management Consultancy Email: info@senat-management.com Web: www.senat-management.com Address: Concord Tower Office 2714 Dubai Media City Dubai United Arab Emirates Phone: +971 4 425 3533 Fax +971 4 426 7443

The United Arab Emirates is an area with many cultures and backgrounds. It is important to be open-minded, quick on your feet and respect the values of others to be successful.

In order to both deliver and exceed our clients’ expectations, we make sure to stay up to date with current news and regulation changes. We believe our business truly stands out through its international team with diverse cultural backgrounds. We are a company who values the relationships we have with our clients and business partners, and their satisfaction is our success.

Looking further ahead, we have projects planned in various sectors such as healthcare, IT and education, and we are looking forward to successfully completing them in the near future.

The next year will see many changes in the global business dynamics and environment. Through the further process of globalization, all nations are connected and it remains to be seen how the political environment will further influence the world economy. However, the UAE is the perfect location to connect the East and the West.

From our perspective, the only option is to face these challenges and opportunities, and prepare to act accordingly in a professional, quick and sophisticated manner.

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Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Immigration Law Firm - Maryland

Shah & Kishore

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Shah & Kishore specializes in business immigration law. It offers personalized legal services to corporations in the U.S. and overseas. The Firm represents companies applying for H-1B and L-1 visas as well as working on permanent resident cases for their employees. Other core competencies of the company include assisting clients in achieving TN and E3 visas. The firm does not involve itself in family based immigration, asylum or deportation cases. The vast majority of their clients are in the information technology industry.

Concerning the company’s views on the state of the legal industry in their region at present, what major challenges does it currently face and what are the significant external influence factors? “Immigration is a national practice. The major influence on our niche practice is the anti-immigration politics that in engulfing the country. We represent companies that are hiring skilled IT professionals that are a shortage in the United States. Unfortunately politicians are using immigration as a scapegoat for the economic problems facing our country” explains Devang Shah of Shah and Kishore.

Giving his unique view on the attributes a company in his industry or sector should possess in order to become truly successful, Shah responds by saying, “the legal services provided by Shah & Kishore enable a business to leverage its expertise and compete successfully. Technology companies with immigration needs are much more likely to seek experts in the field, such as our firm, rather than use general immigration practitioners. A specialist offers a more thorough outlook and more specific expertise than a generalist. This is especially important with the landscape changes of increased government scrutiny and compliance.”

Company: Shah and Kishore Name: Devang Shah Email: Shah@Shahandkishore.com Web Address: www.shahandkishore.com Address: 9201 Corporate Blvd. Suite 330, Rockville, MD 20850 Telephone: 301 315 0001

Regarding the approach of the firm Shah & Kishore, what would be Shah’s overriding philosophy to areas such as client service and the acquisition of new business? While Devang Shah has been practicing immigration law for over 20 years, he explains that “the practice focuses on technology workers”. He does not practice family based immigration law or immigration for doctors, landscapers, lifeguards and so on. This allows him to be a critical member of the executive team of smaller companies to guide their growth.

“The legal industry is an incredibly diverse and fast-paced place to do business. How do you ensure that your firm remains on the cutting edge of new developments and how do you ensure that you are always best placed to meet your clients’ needs” Shah continues.

The law firm Shah and Kishore does focus very stromgly on the area of immigration law, enabling managing Partner, Devang Shah, to stay abreast of all issues and developments that affect his clients. The firm also employs several employees that have engineering or computer science degree to enable having the subject matter expertise relevant for IT companies.

The future “The future of immigration law will become more complex with increased compliance regulations” and Shah concludes that, “he key is to be a part of the “executive team” for our clients where we can provide strategic analysis and recommendations when we counsel our clients.

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LEGAL awards Best for International Dispute Resolution – Korea

Shin & Kim

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Established in 1981, Shin & Kim has grown in close partnership with its clients.

Company: Shin & Kim Name: Seungmin Lee Email: smilee@shinkim.com Web Address: www.shinkim.com Address: 8th Floor, State Tower Namsan, 100 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-052, Korea Telephone: 0082 2 316 4114

The firm have more than 300 Korean and foreign lawyers admitted to practice in numerous jurisdictions around the world and over 50 other professionals, including accountants, tax accountants, patent attorneys and customs specialists.

They provide legal services in a broad range of practice areas such as mergers and acquisitions, finance, litigation, arbitration, taxation, intellectual property and labor, to a diverse clientele ranging from domestic and multinational corporations, financial institutions and small-medium enterprises to state-owned corporations and governments and their agencies.

Shin & Kim considers their clients’ value realization our top priority. They make sure they’re clear on the value that each client is seeking to realize, and then provide the best legal solutions for realizing that value.

Their solutions don’t stop at one-off quick fixes of the immediate problem at hand, but go deeper to resolve the root causes and achieve lasting results; their advice is never one-size-fits-all, but tailored to their clients’ specific needs. They serve our clients with the mind-set that Shin & Kim want to see them again, and devote all of their efforts toward their clients’ ultimate satisfaction. This is why the firm’s clients seek them out and stay with them. The firm does their best to make their clients want them by their side.

Shin & Kim’s greatest pride is their people. Their lawyers and professionals have proven track records and are leading experts in their respective fields. With the utmost of professionalism, expertise and an in-depth understanding of their clients’ businesses and commercial interests that can only be gained through years of experience, Shin & Kim functions as a one-stop legal service hub, providing industry-specific advice and expertise in a multi-disciplined manner across all aspects of their practice.

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LEGAL awards Best for Licensing Agreement Negotiations - UK

Shipley IP

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Shipley IP is a boutique IP and IT firm led by Mark Shipley and Ben Prangell. With Mark overseeing the relationships of the business and Ben fronting much of the delivery, Shipley IP has an incomparable joined up force that ensures clients receive the best and most personal service possible. Ben continues to foster day to day relationships with the key clients and understands their businesses completely to deliver an unparalleled bespoke service.

Company: Shipley IP Ltd Name: Ben Prangell Email: ben@shipleyip.com Web Address: shipleyip.com Address: 6 The Quadrant, Hoylake, Wirral, CH47 2EE Telephone: 0333 240 7290

We deliver IP audits, IP protection, Licensing, Brand extension, Product development and Defence of IP. In terms of the sectors we operate in we service National design agencies, Household brand owners, Software & Technology and High profile individuals. Some of our key clients include the App Business (A leading full service digital design and mobile application development agency), National Skills Academy for Nuclear, Julien Macdonald (An internationally renowned designer and brand) and Start JG (A leading London creative agency delivering across brand, environment and digital.

In the last year we have been lucky enough to add Heighway Pinball Ltd (the UK’s only major pinball manufacturer), Savannah Miller Ltd (A fashion designer with her own fashion label) and Oak Tyres UK Limited (The UK’s leading independent distributor of tyres to the fast fit industry).

Our work comes from nationwide clients with the majority based in London. For a company to provide the best possible service to its clients they need to understand its clients fully. Only then can it deliver a bespoke and personal service. Without sounding too clichéd we would like to think our clients see us as friends.

In terms of our approach rather than advertising we rely on the word of mouth. To achieve new business we simply provide an A+ service. We do not pretend to be anyone we aren’t; we simply enjoy IP, technology, business and people.

To remain on the cutting edge of new developments we keep on top of any changes in both the legal and commercial world. For instance, we actively keep track of and are well versed in the Agile business method.

Anyone who wishes to adopt this method will be fully supported.

As we look ahead to the future we will be striving for ongoing growth in the coming year and beyond.

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LEGAL awards Best Corporate Law Firm - South West

Solicitors Title LLP

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Richard James is a corporate law specialist adept at helping businesses grow and achieve their ambitions, with a wealth of experience in advising businesses and individuals on commercial transactions. James previously with a UK top-50 international law firm, based in the City of London and now a Partner at award-winning South West law firm Solicitors Title LLP. We spoke to him to find out more.

Company: Solicitors Title LLP - Richard James Email: richard@solicitorstitle.co.uk Web: www.solicitorstitle.co.uk/solicitor/richard-james/ Telephone: +44(0)1935 385963

I enjoy helping clients achieve their ambitions and, in doing so, have worked with small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well a number of household names within the UK. The feedback I have received from my clients have acknowledged my can-do attitude as well as helping clients to effectively challenge their thinking as they work on successfully growing their businesses.

Working with a multitude of local businesses, as well as for clients in London and across the South Coast, we find that experience gained in much larger law firms brings real depth to the advice we give. I take time to understand what clients are really trying to achieve, which helps ensure that the advice they get best suits their needs and helps us build long-term business relationships.

My approach is one of working closely with clients to understand their business and what is important to them in a deal, appreciating that solutions to problems and clear advice is what clients need to be able to confidently take what are often difficult commercial decisions.

As for my experience, I am a specialist in corporate and business law, including franchising, and have led and advised on UK and international deals for clients ranging from start-ups to household names. Among these include stationary retailer Pukka Pads, global brand FujiFilm, healthcare group Alliance Boots and Photo-Me International Plc. My sector and industry experience includes: technology and media, franchising, retail, healthcare, food and drink, energy and utilities and not-for-profit.

Recent projects I have been involved in have included the £3m management buy-out MBO of a national IT supply company. I also advised Australian and New Zealand recruitment group Retailworld Resourcing on its inward investment in to the UK through franchising Furthermore, I was also involved in the sale of the entire issued share capital of Stoberry Lettings Ltd to Countrywide Plc. I also advised on commercial contracts for clients entering in to deals with Credit Suisse, MTV Europe and Farnborough International. Additionally, I advised on commercial licensing for the EpiQuest Live infection control and prevention system, which will be rolled out in hospitals throughout the UK. Among the major deals I have been involved in include the £81m acquisition of Bairds Pharmacy Group by Alliance Unichem Plc and the disposal of a paper processing business by Swedish Merchant Bank SEB for €120m.

I have been Partner and Head of Corporate, Solicitors Title LLP since 2013. Prior to this, I was Senior Solicitor at Dyne Drewett (now Mogers Drewett LLP) from 2009 – 2013. Other companies I have worked for include Watson, Farley & Williams LLP, Rawlison Butler LLP and Mundays.

At Dyne Drewett, I led the corporate commercial practice until 2012, growing the client base and expanding the services offered by this practice within the Dorset and Somerset areas. At Watson, Farley & Williams LLP, I was lawyer for their international corporate group, with particular exposure to corporate joint ventures, mergers and shipping law. Notable projects I was involved in included private equity transactions, joint ventures concerning retail development and shipping assets, as well as a worldwide due diligence exercise involving one of the world’s largest shipping organisations and M&A transactions for various entities, including an international merchant bank.

In terms of my academic experience, I was admitted as a Solicitor of the Superior Courts of England & Wales in 2005. I completed my Post-graduate diploma in Legal Practice at the College of Law in Guildford and completed and LL.B. (Hons), Law degree in the University of Southampton.

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LEGAL awards Best Boutique Law Firm - Cyprus

Soteris Pittas & Co LLC

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Soteris Pittas & Co LLC is a boutique law firm focusing on areas of law related to business activity and is dedicated to providing its clients with outstanding and highly personalized legal representation.

Company: Soteris Pittas & Co LLC Web: http://pittaslegal.com/en/ Address: Chrysanthou Mylona 10, Magnum House, 3030 Limassol - Cyprus Telephone: +357 25 028460

The lawyers and associates of the firm with their combined skills-set and knowledge can provide comprehensive legal solutions according to the clients’ particular business needs, requirements and objectives.

We are committed to representing our clients at all stages of disputes, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation, in order to secure just compensation and legal vindication. Our corporate and M &A departments provide full-fledged support ranging from formation of companies world-wide to legal support in complex corporate, commercial and finance transactions.

We have close links and strong associations with reputable audit firms, private equity managers, and fiduciaries in Cyprus, Russia and the former CIS countries. We also work with a wide range of clients ranging from small and private to big corporations, banks and institutes.

To ensure that we are at the forefront of any major developments in the industry we observe and constantly learn. The staff are trained both internally and externally so that we can spread the knowledge and experience throughout the office and onwards.

To benchmark our business, if we can find a solution to any issue and the solution can be framed into a legal mantle then that would be our method of measuring success. Another level of success is the trust that is built throughout continuous experience and which flourishes into a long term partnership.

For a limited period of time various European developments were a cause of concern for us, however they didn’t seem to affect the business too much. We look ahead to the future with optimism about our prospects as we look to build upon the achievements we have made this year.

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LEGAL awards Best Corporate Barrister - UK

St Philips Chambers

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St Philips Chambers is one of the largest sets of barristers in England and Wales with around 170 barristers practising from chambers in Birmingham, Leeds and London. We spoke to them about how they have become, and continue to be, leading practitioners in their field.

Company: St Philips Barristers Name: Joe Wilson Email: enquiries@st-philips.com Web Address: www.st-philipscommercial.com www.st-philips.com Address: 55 Temple Row, Birmingham B2 5LS. 41 Park Square, Leeds LS1 2NP. 9 Gower Street, London, WC1E 6HB. Telephone: 0121 246 7000

As a multi-disciplinary team, we can provide our clients with a highly diverse set of services. A one stop approach is one which is favoured by our clients, not the least because of the depth and breadth of expertise that is available at our chambers. The fact that within the same organisation we also have experts on relevant areas of criminal and even matrimonial law gives us an advantage that most firms of solicitors practising at a high level in the corporate field do not have.

In terms of client service, the members of Chambers benefit from long standing relationships, often built up over decades, with our clients, and the first and foremost objective is to deliver clear and pragmatic advice in concert with the other advisors instructed. We are team players and recognise that just as we bring particular expertise and experience to a matter, so do the other professionals involved.

With specialist practice groups, members are often at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of established law, and never far behind. Being a part of the overall team ensures that we work in conjunction with all the stakeholders to deliver the overall service that meets the client’s overall needs. Members provide regular training to solicitors and other professionals as well attending training provided by them, and thereby ensure that we keep up to date, both technically and commercially.

We work in a highly competitive industry and we are constantly adapting and evolving to ensure that we remain at its forefront. In order to ensure that they can respond to clients’ needs, our barristers at St Philips must keep abreast of the latest commercial and legal issues facing our clients. For us, technical excellence simply goes without saying. Successful practitioners also need to be commercially aware, responsive and user friendly. Furthermore, a willingness to really understand a client’s business and to give candid advice are crucial. In our work there is no room for sitting on the fence.

Although we are always up to date with any development in our industry, we do not like to compare ourselves to our competitors but rather feel that our success is measured by what our clients say about us, as that carries the most weight. Success is helping the clients to achieve their objectives. We regard successful outcomes for our clients, repeat business and referrals from existing clients as indications of our own success.

Perhaps our most distinguishing feature is that we are a proactive set of chambers which markets to both our existing and potential clients throughout the year. This is done through a comprehensive seminar programme, hospitality, and specific campaigns aimed at particular markets, all designed to give the opportunity to interact with clients, to build new relationships and to cement existing ones.

Above all, our corporate team are simply people who want to excel and are prepared to work tirelessly in the interest of their client. It is also essential that our people work together and can build strong relationships based on mutual trust with clients and other professional advisers.

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Valdis Skudre / Shutterstock.com

LEGAL awards Looking further ahead, one of the biggest challenges facing the Bar will be the effect of the recent rise in court fees on the amount of work going through the courts.

Certainly the rise in the Employment Tribunal fees had a massive impact on the amount of work going to The Bar, although this wasn’t felt until around 12 months after the increase was introduced. We are all now looking to see if the same will occur in the civil courts.

As mentioned previously, we are a proactive set of chambers that values the relationships we have with our clients. Competition for work is increasing due to a market which is, overall, contracting, but we are constantly looking at new initiatives to remain the first choice for clients.

The most difficult challenge is growing a business in an industry that is being constantly affected by further regulation. However this also morphs into the most exciting opportunity as it makes people look outside of the box and actively seek fresh ideas and opportunities to expand and grow.

OUR CORPORATE TEAM INCLUDES John Randall QC John Randall is recognised as one of the leading commercial silks in the country by “The Chambers 100 UK Bar”, and has a broad based practice in chancery and commercial law. John acts in a wide range of work including contractual, corporate, property and professional negligence disputes, with particular emphasis in acting for construction and property companies.

Avtar Khangure QC Avtar Khangure is a leading silk in banking and company law, insolvency, professional negligence, franchising, shareholder disputes, disciplinary proceedings before regulatory bodies, tax and VAT cases before the Special Commissioners and VAT Tribunals and product liability. His client base is also varied, from major institutions such as banks, to professional clients such as accountants and solicitors, to individuals and companies.

Ed Pepperall QC Ed Pepperall has particular expertise in the law of restraint of trade and confidentiality and in commercial fraud work. His clients include a number of FTSE100 companies as well as US and Russian companies.

Andrew Charman Andrew Charman advises on company law matters, including non-contentious transactional and drafting work, and also regularly undertakes heavy-weight financial services work relating to derivatives and other complex financial products. He advises corporates on takeovers, in particular where corporate sanction is required. Andrew also undertakes contentious company law work, in particular, minority shareholder litigation, directors’ duties claims and share warranty claims. He was previously a solicitor in the corporate department at Freshfields in London and Tokyo. Andrew’s book “Shareholder Actions”, was published by Bloomsbury in January 2013.

Dominic Roberts Dominic Roberts advises on accounting matters and group reconstructions, working closely with the general counsel and finance departments of major corporates and their external advisers and auditors. His work on the creation of an innovative profit reserve was recognised with an Innovative Lawyers Award from The Financial Times.

He also has particular expertise in the field of corporate financial investigations.

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LEGAL awards Best Independent International Law Firm

~ Now in its seventh year, SZ Law is an independent international law firm serving the global deal community. Steven Zielinski, SZ Law founder took some time away from work to share his insights into what it is that his firm does, that puts it at the head of the pack.

Company: SZ Law Email: info@szlaw.co.uk Web: http://www.szlaw.co.uk/ Address: 45 Clarges Street, London W1J 7EP, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)20 7148 6920

SZ Law designs, builds and executes bespoke legal solutions for transactions and strategic matters from first principles, helping investors, entrepreneurs, businesses and institutions realise their most ambitious plans and their most critical objectives.

SZ Law offers corporate, commercial and finance advice and services for people and businesses all over the world. This includes corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, disposals, takeovers, private equity, investments, restructurings and re-organisations; debt and equity financings; and strategic commercial matters.

Clients want to solve problems and get things done. SZ Law aims to think big and make it work and make it happen for the client as if their business were its own business. To achieve this, SZ Law carefully watches, listens and learns all in the effort to better understand clients and their markets, keeping an open mind, then tailors and innovates in close collaboration with its clients.

There are major shifts and challenges in the industry but the basics remain the same: know your stuff, look after your clients, do a good job and add value.

The pursuit of technical excellence, dedication to clients and client business objectives, and cultural and commercial awareness are the drivers at SZ Law. The benchmarks are client satisfaction and objective results. SZ Law then strives for continuous improvement and development in all areas.

Increased commoditisation is often cited as a threat. However, for the streamlined and agile practice, it represents, like the IT developments of recent decades, an opportunity to leverage off higher platforms.

It improves efficiency and highlights the value of high level human judgment in a legal and commercial context and the power of this to develop and create new opportunities for the client.

Bigger challenges are to remain abreast of commercial, political and legislative developments in an increasingly fast moving world and to maximise international opportunities. With their flexibility and sophistication, English law and the English legal system are extremely well placed to respond to both. With its agile and flexible platform SZ Law is equally ready to adapt.

SZ Law always has a range of ambitious and exciting projects in the pipeline and looks forward to realising these and developing more. In the next few years we look forward to continued client success and growth of the SZ Law family with new adventures and relationships. In addition to this we hope to see one of our earliest clients, York Potash, the world’s largest polyhalite mine, begin construction and production; and perhaps to see new businesses emerge from our incubator project.

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LEGAL awards Best for Infrastructure Projects - Vietnam & Foreign Investment Law Firm of the Year – Vietnam

VILAF

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With over 20 years of experience, VILAF is one of the largest law firms in Vietnam. VILAF has been consistently ranked as the 1st tier law firm by Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, IFLR 1000, ALB and AsiaLaw in most of major areas of practice, including Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate, M&A, Infrastructure Projects & Energy, Real Property and Arbitration.

Company: Vietnam International Law Firm (VILAF – Hong Duc) Name: Mr. Dang Duong Anh, Managing Partner Email: anh@vilaf.com.vn Web: http://www.vilaf.com.vn Address: 6th Floor, HCO Building (Melia), 44b Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam Telephone: +84 4 3934 8530

VILAF has been present in complex cross-border M&A deals, large financing and capital markets transactions and major infrastructure and energy projects in Vietnam. The firm’s long-term clients include Shell, Sumitomo Corporation, Phillip Morris, BNP Paribas, Citibank, SMBC, J-Power, SCB, ANZ, Mizuho, BTMU, Ford and Siam Cement Group, etc.

VILAF’s experienced team of senior lawyers cover every aspect of business in Vietnam, including foreign direct investment, commercial, corporate, real estate, M&A, banking, finance, capital markets, project finance, infrastructure development, oil, gas & power, construction, trading & distribution, taxation, employment, shipping, litigation and arbitration, intellectual property, technology transfers, and life sciences.

VILAF’s philosophy in business includes the following: • Improving the services quality by recruiting and training the best lawyers in the market; • Reinforcing investments and researching on key practices such as Infrastructure, project finance, M&A and arbitration; • Strengthening the relationship with the top international law firms such as Clifford Chance; Simmons & Simmons, Sherman & Sterling, etc.; • Along with the current traditional clients from Japan, America, Europe or Singapore, expanding new clients in other countries such as Thailand, Korea, China, etc.

In an interview, Dang Duong Anh, Managing Partner of the firm outlines the opportunities and challenges facing his business and the wider legal industry as we head into 2016. “The opening economy along with a better law system have made Vietnam to be a wonderland for foreign investors which gives us chances to approach and corporate with more and more clients” he explains.

“As one of the biggest local law firms in Vietnam with high quality lawyers and professional standard, we have competitive advantages to strengthen our exist expertise and expand our legal services with more industries such as renewable energy, health care and education” he goes on to say.

“However, the more the opportunities come, the more challenges await. We have to be more and more competitive not only in our services quality but also in the pricing offered. Human resources also a key problem for a firm if they do not have enough key employees or the keys one are approached from other competitors” he adds.

“Unchanged prestige, high quality, reasonable price and professional working environment are our answer to the question. The most exciting opportunity is also the most difficult challenge. Keeping the spirit can help us overcome obstacles and archive successes” he concludes.

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LEGAL awards Best for Complex Technological Issues - USA

Walker & Peskind, PLLC

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Walker & Peskind’s mission is to provide the services of top-rated attorneys in the most cost-effective manner possible, thereby making premier legal representation available to a greater number of individuals and companies.

Company: Walker & Peskind, PLLC Name: Richard K. Walker Email: rkw@azlawpartner.com Web Address: www.azlawpartner.com Address: 16100 N. 71st Street, Suite 140, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Telephone: 001 480 483 6336

In a large law firm, where billing rates are high to begin with, it is a common expectation that a premier lawyer will increase his or her rate substantially each year, which results in formidable increases in the cost of the same services over a period of even a few years. In addition to shouldering these large increases, clients often arrive at an “attorney meeting” only to find the table staffed with multiple younger partners, associates and paralegals - and their additional billing rates. These and other inefficiencies in the large firms make hiring a premier attorney simply too expensive for many.

Rick and EJ knew there had to be a better way to deliver premier service without putting clients to such exorbitant expense. The answer lay in experience, expertise, and efficiency. Experienced lawyers with well-developed expertise in their fields of practice are able to arrive more efficiently at clear assessments of the legal issues confronting their clients and devise insightful strategies for effectively dealing with those issues.

Walker & Peskind puts experience, expertise, and efficiency together to form a new model of the premier law firm. Engage any of their partners and you put decades of experience and knowledge on your side; your attorney is AV® Preeminent™ rated (highest legal abilities and ethical standards) and acknowledged expertise in his preeminent practice areas. At minimum, a Walker & Peskind attorney has excellent credentials and has been practicing law with a high degree of success for at least seven years, and their current partners have an aggregate of over 100 years of experience in the practice of law.

They are a growing firm, but their growth plan is premised on these core values. Accordingly, all attorneys and paralegals who join us understand and appreciate that their special emphasis on the combination of experience, expertise, and efficiency is what sets the firm apart and puts them in a position to ensure that everyone who works on their clients’ matters adds value.

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LEGAL awards Best Regulatory & Compliance Team - UK

Walker Morris

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Walker Morris LLP is a successful, highly regarded law firm who support their national and international clients with commercially focused legal advice. Andrew Northage talks us through the firm’s award winning regulatory and compliance team and provides a unique insight into their work.

Company: Walker Morris LLP Name: Andrew Northage Email: andrew.northage@walkermorris.co.uk Web Address: www.walkermorris.co.uk Address: Kings Court, 12 King Street, Leeds LS1 2HL Telephone: +44 (0) 113 283 2500

Walker Morris LLP is uniquely recognised for its strong multi-disciplinary teamwork and straightforward advice.

The firm and our lawyers are recognised as leaders in their fields, with almost 90% of our partners recognised in Chambers and Legal 500 for their expertise.

The Regulatory & Compliance Team at Walker Morris advises and represents an enviable list of UK and international clients in connection with a wide range of contentious and non-contentious regulatory matters in all aspects of financial services regulation, as well as fraud, bribery, proceeds of crime, health and safety, inquests and information law. We have particular expertise in relation to complex corporate transactions, regulatory investigations and criminal and regulatory proceedings brought by the authorities.

Members of the Walker Morris Regulatory & Compliance Team have experience of working for the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Services Authority (as it then was), in-house and in private practice, which sets the team apart from our competitors and gives it valuable insight into the regulators’ mind set and our clients’ needs.

In addition, because we understand that good corporate governance requires the effective management of regulatory risks from board level down, we understand the need for keeping abreast of legislative change and ensuring all relevant compliance policies and practices, reinforced by comprehensive training, are kept up to date.

As such we work hard to understand every aspect of our clients’ businesses so that we can properly understand both the operation and culture, to help us provide advice that meets the client’s commercial imperatives and deliver it in a manner that is most effective and useful for the particular client.

Looking to the future we are focused on maintaining and developing a centre of excellence, which delivers a consistent and co-ordinated service to our clients. Our single-site strategy experience has shown us that this engenders close relationships and good communication among our lawyers for the benefit of our clients, whilst simultaneously allowing us to operate on a national scale.

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LEGAL awards Best Business Reorganization Lawyer - California

Richard H Golubow

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Richard H Golubow is a founding member and the managing shareholder of Winthrop Couchot Professional Corporation, a premier bankruptcy law firm established in 1995 and located in Newport Beach, California.

Name: Richard H Golubow Founding Member Telephone: +1 949 720 4135 Email: rgolubow@winthropcouchot.com Web: www.winthropcouchot.com

Devoting his practice to the areas of financial restructuring, insolvency law, complex bankruptcy and business reorganisations, litigation, liquidations and acquisitions, Golubow’s clients include debtors, creditors, creditor committees, bankruptcy trustees, assignees for the benefit of creditors, receivers and asset purchasers in a wide range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, distribution, importing, construction, entertainment, education, non-profit institutions, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, automotive, golf and country club, biotech, transportation, telecommunications and Internet businesses.

He has achieved an ‘AV Preeminent’ (5 out of 5) Peer Rating, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer recognition, generated from evaluations by other members of the bar and the judiciary for legal ability and ethical standards. He is also rated “superb” (10 out of 10) by the leading independent attorney rating service, AVVO, and has been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer, representing the top 5% of practising attorneys in Southern California. Golubow is a member of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF), an invitation only network of lawyers from single-discipline boutique law firms with the highest level of knowledge, experience, reputation and credentials comparable or superior to what can be found at the highest-ranking full-service law firms.

Golubow has lectured, written about, or been interviewed on varied insolvency related topics including: as a panellist, Bankruptcy in the Americas Roundtable, Financier Worldwide Magazine, September 2015; as a panellist, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Annual Review 2015, Financier Worldwide Magazine, June 2015; as an author, Use of the Common Interest Doctrine in Bankruptcy Cases, Corporate LiveWire Bankruptcy & Restructuring Expert Guide, March/April 2015; as a guest interviewed on Your Money Talks radio show, host Jerry Slusiewicz, a Bloomberg radio affiliated program, January 5, 2015 about corporate bankruptcy and financial restructuring; as a moderator, Comparative Analysis of Receiverships, Bankruptcies and Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors, California Receivers Forum Loyola VI Conference, January 23, 2015; as a panellist, Bankruptcy in the Americas Roundtable, Financier Worldwide Magazine, September 2014; as a guest interviewed on Commercial Real Estate Radio (creradio.com) about Commercial Real Estate Bankruptcy – What You Need to Know, on April 4, 2014 and Investing in Distressed Real Property in Bankruptcy, on February 13, 2014; as a panellist, ‘But I Thought We Were Safe: Are Priority Claims and Legacy Employee Liabilities at Risk in a 363 Sale?’ at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 25th Annual Winter Leadership Conference in December 2013; and as a panellist, ‘War of the Roses, The Impact of Divorce Proceedings on Business and Personal Bankruptcy Cases’ at the California Bankruptcy Forum’s 25th Annual Insolvency Conference in May 2013.

Prior to entering private practice, Golubow served as judicial law clerk and judicial extern to the Honourable John J Wilson, United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Central District of California, Santa Ana Division.

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LEGAL awards Best for Financial Mis-Selling - UK

Wixted and Co Ltd

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A firm of solicitors who specialise in pursuing claims for financial mis-selling and other professional negligence matters, Wixted & Co Solicitors founder Tim Wixted gave us his thoughts on what winning this award means to him and shared his insights into what makes his firm stand out from the competition.

Address: 57 Putney Bridge Road, London, SW18 1NP Tel: 0208 877 8700 Email: law@wixtedandco.co.uk Web address: www.neglectassist.co.uk

We are delighted that our success in assisting people in recovering losses and securing compensation from financial advisers and other connected parties who have recommended unsuitable investments, pension transfers and other similar financial products, has be recognised in the AI Legal Awards.

Many of our clients are low risk investors who have been advised to place money into products or schemes where there are inherent risks involved. Such products are often wholly unsuitable for our clients due to the high risk or speculative nature of the investment.

We encounter an increasing number of situations where the level of risk involved is inaccurately explained and our clients’ attitude toward risk is improperly assessed or classified. Poor or wrong advice in this area can potentially affects the level of financial security that people have during their retirement years. The wrong decision, founded on misinformation, can have devastating consequences.

Choices abound in the market today which can leave those with little or no previous investment experience vulnerable as they make their financial decisions. We are particularly concerned that the introduction of recent pension reforms, which give people a greater degree of freedom and flexibility over how they use their pension funds, may lead to increase in the number of financial mis-selling victims.

We are able to offer our clients a ‘no win, no fee’ service, where we assess the merits of a potential claim by identifying any breaches of financial regulatory rules and provisions on contractual and negligence law.

We then advise our clients on the best course of action available to them, which may involve litigation and recourse to formal Court proceedings should it not prove possible to resolve the matter directly with the party we deem responsible for the loss beforehand. We also consider and provide alternate methods of dispute resolution when available to the client.

The financial markets and landscape are ever-changing and 2015 has seen challenges emerge. Expecting this trend to continue into 2016 and beyond, particularly as further regulatory reforms are planned, we are proud of our results to date but know that we cannot rest on our laurels.

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LEGAL awards Best Private Client Team - Devon

~ Over the last few years Wollen Michelmore has grown substantially and developed into a strong regional practice.

It now has five offices throughout Devon – Torquay, Newton Abbot, Dartmouth, Barnstaple and Bideford – and is the only law firm with offices in both the north and south of the county – offering a “coast to coast” service and network of offices.

The firm’s strategy has seen a mix of geographic expansion through merger/acquisition plus organic growth of departments and development of new/niche services. However the firm has also been keen not to lose sense of its identity borne out of private client service to generations of families across Devon. The largest offices in the firm, Torquay and Newton Abbot, were run by predecessor firms in their current locations since the 1860s, so whilst having a keen sense of heritage much focus has been concentrated in recent times on creating a modern, profitable and dynamic law firm. Wollen Michelmore became an LLP in 2011, and currently has 15 LLP members – 11 equity and 4 salaried. The firm has signed Heads of Terms for the lease of 12,000 square feet of new office space within a new development in the centre of Torquay and is also expected to move the Barnstaple office into new premises during 2016.

The firm is probably “unique” in that its growth has seen it become the fifth largest law firm in the Devon & Somerset Law Society region but is the only “large” regional firm to have retained a focus on private client services (including family legal aid) with offices in accessible town centre locations. There are five key departments of the firm – property, private client (wills, probate, trusts), commercial, dispute resolution and family.

Company: Wollen Michelmore Web: http://wollenmichelmore.co.uk/ Address: 30 The Terrace Torquay, Devon, TQ1 1BS

The firm’s key departments are set out above but in addition the firm has developed some key niche areas in fields such as child care, marine, renewable energy, clinical negligence (particularly in the field of hospital infections), leisure and tourism, and licensing (winning several national licensing awards). The firm has won several regional awards and Rachel Carter was recently shortlisted as Solicitor of the Year at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards for her work in non accidental injury child care cases. The firm has also been shortlisted in the following categories in the Devon and Somerset Law Society Legal Awards.

• Law Firm of the year 11+ partners • Solicitor of the year • CSR • Client Care • Law Manager of the year • Team of the year – Private Client and Family

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M&A awards

Legal Awards 2015

LEGAL awards Best Infrastructure Boutique - UK

Zyda Law

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Known as an award winning and leading specialist planning and environmental law firm, Zyda Law boasts an enviable track-record of success. We recently spoke with the firm’s founder, to find out what it is about Zyda Law that makes them stand out from the crowd.

Company: Zyda Law Web: http://www.zydalaw.com/ Address: 60 Cygnet Court; Stratford upon Avon Telephone: +44 1789 413949

We are a Leading ‘Tier 1’ LEGAL500 practice, specialising in securing planning and development consent for major, and nationally significant, infrastructure projects. We help our clients achieve their goals through our unique combination of direct experience, legal expertise and innovative thinking.

Our lawyers have extensive experience of major, and nationally significant, infrastructure projects in: Energy, Waste, Transport, Water & Marine, Office and Retail. With our help, some of the UK’s biggest developments have become a reality. Our continued success in gaining consent for major infrastructure projects has enabled in excess of £4 billion of development.

Our clients often seek consent for ‘nationally significant infrastructure projects’ (NSIPs) which are nationally important developments such as power stations, railways and waste infrastructure which, due to their scale, require a ‘development consent order’.

We help our clients to understand the philosophy of this regime and we approach the process with a streamlined and bigger-picture strategy. We manage comprehensive community engagement programmes and ensure our clients’ applications comply with local and national policies.

We take a deep interest in optimising our clients’ prospects of success by identifying and managing legal risk throughout the pre-application, application and examination stages of infrastructure development projects.

We’ll listen to what you want – we’re commercially-minded and take responsibility and ownership of all instructions from the outset.

We take a unique approach to infrastructure projects by providing a project management service which brings together all the elements – not just legal – needed to deliver the right result.

We understand also the need for a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, team approach. Project teams have access to our cloud-based project management system, which acts as a central depository for all documents, actions and costs. This helps to deliver in-built savings, such as integrating consultation management in one system rather than incurring the cost of dedicated consultation management software.

As a specialist boutique firm, unencumbered by the overheads of a large back office team or other departments, we offer market leading competitive fixed fees for our infrastructure development work. Our fees are based on hourly charge rates which are the most competitive of all ‘Tier 1’ LEGAL500 law firms.

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