Legal awards 2013

“The Firm’s ambition is and has always been to set new standards for the practice of law in Tanzania as well as East Africa.

“The award is also a result of the unique and dynamic team of lawyers coming from the US, Europe, India and Africa. Our team of lawyers is very comfortable with and experienced in working with premier international law firms and fully understands what is expected of Tanzanian legal counsel in terms of thoroughness, timeliness and accuracy.

Hon. Nimrod E. Mkono - Mkono & Co. Advocates

“We are humbled, and appreciative,” says Kiran.

“We have always strived to provide succinct and informative reports to our clients. We understand that due diligence and background investigations are a sensitive topic across any industry, and have always maintained our clients’ privacy. We feel this award recognizes our efforts in maintaining an informative partnership with our clientele.”

Kiran Ali Esq - CRI Group

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Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Foreword 3 Welcome to the Acquisition International 2013 Legal Awards.

Nominated by clients, peers and fellow professionals; voted for by our subscribers; agreed by our industry experts – our awards are given to commend outstanding work around the world over the past 12 months.

And what a 12 months it’s been. The effects of the global downturn continue to be felt both in terms of difficult markets and an increasing regulatory burden. Legal Aid is disappearing, training is under review and some jurisdictions are seeing changes to the legal business model that present yet more competition. Yet the M&A market is beginning to emerge from the doldrums, with IPOs seeing their first boom since the crash of 2009, and IP practitioners are being kept busy by a constant stream of new technological innovations. Arbitration and mediation are also on the rise as organisations seek alternative dispute resolution methods.

It’s clear from our awards that legal professionals around the world have grasped the arguments, seen the opportunities, risen to the challenges of the past 12 months and produced some outstanding work. The sheer scale of interest in our awards took us by surprise and we’re delighted that the industry has been so determined to recognise its stars. The awards recognise everything from commercial litigation and arbitration to immigration law, insolvency and niche areas. All of our winners can be proud of their achievements.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Merrill DataSite, a premier online Virtual Data Room (VDR) solution that efficiently houses critical business information for mergers and acquisitions, document warehousing, IPO and much more.

Read on to find out who made the cut and what it takes to be an Acquisition International award winner.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Featured Winners

Featured Winners

Anti-Fraud Adviser of the Year UAE / CRI Group (page 6)

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Tanzania / Mkono & Co. Advocates (page 8)

Insolvency Practitioners of the Year - UK / Abbey Taylor Ltd (page 10)

Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria / Ajumogobia & Okeke (page 11)

Ajumogobia & Okeke

Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year - France / Cabinet Dreyfus & Associés (page 12)

Patent Law Firm of the Year Turkey / Destek Patent (page 14)

Lawyers Choice Award: Insurance Broker of the Year - Germany / Dr. Ihlas GmbH (page 15)

Dental Law Firm of the Year UK / Else Solicitors (page 16)

M&A Law Firm of the Year Japan / Hibiya-Nakata (page 18)

Legal Due Diligence Adviser of the Year - Brazil / Marcos Martins Advogados (page 20)

Sustained Excellent in Personal Insolvency - UK / Morecrofts LLP (page 21)

Cabinet Dreyfus & Associés

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Qatar / Gulf Legal Consultants (page 17)

4 Hibiya-Nakata

Arbitrator of the Year - Ontario / Miskin Law Offices (page 22)

Professional Negligence Law Firm & Healthcare Liability Practitioners of the Year - USA / Rosenblum Newfield (page 23)

Miskin Law Offices

Arbitration Law of the Year France / Sefrioui Law Firm (page 27)

Fire Safety Specialists of the Year - UK / Wilkinson Construction Consultants (page 28)

Morecrofts LLP

IP Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Japan / RYUKA IP LAW FIRM (page 24)

Boutique Immigration Law Practitioner of the Year - Australia / Sabelbergs (page 26)

RYUKA IP LAW FIRM

Sabelbergs

Medical Inventions Patents Practice of the Year - UK / Wilson Gunn (page 30)

Intellectual Property Silk of the Year - UK / Andrew Waugh (page 30)

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Featured Winners

Technology Law Firm of the Year - Brazil / Andrioli Giacomini Porto e Cortez Advogados (page 30)

French Dealmaker of the Year Ticket Surf International transaction / Antélis (page 31)

Patent Law Firm of the Year Brazil / Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados (page 31)

Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year - China / CN-KnowHow IP Group (page 32)

Cross-Border M&A Law Firm of the Year - Australia / Clarendon Lawyers (page 32)

Property Law Firm of the Year Germany / Heussen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft (page 35)

Antélis

Competition Law Firm of the Year - China / DeHeng Law Offices (page 33)

Tax Advisers of the Year - Italy / Ernst & Young, Studio Legale Tributario (page 33)

Strategic Regulatory Consultants of the Year - UK / Financial Markets Law International (page 34)

Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year - Wales / Gareth Jones (page 34)

Russian IP law Firm of the Year / INTELLECT-S (page 35)

Insurance Law Firm of the Year Ireland / Kent Carty Solicitors (page 36)

White Collar Crime Defence Junior of the Year - UK / Keith Mitchell (page 36)

Collective Investments Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland / lecocqassociate (page 37)

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Lawyers Choice Award: Accountancy Firm of the Year Malta / M.Meilak and Associates (page 38)

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Kazakhstan / Michael Wilson & Partners, Limited (page 38)

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Algeria / Hamza Law Office (page 39)

Trademark Attorneys of the Year - UK / Novagraaf (page 39)

Insolvency Barrister of the Year UK / Prof. Watson-Gandy (page 40)

Overall Law Firm of the Year Cayman Islands / Walkers (page 41)

Product Liability Practitioners of the Year - France / Weil & Associés (page 42)

Most Approachable Solicitors of the Year - UK / Woodfines LLP (page 42)

Michael Wilson & Partners, Limited

Corporate Law Firm of the Year Isle of Man / James Quinn (page 40)

Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year - India / Wakhariya & Wakhariya (page 41)

Wakhariya & Wakhariya

Anna Omelchenko / Shutterstock.com

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

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Anti-Fraud Adviser of the Year - UAE CRI Group

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

CRI Group (Corporate Research and Investigations) is a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organizations.

An increase in multijurisdictional investigations plus a focus on educating clients and a commitment to the ‘personal touch’ has seen demand for CRI Group’s services escalate over the past year.

“In a day and age when most due diligence companies strive to have an international presence, CRI Group truly does,” says Kiran Ali Esq, General Counsel and Head of Global Strategy for CRI Group.

“We can proudly provide our clientele with the assurance that we do not outsource any of our investigations. With boots on the ground in most countries globally, we maintain quality control and lean pricing due to personally employing each and every one of our investigators in over 100 countries worldwide.

“By keeping our operations team globally located, we are always on call to provide the highest customer service to our clients. The sun truly never sets on our business!”

Just to make absolutely sure of its global presence, the past two months has seen CRI Group expand into new territories.

Kiran recently joined the company particularly to oversee this period of growth and restructuring.

With more global operations offices set to open in 2014, the team at CRI Group is excited about growing to become a powerhouse partner for its clients. “We have found that old clients are now relying on us to provide services globally to all their business units,” says Kiran. “This show of confidence in our abilities is exciting and humbling at the same time.

Success is a ship sailing our way, we hope everyone wants to get on board!”

Of course, the increase in business means both recruitment and team culture remain paramount in ensuring success. CRI Group’s team is divided globally, with each business unit assisting the other. With this team-based approach the company ensures that each individual takes ownership of their functional role, as well as feeling pride for the successes obtained.

“We believe we are only as strong as our weakest link, and we provide training, and feedback to ensure that even our weakest link is stronger than our competitors’ strongest link,” says Kiran.

Most of CRI Group’s clientele are multinational corporations.

A proliferation in multijurisdictional investigations by home governments has caused a flurry of activity with regards to third party investigations.

And it is justified as 70% of the DOJ’s FCPA investigations in 2013 focused around third party vendors or suppliers affiliated with major US-based corporations.

Kiran says: “We find more and more that we are being called on to help educate our clients on emerging market areas, as well as help them analyze internal risk. We have been working night and day to help our clients first analyze their risk exposure, and then to help them fill in the gaps to protect against said risk.

“Demand for our services has increased tremendously. In 2013 we saw a 120% growth over 2012 and there are no signs of slowing. We attribute this increase to an active research culture. Our team is constantly educating itself on the new trends in legislation to retain their added value status for our clientele.

“We are humbled, and appreciative,” says Kiran. “We have always strived to provide succinct and informative reports to our clients.

We understand that due diligence and background investigations are a sensitive topic across any industry, and have always maintained our clients’ privacy. We feel this award recognizes our efforts in maintaining an informative partnership with our clientele.”

“As such we are able to advise our clients expertly on where the latest trends lie in legislation and litigation, to ensure they never become a victim of either.”

CRI Group has responded to the increase in business by hiring more experts, and by seeking to open more operational offices.

Their aim is to be a local resource to their clientele to assure them of market trends in regions where they may be unfamiliar.

Looking towards 2014 and beyond CRI Group is targeting more small and middle-size businesses. “We feel these businesses need the consulting and research expertise we can provide to ensure their growth strategy is globally compliant,” explains Kiran. “There are too many competitors constantly fighting for the big business contracts. While we value our current customers, we also want to be a resource to help smaller companies grow.”

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In the meantime, the team at CRI Group has been working overtime to publish scholarly articles and travel the world meeting clients face to face.

Kiran says: “We feel business requires a personal touch, and nothing can compare to a face to face meeting. We feel our investment in our clients is what will ensure our success in 2014.

Fact File

“Thus far, it has been exciting to meet every single one of our clients face to face, and we hope to continue to do so. By travelling to meet our clients we are able to learn what works, and what doesn’t work in our business model. As such we incorporate this feedback into our business model to always and constantly improve upon our services.”

With such a focus on personal service, how did the team feel when they found out they’d won the Acquisition International award?

“We are humbled, and appreciative,” says Kiran. “We have always strived to provide succinct and informative reports to our clients. We understand that due diligence and background investigations are a sensitive topic across any industry, and have always maintained our clients’ privacy. We feel this award recognizes our efforts in maintaining an informative partnership with our clientele.”

Company: CRI Group Name: Kiran Ali Esq Email: Kali@crigroup.com Web Address: www.crigroup.com Address: 917 Liberty House, DIFC PO Box 111794 DUBAI UAE

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Tanzania Mkono & Co. Advocates

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Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Hon. Nimrod E. Mkono is founder of Mkono & Co Advocates, a firm considered one of the leading law firms in East Africa. Mr Mkono tells us more about the company as well as the industry it operates within.

Mkono & Co. Advocates is considered one of the leading law firms in East Africa and founding partner, Hon Nimrod E Mkono, tells us a little more about its background.

“I founded the Firm in 1977 as an international corporate, commercial and financial practice, and remain the Firm’s Managing Partner. The Firm’s name evokes a strong reputation for understanding its clients’ sectors and working with them to achieve their business and strategic objectives.”

As a full service law firm Mkono & Co. Advocates works closely with several international law firms. Close client contact, combined with its global partnerships with leading law firms, has enabled the Firm to handle wideranging matters for governments, private companies and non-governmental organisations.

Recognised by international professional directories, Mkono & Co has received multiple awards for its legal leadership and quality of service. It has been ranked in Tier One in Chambers Global since 2000 and counts several lawyers ranked as leaders in their respective fields.

Mr Mkono states: “Over the years, the Firm has formed a number of alliances with other firms practicing in other jurisdictions and is a member of Terralex, a global association of law firms. The Firm also has an association with Dentons, an international law firm with approximately 2600 lawyers and professionals worldwide. In March 2007, Mkono & Co. also opened an office in Bujumbura, Burundi, thus enhancing its footprint in the East African region.

“We have a USP that is clearly articulated and understood by the market.

We stand for quality of service and an unparalleled understanding of the market. Our team of lawyers is very comfortable with and experienced in working with premier international law firms and fully understands what is expected of Tanzanian legal counsel in terms of thoroughness, timeliness and accuracy. We have developed a reputation for understanding our clients’ sectors and working with them toward achieving their business and strategic objectives. Many of our lawyers benefit from additional experience acquired either as in-house counsel, at international law firms and institutions or at renowned universities, ensuring a broad perspective and understanding of the strategy and complex needs of our clients.”

Recently Mkono & Co received an award for Overall Law Firm of the Year – Tanzania, an accolade given by Acquisition International magazine as voted for by the publication’s reader base. It is recognition of the firm’s outstanding contribution to its local and national economy and Mr Mkono explains what he attributes this success to.

“Mkono & Co thoroughly understands the key political, economic, regulatory and legal issues, which challenge doing business in East Africa. The Firm’s experience is especially so for Tanzania where the Firm has a highly established and well tested network of contacts with the government, banks, local companies and other consultants. This has enabled Mkono & Co. Advocates to successfully steer investors and businesses through often very complex and unfamiliar business and regulatory environments.

“The Firm’s ambition is and has always been to set new standards for the practice of law in Tanzania as well as East Africa.

“The award is also a result of the unique and dynamic team of lawyers coming from the US, Europe, India and Africa,” he says. “Our team of lawyers is very comfortable with and experienced in working with premier international law firms and fully understands what is expected of Tanzanian legal counsel in terms of thoroughness, timeliness and accuracy. The Firm has thus built a reputation for understanding its clients’ sectors and working with them toward achieving their business and strategic objectives. Many of the Firm’s lawyers benefit from additional experience acquired either as in-house counsel, at international law firms and institutions or at renowned universities, ensuring a broad perspective and understanding of the strategy and complex needs of the Firm’s clients.”

It seems that team culture plays a very important part in defining Mkono & Co, as Mr Mkono adds: “Quality of service and output is of paramount importance to us. Every lawyer at Mkono & Co. is attached to a particular practice group. The lead

partner of each practice group is responsible for establishing the highest professional standards of competence within the relevant practice area.

Each practice group is responsible for recruitment, legal training, non-legal development, know-how and research.

“Our team has significant experience in banking, capital markets, corporate finance, oil and gas, mining, intellectual property, infrastructure, publicprivate partnerships and project finance transactions. We are also active in litigation and arbitration and have been engaged to act on a number of high profile arbitration and litigation matters involving, amongst others, taxation and employment law disputes.”

“The award is also a result of the unique and dynamic team of lawyers coming from the US, Europe, India and Africa,” As the global market’s strength returns, firm’s such as Mkono & Co must continue to build upon its successes in the face of increasing competition in order to stay ahead of the game. Mr Mkono tells us more about the firm’s strategy. “In order to build our business in the face of increased global competition, we continue to focus on issues and strategies aimed at merging our brand with our talent pool, all with a view to building a strong competitive edge over the competition. We do believe that our firm’s most valuable asset is its people. Therefore investing in the firm’s brand and building a talent pool that clients cannot resist and competitors cannot replicate is our recipe for a strong competitive advantage. In our view, our brand is merely what is perceived by the outside world. The reality, however, comprises the lawyers, staff and personnel who actually interact with the outside world on a day-today basis to deliver quality legal services. Therefore, we always aim to merge our brand with the external reality.

“Our brand is of paramount importance to us because we believe that in a globally competitive marketplace, consumers of legal services have several options and want to be assured of making the best decision. To us, it is all about trust and risk reduction. Ostensibly, in a cluttered environment where consumers have little time to ponder product decisions, it is highly advantageous for legal service providers to not only stand for something significant, but also to be remembered for something consequential. Accordingly, we place a high premium on identifying the various ways in which the activities of the firm combine to strengthen our brand. Our firm’s unique brand helps us retain current clients by reminding them of why they buy legal services from us, while insulating us from competitive onslaughts. We firmly believe that how our firm’s brand is viewed by existing and potential clients and other influencers will continue to determine our success going forward. Additionally, how our firm’s employment brand is experienced will impact how existing and potential personnel regard working for the firm.”

Mr Mkono explains what distinguishes the firm from its competition. “We won our last competitive pitch based on our unique value proposition of competitive pricing and optimal deal staffing. With over three decades of experience in the market, we have come to recognise the importance of providing a focused and cost-effective service, which provides the client with quality and value for money. We also fully appreciate the fact that it is important for the services that we provide to be resourced at the correct level, ensuring that a lawyer of the appropriate seniority carries out the work to make any possible time and cost savings. Incidentally, our normal pricing practice is to use hourly rates, with a flexible approach to the rates and the billing procedures. We regularly offer blended rates, place a cap on our fees or offer fixed fees for well determined projects and transactions, where we can sensibly predict the balance of skills and experience required for the successful completion of the assignment.”

Client loyalty is tested by Mkono & Co’s competitors now more so than ever, and Mr Mkono tells how the firm rises to this challenge, employing defensive measures to protect the firm and all it stands for.

“Our approach to client loyalty is simple: we use client service excellence to build loyalty. Accordingly, we continue to develop innovative ways of keeping in touch with our clients and treat our team well so they, in turn, treat our clients well. Moreover, we show our clients that we truly care about their business and never stop striving to figure out how to make them more successful and happy.”

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Fact File Company: Mkono & Co Advocates Name: Hon. Nimrod E. Mkono Email: nimrod.mkono@mkono.com Web Address: http://www.mkono.com/ Address: 8th Floor Exim Tower, Ghana Avenue, P.O. Box 4369, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Telephone: +255 22 2118789-91, +255 22 2194200

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Insolvency Practitioner of the Year - UK Abbey Taylor

A personalised service that eschews a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is the hallmark of Abbey Taylor’s approach. Empathy and flexibility combines with practical, straight-forward, realistic advice to forge long-term relationships – and create an award-winner.

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Abbey Taylor’s focus on providing individually tailored plans to suit their clients’ needs and circumstances and supplying the advice that is right for them and their creditors requires a culture that embraces personalisation and face-to-face service.

Achieving the right level of service requires a culture that is vibrant, youthful and evolves with the changing face of business.

That means recruiting the right people – in Abbey Taylor’s case high-calibre graduates who will enable this culture to continue.

Fact File

Company: Abbey Taylor Name: Tracey Taylor Email: tracy.taylor@abbeytaylor.co.uk Web Address: www.abbeytaylor.co.uk Address: Blades Enterprise Centre John St, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S2 4SW Telephone: 0800 0196035

Director Tracey Taylor says: “Abbey Taylor has grown from being a company with just myself as sole practitioner, to now having an additional three insolvency practitioners. We like to retain our star performers, through promotion, additional responsibility and training. Our newest insolvency practitioner originally came to us as a graduate trainee.”

Another important factor to consider is the firm’s brand and reputation. “Our brand is very important,” says Ms Taylor. “Three out of our four insolvency practitioners were trained in top 10 accountancy practices giving the firm a variety of large and small firm experience. We have built on our reputation and made Abbey Taylor a brand that is known to major banks and asset based lenders throughout the UK. This is extremely helpful in gaining the trust of clients and stakeholders.”

Ahead of the pack The focus on personal service and ever-changing client needs meant that, even before the strengthening global market started increasing competition, Abbey Taylor had increased its offering to clients and stakeholders. By becoming more entrepreneurial, they ensured a better fit with their clients.

“We are more than just insolvency practitioners,” says Ms Taylor.

“We give advice on turnaround, debt negotiation (secured and unsecured), financing and re-financing options. Our services develop each year.”

It seems to be working: the team has a wide range of industry and life experience and can identify with clients from all walks of life. A high level of personalised service, given by appropriately qualified people, means many of Abbey Taylor’s existing clients introduce new opportunities to the team.

While there is an increasing amount of consolidation in the legal marketplace, Abbey Taylor does not plan to go down the M&A route, preferring instead to concentrate on organic growth. This allows them to concentrate on continuing to provide a unique approach to clients and stakeholders and on recruiting the type of energetic, dynamic individuals who will support the firm’s approach and increase its skillset.

Practical advice The current economic climate has meant that companies and individuals are less reluctant to ‘stop – start over’ as there are fewer funding opportunities than there were five years ago. Businesses are now focusing on preserving what they have. The team at Abbey Taylor delights in giving this turnaround advice and finding them more appropriate funding where required.

“We do not focus purely on insolvency” explains Ms Taylor. “We try to accommodate what is best for all parties including the client, its creditors and stakeholders, as this generally produces a better outcome for all concerned.”

If the feedback from their latest competitive pitch is anything to go by, Abbey Taylor’s focus on culture, brand and personalised service has clearly had an impact on its communications.

Ms Taylor says: “Recently we advised the directors of a 100-yearold company. Before seeing us they had seen three other firms.

We won the job based on the fact that the directors felt totally confident with our team’s no-nonsense, common sense approach to their problem. They also liked the fact that we gave advice in clear understandable terms, as they were baffled by the technical approach of the other firms.”

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria / Ajumogobia & Okeke 11

A reputation for cutting-edge legal advice and sector specialisation has led to an award-winning effectiveness for Ajumogobia & Okeke. Partner Olasupo Shusore explains more…

As a leading commercial law practice, the convergence of varied experience and robust skill-sets is essential in our interrelated areas of expertise: Commercial, Litigation and Arbitration/ADR, Corporate and Commercial, Intellectual Property, Taxation and Foreign Investment, Banking and Finance, Energy Resources and environment (Oil & Gas) Maritime Law, Aircraft and Aviation, Commercial and Business Crime. Our dedicated practice groups in these areas give us a unique perspective and reliable capability.

Over the past three decades A&O has provided a broad range of legal services to numerous corporate clients, by assisting them in setting up and organizing their businesses in Nigeria. The firm’s clients range from multi-national corporations, international banks, and major public companies to family businesses, individual entrepreneurs and government entities.

A&O has advised and provided invaluable support to in-house counsel in respect of numerous significant mandates. The firm has participated as legal and consortium adviser in the privatization and core investment in major public utilities in Nigeria. We routinely advise clients on compliance and the regulatory landscape, acting in the Nigerian capital market as licensed solicitors bringing innovative solutions to often unique client requirements.

A&O is frequently selected as ‘the commercial transaction law firm’ owing to the substantial line of major business transactions the firm has advised on and its total approach to problem solving, negotiation and documentation.

The firm has acted as lead solicitor in the first Sub-national Floating Rate Redeemable Revenue Bond for the Nigerian Capital Market

and continues to receive mandates in Bond Market transactions.

A&O has also led a pioneering effort by two international banks in the design implementation and documentation for a continuing Global Depository Receipts (GDR) Programme in Nigeria within the context of existing legislation.

In conjunction with Twenty Marina Solicitors LLP (our company secretarial practice} we offer outsourced corporate filings and company secretarial services.

We have used modern and local solutions to establish a reputation for cutting-edge legal advice that enables clients to capitalize on business opportunities and manage change effectively. Sector specializations are keys to our effectiveness. Our lawyers have a profound understanding of our clients’ industry sectors, so we can provide a full range of advice based on extensive knowledge. For our clients, this means service with an added dimension.

To ensure our clients receive the best service possible we offer the full complement of commercial legal services in all sectors.

With offices in three Nigerian cities – Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja – and corresponding relationships with some of the international pre-eminent firms, we are strategically placed to offer global expertise within a local context helping our clients to realize their business objectives.

A&O has featured in Chambers Global with quotes saying, ‘This firm’s sterling reputation as a significant name in corporate/commercial work... a particular strength of the firm’ and ‘This well regarded outfit...extensive resources and a highly skilled team’.

Fact File Company: Ajumogobia & Okeke Name: Olasupo Shusore Email: ao@ajumogobiaokeke.com Web Address: www.ajumogobiaokeke.com Address: 2nd Floor, Sterling Towers, 20 Marina, Lagos.

Telephone: 234 1 2719368 234 1 2719369

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year - France Cabinet Dreyfus & Associés

Leading-edge and top quality work at reasonable price aren’t the only hallmarks of Cabinet Dreyfus & Associés – they have also embraced the world of new technology. The firm’s founder Nathalie Dreyfus explains more.

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Congratulations on winning the award – what do you think led to this achievement?

of the situations that will appear more often with the new gTLDs as many of them are meaningful words.

Dreyfus’ expertise for optimal management of trademarks and models, domain name portfolios and our up-to-date knowledge of all the issues related to the presence of companies on the internet must have been key factors.

The panellist said there is nothing that precludes taking into account the string when assessing similarity, and decided to transfer the domain. If that is followed, it will be very good for brand owners.

We are internationally recognized as one of the few intellectual property firms with expertise in the digital economy. Dreyfus is known for acting in the traditional fields of intellectual property – trademarks, designs, patents and copyright, as well as in new fields like domain names, new gTLDs (generic top-level domains), social networks, Google Adwords.

What trends do you see emerging in your field?

Also, flexibility, creativity and reactivity are qualities associated with Dreyfus.

There is also an increasing interdependence between intellectual property and the digital economy. Protecting and using a trademark in the cyberspace will encompass an increasing number of strategic legal issues. The launch of new gTLDs will obviously have an impact and may accelerate the need for defining or adjusting the companies’ legal strategies relating to the presence of their trademarks on the internet.

How did you become interested in IP? I have been involved with trade marks for more than 20 years and have always done IP and IT law. I graduated from Strasbourg University where there is a strong emphasis on trademarks, because the CEIPI is located there. I enjoy the technical side, which is becoming more and more complex, and the creativity.

Fact File Company: Cabinet Dreyfus & Associés Name: Nathalie Dreyfus Email: contact@dreyfus.fr Web Address: www.dreyfus.fr Address: 78 avenue Raymond Poincaré 75116 - Paris Telephone: +33 (0) 1 44 70 07 04

I became interested in how to defend trade marks on the internet. Ten years ago, a lot of companies were busy defending trade marks in countries where they didn’t even have a business but they risked ignoring their domain names, which are seen worldwide. I was involved early on in the UDRP and we are one of the top filers of UDRP cases. It is a good system and we have more than 10 years of case law so it is quite predictable, and it is a good tool for trade mark owners as we know the decision will be enforced.

Now, with the launch of the new gTLDs, there is a new dispute procedure, the URS, which will be quicker and cheaper than the UDRP. But you cannot obtain the transfer or cancellation of the domain name so it is really for obvious cybersquatting cases. It will be a good opportunity for trade mark owners to defend themselves in the new gTLDs when it’s really obvious, for example where the domain name is identical to the trade mark.

The new gTLDs will be a revolution on the internet. The biggest internet players are part of the project, such as Google and Amazon. I’m convinced the method of searching the web will evolve. One change is that the string will be meaningful.

We actually have a recent UDRP case where Tesco filed a UDRP against the domain name tes.co and the question was: should the panellist take into account the ‘.co’ when assessing similarity. That is interesting as it is one

The increasingly globalized intellectual property market is a strong trend.

Examples include the international trademark which gives the opportunity to file a trademark in many countries in one shot and at a reasonable cost.

What keeps you and your colleagues at Dreyfus motivated?

The Dreyfus team is well equipped and has particular expertise in IP/IT matters in France, the European Union and worldwide. Constant adaptation of our methods and our working tools is our driving force. Counterfeiters, cyber squatters and the various authors of cyber-attacks have mastered technological developments: why shouldn’t we do the same?

For Dreyfus, a technical adjustment was needed to ensure better responsiveness to our customers while ensuring their protection and transparency.

It’s all done by the Dreyfus IPweb® internet platform, an intuitive and interactive tool. This platform aims to consolidate and summarize all the information that we make available to our customers.

Dreyfus IPweb® has become a common reference for the firm and its clients. The tool is available as an extranet from a standard browser. With this tool, the operating mechanisms of Dreyfus with clients are flexible, responsive and rapid. Dreyfus IPweb® enables records traceability and instructions to be received by e-mail and / or directly via the platform. The reporting can also be selected by e-mail and / or directly via the platform.

What about the future?

We will stay ahead in our fields of interest, traditional intellectual property issues and especially the protection of the trademark over the internet. We will take maximum care to provide our clients with the best services and we will remain on the cutting edge of new developments.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Patent Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Destek Patent 14 Fact File

We are honored here at Destek Patent to be awarded Patent Law Firm of the Year by Acquisition International. This achievement has fully manifested our continuous commitment to strive for excellence in premium intellectual property management and protection services, built on trust, respect and ethical values with the mission to be essential to our clients.

It is not only proof of clients’ recognition but also a great encouragement to motivate us to attain even better service quality. We want to thank sincerely our loyal clients, and hardworking, dedicated staff for helping us to achieve this award.

Company: DESTEK PATENT INC. Name: Kemal Yamankaradeniz Email: global@destekpatent.com.tr Web Address: www.destekpatent.com.tr Address : Polaris Plaza Ahi Evran Cad. No:21 Kat:17, Maslak - Istanbul 34398 - Turkey Telephone: +90 212 329 0000 Fax: +90 212 346 0264

Destek Patent was established in 1983 and has been Turkey’s leader in IP management and protection as Turkey’s top-ranked IP firm for more than 15 consecutive years according to official patent and trademark filing and registration statistics from the Turkish Patent Institute. It has been among the world’s top 10 IP firms for the past five years according to the international trademark filing statistics issued by the WTR 1000 and Markenfacts.

With four partners, five associates, eight European patent attorneys, 50 patent and trademark attorneys and a total of nearly 200 professionals Destek Patent has the largest IP team in Turkey. It also has the largest office network throughout Turkey: Istanbul - Europe (head office), Ankara, close to the Turkish Patent Institute; Bursa, head of international affairs; Istanbul - Anatolia, Izmir, Konya, Gaziantep and Adana. It has experience and expertise gained from thousands of IP files - the firm has filed more than 100,000 trademarks, 10,000 patents and 70,000 designs since 1995.

In addition, Destek Patent was the first Turkish IP firm to implement total quality management, having held the ISO 9001: 2008 certificate since 2001.

Destek Patent offers enhanced collaboration in IP protection. Our professionals contribute to Turkish IP associations as founding members, board members and presidents of organisations such as the Licensing Executives

Society (LES) Turkey, the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) Turkey, Uluslararasi Patent Birligi and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Turkey Attorneys’ Assembly (TOBB).

The firm offers clients and associates interactive online services in a secure medium wherein IP searches, file tracking and application filings can all be carried out online. Our extensive database includes all IP applications and registrations in Turkey, and our honest, transparent and reliable services can be traced at any time.

Destek Patent contributes to IP knowledge dissemination by providing Destek Patent TV, online services, Turkish Patent News magazine through industry-specific inserts and a newsletter, as well as lectures at universities and seminars at business associations.

Destek Patent also provides exclusive IP services under the registered trademarks DESTEK PATENT TV – the first and only online Turkish IP television channel; INOVERSITE – university-industry collaboration projects; DESTEK AKADEMI – continuous training of clients and in-house personnel; TEKNOPROFIL – clearance searches, freedom-to-operate opinions and technology watch-up/analysis; MARKALARM – trademark watch services; PATSIS – setting up in-company research and development and patent management systems, and ALFASOFT – in-house IP software.

We understand clients’ needs and expectations regarding expert counselling, fast response, clear communication and cost-effective quality IP services, an independent indicator of which is our high clients’ satisfaction rate.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Lawyers Choice Award: Insurance Broker of the Year - Germany / Dr. Ihlas GmbH

What is a Financial Lines Insurance Broker?

First of all let me say that we are very proud of this recognition. Real appreciation is rare and the best reason to celebrate! Many Thanks to AI and to those who voted for us!

As a niche player we have specialized in insurance lines of business like Directors & Officers (D&O), Representations & Warranties (W&I, R&W), Initial and Secondary Public Offering (IPO, SPO), Employment Practices (EPL), Pension Trust (PTL, Fiduciary), Criminal Legal Defence Cost Coverage (StrafRS), Commercial Crime (VSV), Cyber and Package Policies. Most of these lines are very young and started slowly within the last three decades. The Financial Lines usually account for only 3 to 8% of the total insurance premiums of our clients but they do matter and protect the senior management. We are proud to service top clients coming from the areas of Private Equity, Financial Institutions and large commercial corporations. It is a B2B concept. We provide services to Risk Management, Inhouse Brokers, Procurement and Legal Departments. We operate as Wholesale Brokers and at the same time produce unique solutions made for one customer.

The award is recognition of your outstanding contribution to your local market; to what elements of your firm would you attribute this achievement?

Of course you need luck and a passion for what you are doing. Providing senior advice needs experience as well, so a significant length of time in business is required. A lot of patience is needed in many Financial Lines. For example the Warranty and Indemnity Insurance (W&I) has been known for more than 20 years but it takes a long time to change buying patterns and to create understanding for such a line.

The German market did not purchase D&O before 1996. But it has been offered since 1986 and I started in 1990 as a D&O-Trainee working for a USA based world market leader. Usually it is not the need for protection alone that creates the demand. You make money from saving and not from spending. Clients rarely want to be seen as the very first buyer. But as soon as leading German insurers allocate sufficient resources to these new lines the markets starts to show growth. That will fill up the capacity needed. Research and development as well as sharing through publications and speeches are key efforts of our marketing. Sometimes this looks more like a law firm or a consultant and not like an insurance broker. But mere procurement and placement of policies is too simple and of little added value to most of our clients.

W&I is linked to the US/UK-legal system and that requires adjustments to local law. Finally Financial Lines belong together and are interrelated in many ways. This is a lesson learnt when the claims come in. We do all of them. Others still face difficulties in providing and uniting all these lines into one department. The structure of financial lines in the German insurance market is still fragmented.

The award is a clear validation of your firm and your team’s culture.

What do you do to actively develop your culture?

We try to find the right clients and people and then we let it go with know-how and passion. Old basic values guide us rather than shortterm management slogans or mere number crunching so that we practice hands-off management, open communication, fun at work, appreciation for clients and their needs, trust etc. I like Robert I. Sutton´s way to describe how it should be done.

Tell us about your network.

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We are a member of the International Broker Network UNISON and the association of German Brokers VDVM e.V. Spending years within the association of German Underwriters working on Directors & Officers Insurance (GDV) and many years of performance as a key note speaker put us into a position of being one of the first in the market.

Client loyalty is tested by your competitors now more so than ever before. How do you rise to this challenge and what defensive measures do you engage to protect against this?

We recruit only experienced people and deliver three things: Service, service and service. Research and development combined with long lasting answers that could take time are our approach. We don’t practice short-term marketing. People need to be challenged and trusted.

To work on M&A tasks with policies based on the claims made principle, to study how our clients mirror within the media and to know our contribution to insure the risks involved is simply challenging and rewarding.

Fact File

The consolidation in the market place continues unabated. Do you see niche practices as the future of the profession?

The inhouse brokers and risk managers in Germany are facing a growing need for additional external services. They prefer their independence but need to manage their expenses as well. For niches like financial lines they need to choose between ‘make or buy?’ To buy from us is, of course, a good decision.

Do you believe that you have a USP that is clearly articulated, understood by the market and how it differentiates you from the competition?

Our brand is based on recommendations and qualifications: http:// www.dr-ihlas.com/en/references.html. Financial Lines are very challenging and we take them seriously and with respect. This is not just another line of insurance, not for us and not for our clients.

Company: Dr. Ihlas GmbH Name: Dr. Horst Ihlas Email: Ihlas@dr-ihlas.com Web Address: www.dr-ihlas.com Address: Burgmauer 68, 50667 Cologne, Germany Telephone: 0049 221 99 383 111

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Dental Law Firm of the Year - UK Else Solicitors LLP A passion for a niche area of the law is at the heart of Jonathan Tyson’s work and has led to Acquisition International’s readers voting Else Solicitors the UK’s Dental Law Firm of the Year.

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Else Solicitors take pride in providing a personal, professional and practical approach. They are currently celebrating a decade of supporting companies and individuals find simple and cost-effective solutions to their legal issues.

Changes in the way clients want their legal services to be provided means the team is constantly evolving and continuously improving; embracing technology and new laws and regulations in all sectors in which they operate.

Fact File

Company: Else Solicitors LLP Name: Jonathan Tyson Email: jonathan.tyson@elselaw.co.uk Web Address: www.elselaw.co.uk Address : First Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton on Trent, DE14 2WE Telephone: 01283 526200

Jonathan says: “We work by providing and showing clients our personal approach, remaining sensitive to their needs, and building and sustaining a good rapport in person, over the telephone and via email or Skype. We will happily visit potential clients in their own surroundings to understand their business, practice or individual requirements and show that we are approachable at all times.”

Dental law is a key area of the firm’s business moving forward and Jonathan acts for dentists the length and breadth of England and Wales in relation to practice sales and purchases, practice incorporations, partnership and expense sharing agreements and all other aspects of owning, managing, running and buying or selling of a dental practice. Dental law is not the firm’s only specialisation though – other niche fields include construction and sports and entertainment law and they are developing in other sectors such as healthcare, children’s nurseries, the brewing industry and banking.

Ultimately, providing a range of legal services is by no way unique; what marks Else Solicitors out is the firm-wide culture to be the best and provide excellent quality client care in all areas of law in which they practice.

In addition, the firm takes building client rapport very seriously. It has always worked at making connections via effective networking and helping its clients and business contacts meet one another in a non-sales environment. This has evolved into twice monthly professional network lunch events where they host and entertain

between 40-60 guests at each event in relaxing environments in Staffordshire and the West Midlands where they can benefit from each other’s services.

This evolutionary approach is at least partly the result of the firm’s decision to invest in the professional skills of a marketing manager who has been responsible for branding a new website and client brochures to celebrate the firm’s decade in business. In addition, the firm has always worked at forging long-standing relationships with all of its clients and contents.

These niche specialisms, branding and evolutionary approach help Else Solicitors stand out from the crowd in its local markets and across the UK. As the firm continues to grow, the combination of branding, niche specialisms and a refreshing approach will become even more important when competing with the larger legal firms in the UK. However, branding only goes so far. “Although we see the importance of branding we strongly believe our clients expect a quality service and that we complete their matter in the most effective way to meet their specific needs,” explains Jonathan. “Doing a good job hopefully means they will want to use our services in the future and will have the confidence to recommend us to their peers.”

It certainly seems to be working, Else Solicitors is growing: in 2013 alone they have taken on four new lawyers and continued to grow all other areas of the firm including corporate and commercial, commercial property and construction. Looking ahead to 2014 they are planning to continue to build on their niche specialist practice areas, such as dental law, while looking for opportunities that will complement the firm’s core services.

Jonathan adds: “We do not anticipate any radical changes to our structure or core service offerings. However, we will continue to embrace any new changes in technology, laws and regulations that may affect our clients and the way in which we and our clients operate, ultimately our aim is to continue to provide an outstanding quality service.”

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Qatar Jumah Nasser Al Kaabi Law Firm – Gulf Legal Consultants

Sophie James / Shutterstock.com

Gulf Legal Consultants lives by its tenet that ‘our firm succeeds by helping our clients succeed’ and it does this by treating its clients as its partners in business. Managing Director Jumah Nasser Al-Kaabi and Partner Anas Sameer Al-Merstani explain more about the ethos behind their award-winning firm…

We owe and attribute our success to our valued clients who have continuously showered us with their trust and confidence with regards to handling their legal issues and concerns.

However, we are also aware that the company would have not done it without the teamwork shown by the team members consisting of our competitive and trustworthy employees and staff.

Hence our achievements can be attributed to both our internal and external clients which have been the company’s chief assets.

Throughout the years we have earned our clients’ confidence and trust and we have been rewarded by their unsolicited ‘word of mouth’ advertisements, which have served as our powerful commercial endorsement and given us a luxurious advantage.

At the same time we give credit to the globally challenging competitors who have given us the right amount of motivation and enthusiasm to keep going and excel in our career field.

GLC’s culture is to serve and assist each client anywhere in the world by providing them with quick and accessible service for their legal needs. This conforms to our firm’s mission to offer and deliver comprehensive, effective and cost-efficient services to our clients.

Our selling point is our firm’s outstanding and unquestionable qualifications and expertise in the craft. The international recognition of our firm is provided by the testimony of our valued clients for the dedicated and committed legal services we have been and are continuously providing.

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As previously mentioned, our success is due to our team as well as our clients. We continuously educate, train, and keep all our legal consultants adept with the latest decrees, policy, regulations, law and orders, both for local and international updates.

We provide our lawyers with in-house training and new learning materials, and we send them to attend any conventions, seminars, training events and symposiums here and abroad to keep them equipped with the latest information and globally challenged.

Our Firm is affiliated with an International Law Firm, Dentons, and is a member of GERMELA (German Middle East Lawyers Association) and we have built a relationship with several different law firms worldwide.

We consistently participate with, and make business associations with, several legal counsels and international law firms to keep us proficient in the face of the growing global legal challenges.

We always strive to provide each of our clients with an ‘A+ Service’, giving them not only the required services but also offering them additional services beyond the charged legal fees, thus allowing our clients to have the benefit of having an accurate, satisfactory and practical legal counselling service.

Further, we provide our employees with exceptional non-monetary benefits such as medical assistance, travel and educational allowances to name a few. Aside from that, we constantly benchmark our compensation packages to keep abreast with employees’ current market values.

At GLC we understand the economic pressures in a highly competitive market – that’s why we always aim to build a long-term relationship with our clients, not only through fair and equitable charging (billing) practices but also by consistently maintaining the right level of camaraderie accompanied by professionalism.

We also work hard to keep open communications between the employees and the management. This enables employees to grow with the company by sharing and understanding the common goals that will enable us to achieve the company’s mission and vision.

Fact File Company: Jumah Nasser A. Al-Kaabi Law Firm – Gulf Legal Consultants Name: Mr. Jumah Nasser Al-Kaabi, Managing Director Mr. Anas Sameer Al-Merstani, Partner Email: law@glc-qa.com Web Address: www.glc-qa.com Address: Office No. 205, Retaj Business Building, Al Sadd Street, Doha, State of Qatar P.O. Box 15296 Telephone: +974 4444-7757 / +974 4444 7797 Fax: +974 4444 7767

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

M&A Law Firm of the Year - Japan / Hibiya-Nakata

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Partner at Hibiya-Nakata Nobuo Nakata was delighted to hear of the firm’s recent success in achieving M&A Law Firm of the Year. Nakata tells us more about the firm and, in particular, what this success can be attributed to.

Hibiya-Nakata is one of the very few M&A boutique law firms in Japan which specialises in cross-border M&A. “Although for many Japanese companies global expansion of their operation by way of M&A is crucial under the current market situation, they do not have sufficient experience and knowhow on how to deal with cross-border M&A,” he explains. “We are responding to such needs through our involvement in the M&A transactions using “English style deal management” skill for the Japanese companies, making use of the global network of Allen & Overy.”

Fact File Company: Hibiya-Nakata Name: Nobuo Nakata Email: nobuo.nakata@hibiya-nakata.com Web Address: http://hibiya-nakata.com/?lang=en Address: Fukoku Seimei Bldg.

(Reception 16F), 2-2-2 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011, Japan Telephone: +81-3-5532-3100

An award such as this is clear validation of the firm’s team culture and Nakata continues to describe how the firm operates with regards to this.

“The DNA of Hibiya-Nakata came originally from Allen & Overy, where Nobuo Nakata was a partner for years, but some changes have been made to effectively accommodate the current market needs. We are always speedy, client-friendly, flexible and innovative. Such culture has been generated by deep involvement of myself in almost all M&A transactions being advised by HibiyaNakata.”

As the global M&A market’s strength retruns following a period of economic turbulence it is important for no firm to rest on its laurels and Nakata embellishes on how he continues to build business in the face of increasing competition.

“Because of our unique nature, we do not have so many direct competitors in the Japanese market. What we currently need is to let the mark know more about Hibiya-Nakata and our service.”

Consolidation in the global legal market place continues unabated and, whilst there are opportunities for expansion through merger or acquisition, Nakata insists that small practices which focus on the specific practice area with strong expertise such as his are another way of the future of such a profession. It is through remaining smaller that Nakata can maintain the highest levels of service quality and the unique nature of the firm, although he is not adverse to the possibilities of further recruitment.

“It has been our observation that experienced M&A expert lawyers tend to show really good interests in Hibiya-Nakata,” he explains. “Hibiya-Nakata can provide best platform to ambitious and talented younger generation of M&A expert lawyers.”

With a history of less than two years of activity it is fair to say that Hibiya-Nakata is still in the early stages of establishing its brand as a quality cross-border M&A boutique law firm. However, it does have the strong support of the Allen & Overy global network behind it. Nakata firmly believes that the firm has a strong USP that is clearly articulated and positioned to differentiate the firm from the competitors.

“Hibiya-Nakata (i) is focusing on cross-border M&A making full use of English style deal management skill, (ii) has small number of lawyers who however are all very experienced in crossborder M&A and (iii) is freely accessible to and is supported by the global network of Allen & Overy. All these factors will result in best quality service with most efficient legal fee. Since such M&A boutique law firm is very new in concept in the Japanese market, it is not so easy to be correctly understood by the market but such recognition is being expanded in the market steadily.”

DEEP & FAR Attorneys-at-Law 13th F1., No. 27, Sec. 3, Chung San N. Rd. Taipei 104, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: +886-2-2585-6688 Fax: +886-2-25989900/25978989 email@deepnfar.com.tw Deep & Far was founded in 1992 and is one of the largest law firms in this country.

The firm is presently focused on the practice in separate or in combination of all aspects of intellectual property rights (IPRs) including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition, and/or licensing, counseling, litigation and/ or transaction thereof. Since this firm edges itself into the IPRs field, the firm quickly comes to fame. As an illustration, this firm often is one of the largest sources from which foreign filing orders originate.

The fascinating rise of this firm begins from the founder of Deep & Far attorneysat-law, C. F. Tsai, who is the one first patent practitioner in this country who both has technological and law backgrounds and is qualified as a local attorney-at-law.

The patent attorneys and patent engineers in this firm normally hold outstanding and advanced degrees and are generally graduated from the top five universities in this country and/or the university in the US. Our prominent staffs are dedicated to provide the best quality service in IPRs. As a proof, about one half of top 100 incorporations in this country have experiences of seeking patented their techniques, but more than one fifth of the top 100 incorporations are/were clients of this firm.

Furthermore, Hi-Tech companies in the science-based industrial park located at Hsin Chu play an important role in booming the economy of this country. About one half of which have experiences in seeking patented their techniques, and out of more than 60% of the patent-experienced companies in that park have ever entrusted their IPR works to this firm.

We have experienced in seeking IPR-protections for our clients in more than 100 territories all over the world. We have thousands of IPR-cases respectively prosecuted before official Patent Offices of major industrialized countries.

This firm not only is the most competent in IPR-related matters in this country but also is very familiar with IPR-practices in major industrialized countries. As a matter of fact, this firm oftentimes tries and makes precedents of new claim-drafting styles. While we might have become wonderfully famed locally with remarkable appreciation and respects, we would like to extend our services for internationalized or quality service-requiring foreign conglomerated giants, corporations or individuals. We strongly believe that we will win more applause from clients all over the world.

www.deepnfar.com.tw

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Legal Due Diligence Adviser of the Year – Brazil Marcos Martins Advogados

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Fact File

Ana Carolina Rovida de Oliveira talks to Acquisition International about the success of Marcos Martins Advogados.

Can we start by asking you about winning this award – to what do attribute your success?

work environment, with respect and ethics as a characteristic of our brand.

I would say this achievement is due to our team’s constant motivation to do a great job by means of intelligent and efficient solutions.

Our main characteristic is our commitment to our clients’ goals and to be a catalyst during transactions.

The global marketplace has is changing rapidly how is that affecting Marcos Martins Advogados?

Can you tell us more about the culture within Marcos Martins Advogados?

Company: Marcos Martins Advogados Name: Ana Carolina Rovida de Oliveira Email: anacarolina@marcosmartins.adv.br Web Address: www.marcosmartins.adv.br Address: Av. Major Sylvio de Magalhães Padilha, 5.200, Morumbi, City of São Paulo, Brazil. – Condominium America Business Park, Miami Tower, 1st floor.

Telephone: +55 11 4084-8900

Like most firms we have a daily involvement in on-going projects and we all keep prepared for hard work through continuous studies. Our brand is our ethical biography: committed to results.

For us it is very important that we engage substantially with the demands from our clients, we deeply study their business and market. All clients are attended by senior attorneys or one of our partners and any decision or procedure must be approved by one of our partners. We believe that the firm has a USP understood by the market because the firm is seen as hands on and involved in the human relationships that arise from business relations.

That means that you must work hard at retention and recruitment?

Indeed. We believe that a Profit Share Program associated with a clear and efficient career plan are the appropriate tools to retain our talented performers. Furthermore, our firm has a humanized

We have already made changes. We reorganized our structure, dividing our team on the basis of forming cohesive teams with appropriate costs. This reorganization made us more competitive and efficient. Our strategy to continue building our business in the face of increased competition is to keep involving senior professionals and improve our International Desk. We cannot disregard an M&A option, but for the moment the basis for our growth is fixed in our specialities and perfect knowledge of all sectors of industry we serve.

Can you give us an example of how Marcos Martins Advogados is recruited?

Of course. We have just been hired for a new project by an investor who was assisted by another firm in their previous project that was almost exactly the same. We worked on that project on the other side of the transaction; we believe that our performance then was effective and enabled a safe transaction for both parties.

It was that performance that encouraged the investor to become our client.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Sustained Excellence in Personal Insolvency - UK / Morecrofts LLP

Following the announcement that his firm has won the award for Sustained Excellence in Personal Insolvency, Donal Bannon tells us about his role and why Morecrofts are leading the way.

Donal Bannon is a Partner in Liverpool firm Morecrofts Solicitors and is an insolvency specialist. He holds qualifications as a Bachelor of Law (Hons), is a Fellow of the Insolvency Lawyers Association and a Member of Association of Business Recovery Professionals. He is a Director of Liverpool Law Society (also a Past President).

Whatever the solution we are there to stand by the client all the way and make sure they are treated fairly.

At Morecrofts we pride ourselves on the value of support and advice we give to people who need help in sorting out their debts.

We also act for Trustees in bankruptcy when the assets of the bankrupt need to be realised or claims need to be pursued against them. I’m delighted to receive an award for sustaining the firm’s excellence in personal insolvency this year as we provide a first class service to insolvent debtors and insolvency practitioners.

Many people have assets or property in other parts of the world.

Morecrofts specialise in enabling individuals to go through the insolvency process taking care of any assets abroad in the best possible way and conforming to law and regulations in other countries. Alternatively we can help Trustees to recover such assets for the benefit of creditors.

There is no big secret to our success in insolvency work. Experience and an understanding of the field have ensured our continued accomplishments and constant stream of referrals.

With more than 20 years’ experience advising insolvents and Trustees in bankruptcy we can truly stand up as experts in advising debtors locally, nationally and internationally. Keeping abreast of the changing spectrum of regulations over these two decades has seen us support and help individuals in their struggles to find solutions that work.

Talking to a specialist solicitor about debts can be difficult. It’s a very personal situation but I am not here to judge, I’m here to help them untangle their financial mess and move on with their lives. I tell people all the time that addressing possible problems as early as possible will make for an easier outcome.

That said, facing up to debt is a challenging reality for people to come to terms with and they need a good support system with their legal advice. Morecrofts is an independent business with a 200year history. We are sure to treat everybody who walks through our door with upmost respect and aim to give a clear picture of all their options when it comes to sorting out debt. This can range from informal arrangements to more severe action such as bankruptcy.

On an international scale, I have also been a qualified solicitor in Ireland so my experience can run through a wider spectrum and my understanding of law internationally is broader.

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I have spent many years advising Irish Nationals who wish to make themselves bankrupt in England. They are by no means the only bankruptcy pilgrims – German debtors in particular are also regular visitors to these shores and their numbers show little sign of abating.

Significant legislative changes have been made to personal insolvency in the Irish Republic as a result of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012, which reduces the period of bankruptcy from 12 years to three years and introduces three new debt settlement procedures.

Although this reduction makes bankruptcy a more viable option for these debtors, I still have many Irish Nationals visiting me at Morecrofts to make themselves bankrupt in England, where the discharge period is only one year.

The Morecrofts name is a trusted brand. With our rich history and forward thinking attitude we are continuously moving with the times. One thing that won’t change though is the client service we offer.

Our most important interest is the client’s best interest, which is why we have been around for so long – and look forward to many more years giving the best possible advice and continuing in our mission to deliver a personal, effective and high quality service.

Fact File Company: Morecrofts Name: Donal Bannon Email: djb@morecrofts.co.uk Web address: www.morecrofts.co.uk Twitter: @Morecrofts Telephone: 0151 236 8871

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Legal Arbitrator of the Year - Ontario Murray Miskin

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Fact File Company: Miskin Law Offices Name: Murray H Miskin Email: miskinlaw@yahoo.com Web Address: adrworks.ca Address: Suite 263, 380 Armour Rd., Peterborough ON, K9H 7L7 Telephone: 1-416-492-0989

Murray Miskin, an Ontario Canada lawyer since 1981, has spent most of the years of his law practice as an advocate for Alternative Dispute Resolution through his work as a teacher and practitioner of arbitration since the mid-1980s. Murray Miskin received his legal education from the highly respected Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto graduating with an LL.B. in 1979. For many years Osgoode was the only law school in Ontario and it is still the largest one in Canada. Attending Osgoode Hall allowed for a choice of courses including excellent seminar courses with some of the best law professors in Canada.

Murray Miskin is particularly interested in the interface between Arbitration and Mediation known as Med/Arb. For many years he has been cautioning practitioners and developing and teaching guidelines for how to conduct a Med/Arb process without creating a reasonable apprehension of bias that could disqualify a person as an arbitrator.

This area of practice has grown in popularity in recent years in Ontario Canada, and in 2013 Murray Miskin developed his educational programmes further in regard to training practitioners for handling the Med/Arb process.

Murray Miskin as a young Toronto civil litigation lawyer with a strong interest in teaching was asked in 1984 to develop and present a qualifying arbitration course for the Arbitrators Institute of Canada (now the ADR Institute of Canada). Although arbitration and dispute resolution were not taught in Canadian law schools in the 1970s, the Osgoode Hall Law School experience helped Murray develop the arbitration seminar course which he has been teaching since January 1985. The course has been and remains the standard for arbitration training in Canada. It was originally offered through the University of Toronto but has been independent of the university since the mid-1990s. Murray Miskin has trained over 1,000 arbitrators with his course and enrolment interest is growing. The course has evolved over the years and continues to be regularly updated and improved. Graduates all receive certificates in arbitration from the ADR Institute of Ontario.

In 2012 Murray Miskin organized an Ontario Condominium dispute resolution group of practitioners for both arbitration and mediation services with the website condoadr.ca which began operations in 2013.

In 2013 he developed an online arbitration service for domestic and international arbitration with the website online-arbitration.com Also in 2013, Mr. Miskin expanded work in international arbitration to the Caribbean and began a dialogue with people involved in business dispute resolution in China. In 2013 he developed two new arbitration courses to be offered in 2014, in Family Law Arbitration and Condominium Arbitration.

In addition to work in arbitration Murray Miskin is a Mediator since 1998 when he received training in a special course taught by the faculty at Osgoode Hall Law School. Mr. Miskin mediates in a wide range of disputes but has special expertise in insurance law. He has served as Chair of both the Ontario and the National Canadian Bar Association Insurance Law Sections. Most of his insurance mediation has been in regard to personal injury claims. In 2012 Murray Miskin was selected

by Acquisition International as Canadian Personal Injury Mediator of the Year.

In 1997 Murray Miskin established the website adrworks.com It was one of the first lawyer websites in Canada. This name was chosen to promote his law firm, not by name, but by the fact that it is a leader in Alternative Dispute Resolution with the message that ADR Works and ADR is something that is needed in the legal profession and the provision of legal services. ADR Works has become a well-known brand name for the Miskin legal work across Canada. Additional ADR Works websites have been established such as adrworks.ca for Canadian dispute resolution and adrworks.us for USA and international work.

The ADR Works message is the key to Mr. Miskin’s marketing of services where he also Tweets both @adrworks and @miskinlaw.

In 2013 Murray Miskin was elected to the Executive of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Canadian Bar Association where he is developing educational programmes, writing for publications and interfacing with colleagues in the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section.

Murray Miskin has been wrapping up work on most of his law practice outside of ADR in 2013 to devote greater effort to his arbitration and mediation practice. This has shown results in the Ontario, Canada arbitration landscape. The year 2013 has been a year of much activity and achievement for Ontario’s Arbitrator of the Year. It has been a year of global outreach where Murray Miskin in addition to being well known in Canada for Alternative Dispute Resolution is becoming known internationally. With changes in the global economy brought about both by economic problems and new technology, Murray Miskin is developing new and more efficient ways of delivering services on both a local and international level. He has attracted other highly skilled arbitrators and mediators to work in his new ventures for online arbitration and condominium dispute resolution. His son, Daniel Miskin, who previously took the Miskin arbitration course, is now a second year law student at the University of Southampton in England where he is learning British and European law and planning to join the Miskin Law firm and add more international skills and knowledge to the firm for the long term.

Meanwhile, Murray Miskin after a third of a century of practice has no plans to retire or slow down soon.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Professional Negligence Law Firm of the Year - USA & Healthcare Liability Practitioners of the Year - USA Rosenblum Newfield Rosenblum Newfield’s double success will come as no surprise to their clients. The firm is passionate about the human effects of litigation on healthcare practitioners and the emotional turmoil it can engender. In short: they put their clients first, not their business needs first. Similarly, when in court, they are jurycentric in terms of maximizing communication skills by focusing on what jurors want to know about cases and by giving jurors the information they need – presented in the format they need – to decide cases appropriately. Attorney James Rosenblum, who founded the firm explains more…

We have tried to establish a culture that is both old and new. There are traditional values: courtesy, dignity, empathy, availability, and communication. There are also new values in the sense of adapting to individual changing business climates, changes in communications, and changes in technology.

There are also changes or improvements in the process of learning. In a sense, this is an aspect of ‘neuro-science’. Do clients or jurors need PowerPoint or is that passé? Do clients need long, face-to-face meetings, with long discussions, or concise, chart-driven discussions? Similarly, do jurors need bullet-points or elaborate explanations, or both. How do clients and jurors learn? How do clients and jurors perceive and process information? In court, we also focus on how to motivate jurors. All of this requires a blend of old, classic virtues and new techniques.

Minimizing stress and anxiety As a legal services business in the health care and insurance arenas, we provide a buffer for health care professionals and, often, their insurers. These services cover various aspects including risk management to prevent litigation, advice for managing litigation (including individual and multiple cases), advice and representation throughout the legal process including discovery and trial, advocating in dignified but aggressive ways, and seeking to minimize the stress and anxiety of litigation so that clients can cope with it as effectively as possible without unduly impacting their primary work. Where clients do face untoward verdicts, advice may include recommendations for public relations techniques to minimize adverse publicity, although this is likely to include referral to a firm which specializes in that area.

Laymen often do not appreciate the emotional and financial toll that litigation takes. It is more than dollars. Litigation against professionals impacts human lives. When health care providers are accused of negligently hurting the patients they devote their lives to caring for, the emotional impact is often substantial.

Advice and support in litigation is also targeted towards opposing experts who may try to present so-called junk science, or unreliable theories, to attack the defendant health care professionals. It is galling that unfounded and speculative theories are advanced. It is more galling if these theories are not effectively exposed in court. At the same time, even when experts are impeached, some jurors simply don’t care about ‘the science’. They are, in a sense, science deniers or, perhaps, more accurately, science disregarders. Where plaintiffs have significant injuries, the emotional impact may simply drown out a juror’s objectivity. Where there are miscarriages of justice, it is necessary for counsel to pursue post-trial motions and appeals zealously and persuasively. Many clients think that if trials are lost, the ballgame is over. That is clearly not true.

Therefore, good trial lawyers need to be good at ‘preserving the record’ for appeals. Meanwhile, judges are human too. They are not immune

from emotional reactions. Therefore, appeals – like defences – must be presented clearly, succinctly and powerfully. Being ‘right’ is important, but it is equally important to be persuasive.

Discovery is another essential component of litigation requiring seasoned and sophisticated judgment. Many lawyers treat depositions as ‘routine’.

They are not ‘routine’. Any ‘issue’, no matter how small, can generate enormous costs (in time and money). Meanwhile, failure to thoroughly investigate some issues may have serious consequences. Knowing what to ask, what to look for, how to phrase questions effectively, how to listen and follow-up on answers, and dealing with hostile, adverse witnesses, requires not only planning and preparation, but also seasoned judgment, with an eye toward the ultimate goal.

Flexible and communicative Many clients simply want ‘results’. For many clients, cost is a huge motivating factor. For other clients, simply explaining the complex process of litigation is key. The point is that clients differ. A law firm must adapt and respond to client needs. It cannot expect clients to adapt and accept to law firm needs. Law firms have been ‘businesses’, rather than callings. It is important to remember, however, that a calling can be run like a business without business consuming the process. The term ‘legal factory’ is used to describe some firms. That is the antithesis of establishing a good client relationship.

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Fact File

When we are successful, clients express their appreciation for knowing where they were headed how things developed, and being prepared for the outcome – good or bad. Our success is also – and very importantly – about connecting with diverse American juries and with diverse American judges. The diversity of America is obvious. Effectively communicating with diverse groups of people is challenging. It is, in part, a scientific process and a creative process. Cross examination can create the image of a sword destroying a dragon, or evoke emotions that are very compelling. Communication is an art. Courtroom communication is a very specialized type of art form.

As areas of law evolve (due to technology, privacy issues, health care reform, reform of financial industries, and compliance,) the need for highly sophisticated and specialized lawyers should continue. What all this regulation says about society – and about the decline of common sense or the overly aggressive nature of regulators whose goal is simply to create regulations rather than reduce them – is one thing. The implications for law firm profitability are clear. The point is that just as physicians have to be caring, compassionate, and competent in terms of a solid grounding in the basics and a passion for learning new and improved techniques, lawyers should possess the same attributes. Old fashioned values includng compassion and competence, plus up-to-date resources and extensive experience in court.

Company: Rosenblum Newfield, LLC Name: James Rosenblum Email: JBR@JBResq.com Web Address: www.RosenblumNewfield.com Address: One Landmark Square, Stamford, Ct 06901 Telephone: 203.358.9200

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

IP Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Japan RYUKA IP Law Firm

24 Fact File Company: RYUKA IP LAW FIRM Web Address: www.ryuka.com Address: 1-6-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku L Tower 22nd Floor, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 163-1522, JAPAN Telephone: 03-5339-6800

Aki Ryuka explains how the culture at RYUKA has turned it into an award-winning law firm.

At RYUKA, we collaborate with our clients who trust us to protect and develop their most promising intellectual property, the lifeline of their business. We try to provide service to our clients beyond what they would normally get from a patent law firm. We work as a business promoter as well as a licensing negotiator and help guide marketing in Japan by enforcing the IP rights that we have obtained for our clients.

Based on an accurate valuation of the technology, we are able to seek out and introduce potential licensees, investors, and future business partners. We support our foreign clients and help them establish a solid business in Japan based on their IP. We can inject our know-how for either business start-up or expansion. Only a modern and aggressive firm like RYUKA can open non-traditional doors to success in Japan.

Our values and culture are based around our president’s ethos: • Strive to learn • Train each other • Keep deepening communications.

At RYUKA, we encourage each of our members to realize his or her potential, not only when it directly benefits the firm but also for the sake of personal growth. This is because having the opportunity to fulfil personal goals is a key component in being motivated to help fulfil the goals of others. One truly motivated person is an inspiration. A team of such motivated people can bring to life the dreams of clients throughout the world.

When it comes to hiring, a candidate’s experience and ability is not enough. The candidate should also demonstrate responsibility and honesty. These traits of character are necessary because of the great trust our clients must place in us.

Brand is important at a law firm. It attracts talented people who help us strengthen our brand. Then clients are referred and the firm grows. The same is true in the opposite direction. Therefore, branding is everything. Branding speed is accelerating thanks to computer networks. It means that famous names will change more easily. Strong branding features or specializations that are easily understood will be very important, even when they are not appreciated by everyone.

Throughout these changes RYUKA will continue to demonstrate our professionalism and leadership in creating and protecting enterprises, and contributing to the growth of industry and society.

We very much enjoy meeting with respectable people around the world, exchanging mutual views, deepening mutual trusts, and developing ourselves. This is valuable for the lives of professionals and it is turning out that we are developing a niche practice that is appreciated by our clients.

Consultants can be true professionals only when we commit to the success of our clients. Each professional in the firm must have a pride as a professional. It is our hope that this value spreads all over Japan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mail@tonucci.com

www.tonucci.com

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Boutique Immigration Law Practitioner of the Year – Australia / Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers

26 Fact File Company: Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers Name: Jimmy Morcos Email: jmorcos@sabelbergs.com.au Web Address: www.sabelbergs.com.au Address: Level 5 , 224 Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000 Telephone: +61396704033

Jimmy Morcos from Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers discusses the firm’s expansion and multiculturalism in Australia.

In 2013, Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers expanded our horizons by entering into a joint venture with one of the world’s largest chartered accounting firms, DFK Lonsdale Charted Accountants, and forming ‘The China Project’ with the objective of facilitating foreign direct investment into Australia.

The China Project showcases promising Australian investment options to its alliance partners throughout China by way of a bi-annual investment portfolio that also promotes Australia’s appealing economic landscape and lifestyle. The China Project has attracted genuine interest from a myriad of high-wealth individuals and organisations from private enterprise to government departments and key political figures. Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers contributes to the legal and corporate migration requirements of all foreign investments.

In November 2013, Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers formed an alliance with Dacheng Law Offices, the largest law firms in China. This unprecedented agreement heralds the start of collaboration between Dacheng and Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers on matters of commercial, migration and foreign investment.

It is a milestone move that is expected to bring mutual benefits and growth at elevated levels for all parties. We couldn’t be prouder of this alliance. Dacheng is a very prestigious law firm that represents many high-wealth clients intent on foreign investment, providing us with unique access to potential top-tier investors.

We are also now the Australian branch of the Grand Compass Law Alliance, which comprises 11 large law firms throughout mainland China that specialise in commercial law and foreign investment.

Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers also has a contract with the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Control for those who are suffering from financial hardship named IAAAS (Immigration Advice, Application Assistance Scheme).

We feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to legally represent a number of growing multicultural communities here in Australia. Australia’s assimilation of different cultures is the best in the world. It has absorbed generational waves of immigrants, from Chinese people to Vietnamese, Italians, Greeks, Eastern Europeans and the Middle East.

Although immigration remains a political flashpoint in Australia with intense debate over the steady arrival of boats carrying asylum-seekers from poor countries, we at Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers are proud to have contributed in a small way to those cases where Australia has benefited from the immigration of those who come from diverse backgrounds.

Working with clients from a variety of cultures means we have developed a culture that ensures all of our staff voices are heard and valued. This not only helps attract and retain the best people, but it enables them to get better answers for our clients and, ultimately, for Sabelberg Morcos Lawyers.

Our high level of proficiency is directly attributable to the commitment and unity of our team, which is a key factor of our culture.

Despite our varied talents and contributions, we have remained unified as one body with one single focus; to aim for continual growth and increased professional recognition. It is the selfless dedication of our team members, which has enabled us to expand so rapidly into the international sphere.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - France Sefrioui Law Firm

Throughout the year, we have provided successful representation in several proceedings, related to international investment and construction projects in the Arab world.

Sefrioui Law Firm has been a respected Paris-based arbitration practice from its beginnings in 1969. We have acted in dozens of international commercial arbitrations and developed a very specific expertise in the fields of construction, aviation, maritime law, investments and project finance. We have also handled major international litigations, in matters ranging from state responsibility for support of terrorism to international export of contaminated blood products.

Our practice, which has offices in both Paris and Geneva, works in English, French and Arabic languages, and routinely intervenes within cases arising under systems of civil law, common law and under Arab laws. Our law firm has historically represented several Arab governments and public entities in their international disputes, with respect to both their sovereign and commercial activities. We also assist on a regular basis numerous companies, particularly from North Africa, the Middle East and the Arab Gulf, including major industries, banks, airlines, in litigations involving their relations with Europe, North America and Asia. Regarding international arbitration, our practice has most recently served as counsel in several largescale investment related proceedings, under various Euro-Arab bilateral investment treaties.

We have been in charge of significant litigations involving the postrevolutionary situation in Libya, as well as infrastructure projects in the Gulf area and in sub-Saharan Africa. We have also been very active in our domestic practice, and our firm has notably advised on one of the most important real-estate transactions on the French market this year.

We have recently opened a new office in Geneva, which provides our clients with a permanent presence in one of the leading trading centres in the world. We have a long-standing relationship with Geneva, where we have accomplished extensive work for more than 20 years, in the field of international trade and commodities, as well as in arbitration. The growing interest of our international clients for this jurisdiction, at the convergence of the European, African and Middle

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Eastern markets, has driven us to establish this new practice, which so far provides both counsel and litigation services, in international trade and commodities, corporate law and maritime law.

Legal, political and social analysis Our law firm is also renowned for its expertise in Arab legislations, and we are constantly investing in the knowledge and the legal skills of our lawyers. Over the last years, we have witnessed at first hand crucial reforms in several jurisdictions of the Arab world, which not only involved new legislations but also new administrative regulations and new economic policies. Beyond the cases that we handle on a daily basis, we dedicate important resources to the analysis of the latest regulations and case law, as well as the political and social evolutions in these countries. For instance, we are at this very moment keeping a close watch on the situation in Libya, and particularly its impacts on the oil and gas industry. These researches enable us to provide our clients with the most innovative and the most accurate solutions, with respect to their business operations in these jurisdictions.

The legal market has become more competitive over time, and law firms have had to make the right decisions in order to position their services effectively on the global market. Our choice to be a highly specialized firm in the field of international law has allowed us to develop an extensive expertise in our core sectors of international transactions and international litigation. We are very attentive to the evolution of our clients’ industries and most of our own transformations have been driven by the anticipation of our clients’ needs.

Therefore, our service offerings are constantly adjusted, according to our own research and our clients’ new challenges.

Our track record in the Arab world is definitely the first reason that brings new clients to contact our firm. We have also developed a variety of billing solutions with our clients, which enables us to provide them with both predictable and very competitive costs.

Fact File Company: Sefrioui Law Firm Name: Kamal Sefrioui Email: paris@sefrioui.com Web Address: www.sefrioui.com Address: 72 boulevard de Courcelles, 75017 Paris, France Telephone: +33 1 47 66 11 00

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Fire Safety Specialist Award Wilkinson Construction Consultants Geoff Wilkinson is Managing Director at Wilkinson Construction Consultants, a consultancy practice specialising in Building and Fire Regulations in the UK. We speak to Geoff about the reasons why Wilkinsons won the prestigious Fire Safety Specialist award.

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Company: Wilkinson Construction Consultants Name: Geoffrey Wilkinson Email: office@thebuildinginspector.org Web address: www.thebuildinginspector.org Address: Suite 31, 60 Churchill Square Business Centre, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4YU Telephone: 01732 523466

So Geoff what’s it like to win this prestigious award?

It’s great to accept this award as recognition of the excellent service that we have provided to our clients. When we first set the company up in 2009, we aimed to offer a high quality personal service, with a focus on customer satisfaction. This culture of excellence has already seen us achieve ISO 9001 and EXOR Silver accreditation for our services in just a few short years. This award, however, is special as it comes by way of nomination from our existing client base, and it’s great to know that our clients rate our service so highly.

Can you explain what those services are?

Wilkinsons offer a wide range of compliance services including building regulations, fire risk assessment, fire engineering, health & safety and also act as an expert witness. We are one of just a few companies that are licensed as approved inspectors by the Construction Industry Council in the UK. This means we can offer clients an alternative route to apply for Building Regulation Approval instead of using the often bureaucratic local authority service. Our expertise and flexibility in applying the fire safety provisions of Building Regulations means we can help clients achieve unique and cost-effective buildings.

What makes you different?

Unlike many of our competitors, our staff have a unique understanding of the entire construction process from feasibility, through design, construction and maintenance of facilities. We bring that experience to every service we offer and every project we work on.

As a result we can fully explain the practical implications of our recommendations, and have close working relationships with the fire authorities. We can also be brought in at any stage to help with design, secure approval or act as expert witnesses when something goes wrong.

Not everyone will be familiar with these services: can you explain more about what’s involved?

The UK’s fire regulations changed in 2005 with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO) replacing the Fire Precautions Act. This meant that the fire service no longer issued fire certificates and that the owners of properties were responsible for undertaking their own fire risk assessments. The RRO also removed the ‘statutory bar’ which gave fire authorities powers to insist that existing buildings were upgraded to modern standards and not just maintained to the standards when they were originally built. This has seen the London Fire Service alone serve over 1,000 enforcement notices on landlords for inadequate risk assessments. We

work closely with clients to get these notices lifted and ensure that buildings meet the necessary standards.

Ideally we are brought in during the design phase of any project. One example was a developer who was planning to convert a Grade I listed mansion to provide 40 breath-taking apartments.

Fire escapes in such developments present a number of potential challenges and in this case the escape route for some of the apartments was through a furnished atrium. The local authority would not give approval for this and wanted changes that would have destroyed the character of the building. Our client appointed us to come up with a solution that enabled them to use the atrium as an escape route. We put together a design and calculations that were approved by the local authority enabling the atrium to remain furnished and achieving the homely feel desired by the client. The client City & Country said they were, “very satisfied with the service which dealt with a specialist area of building control which was proving difficult to obtain an approval“.

There have also been a number of high profile fires in timber framed buildings during the construction process and we have been called in to help clients who faced enforcement action from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). In one case we were able to come up with a solution that allowed the use of timber frame in a densely populated part of London where the HSE had closed down the site due to the potential of fire spreading to adjoining buildings.

If a solution had not been found the contractor would have had to scrap hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of materials and changed the entire construction method. We have since gone on to provide training in site fire safety to over 200 staff in the contractor’s entire network of offices in the UK. Unfortunately we are not always brought in at an early stage and have acted instead as expert witnesses in cases where things have gone wrong. One such case involved substantial losses to a listed building which had been undergoing refurbishment work at the time of the fire. Wilkinsons were appointed on behalf of the insurer and advised on the standards expected of a competent contractor and what had gone wrong in this case leading to the fire.

Our clients in that case Weightmans said: “The case was complex and had some very tight deadlines, and we were very impressed with the service received from Wilkinsons.” Another of our expert witness clients Kim Franklin, of Crown Office Chambers, said: “I must say Wilkinson’s report is excellent and will save an enormous amount of time.”

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Medical Inventions Patent Firm of the Year - UK / Wilson Gunn James Robey is partner at Wilson Gunn Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys.

We are delighted to have won the Medical Inventions Patent Firm of the Year award.

leaving our clients with clear decisions to make, saving them time and allowing them to get on with running their business.

We are particularly pleased to be recognised for our expertise in this field as it is one in which the firm has a particular focus.

Members of our team have invaluable experience of working with clients in the medical sector. We have obtained and advised on patents relating to a wide variety of medical technology, including surgical and wound care products, surgical instrumentation, diagnostic kits and medical imaging.

As the global economy improves we are seeing an upturn in demand, as well as increased competition. This brings new challenges, but having reviewed our practices, made efficiency savings and revised our billing models over the last couple of years we have ensured we are delivering even better value for money to our clients and are well placed to compete.

We understand that extreme care must be taken in the healthcare industry in the development of specialised products; and whilst competition is ever present, there is an underlying duty to deliver quality goods and avoid confusion in the market place. Intellectual property is a vital tool in helping businesses to succeed in the medical sector.

Wilson Gunn is a leading firm of patent and trade mark attorneys.

Our attorneys provide strategic advice across all aspects of intellectual property, including patents, trade marks, designs and copyright.

Wilson Gunn was established in Manchester in 1864, which makes us one of the UK’s oldest firms of patent and trade mark attorneys. We have since grown into a national firm with a strong reputation for quality.

We are experts in securing, maintaining and enforcing protection for inventions, designs and trade marks. We are active across all industry sectors. In addition to healthcare we have particular expertise in the automotive, food technology, packaging, construction, gaming, textiles and filtration sectors. We have a proven track record of showing businesses how to get the most out of their intellectual property.

Wilson Gunn distinguishes itself from competitors by the userfriendly, approachable style of its attorneys. We place great emphasis on client care to deliver outstanding service levels. Our advice is always commercially focused. We see intellectual property very much as a tool which can be used in a variety of ways to obtain a commercial advantage and always aim to ensure that our clients are obtaining the maximum benefit from their rights.

Intellectual property law is complex. We deal with the complexity

The quality of Wilson Gunn’s professional team is key to our firm’s delivery of excellent, commercial advice and high levels of service.

We have a strong tradition of training our attorneys in house and a significant proportion of our team started their professional careers with Wilson Gunn. This helps to ensure quality and continuity of approach. We are, however, mindful of the benefits of recruiting external talent to refresh the team, bringing new perspectives and experience. Over the last twelve months we have appointed two senior attorneys, each with considerable industry experience and their contributions are invaluable in enabling us to view situations from the client’s perspective.

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Fact File

Whilst the trend towards consolidation across the legal services sector continues, we are firm believers in the value of niche practices in highly specialised fields, such as intellectual property and, especially, in patents. Our experienced professionals not only have a wealth of expertise in the medical field but, collectively, are able to advise on and have experience in a wide range of technical and legal areas within intellectual property. This depth of experience and expertise simply cannot be provided by a ‘one stop shop’.

The improving economy promises an increase in M&A activity. Our involvement mainly concerns pre-transaction due diligence and post-transaction completion work. By its nature, due diligence tends to be conducted to meet tight deadlines. We find it very useful to plan an approach to due diligence with clients with a view to balancing cost, timescales and commercial risk. Post-transaction work dominates in terms of time. The work involved in transferring ownership of large IP portfolios typically continues for some time after the original deal has been done.

2014 marks our 150th anniversary. We are proud of how far the firm has come and look forward to helping our clients address new challenges, and seeing them grow and prosper, in the future.

Company: Wilson Gunn Name: James Robey Email: james.robey@wilsongunn.com Web address: www.wilsongunn.com Address: 5th Floor, Blackfriars House, The Parsonage, Manchester M3 2JA Telephone: 0161 827 9400

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Intellectual Property Silk of the Year - UK / Andrew Waugh QC Fact File

Company: 3 New Square Name: Andrew Waugh QC Email: clerks@3newsquare.co.uk Address: Lincoln’s Inn, London, WC2A 3RS Telephone: +44 (0)20 7405 7800

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Andrew Waugh has a thriving intellectual property practice embracing patents, supplementary protection certificates, copyright and designs, confidential information and inter-related aspects of EC law. His background has led to a particular emphasis on chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-technical/genetic engineering matters as well as a broader commercial practice, including arbitrations involving a significant scientific/technical content. He was awarded IP/IT Silk of the Year in successive years 2009 and 2010

by Chambers & Partners and was described in 2013 by Chambers and partners as ‘pretty much at the top of the pile for big and important patent litigation’.

The tribunals in front of which Andrew Waugh most frequently appear include not only the courts of England and Wales, both at first instance and appellate level, but also the Court of Justice of the European Union, the United Kingdom Trade Marks and Patent Office, the European Patent Office in Munich, the Hague and Berlin and the High Court in Dublin.

His string of recent high-profile cases include cases involving Anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibodies - the blockbuster Humira - in GSK v Abbott; high-permeability contact lenses in Cibavision v Johnson & Johnson; pertussis vaccines in Medeva; oral contraceptives in Gedeon Richter v Schering; melatonin in Neurim Pharmaceuticals v The Comptroller-General of Patents; antibodies to treat Age Related Macular Degneneration in Regeneron Pharmacueticals v Genentech and antibodies for

Most recently in the European Patent Office he has acted for Genentech Inc in the opposition to their patent for acidic variants of HER2 antibodies; for ROVI/United Video Properties in the opposition to their patent in respect of ‘Interactive Television Guide System’; for Genentech Inc in T734/12 in respect of oppositions to the patent in respect of ‘Therapy of automimmune disease in a patient with an inadequate response of a TNF-alpha inhibitor’ EP 2,103,236 and for Doewe Egberts (as Opponents) in T1674/12 in the oppositions to Nestle’s patent in respect of ‘Capsule Extraction Device’. In the last of these cases Andrew Waugh secured revocation of the patent for the system relied on by Nestle across Europe for the protection of their Nespresso system.

Key to Andrew Waugh’s success has been not only his sound technical ability and appetite for work but also his ability to interact positively with the clients to gauge their needs and requirements and to present their cases in the most positive ways possible – listening and talking are equally vital parts of Andrew Waugh’s practice. In his opinion, the best way to engage and keep clients in a competitive environment is to listen to and respect the client’s views before developing them in the most litigation efficient manner. As the Legal 500 described him this year, he is ‘a good listener who is very willing to take on board the views of those instructing him’ (Legal 500 2013) and he is ‘very thorough, technical and hard-working’.

Technology Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Andrioli Giacomini Porto e Cortez Advogados Andrioli, Giacomini, Porto e Cortez Attorneys at Law is a full service law firm that provides legal assistance in all main areas of corporate law in Brazil and abroad. Based on the extensive experience of its partners, as well as the technical qualification of our team, the firm works seamlessly, aiming to deliver quality projects with differentiated and personalized service. Partner Maria Cristina Machado Cortez explains more…

We are delighted to have won this award and we attribute this achievement to the quality, dedication and commitment of our team to deliver personalized and qualified services with business orientation and focus on client satisfaction.

Company: Andrioli Giacomini Porto e Cortez Advogados Name: Maria Cristina Machado Cortez Email: cris.cortez@agaadvogados.com.br Web Address: www.agaadvogados.com.br Address: Rua Samuel Morse, 74, 7° andar Brooklin, São Paulo - SP Telephone: 55 11 5502 6740

the treatment of Altzhiemer’s Disease in Eli Lilly v Janssen Immunotherapy Inc..

It is important to mention that our firm is still young when compared to the traditional law firms in Brazil. We have only been in existence for nine years and some of our partners have only recently joined us. Having said that, our lawyers have come from the most prestigious and traditional law firms in Brazil and LATAM, so we are proud to acknowledge that our new approach and methods do not conflict with market best practices.

As a young company, brand is very important to us and we have recently run some research to test our brand with customers, prospects, associates and staff, partners and the market. The results have shown us that 100% of our internal and external audiences associate our brand with values like trust, ethics, integrity, transparency and relationship. We could not be prouder as this exactly reflects our core values.

We promote the exchange of information and ideas with our clients, prospects and team, stimulating a collaborative environment among everybody.

Our culture is embedded in our clients’ culture. We have long understood that each industry has a different cultural and technical background: we

learn and adapt our practice to optimize our approach and delivery. We are also members of many representative associations, which keeps us up to date with the innovations and debates held by the market and industry.

Clients are now working with a greater variety of law firms, each with a different profile: this has nothing to do with customer loyalty, but with best resource allocation. To adapt to this new market reality firms must understand each other’s niche and learn to work in cooperation. That is why we see competition as something to motivate and challenge us, keeping us focused on continuous improvement.

Our firm´s target is the development of long-lasting relationships with our clients. We know that most companies are now starting to recover from the global economic slowdown, but nonetheless legal departments will continue to be selective when choosing the law firms to work with, especially for sensitive and complex issues.

Due to the forthcoming sporting events in Brazil – the Olympics and Soccer World Cup – there is a natural demand for niche practices such as infrastructure (including IT) and entertainment. Our goal for the next two years, as part of our natural growth process, is to double the number of employees as well as expanding our presence to other states.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

French Dealmaker of the Year - Ticket Surf International Transaction Antelis Jose Michel Garcia and Celine Rouanet believe it is the rigor, pragmatism and loyalty of Antelis that set them aside from the competition.

Jose Michel Garcia said that it was the firm’s combativeness that was one of the chief elements that helped Antelis to win French Dealmaker of the Year. He also said that winning the award validated the firm’s close relationship with their clients as well as the team-building within the company.

We are on a constant quest for quality with a pragmatic approach, he added. The team is always as the forefront of legal developments and there is a constant quest to establish the best technical and interactive communication with clients.

we are competent in Spanish law and have clients that are Spanish companies who want to work in France or vice versa, French companies who want to set up business in Spain.’

‘The Antelis brand is the identity for our team and our clients,’ said Celine Rouanet, ‘A common link for all the individuals in our group.

We’re not worried about losing our star performers, because we have a very strong team in our office that has been built on the corporate values that we have built up over several years.’

As the global market continues to strengthen, Antelis are looking to build their business in face of increased competition with a strict controls on the fees they charge while continuing to put the satisfaction of their clients first and foremost. They also anticipate developing their real estate competence as part of their core service offerings to clients in the short to mid-term future.

Fact File Company: ANTELIS Name: José Michel GARCIA – Céline ROUANET Email: jose.garcia@antelis.com crouanet@antelis.com Web Address: www.antelis.com Address: 22 rue de Chazelles 75017 Paris Telephone: 01 44 29 77 20

‘The team is working more and more on international cases and also for foreign companies,’ said Jose Michel Garcia. ‘In particular

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Patent Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados A deep commitment to customer satisfaction is what Julio Guidi, attorney partner with Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados, believes has turned them into an award-winning firm.

Everything at Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados is designed to promote customer satisfaction, from its values such as transparency, speed and efficiency to the constant training of its staff and the way it always seeks to provide a more customized service to customers from foreign countries.

Julio explained: “Our name brings us many clients and is where we want to be recognised. We work to maintain the excellence in our services so that our brand will grow and enable us to reach customers in the most distant countries.

“Our USP is well made, but surely we can improve. We’re not so pretentious as to believe that nothing needs to be done. We believe that there is always a new point to be exploited and how to improve our company.”

In this age of consolidation in the legal industry, growth and competition are always part of strategic thinking. In Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados’ case they believe they are in a good position when it comes to competition, precisely because they are so well prepared to help foreign clients who wish to invest in Brazil.

Although their award has been for their IP practice, Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados provides a full service, meaning foreign clients do not need to look for other providers in their locality. They also work to provide the best prices and payment terms and offer promotions to attract new customers and retain existing clients. However, Julio believes it is the customer service the firm offers that is the key retention factor.

The quality of the team is also important. It must work in harmony, be able to work across the international market and be able to adapt to the firm’s commitment to keep developing its legal services. Julio admits all of this can be a challenge but it’s one they work to meet.

Business opportunities and growth are being keenly considered at Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados, Julio explains: “We intend to aggressively grow the amount of customers in foreign countries, mainly in China, South Korea, the European Union and North America. One of the expectations is that we will have branches in some of these countries. We also intend to increase our network of partner law firms. Today we have more than 25 partners around the world; we intend to reach the mark of 60 foreign partners in 2014.”

Fact File Company: Carvalho, Fairbairn & Guidi Advogados Name: Julio Guidi Email: law@cfgadvogados.com.br contato@guidiadv.com.br Web Address: www.cfglawyers.com www.guidiadv.com.br Address: R. Araujo Porto Alegre n. 70, 9th Floor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CEP 20030015 Telephone: + 55 21 32814258 +55 21 25240901

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Fact File

Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year – China / CN-KnowHow IP Group CN-KnowHow IP Group was first founded in 1984 as a state-owned ministry level patent agency and now has grown to a group with more than 250 employees.

Company: CN-KnowHow IP Group Name: Mr XIE Shunxing Email: int@cnkip.com Web Address: http://www.cnkip.com Address: Address: 18th Floor, Tower B, CEC Plaza, No. 3 Dan Ling Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100080 Telephone: 86-10-62199070 Fax: 86-10-62198011

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Fact File

It is the first IP Group to provide full IP services in China.

It serves its clients, including many international corporations, in everything from application drafting and prosecution to litigation, arbitration and licensing.

Besides the chemical, biochemical, medical and pharmaceutical fields, the group is also firmly established in the fields of mechanical, electrical, electronic and software technologies.

CN-KnowHow IP Group is headquartered in Beijing and has another six offices in China. Comprising 81 patent attorneys, 12 lawyers and 16 former SIPO examiners, it is one of the China’s fastest-growing IP firms.

Additionally, the firm ranked as the First Largest Filer in terms of representing Beijing local applicants in 2012. Mr XIE Shunxing, who is the president of CN-KnowHow IP Group, has more than 10 years’ working experience in the SIPO and has been awarded the title of ‘National IP Leading Talent (Service)’, making him one of only 20 persons in China to be awarded this honor.

M&A Law Firm of the Year - Australia Clarendon Lawyers Clarendon Lawyers is extremely pleased and proud to be recognised by Acquisition International as the Australian M&A Law Firm of the year.

With all the founders coming from careers at top national and international firms, the vision of the firm has always been to provide a top tier service in a smaller environment. Our longer term vision is to be recognised as the leading Australian boutique corporate law firm (and a real alternative to the top tier national and international law firms) in our core practice areas, such as M&A.

Company: Clarendon Lawyers Name: Tony Symons, Managing Director Email: tony.symons@clarendonlawyers. com.au Web address: www.clarendonlawyers.com.au Address: Level 17, Rialto North Tower, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia Telephone: +61 3 8681 4400

Its services have been recognised by a number of awards: in 2012 CN-KnowHow Intellectual Property Agent Ltd was awarded the ‘2012 Award for Beijing Outstanding Patent Agent’ by the Beijing Intellectual Property Office, an award that was given only to five IP firms in Beijing. The same year also saw the firm being awarded the ‘2012 Award for Chinese Outstanding Patent Agent’ by the China Intellectual Property News, an award which was given only to 20 IP firms nationwide.

At a time when many firms are looking to expand their practice areas and geographical reach, we remain focused on doing what we do best. Our firm does not try to be all things to all people, but rather focuses on its key practice areas - where our specialist skills and experience lie. This award not only acknowledges the service that we provide to our clients, but is also validation of the boutique or specialist law firm model in Australia’s current legal market.

The cornerstone of our model is that we provide small, focused teams with full director commitment and experience on all matters (with sufficient senior and junior lawyer support to ensure that tasks are done by the most cost effective person). Small teams and full director involvement helps us ensure that we provide the highest quality legal service with a commercial focus.

Many of our team members have been with the firm for a long time, which provides continuity of support to our clients, not only for the duration of the transaction or matter, but also for future transactions and matters. It also assists to maintain and further develop the firm’s culture in a consistent fashion.

Our firm’s culture is underpinned by a set of core values developed by the team and which guide our day-to-day operation as well as our strategy and more important decisions. It is these core values that have helped to create a great team environment within which to work and have resulted in strong retention rates. We are all very proud to work in a firm of quality, not quantity and believe that this is reflected in the standard of our work and advice that we provide, the nature of the matters and transactions that we are involved in, and the clients we represent.

Although the global economy has been through challenging times in recent years, this has created many opportunities for our firm. Clients are increasingly looking for firms that deliver better value, particularly in the mid-market where the transaction value does not necessarily justify using a large team at a large national or international firm. However, clients still expect the same level of service that they have previously enjoyed at larger firms, which we are able to deliver. The size and structure of our firm also provides us with the necessary flexibility to tailor our fee arrangements to the requirements of our clients and changes in the legal market.

The Australian legal landscape has changed in recent years, with many of the large domestic law firms merging with international firms. This global consolidation has also created new opportunities for our firm, mainly in the form of referrals from international firms without a presence in Australia and which are reluctant to refer their Australian matters to firms with whom they now compete in other parts of the world.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Competition Law Firm of the Year - China DeHeng Law Offices In the 20 years since its founding DeHeng Law Offices has grown to be one of China’s largest full-service law firms with headquarters in Beijing, 22 domestic offices, five overseas offices and over 100 cooperation firms across the world covering most of the major economies. They were delighted to win Competition Law Firm of the Year and tell us more about their Competition and Antitrust team.

The team was established in in 2007, the year that China’s Anti-Monopoly Law was issued. Most of our team members have an overseas education or working background and have accumulated rich experience on Antitrust Compliance, Antitrust Litigation, Antitrust Investigation as well as Merger Review, giving broad and solid foundation to our overall antitrust services.

Moreover, as global market trends are the core concern of DeHeng and our clients, our team works to provide the best antitrust services to our clients all over the world. Team members undergo continuous development to help achieve our principles and meet our clients’ demands. This includes, but is not limited to: • Our team is considers the whole process of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law and holds a deep understanding on the background and intention of the legislation as well as applying its rules • Timeliness – our team provides early warning and risk analysis as soon as we become aware of actions relating to antitrust law enforcement carried out by China’s Development and Reform Commission, Administration on Industry and Commerce and MOFCOM, and relevant decisions from any court in China • Our team uses effective communication, symposium and seminar attendance and submitting suggestions on new legislation, along with other means, to keep a good relationship with China’s authorities

•

Our team also works at maintaining their international expertise on antitrust cases as well as development of antitrust theory by working with foreign or domestic companies to deal with foreign anti-trust issues, and incorporating foreign successful experience into our practices, such as inviting well-known experts or lawyers to our firm as counsels or partners and communicating with foreign law firms.

As of November 2013, DeHeng has assisted more than 10 companies, both domestic and foreign, to obtain clearance from MOFCOM for the completion of concentrations; helped some famous enterprises, which face ongoing or potential antitrust investigations from the authorities, by providing antitrust audits (including compliance review and relevant solutions) and building relevant antitrust policies within companies; represented or assisted several corporations, both big and small, in confronting domestic or foreign antitrust litigations.

None of this would be possible without the endeavours of our team who strive to uphold DeHeng’s culture of professional ethics, keeping pace with changing times and providing the values and levels of service that clients expect from a law firm and that should not change even in this changing world.

Fact File Company: DeHeng Law Offices Name: Ding Liang Email: dingliang@dehenglaw.com Web Address: www.dehenglaw.com Address: B 12th Floor, Focus Place, No. 19, Financial Street, Beijing, P.R. China Telephone: 5268-2977

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Tax Advisers of the Year – Italy Ernst & Young, Studio Legale Tributario Exceptional client service is the hallmark of Ernst & Young’s (EY) practice – and at the heart of its brand promise of ‘Building a Better Working World’. Acquisition International spoke to Domenico Borzumato to find out more…

In Italy, we have made significant strides towards becoming a first-class, integrated tax and law practice in line with our global investment. We are building a new model in the Italian legal market, leveraging off our specialization in multiple disciplines and integrating across our various service lines to produce holistic offerings that provide more comprehensive solutions and advice to our clients.

The legal practice has gone through some major changes over the last few months. We have doubled the size of our practice and appointed a new head, Paolo Ricci, who arrives from a prominent international law firm. We are now leading the movement within the Italian legal market towards one-stop client service models, and in the process we are minimizing the gap between business advisors, tax advisors and legal counsel.

Developing and investing in highly specialized professionals and practice areas is key to growing our practice in times of intense competition and high client expectations. Our culture of teaming across the many other service lines and geographical boundaries within EY provides us with a distinct competitive advantage as our clients seek to obtain the highest level of expertise in the most efficient manner.

Our reputation is founded on the talent within our business. As such, recruiting, managing and retaining the very best people is always a top priority. We’re committed to developing our people and focus on provid-

Fact File

ing them with the right opportunities, learning tools and coaching to help them develop great careers that they are passionate about.

This means giving our professionals opportunities to develop diverse careers that span different disciplines and countries, to work on the most complex issues and to develop the habits of inclusive leadership that will benefit them for a lifetime.

Our EY brand of ‘Building a Better Working World’ epitomizes everything we say and do as a global organization, and our people embody the brand by creating their own ‘personal brands’ that stand out in the market. We are in the business of providing highly sophisticated business services to some of the largest and most successful organizations in the world. We deliver exceptional client service by continuously exceeding their expectations. And it is through our people that we provide these high-quality services.

We differentiate ourselves through our one-stop client service model.

Working with colleagues in our Tax, Assurance, Transactions and Advisory service lines, we provide legal advice to our clients in an integrated manner in order to address their business issues. Our lawyers understand the increasingly complex tax, regulatory and commercial laws of this global economy. Accordingly, we’re able to provide holistic guidance around strategic business decisions and offer support services that can increase efficiency and reduce the cost of some routine legal activities.

Company: EY, Studio Legale Tributario Name: Domenico Borzumato Email: domenico.borzumato@it.ey.com Web Address: ey.com Address: Via F. Wittgens 6, 20123 Milano, Italy Telephone: +39 02 85141

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Strategic Regulatory Consultants of the Year – UK Financial Markets Law International Fact File

There is no single element that is responsible for Financial Markets Law International’s success.

Instead, it is the combination of the firm’s reputation on compliance transformation, the methodologies the team has developed and the projects they have been involved in. Founder Richard Parlour explains more…

“FMLI is a new kind of law firm specialising in profit enhancing compliance solutions for financial markets.

We have been in the sector for over 20 years and done the leading examples of compliance transformation at both institution and market level.

Company: Financial Markets Law International Name: Richard Parlour Email: info@fmli.co.uk Web address: www.fmli.co.uk Telephone: +44 1727 845897

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Fact File

Banks and others have got themselves into all sorts of trouble from misselling to money laundering as the result of a crisis in their compliance function. This function is meant to keep them out of trouble but its stopping them from operating normally. However, most hate compliance, with a vengeance. They see cost, not benefit. They see business prevention, not business opportunity. They attend training, but can’t remember what was taught. Yet many have received massive fines and been heavily criticised.

At the same time, industry is crying out for finance and has lost confidence in the financial sector.

The problem really arises from the fact that the business model and compliance function are not designed to work together. This leads to constant tension with the regulator, increased risk, lost opportunities and lost profits.

We don’t just rewrite compliance procedures. We address every element of the compliance spectrum so as to hardwire your compliance processes to your business model. We encase this in a robust remediation programme so you avoid slipping back into old habits.

Our model can be used in its entirety, or cut vertically to address issues such as corporate governance, due diligence, financial crime, sales or training.

Or it can be introduced into discreet business units, so it is very flexible. We typically get great results in 9-18 months working for those who recognise the need for change, are willing to learn and up for success. Not only does the model work in any kind of financial institution, but also in other sectors and in other countries. So it is both scaleable and internationally portable.

Look out for our book in the New Year called “Transformational Compliance”.

Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year - Wales / Gareth Jones Gareth Jones is barrister at Civitas Law, based in Cardiff. He recently won Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year for Wales.

Gareth begins by explaining how he and the firm continues to build its business in the face of ever-increasing competition. “We do this by going the extra mile,” he states. “By being there for the client whenever we are wanted and by attention to the small things, like always getting back on messages promptly, always picking up the phone, or always calling back.”

Company: Civitas Law Chambers Name: Gareth Jones Email: Gareth.jones@civitaslaw.com Web Address: www.civitaslaw.com Address: Global Reach, Celtic Gateway, Cardiff CF110SN Telephone: 0845 0713 007

Yet you can’t run a business without compliance. Its vital. We have a unique system to align your business model with your compliance function in such a way as to keep both your regulator and your shareholders happy.

Indeed Gareth goes on to tell how the firm is proactive when it comes to keeping a loyal client base. “I don’t wait for the client to contact me, I make a practice of contacting them so I know what they are likely to want before they even have to ask.”

It seems that this approach is the secret to Gareth’s success: “I am my own brand, I have a definite charisma and whereas it doesn’t appeal to everyone, I do have a loyal following and it is a 100% real,” he says.

“I am modern by being ‘anti-modern’ although I embrace technology and all that is good about the new age in the law, I am still at heart an old fashioned barrister and famously fond of the good life.

A lot has changed but a lot has stayed the same and clients like that sense of continuity.”

The landscape for lawyers across the globe is changing but Gareth insists on staying one step ahead of these changes to ensure he triumphs.

“There are real pressures, these days you have to be 100% committed, there is no room for amateurs, you must be responsive all of the time, the day you take off is the day your competitors move in.”

Recently Civitas Law, and in particular Gareth, was awarded Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year 2013, as voted for by readers of Acquisition international.

He attributes his success in achieving this accolade to a combination of traditional standards and a very modern approach, with full use of technology.

“We are always looking at new ways of doing things,” Gareth embellishes. “For instance we have an incredible online library, meaning we can work from anywhere, at the same time you have to accept that new technology makes you more contactable and that is something you should embrace if you want to success. I am available 24/7 to my clients.”

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Property Law Firm of the Year - Germany Heussen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft Partner Dr Jan Dittman tells us more about the culture and work ethic that have led to Heussen’s win.

If I had to single out one distinctive element of our firm that has led to us winning this award, it would be our thorough understanding and deep knowledge of the markets in which our clients operate.

Most of our competitors concentrate solely on legal questions and the avoidance of their own liability. We at Heussen see the entire picture and understand the commercial goals of the client. This reflects our brand, which is very important to us, and is all about the qualities we seek to achieve in our daily work for our clients.

We have also concentrated on building key strengths such as fair pricing (including our willingness to stick to agreed fee caps in order to ensure price stability for the client), quick processing of the client’s instructions and expanding the knowledge of the markets we operate in. These strengths have proved to be successful for clients and we will continue to focus on them in the future.

For instance, we won our last pitch due to our transaction experience, market expertise and our network.

Networks within the organisation are just as important as those that are external. Heussen works to be an attractive workplace for all its team members, as we achieve to maintain an amiable atmosphere with uncomplicated structures. And for new talented entry-level attorneys, Heussen particularly focuses on building relationships by providing traineeship positions.

One of the pillars of the firm culture at Heussen is our focus on team work. By implementing it on a daily basis, we ensure that all our attorneys and also all staff members are equally bound to contribute to our common success.

A good example for our dedication to continuously develop the firm’s culture is our new and independently acclaimed internal training program ‘Heussen Kolleg’ which has been further expanded in 2013.

Fact File Company: HEUSSEN Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Name: Dr. Jan Dittmann Email: jan.dittmann@heussen-law.de Web Address: www.heussen-law.de Address: Brienner Strasse 9 / Amiraplatz, 80333 Munich, Germany Telephone: +49 89 29097-0

Looking ahead to 2014, our focus is to continuously enhance our team size and man power to enable us to maintain our ability to realize large and complex transactions for our clients within short timeframe, while simultaneously keeping our status as an independent law firm.

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IP Law Firm of the Year - Russia INTELLECT-S The group of law firms INTELLECT-S was founded in 2000 as an intellectual property firm specializing in copyright holders’ rights protection, but over the years it has expanded into other areas and has become a full-service professional group.

One of INTELLECT-S’s unique features is its expertise with IT startups, whether on the side of venture investors or representing developer teams. The firm is partnering with a few California law firms, which enables them to bring promising prospects into the Silicon Valley market.

Nevertheless, IP remains the firm’s core and strongest practice; half the partners are IP specialists. Apart from copyright, INTELLECT-S’s competencies include associated rights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, information, competition and antitrust, business reputation and defamation.

Their company was named among the top 15 Russian copyright firms in the prestigious, albeit so far only, Pravo.Ru-300 national rating of law firms in 2011 and 2012. The firms are rated jointly by the Internet portal Pravo. ru, newspaper Vedomosti and the project’s official auditor, Ernst & Young.

INTELLECT-S’s copyright clients come from among IT companies, software manufacturers, publishers, electronic and printed media, TV broadcasters, show business, designers, advert firms, gallerists, and exhibition organizers.

INTELLECT-S protects IP right holders against direct infringements and unfair competition involving IP, before courts or the antimonopoly authorities, provides support and advice for transactions with IP in ongoing business related to copyright, and handles registration of software and databases with the Russian Patent Office.

INTELLECT-S’s strong expertise in other areas of law (such as corporate, tax, contract, and litigation) enable the firm to meet high client expectations involving comprehensive multidisciplinary approaches, such as copyright litigation or advisory support for large transactions with IP rights, corporate structuring in IP, etc. This is both the firm’s strength and its competitive edge.

The firm have been announced as the M&A IP Boutique Law Firm of the Year in Russia by the reputable British Acquisition International Magazine in the 2013 Legal Awards. The awards recognize investors, advisers and service providers pin-pointed for their expertise in their respective specialized fields.

Managing Partner Evgeny Shestakov said: “Winning the Acquisition International Legal Award was especially important for INTELLECT-S: first, we are frightfully glad to win in the IP Law Firm of the Year – Russia category, because IP rights protection is one of our core practices; secondly, we were named the best Russian IP firm despite the serious competition from both domestic legal giants and the Russian desks of global firms with IP practices in Russia, and thirdly, because our firm is now recognized by international experts.

“I want to thank all our legal and support staff for their outstanding professional performance, and our clients for their trust and exciting cases which have made us a prominent player in the Russian legal services market.”

Fact File

Company: INTELLECT-S Name: Evgeny Shestakov Email: e.shestakov@intellectmail.ru Web Address: www.intellectpro.ru/en/ Address: 21 New Arbat str., office 2141, Moscow, Russia.

Telephone: +7 (495) 668-07-31

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Insurance Law Firm of the Year - Ireland / Kent Carty Solicitors Fact File

Gavan Carty – Partner of Kent Carty Solicitors with responsibility for Defendant Litigation and Insurance Law speaks to Acquisition International about the key reasons behind the firm’s recent win.

Describe the key characteristics of your firm Kent Carty is a full service law firm with particular strengths in both plaintiff and defence litigation as well as in private client work. Since the firm’s inception nearly 40 years ago, we have enjoyed strong relationships with local and international insurance firms. We have a particular specialism in the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution methods utilising both arbitration and mediation to resolve disputes as a costeffective and speedy alternative to pursuing an action in court.

Company: Kent Carty Solicitors Name: Gavan Carty Email: gavancarty@kentcarty.com Web address: www.kentcarty.com Address: 47-48 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, IRELAND Telephone: +353 1 8658800

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Fact File

How did it feel to win the award as Insurance Law Firm of the Year – Ireland?

We are delighted to have won this award. It is a reflection of our clients’ view of the high quality of advice and service that we can offer them. The provision of legal services in Ireland remains a difficult and competitive market. Our aim is to focus closely on our client needs and deliver an excellent service but always having regard to the need to keep our customers’ costs low.

The award is a clear validation of your firm and your team’s culture.

What do you do to actively develop your culture?

Our two founding partners have driven the team culture of our firm strongly throughout the years of the firm’s development. They have not allowed this focus to dilute despite a number of mergers and acquisitions over the years. Our culture is based on the twin values of excellent individual service coupled with the need for efficiency and the

Do you see your focus changing in the next few years?

It is important to our firm that we continue to evolve in a manner that allows us to meet emerging challenges. While we are delighted to win this award, we will not allow ourselves to rest on our laurels. Our markets change constantly, the legal services environment is changing and more crucially our clients’ needs are constantly changing. All of these factors present a constant challenge to the firm to change in a way that best positions us to meet these new needs. As our markets continually change, we must adapt also.

As the global market’s strength returns, how will you continue to build your business in the face of increased competition?

Our focus will remain on the key deliverables for our clients. We have the skills and expertise across a range of sectors that allow us to provide first class advice to our clients, particularly to those in the insurance and financial services market. These attributes position us excellently to build on our existing relationships and to develop new ones. As the global economy recovers and, perhaps more slowly, the Irish economy also recovers, we would aspire to see our business growing strongly and attracting an increasing volume of business and new clients.

White Collar Crime Barrister of the Year - UK / Keith Mitchell Acquisition International talks to the 2013 UK White Collar Crime Barrister of the Year Keith Mitchell, one of the highly specialist barristers who form part of 33 Chancery Lane about his award-winning work over the last 12 months.

AI asked Keith how he felt about winning the award: “I am very honoured to have won this award and thank all those who nominated and voted on my behalf, I know from recent trips to New York and Milan, how keenly these awards are viewed.

“There are, of course, far more deserving candidates than myself, and I would not be in this position but for the strong support and tireless dedication of the excellent team at 33 Chancery Lane and to those who continue to instruct me on such high profile cases.

Awards like this undoubtedly help to bring our project, to a wider audience.

Company: 33 Chancery Lane Name: Keith A Mitchell Email: KAM@33cllaw.com Web Address: www.33cllaw.com Address: 33 Chancery Lane, London WC2 Telephone: +44(0)2074409950

adoption of advances in technology. Many of our partners and associates have worked for the firm for some years and we aim both to retain our star performers and also to develop these young professionals in a manner which continues to deliver the service that our clients demand.

“When pitching for new business we as a profession have become more commercially minded and have to go out and sell our brand.

Being a good or competent advocate is no longer enough, not only do you have to impress and excel, you have to keep delivering a product that is in demand and is the best.”

The continuing recognition from Legal 500 2013 and Chambers Partners 2014, who have described Keith as: ‘superb with clients and popular with juries’, ‘a talented practitioner who knows his way around fraud cases’, ‘just superb and is always involved in the biggest cases in the country and has a great touch with the

clients’, underlines Keith’s achievements as a leading individual in the area of white collar fraud and confirms his reputation as a clear leader in the field.

Keith believes that 33 are ideally placed to deal with the changing shape of the legal profession and continue to attract the best white-collar crime and civil work by continually adapting to that change.

“We have ensured that we are equipped to deal with all areas of commercial wrongdoing whether criminal or civil fraud, regulatory tribunal, asset-tracing and recovery or proceeds of crime work and we have developed to be able to accept instructions not only from solicitors but from other professional clients, firms and individuals with us offering unrivalled expertise whilst providing great value for money, whether privately or publicly funded,” he explains.

In addition, to maintain its position as market leaders, 33 provides a host of lectures on specialist areas of work and the chambers regularly publishes a news supplement and provides a constantly updated website www.33cllaw.com that Keith would strongly recommend to all.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Collective Investments Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland lecocqassociate lecocqassociate is a boutique law firm with law offices in Switzerland, Malta and a corporate structuring advisory office in the United Arab Emirates, specialising in a selected few niche practice areas. Its expertise in collective investments led to it winning the Acquisition International’s Collective Investment Scheme Law Firm of the Year award.

In addition to practising in English and French, lecocqassociate also practises in German, Russian and Portuguese.

The firm’s expertise lies in the following areas: • Regulatory Banking and Insurance, including the licensing of banks, insurances and brokerage firms • Regulatory finance • Collective investment schemes • Structuring and registration of exchange traded funds, structure products and derivatives

• • • • • • •

Exchange traded commodities Private equity schemes Mergers and Acquisitions and IPOs Listing of securities and derivatives Tax related issues Corporate work Islamic finance

lecocqassociate was founded in 2007 by Dominique Lecocq. As well as being admitted to practise law in Switzerland and Malta he has worked as far afield as Brazil, London and for the Commodities Futures Trading Commission in Washington DC. He has written numerous articles about collective investments schemes, banking and insurance.

Fact File

Company: lecocqassociate Name: Dominique Lecocq Email: drl@lecocqassociate.com Web Address: www.lecocqassociate.com Address: 42, route de Frontenex CH-1207 Geneva, Switzerland Telephone: +41 (22) 707 93 33 Fax: +41 (22) 786 14 68

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Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Lawyers Choice Award: Accountancy Firm of the Year for Malta Meilak & Associates Fact File Company: Meilak & Associates Email: info@mmeilak.com Web Address: http://www.mmeilak.com/ Address: M.Meilak & Associates Arch. P. Pace Street, Victoria, Gozo, Malta Telephone: +356 21561216 Fax: +356 27561216

Meilak & Associates, winners for the second year running, want the world to know they are here and here to stay.

We believe we have won this award for the second consecutive year by simply doing good, honest business. In the past year we have continued to focus on our clients’ needs and what we can offer in terms of added value. Our investments in professional learning and development for our team, in IT and communications infrastructure and targeted marketing to acquire new business have all been good decisions and are paying off.

With the revival of the global market and increasing competition for clients, we are keen to strengthen client loyalty. Observing the external forces that have impacted business over recent years and reflecting internally on the good business practices we have implemented, we believe they are critical to the firm maintaining its strength in the market place.

We believe that understanding the needs of our existing and potential clients is the key factor at all times. We heed our own advice and recognize that being a specialist in specific areas, essentially finding or maintaining a niche within a specific sector, is what gives us the competitive edge. Marketing and communication also remain critical.

Client focused in all that we do, we place our partners at the centre of how we decide to deliver our services and that generates a huge level

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of loyalty. We all believe that we’re only as good as our last job and that our own expectations of customer service always have to exceed the expectations of our clients. We work in an environment of an ongoing business relationship and like any relationship, this must be built on trust, solid communication, good rapport and transparency.

Relationships are consistently evolving and it’s important to us that we walk the business path together. These are the core values that many may try to articulate but few can deliver on.

Our diverse local and international tax and accountancy knowledge base and ability of being highly adaptable to a range of scenarios is the biggest attraction for many of our new clients. Being able to openly acknowledge with prospective clients that we understand the world changes constantly and therefore so do their business and end-customer needs is also a major draw.

Our clients find the firm both supportive and understanding as well as realistic in regards to getting the job done and meeting their end goals and ultimately, that’s why we are in the business. We are there to serve our clients and assist them in meeting their day to day business needs and longer term business aspirations.

Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Kazakhstan Michael Wilson & Partners, Limited Michael Wilson & Partners, Ltd (MWP) is a full service law firm with offices in both Almaty and Baku covering Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Central Asian Region and the Caucasus. MWP was established in Almaty in 1998 and in Baku in 2003. Today it is recognised as one of the leaders in the Central Asian Region and the Caucasus, combining years of collective experience in the CIS.

Fact File Company: Michael Wilson & Partners, Ltd Name: Michael E. Wilson Web Address: http://mwp.kz/

MWP is not just a law firm: it takes pride in partnering with its clients in relation to their business opportunities, challenges and obstacles. In doing so, MWP provides creative, timely and practical solutions specifically tailored to meet its clients’ requirements, deadlines and budgets.

Director and managing partner Michael Wilson explains: “Doing business in the former Soviet republics is unlike anywhere else in the world. Even 20 years after independence, they are a combination of the inscrutable east, Soviet-style bureaucracies, and a get-rich-quick mentality at street level. In short, business is carried out very differently from Europe, North America, Australasia and Japan. In order to maximize your chances of success in this region, there are two vital components: experience and cultural understanding.”

As a truly independent international law firm, with no formal links to any international law firms, MWP is well placed to provide the legal services specific to the region where a cultural understanding and appreciation of the Central Asian and Caucasus approach to legislation and business is vital to commercial success. Due to the firm’s pre-eminent reputation in the legal market, MWP enjoys close working relationships with many global law firms and the magic circle players such as Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Freshfields, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith, Ashursts, O’Melveny Myers, Greenberg Traurig, Latham & Watkins, Richards Butler, Freehills, Ogilvy & Renault and Goodman Carr, and many more.

MWP’s offices work as one body enabling the firm to deal with clients’ interests across the region: should a client have a potential complex multijurisdictional acquisition which requires due diligence throughout the region, we are able to handle it out of one office. This is also often the case where a client would like to register their trademarks throughout the region.

The majority of MWP’s people are bi-lingual, and all are sensitive to and understand the business and cultural needs of the region and its various industry sectors. In Kazakhstan, with the increased use of the Kazakh language in business, MWP has Kazakh staff who are capable of speaking, writing and translating to and from the Kazakh language into Russian and/or English. In Azerbaijan, the Russian language is no longer used in official business, although is still spoken widely. Local lawyers and translators are all fluent in Azeri and English.

Before founding MWP, Michael Wilson was the regional founding partner of a major international law firm with offices in Almaty and Tashkent. To meet the needs of multi-national and local clients for premier quality legal advice and know-how, he decided to establish a fully independent international law firm totally focused upon the whole of the Central Asian and Caucasus area.

As a result, MWP has a unique ability to meet its clients’ real legal needs especially when approaching and dealing with the most important business opportunities that exist not only in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan but also throughout the whole of Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Project Finance Law Firm of the Year Algeria / Mustapha Hamza Law Firm Mustapha Hamza Law Firm has recently conducted projects in the cement industry, telecom industry, defence, oil and energy – including water and electricity – and arbitration, with a value of USD 18 billion.

Mustapha Hamza, who leads the office, says: “We are proud to say that we are the leading law firm in Algeria advising on the full range of legal disciplines across all industry sectors.”

The firm has gained trust and respect though providing legal comfort and security to its clients; this has been achieved through the firm’s knowledge of the market, more than 22 years’ experience, the reliability of its highly competent core team and, finally, its philosophy, which is to be innovative, practical, pragmatic and solution oriented.

“Our focus is on the long term,” says Mustapha. “We seek to provide a bespoke service to our clients. We encourage our teams to work hard to gain excellence; we also encourage communication, responsibility, commitment, initiative and solidarity.”

The firm was the pioneer in putting in place the first project finance in local currency. The concept was actually a reference point in the finance industry, in a complex prevailing finance system having foreign exchange restrictions.

Looking ahead, Mustapha says: “We are thinking to expand our law practice to other continents through different forms of partnership, so we can strengthen our position and develop new concepts which

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might contribute further to the national economy and make our service really stand out.

“Indeed, we anticipate a major change in the structure and services we offer, not just because the landscape for lawyers across the globe is changing but also due to the changes in the global economy and the new global market constraints and challenges.

“For us, the main challenge is to be more innovative. Our firm has reached the level of excellence that would allow a strong partnership with an international law firm. But the local market constraints are still not favourable to this kind of relationship, so we keep growing on our own which makes our results even more outstanding.”

The firm’s commitment to excellence means it recruits both from the international and the domestic market – it is the commitment of new recruits to embrace the firm’s philosophy and values that is important.

“I think ‘efficiency’ is the element that makes a difference in what is a complex market,” says Mustapha. “It is the outcome of years of knowledge, competence, experience, teamwork, availability, commitment and patience – and, together with value for money, it is the essential single element required by clients.”

Company: MUSTAPHA HAMZA LAW FIRM Name: Mustapha HAMZA Email: m.hamza@hamza-office.com Web Address: www.hamza-office.com Address: 39, Haouch Kaouche, DelyBrahim-Alger-Algérie.

Telephone (direct): +213.(0)21.374581 Telephone (std): +213.(0)21.37452020/379090

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Trademark Attorneys of the Year - UK Novagraaf About Novagraaf Novagraaf UK is part of the Novagraaf Group, a top-tier intellectual property (IP) consultancy firm that has offices in the UK (London, Manchester and Norwich), the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Belgium.

We work on a broad spectrum of strategic IP issues, including: advising on new ideas, discoveries and inventions; protecting new brands and innovative new products; creating and exploiting strong trademark and patent portfolios; and, identifying IP abuse and acting decisively if and when infringement takes place.

From anti-counterfeiting to IP formalities management, our consultants assist organisations around the world with their UK, European and international trademark, patent, design, copyright, domain name and IP management needs.

Our customers include innovative start-ups and small- to medium-sized enterprises, organisations operating at national and international level, and multinationals with major global brand and technology portfolios. Clients include household names, such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, Arsenal Football Club, Bugaboo, Orangina Schweppes, The Rolling Stones/Musidor and Tommy Hilfiger.

What makes us different?

With more than 125 years’ experience, Novagraaf has a long and

distinguished heritage in the IP field, and is the world’s largest filer of IP rights.

We are able to differentiate ourselves in the market thanks to our deep-rooted belief in a consultancy-based approach to IP management. We don’t simply process a client’s IP work, but instead work with their corporate IP or legal departments to maximise the value and potential of their IP assets, and to help them to grow their businesses and deliver shareholder and customer value.

As the largest service provider of our kind in Europe, we are able to provide unrivalled scale, strength and operational excellence, but we’re also constantly innovating to provide clients with tailored and intelligent solutions to help them to protect, manage, enforce and exploit their IP rights worldwide.

With backgrounds in a variety of industries, including fashion, food, agriculture, entertainment and consumer goods, the experience, commercial and practical knowledge of our consultants enables them to quickly assess an organisation’s IP, branding and overall business needs, as well as the pressures that they might face in their marketplace.

By integrating IP into their overall business strategy and by raising IP awareness within their business units, we help our clients to develop stronger IP assets, to optimise their existing IP rights, and to streamline and consolidate their approach to IP management.

Fact File Company: Novagraaf UK Name: Tom Farrand Email: t.farrand@novagraaf.com Web Address: www.novagraaf.com Address: 5th Floor, 145 Cannon Street, London EC4N 5BP Telephone: +44 (0)20 7469 0950

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Insolvency Barrister of the Year – UK Professor Mark Watson-Gandy It’s the second year that Mark Watson-Gandy has been voted Acquisition International’s UK Insolvency Barrister of the Year. He tells us more about his ethos.

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Name: Mark Watson-Gandy Email: mwg@13oldsquare.com

“A strong commitment to client service is essential in any business but I can honestly say I have never lost my enthusiasm for the law and I’m committed to making it understandable and relevant. The desire to make insolvency law more accessible led to me writing my ‘how to do it’ guides for corporate insolvency and, this year, for personal insolvency.”

troversial acquisition of Rangers Football Club and in Nattrass v UKIP I successfully defended UKIP against a claim by their former deputy leader over his de-selection as a candidate for the European Parliament.”

Mark’s book on Personal Insolvency featured this summer on an advertising campaign across London’s tube network.

“There is an increasing internationalisation of legal work.” Mark said.

“Perhaps, in hindsight, it was not such a good idea to let my bank manager see my face next to the word ‘insolvent’,” Mark reflected.

Certainly Mark has seen an increasingly international flavour to his practice. Indeed 2013 saw him being called to the British Virgin Islands Bar and over the past years his eclectic mix of international clients has ranged from the Nigerian Ports Authority, who he represented in negotiations over the dredging of the Bonny Island Channel, the former Italian president, Silvio Berlusconi, whom he advised over his dispute with The Economist, and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, whom he represented in a £170 million private international law case over the building of a power station in India.

Mark combines practice with academia. He is a visiting professor at the University of Westminster (teaching on their Corporate Finance Law LLM) and is a visiting lecturer at Cass Business School (teaching the business law elective on their Executive MBA).

His work has an academic has not kept him out of the Courts.

But where does Mark see things going forward for the Bar?

“This year has also seen me working on some fairly high-profile cases.” Mark said: “For instance, in Ticketus v Whyte I appeared for Craig Whyte in litigation arising out of the financing of his con-

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Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Isle of Man / Quinn Legal James Quinn dedicates the award to his ‘excellent team’ at Douglas-based Quinn Legal in the Isle of Man and looks forward to the firm’s future development.

Fact File Company: Quinn Legal Name: James Quinn Email: james@quinnlegal.im Web Address: www.quinnlegal.im Address: 30 Ridgeway Street, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 1EL Telephone: +44 1624 665522

We have had our ups and downs over the last 12 months internally but you could say that has really brought our core team of Quinn Legal closer together and in turn produced some exceptional results for our clients.

Now we’re looking to push the boundaries and engage more actively with our clients in understanding their needs. The firm is evolving into a much more proactive force with the expertise and knowledge to deal with highly complex situations and in doing that, we are also adding more value to the service we offer our clients.

We are working on some radical changes to the firm’s core offerings in the short to medium term and currently going through a full rebranding exercise. In the last six months of 2013 we set about working on a plan to make us stand out from our competitors. We have recently launched a new website and that is a hopefully a demonstration of our aims and the future to come. We’ll also be launching some new and innovative products and services for our clients in 2014.

Over the coming 12 months we are also setting out on a recruitment drive seeking to recruit the very best of the talent pool around us as we start to grow our core service offerings. We’ll

also be keeping our existing employees involved and updated with any recruitment drives that we do which will help to alleviate any concerns or fears that they might have about the future. We’ll be reassuring them that their place within the company is secure with new employees simply adding to an already strong workforce.

In the future, we aim to continue building our business by actively seeking to differentiate our firm from the rest of the marketplace.

We see niche practices as the future of our profession and that will enable us to build on specific areas of expertise in order to service our clients’ needs with a professional and elite service. We are looking to rise to that challenge by being more open, transparent and honest with our clients; in some cases our competitors may be better placed to help them on a matter rather than us defending our position.

Quinn Legal are proud to be acknowledged in such a competitive market and view the award as recognition for the continued effort and hard work put into building the reputation of the firm.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year India / Wakhariya & Wakhariya Wakhariya & Wakhariya, Advocates & Solicitors, is a firm with a unique pedigree. Founded in 1998, by a young New York-trained lawyer, at a time when most of his peers looked askance at his decision to return to India, the efforts of 15 years are reflected in the warmth of the words of the firm’s clients and friends, which are quoted below.

Many ask, why Wakhariya & Wakhariya? The answer is simple – Saifuddin N Wakhariya, Shabbir’s father, was a legend in Mumbai’s (some have said India’s) legal circles – his retirement from the firm where he practiced for an entire lifetime and the founding of Wakhariya & Wakhariya coincided.

approach including great focus on risk mitigation. I have worked extensively with Shabbir on various business issues including joint venture formation, acquisition, litigation and various business deals and collaboration agreement and each one of them Shabbir has added tremendous value.”

Mr Wakhariya Sr’s presence during the initial years gave the firm the credibility to find its roots. His passing was a loss to the profession, but his legacy for hard work and integrity in practice continues…

James Saunders - Senior Managing Director at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank: “Shabbir is very smart, effective and gets the big picture.”

Simen Munter - Group General Manager Shared Services at ANZ: “Shabbir is a highly experienced law professional who is meticulous with detail whilst being able to keep the high level objective in mind. He is business oriented and well versed in relevant laws and procedures and has a very good track record in the market.”

H Thomas Davis - Partner at Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP: “Shabbir is a wonderful lawyer - he is smart, creative, hard-working and principled. He is admitted to practice law both in India and in the USA, which is a rare combination. I would trust him with any legal matter that I had.”

Masood Alam - Country Head India, Novartis Vaccines: “Shabbir has a great sense of evaluating a legal situation from multiple perspectives and provide solutions which have high probability of closing the issue with a win-win

SB Jalan - Chief Executive at Gemini Studios & Innovations Private Limited: “Shabbir is excellent at International Law, having thorough knowledge and experience in the field. A good human being and a friend in need.”

Ananth Nayak - Consultant - Strategic legal Initiatives and Solutions: “I have known Shabbir for over six years. Shabbir is extremely knowledgeable in his field and works diligently to seek favorable resolutions. Shabbir is articulate, smart and brings great judgment and integrity to his matters. I confidently recommend him.”

Khozema Anajwalla - Promoter, KNAV: “In-depth knowledge of the subject matter, eye for detail, punctuality and creative thoughts with implementation strategies provides clients associated with Shabbir Wakhariya the experience of a cutting edge legal advice. He has solutions for the problems that clients approach him with.”

Fact File Company: Wakhariya & Wakhariya Advocates & Solicitors Name: Shabbir S. Wakhariya Email: shabbir@wakhariya.com Address: 810 Maker Chambers V 221 Nariman Point Mumbai 400021 India Telephone: + 91.22.2283.5252 Fax: + 91.22.2283.5255

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Overall Law Firm of the Year - Cayman Islands / Walkers 2013 has been another exceptional period for Walkers with unrivalled success in some of the firm’s international offices and a market-leading strategy on a number of fronts.

In January 2013, Walkers moved into its new state of the art headquarters in Grand Cayman at 190 Elgin Avenue in George Town. The new building’s features are designed to improve the working environment for staff, provide excellent facilities for visiting clients, such as a dedicated private business centre, as well as to preserve and protect the environment of the Cayman Islands.

Towards the end of the previous year, Walkers appointed Ingrid Pierce as Global Managing Partner of the firm. Ingrid is the first female Global Managing Partner of a major international offshore law firm. Lauded by the Chambers Global Guide 2011 to the World’s Leading Lawyers as a ‘phenomenal lawyer’, Ms Pierce is recommended by all of the major legal directories for investment funds.

Recognising and promoting talent from within, Walkers made up 11 lawyers to partner in 2012 and a further seven partners in 2013. “A hallmark of Walkers since it was founded almost 50 years ago has been our expertise across different practice areas, which enables us to exceed our clients’ expectations in today’s multi-jurisdictional environment,” Ms Pierce commented. “Great client service is only possible with great talent. I’m confident that Walkers is well positioned to continue as one of the leading International Financial Centre law firms by continuing our strategy of investing in the industry’s best people.”

Walkers’ Hedge Funds Group continues to receive global recognition: the firm was named Best Offshore Law Firm in HedgeWeek’s Global Awards

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on March 1 2013, following on from its success as Best Offshore Firm in HedgeWeek’s USA 2012 Awards in July 2012.

Demonstrating excellence in thought leadership, Walkers’ highly commended series of coast-to-coast US investment fund seminars drew record numbers in New York and San Francisco this year as Walkers partners and key note speakers debated the latest trends in hedge funds, and expected developments for the US economy and the investment funds industry in 2014. The ‘Walkers Fundamentals’ seminars were held this November in New York and San Francisco, attracting over 500 high-calibre delegates, representing most of the leading names in the investment funds business.

Emerging markets and the BRIC nations remain central to Walkers’ strategy and success. The firm has had another hugely successful year for billings from China in 2013, with corporate work the primary driver. There continues to be considerable flows of Brazil work, particularly on the litigation side, while Indonesia and Mongolia remain important new emerging markets for the firm.

Walkers takes great pride in being a good corporate citizen. The firm actively supports charitable causes across its eight international offices, with a focus on arts and educational initiatives for children and conservation programmes. Walkers’ annual Cayman Charity Day was held in July, where local good causes are invited to make presentations to the firm for sponsorship and donations. The Charity Committee allocated over $100,000 to 18 different charities this year, covering many different elements in the community.

Company: Walkers Name: Ingrid Pierce Global Managing Partner Email: ingrid.pierce@walkersglobal.com Web address: www.walkersglobal.com Address: 190 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, KY1 9001 Telephone: +1 345 814 4667

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Product Liability Practitioners of the Year - France / Weil & Associés Weil & Associés’ core speciality is assisting foreign multinationals with economic interests in France, in setting up and carrying out their business in France. This extends to offering strategic advice as well as its services as a legal expert.

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Company: Weil & Associés Name: Eric Weil Email: eweil@weil-paris.fr Web Address: www.weil.com

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This speciality developed from the firm’s origins. Its founder, Heinz Weil, was among the first Germans to come to France in the 60s to study law and contribute to developing the Franco-German relationship. Starting his career as the operational managing director of an American multinational’s subsidiary, he sold this company to a competitor. So his first corporate transaction was from the inside. He then decided to practice law in Paris. At the time, the German economy was strongly expanding towards export so the market needed bi-cultural lawyers. France and Germany may be geographically close; but their cultures are substantially different.

Our client base mainly consists of industrial manufacturing corporations.

We assist middle-market companies when they expand their business in France through acquisitions, such as the German specialist supplier of heating equipment Vaillant, better known in France under its brand Saunier-Duval. Our Anglo-Saxon clients include large multinationals such as the global distributor of electronic components and software solutions Avnet.

Our expertise in product liability also led us to represent insurance companies in high stake litigations. The diversification of our client base enables us to assist private investors when they seek to invest in French ventures.

The firm first specialized in setting up French subsidiaries for German companies. We then started to build up M&A and corporate services, and also set up employment law and litigation / arbitration teams. We then opened our firm to even more international services in the nineties.

For German companies, France remains an important but rather complicated market. The economic relationship took off in the 50s, rapidly expanded in the 60s and reached a peak in the 90s. We have reached a maturity level and it is unlikely that it will develop much more, even though the economic needs and the complementarities remain strong between both countries.

Among the partners, the new generation has an Anglo-Saxon background, which helped develop an American and English client base. Today, we are a fully-fledged firm with strong Franco-German roots, but we have seriously diversified our international client base.

Our expertise has expanded to other areas required to assist our clients in their projects, such as competition law, patent and trademark and white collar criminal law. Litigation represents an important field for most of our lawyers when you add up commercial, employment and criminal litigation as well as international arbitration.

Most Approachable Solicitors of the Year - UK / Woodfines Solicitors Neil Gibbs of Woodfines says: ‘To set us apart, we focus on delivering the services in a way our clients want and value.’

Woodfines actively seek feedback from clients about performance and how we can improve the way we provide our services. Knowing what clients want has enabled us to continually improve and develop the way we provide our services. We make it clear that each and every client we have is important to us.

Company: Woodfines Solicitors Name: Neil Gibbs Email: ngibbs@woodfines.co.uk Web Address: www.woodfines.co.uk Address: 226-228 Upper Fifth Street, Milton Keynes, MK9 2HR Telephone: 01908 202150

Our client base is now roughly split in two: German-speaking countries (including Switzerland and Austria) and English-speaking countries. We feel we have found the perfect balance. Therefore our ambition is to keep the same business model without opening any office abroad. In fact, after having signed a partnership agreement with a major German firm for a couple of years in the 90s, we now choose to remain fully independent as this experience generated more constraints than growth. This is why on an international level; we also prefer focusing on maintaining a soft network of best friends, rather than joining an organized network.

Performance is regularly analysed and we track the evolution of our approach throughout the year while assessing ways to develop our culture. We also put emphasis on feedback from our clients of the services they want and the way they want those services delivered.

Our focus is on retaining our clients and adding to our services for them. Our clients become our ambassadors and that is reflected in the volume of recommendations and introductions we receive from them.

What other firms are doing in the market is relevant, interesting and informative but we have clear goals and targets of our own. Competition has always been high, the emphasis and source of competition may have changed but the need to provide excellent service and client care remains a constant. This continuing challenge is seen by us as a positive opportunity to broaden our client base and focusing on making sure we are delivering what our clients want.

The legal framework is changing and we constantly adjust to those changes but only where they are wanted by clients or can be shown to deliver a positive benefit for clients. Niche practices will in all likelihood continue to have their place within the market as a whole but we feel that specialist advice given in a general practice setting enables the client to have access to a fuller spectrum of advice and information.

Making our employees feel valued is a core focus for the firm.

Through listening to our employees and actively involving them in what we do, we deliver a rewarding environment in which to practice. As we continue to grow and evolve the services we offer, recruitment remains central to what we are doing. We are always open to the opportunity of adding the partners of tomorrow and those that can add skills and abilities to what we do. We also put considerable emphasis on personal development and training for those that we already employ as they represent the future for the firm.

What we do and how we do it is central, as is the development of our people and what our clients want. The strength of the firm name will only be enhanced to become a true brand through actual delivery as a business which is valued by our employees, contacts and clients.

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards /

Abayomi Disu & Co. Abayomi Disu & Co is a firm of legal practitioners, company secretaries and notaries public based principally in Lagos with affiliates in Abuja, and Port Harcourt. The firm offers a range of services including conveyancing; IP; consultancy on labour relations law, arbitration and practice; advice on insurance law and practice; company secretarial services, and debt recovery and collection. The firm’s practitioners all gained their qualifications from universities in Nigeria or England.

AC Avvocati e Commercialisti is comprised of a close-knit team of about 40 professionals - including tax and corporate affairs experts, attorneys and collaborators - who offer consultancy services principally on tax, corporate, litigation, bankruptcy and employment law matters.

www.abayomidisu-law.com

It also offers a one-stop-shop to clients at every stage of their business from starting up to corporate restructurings and also including transferring the company abroad and national and international auditing and reporting. AC Avvocati e Commercialisti also offers day-to-day accounting and administrative services.

The firm offers a full range of services which include specialized expertise in arbitration and creditors’ composition procedures, as well as civil law and tax-related litigation.

A & K Metaxopoulos & Partners Law Firm was founded in Athens in 1955 and has established itself as one of the most highly specialised law firms in Greece handling intellectual and industrial property law and entertainment industry and mass media law issues. The firm is a founding member of the Trans-European Law Firms Association (TELFA) and has been a member of the Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale (ALAI) since the 1980s. www.metaxopouloslaw.gr

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld - Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) practice represents public and private companies, prominent investment funds, boards of directors and special committees, investors, senior management and shareholders in complex mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, partnerships and other strategic transactions. Our core M&A team is supported by our debt finance, tax, executive compensation and employee benefits, labor, intellectual property, real estate, environmental, antitrust, regulatory and policy practitioners. Our network includes relationships with financial advisors, investment banks, accountants and lenders throughout the world.

Two Commerce Square 2001 Market Street Suite 4100 Philadelphia, PA 19103-7013 +1 215.965.1200

The firm was founded in 2008 through the merger of three firms that had been operating in Milan since the 1980s. Its clients include medium and large corporations based both in Italy and abroad.

phillyinfo@akingump.com http://www.akingump.com

http://www.actaxlaw.com/ info@actaxlaw.com

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LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

Allen & Overy - Over the past year we have worked with some of the world’s most sophisticated businesses on market-leading transactions that have changed their industries. This includes, advising on the largest oil refinery project in Vietnam (Nghi Son) and the joint venture between H.C. Starck and Vietnam’s largest private sector company, Masan Group; the groundbreaking creation of Abu Dhabi’s first Financial Free Zone, the Abu Dhabi Global Market; and representing Novartis in its successful patent battle with MedImmune over Novartis’s blockbuster drug Lucentis – to name just a few achievements.

Alston & Bird - Our Financial Services & Products Group is devoted to providing the sophisticated services that major financial services companies require in today’s complex marketplace. We represent some of the largest U.S. banks, insurance companies and investment firms on a variety of regulatory and transactional matters ranging from corporate governance concerns to strategic mergers and alliances

Allen & Overy (Czech Republic) LLP, organizační složka V Celnici 4 Prague 11000 Czech Republic +420 222 107 111

http://www.alston.com

receptip@allenovery.com http://www.allenovery.com

One Atlantic Center 1201 West Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30309-3424 T:404-881-7000

Aninat Schwencke & Cía is a full-service business-oriented firm which has developed a strong local and international practice. Since its inception in 2006 it has quickly become a leading law firm in corporate and transactional work as well as in litigation and trial practice. The firm has been recognized by leading international publications such as Latin Lawyer, Chambers and Partners and Best Lawyers for its exceptional work and the professionalism and skill of its partners and associates.

Aninat Schwencke & Cia Av. Los Conquistadores 1700, 16 Floor, Santiago, Chile Tel. (562) 887 22 00 Fax.(562) 887 22 99

Arnold & Porter - As rapid developments in the world economy transform tax laws, new and complicated legal challenges emerge.

The Arnold & Porter LLP Tax, Trusts and Estates team is known for its ability to deal effectively with these challenges and to manage complex and precedent-setting tax problems and opportunities critical to US and international business and economic transactions. We offer diversified legal transactional resources, as well as the planning, litigation, and regulatory services needed to address our clients’ short- and long-term tax objectives.

555 Twelfth Street, NW Washington, DC 20004-1206 +1 202.942.5000 http://www.arnoldporter.com

/ Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Ashurst - On 1 March 2012 Blake Dawson and Ashurst combined their practices in Asia and Blake Dawson changed its name to Ashurst Australia and adopted the Ashurst brand. Ashurst is one of Australia’s leading law firms with over 190 partners and 800 lawyers offering our clients depth in commercial legal capability and experience in Australia and through-out the Asia region.

We work with leading global companies and government clients. Our clients include 73% of the top 100 ASX companies.

We are proud to have advised on many of Australia’s and the world’s largest and most complex deals. We bring together lawyers with the required technical knowledge, direct industry experience and regional capability to support your legal needs and projects in Australia, Asia and across the globe.

Baker Botts - Our banking and finance lawyers represent financial borrowers, corporate institutions, securities issuers, derivatives end-users and other users of capital, intermediaries and other participants in a wide variety of derivatives, financing transactions and financial restructurings. These lawyers are experienced in bank financings, private placements, mezzanine financings, asset-based lending, equipment leasing, securitizations and structured financings and financial institution regulation.

Baker & McKenzie - Baker & McKenzie has been well established since opening in 1961. With more than 400 legal professionals, we have a substantial presence in the legal and business community.

1001 Page Mill Road Building One, Suite 200 Palo Alto, California 94304-1007 United States Phone: +1.650.739.7500

Our Corporate and Finance teams regularly advise on, and co-ordinate, complex, cross-border transactions for our clients.

As a full service office, we cover all the practices expected of a major law firm in the UK, many of which are acclaimed and market-leading.

http://www.bakerbotts.com

We deliver high-quality local solutions across a broad range of practices and global advice in conjunction with our 74 international offices. Our client base consists primarily of multinational corporates, based in the UK and elsewhere, and financial institutions.

Barber Odenbach has offices in Hamburg and Munich and specialises in business law, offering a range of legal services relating to trade, marketing and sales and to taxation and insurance. Much of its work lies in finance and investments where it covers everything from subsidies, loans and securities to dispute resolution, corporate law and M&A. Barber Odenbach’s work is characterised by efficiency, independence and the close working relationships the team develops with clients and fellow experts. http://www.barberodenbach.com/ mo@BarberOdenbach.com hb@BarberOdenbach.com

100 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6JA, UK T + 44 20 7919 1000

Level 36, Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 GPO Box 9938, Sydney NSW 2001 Tel: +61 2 9258 6000

london.switchboard@bakermckenzie.com http://www.bakermckenzie.com/

http://www.ashurst.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 C&C Partners (Chitale & Chitale) Bingham - Bingham’s Tokyo office, known as Bingham Sakai Mimura Aizawa, consists of over 80 lawyers (most of whom are Japanese bengoshi) providing a full range of business law services, including Japanese practice, financial restructuring, M&A, securities, antitrust and trade regulation, intellectual property, and litigation.

We are one of the largest foreign law firms in Japan.

We provide cutting-edge legal and strategic advice to major Japanese and international financial institutions and corporations, including banks, insurance companies, trading firms, manufacturers, investment funds and technology ventures.

4-3-13 Toranomon, 4th Floor Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-0001 Japan T +81.3.6721.3111 http://www.bingham.com

Bryan Cave - Our offices in Frankfurt and Hamburg underscore the firm’s commitment to Germany and Europe and its expanding international capabilities. Clients receive the legal experience and resources that come with a well-established, international law firm.

Bryan Cave has a long history of practicing in the German market and substantial experience working with clients doing business in Germany and across Europe, America and Asia.

Hanseatic Trade Center Am Sandtorkai 77 20457 Hamburg Germany Tel 49 40 30 33 16 0 http://www.bryancave.com

C&C Partners (Chitale & Chitale) is a fullservice law firm with experience in contentious as well as transactional matters.

The firm has acted on behalf of a number of clients in issues relating to antitrust and competition, mergers and acquisitions, litigation and arbitration, construction, divestment, disinvestment, aviation and defence, energy, petroleum and natural gas, corporate and financial restructuring, indirect acquisitions, mergers and amalgamations, banking and finance, intellectual property, real estate, media and internet, trade law, employment, etc.

The firm’s particular expertise in competition and antitrust law has been noted and it is recommended by Legal 500 and Asia Law Profiles. It was a recipient at India Business Law Journal’s Indian Law Firm Awards.

Cabinet Plasseraud is one of Europe’s leading IP law firms covering all areas of Intellectual Property. Our 230 skilled professionals provide tailored strategic advisory services to protect, manage and defend patent, trade mark, design and domain name portfolios. We also provide commercial and transactional IP services including due diligence, contract negotiation in addition to opinions on freedom to use, distribution and consumer laws and financial evaluation of IP assets.

52 rue de la victoire 75009 Paris Tél. +33(0) 1 40 16 70 00 Fax. +33(0)1 42 80 01 59 info@plass.com www.plass.com

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Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards /

Candeias Lawyers

CH. Hausmann & Co

Candeias Lawyers has combined high standards of professional requirement with technologically advanced solutions to reshape legal services and offer a real alternative. The firm offers a complete outsourcing solution for legal services focused on achieving value and its lawyers work in a motivating, invigorating environment. The result is a new dynamic where the most advanced practices and efficient technology management processes generate intelligence, excellence and value, enabling lawyers and clients to achieve a common goal.

CH. Hausmann & Co - We frequently deal with most aspects of corporate law, and are experienced with mergers and acquisitions, conducting/managing international transactions and working with teams of foreign lawyers, as well as carrying out corporate due diligence both in England and abroad.

We deal with all aspects of commercial law, from the establishment and administration of companies, whether English, foreign, on-shore or off-shore, drafting of company Articles, shareholders agreements and trading agreements, to dealing with litigation and disputes, debt recovery, and insolvency 5 De Walden Court 85 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6XD England 44 (0) 20 7436 6333. info@chhausmann.co.uk http://www.chhausmann.com

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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton - The Italian offices provide clients with integrated Italian, pan-European and global legal services by offering a wide range of transactional and regulatory advice, and representing clients in domestic and international litigation and arbitration proceedings. The transactional work is primarily comprised of capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions, typically involving several jurisdictions, and the regulatory work includes advice on European Union and Italian competition law and other regulatory matters within the energy and communications sectors.

The Italian offices have also developed significant tax and litigation and arbitration expertise. In Italy, Cleary Gottlieb is unique in its capability to offer on a broad scale sophisticated Italian law advice together with significant expertise with respect to the laws of the United States and of the other principal European jurisdictions.

Clifford Chance – At Clifford Chance, we pride ourselves on combining the highest global standards with local expertise. Our business strategy is underpinned by the drive to provide our clients with a world class service. The ‘one firm’ global business model that we pioneered continues to stand out in the marketplace; we are still the only non-franchise law firm with a substantial footprint in all of the world’s major markets.

Many of the world’s leading organisations look to Clifford Chance not just for legal expertise but for advice on business critical issues and market opportunities. We participate and advise at the highest level of government, business and regulation. Our corporate responsibility programme is the most comprehensive in the industry and something we take extremely seriously as a fundamental part of our commercial life.

Piazza di Spagna 15 00187 Rome T: +39 06 69 52 21

28th Floor Jardine House One Connaught Place Hong Kong Tel: +85228258888

http://www.cgsh.com/rome/

http://www.cliffordchance.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

Cooley LLP - Cooley’s Intellectual Property practice is dedicated to maximizing the value and security of our clients’ intellectual property. Our attorneys work closely with businesses across a range of industries, including high technology, digital and social media, life sciences, retail and service, Internet, telecommunications, software, and semiconductor, tailoring solutions to meet their particular needs and stage of development. Whether it is structuring a sophisticated IP-based transaction, formulating patent strategies, assisting with trademark selection and clearance, drafting online license and click-through agreements or defending a company in litigation, we offer advice that assists our clients in meeting their objectives in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

1700 Seventh Avenue Suite 1900 Seattle, WA 98101-1355 +1 206 452 8700 http://www.cooley.com

Covington & Burling - Covington litigators have a well-deserved reputation for handling novel, complex, and high-stakes disputes, across multiple disciplines and in multiple venues, against both private party litigants and government authorities.

Our clients turn to us for their toughest challenges – to handle bet-the-company intellectual property, antitrust, insurance coverage, and class action litigation; to defend against ever more aggressive enforcement actions by US, state, and foreign government agencies; and to tackle their most complicated international disputes.

333 Twin Dolphin Drive Suite 700 Redwood Shores, CA 94065-1418 Tel: 650.632.4700

Cravath, Swaine & Moore - Clients bring their most complex tax challenges to Cravath. The Firm’s Tax Department is closely involved in our clients’ complex U.S. and international transactions, designing tax‑efficient structures for mergers, spin‑offs, joint ventures and intricate private equity acquisitions. Our tax lawyers typically join a deal team at the outset of a transaction, as early direction on tax issues is often critical for success. The 2013 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business ranked Cravath’s “preeminent” tax group, which “offers excellent quality of service, is very professional and extremely sophisticated,” in the top tier in both New York and nationwide. In addition, the 2013 edition of The Legal 500 ranked more Cravath tax lawyers as “Leading Lawyers” in the International Tax category than any other firm in the nation.

http://www.cov.com CityPoint One Ropemaker Street London EC2Y 9HR, United Kingdom T: +44 20 7453 1000 http://www.cravath.com

Davis Polk & Wardwell - Davis Polk is regularly involved in the largest and most complex M&A deals of the day. Clients – longstanding and new, large and small, global and domestic – come to us when the scope and strategic importance of a transaction calls for Davis Polk.

We have a long history of innovation and creative problem-solving. Our M&A lawyers bring sophisticated judgment, advice and client service to high-stakes transactions, including public and private deals, private equity transactions, joint ventures, carveouts and divestitures, friendly and contested situations, leveraged buyouts and other types of transactions.

450 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10017 United States of America P: (212) 450-4000 http://www.davispolk.com

/ Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Debevoise & Plimpton - Debevoise’s mergers and acquisitions lawyers consistently lead transactions for some of the world’s most prominent corporations, financial services institutions and private equity firms.

We have particularly strong experience with complex leveraged acquisitions and cross-border transactions across a wide range of industries. In 2012, we worked on more than 100 announced or completed M&A deals with a total transaction value of approximately $200 billion.

919 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 T: +1 212 909 6281 http://www.debevoise.com

Dechert - Our corporate and securities team helps clients achieve their goals in the entire range of corporate and general business law matters. We advise on corporate finance and capital markets transactions, including initial and other public offerings and private placements of debt and equity; leveraged finance transactions and debt restructurings; domestic and international mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; private equity, including fund formation, private equity investments, and portfolio company transactions; and securities compliance, corporate governance, and general corporate matters. Our clients include national and multinational corporations, financial sponsors, regulated investment companies, and investment banking firms.

Deep and Far - Founded in 1992 by CF Tsai, the first patent practitioner in Taiwan with both a technical and legal background, Deep & Far is now one of the country’s largest law firms. It offers a highly regarded, full service in all aspects of intellectual property (IP) law and is often one of the largest originators of foreign filing orders in Taiwan. It has sought IP protection for its clients in more than 100 territories.

DLA Piper – DLA Piper became one of the largest business law firms in the world in 2005 through a merger of unprecedented scope in the legal sector. We were built to serve clients wherever in the world they do business - quickly, efficiently and with genuine knowledge of both local and international considerations. Whether our clients require seamless coordination across multiple jurisdictions or delivery in a single location, they can count on us to deliver the right service and solutions.

www.deepnfar.com.tw Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industryleading technologies. They include more than half of the Fortune 250 and nearly half of the FTSE 350 or their subsidiaries. As we build our global presence, we remain committed to maintaining regional practices around the world where we do great work for longstanding clients.

27/F Henley Building, 5 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong Hong Kong T: +852 3518 4700

DLA Piper Middle East LLP, Penthouse C2 Building, Al Bateen, PO Box 109950, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates T: +971 2 494 1500 http://www.dlapiper.com

http://www.dechert.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

Eversheds - The pace of change in the legal sector is ever increasing. Clients tell us that they face more and more complex challenges and their lawyers need to respond in different ways and different environments.

International law firm Eversheds operates as one team, from 50 offices in 29 countries. Our people share a distinctive culture which has deep client relationships at its core. Whether providing advice which is complex or straightforward, multi-national or local, an attitude of delivering only the very best underscores everything we do Eversheds Ltd Schwanengasse 1 Berne 3001 Switzerland Telephone: +41 31 328 75 75 http://www.eversheds.com

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer - In the last three years we’ve helped clients in over 200 jurisdictions, from Afghanistan to Zambia, and Greenland to Guyana.

The world is easier to navigate when you work with Freshfields. We’ve handled deals, disputes and investigations in some of the world’s most challenging legal environments, and can help you assess and mitigate sovereign and legal risks for your operations and investments. This may be why we have advised on more crossborder M&A deals over the last five years than any other law firm.

T +44 20 7716 4720 65 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1HS info@freshfields.com http://www.freshfields.com

Foley & Lardner – Our Private Equity & Venture Capital attorneys have represented venture investors and buyout groups for nearly half a century. We are focused on the full range of public and private debt and equity vehicles and their investment activities, bringing a sophisticated and efficient approach to structuring funds and their investments. Our comprehensive understanding of the market, trends, and issues positions us as integral members of your team, working collaboratively to achieve your objectives.

555 South Flower Street Suite 3500 Los Angeles, CA 90071-2411 P 213.972.4500 http://www.foley.com

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Gibson Dunn - With nearly 100 M&A partners and well over 200 lawyers in the practice group, we are one of the leading law firms in the world representing companies in complex M&A transactions.

We have extensive experience in all types of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, including negotiated and contested mergers, stock and asset purchases, tender and exchange offers, spin-offs, restructurings and acquisitions out of bankruptcy, leveraged buyouts, private equity investments and joint ventures. Our practice spans transactions for the emerging growth and middle-market sectors to large, complex transactions for multinational corporations. Our M&A attorneys also provide advice to boards of directors, board committees (including special committees), senior management and shareholders on a wide range of corporate governance matters, including the implementation of anti-takeover defenses and proxy contests.

1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20036-5306, USA Tel: +1 202.955.8500 http://www.gibsondunn.com

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards /

Goodwin Procter - Businesses today face more challenges than ever in pursuing their strategic goals and protecting the interests of their stakeholders. Our mergers & acquisitions practice - ranked among the most active by Corporate Control Alert and other leading publications - delivers responsive and practical solutions in an increasingly complex market.

To compete effectively, companies need legal advisors focused on real world solutions. Our attorneys partner with clients to structure, negotiate and execute a broad array of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, tenderoffers, spinoffs, divestitures and going private transactions. We also handle hostile M&A transactions.

Exchange Place, 53 State Street Boston, MA 02109 | USA Main: 617.570.1000

Herbert Smith Freehills - The merging of Herbert Smith and Freehills has enhanced our end-to-end cross-border capability across the major financial markets in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Latin America.

We see a big slice of what goes on in the market. Our depth of expertise and experience, coupled with involvement in the top deals, means that we bring best practice to our clients and can solve issues around the globe to ensure that M&A transactions are completed efficiently and without risk.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP Exchange House Primrose Street London EC2A 2EG London office DX: 28 Tel +44 20 7374 8000

Holland & Knight - Today’s tougher lending standards can make the commercial lending process especially difficult to navigate.

Commercial lenders and borrowers alike require sound legal counsel that incorporates the creativity and ingenuity necessary to accomplish their respective financing and business goals. Whether you are a lender or a borrower, Holland & Knight’s Commercial Lending Team can guide you through the complexities of commercial lending while anticipating the challenges and applying practical solutions to your specific needs throughout every phase of the process.

1600 Tysons Boulevard Suite 700 Tysons Corner, VA 22102 T 703.720.8600

Hunton & Williams - At Hunton & Williams LLP, we take a contextual approach to our clients’ business needs and legal issues. We understand that each case or client matter, no matter how unique or unprecedented, exists within a larger set of organizational objectives, diverse cultural forces, and market and regulatory pressures. To meet these challenges, we engage cross-disciplinary, client-focused teams with extensive industry, legal and strategic-planning experience. As a firm and as experienced individual practitioners, we emphasize creativity, communication, efficiency, integrity and high-quality service in everything we do.

Riverfront Plaza, East Tower 951 East Byrd Street Richmond, Virginia 23219-4074 p 804.788.8200

http://www.hklaw.com http://www.hunton.com

http://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com http://www.goodwinprocter.com

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LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 Kartini Muljadi & Rekan

Jones Day - Client service is the foundation goal of every law firm. Over the long term, the quality of client service offered by a firm determines its growth and success.

Jones Day has grown from a small firm in Cleveland to a large global institution over more than a century, while many other firms initially better positioned in many ways have struggled or even failed. There must be an explanation for this success other than simply the skill of our lawyers, for we clearly do not have a monopoly on smart lawyers. We believe that the way we have applied our foundation values in Firm management and governance is an important reason for our success in satisfying client needs, and that success – in satisfying client needs – is the entire reason for the Firm’s growth over the years.

North Point 901 Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1190 (T) +1.216.586.3939 ckelly@jonesday.com http://www.jonesday.com

Kartini Muljadi & Rekan (KMR) is one of Indonesia’s most highly regarded corporate and commercial law firms. The firm and its predecessors have been prominent in Indonesia’s business and legal communities for many years and enjoy an international reputation. Long-standing clients include major corporations and financial institutions from around the world. They rely on KMR for sophisticated and authoritative legal advice in connection with their investments and operations in Indonesia.

The firm was founded in 1990 by senior partner Kartini Muljadi, as the successor to her highly respected notarial practice, established in 1973. Mrs Muljadi is one of Indonesia’s most respected commercial lawyers. For more than 30 years she has provided counsel to business leaders, representatives of government and multinational agencies. In addition to her legal practice, she has written widely on various aspects of Indonesian law and been involved in some of Indonesia’s most significant law reform initiatives. www.kmuljadilaw.com

King & Spalding - Celebrating more than 125 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 800 lawyers in 17 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm also represents hundreds of clients with new ventures and mid-sized companies in emerging industries.

Level 15, Al Sila Tower Sowwah Square PO Box 130522 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates T: +971 2 596 7000

Kirkland & Ellis - Kirkland & Ellis has a 100-year history of providing exceptional service to clients around the world in complex litigation, corporate and tax, intellectual property, restructuring and counseling matters. The groundwork has been established for another century of superior legal work and client service.

Kirkland’s principal goals are to provide the highest quality legal services available anywhere; to be an instrumental part of each client’s success; and to recruit, retain and advance the brightest legal talent. Our Firm seeks long-term, partnering relationships with clients, to the end of providing the best total solution to the client’s legal needs.

http://www.kslaw.com 29th Floor, China World Office 2 No.1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue Beijing 100004 P.R. China Telephone: +8610-5737-9300 http://www.kirkland.com

/ Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

KLA is a young and dynamic full-service law firm, established in 2002 by a select group of talented and highly qualified former partners and associates from some of the most prominent law firms in Brazil, who decided to join efforts and combine their expertise in an innovative endeavor and fresh philosophy on rendering legal services.

As a leading law firm, we are committed to provide our clients with high quality, prompt and seamless legal services in order to meet the demands of a the time-sensitive global economy.

KLA’s philosophy is to render end-to-end and wide-ranging services in the main practice areas of law, with a high degree of direct involvement in all client activities through sustained, dynamic and dedicated client-focused partnerships. We (want) aspire for our clients to regard us as part of their professional team.

We are committed to foster and establish longterm relationships with our clients, based on client needs, mutual knowledge and (confidence) reliance, and to honor our clients’ trust with professionalism, responsiveness and creativity in a friendly atmosphere. We pride ourselves on a high degree of client care and relationship management.

Our attorneys are bilingual, so we may draft, negotiate, and finalize documents in English. Through our relationships with a network of local law firms, we offer a full range of legal services to our clients in all major cities of Brazil. We also maintain nonexclusive professional relationships with law firms in several foreign countries. www.klalaw.com.br

KSA is a firm located in Lévis, in the vicinity of Quebec City, essentially dedicated to the service of small and medium size businesses, manufacturing businesses, construction businesses, financial institutions as well as public and parapublic institutions.

More than 20 law professionals practice in sectors such as Business Law, Construction Law, Environmental Law, Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law, Civil and Commercial Litigation, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law as well as Labour and Administrative Law. Most of its lawyers are bilingual, regularly perform work outside the province of Quebec and some also have a complementary education in common law or business management, or are members of the Law Society of Upper Canada or another professional order, such as the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec.

Oriented towards meeting the client’s objectives, our lawyers combine professionalism and creativity to ensure our commitment is met: exceeding your expectations, on time, all the time.

Latham & Watkins - From a global platform of offices in the world’s major financial, business and regulatory centers the firm’s lawyers help clients succeed.

Latham is dedicated to working with clients to help them achieve their business goals and overcome legal challenges anywhere in the world. From a global platform of offices in the world’s major financial, business and regulatory centers, the firm’s lawyers help clients succeed.

Latham is committed to helping clients achieve their business strategies and providing outstanding legal services around the world. Clients depend on the firm’s ability to find innovative solutions to complex business issues, and Latham’s lawyers use the firm’s experience and resources to help clients handle these challenges.

Linklaters - As one of the leading global law firms, we undertake the most important and challenging assignments for the world’s leading companies, financial institutions and governments, helping them to achieve their objectives by solving their most complex and important legal issues.

We build lasting relationships with our clients, and we are committed to supporting them at all times, as they adjust to changes in their markets and the regulatory landscape. The size and shape of our business is determined by our clients and the work we do for them.

Linklaters LLP 25 rue de Marignan Paris F- 75008 Telephone: (33 1) 56 43 56 43 http://www.linklaters.com

Boulevard du Régent, 43-44 Brussels B-1000 Belgium Tel +32.2.788.6000 jeanpaul.poitras@lw.com http://www.lw.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 Macesic & Partners Lowndes Associates is a leading New Zealand corporate and commercial law firm with offices in the central business districts of Auckland and Wellington.

The firm’s teams of industry-leading specialists reinforce its reputation as a law firm with an extensive international practice and a strong sense of commerce.

Partners pride themselves on integrating specialist input from different areas of the law into seamless advice focussed on the commercial outcome. Many of the firm’s lawyers have additional degrees in busi¬ness and management, and international quali¬fications and experience.

Lowndes Associates was recognised in the 2013 New Zealand Law Awards as the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year, and in the 2012 Law Awards as the Corporate & Commercial Law Firm of the Year. www.lowndeslaw.com

Macesic & Partners is one of the oldest Croatian law firms oriented towards international practice. From its founding in 1970, Macesic & Partners specialised in business law, providing clients with a full range of services. The firm has developed ties and contacts with prominent international institutions and corporations, and has also maintained private clients who operate within and have an interest in the region.

The Macesic & Partners’ practice aims to offer a high standard of personal attention to clients and clear understanding of each client’s needs to ensure a prompt, efficient and cost effective service. Experience, specialisation and teamwork are the main qualities of the firm.

Its main areas of practice include Dispute Resolution, Energy & Natural Resources, Transportation, Insurance, Corporate / M&A/ Insolvency / Corporate Restructuring / Competition / Public Procurement, Banking & Finance and Intellectual Property.

The firm has offices in Zagreb and Rijeka, Croatia.

Mahendra Bhavsar & Co is a full service law firm based in Gujarat, India. Founded in 1982, it caters to both national and international clients on domestic and cross-border issues.

The team at MBC follows a tradition of integrity and commitment to deliver practical legal solutions to clients. Equipped with modern IT infrastructure, this researchoriented law firm in Gujarat has an expert team of lawyers, top advocates and paralegals operating from the trial courts to the Supreme Court of India on contentious matters.

The firm also advises on non-contentious issues like legal opinions, due diligence, legal compliance, and much more.

Mahendra Bhavsar & Co has worked for some of the top global law firms including a top European law firm and several UK law firms.

The strength of the team has earned Mahendra Bhavsar & Co the reputation of being one of the preferred law firms in Gujurat. http://www.mahendrabhavsar.com/ contact@mahendrabhavsar.com

Mame Adama Gueye & Associes is one of Senegal’s leading business law firms, which Chambers Global describes as having ‘an excellent reputation’. It specialises in business law in general and company law in particular. The firm works with other disciplines to ensure it can provide the level of advice required for increasingly complex transactions. Mame Adama Gueye & Associes is well-known for its representation of international clients and providing legal due diligence for foreign investors. www.avocats-maga.sn

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Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards /

Mayer Brown – Our Corporate & Securities lawyers provide a full range of legal services to leading global companies and financial institutions with respect to some of their most important transactions. Our expansive capabilities throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe allow us to handle complex cross-border deals and, at the same time, use our local market knowledge and deep understanding of industryspecific issues to ensure we provide the best solution for the client anywhere in the world.

Mayer Brown is a significant force in today’s major world markets, and we are well-known for our counsel and for our deal-making, and our longstanding clients look to us as trusted partners involved in the long-term life of their businesses.

214 North Tryon Street Suite 3800 Charlotte, NC 28202 United States of America T+1 704 444 3500

McDermott Will & Emery - McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice.

Numbering more than 1,100 lawyers.

McDermott has over 75 years of serving a broad range of client interests. Established in 1934 as a tax practice in Chicago, Illinois, McDermott has grown its core practices and offices around the globe. The expansion of our international platform has supported numerous cross-border transactions and litigation matters, while providing the experience necessary to offer corporate and commercial, international and domestic tax, labor and benefits, competition, intellectual property and regulatory counsel to clients across all industries. In the years to come, we will continue to expand geographically and enhance our existing practices and industry-focused strengths.

We are committed to building from these strengths in order to best serve our clients and communities.

McGuireWoods - Sometimes business growth and expansion depends on the ability of our lawyers to get a merger or acquisition approved by competition authorities.

Our lawyers have years of experience in obtaining Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance for mergers and acquisitions from the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

We advise clients on all aspects of transactions and work closely with them and economists or other professionals to develop strategies for each step of the approval process. Experience and state-of-the-art technology allow us to handle the largest and most complex “second requests” for documents quickly and efficiently. We are equally experienced in litigating transactions that antitrust enforcement agencies seek to enjoin and in negotiating and putting in place remedies where required.

227 West Monroe Street Chicago , IL 60606-5096 T: +1 312 372 2000

T: +1 804 775 4393 One James Center 901 East Cary Street Richmond, VA 23219-4030

http://www.mwe.com

http://www.mcguirewoods.com

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy - Our Tax lawyers have the ability, imagination and experience needed to create value for our clients. They are leaders in the development of new financial products, innovative financial arrangements for corporations raising and investing funds in the international capital markets and structures for mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and both majority and minority equity investments. Structures developed by the Tax Group are often critical to our clients’ successes. +1-212-530-5000 (T) Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza New York, NY 10005 http://www.milbank.com

http://www.mayerbrown.com/

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LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

MJ Hudson - MJ Hudson was created and designed to service the legal and business requirements of the asset management and financial services industries. From the outset, the Firm recognised that clients wanted timely legal advice from true specialists, with more competitive and flexible pricing. We advise on complex M&A transactions and fund formation mandates – offering a highly specialised alternative to traditional law firms.

Our clients are GPs/managers and investors in Alternative Assets: private equity, hedge, infrastructure, real estate, energy, credit and special purpose pools of capital.

We also advise HNWs, family offices, creative investment banks and ‘aggressive’ corporates.

6 Grosvenor Street Mayfair London, W1K 4PZ t: +44 (0)20 3463 3200

Montgomery Barker - Montgomery Barker is a boutique law firm in Mayfair providing top quality legal advice in a commercial manner.

We are a team of senior lawyers with many decades of experience between us gained in leading City and US firms and in business.

Organised along the lines of a barristers’ chambers, we are entrepreneurs and original thinkers ourselves. We understand the needs of businesses, and we are focused on providing excellent and swift legal services without passing on the cost of high overheads to our clients.

Montgomery Barker 42, Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 5DB T: +44 (0) 20 3178 2588 http://www.montgomerybarker.com

info@mjhudson.com http://www.mjhudson.com

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius - Our Business and Finance Practice in London is composed of English-qualified lawyers with experience advising on a broad range of corporate, commercial, and finance transactions.

Our lawyers in London have advised on transactions of all sizes, with values ranging from less than a million to tens of billions of pounds. Many of them practised at leading UK and international law firms before joining Morgan Lewis, with a number being recognised in the UK legal directories for their proven capabilities in their respective fields.K&L Gates Condor House 5-10 St. Paul’s Churchyard London, EC4M 8AL Phone: 44 (0)20 3201 5000

Morrison & Foerster – We are Morrison & Foerster — a global firm of exceptional credentials. With more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 offices in key technology and financial centers in the United States, Europe and Asia, our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology and life science companies. We’ve been included on The American Lawyer’s A-List for 10 straight years, and Chambers Global named MoFo its 2013 USA Law Firm of the Year. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger.

755 Page Mill Road Palo Alto, CA 94304-1018 P (650) 813-5600 http://www.mofo.com

http://www.morganlewis.co.uk

/ Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Norton Rose Fulbright - Brussels is the antitrust and regulatory heart of Europe. Our Brussels practice reflects this and is a key part of our global antitrust and competition group. The office also advises on wider EU, WTO and trade law issues.

Our experience is not limited to competition and antitrust laws in the narrow sense.

In Europe, the privatisation and liberalisation of state monopolies and public utilities has led to the creation of special regimes and codes amplifying and modifying general competition laws in a number of industries. We regularly provide advice on industry specific regulations not only to companies but also to governments and governmental bodies.

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global legal practice with more than 3,800 lawyers based in over 50 cities across Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Its Almaty office in Kazakhstan, with 20 years’ experience of working across Central Asia, plays a pivotal role within its global practice. In addition to its established corporate and energy practices, the Almaty office also has a growing banking and finance offering, covering the full range of financing techniques and transactions. www.nortonrosefulbright.com/ka/

Avenue Louise 489 1050 Brussels Belgium http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com

O’Melveny & Myers - The M&A team at O’Melveny guides sophisticated companies and financial investors through the complexities of merging, acquiring, investing in and disposing of businesses and assets in all contexts, whether public or private, domestic or international.

In today’s environment, regulatory issues, national security concerns, and political considerations oftentimes play a critical role in the completion of a transaction. In fact, many transactions succeed or fail based on negotiations in the ever-changing political and regulatory framework.

O’Melveny’s government relations team includes lawyers who have held senior positions in the White House, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission—lawyers skilled at navigating issues that are key to accomplishing the most challenging transactions.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe - Orrick is a leading global law firm with a particular focus on serving companies in the technology, energy and financial sectors. We are recognized worldwide for delivering the highest-quality, commercially-oriented legal advice and for our culture of innovation and collaboration.

Orrick practices in five core areas: Corporate, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance, Intellectual Property and Litigation. Known for our work in the technology sector, we act for many of the world’s top public companies as well as more than 1,200 start-ups.

Heinrich-Heine-Allee 12 Düsseldorf 40213 Germany tel +49 (0) 211-36 78 7-0 http://www.orrick.com

The Plaza Office Tower 41st Floor Jl. M. H. Thamrin Kavling 28-30 Jakarta 10350, Indonesia Phone +62 21 2992 1988 http://www.omm.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

Phuoc & Partners is an independent law firm with integrated legal advisory and litigation practices. It has nearly 60 attorneys, interns and staff working across three offices in Ho Chi Minh City (head office), Ha Noi and Da Nang. Phuoc & Partners maintains close relationships with prominent law and tax firms in Europe, the USA and Asia, to offer top-level advice and service for all domestic and international legal matters, especially M&A transactions.

Suite 1602, 16th Floor, Centec Tower, 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel: +84 (8) 3823 5895 Fax: +84 (8) 3823 5896

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker – Paul Hastings is a leading international law firm that provides innovative legal solutions to many of the world’s top financial institutions and Fortune Global 500 companies.

With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., we have the global reach and extensive capabilities to provide personalized service wherever our clients’ needs take us.

Avenue Louise 480 1050 Brussels Belgium Phone: +32.2.641.7460

Paul Weiss - Our M&A Group is supplemented by a depth of experience in all relevant disciplines (e.g., tax, ERISA, real estate, intellectual property, environmental) necessary to consummate a successful M&A deal. Our Delaware office, headed by a former Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Chancery Court, provides important insight into Delaware takeover law, as well as critical strategic support in contested situations.

500 Delaware Avenue, Suite 200 Post Office Box 32 Wilmington, DE 19899-0032 United States Tel: 302-655-4410

http://www.paulhastings.com http://www.phuoc-partners.com/ info@phuoc-partners.com

http://www.paulweiss.com

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Phoenix Legal is a full service law firm offering an extensive range of transactional, regulatory, advisory and dispute resolution services. The firm advises a diverse clientele including domestic and international companies, banks and financial institutions, funds, promoter groups and public sector undertakings. Our offices are located in New Delhi and Mumbai With the highest client sat¬isfaction rating among India’s top 20 law firms, Phoenix Legal has firmly established itself in the Indian legal market. It has worked to set itself apart through a high degree of partner involvement and avail¬ability; top quality commercially oriented legal advice; attention to detail; responsive¬ness; and a flexible billing policy. Phoenix Legal invests time in understanding clients’ businesses to provide commercially oriented and innovative legal solutions that will achieve their goals.

Mumbai Vaswani Mansion, 3rd floor, Office No. 17 & 18, 120 Dinshaw Vachha Road, Churchgate, Mumbai – 400 020.

T +91 (0) 22 4340 8500 E mumbai@phoenixlegal.in New Delhi Second Floor, 254, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi 110 020 T +91 (0) 11 4983 0000 E delhi@phoenixlegal.in Website: www.phoenixlegal.in

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards /

Pillsbury Winthrop - Pillsbury provides financial services clients advice on all facets of regulatory compliance and transactions, with a focus on achieving the client’s business objectives with minimal regulatory burden and risk. Our thorough understanding of the industry and the regulatory environment provides clients a valuable perspective on the challenges of doing business around the globe.

New York 1540 Broadway New York, NY 10036-4039 Tel.+1.212.858.1433 http://www.pillsburylaw.com

Preiskel & Co LLP - Preiskel & Co is a boutique law firm based in the City of London that specialises in UK and international corporate, commercial and regulatory matters.

The firm is independently recognised as a leader in the telecommunications, media and technology sectors, and possesses significant expertise across a range of other sectors including gaming, leisure and lifestyle retail.

Our team of lawyers is truly international many of whom are qualified in multiple jurisdictions. Our international mind-set has proved of considerable advantage to many clients, as we advise on matters across Europe, other continents as well as on issues concerning outer space and the virtual world.

Preiskel & Co LLP 5 Fleet Place London, EC4M 7RD United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7332 5640

Proskauer Rose - Our Private Equity Group is among the most active in the industry, negotiating and closing in excess of 100 buyouts, portfolio company divestitures, investments and other significant private equity transactions in each of the past three years.

We focus on client service and responsiveness, offering our clients valued partnerlevel attention. We handle each transaction with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers, providing creative, efficient and effective representation. Combining our broad legal knowledge with business acumen and industry insight, we advise clients on all aspects of their investment activities.

Suite 5102, 51/F Beijing Yintai Centre Tower C 2 Jianguomenwai Avenue Chaoyang District Beijing 100022 China

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP is a 650-lawyer business litigation firm -- the largest in the United States devoted solely to business litigation and arbitration. Our lawyers have tried 2247 cases and won 1988, or 88.5%. When we represent defendants, our trial experience gets us better settlements or defense verdicts.

When representing plaintiffs, our lawyers have won over $27 billion in judgments and settlements. We have also obtained four 9-figure jury verdicts, thirteen 9-figure settlements, and seven 10-figure settlements.

500 West Madison St., Suite 2450 Chicago, Illinois 60661 tel. 312-705-7400 http://www.quinnemanuel.com

http://www.proskauer.com info@preiskel.com http://www.preiskel.com

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LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 Reiss Law

Reiss Law is a business law firm, based in Toronto’s west end, which specializes in servicing the needs of privately owned businesses and their owners. The firm assists businesses in all stages of development, from start-up through the growing years and the sale of the business, with various commercial and contractual matters.

The team at Reiss Law specializes in private company M&A transactions. With well over 100 deals completed, from $500,000 to $50,000,000, the experts at Reiss Law focus on what is important, dealing with real issues to protect buyers and sellers and not creating mountains from molehills.

Reiss Law provides exceptional client service and great value to its clients. Founder Brian Reiss has almost 20 years of big firm experience and now, practicing in a smaller firm, offers exceptional value and hands on service to ensure that the deal gets done without the unnecessary layers of counsel that can send fees skyrocketing.

Reiss Law Professional Corporation 3300 Bloor Street West, Suite 3140 11th Floor (Centre Tower) Toronto, Ontario M8X 2X3 Phone: 416-477-1032 x 2047 email: brian@reisslawpc.com www.reisslawpc.com

Reed Smith - Reed Smith represents many of the world’s leading companies in complex litigation and other high-stakes disputes, cross-border and other strategic transactions, and crucial regulatory matters.

Ropes & Gray - Recognized as a leader in the field, our M&A practice group possesses both extensive transaction experience and deep industry knowledge. For clients, that means unrivaled counsel on a full range of strategic transactions.

With lawyers from coast-to-coast in the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Reed Smith is known for its experience across a broad array of industry sectors. Reed Smith counsels 13 of the world’s 15 largest commercial and savings banks; 8 of the world’s 15 largest oil and gas companies; and the world’s three largest pharmaceutical distribution and wholesale companies. Reed Smith’s shipping practice has been designated among the most preeminent in the world, and its advertising law practice is regarded as among the legal industry’s finest.

Since January 2012, Ropes & Gray has represented companies in M&A transactions with an aggregate value over $100 billion. Many deals involved cross-border and multijurisdictional issues.

811 Main Street Suite 1700 Houston, TX 77002-6110 http://www.reedsmith.com

Three Embarcadero Center San Francisco, CA 94111-4006 +1 415 315 6300 http://www.ropesgray.com

Shearman & Sterling - Shearman & Sterling has been advising many of the world’s leading corporations and financial institutions, governments and governmental organizations for 140 years. We are committed to providing legal advice that is insightful and valuable to our clients. This has resulted in groundbreaking transactions in all major regions of the world.

We have also advised on some of the world’s most notable transactions and matters, representing: the Yukos shareholders in their $100 billion compensation claim against Russia; Cadbury in its $19.4 billion acquisition by Kraft; Panama Canal Authority in its $5.7 billion canal refinancing plan; IntercontinentalExchange in its acquisition of The Clearing Corporation and formation of a credit default swap clearinghouse; Suncor Energy in its $15.8 billion merger with Petro-Canada; Brazilian conglomerate JBS in its acquisition of US poultry company Pilgrim’s Pride through a bankruptcy proceeding.

Shearman & Sterling LLP 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10022-6069 United States of America T: +1 212 848 4000 http://www.shearman.com

/ Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Industrial and service corporations, as well as financial and governmental entities, and high-technology companies rely on Skadden’s legal advice to compete most effectively in a global business environment.

As a leader in mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, we have represented many of the world’s largest companies, including approximately 50 percent of the Fortune 250, in their most high-profile deals.

Skadden provides advice in a full spectrum of corporate transactional and other matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance, restructurings and private equity investments. We also counsel clients regarding a variety of other matters such as securities law compliance, directorial duties, taxfavored investments and market listing/ FINRA advice.

4 Times Square, New York, New York 10036 Phone: 212.735.3000

Sidley Austin – Sidley is a global law firm committed to providing excellent client service, fostering a culture of cooperation and mutual respect, and creating opportunities for lawyers of all backgrounds. With more than 1,800 lawyers in 19 offices around the world, talent and teamwork are central to Sidley’s successful results for clients in all types of legal matters, from complex transactions to “bet the company” litigation to cutting-edge regulatory issues.

Sidley provides a broad range of legal services to meet the needs of our diverse client base. The strategic establishment of our offices in the key corporate and financial centers of the world has enabled us to represent a broad range of clients that includes multinational and domestic corporations, banks, funds and financial institutions.

787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 +1.212.839.7358 http://www.sidley.com/

http://www.skadden.com

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett - The Firm provides a full array of legal services to commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions, companies in the food and drug industries, media and entertainment companies, telecommunications companies, transportation companies, personal service and consulting firms, public utilities, notfor-profit organizations and individuals. The Firm has handled transactions involving J.P. Morgan Chase, The Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Lehman Brothers, Travelers, Goldman Sachs, Wachovia, American Reinsurance, AIG, Wyeth, Vivendi Universal, Time Warner, NBC, Ford Motor Company, Northwest Airlines, Accenture and American Electric Power. Our Corporate Department provides advice domestically and internationally with respect to capital markets transactions and securities regulation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, bank lending and bank regulation, leasing and project finance, structured finance and investment management.

Slaughter and May - We advise leading UK and overseas companies on all aspects of buying and selling companies and businesses, often involving a cross-border element. We have unrivalled credentials and we are a market leader for UK M&A advice (The UK Legal 500, 2012, Chambers UK, 2013 and IFLR 1000, 2014 ).

Av. Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, 1455, 12th Floor, Suite 121, São Paulo, SP 04543-011, Brazil 55-11-3546-1000

One Bunhill Row London, EC1Y 8YY T +44 (0)20 7600 1200

http://www.stblaw.com

Many of our M&A deals have a global dimension and we work closely with leading local counsel to provide the best expertise and contacts for each transaction.

We advise buyers, sellers and financial advisers on both public and private mergers and acquisitions, and private equity buyers on private equity financed deals.

We deliver the full range of services which apply to an M&A transaction working in multi-disciplinary teams with lawyers from our specialist groups.

http://www.slaughterandmay.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

Sookias & Sookias - Our highly successful Dispute Resolution and Litigation Department is one of the cornerstones of the firm. While court proceedings are often unavoidable and extremely complex, our team strives to find the best way to achieve out-of-court success if possible and if not, to secure a successful result at trial.

We know that if our clients are involved in any dispute, whatever the subject matter, it can be a major drain on their resources unless handled quickly and efficiently.

Our priority is not only to find the most financially viable outcome but the one that is best all round for the client.

24 High Holborn London WC1V 6AT England Phone: 0207 465 8000 http://www.sookias.co.uk

Spoor & Fisher is a specialist, full service international intellectual property (IP) law firm, with a particular focus on providing services throughout Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The Trade Mark Department has specialist teams dealing with anti-counterfeiting and ambush marketing, while the Patent Department has experts in biotechnology, chemistry and pharmaceuticals, mining and mechanical inventions, nanotechnology, electronics and business method and computer software-related inventions. Its main offices are in South Africa and Jersey, Channel Islands. www.spoor.com

Squire Sanders - With offices in Berlin and Frankfurt, our integrated team of lawyers provides a wide range of advice to corporations, financial institutions, government bodies, the service sector and investors on German domestic and multijurisdictional projects, drawing on experience and knowhow from across the Squire Sanders global network.

We have been present in Germany since 2001, when we opened our office in Berlin. Our Berlin lawyers advise clients in corporate and M&A, taxation, property and planning, public procurement, construction, commercial and litigation, banking and finance, employment, media, data protection and IT matters.

Unter den Linden 14 10117 Berlin Germany Telephone +49 (0)30 72616 8000 http://www.squiresanders.com

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Founded in 1923, SUGIMURA International Patent & Trademark Attorneys is one of Japan’s leading intellectual property law firms. SUGIMURA has earned an international reputation for high quality, practical assistance and provides its clients with customised services, tailored to their needs. The firm has offices in Japan and the United States, providing convenient IP services to both domestic and international clients. Its clientele ranges from single inventors and start-ups to well-established academic institutions and multinational corporations.

Common Gate West Tower 36th Floor Kasumigaseki 3-2-1, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-0013 Japan Tel: +81-3-3581-2241 www.sugi.pat.co.jp

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards /

Sullivan & Cromwell – S&C’s Los Angeles office has grown substantially since its opening and serves as home to both corporate and litigation lawyers, who service some of the world’s leading corporate, investment banking and financial institution clients. The office has one of the leading M&A practices on the West Coast. It also has preeminent bank regulatory, leveraged finance and capital markets practices. The office’s litigation practice runs the gamut from securities fraud and other class actions to complicated business fraud to trademark, copyright and patent disputes to private antitrust lawsuits to regulatory and internal corporate investigations.

1888 Century Park East Los Angeles, California 90067-1725 United States Phone: +1-310-712-6600 http://www.sullcrom.com

SYNERGY PARTNERS

ANSWERS. SOLUTIONS. RESULTS.

Synergy Partners Law Firm is a team of legal professionals who seek to provide our clients in Kazakhstan with the best possible service in an independent and ethical manner. We care about our clients and their projects, interests, and reputation.

Our independence, fairness and desire to excel help us to successfully address our clients’ most complex legal needs. What is more, our lawyers have a deep and thorough knowledge and understanding of Kazakh law, so that in cross-border issues we can provide insights into regulatory practice in Kazakhstan.

Tadmor - The firm’s competition law team is one of the leading groups of competition law experts in Israel and is ranked in all professional surveys as a leading firm in all competition matters. The firm regularly advises Israel’s leading corporations as well as major multinationals operating in Israel. The firm outstands in terms of the depth, experience and expertise of its team – being a first port of call in any complex antitrust case. www.tadmor.com

We supply clear and practical legal advice and solutions, as well as helping our clients to implement them in a straightforward and effective way.

Tekil Law Office is an independent commercial law firm based in Istanbul, providing legal consultancy and litigation services to corporate and private clients mainly in Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Law, Employment Law, Contract Law, Advertising & Media Law and Internet Law. Our primary goal is to provide practical legal advice to our local and international clients as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. As a boutique firm of lawyers, we focus on establishing intensive contact with our clients by immersing ourselves in their business to understand their needs.

We aim to act as an ‘integral support’ to protect our clients’ legal rights and interests and to inform our clients about the legal matters that may interest them.

Therefore, we warn, advise, inform, and assist our clients with all legal matters that may directly or indirectly affect the success of their business operations.

128 Dostyk Avenue Terrenkur Complex, 15th Floor Almaty city 050051 Kazakhstan T: +7 727 390 15 10 F: +7 727 390 14 15 E: info@synergy-law.com W: www.synergy-law.com

Our service languages are: English, French, Turkish and Italian. http://tekil-law.com/

54

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100

Thomas Eggar LLP is a firm that seeks out creative solutions for commercial organisations and private individuals. We take a refreshing approach to client relationships and have industry-specific expertise in Retail, Financial Services, Manufacturing & Logistics, Sports & Leisure, and Technology, Media & Telecoms, as well as a nationally renowned, award winning Private Client practice. By thinking differently and truly understanding our clients’ needs and their industry, we are able to deliver inspiring results. Clients tell us what sets us apart from other legal advisers are our people, particularly their ‘refreshing unstuffy way of communicating’.

Vinson & Elkins - The global economic crisis has impacted businesses around the world and had a dramatic impact on merger and acquisition activity. Today’s buyers and sellers have to be more creative, since sellers are often motivated by liquidity issues and deals are more complex. V&E lawyers have extensive experience and insights, and we excel in providing creative solutions for complex, time-sensitive issues.

Belmont House Station Way Crawley West Sussex RH10 1JA Telephone: 01293 742 700 Fax: 01293 742 999

http://www.velaw.com

hello@thomaseggar.com http://www.thomaseggar.com/

1001 Fannin Street Suite 2500 Houston, TX 77002-6760 Tel +1.713.758.2222

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz - Wachtell Lipton has one of the leading restructuring practices in the nation, principally representing banks, hedge funds, private equity funds and other creditors and acquirors in national and multinational bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings. In addition, attorneys in our restructuring practice regularly handle complicated acquisitions or divestitures of businesses in financial distress or bankruptcy, highly leveraged transactions and other major transactions involving significant debtor/ creditor issues.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz 51 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 212.403.1000 http://www.wlrk.com

For more than a decade Weed & Co has offered guidance in corporate and securities law. The team works with each client on a personal basis and gives each legal issue the attention it deserves.

The firm’s mission is to solve its clients’ problems. Over the years it’s provided support to business clients on projects ranging from simple securities transactions to more complex corporate restructuring and the navigation of complex regulations. The firm is known for using analytical firepower, creative problem solving and resourceful implementation to assist clients.

The team is experienced in capital formation, business law, corporate law, securities, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, public and private offerings, and litigation.

Clients include publicly traded companies, as well as private entities, broker-dealers and other investment professionals.

Weed & Co has developed efficient methods of streamlining and expediting transactions and has become a trusted adviser to countless business professionals.

Weed & Co. 4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 1430, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1869 http://www.weedco.com/ rick@weedco.com

/ Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Weil, Gotshal & Manges - Weil is premised upon a commitment to deliver sound judgment to its clients on their most difficult and important matters. Clients turn to Weil’s world-class teams of lawyers because they listen attentively and provide them with straightforward answers – not merely a redefinition of the problems.

Recognized by clients, the media, and professional commentators as best in class, Weil’s lawyers are known for the clarity, timeliness, and effectiveness of their counsel, and as a result, have become their clients’ call of first resort for solutions to their toughest legal challenges.

Weil’s one-firm approach ensures that the firm works seamlessly to handle the most complex Corporate, Litigation, Regulatory, Tax, and Restructuring challenges.

110 Fetter Lane London, EC4A 1AY Tel: +44 20 7903 1000 http://www.weil.com/

White & Case - White & Case is a truly global law firm, uniquely positioned to help our clients achieve their ambitions in today’s G20 world.

As a pioneering international law firm, our cross-border expertise and diverse team of local, US and English-qualified lawyers consistently deliver results for our clients.

In both established and emerging markets, our lawyers are integral, long-standing members of the community, giving our clients insights into the local business environment alongside our expertise in multiple jurisdictions.

We work with some of the world’s most respected and well-established banks and businesses, as well as start-up visionaries, governments and state-owned entities.

White & Case Müsavirlik Limited Sirketi Büyükdere Caddesi No: 100 Kat 28/109 34394 Esentepe-Istanbul, Turkey T: + 90 212 275 7533

WilmerHale – For more than 30 years, WilmerHale has been recognised as one of the leading international law firms in London, providing advice at the interface of law, business and policy.

Our London office has nearly 50 lawyers.

The office is part of an integrated European practice of more than 100 lawyers.

Our London lawyers work closely with their colleagues in Brussels and Berlin, as well as with lawyers in our other offices. London boasts a premier team of UK-qualified lawyers, together with lawyers qualified in the United States and in many of the major European jurisdictions. The breadth of European and American legal traditions represented gives us a pronounced panEuropean and transatlantic orientation that is reflected both in the work and the culture of the office.

49 Park Lane London, W1K 1PSUnited Kingdom +44 (0)20 7872 1000 (t)

Willkie Farr & Gallagher - By combining specialized practice groups with general practitioners who have a broad perspective of business and legal matters, our Corporate and Financial Services Department provides clients with high-quality services addressing all aspects of corporate and financial transactions, including purchasing and selling businesses and companies, raising capital, and implementing other corporate and commercial transactions.

Some lawyers in the group focus on one or more specialty areas such as mergers and acquisitions, securities, investment companies, and insurance, while others engage in a more general practice. We believe that the close interrelationship of these practice groups has allowed our lawyers to develop the essential skills and perspective to advise our clients efficiently and effectively.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP 21-23 rue de la Ville l’Evêque 75008 Paris, France T +33 1 53 43 4500

http://www.wilmerhale.com http://www.whitecase.com/

http://www.willkie.com

LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 / LEGAL100 WS Marcus Jones & Co Winston & Strawn - In a global business and legal environment marked by change, domestic and multinational companies, financial institutions, investors and entrepreneurs face demanding challenges that significantly impact their businesses. Winston & Strawn helps clients navigate these challenges, adapt to regulatory change, and get transactions to the finish line.

Our corporate and transactional attorneys represent public and private companies, leading financial institutions, private equity and investment funds, funding sources, governmental entities, investors and emerging companies.

Winston & Strawn LLP One Riverfront Plaza Newark, NJ 07102-5401 +1 (973) 848-7676 +1 (973) 848-7650 http://www.winston.com

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati - Mergers and acquisitions increasingly have become a necessary part of business in today’s competitive marketplace. As a result, companies need attorneys with a deep understanding of the complex antitrust issues that often arise in these transactions, as well as an understanding and appreciation of companies’ businesses and growth strategies.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s antitrust practice has one of the nation’s leading merger practices, having successfully defended more than 1,000 Hart-ScottRodino reportable transactions before the DOJ and FTC. Our strong relationships with our clients and our ability to understand their businesses and growth strategies enable our attorneys to communicate to the DOJ and FTC the reasons our clients decide to engage in M&A activity.

900 South Capital of Texas Hwy Las Cimas IV, Fifth Floor Austin, TX 78746-5546 Phone 512.338.5400 http://www.wsgr.com

Wragge & Co is a UK-headquartered international law firm providing a full service to clients worldwide. Working with in-house lawyers, company directors, investors, developers, HR professionals, pension trustees and entrepreneurs, our experts help deal with day-to-day issues and complex, strategic matters.

We offer a partner-led service backed up by the strength and support of more than 1,000 people, each delivering first-class legal advice. This is why our people are trusted advisers to multi-national businesses, financial institutions and government departments. http://www.wragge.com/

WS Marcus Jones & Co is ranked as one of the top five law firms in Sierra Leone.

Based out of Sydney Chambers in Freetown, the firm specialises in Intellectual Property law.

WS Marcus Jones Sydney Chambers 7 Walpole Street Freetown Sierra Leone Telephone: (+232-22) 223-494 or 224-947

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Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Global Experts

Global Experts

The Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (CCBC) The Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (CCBC) is a binational non-profit organisation, funded by the private sector and independent. Founded in 1973, it represents Canadian and Brazilian companies operating in key economic sectors.

CCBC is one of the best ways to keep in touch with business in Brazil and Canada, inquire about current business conditions in the two countries and have an active voice in improved terms of trade between the two countries.

Cabinet Seddik is an accounting practice, established in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1996. It offers the full range of accountancy, audit and tax services.

The firm has two objectives: to assist clients at every stage of their development and to provide a range of multi-disciplinary services in all areas of management.

Cabinet Seddik’s team is committed to supporting its clients through their business activities, sharing its knowledge of national and international industry conditions, advising in relation to development opportunities and ensuring their management systems are secure, free from risk and adapted to allow them to face the future with confidence.

The firm operates in diverse sectors and branches of the Moroccan economy and advises a variety of Moroccan firms on restructuring and upgrading to strengthen their presence on both local and global markets. http://www.cabinetseddik.com

Grant Thornton - Our multi-disciplinary specialists provide practical advice and solutions pre and post-acquisition, from pre transaction advice on financial structuring acquisitions to post transaction acting in expert determinations, mediations, litigation or arbitration. We have a wealth of experience on dealing with SPA disputes.

Our experts can also call upon more than 35,000 people in over 100 countries across Grant Thornton member firms to provide the technical, sector or local expertise required to match your needs.

Grant Thornton UK LLP 30 Finsbury Square London EC2P 2YU T +44 20 7383 5100 nick.d.andrews@uk.gt.com www.grant-thornton.co.uk

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

And the winners are...

Afghanistan Legal Oracles Advocates & Corporate Consultants Albania E. I. HAJDINI Petosevic Angola MC&A Sociedade de Advogados Anguilla Webster Argentina Castro Sammartino & Pierini, Attorneys & Counselors at Law Estudio Aoun Estudio Beccar Varela Estudio Moltedo Hope Duggan & Silva Lauritsen & Asociados M & M Bomchil Negri, Busso & Fariña O’Conor & Power Abogados PLB - Abogados Roitman Abogados Australia Allens Ashurst Ashurst Ashurst Atanaskovic Hartnell Atanaskovic Hartnell Baker & McKenzie Brett Slater Solicitors Clayton Utz Corrs Chambers Westgarth Cullens D’Ambra Murphy Lawyers Davis Advisory Doconade Legal & Migration Erskine Rodan & Associates Goldsmiths Lawyers Greenwoods & Freehills Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers Henry Davis York Hijwel Migration Lawyers Hunt & Hunt Immigration Solutions Lawyers Jimmy Morcos Johnson Lawyers Legal K&L Gates Kain C+C Lawyers Kelly & Co Kinslor Prince Lawyers Maddocks Maddocks

Law Firm of the Year - Afghanistan

McKinley Plowman & Associates Minter Ellison Minter Ellison

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Albania IP Law Firm of the Year - Albania

Minter Ellison Minter Ellison Minter Ellison

M&A Law Firm of the Year - Angola Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Anguilla

Minter Ellison Moyle & Associates Piper Alderman PwC

Litigation Firm of the Year - Argentina Queensland Bar Chambers Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year - Argentina Internet/e-Commerce Legal Practice of the Year - Argentina Insurance Law Firm of the Year - Argentina Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - Argentina Mid-Sized IP Law Firm of the Year - Argentina Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Argentina M&A Law Firm of the Year - Argentina IP Law Firm of the Year - Argentina Securities Law Firm of the Year - Argentina Arbitrators of the Year - Argentina Competition Law Firm of the Year - Australia Property Law Firm of the Year - Australia Insurance Law Firm of the Year - Australia Employment Law Firm of the Year - Australia Commercial Litigation Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Australia TMT Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Australia Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Australia Migration Agent of the Year - Australia Mining Law Firm of the Year - Australia Construction Law Firm of the Year - Australia Trademark Law Firm of the Year - Australia Boutique Immigration Law firm of the Year Australia Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Australia Immigration Agents of the Year - Adelaide Immigration Appeals Specialists of the Year - Australia Trade & Customs Law Firm of the Year Australia Due Diligence Advisory Firm of the Year Australia Revenue Law Chambers of the Year - Australia Alternative Investment Legal Practice of the Year - Australia Humanitarian Law Firm of the Year Transport Law Firm of the Year - Australia Human Rights Legal Practice of the Year NSW Boutique Immigration Law Practitioner of the Year - Australia Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Adelaide Shipping Law Firm of the Year - Australia Business Structuring Law Firm of the Year Adelaide Energy & Resources Law Firm of the Year Australia Immigration Law Firm of the Year - New South Wales Health & Safety Legal Practice of the Year Australia Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year - Australia

RNG Lawyers See Well Law Spruson & Ferguson TressCox Truman Hoyle Truman Hoyle Watermark Watson Mangioni Work Visa Lawyers Austria Anwaltskanzlei Thiele GmbH BLS Rechtsanwaelte Burgstaller & Preyer DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach Dorda Brugger Jordis Graf Patsch Taucher Rechtsanwaelte Griss & Partner Jakobljevich & Grave Rechtsanwälte GmbH Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH Konfliktkultur - Kulturkonflikt KPMG KWR Karasek Wietrzyk KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwaelte GmbH MSW Rechtsanwaelte | Attorneys at Law Platte Rechtsanwalt PricewaterhouseCoopers Salomonowitz Horak Rechtsanwalte Sattler & Schanda Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH Schmidtmayr Sorgo Wanke Zumtobel + Kronberger + Rechtsanwälte OG Bahamas Higgs & Johnson LEX JUSTIS, Counsel & Attorneys -at- Law Bahrain Norton Rose Fulbright Zu’bi & Partners Attorneys & Legal Consultants Zu’bi & Partners Attorneys & Legal Consultants

Business Advisory Firm of the Year - Australia Compliance & Disputes Legal Practice of the Year - Australia Data Protection Law Firm of the Year Australia Project Finance Law Firm of the Year Australia Education Law Firm of the Year - Australia Fund Formation Law Firm of the Year Australia Aviation Law Firm of the Year - Australia Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year - Australia Funds Management Law Firm of the Year Australia Lawyers Choice Award: Accountancy Firm of the Year - Australia Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year Australia Family Law Firm of the Year - Australia Personal Asset Protection Specialists of the Year - Australia Brand Protection Law Firm of the Year Australia Defamation Law Firm of the Year - Australia Communications Law Firm of the Year Australia Consumer Protection Law Firm of the Year Australia IP Law Firm of the Year - Australia Securities Law Firm of the Year - Australia Australian Immigration Law Firm of the Year: Hospitality Sector Capital Markets Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Austria Mid-Sized Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Austria Employment Law Firm of the Year - Austria Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - Austria Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Austria Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Austria EU Law Firm of the Year - Austria Trust & Foundation Law Firm of the Year Austria Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Austria Mediators of the Year - Austria Lawyers Choice Award: Accountancy Firm of the Year - Austria Energy Law Firm of the Year - Austria Mid-Sized Insolvency & Restructuring Legal Practice of the Year - Austria Construction Law Firm of the Year - Austria Boutique Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Austria Lawyers Choice Award: Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Austria Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year - Austria IP Law Firm of the Year - Austria Overall Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Austria Competition Law Firm of the Year - Austria Franchise Law Firm of the Year - Austria Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Bahamas Boutique Corporate Law Firm of the Year Bahamas Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year Bahrain Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain Construction & Engineering Law Firm of the Year - Bahrain

57

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Winners List

Bangladesh A.S & Associates DOULAH & DOULAH FM Associates Ishtiaque Ahmed & Associates Belarus Revera Consulting Group Sysouev, Bondar, Khrapoutski Law Firm.

Belgium Afschrift Afschrift ALTIUS ALTIUS

IP Law Firm of the Year - Belarus Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Belarus

PETOŠEVIC Roosendaal Keyzer

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year Belgium Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Belgium Competition Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Sustained Excellence in Employment Law Belgium IP Law Firm of the Year - Belgium Maritime Law Firm of the Year - Belgium

Bolivia B., Bermúdez & Bermúdez - S.C. - Law Offices Bufete Aguirre Criales Urcullo & Antezana

Technology Law Firm of the Year - Bolivia Mining & Energy Law Firm of the Year - Bolivia Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - Bolivia

Ambos NBGO Cruyplants Eloy Wagemans & Partners FratiniVergano Lorenz

Bosnia and Herzegovina PETOŠEVIC Brazil Advocacia Krakowiak Advocacia Waltenberg Albuquerque Pinto Advogados Aoki Advogados Associados Arena Alvarez Azevedo Sette Advogados SC Campos Mello Advogados Carvalhosa e Eizirik Advogados

58

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Bangladesh IP Law Firm of the Year - Bangladesh M&A Law Firm of the Year - Bangladesh Arbitrators of the Year - Bangladesh

Cascione, Pulino, Boulos & Santos Advogados Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada Center for Arbitration and Mediation Di Blasi, Parente & Associados Edmundo Nejm Advogados Ernesto Tzirulnik Advocacia Figueiredo Ferraz Advocacia Trabalhista Godke Silva & Rocha Advogados Guerra e Batista Advogados KPMG Brazil Levy & Salomao Advogados Lobo & de Rizzo Advogados Moraes Pitombo Advogados Promare Consultoria Wald e Associados Advogados Zulmar Neves Advocacia Brunei Cheok Advocates & Solicitors Bulgaria Bojinov & Bojinov Law Offices Boyanov & Co Dimitrov, Petrov & Co. Law Firm Eurolex Bulgaria Kambourov & Partners Attorneys at Law LEGALEX Law firm Trifonov Law Offices Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners Yordanova, Rizova & Partners Burundi NITEREKA Déo Cambodia VDB Loi (Cambodian Law)

Canada Ackroyd LLP Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Aecon Group Inc. Affleck Greene McMurtry Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP Andrew Carvajal Barrister & Solicitor Archambault Avocats Astell, Lachance, Du Sablon, De Sua Aurora Law Group Baker & McKenzie LLP Barbeau, Evans & Goldstein BDBL Avocats Beauvais Truchon Avocats - s.e.n.c.

Bell Canada Bernhard, Ella L. J. Bertschi Orth Solicitors and Barristers LLP/s. r. l.

Billington Barristers Boivin Desbiens Senécal Letendre, L.L.P. Bombardier Aerospace Bomza Law Group Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

IP Law Firm of the Year - Bosnia and Herzegovina Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Energy & Resources Law Firm of the Year Brazil Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Arbitrators of the Year - Brazil Aviation Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Foreign Investments Legal Practice of the Year - Brazil Contract Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Brazil Antitrust Compliance Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Lawyers Choice Award: Arbitration Institution of the Year - Brazil Copyright Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Insurance Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Employment Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Structured Finance Law Firm of the Year Brazil Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Lawyers Choice Award: Accountancy Firm of the Year - Brazil Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Cross-Border M&A Law Firm of the Year Brazil Criminal Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Trade Law Firm of the Year - Brazil Oil & Gas Disputes Law Firm of the Year Brazil Family Business Law Specialists of the Year - Brazil

BOS Law*Bertschi Orth Solicitors & Barristers LLP. Bot Construction Group Boughton Law Corporation Brimage Law Group Burnside Law Office Business Lawgix, LLP Caza Saikaley LLP Chaitons Chitiz Pathak LLP City Solicitor’s Office Clancy Professional Corporation Clifton Kok LLP Cohen Highley LLP Community Legal Information Association of PEI, Inc. Cox & Palmer CSuite Law Daoust Vukovich LLP Davis LLP Deacon, Spears, Fedson + Montizambert Des Rosiers, Philippe Devry Smith Frank LLP Dianr St-Arnaud Direct Energy Marketing Limited Donovan & Company Dunton Rainville S.E.N.C.R.L. Eisen, Mark B. Ernst & Young Evans Family Law Corporation Firmex Fitzpatrick & Co Fogler, Rubinoff LLP

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Brunei

Futerman Partners LLP

IP Law Firm of the Year - Bulgaria Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year Bulgaria Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year Bulgaria Mining & Energy Law Firm of the Year Bulgaria Securities Law Firm of the Year - Bulgaria Mid-Sized Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Bulgaria Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Bulgaria Mid-Sized Competition Law Firm of the Year - Bulgaria Boutique Securities Law Firm of the Year Bulgaria

Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP Gascon & Associés

White Collar Crime Barrister of the Year Burundi

Hull & Hull LLP

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Cambodia

Kain Family Law

Gibson Energy Inc. Gindin Wolson Simmonds Roitenberg Gourlay Spencer Wade LLP Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP Haddock & Company Harder & Company Harper Grey LLP Heselmann, Christine J. High Point Law Howard, Marion E.

Irving Mitchell Kalichman S.E.N.C.R.L./L.L.P.

Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year: Alberta Canadian In-House Leading Lawyer: Gaming Overall In-House Legal Team of the Year Canada Litigation Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Canadian Litigation Law Firm of the Year Canadian Refugee Law Firm of the Year Health & Safety Law Firm of the Year: Quebec Client Choice Law Firm of the Year: Québec Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year: Alberta Canadian Financial Restructuring Law Firm of the Year E-Commerce Disputes Law Firm of the Year Canadian Municipal Law Firm of the Year Canadian Maritime Law Firm of the Year Canadian Leading In-House Legal Team: Telecommunications Domestic Mediator of the Year: Ontario Boutique Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Boutique Litigation Firm of the Year: Alberta Canadian Leading Law Firm for Entrepreneurs Canadian Leading In-House Legal Team: Transport Individual Immigration Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Financial Services Law Firm of the Year: Canada Insurance & Resinsurance Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Canada Canadian Leading In-House Legal Team: Construction Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year: British Columbia Canadian Multi-Practice Law Firm of the Year Business Start-Up Law Firm of the Year: Nova Scotia Canadian Business Lawyers of the Year Canadian Public Inquiries Law Firm of the Year Receiverships Law Firm of the Year: Ontario IP Litigation Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Municipal Lawyer of the Year: New Brunswick Trademark Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Canadian Condominium Law Advisory Firm of the Year Medical Malpractice Law Firm of the Year Leading Legal Assocaition of the Year: Canada Labour Law Firm of the Year: New Brunswick Executive Compensation Law Firm of the Year: Canada Commercial Leasing Law Firm of the Year: Canada Civil Litigation Firm of the Year: Canada Condominium Related Litigation Law Firm of the Year Trade-Mark Agent of the Year: Quebec Commercial Lending Law Firm of the Year: Canada In-house Aerospace Lawyer of the Year Canada Energy Sector In-House Legal Team of the Year - Ontario Aboriginal Law Firm of the Year: Canada Construction Law Firm of the Year: Canada Patent Agent of the Year: Ontario Canadian Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year Custody Law Firm of the Year: Canada Lawyers Choice: Canadian Virtual Data Room of the Year Mediator of the Year: British Columbia Securities Compliance Law Firm of the Year: Canada Most Compassionate Law Firm of the Year: Canada Canadian Cross Border M&A Strategy Law Firm of the Year Project Finance Law Firm of the Year: Quebec Canadian Leading In-House Legal Team: Oil & Gas Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year: Manitoba Business Law Firm of the Year: British Columbia Advertising Law Firm of the Year: Canada Strata Property Law Firm of the Year: Canada Boutique Mining Law Firm of the Year: Canada Commitment to Best Practice Law Firm of the Year: Canada Excellence in Shareholder Disputes: Canada Wealth Planning Law Firm of the Year Boutique Tax Law Firm of the Year: Canada Will & Trust Disputes Legal Practice of the Year - Canada Commercial Arbitration Law Firm of the Year: Quebec Most Trusted Family Law Firm of the Year: Ontario

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Kelly International Settlement Services Inc. Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP Koskie Glavin Gordon KPMG Kre8tive Law Group Lam, Nancy L. P. Lamarche Pearson Lamarre Perron Lambert Vincent, s.e.n.c.

Law Office of Meleni David Law Offices of Harry R. Burkman Lenkinski Family Law & Mediation Professional Corporation Life After Law Lister Beaupré Loranger Marcoux Marie Morrison Law Mayeski Law Professional Corporation McCague Borlack LLP McCullough O’Connor Irwin McDougall Gauley LLP Miller Titerle LLP nNovation LLP Norton Rose Fulbright Okimaw Law Corporation Pace Law Firm Papazian Heisey Meyers Raphael Barristers Reis Roys RIVEST SCHMIDT Robert C. Cronish, Q.C. Roper Greyell LLP Sampson, McDougall Sangra Moller LLP Shapiro Cohen Shibley Righton LLP Shore Davis Johnston Sim Lowman Ashton & McKay Singh & Partners LLP Smeets Law Corporation Stockwoods LLP Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP StuartLaw Tarrabain Law Ticker, Charles B., Law Office Torkin Manes LLP Touchstone Law Group LLP Wardle Daley Bernstein LLP Watson Burns LLP Wickwire Holm Wolff Leia Woodley Law Yossi Schochet, LLP Zizzo Allan Professional Corporation Cayman Islands Appleby Campbells Nelson & Co Solomon Harris Turner & Roulstone Attorneys-At-Law Channel Islands Carey Olsen Chile Correa Gubbins CorreaGubbins

Mediator of the Year: Ontario Anti-Counterfeiting Law Firm of the Year: Canada Workers’ Compensation Law Firm of the Year: Canada Canadian Leading Adviser in Mining M&A Business Start-Up Law Firm of the Year: Alberta Surrogacy Lawyer of the Year: Canada Overall Law Firm of the Year: Yukon Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year: Quebec Canadian Negligence Claims Law Firm of the Year Securities Fraud Advisory Firm of the Year: Canada Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Lawyer’s Choice: Alternative Recruitment Commitment to Excellence in Canadian Human Rights Law Canadian Leading Lawyer: Employment Matters in M&A Canadian Leading Lawyer: MCFD Cases Canadian Leading Lawyer: Privacy Litigation Candian Mass Tort Law Firm of the Year Canadian Leading Lawyer: Private Equity Canadian Leading Lawyer: Advising Financial Institutions Joint Venture Advisory Firm of the Year: Canada Privacy Law Advisory Firm of the Year: Canada Canadian Commercial Law Firm of the Year Patent Agent of the Year: British Columbia Ongoing Commitment to Ethical Standards: Canada Fixed-Fee Incorporation Firm of the Year: Canada Overall Personal Injury Lawyers of the Year: Canada Multi-Jurisdictional Law Firm of the Year: Canada Trade Union Law Firm of the Year: Canada Health & Safety Chambers of the Year: Ontario Labour Litigator of the Year - Canada Property Division Advisory Firm of the Year - Canada M&A Law Firm of the Year: British Columbia IP Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Canada Media Law Advisory Firm of the Year: Canada Commitment to Excellence in Canadian Criminal Law Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year: Canada Most Diverse Small Law Firm of the Year: Canada Cross-Border Advisory Firm of the Year: Canada Professional Regulation Law Firm of the Year: Canada Entertainment Industry Law Firm of the Year: Canada Client-Focussed Law Firm of the Year: Ontario Most Respected Firm of the Year: Alberta Will Interpretation Law Firm of the Year: Canada Foreign Company Adviser of the Year: Canada Business Start-Up Law Firm of the Year: British Columbia Regulatory Defence Law Firm of the Year: Canada Private Union Law Firm of the Year: Canada Collections & Enforcement Law Firm of the Year: Canada Private Placements Law Firm of the Year: Canada Guardianship Litigation Law Firm of the Year Business Crime Defence Legal Practice of the Year - Canada Climate Change Law Firm of the Year Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year Cayman Islands Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Cayman Islands Trusts & Estates Practitioners of the Year Cayman Islands Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Cayman Islands Investment Funds Legal Practice of the Year Cayman Islands Corporate Law Firm of the Year - The Channel Islands Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Chile Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Chile

Claro y Cia Estudio Juridico Otero EPT Tax Advisors Cariola Diez Perez-Copatos & Cia China An Tian Zhang & Partners BEIJING GLOBE-LAW LAW FIRM Chang Tsi & Partners China Sunbow Law Firm CMS Fragomen Global Law Office Grandall Legal Group Han Kun Law Offices Hylands Law Firm Kangxin Partners PC Norton Rose Fulbright Rouse WilmerHale Colombia Abela Maldonado & Asociados Abogados Díaz Cárdenas Abogados

Energy & Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year - Chile Employment Law Firm of the Year - Chile Tax Advisers of the Year - Chile Business Start-up Specialists of the Year Chile Patent Practitioner of the Year - China IP Law Firm of the Year - Beijing IP Disputes Law Firm of the Year - China Trademark Attorneys of the Year - China Corporate Law Firm of the Year - China Corporate Immigration Law Firm of the Year - China Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - China Construction Law Practitioners of the Year - China Capital Markets Boutique Law Firm of the Year - China Real Estate Practice of the Year - China IP Due Diligence Practitioner of the Year China Securities Litigation Law Firm of the Year China IP Law Firm of the Year - China FCPA Specialist of the Year - China

Rodriguez Retamoso & Associates

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Colombia Start-up Advisory Specialists of the Year Colombia Regulatory Advisers of the Year - Colombia

Costa Rica Lara Lopez Matamoros Rodriguez & Tinoco

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Costa Rica

Croatia Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic Law Firm PETOŠEVIC Wolf Theiss Wolf Theiss

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Croatia Mid-Sized Law Firm of the Year - Croatia IP Law Firm of the Year - Croatia Arbitration Practitioners of the Year - Croatia Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Croatia

Cyprus Andreas A. Papadopoulos & Co. Advocates Chrysses Demetriades & Co Christodoulos G. Vassiliades & Co. LLC George Y. Yiangou & Co Haviaras & Philippou L.L.C. L. Papaphilippou & Co LLC Montanios & Montanios Czech Republic BBH advokatni kancelar vos CMS Cameron McKenna v.o.s.

Corpin DVORAK & SPOL. FANS JSC Glatzova & Co. GURLICH & Co. Jasanska & Co Nocarová Jasek & Partners Peterka & Partners Pierstone PwC Czech Republic Švehlik & Mikuláš advokáti s.r.o.

Territorial Investments Group Weinhold Legal Denmark Advokataktieselskabet Horten Awapatent Delacour Hoffmann Dragsted Holme Patent Integra Advokater KPMG Legal Services Kromann Reumert MAQS Law Firm Mazanti-Andersen Korsø Jensen & Partnere Moalem Weitemeyer Bendtsen Plesner Law Firm

IP Law Firm of the Year - Cyprus Cross-Border M&A Specialists of the Year Cyprus Shipping Legal Practice of the Year - Cyprus Tax Law Firm of the Year - Cyprus Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Cyprus Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Cyprus Shipping & Maritime Law Firm of the Year Cyprus Czech Public Procurement Legal Practice of the Year Czech Overall Law Firm of the Year Czech Corporate Finance Firm of the Year Czech Commercial Law Firm of the Year Lawyers Choice Award: Czech Construction Firm of the Year Most Innovative Czech Law Firm of the Year Czech IP Law Firm of the Year Czech Labour & Employment Law Firm of the Year Sustained Excellence in Corporate Law - the Czech Republic Czech Construction Law Firm of the Year Czech Technology Law Firm of the Year Czech Tax Advisers of the Year Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year the Czech Republic Czech Company Formation Adviser of the Year Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year - the Czech Republic Securities Law Firm of the Year - Denmark Trademark Attorneys of the Year - Denmark Danish Dealmaker of the Year - Falcon transaction IP Due Diligence Team of the Year - Denmark IPR Strategy Consultants of the Year Denmark IT Attorneys of the Year - Denmark M&A Advisory Team of the Year - Denmark Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year Denmark Dispute Resolution Practice of the Year Denmark Insolvency Law Firm of the Year - Denmark Sustained Excellence in M&A - Denmark Real Estate Legal Practice of the Year Denmark

59

Bernadt Vukic Potash & Getz is a South African boutique law firm based in Cape Town, South Africa specializing in Corporate and Commercial law (including stock exchange, mergers and acquisitions and franchising), Commercial Litigation, Property Law, Labour Law and Estate Planning.

Pursuant to its areas of focus, the firm is broadly organized into five main departments: l Corporate and Commercial l Commercial Litigation l Property and Conveyancing l Labour and Wills l Estates Planning The firm has a substantial number of South African and international commercial and corporate clients, including clients listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and other exchanges internationally. The firm has extensive experience and expertise in national and international transactions at the highest levels.

The firm has extensive professional networks, consultancy and referral relationships with local and international professional firms in order to provide and enhance expert related specialist services available to clients and provide seamless turn-key advice for clients.

11th Floor No. 1 Thibault Square Cape Town South Africa 8001 Tel: +27 21 4053800 Fax: +27 21 4182317 Contact Person: Keith Getz Email: mail@bvpg.co.za / kgetz@bvpg.co.za

www.bvpg.co.za

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

PUBLICURE Advokatfirma P/S Ecuador Bustamante & Bustamante Coronel & Pérez Solines & Asociados Egypt Adel Kheir DLA Matouk Bassiouny Nour & Taha Sharkawy & Sarhan Sharkawy & Sarhan Estonia Baltic Legal Solutions FORT FORT Lextal Law Firm Tark Grunte Sutkiene Finland Asianajotoimisto Impola Oy Asianajotoimisto Lindblad Attorneys Attorneys-at-Law Juridia Avance Attorneys Hammarström Puhakka Partners Inventio Attorneys Juridia Butzow Justeria Attorneys Ltd Kalliolaw Asianajotoimisto Oy - Attorneys at Law Kauttu & Co Attorneys Ltd Kotiranta & Co Nordic Law Oy ABILITAS Ab Procope & Hornborg Translink Corporate Finance Waselius & Wist Oy France Aston Avocats Berthezène Nevouet Rivet Cabinet Plasseraud CGR Legal Fourgoux & Associés Granrut JeantetAssocies K&L Gates Kallista Laurence Lanoy Avocats Laurence Delorme Marks & Clerk Nomos Sefrioui Law Firm UGGC & Associés Georgia Hall Booth Smith , P.C. Stites & Harbison, PLLC Germany Arendts Anwälte Arndt Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Avocado rechtsanwälte Barber | Odenbach Bird & Bird BMH BRÄUTIGAM & PARTNER Rechtsanwälte Börner Rechtsanwalte BridgehouseLaw CBH Rechtsanwälte Dierks+Bohle Rechtsanwaelte DTS Intellectual Property Law Firm

Gaming Law Firm of the Year - Denmark Overall Law Firm of the Year - Ecuador Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - Ecuador Internet & E-Commerce Law Firm of the YearEcuador Arbitrator of the Year - Egypt Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Egypt Franchise Law Firm of the Year - Egypt M&A Law Firm of the Year - Egypt Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year

Contract Law Firm of the Year - Estonia Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year Estonia Consumer Protection Legal Practice of the Year Competition Law Firm of the Year - Estonia Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Estonia

Insolvency Practitioners of the Year - Finland Business Establishment Advisory Firm of the Year - Finland Securities Law Firm of the Year - Finland Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Finland Cross-Border Business Specialist of the Year - Finland TMT Attorneys of the Year - Finland Employment Law Firm of the Year - Finland Financial Services Law Firm of the Year Finland Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Finland International Trade Legal Practice of the Year - Finland White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year Finland Human Rights Law Firm of the Year - Finland Corporate Governance Advisors of the Year - Finland Energy Law Firm of the Year - Finland Lawyers Choice Award: Corporate Financier of the Year - Finland Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Finland

French Dealmaker of the Year - Trinnov Audio transaction Securities Law Firm of the Year - France Trademark Practice of the Year - France Joint Ventures Practice of the Year - France EU Law Firm of the Year - France IP Law Firm of the Year - France Trade Finance Practice of the Year - France Real Estate M&A Law Firm of the Year France Lawyers Choice Award: Technical Due Diligence Provider of the Year - France Environmental Law Firm of the Year - France Independent Transfer Pricing Consultant of the Year - France Patent Attorneys of the Year - France Film, TV & Entertainment Law Firm of the Year - France Arbitration Law of the Year - France Art Law Practitioners of the Year - France

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Georgia Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Georgia

Gaming Law Firm of the Year - Germany Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Germany Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - Germany Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Germany Life Sciences IP Law Firm of the Year Germany Corporate Litigation Law Firm of the Year Germany Energy Law Firm of the Year - Germany Mid-Sized Private Equity/VC Law Firm of the Year - Germany Private Investment Law Firm of the Year Germany Health Insurance Law Firm of the Year Germany Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year Germany

Ehlers Ehlers and Partner FIDAUDIT GMBH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner HERTIN Anwaltssozietät Hülsen Michael Hauschke Seewald Jacob Law Leo Schmidt-Hollburg Witte & Frank Ludwig Maximilians University Munich Maiwald Patentanwalts GmbH Michalski Hüttermann Patent Attorneys Norton Rose Fulbright NZP Nagy Law Osborne Clarke PPR & PARTNER Pape Rauh Preu Bohlig & Partner Pusch Wahlig Legal PwC Legal Raue Raue Rechtsanwaltskanzlei Speckin, Dembski & Partner Reiners Rogge Attorneys Schalast & Partner Schmid, v. Buttlar & Partner Tilmann A. Muller Rechtsanwalt Volmar-Thomae-Haase -Rechtsanwälte-Wannemacher & Partner Wegner Ullrich Müller-Helle Rechtsanwälte Wellensiek Rechtsanwälte Winheller Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Ghana ABM Attorneys at Law Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah Grofin Ghana KIMATHI & PARTNERS XDSDATA Ghana Ltd. Gibraltar Verralls Barristers and Solicitors Greece Bahas Gramatidis & Partners Calavros & Partners Calavros & Partners KLC Law Firm KPP Law - Kerameus, Papademetriou, Papadopoulos Law Offices Lambadarios Law Firm Nikos Frangakis & Associates P.D. Law Offices PotamitisVekris PotamitisVekris Stephenson Harwood V&P Law Firm Guatemala Consortium - Rodríguez, Archila, Castellanos, Solares & Aguilar, S.C. Salazar-Munoz Despacho de Abogados Guinea-Bissau MC&A - Sociedade de Advogados, RL

Sustained Excellence in Life Science Law Germany Most Trusted Consultancy Firm of the Year Germany Company Formations Legal Practice of the Year - Germany Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year - Germany Construction Law Firm of the Year - Germany Rising Stars in M&A - Germany SME Choice Award: Dealmaker of the Year Germany Rising Stars in Arbitration - Germany Rising Stars in Patent Law - Germany Rising Stars in Copyright Law - Germany Project Finance Team of the Year - Germany German Cross Border Law Firm of the Year Automotive Law Firm of the Year - Germany Rising Stars in Commercial Law - Germany Medical Devices Legal Practice of the Year Germany Most Trusted Employment Law Firm of the Year - Germany Sustained Excellence in Corporate Restructurings - Germany Rising Stars in Private Equity Law - Germany Mediation Law Firm of the Year - Germany Rising Stars in ADR - Germany Distribution Law Firm of the Year - Germany Rising Stars in Real Estate Law - Germany Most Trusted Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Germany Retail Law Firm of the Year - Germany Most Established Law Firm of the Year - Germany Tax Disputes Law Firm of the Year - Germany Architectural Law Firm of the Year - Germany Most Respected Insolvency Practice of the Year - Germany German Leading Law Firm for non-profit organisations Securities Law Firm of the Year - Ghana Rising Stars in Corporate Law - Ghana Start-up Advisory Firm of the Year - Ghana Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Ghana Credit Referencing Services Provider of the Year - Ghana Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Gibraltar

Consumer Law Practice of the Year - Greece Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Greece Competition Law Firm of the Year - Greece IP Law Firm of the Year - Greece Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Greece Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Greece Administrative Law Firm of the Year - Greece Civil Law Firm of the Year - Greece Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - Greece Social Security Legal Practice of the Year Greece Shipping Finance Practice of the Year - Greece Shipping & Transport Law Firm of the Year - Greece Arbitrators of the Year - Guatemala Commercial Litigators of the Year - Guatemala

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - GuineaBissau

Haiti Cabinet Leblanc & Associés Cabinet Lissade

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Haiti IP Law Firm of the Year - Haiti

Honduras Bufete Melara & Asociados

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Honduras

Hong Kong Advokatfirman Odebjer Fohlin Deacons Ernst & Young Minter Ellison Minter Ellison Oldham Li & Nie

Sustained Excellence in Commercial Arbitration - Hong Kong Banking Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong Tax Adviser of the Year - Hong Kong Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong Construction Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong Estate Planning Practice of the Year - Hong Kong

61

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Winners List

ONC Lawyers Proskauer

Rebecca Lo & Co Stephenson Harwood Tanner De Witt

Criminal Litigators of the Year - Hong Kong Dealmaker of the Year: Hong Kong - Cheniere Energy transaction Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year Hong Kong IP Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong Trade Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong Insolvency Law Firm of the Year - Hong Kong

Hungary Cseri & Partners Danubia Patent & Law Office Dr. Koczkas Janos Law Firm Forgo Damjanovic & Partners Forgó, Damjanovic & Partners Law Office of Gárdos Füredi Mosonyi Tomori Law Office of Gárdos Füredi Mosonyi Tomori Lendvai Partners Oppenheim Sándor Szegedi Szent-Ivány Komáromi Eversheds

Insurance Law Firm of the Year - Hungary Patent Law Firm of the Year - Hungary Rising Stars in M&A Law - Hungary Energy Law Firm of the Year - Hungary TMT Law Firm of the Year - Hungary Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Hungary Securities Law Firm of the Year - Hungary IP Law Firm of the Year - Hungary Trade Law Firm of the Year - Hungary Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Hungary

Quantera Global

Iceland CATO Lögmenn Hofdabakki, Attorneys at Land Lögmenn International Legal Services India Auromaa Associates Fox Mandal HSA Advocates Intelligere Krishnamurthy & Co Krishnamurthy & Co Legacy Law Offices Pinnacle Legal R K Dewan & Co Regal Law Chamber Runtai Industry Co. Ltd. Tatva Legal

62

Indonesia Lubis Ganie MUC Consulting Group Pacific Patent Soemadipradja & Taher Iraq Amanj Law Firm Ireland AMOSS Solicitors Holohan Solicitors Coughlan White & Partners DFMG Solicitors DFMG Solicitors Erwin Mediation Services Fanning & Associates Solicitors FR Kelly & Co Francis X. Burke & Co Hughes & Associates Madden & Co Martin & Gately McEvoy Partners McGarr Solicitors Stokes & Co Tobin Solicitors Woods Hogan Solicitors Israel Amit Pollak Matalon & Co Barnea & Co Caspi & Co Dr. A. Klagsbals & Co. Law Offices Gornitzky & Co Gornitzky & Co Heskia Hacmun Law Firm Louis Garb & Co. Luthi & Co

Luthi & Co. Naschitz Brandes PwC Israel Sheinman-Negev-Niv Yahia Abu Rmeileh Yehuda Raveh & Co. Ziv Sharon & Co. Law Office Italy CBM & Partners CONCILIA LLC Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Giambrone Law IPSO Nunziante Magrone Padovan, Studio Legale Simmons & Simmons

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Iceland Litigators of the Year - Iceland International Trade Law Firm of the Year Iceland Trademark Practice of the Year - India Commitment to Corporate Strategy - India Corporate Law Firm of the Year - India Internet & E-Commerce Law Firm of the Year - India Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - India Outstanding Law Firm of the Year - India Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year India Corporate Immigration Law Firm of the Year - India IP Law Firm of the Year - India Civil Law Firm of the Year - India Outsourcing Law Firm of the Year - India Offshore M&A Law Firm of the Year - India

Studio Legale Maschietto Maggiore Studio Legale Stile Vitale & Partners Japan AI Association of Patent and Trademark Attorneys Anderson Mori & Tomotsune Atsumi & Sakai Atsumi & Sakai City-Yuwa Partners Haraguchi International Law Office K&L Gates Koga & Partners Mori Hamada & Matsumoto OMNI International Patent Law Office Oshima & Associates

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Indonesia Lawyers Choice Award: Business Consultants of the Year - Indonesia Patent Practice of the Year - Indonesia Project Finance Law Firm of the Year Indonesia

Soga Law Office SONODA & KOBAYASHI Intellectual Property Law firm South Toranomon Law Offices TMI Associates Watanuki Patent Service Bureau

Law Firm of the Year - Iraq Jordan Zalloum & Laswi Corporate Insolvency Legal Practice of the Year - Ireland Arbitrators of the Year - Ireland Commercial Property Law Firm of the Year - Ireland IP Law Firm of the Year - Ireland Litigation Legal Practice of the Year - Ireland Mediators of the Year - Ireland Trademark Law Firm of the Year - Ireland Patent Law Firm of the Year - Ireland Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Ireland Professional Negligence Law Firm of the Year Ireland Debt Collection Legal Practice of the Year Ireland Construction Law Firm of the Year - Ireland Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Ireland Dispute Resolution Legal Practice of the Year - Ireland Landlord & Tenant Legal Practice of the Year - Ireland Company Formations Legal Practice of the Year - Ireland Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year - Ireland

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Israel Information Technology Law Firm of the Year - Israel Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Israel Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Israel Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Israel Rising Stars in Project Finance - Israel Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year - Israel Most Respected Legal Practitioners of the Year - Israel Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year - Israel

Kazakhstan Signum Law Firm

Life Sciences IP Law Firm of the Year - Israel Emerging Companies Law Firm of the Year - Israel Lawyers Choice Award: Tax Adviser of the Year - Israel White Collar Crime Law Firm of the Year Israel Independent Arbitrator of the Year - Israel Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Israel Tax Boutique Firm of the Year - Israel

Internet & E-Commerce Law Firm of the Year - Italy Alternative Dispute Resolution Provider of the Year – Italy Export Finance Advisory Team of the Year - Italy Law Firm of the Year - Italy Intellectual Property Firm of the Year - Italy Leading Cross-Border M&A Team of the Year - Italy Top Tier Law Firm of the Year - Italy Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year - Italy Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Italy Business Crime Defence Law Firm of the Year - Italy Transport Law Firm of the Year - Italy

Leading Patent Attorney of the Year - Japan Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - Japan Corporate Law Firm of the Year Most Trusted Business Law Firm of the Year - Japan Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year - Japan Company Formations Legal Practice of the Year - Japan Employment Law Firm of the Year - Japan Media Law Firm of the Year - Japan Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Japan Patent Law Firm of the Year - Japan Joint Ventures Legal Practice of the Year Japan Foreign Investment Law Firm of the Year Japan Most Innovative Patent Law Firm of the Year - Japan Competition Law Firm of the Year - Japan IT Law Firm of the Year - Japan Most Innovative IP Consultants of the Year - Japan Overall Law Firm of the Year - Jordan

Michael Wilson & Partners, Limited

Labour & Employment Law Firm of the Year Kazakhstan Competition & Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - Kazakhstan Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Kazakhstan

Kenya African Legal Network Anjarwalla & Khanna Muthaura Mugambi Ayugi & Njonjo Advocates

Shipping & Maritime Law Firm of the Year - Kenya Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Kenya Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Kenya

Korea Cho & Partners You Me Patent & Law Firm

Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year - Korea Patent Law Firm of the Year - Korea

Sayat Zholshy & Partners

Latvia Attorneys at Law Klotini & Sergis BDO Zelmenis & Liberte Kronbergs & Cukste Kronbergs & Cukste Markvarte Lexchange Law Office Sorainen Sorainen Lebanon Alem & Associates Nader Law Office Raphael Associes Smayra Law Office

Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Latvia Lawyers Choice Award: Financial Consultancy Firm of the Year - Latvia Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - Latvia Mid-Sized Employment Law Firm of the Year - Latvia Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Latvia M&A Law Firm of the Year - Latvia Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Latvia

Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon Energy Law Firm of the Year - Lebanon Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year Lebanon

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Lesotho L. Sephomolo Chambers Naledi Chambers Inc.

Company Formation Adviser of the Year Lesotho IP Legal Practice of the Year - Lesotho

Liechtenstein Batliner Wanger Batliner Rechtsanwälte AG

Law Firm of the Year - Liechtenstein

Lithuania Motieka & Audzevicius Tark Grunte Sutkiene Luxembourg Brucher Thieltgen & Partners

Pan-Baltic Law Firm of the Year - Lithuania Overall Law Firm of the Year - Lithuania

CAKAMKOVA ADVOCATES Macedonia PwC Macedonia Trpenoski Law Firm

Corporate Tax Practice of the Year - Macedonia Trade Law Firm of the Year - Macedonia

Raja Darryl & Loh Shearn Delamore & Co Shook Lin & Bok Zaid Ibrahim & Co Malta Camilleri Preziosi Fenech & Fenech Advocates Ganado Advocates WDM International Mauritius Banymandhub Boolell Chambers Chambers of A.R.M.A. Peeroo SC GOSK Mexico Arias Meurinne Orendain y Rodriguez Azar Abogados Barrera, Siqueiros y Torres Landa, SC Basham Ringe y Correa S.C. Bello, Gallardo, Bonequi y García, S.C. Bufete Ostos Abogados Casares Castelazo Casares, Castelazo, Frías y Zárate, S.C. Chévez Ruíz Zamarripa y Cia Creel, Garcia-Cuellar, Aiza y Enriquez Dumont Bergman Bider & Co Greenberg Traurig JATA – J.A. Treviño Abogados JATA – J.A. Treviño Abogados Maqueo Abogados, S.C. Miranda & Estavillo Natera y Espinosa Ritch Mueller Robles Mac Eachen Y Asociados, S.C. Moldova ACI Partners Mongolia Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Malta Overall Law Firm of the Year - Malta M&A Legal Practice of the Year - Malta Most Trusted Business Advisory Firm of the Year - Malta Commercial Law Boutique Firm of the Year - Mauritius ADR Barristers of the Year - Mauritius

International Tax Law Firm of the Year Commercial Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Energy Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Copyright Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Regulatory Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year -Mexico Mid-Sized Corporate Law Firm of the Year Mexico Tax Litigation Team of the Year - Mexico M&A Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Commitment to IP Law - Mexico Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Labour Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Results Driven Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Tax Consultancy Firm of the Year - Mexico Securities Law Firm of the Year - Mexico Leading Law Firm of 2013 - Mexico

Rising Star in Corporate Law - Moldova

GTs Advocates Montenegro PETOSEVIC

Law Firm of the Year - Montenegro

Morocco Nero Boutique Law Firm

Employment Law Firm of the Year - Morocco

SCAN lawyers

Nepal Kto Inc.

IP Advisory Specialists of the Year - Nepal

New Zealand Atkins Holm Majurey

Bell Gully Buddle Findlay Buddle Findlay Buddle Findlay DLA Phillips Fox Grayson Clements ltd, Lawyers James & Wells Intellectual Property

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Singapore Patents Law Firm of the Year - Malaysia Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Malaysia Securities Law Firm of the Year - Malaysia TMT Law Firm of the Year - Malaysia

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Southeast Asia Infrastructure Law Firm of the Year - Mongolia

Mozambique MC&A

Leading Law Firm of the Year - Namibia Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Namibia Leading Law Firm of 2013 - Namibia Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Namibia

Baldwins Barrister Administrative Law Firm of the Year Luxembourg Employment Law Firm of the Year - Macedonia

Malaysia Drew & Napier LLC

Namibia De Silva Inc. Dr Weder, Kauta & Hoveka Inc. Ellis Shilengudwa Inc Koep & Partners

Client Focused Legal Practice of the Year Mozambique Financial Law Firm of the Year - Mozambique

Jones Fee Lowndes Associates Matthews Law P L Berry & Associates Patterson Hopkins Pipers Patent Attorneys Pipers Patent Attorneys Quigg Partners Russell McVeagh Russell McVeagh

Nicaragua Guy Jose Bendana-Guerrero & Asociados GUY JOSE BENDAÑA-GUERRERO & ASOCIADOS Nigeria A A ABARAH & CO Ayo Kasunmu & Company Chief Yomi Alliyu & Co Ibadan, Nigeria EcoBank Gbenga Biobaku & Co I.L. Sambo & Company Ikeyi & Arifayan Nocs Consults Principles Law Partnership Sterling Partnership Union Patent Service Co. Norway Advokatfirmaet CLP DA Advokatfirmaet Hjort Bryn Aarflot Føyen Schjodt Schjodt Wahl-Larsen Advokatfirma AS Pakistan Ali & Associates Bharucha & Co Cornelius, Lane & Mufti RIAALAW Chambers Panama Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee Healy Law Firm Healy Law Firm Icaza, González-Ruiz & Alemán Patton Moreno & Asvat Paraguay Berkemeyer, Attorneys & Counselors

Environmental Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand IP Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Sustained Excellence in Environmental Law Corporate Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Aviation Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Private Client Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Trademark Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Maritime Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Commercial Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Cartel Enforcement Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Commitment to IP Law - New Zealand Boutique Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Patent Lawyer of the Year - New Zealand Leading IP Law Firm of 2013 - New Zealand Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year New Zealand M&A Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand

Sustained Excellence in Trademark Law Commitment to IP Law - Nicaragua

Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year Nigeria Property Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria Sustained Excellence in Intellectual Property - Nigeria Lawyers Choice Award: Commercial Bank of the Year - Nigeria Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria Oil & Gas Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria ADR Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria Commercial Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria Mining Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria Rising Stars in Patents Advice - Nigeria

Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - Norway Labour & Employment Law Firm of the Year - Norway Patent Law Firm of the Year - Norway Construction Law Firm of the Year - Norway Transactions Advisory Law Firm of the Year - Norway Capital Markets law Firm of the Year – Norway Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Norway IP Law Firm of the Year - Pakistan Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year Pakistan M&A Legal Team of the Year - Pakistan Most Reputable Law Firm of the Year Pakistan Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Panama Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Panama Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year - Panama Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Panama Financing of Vessels Legal Team of the Year Panama Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Paraguay

63

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Peru Estudio Echecopar Estudio Echecopar García Sayán Abogados JP VAN HASSELT Rodrigo Elias & Medrano Abogados SIMONS / Solución de Controversias Poland Biedecki FKA Furtek Komosa Aleksandrowicz Gessel Portugal Abreu & Marques - Sociedade de Advogados de Responsabilidade Limitada Alves Pereira & Teixeira de Sousa

Kennedys Asset Finance Law Firm of the Year - Peru Commercial Tax Law Firm of the Year - Peru Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Peru IP Law Firm of the Year - Peru Trade Law Firm of the Year - Peru Commercial Arbitration Team of the Year Peru Construction Law Firm of the Year - Poland Competition Law Firm of the Year - Poland Private Funds Law Firm of the Year - Poland

Franco Caiado Guerreiro & Associados Gali Macedo & Associados RL Luis Miguel Amaral - Advogados / Lawyers Macedo Vitorino & Associados PBBR PLEN – Sociedade de Advogados RFF Advogados SRS Advogados Qatar Patton Boggs LLP

Anti-Bribery Law Firm of the Year - Qatar

Romania Mararu & Mararu Lawyers Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen Pachiu & Associates Razvan Dinca & Asociatii Stratula Mocanu & Asociatii Stratula Mocanu & Asociatii Taxhouse SRL Voicu & Filipescu SCA Russia Anti-Monopoly Law Office LLC CMS CMS Dentons DS Law Hogan Lovells Khrenov and Partners Law Office Levant & Partners Law Firm National Bureau of Credit Histories Podolsky & Klein Attorneys at Law Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Wilfred Services Ltd

Renewable Energy Law Firm of the Year Romania Administrative Law Firm of the Year - Romania Mining & Energy Law Firm of the Year Romania IP Law Firm of the Year - Romania Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Romania Insolvency Law Firm of the Year - Romania Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year - Romania Franchise Law Firm of the Year - Romania

Serbia Graovac IP Law Office JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic Law Office KOSIC Marić, Mališić & Dostanić PETOSEVIC PETOSEVIC

IP Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Serbia Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Serbia Serbian Corporate Law Firm of the Year Serbian Commercial Law Firm of the Year IP Law Firm of the Year - Serbia Trademark Law Firm of the Year - Serbia

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP Harry Elias Partnership LLP Harry Elias Partnership LLP Harry Elias Partnership LLP Harry Elias Partnership LLP

Contractual Law Firm of the Year - Slovakia Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Slovakia IP Law Firm of the Year - Slovakia Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Slovakia Banking Law Firm of the Year - Slovakia

RHTLaw Taylor Wessing RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP Rodyk & Davidson LLP

Tito Isaac & Co Velten Partners LLP

Slovenia ITEM doo Kirm & Perpar Ltd. Odvetniki Dolžan, Vidmar & Zemljarič PETOŠEVIC South Africa A Adriaans Incorporated Becker Bergh & More Ingelyf Bernadt Vukic Potash & Getz Christopher Moore Cullinan & Associates

Egon A Oswald Attorney at Law F T Dengana Attorneys Frost Attorneys Geldenhuys Joubert Java Mama Attorneys Knowles Husain Lindsay Inc Landsberg & Associates Maserumule Inc Attorneys McPherson Kruger Attorneys MHI Law

Business Advisers of the Year - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Litigators of the Year - Senegal

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Slovakia CLS Cavojský & Partners, s.r.o.

DEDAK & Partners Zathurecky InPaRtners s.r.o.

Lansky, Ganzger & Partner Rechtsanwälte Sedlacko & Partners

One Legal LLC Rajah & Tann

Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Competition Law Firm of the Year - Russia Employment Law Firm of the Year - Russia Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Russia Franchise Law Firm of the Year - Russia Private Equity Fund Law Firm of the Year Russia Energy Law Firm of the Year - Russia Most Trusted Law Firm o the Year - Russia Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Russia Lawyers Choice Award: Russian Credit Reference Agency of the Year Private Equity/VC Law Firm of the Year Russia

Senegal SCP Mame Adama Gueye & Associés

Singapore Alpha & Omega Law Corporation Berwin Leighton Paisner

Wong Tan & Molly Lim Llc

Lextray Michael Hwang SC Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy

Shook Lin & Bok LLP Stamford Law Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year Portugal Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - Portugal Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Portugal Mid-Sized Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Portugal Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Portugal TMT Law Firm of the Year - Portugal EU Law Firm of the Year - Portugal IP Law Firm of the Year - Portugal Securities Law Firm of the Year - Portugal Boutique Tax Law Firm of the Year - Portugal Overall Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Portugal

CMS Rui Pena & Arnaut CNCM – Sociedade de Advogados

Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Tax Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Leading Barrister of the Year Singapore Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year Singapore Patent Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Joint Ventures Legal Team of the Year Singapore Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year Singapore Shipping Finance Law Firm of the Year Singapore Insolvency Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Most Respected Law Firm of the Year Singapore Criminal Litigation Law Firm of the Year Singapore Transfer Pricing Adviser of the Years Singapore Securities Law Firm of the Year - Singapore

Miller du Toit Cloete Inc Nortons Inc Robin Twaddle Attorneys Rosin Wright Rosengarten Smiedt & Associates Spoor & Fisher Trade Law Chambers Von Seidels South Korea Barun Law

IP Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Project Finance Law Firm of the Year Singapore Estate Planning Legal Practice of the Year Singapore Cross Border Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Southeast Asia Project Finance Law Firm of the Year Southeast Asia Property M&A Legal Practice of the Year Singapore Aviation Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Singapore Commercial Litigation Practice of the Year Singapore

Y P Lee Mock & Partners Spain Across Legal Adarve Abogados Altius Abogados Amat & Vidal-Quadras BALDER Bird & Bird Bird & Bird Bojorge & Associates DelaCalle Abogados SLP

Patent Agency of the Year - Slovenia Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year Slovenia Sustained Excellence in Financial Services Slovenia IP Law Firm of the Year - Slovenia

Commercial Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Property Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Franchise Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Independent Lawyer of the Year - South Africa Environmental Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Human Rights Lawyer of the Year - South Africa Criminal Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Tax Practitioner of the Year - South Africa International Trade Law Firm of the Year South Africa Employment Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Maritime Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Workplace Health & Safety Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Consumer Protection Law Firm of the Year South Africa Estate Planning Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Children’s Law Team of the Year - South Africa Sustained Excellence in Competition Law South Africa Sports Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Music Film & TV Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Boutique Commercial Law Firm of the Year South Africa Copyright Law Firm of the Year - South Africa Trade Law Practitioners of the Year - South Africa IP Law Firm of the Year - South Africa

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year South Korea IP Law Firm of the Year - South Korea

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Spain Multidisciplinary Law Firm of the Year - Spain Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year - Spain Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year - Spain IP Law Firm of the Year - Spain Competition Law Firm of the Year Energy & Utilities Law Firm of the Year - Spain Corporate Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Spain Competition Law Firm of the Year - Spain

65

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Winners List

ECIJA Law Firm Herbert Smith Freehills Marco Legal, Abogados & Economistas Perez Albors & Co. Roca Junyent Salvador J. Mariscal & Asociados Sri Lanka Yasminne Ameresekera C. Mathew & Co. F. J. & G. De Saram Julius & Creasy Nithya Partners Nithya Partners Palitha Mathew & Company Path & Co Consultancy Sweden Advokatfirman Fylgia KB Avenir Advokater Elvang & Partnere Eric Ager Hannes Snellman Hellstrom Hellström Advokatbyra KPMG Lindstrand Leffler Micocon AB Setterwalls Switzerland ABELS Avocats

66

Bratschi Wiederkehr & Buob Cabinet Mayor Carrard & Associes CMS von Erlach Henrici CPV Partners Des Gouttes & Associés E. Blum & Co. AG Etude de Me Cécile Barro Etude de Me Gilles Thieffry Helbling Attorneys At Law HELBLING Rechtsanwälte Id est avocats Sàrl Jeremy Lack Esq Kasser Schlosser avocats Kellerhals Attorneys at Law Kellerhals Attorneys at Law Krauskopf Wagner and Partner Kronbichler & Tourette lecocqassociate Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Suffert Neuenschwander & Partner Suter Howald Attorneys at Law Thomas Cottier Troller Hitz Troller Vischer Zwicky Windlin & Partner Syria Sarkis & Associates acac Taiwan Joseph Tan Jude Benny Tanzania Adept Chambers East African Law Chambers

Gaming Law Firm of the Year - Spain Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Spain M&A Legal Practice of the Year - Spain Shipping Litigation Law Firm of the Year Spain Insurance Law Firm of the Year - Spain Franchise Law Firm of the Year - Spain

Lawyers Choice Award: Marketing Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Family Law Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Most Established Law Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Most Respected Law Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Maritime Law Firm of the Year - Sri Lanka Arbitrators of the Year - Sri Lanka

Insolvency Law Firm of the Year - Sweden Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Sweden IP Law Firm of the Year - Sweden Independent Practitioner of the Year - Sweden Competition Law Firm of the Year - Sweden Employment Law Firm of the Year - Sweden Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year - Sweden Lawyers Choice Award: Tax Adviser of the Year - Sweden Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - Sweden Post Merger Integration Experts of the Year - Sweden Infrastructure Legal Team of the Year - Sweden

M&A Boutique Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Contract Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Mid-Sized Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland M&A Legal Team of the Year - Switzerland Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Start-up Advisory Firm of the Year -Switzerland Bankruptcy & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Patent Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Property Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Structured Finance Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Rising Stars in Compensation - Switzerland Internet & E-Commerce Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Mediator of the Year - Switzerland Life Science Legal Team of the Year Switzerland Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland IP Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Procurement Law Firm of the Year Switzerland IT Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Collective Investments Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Administrative Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Regulatory Insurance Law Firm of the Year Switzerland Swiss Lawyer of the Year - Education & Research Sector Rising Stars in Commercial Law - Switzerland Full-Service Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Switzerland

Thailand PwC SBC International Law Blue Ocean Logistics Co., Ltd. The Dominican Republic Aaron Suero & Pedersini Conti Estrella & Tupete The Isle of Man Boston Limited Dougherty Quinn MannBenham Advocates The Netherlands BarentsKrans Brinkhof CMS Derks Star Busman De Metz Advocaten Element Consult Hogan Lovells Russell Advocaten Severijn Hulshof Van Doorne The Philippines Ocampo & Manalo PJS Law PJS Law The Seychelles Law Chambers of Francis CHANG-SAM – Corporate and Commercial Law Services The Solomon Islands Morris & Sojnocki Chartered Accountants The UAE Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants Herbert Smith Freehills KBH Kaanuun KBH Kaanuun Norton Rose Fulbright Norton Rose Fulbright Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman Salloum & Company The Rights Lawyers The Rights Lawyers Vinson & Elkins The UK 1215 Chambers 2 Hare Court 23 Essex Street 23 Essex Street 4 King’s Bench Walk Adams Whyte Adbell International Ltd - Chartered Adrian Eissa Alan Steinfeld QC AMC Economics

SME Choice Award: Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year - Syria Financial Services Advisory Firm of the Year - Syria Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Taiwan

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Tanzania Mid-Sized M&A Law Firm of the Year Tanzania

Andrew Jackson Andrew Trollope QC Apex Chambers Barker Brettell LLP Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram Barry Berlin Bell Taylor Ben Keith Beltrami & Co. Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Tax Advisory Firm of the Year - Thailand Commercial Arbitration Law Firm of the Year - Thailand Lawyers Choice Award: Logistics Company of the Year - Thailand Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - the Dominican Republic Litigation Practice of the Year - Isle of Man Mid-Sized Consumer Protection Law Firm of the Year - Dominican Republic Corporate Services Firm of the Year - Isle of Man Dispute Resolution Practice of the Year - Isle of Man Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Isle of Man

Corporate Litigation Law Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Copyright Law Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Project Finance Law Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year the Netherlands Mediation Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Structured Finance Law Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Bankruptcy & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Dutch Real Estate Law Firm of the Year Competition Law Firm of the Year - the Netherlands Aviation Law Firm of the Year - the Philippines Energy Law Firm of the Year - the Philippines Corporate Law Firm of the Year - the Philippines Wealth Management Firm of the Year Seychelles

Lawyers Choice Award: Accountancy Firm of the Year - Solomon Islands Most Established Law Firm of the Year - UAE Asset Management Legal Practice of the Year - UAE Boutique Law Firm of the Year - UAE Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - UAE Private Equity Law Firm of the Year - UAE Corporate Law Firm of the Year - UAE Securities Law Firm of the Year - UAE Cross-Jurisdictional Law Firm of the Year - UAE IP Law Firm of the Year - UAE TMT Law Firm of the Year - UAE Energy Law Firm of the Year - UAE

Construction Law Barrister of the Year - UK Healthcare Chambers of the Year - UK Financial Crime Barrister of the Year - UK Public Access Barrister of the Year - UK Motoring & Road Traffic Offences Barrister of the Year - UK Business Crime Defence Law Firm of the Year - Scotland Lawyers Choice Award: Leading Accountancy Firm - UK Anti-Money Laundering Barrister of the Year - UK International Trusts Barrister of the Year - UK Boutique Economics Consulting Firm of the Year - UK Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Yorkshire Fraud QC of the Year - UK Business Crime Defence Chambers of the Year - Wales IP Audit Co-ordinators of the Year - UK Real Estate M&A Law Firm of the Year - UK Intellectual Property Barrister of the Year - UK Regional Employment Law Firm of the Year - Chester Judicial Review Barrister of the Year - UK Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year - Scotland Infrastructure Law Firm of the Year - London

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP Bird & Bird Bird & Bird Bird and Co Solicitors Blackfriars Chambers Blake Lapthorn Blue Sky Law Bonaccord Ecosse Limited Bramhalls Bray & Krais Breeze & Wyles Solicitors LLP Brian Koffman & Co Browne Jacobson Buckles Solicitors Burnetts Burnetts Carson McDowell Carter Lemon Camerons LLP Carter Perry Bailey LLP CFS International Formations Limited Charlotte Proudman Civitas Chambers Cloch Solicitors Limited CMS Cameron McKenna ConwayMcColl Solicitors Cooper Gay Corker Binning Crown Office Chambers Cynthia McFarlane DAG Mediation David Pett Dawson Cornwell Solicitors Dearson Winyard International Decisis Limited Deloitte Dewar Hogan DWF Dyers Chambers Elborne Mitchell LLP Elkington & Fife ELROND Consulting Emma Hawksworth Environmental Law Chambers Evans Employment Law Limited Fellows and Associates Fiona Jackson Fox Fox Whitfield Franchi Law LLP Frydenson & Co Gareth Jones Gavin Irwin Geoffrey Hartwell Gibson & Co Greater London and East Anglia Mediation LLP Goodwin Malatesta Legal Costs Services Ltd Greater London and East Anglia Mediation LLP Greenaway Scott Greenwoods Solicitors Henderson Chambers Henderson Chambers Hogan Lovells Holman Fenwick Willan Howes Percival LLP Hugh Southey QC Ian Fisher Limited Jacqueline Westerman JAG Shaw Baker Javelin Group

Corporate Insurance Law Firm of the Year - UK International Arbitration Silk of the Year - UK Competition Law Firm of the Year - UK Aviation Disputes Practice of the Year - UK Excellence in Online Legal Services Most Respected Barrister of the Year - UK Sustained Excellence in Corporate Finance - UK Commercial IT Law Firm of the Year - UK Lifescience Law Firm of the Year - Scotland Workplace Discrimination Law Firm of the Year - UK Joint Ventures Legal Practice of the Year - UK Most Trusted Corporate Finance Law Firm of the Year - UK Motoring Offences Legal Practice of the Year - Manchester Property Law Firm of the Year - Nottingham Non-Profit Organisations Choice Award: Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year - UK UK Contracts Law Firm of the Year Agribusiness Law Firm of the Year - UK Public Procurement Law Firm of the Year - UK UK Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year to SMEs Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firm of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: Company Registration Agent of the Year - UK Human Rights Barrister of the Year - UK Public Law Chambers of the Year - Wales Trademark Solicitors of the Year - Scotland Most Trusted Employment Law Team of the Year - UK UK Most Trusted Solicitor to Employees Lawyers Choice Award: Insurance Broker of the Year - UK UK Most Innovative Criminal Law Firm of the Year Professional Indemnity Barrister of the Year - UK Civil Law Barrister of the Year - UK Regional Mediator of the Year - South West Tax Disputes Lawyer of the Year - UK Family Mediators of the Year - UK UK Immigration Consultancy Firm of the Year E-Commerce Specialist Legal Practice of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: Tax Adviser of the Year - UK Residential Property Disputes Law Firm of the Year - UK Corporate Banking Law Firm of the Year - UK Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Chambers of the Year - UK Commodities Law Firm of the Year - UK IP Due Diligence Practitioners of the ear - UK Regional Mediators of the Year Buckinghamshire Area Leading Female Employment Solicitor of the Year - UK Environmental Lawyers of the Year - Scotland Employment Litigators of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: IP Recruitment Firm of the Year - UK Sustained Excellence in Recovering Bribery Assets - UK UK Most Trusted Employment Lawyers to the Financial Services Sector Employment Law Boutique of the Year Manchester Wills, Trusts and Probate Lawyers of the Year - Scotland UK Most Trusted Solicitors to Charities Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year Wales Anti-Corruption Barrister of the Year - UK Consulting Engineer of the Year - UK Mediators of the Year - North East Mediators of the Year - East Anglia Most Professional Costs Lawyers of the Year - UK Workplace Mediators of the Year - UK Welsh M&A Law Firm of the Year UK Most Trusted Law Firm to the Manufacturing Sector Product Liability Barrister of the Year - UK Telecommunications Silk of the Year - UK Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - UK Port & Terminals Leading Specialist Law Firm of the Year - UK Regional Employment Law Firm of the Year East Midlands Human Rights QC of the Year - UK Rising Stars in Insurance Consulting - UK Personal Insolvency Practitioner of the Year - UK Venture Capital Investments Law Firm of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: Operational Due Diligence Provider of the Year - UK

Jerome Lynch QC JFH Law Joanna Greenberg John Grimmer John Pugh-Smith John Randall QC Jones Lowndes Dwyer LLP Just Costs Solicitors Kilburn & Strode Leeds Day Legal & General Property Ltd Legal and Legal Solicitors & Notaries Lester Morrill Levenes Employment Richard Dawson - Lincoln House Chambers Lisa Freeman Lockharts Mackintosh & Wylie Manifest Information Services Ltd Mark Entwistle Marks & Clerk Marriott Harrison Martin Kaye Maya Lester McClure Naismith LLP Mediation in Scotland Mediation in Scotland Mediation in Scotland Michael Neofytou Michael O’Sullivan Michael Ripley Mikhael Puar Minter Ellison MJ Hudson Morrisons Solicitors LLP Morton Fraser Muckle LLP Myers Lister Price Solicitors Neil Block QC Nestor Advisors Ltd New Europe Advisers Ltd. New Walk Chambers Nicholas David Jones Nicholas Worsley Nikolai Lazarev Norton Rose Fulbright Oliver Glasgow Outer Temple Chambers Overtons Costs Consultants Oxera Parker Bullen LLP Paul Jarvis Peaceful Solutions Plane Legal Pomphreys PwC Legal PwC Legal Rahman Ravelli Redeker Sellner Dahs Regency Chambers Richard Clews Richard Nelson LLP Richard Stace Employment Law Solicitors Richmond Green Chambers River Chambers Rockworth Management Partners Roderick I’Anson Banks Rollits LLP

Violet Crime Barrister of the Year - UK Legal Disciplinary Partnership of the Year - UK Complex Crime Barrister of the Year - UK Senior Clerk of the Year - UK Environmental Law Barrister of the Year - UK Barrister of the Year - UK Insolvency Team of the Year - Manchester Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year Manchester Excellence in IP Law - UK Commercial Law Firm of the Year - East Anglia Region Lawyers Choice Award: Senior Fund Manager of the Year - UK Immigration Lawyers of the Year - Scotland Motoring Offences Solicitors of the Year - UK Employment Disputes Legal Team of the Year - UK Motoring & Road Traffic Offences Barrister of the Year - Manchester Most Respected Barrister in the field of Money Laundering UK Leading Specialist Solicitors in Advising Doctors Sustained Excellence in Commercial Property - Scotland Corporate Governance Support Service Provider of the Year - UK Independent Construction Adjudicator of the Year - UK Commercial Contract Lawyers of the Year - UK Renewable Energy Law Firm of the Year - UK Commercial Litigators of the Year - Midlands Area UK Leading Junior of the Year in Administrative & Public Law Renewable Energy Law Firm of the Year Scotland Mediators of the Year - Scotland Rising Stars in Mediation - Scotland SMEs Choice Award: Mediator of the Year Scotland Business Crime Defence Barrister of the Year - UK Inheritance Tax Law Barrister of the Year - UK Tax Barrister of the Year - UK Clinical & Medical Negligence Barrister of the Year - UK Cross-Border M&A Legal Practice of the Year - UK Alternative Asset Law Firm of the Year - UK Franchise Law Firm of the Year - UK Securities Law Firm of the Year - UK UK Dealmaker of the Year - UK Land Estates/ HCA transaction Excellence in Legal Services to High Growth Businesses - UK ADR Silk of the Year - UK Risk Management Advisors of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: Corporate Finance Boutique of the Year - UK Constitutional & Administrative Legal Practitioner of the Year - UK Clinical Negligence Barrister of the Year Wales Most Respected Junior of the Year - UK Multi-Jurisdictional Disputes Specialist of the Year - UK Professional Indemnity Legal Practice of the Year - UK Criminal Junior of the Year - UK UK Professional Discipline Set of the Year UK Cost Litigators of the Year Competition Economics Consultants of the Year - UK Boutique IP Law Firm of the Year - UK Sustained Excellence in Criminal Litigation - UK Most Trusted Mediators of the Year - UK Aviation Finance Specialists of the Year - UK Social Housing Law Firm of the Year - Scotland UK Immigration Team of the Year Commercial Fraud & Business Ethics Team - UK Fraud Solicitors of the Year - UK Copyright Legal Practice of the Year - UK UK Leading Junior Counsel Motoring Offences Barrister of the Year - Leeds Confiscation Proceedings Legal Practice of the Year - UK HR Solicitors of the Year - UK Common Law Chambers of the Year - UK Discrimination Lawyers of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: Corporate Financier of the Year - UK Commitment to Mediation - UK Agricultural Property Legal Practice of the Year - UK

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SEFRIOUI LAW FIRM 72 boulevard de Courcelles, 75017 Paris, France

contact@cabinetsefrioui.com

+33 1 47 66 11 00

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Sefrioui Law Firm has been a respected Paris-based arbitration practice from its beginnings in 1969. We have acted in dozens of international commercial arbitrations and developed a very specific expertise in the fields of construction, aviation, maritime law, investments and project finance.

Winners List / Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards

Rothschild Sally Hobson SCE Solicitors Schmidt Research Partners Seabury Beaumont LLP Seraphus Shan Warnock-Smith QC Shannon Eastwood Sherbournes LLP SITA UK Limited Smith Partnership Derby Solomon Taylor & Shaw South Law Square One Law St Mary’s Family Law Chambers Stan Reiz Steer & Co Stephen Beresford Stephenson Harwood Steven Perian Stone Chambers Adam Roxborough: Sulby House Chambers Taylor & Emmet LLP TCH Law The International Dispute Resolution Centre Thomson Webb & Corfield Tim Forte TWM Solicitors LLP Guildford V I Pensions Law Limited Victoria von Wachter Vinson & Elkins Ward Hadaway Wardell Armstrong White & Black Legal LLP Oxford Winston & Strawn LLP Wirehouse Employer Services Withers & Rogers LLP The USA Amit Pollak Matalon & Co Barbara Weisman, Esq. Bass, Berry & Sims PLC Berkeley Research Group LLC Boutwell Fay Business Acquisition and Merger Associates Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC C&H Group Carey Perkins LLP Case Lombardi & Pettit Center for Dispute Resolution Chat Hamilton Yoshida & Shimomoto Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Coleman & Horowitt, LLP Coman & Anderson, P.C. Concepción Martinez & Bellido Cowan Miller & Lederman Cozen O’Connor Cross Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus Dan Tan Law Dentons DeVore & DeMarco Dhar Law, LLP Dobrowski, Larkin & Johnson Dreitler True LLC Economists Inc Edwards Wildman

Lawyers Choice Award: Corporate Governance Advisory Firm of the Year - UK Serious Crime Practitioner of the Year Midlands Niche Employment Law Firm of the Year - UK Lawyers Choice Award: UK Global Hedge Fund Consultants of the Year HR-Related Data Protection Specialists of the Year - UK Asylum and International Protection Consultancy Firm of the Year - UK Trust & Probate Disputes Barrister of the Year - UK Healthcare Regulatory Barrister of the Year - UK Rising Stars in Arbitration - UK UK In-House HR Lawyer of the Year Corporate Solicitors of the Year - Midlands Area Immigration Applications Specialist Law Firm of the Year - UK Employment Law Practice of the Year - Wales Solar Energy Legal Practice of the Year - UK Family Law Set of the Year - Outside of London Drug Related Crime Barrister of the Year - UK TMT Disputes Law Firm of the Year - UK Regional Mediator of the Year - Midlands Area Life Sciences M&A Legal Practice of the Year - UK Forensic Law Barrister of the Year - UK Road, Rail & Air Transport Set of the Year - UK Criminal Barrister of the Year - Manchester Area Unfair Dismissal Legal Practice of the Year - UK Landlord Enforcement Legal Practice of the Year - UK Dispute Resolution Support Services Team of the Year - UK Children Law Solicitors of the Year - UK Organised Crime Law Barrister of the Year - UK Advertising & Marketing Legal Team of the Year - UK Niche Pensions Law Firm of the Year - UK Employment Law Barrister of the Year - UK Energy Transactions and Projects Team of the Year - UK Construction Legal Practice of the Year - UK Global Independent Environmental Due Diligence Consultants of the Year Venture Capital Team of the Year - UK Commitment to Arbitration - UK Payroll Consultancy Firm of the Year - UK Most Respected IP Law Firm of the Year - UK

Fiala & Weaver PLLC Fish & Richardson PC Foster, Murphy, Altman & Nickel, PC Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Selz PC Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Selz PC Freund, Freeze & Arnold Frost Brown Todd Georgeadis Setley Global IP Law Group LLC Goodman Allen & Filetti, PLLC Greenberg & Lieberman, LLC Gunderson Dettmer Herzog & Carp Hickman Palermo Truong Becker Bingham Wong HKM Employment Attorneys Howarth & Smith Integreon Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, LLP Joel Levine, Esq. K & L Gates Kathy Bazoian Phelps Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton King & Greisen LLP Klenda Austerman LLC Knafo Law Offices Knobbe Martens Intellectual Property Law Ladas & Parry LLP Ladas & Parry LLP Lane & Lane, LLC Law Office of David Steinfeld Law Office of Jenny C. Lin Law Office of Michael R. Sices, PC Law Offices of David W Wiechert Lerman Senter Les Weinstein ADR Services Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC Levin & Perconti

Contract Law Firm of the Year - USA ADR Practitioner of the Year - New Jersey Healthcare Regulatory Practice of the Year - USA Lawyers Choice Award: Expert Services & Consulting Firm of the Year - USA Retirement & Compensation Plans Practitioner of the Year - USA M&A Advisers of the Year - North Carolina Product Liability Law Firm of the Year - USA Lawyers Choice Award: Management Teams Advisory Firm of the Year - USA Insurance Defense Law Firm of the Year Idaho Commercial Litigators of the Year - Hawaii Public Policy Disputes Practitioners of the Year - USA Insurance Regulatory Law Firm of the Year - USA Structured Finance Legal Practice of the Year - USA Banking Litigates of the Year - USA Middle Market M&A Law Firm of the Year Illinois Complex Business Litigators of the Year - USA Corporate Immigration Law Firm of the Year – Seattle Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year - USA Labour Law Firm of the Year - Arkansas Rising Stars in Arbitration - USA Insurance Litigation Legal Practice of the Year - USA Information Privacy & Security Law Firm of the Year - USA Non-Profit Formation Law Firm of the Year - USA Commercial Litigators of the Year - Texas Competition Boutique Law Firm of the Year - USA Economic Consulting Firm of the Year - USA Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firm of the Year - Florida

Leydig Voit & Mayer Lincoln International Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis, Ltd. Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting P.C. MacDonald Law Group, LLC Manning & Kass, Ellrod Ramirez, Trestor LLP Margaret W. Wong & Associates Company, LPA Marks Paneth & Shron Mary Schultz Law, P.S. Maslyn Law McCall Parkhurst & Horton McKool Smith, P.C. Melinda G. Jayson, P.C. Metier Law Firm, LLC Mintz Levin Moses, Palmer & Howell, L.L.P. Navigant Neal R Sonnett PA Norris McLaughlin & Marcus Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P. Otterbourg P.C. Otterbourg P.C. Paragon Ventures Parr Byerly Peters Advisors Phillips Akers Womac

Patent Practitioners of the Year - USA New York Patent Litigators of the Year International Trade Law Firm of the Year Washington, D.C. IP Law Firm of the Year - New York New York Media Lawyers of the Year Appellate Law Firm of the Year - USA Municipal Finance Law Firm of the Year Kentucky Government Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Sustained Excellence in IP Law - USA Defense Medical Malpractice Lawyers of the Year - USA Technology Legal Practice of the Year - USA Leading Law Firm to Emerging Growth Companies - USA Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Texas IP Law Firm of the Year - California Employee Benefits Legal Practice of the Year - USA Professional Malpractice Legal Practice of the Year - USA Outsourcing Specialists of the Year - USA Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year - New York Mediator of the Year - Florida Anti-Corruption Legal Practice of the Year - USA Fraud Litigators of the Year - California Hedge Fund Legal Practice of the Year - USA Complex Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year - USA Civil Rights Law Firm of the Year - USA Aviation Law Firm of the Year - Kansas Rising Stars in Personal Injury Law Pennsylvania IP Law Firm of they ear - Washington State Trademark Prosecution Legal Practice of the Year - New York Trademark Law Firm of the Year - New York Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year - Illinois Real Estate Litigation Law Firm of the Year Florida IRS Legal Practitioner of the Year - California Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year - Texas Business Crime Defense Legal Practice of the Year - California Telecommunications Litigators of the Year - USA ADR Services Law Firm of the Year - Los Angeles Private Equity Fund Legal Practice of the Year - USA Medical Malpractice Lawyers of the Year Chicago Trade Dress Legal Practice of the Year - USA Lawyers Choice Award: Financial Advisory Firm of the Year - USA Premises Liability Legal Practice of the Year - USA Administrative Law Firm of the Year - Michigan Insurance Defense Litigation Law Firm of the Year - USA Rising Stars in Mediation - California US Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Ohio Sustained Excellence for Services to High-networth Individuals - USA Labor & Employment Law Firm of the Year Washington US Franchise Law Firm of the Year Public Finance Law Firm of the Year - USA Energy Law Firm of the Year - USA Health Care Arbitration Legal Practice of the Year - Texas Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year Colorado Environmental Law Firm of the Year - USA Civil Trial Law Firm of the Year - USA Lawyers Choice Award: Dispute Consulting & Business Advisory Consulting Firm of the Year - USA Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year - Florida Executive Compensation Legal Practice of the Year - USA Chemical Patent Prosecution Law Firm of the Year - USA Financial Services Law Firm of the Year - New York Restructuring and Bankruptcy Law Firm of the Year - New York Lawyers Choice Award: Healthcare M&A Advisory Firm of the Year - USA Estate Planning Practitioners of the Year - USA Lawyers Choice Award: Leading Transfer Pricing Advisers of the Year - USA Retailer Liability Law Firm of the Year - USA

69

Acquisition International / 2013 Legal Awards / Winners List

Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP Potter Anderson & Corroon Pricewaterhouse­Coopers Pro-Link GLOBAL Proskauer Proskauer Proskauer Pullman & Comley LLC Radlo IP Law Group Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP Roberts & Holland Robinson & Associates Roger Williams Rose Law Firm ROTHWELL, FIGG, ERNST & MANBECK, P.C. Rynearson Suess Schnurbusch & Champion Sadis & Goldberg LLP Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke LLP Savitz Law Offices, P.C. Shafer Glazer, LLP Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA Sherman & Howard LLC Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP Smith Anderson Blount Dorsett Mitchell & Jernigan Stewart Bernstiel Rebar Stites & Harbison Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt The Law Offices of Dayna Kelly

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TraskBritt Trucker Huss UHY Advisors FLVS Inc. URS Vedder Price Vedder Price Venable Venable LLP Vinson & Elkins Walters, Balido & Crain LLP Wiggin and Dana LLP Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP Ziffren Brittenham Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

Environmental Law Firm of the Year - Indiana Insurance Recovery Litigation Law Firm of the Year- USA Lawyers Choice Award: Tax Dispute Resolution Advisor of the Year - USA Sustained Excellence in Corporate Immigration - USA Gaming Law Firm of the Year - USA Securities Regulatory Law Firm of the Year - USA Employment Arbitration Legal Practice of the Year - USA Energy Procurement and Use Team of the Year - USA Patent Litigation Law Firm of the Year California Anti-Money Laundering Legal Practice of the Year - USA Rising Stars in Inbound U.S. Investments Capital Formation Law Firm of the Year - USA Workplace Disputes Independent Arbitrator of the Year - Alabama Multi-district Litigation Practice of the Year - USA Pharmaceutical IP Law Firm of the Year - USA Commitment to Commercial Litigation - Illinois Financial Services Industry Law Firm of the Year - New York Immigration Law Firm of the Year - New York Immigration Law Firm of the Year - Boston Appellate Law Firm of the Year - New York Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year - the USA Renewable Energy Legal Team of the Year - USA Law Firm of the Year - Ohio Corporate Governance Law Firm of the Year North Carolina Social Services Legal Practice of the Year USA Law Firm of the Year - Kentucky Sustained Excellence in Infrastructure Law - USA Private Funds Law Firm of the Year - USA Corporate Immigration Legal Practice of the Year - North Carolina IP Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Utah ERISA Litigation Law Firm of the Year - USA Digital Forensics Practice of the Year - USA Lawyers Choice Award: Environmental Consultants of the Year - USA Land Use Legal Practice of the Year - Illinois Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - USA Public-Private Partnerships Legal Practice of the Year - USA Sustained Excellence Technology and Outsourcing - USA Energy Law Firm of the Year - Texas Transportation Litigation Law Firm of the Year - USA Biotechnology Legal Practice of the Year - USA Antitrust Litigation Legal Practice of the Year Washington, D.C. Antitrust Litigation Law Firm of the Year California Preeminent Entertainment Law Firm of the Year - USA Criminal Law Firm of the Year - USA

Tonga Fungateiki Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year - Tongo

Tunisia Cabinet Maître Donia Hedda Ellouze Jurismed

Pharmaceutical Law Firm of the Year - Tunisia Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Tunisia

Turkey AKUGUR LAW AKUGURLAW Arikan Law Firm BEZEN & PARTNERS Birsel Law Offices - Istanbul Deniz Law Office Davutoglu Attorneys At Law ELIG Gen & Temizer | Özer Group Law Firm Gokce Attorney Partnership Guden Law Firm Gunduz Ozkan Istanbul Patent & Trademark Consultancy Ltd.

Sustained Excellence in Turkish Real Estate Law Mid-Sized M&A Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Overall M&A Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Antitrust & Competition Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Full Service Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Trademark Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Full Service Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Competition Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Corporate Litigation Law Firm of the Year Turkey Mid-Sized Internet/E-Commerce Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Foreign Direct Investment Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Domain Name Disputes Law Firm of the Year - Turkey

Koray Ayvali Law Office Mutlugil Law Firm Orbis Vista Intellectual Property & Law Group Paksoy Pekin & Bayar Uganda Fides Legal Advocates Isabirye & Co. Advocates Kusaasira & Co Advocates Rukidi-Mpuuga Law chambers Ukraine Asters Asters Asters Avellum Partners Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners EnGarde Attorneys at Law Grischenko & Partners Mikhailyuk Sorokolat & Partners Schoenherr Ukraine LLC Uruguay Arcia Storace Fuentes Medina Abogados Litwak & Partners Vietnam Phuoc & Partners LLP.

Commitment to Turkish Law Domestic Law Firm of the Year - Turkey Commitment to IP Law in Turkey Sustained Excellence in Corporate Law Turkey Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Turkey Company Formations Law Firm of the Year - Uganda Legal Team of the Year - Uganda Leading Law Firm of the Year - Uganda Most Trusted Chambers of the Year - Uganda

Tax Law Firm of the Year - Ukraine Merger Control Legal Practice of the Year Ukraine Antitrust Law Firm of the Year - Ukraine Overall Law Firm of the Year - Ukraine Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year - CIS Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Ukraine Patent Law Firm of the Year - Ukraine Patent Litigation Law Firm of the Year Ukraine Competition/Antitrust Law Firm of the Year Ukraine Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Uruguay Private Funds Law Firm of the Year - Uruguay

VILAF

Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year Vietnam Real Estate Law Firm of the Year - Vietnam Legal and Tax Advisory Firm of the Year Vietnam Most Innovative Law Firm of the Year Vietnam Overall Law Firm of the Year - Vietnam Most Established Business Law Firm of the Year - Vietnam M&A Law Firm of the Year - Vietnam

Yemen Sahra Petroleum Consulting

Consultants of the Year - Yemen

Zambia Musa Mwenye Advocates

Overall Law Firm of the Year - Zambia

Phuoc & Partners LLP. PricewaterhouseCoopers VCI Legal VCI Legal Vietnam International Law Firm

Zimbabwe Honey & Blanckenberg Law Society of Zimbabwe Manokore Attorneys – The Corporate Counsel Mawere & Sibanda Legal Practitioners Nyakutombwa | Mugabe Legal Counsel Wintertons Legal Practitioners

Patents Law Firm of the Year - Zimbabwe Lawyers Choice Award: Support Services to Lawyers - Zimbabwe Commercial Law Firm of the Year - Zimbabwe Administrative Law Firm of the Year Zimbabwe Foreign Investment Law Firm of the Year Zimbabwe M&A Legal Practice of the Year - Zimbabwe

A law firm for lifescience and other innovative businesses Helping Life Science Businesses Make The Most Of Their New Ideas Bonaccord is an award winning law firm specialising in the life sciences.

We help innovative businesses maximise the commercial value of their technologies.

The life sciences sector is highly specialised with unique challenges.

Our insightful support and understanding of the industry, based on many years’ experience, aims both to protect your interests and support you in seeing your idea to market.

This applies whatever stage your business has reached – whether you’re a one-man consultancy needing advice on setting up, or a huge multinational searching for experts to deliver specialist legal advice.

Our clients include companies in the following sectors: l Pharmaceuticals l Genetics l Biochemistry l Biotechnology l Bioengineering l medical devices l Cosmetics l Infomatics l Engineering l Innovative foods l Heritage and traditional foods Bonaccord is based in Edinburgh, and works with clients all over the UK as well as globally. Our services also include training in legal business skills, carrying out commercial mediation and acting as a notary public in Scotland.

Bonaccord was founded by life sciences lawyer Patricia Barclay.

+44 131 202 6527 enquiries@bonaccord.eu

www.bonaccord.eu