Annual Awards 2017 by Productive Media

LAWYERS WORLDWIDE AWARDS MAGAZINE

ANNUAL AWARDS

TO ADVERTISE HERE PLEASE CONTACT : CONATACT@ LAWYERSWORLDWIDEAWARDS.CO.UK

Lawyers Worldwide Awards Magazine Annual Awards 2017 Lawyers Worldwide Awards is recognised all over the world for our comprehensive awards programs we run, taking votes from countries all over the world to recognise the most prestigious professionals in their specialised areas of practice. The 2017 Awards recognises a select number of leading professional firms around the world working both nationally and internationally in their field of expertise. Lawyers Worldwide Awards selects the best professional & financial institutions from around the world and showcases there work ethic and skills within their area of expertise. The Awards Magazine is aimed at not just the large corporations but the smaller companies of the advisory business sector. Lawyers Worldwide Awards is currently being read by Lawyers, Advisers, Consultants and corporate executives. We aim to showcase every company individually and to its full potential.

DRAGONFLY: 300 MILLION YEARS OLD

T-REX: EXTINCT

Nature knows size and survival are independent. Demotech, Inc. has proven that to the insurance industry.

Regional and Specialty insurers are often mistakenly thought of as financially unstable due to their size.

Financial Stability Ratings® offer the following benefits:

Financial Stability Ratings® look beyond the size of an insurer and evaluate solvency using a quantitative model based on insurance fundamentals.

• Acceptance by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD

Innovative thinking, strategic analysis, commitment, insight and on-going involvement with the insurance industry allow us to provide solutions as unique as your company.

• Eliminate Reinsurance Cut-Throughs • Access to Stand-Alone Umbrella Insurance • Premium Financing Available • Errors and Omissions Insolvency Gap Coverage Available • Much more!

Contact us today to learn how Demotech and Financial Stability Ratings® can help insurers level the playing field. Call 800-354-7207 or visit www.Demotech.com/FSRBenefits

Lawyers Worldwide Awards Magazine Annual Awards 2017 Index Afschrift Tax Law Firm of the Year – Sitzerland Basilio Advogados Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year – Brazil Deep & Far Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year – Taiwan Demotech Inc Financial Analysis Firm of the Year – USA Harbottle & Lewis LLP International Tax Law Firm of the Year KPMG Tax Advisory Firm of the Year – Spain Law firm Simeonov & Dermendjiev Arbitration Leading Lawyer – Bulgaria Mackrell Turner Garrett Full Service Law Firm of the Year - UK McKennon Law Group Insurance Litigation Law Firm of the Year – USA Rogerson Law Group Asset Protection Law Firm of the Year – Canada Sadis & Goldberg Law Firm of the Year – USA Tax Expert International AG Tax Lawyer of the Year

Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year – Taiwan Deep & Far attorneys-at-law was founded in 1992 and is dealing with all phases of laws with a focus 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, counselling, litigation and/or transaction thereof. Yu-Li Tsai: Partner & Patent Attorney Practice area/industry focus: Intellectual Property, Unfair Competition, Litigation Career highlights: Mr Tsai is a patent attorney who holds a degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Master’s degree from the Graduate Institute of Communication Engineering, both awarded from the National Taiwan University. His practice covers patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, unfair competition, licensing and litigation. Mr Tsai also studied and gained a Master’s degree from the Law School, University of New Hampshire, also known as Franklin Pierce Centre for Intellectual Property. Upon graduation, he worked for InterDigital, Inc. in Delaware for a short period and later studied and passed the US Patent Registration Examination. The patent attorneys and patent engineers in Deep & Far normally hold outstanding and advanced degrees and are generally graduated from the top five universities in this country. Our prominent staffs are dedicated to provide the best quality service in IPRs in this country. 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 has ever used services of this firm. Furthermore, Hi-Tech companies in the science-based industrial park located at Hsin Chu had ever played the most important role in booming the economy of this country. About one half of them has 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. Certainly, we must also represent international giants, e.g. InterDigital, MPS, Schott Glas, Toyo Ink, Motorola, Armani… It is our philosophy to provide competent legal services that other firm cannot comparably provide. The necessitated ensuing problem is how we can so provide? Deep & Far so achieve by selecting, edifying and nurturing peoples who have the following personalities: learned in expertise, morally earnest and sincerely behaved in mind and strictly disciplined between give and take. It is well-believed that such properties are key factors for peoples to properly and competently behave themselves. Deep & Far (D&F) is willing to take challenges to prove that it is the best IP firm, and to verify its supreme competence by e.g.: 1) Sending to D&F a pending or granted patent for its comments about how it can improve the claims;

2) Sending to D&F a pending patent specification without the claims for it to draft the claims for comparison with the original claims; or 3) Sending to D&F and the firm the client is currently using at the same time an initial disclosure so that the client can compare and find out where better claims are. Deep & Far assures the clients that no competitors can escape from the patent rights D&F safeguards for the clients at reasonable service fees. Because the tough economic downturn we are encountering in Taiwan, we are also encountering severe price competition. This situation also leads to that there are too many poor quality patents being granted because most enterprises do not have proper knowledge of the importance of patents. For example, they might only want to spend lower cost to file a patent application without considering the quality, or could not be alerted timely that narrow claims can protect their products of the current version only although there are reduced fees in responding to office actions. Therefore, the patent agents or firms of the enterprises sometimes cannot help but sacrificing the quality to keep profits under the limited budgets of the clients. Under such social environment, it is very hard to anticipate that the clients have strong patents, or the patent firms or attorneys can nurture the ability of drafting wonderful scope of the claims. Accordingly, it will not be surprised to find that there are some patent firms which cannot provide competent services but offer extreme low price to attract clients only caring about the price of filing a patent. This does also explain that there are poor quality patents being granted We persist in providing quality service rather than participating into the price war because we believe the Client will finally find the quality is the most important thing for intellectual property. If you sacrifice the quality and surrender to the price, you actually get negative return because .a poor quality IP is valueless. We did suffer a little last year in view of the reduced local generated works, but we see the situation began to change this year. This firm is used to focusing on IPR, and takes deliberate steps to practice in all fields of law. In recent year, we make progress in either general civil law, business law or criminal law fields. Contact Details 13th Fl., 27 Sec. 3, Chung San N. Rd., Taipei 104, Taiwan, R.O.C. ': 886-2-25856688 7: 886-2-25989900/25978989 Email: email@deepnfar.com.tw www.deepnfar.com.tw

International Employment Law Firm of the Year – Global Seyfarth Shaw LLP is an 800+ lawyer firm with global reach and unparalleled capabilities in international employment law. The firm’s team of specialist international employment lawyers is the largest of its type globally, and its practice is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading practices in the area. All the partners in the international practice are internationally-trained, and each has assisted many of the world’s largest companies with numerous complex and high-profile global employment-related strategic, compliance and transactional projects across a wide range of industries. The team has experience across more than 170 countries, often working on projects covering up to 150 countries at one time. The experience and credentials of Seyfarth’s international practice have led to its reputation as a global leader in the practice of international employment law and have positioned the team as ‘go to’ advisors for large multinational companies requiring strategic employment advice covering their global operations. Key areas of experience and expertise include: •

Structuring and implementing employment related strategic initiatives on a multijurisdictional basis

•

Workplace policies and handbooks

•

Terminations – individual and large scale reductions in force

•

Workplace harassment, anti-discrimination and equal opportunity law matters

•

Protection of employers' proprietary and confidential information

•

Multi-jurisdictional privacy/data protection and employment law compliance issues

•

Employment and contingent workforce arrangements and documentation

•

Employment and labour issues arising from international mergers and acquisitions

•

International outsourcing arrangements

•

International workplace investigations

Seyfarth’s international employment team is located in key global locations and provides a true cross-border expertise. Its unique service model has been developed over a number of years and is very well tested by many of the world’s largest companies. The team’s success is the result of a constant, unrelenting focus on the needs of its clients and a commitment to excellence using the strength of an integrated team-based approach to deliver international employment law services in a creative, innovative and commercial way. Contact Details Key Contact: Darren Gardner – Chairman, International Practice Firm: Seyfarth Shaw LLP Email: dgardner@seyfarth.com Tel: +1 (415) 544-1018 Website: www.seyfarth.com

Full Service Law Firm of the Year – UK Mackrell Turner Garrett is an award-winning, full service London law firm, with a truly global reach. Headquartered in central London with an additional office in Surrey, we have been providing high quality legal advice and services since 1845. As a firm, we are here to make your life easier. Providing clear, practical solutions through an otherwise complex web of legal jargon, our ability to make legal advice accessible has resulted in us maintaining an impressively high retention rate amongst our clients. Despite significant growth in recent years we remain personal enough to provide the tailored service clients look for and every case is supervised by one of our Partners, working closely with our team at all levels throughout. We are also large enough to offer comprehensive and practical expertise so our clients are able to use our firm to deal with all of their legal needs, no matter what the scale or complexity may be. Being a full service firm also allows us to easily refer work between departments– avoiding outsourcing of parts of a client’s legal requirements saves the client both time and money; something we are able to provide both domestically and internationally through our international association Mackrell International. We are founders of Mackrell International, a world leading global network of approximately 5000 lawyers across 60 countries, enabling us to offer the added value of immediate international legal advice and assistance in any jurisdiction worldwide. We are a worldwide web of lawyers, with local knowledge. Our expertise is also widely recognised within our profession, in the UK and further afield. In 2015, we were named Litigation Law Firm of the Year and Dispute Resolution Firm of the Year, and in 2016, Full Service Law Firm of the Year and Arbitration Law Firm of the Year Mackrell Turner Garrett – an innovative, traditional, local and truly global firm, in one. Nigel is the Managing Partner and Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution in the London office of Mackrell Turner Garrett. He is experienced in complex litigation matters, and various forms of dispute resolution. Clients include in the banking and hedge fund sector [Indus Capital LLP, KBC Bank NV]; Information Technology and Management [AFD Software, Blue Cube Group]; Property [William Pears Group]; Motor [JLC Ltd (Jaguar Land Rover), Imperial Carriages Limited];

Publishing [Financial-I, Grapo AS]; Restaurant & Entertainment [Sketch, Wainscott Studios]; Architecture & Design [Space Projects Ltd]. A brief look at his experience of acting in the last year including cases with potential injunctions includes:Acting for a US hedge fund against a UK bank in a claim for in excess of $10m claiming misrepresentation Acting for a UK based software company in a claim for £15m against a UK infringer claiming commercial infringement Acting for a US film producer in a claim against a UK media company claiming commercial infringement of rights Acting for a US high net worth individual in a claim against a UK architect designer claiming substantial over invoicing Acting for a SA company in a £12m claim against a Canadian conglomerate – share dispute Acting for a UK motor trader in a £1m+ claim against a UK individual – breach of guarantee Acting for a UK company director in defending a claim against an Iranian state owned business – alleged misallocation of payments Acting for a Middle Eastern Royal in defending a £20m+ claim made by a UK bank – alleged bank guarantee default. Nigel has considerable experience in defending FCA prosecutions, and HMRC Appeals. He is an International committee member for EMEA on Mackrell International, the independent network of 80+ law firms around the world and Chairman of the Membership Committee for Mackrell International. As a result of the firms membership of Mackrell International, Nigel is very experienced in cross-border disputes, and multi jurisdictional litigation. Nigel studied at Caterham School, City of London University before training at Mackrell & Co who he joined in 1988. He was made partner at Mackrell Turner Garrett in 1991. In 2012 Nigel was named England and Wales Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year as well as being appointed Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, Member of the Diversity Law Institute and Member of the Trial Law Institute. Contact Details: Tel: 00 44 (0) 207 240 0521 Fax: 00 44 (0) 207 240 9457 Email: nigel.rowley@mackrell.com

Tax Law Firm of the Year – Switzerland The Afschrift Law Firm is more than just an association of tax lawyers. All our members share the same vision of our profession and support the same commitment to advise and defend taxpayers, be they individuals or businesses, both in Belgium and abroad. Created in 1994 by Thierry Afschrift, this law firm brings together lawyers with extensive knowledge in every field of tax law in the widest sense of the term. All our lawyers share the same values values. They fully understand the importance of adopting a global vision in every situation, in response to queries from our clients on the management of their professional businesses or their private assets. They also know that the success of their interventions depends upon speed, efficiency and confidentiality. Aware of the increasing internationalisation of our clients’ private and professional activities and of the complex nature of their taxation matters, we have opened offices at Antwerp, Madrid, Geneva, Luxembourg, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. Clients who would like face-to-face meetings with our lawyers, may make appointments in any of these offices. Our services: Lawyers in the Afschrift Law Firm advise, in equal measure, private individuals, companies and legal entities on every aspect of their business. When it comes to taxation questions, these days it is vital to be versatile. The vast majority of business transactions carried out by taxpayers, whatever their nature and legal status, have some sort of tax implications. Our lawyers stand ready to provide assistance, from planning to the execution of these transactions, and to defend your interests when confronted by tax authorities, both in Belgium and abroad. To find out more, please click on the links below to see in detail the whole range of our services: •private individuals •international •Islamic finance •companies and legal entities Contact Details: Avenue Louise, 208 1050 BRUSSELS BELGIUM T +32 2 646 46 36 F +32 2 644 38 00

Denn

CE N

XCELL IP E E Yea rs

â&#x20AC;˘ The IP Gr

55 years of Dennemeyer Come get your special birthday offer! Client-oriented Self-funded Owner-managed Global For our 55 th birthday, we want to celebrate with you who have made us what we are today: the world's most comprehensive IP full-service provider! For this we want to thank you. Choose a service you have not experienced yet and we will make you a special offer.

Let us make you an offer: go.dennemeyer.com/55-years-of-dennemeyer

Insurance Litigation Law Firm of the Year – USA McKennon Law Group PC represents a full range of individuals, professionals, and businesses in all types of insurance coverage, including bad faith litigation, disability insurance, life insurance, health insurance, ERISA/employee benefits, long-term care insurance, property & casualty insurance, professional liability insurance, insurance agent & broker liability, unfair competition and business litigation matters. We primarily specialize in disability insurance; life insurance and ERISA litigation matters and we have been doing so for over 30 years. Our law firm is committed to the highest level of client service while maintaining the highest standards of legal excellence and professional ethics. Our litigation practice is thoughtful, experienced, and integrated with each client’s needs, budgets, and goals. We pride ourselves on our impeccable reputation for work product and professional and client relationships along with our intelligent, innovative and practical approach to the practice of law. McKennon Law Group’s attorneys have attended the top law schools in the country and bring a strong sense of pride and quality work ethic to everything they do. McKennon Law Group’s attorneys have big firm experience because they previously practiced at some of California’s finest law firms. Therefore, they combine a rare mix of big firm expertise and legal quality with small firm attention to your case. We are also able to provide our clients with a level of trial experience rarely found in firms of our size. McKennon Law Group PC and its attorneys have also received many prestigious awards and recognitions. Our law firm specializes in arbitrations, trials and appeals on all lines of ERISA/Employee, insurance—life, health, disability, property/casualty, commercial general liability, professional liability, officers and directors liability, employment practices liability, and homeowners and business owners property and liability— successfully resolving both coverage and bad faith claims on behalf of our clients. We represent our clients’ interests in all state and federal courts in California and in federal courts nationwide. We have been involved with recovering multi-million dollar judgments, arbitration awards, and settlements for our clients. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing insurance companies and policyholders in life, health, disability and ERISA litigation, and in general liability, environmental, marine, and property/casualty litigation. We have been involved with recovering several multi-million dollar judgments, arbitration awards, and settlements for our clients. Although we primarily litigate in California, we take cases nationally and we have extensive experience litigating cases in other states, especially in the western United States, including Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada. Most of our consumer litigation cases, and many of our business litigation cases, are taken on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing and we recover nothing unless you win your case by way of settlement or verdict. We welcome referrals from the legal community, and honour referral fee commitments in keeping with the rules of professional conduct. Robert J. McKennon is a founding shareholder of McKennon Law Group PC. He represents individuals and small-to-large corporations in sophisticated litigation matters in state and federal court. He has recovered millions of dollars for our clients from such insurance companies as: Unum, Prudential, Lincoln National, Standard Life, Sun Life, Met Life, Hartford Life, Mass Mutual, Paul Revere, Provident, Trustmark and Aetna for all types of insurance claims, including:

•

Disability Insurance

•

Life Insurance

•

ERISA

•

Health Insurance

•

Long-Term Care

•

Property & Casualty

Mr. McKennon is admitted to all federal and state courts in California, and regularly handles litigation matters in federal courts in the Western United States. He is a nationally recognized expert in insurance litigation matters and has tried, litigated, and resolved hundreds of insurance litigation matters, including ERISA/employee benefit, life, health and long-term disability and short-term disability insurance, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, unfair trade practices, and insurance agent/broker litigation. Mr. McKennon has also handled numerous business litigation cases in the areas of general business and contract disputes and unfair competition. Mr. McKennon frequently serves as a guest speaker at local and national conferences concerning life, health, long-term disability, short-term disability and ERISA issues, and has chaired numerous national conferences on these topics. Mr. McKennon formerly represented numerous insurance companies in first-party insurance lawsuits involving life, health and short-term and long-term disability insurance disputes, insurance bad faith and punitive damages for over twenty-four years. He now represents insureds, claimants, businesses and other consumers who believe that their insurance companies have improperly denied their claims for insurance benefits. Mr. McKennon was the founder and editor of the Life, Health & Disability Insurance Law Blog at lifehealthdisabilityinsurancelaw.com while he was a partner at Barger & Wolen LLP. He is currently the editor of the California Insurance Litigation Blog at californiainsurancelitigation.com. He is also a regular contributing author of insurance articles in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the most read and respected legal journal in California. The nationally respected Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and the nationwide Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers has awarded Mr. McKennon their highest possible rating, “AV.” This assessment is based on confidential recommendations received exclusively from lawyers and judges. The rating highlights an attorney’s competence, ethical conduct, professional ability, diligence and overall performance. Mr. McKennon has been also awarded AVVO’s rating of “Superb,” 10.0 out of a possible 10.0, which also highlights an attorney’s competence, ethical conduct, professional ability, diligence and overall performance. Mr. McKennon has also been recognized as a 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Southern California “Super Lawyer,” which recognizes him as one of California’s top attorneys in ERISA and insurance coverage matters. Mr. McKennon was recently profiled in Forbes, American Lawyer, Coast magazine, Los Angeles Times, Corporate Counsel, and National Law Journal as a top Southern California insurance and business litigation attorney. Mr. McKennon was named as one of Orange County Register Metro’s Top Southern California Attorneys for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Mr. McKennon was also named as a Corporate Livewire’s Global Awards for several years as Newport Beach, Orange County, California “Insurance & Reinsurance” Lawyer of the Year. The American Society of Legal Advocates has recognized him as one of the top 100 Insurance lawyers in the State of California for several years. Aggressive Advocacy Unlike many firms that are interested in doing as little work as possible because they know they will settle all cases, we aggressively litigate our cases, and we are not afraid to take our cases to trial. Our attorneys have extensive trial experience, and our strong reputation for excellence in trial advocacy will inure to your benefit when settlement discussions occur. This will maximize your settlement potential.

Integrity We place a very high value on integrity and fidelity to our clients’ interests. You will get an honest assessment of your case during all phases of the pre-litigation and litigation process. You can expect a full and honest accounting of expenses relating to your case, including outlays for court costs, preparation of exhibits, hiring expert witnesses, obtaining medical records and depositions. Excellence Our attorneys are graduates of the top law schools in the country and previously have practiced law at large firms where we honed our litigation skills. We take pride in the quality of law that we practice. We engage in the necessary investigation and preparation of your case to ensure we achieve the best possible results for our clients. This preparation will include thorough investigation of facts and documentation, appropriate legal research, development of appropriate courtroom exhibits, hiring of experts, engaging in necessary discovery and more. Trust We pride ourselves on the relationships we have built with our clients. Our practice has been built on the confidence our clients have placed in us. When we commit ourselves to your case, you can count on the fact that you will receive the best representation available. We maintain regular and appropriate communication with you throughout your case and treat you as a vital and necessary team member as we litigate your case. As a result, we are proud of the referrals we receive from our clients, other attorneys and professionals. Personal Attention Rather than create a high-volume law practice, we limit the cases we accept to provide you with the personal attention you need and deserve. You will not be passed off to case managers or intake personnel, a common practice in many firms. We are committed to the highest level of client service and we are committed to ensuring you are satisfied with our level of service to you and the results we receive on your behalf. As your case progresses, you will be apprised of developments and important events as they occur Experience There are few firms anywhere that have more experience in handling insurance coverage, ERISA and insurance bad faith litigation than our firm, and we bring that experience to bear in every case we litigate. For nearly 30 years, we have successfully arbitrated and litigated insurance, business and employment litigation cases. Mr. McKennon is an accomplished trial attorney and is a nationally recognized expert in disability insurance, life insurance and ERISA/employee benefits litigation. He has chaired, and been a frequent speaker at, numerous local and national conferences on the subjects of disability insurance, insurance coverage, and life insurance and ERISA/employee benefits litigation. He has also authored numerous articles and book chapters on the subjects of disability insurance, insurance coverage, and life insurance and ERISA/employee benefits litigation. Mr. McKennon has received the highest possible rating for legal ethics and legal abilities. He is AV® Peer Review Rated and has received the highest AVVO rating of “Superb.” Mr. McKennon was recognized as a 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Southern California Super Lawyer, a recognition given to fewer than 5% of attorneys in the country. As indicated in his attorney profile section of this website, Mr. McKennon has been recently profiled in several magazines and other articles, and has received several recognitions and awards as a top California insurance coverage, ERISA and business litigation attorney. Contact Details: Robert J McKennon Address: 20321 SW Birch St., Suite 200, Newport Beach, California 92660 Tel. (949) 387-9595 Fax: (949) 385-5165 Email: rm@mckennonlawgroup.com Web: www.mckennonlawgroup.com Blog: www.californiainsurancelitigation.com

Accounting Firm of the Year – Mexico KSI México is a global network, member of KS International, an association of independent accountancy firms with over 100 offices; we operate in some 50 countries around the world to deal with your international business need. KSI México offers a personal service, focused on the growth and success of our clients. We outstand for the quality of our services, offering a complete solution for each client. We provide a wide range of business service to companies in a variety of industries. The firm specializes in corporate finance advice, accounting, tax planning, consultation, and auditing services. We belong to the PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board), as a corporation to oversee the audits of public companies in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate and independent audit reports. Our commitment is to help your business succeed by keeping up-to-date with your affairs and offering a high standard of both commercial and supportive advice. The Key to our approach is to build a close relationship between partner and client. Qualities you will find in a KSI México firm include: A real understanding of your business. The partners are in tune with your needs and aspirations. Regular attention and support from accessible partners. Commercial realism in the advice you receive. Technically reliable responses to your enquiries. Additionally, KSI México firm attach great importance to recruiting and training quality staff.

Max Blitt QC Child Abduction Lawyer of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Canada Max Blitt, Q.C. has personally been involved in assisting clients and legal counsel to recover children that have been abducted by parents and relatives to other Provinces in Canada, the United States, Poland, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, Australia, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Jordan, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Turkey, and Nigeria. Professional Experience: 1974-1975 Wolfman & Company. Articling Position Practiced Criminal Court of Appeal), Civil Law, Family Law, Wills and Estates.

Law (Provincial, Supreme Court, and

1975-1985 Karasick, Blitt and Company, Partner Set up firm and expanded to four lawyers. Practiced in above areas of law, with greater emphasis on family law and real estate. 1985-1989 Blitt, Lirenman and Company. Senior Associate. Practiced heavily in family law area and real estate. 1989-Present Spier Harben (formerly Spier Prasow and Blitt merged with Harben Aaron & Rynd). Practiced civil litigation (emphasis on family law, personal injury and general), real estate, wills and estates. 2013 Appointed Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel Contribution to the community: Child Find Canada - Volunteer Director, 1995-1997 Child Find Alberta - President, 1993-1995 Child Find Alberta - Past President, 1995-1997 Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter -Board Member Canadian Cancer Society - Volunteer Calgary Zoo, Trustee, 1999-2008 Calgary Zoo Foundation, Past-Chairman Calgary Legal Guidance - Lawyer Volunteer Contribution to legal profession: Appointed to Legal Aid Appeals Committee 2014;

Current Volunteer Calgary Legal Guidance; Past Volunteer University of Calgary Student Legal Services; Court Appointed Dispute Resolution Officer 2006 to Present; Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (Bar Admission Course) 2008-Present -Negotiations Assessment and Advocacy Instructor ASSIST Volunteer 2012 to Present February 2016 Volunteer Judge for University of Calgary Law Students Mock Civil Trial at Court of Queen’s Bench, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Contribution to legal scholarship through teaching or research: Speaker, Child Find Alberta 1989 Conference, Legal Aspects of Child Abduction. Panellist, CFCN TV Re: Child Abductions. Canadian Bar Association, Mid-Winter Meeting Organizing Committee - Legal Aspects of Child Abduction. November 12, 2000 Member of Canadian Delegation Second International Forum on Parental Child Abduction (Hague Convention Cases), Washington, D.C. October/November 2003 Article contained in Law Now, University of Alberta, International Child Abductions. December 2003 Speaker, AMECO (Association of Missing and Exploited Children's Organization) Case Manager Training Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada. April 2005 October Speaker Northwest Coalition of Missing Children Investigators and Professionals Symposium, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. May/June 2005 Speaker, Prairie Regional Our Missing Children Conference, Canada Border Services Agency, Calgary, Alberta. 2007 Washington, D.C. attended the 44th Annual Conference of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC); "Judicial Officers Forum: International Child Abduction" and "International Child Abduction: risk Factors and Prevention." March 2009 Ottawa - Conference Presenter, Department of Foreign Affairs, Overview of International Children's Issues. 09/10 Tokyo, Japan - Member of Canadian Delegation, Study Session on the 1980 Hague Convention, Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Hosted by Canadian Embassy. September 2009 Ismaili’s [Muslim] International Mediation Training – Vancouver. November 2009 Mount Royal University - Conference - "Early Adverse Experience and Childhood Brain Development." October 2010 Vancouver, BC - International Bar Association, Presenter Mock Trial of a full Hague Convention International Child Abduction Case. January 2011 Law Now Article "Cross-Cultural Mediation," University of Alberta. February/March 2011 Invited to present to the Alberta and Manitoba Judges Continuing Legal Education Conference [National Judicial Institute] on issues involving internationally and Domestically Abducted Children. March 2011 Invited to Present at the International Family Law Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, on the Canadian Perspective on Hague Convention Applications on International Child Abductions. March 2011 Appointed to the Practice Note "7" Committee Regarding the Use of Independent Parenting Experts, Chaired by Madam Justice Andrea Moen. November 2011 Invited to Present to the International Bar Association in Dubai, on the Canadian Perspective on Sharia Law and Enforcement of Orders from Non-Hague Convention Countries. January 2012 Alberta Law Conference, Calgary, Alberta - Chair Person regarding the law relating to internationally and Domestically Abducted Children

September 2012 Published Paper on the Voice of the Child in Hague Convention Child Abduction cases for the International Bar Association Newsletter. March 2013 6th World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights, Sydney Australia - Presented on the Voice of the Child in the context of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abductions. August 2013 Canadian Bar Association Annual Meeting, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Presenter on the Hague Convention and the Rights of the Child to Legal Representation. September 2013 Challenges Facing Counsel For Children in the Context of the Hague Convention, International Bar Association, IBA Global Insight. October 2013 Presenter, Alternative Dispute Resolution in Pluralistic Societies: International and Local Experiences, His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili’s Council for Canada, McDougal Centre, and Calgary. April 2014 Canadian Bar Association Webinar, Hague Convention on International Child Abductions and Child’s Objection to Return. April 2014 IBA Newsletter Article “The Hague Convention and the Rights of Children:” Bala, Blitt, and Blackburn. May 2014 Canadian Bar Association-Comment on R.M. v. J.S.: Alberta Court of Appeal on The Hague Convention and Evidence of Children’s Objections. June 2015 International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Quebec City, Quebec, Presentation on The Canadian Experience regarding the Hague Convention and Recent Case Trends. Max Blitt Member of the Law Society of Alberta Other Law Society Memberships: Canadian Bar Association Alberta bar Association Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (International) Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association Law Society of Alberta 2011 Family Law Advisory Committee 2011 Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta Practice Note "7" Committee 2012 Canadian bar Association National Children's Law Committee International bar Association UK and Wales International Law Society Membership American Bar Association, International Division, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Contact Details: Max Blitt QC SPIER HARBEN 1400,707 - 7TH AVENUE S.W. CALGARY, ALBERTA T2P 3H6 Phone: (403)699-1257 Fax: (403) 699-1359 Email: mblitt@spierharben.com Website: www.childabduct.com

Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Germany GSK Stockmann + Kollegen is one of Germany's leading independent commercial law firms focusing on real estate, corporate, banking/finance and projects & public sector. GSK concentrates on handling projects and advising national and international businesses, banks and financial institutions, corporations and public bodies as well as governments and ministries. GSK was established in 1997 as a coalescence of lawyers from leading German and international commercial law firms. Today, more than 140 lawyers and tax advisors, acquainted with international projects and transactions are at our clients' disposal in our offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Brussels and Luxembourg. We regularly advise our clients on cross-border transactions in conjunction with our alliance partners of the Broadlaw Group. The exclusive network includes more than 1000 lawyers, based in 28 cities, covering the most important financial and economic centres of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. For further information please visit www.broadlawgroup.com. Practice Areas: Employment Law Compliance Corporate Real Estate Company Law IP / IT Capital Markets / Initial Public Offerings / Delistings Antitrust / Merger Control Groups and Affiliated Companies Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity / Venture Capital Privatization Restructuring and Insolvency Reorganizations and Changes of Registered Office (Seat) Corporate Finance Company Succession / Estate Planning Distribution Systems / Contract Law We understand our business and that of our clients. Our core competences have always particularly included the structuring of businesses and corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions and assisting with strategically important projects. We not only advise businesses and their owners, but we lend them support until the best solution has been reached. Contact Details: Dr. Andreas F. Bauer Tel: +49 89 288174-0 Mail: andreas.bauer@gsk.de

Fraud Law Firm of the Year – UK Edmonds Marshall McMahon was founded in February 2012 to offer a novel service to companies and individuals who have been the victims of crime. Our success is based on the creation of a private, high-powered team of senior prosecutors with an unrivalled track record in conducting major fraud prosecutions and regulatory work. We have invested significant time into making sure that we can always provide the services our clients require, including working with other specialist firms where this is in our client’s best interest. We also guarantee our clients that their case will be managed and overseen by one of the firm’s directors. Edmonds Marshall McMahon has three founding partners each with vast but varying expertise and experience: Tamlyn Edmonds – Tamlyn was called to the Bar in 2000, prior to founding EMM she specialised in the most complex and high-value prosecutions on behalf of the DWP & Pensions and Department of Health. She was chosen to lead the Department of Health, Medicines and healthcare produces Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) specialist team of prosecutors, a role in which she gained an impressive reputation. During this time she had conduct of the largest fraud and trademark cases for the Department of Health, including the largest ever counterfeit medicines case. Tamlyn has considerable experience in restraint and confiscation & enforcement. She also has significant experience in the area of extradition, both within and outside the EU. Andrew Marshall – Andrew is a barrister of almost 30 years’ experience has led the prosecution of major fraud and regulatory matters for a range of government agencies. He has been involved in the notoriously difficult prosecutions of many corporates such as Shell and Schindler Lifts. He is a committed and experienced advocate whose former practice principally relates to large scale, organised crime cases requiring a strategic overview, normally concerning complex fraud or drugs. Other areas of work include wide ranging advisory and review work on criminal and quasi-criminal matters (with a particular speciality in disclosure) appellate work and asset forfeiture and restraint. In addition to being a Grade 4 Advocate for the CPS, Andrew was appointed to the A-G’s list of prosecuting counsel in 1990 and to the list of Standing Counsel in 2005. In June 2012 he was appointed to the Regulatory list of Advocates for the Health & Safety Executive, Office of Rail Regulation and Environment Agency. Kate McMahon – Kate is a specialist, dual-qualified prosecutor. Prior to founding EMM she prosecuted for the Serious Fraud Office where she works as a senior lawyer on some of the

UK’s largest criminal prosecutions. Kate has also prosecuted a number of high-profile, highvalue international ‘boiler room’ frauds operating across a number of countries, involving thousands of victims. Kate also has significant experience in the area of confiscation, having obtained confiscation orders in excess of £1m. She has also successfully conducted many large-scale fraud trials, including the famous ‘transit thefts’ of pharmaceuticals in transit from the EU factories to wholesale dealers in the UK. She has also prosecuted serious and violent crime in Australia as a Crown Court Advocate. Since founding EMM, Kate has specialised in cases involving serious fraud, serious and violent crime, international crime and perverting the course of justice. Edmonds Marshall McMahon is the first and only specialist private prosecution law firm in the UK. Edmonds Marshall McMahon is described by the UK Legal 500 (2013) & (2014) as a leading firm in “Fraud: white collar-crime”. The firm is staffed by highly experienced prosecutors and offers tailor-made private prosecution services to companies and individuals. The Directors have a combined total of 45 years of experience in criminal justice and are focused on helping victims negotiate the system. We are fully versed in all manner of fraud or offending and however complex, understand the problem. We don’t believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach, we prefer to use our extensive experience, hard won reputation and expertise in criminal law to provide the most effective solution to a problem.

• R (Mirchandani) v Ketan Somaia Ketan Somaia was convicted in June 2014 following a private prosecution brought by Mr Mirchandani for 9 counts of obtaining money transfer by deception totalling $19, 6960,000, Following conviction, Edmonds Marshall McMahon were instructed to commence confiscation proceedings in order to deprive Mr Somaia of the benefit of his criminal conduct, after State bodies indicated that they did not have the capacity to pursue the matter. Restraint proceedings were instituted in the High Court. Following the trial, EMM were able to secure the largest ever confiscation order for a private prosecutor in the sum of £20,434,691 in confiscation to the state, £18,220,723 compensation in favour of Mr Mirchandani and £200,233 compensation in favour of a second victim, Mr Shah.

• R (William Orenstein) v Soloman Pradhan. Following an 8 day trial, Mr Pradhan was convicted and sentenced to 8 months imprisonment for charges of Perverting the Course of Justice & Fraud. Mr Pradhan, who owned a property which shared a border with Mr Orenstein’s tenanted property, knocked through a wall, commandeered Mr Orenstein’s rear yard and erected a hookah bar. When Mr Orenstein tried to claim his property back, Mr Pradhan claimed that he had acquired the title by way of adverse possession, deliberately lied in his application to the land registry and enticed others to lie on his behalf. These individuals eventually gave statements to support the prosecution at trial.

• TM EYE Ltd - Edmonds Marshall McMahon prosecutes a range of cases on behalf of TM Eye Ltd, nationwide. TM Eye represent a number of well-known clients including the manufacturers of brand named, high class, luxury goods such as designer label clothes, handbags, perfumes and watches. They are one of the few organisations in the UK that carries out proactive actions against those involved in this form of criminality. They are experts in surveillance, case preparation, disclosure and giving evidence and have brought the tactics used in fighting organised crime into the area of Intellectual Property theft to catch and convict those involved. Edmonds Marshall McMahon and TM Eye have so far achieved a 100% conviction rate with sentences ranging from fines to 6 months imprisonment. During a recent, ongoing operation, goods valued in the region of £1m were seized.

• Edmonds Marshall McMahon is providing ongoing advice to a high-net worth individual based offshore, with significant corporate and beneficial trust interests, in relation to the potential prosecution of an associate for bribery. The advice provided is set against the background of high-profile civil litigation involving a global corporation, a cash seizure and subsequent investigation by multiple authorities. Edmonds Marshall McMahon are strategizing to manage the client’s exposure to a bribery prosecution and assisting with dealings with the authorities. The case additionally requires consideration of bribery, before and after the introduction of the Bribery Act 2012. The economic downturn has meant that there have been further cuts to the justice budget, in particular with police forces and the CPS. This has meant that more and more people are feeling unsatisfied with the way their cases have been dealt with and many feeling that justice has not been achieved for them. In times such as these more and more people are looking to other means of obtaining justice and private prosecutions are a key tool in this. Edmonds Marshall McMahon have found that not only has there been an increase in financial crime cases but in other types of crime also. Our firm is growing rapidly to accommodate the increase in cases being referred to us. It is a very exciting time for the Edmonds Marshall McMahon team! Contact Details: Edmonds Marshall McMahon 2-5 Warwick Court, London, WC1R 5DJ DX 450 LDE Office: 0207 583 8392

WE PRACTICE LAW

BUT WE LIVE BUSINESS Sadis & Goldberg represents over 800 hedge and private equity funds. Above all else, we value our client relationships. Our attorneys strive to provide excellent, consistent, practical and efficient legal services. We distinguish ourselves from other law firms by assisting our clients in the development of their businesses. This comprehensive approach has often earned us recognition as one of the top five law firms in the U.S. for our hedge fund practice. Invest a few minutes to learn what our attorneys can do for your business.

SADIS & GOLDBERG LLP RANKED NUMBER FIVE IN SERVICING HEDGE FUNDS IN THE 2016 PREQIN GLOBAL HEDGE FUND REPORT Best Law Firm Hedgeweek USA Awards 2011, 2014 - 2016

Best Hedge Fund & Private Equity Law Firm USA InterContinental Finance 2011 - 2015

Best Law Firm of the Year - USA 2013 - 2016 Lawyers World

Private Funds Law Firm of the Year ACQ Law Award 2011 - 2016

Investment Fundsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Law Firm of the Year Finance Monthly 2010 - 2016

Financial Services Industry Law Firm of the Year - USA, Acquisition International 2013 - 2016

Law Firm of the Year DealMaker Law Awards, 2011 - 2015 DealMaker Global Awards 2012 - 2015

Private Funds Law Firm of the Year M&A International Global Award 2013 - 2016

Patents Law Firm of the Year – Illinois, USA Mr. Rosenbaum’s patent practice specializes in biomedical, biotechnological, pharmaceutical, chemical, biochemical, semiconductor materials and processes, and computer software. As patent counsel to several major public universities, public and private corporations, and independent inventors, Mr. Rosenbaum has prepared and prosecuted patent applications in the fields of surgical implants, including cardiovascular stents and vascular grafts, natural and synthetic pharmaceuticals, electrophoresis devices and methods, diagnostic systems and methods, DNA transformation and transfection, oligonucleotide ligands, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, drug delivery systems, immunology, ultrasonic, laser and cryogenic ablation catheters, nanolithography, atomic force microscopy, photolithography, vacuum deposition processes, including chemical and plasma vapour deposition, sputtering and ion bombardment processes, chemical sensor technology, resist technology, carbon nitride continuous solids and the use of finite elements analysis modelling for corneal remodelling. In representing both corporate and individual clients, Mr. Rosenbaum’s practice has included such diverse biomedical technologies as novel biomaterials, biomaterial surfacing technology, DNA and RNA hybridization, genetic testing, implantable vascular and endovascular devices, computer controlled laser catheters, synthetic peptides, chemical tracers for above-ground and underground leak detection, contact lenses, dermatological preparations, hydraulic shock absorbing pistons, misting devices for evaporative cooling, and water filtration systems. What: We partner with high technology companies to assist in developing intellectual property assets, formulating and executing strategic plans for achieving maximal value for our clients. Our clients have achieved over $1.6 Billion (USD) in market value, either through financing rounds, merger and acquisition, licensing or litigation awards. To achieve this success, we combine professional and technical skills with level-headed business principles and experience. Or practice is devoted to supporting our client’s intellectual property asset development, commercialization and, when necessary, enforcement. Planning: The focal point of an intellectual property plan is to secure maximum value for intellectual property assets. This is achieved by first defining the business objectives to be achieved. Strategy: Once the IP plan has been identified, a management team, including business, technology and legal expertise, reviews the business objectives, considers the congruence between the plan and the objectives, and then pressure tests the plan against identified opportunities to challenge that the intellectual property assets will achieve those objectives.

Being dynamic, the plan will be consistently and constantly assessed, revised, and reassessed as new objectives are identified, new opportunities are presented or new challenges arise. A coherent IP strategy will include IP landscaping to identify and analyse existing IP rights and players in the relevant technology space. The white space opportunities will be identified and an evaluation of the coherence between the IP plan and the white space analysis will be completed. In addition, IP forecasting may be undertaken to predict, based upon a third partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prior IP behaviour, what are the likely IP protection pathways a third party will be pursuing with their IP portfolio. Additionally, licensing and collaborative research and development opportunities may be undertaken, â&#x20AC;&#x153;blue skyâ&#x20AC;? evaluation for next generation products and/or superseding technology and opportunities for developing IP in those areas, freedom-to-operate issues relevant to the pre-commercial products under development to minimize the risk of material liability in litigation should be undertaken and processes for dynamic and real time IP tracking within the technology space, may be implemented. Who: Members of the firm have scientific training and regularly work across a spectrum of technologies including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, therapeutics, diagnostics, nanotechnology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, agricultural chemicals, plant breeding, environmental protection systems, semiconductor processing, industrial and medical lasers, computer hardware and software, digital and analog electrical systems, water purification systems, evaporative cooling systems, skin care products, clothing, motor vehicle assemblies and systems, and general mechanical and electrical technologies. Contact Details: 1480 Techny Road Northbrook IL 60062 USA Email: drosenbaum@RosenbaumIP.com Tel: 847-770-6010

Corporate & Insolvency Law Firm of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Argentina Study Grispo & Associates is a leading law firm in corporate law that provides innovative and effective solutions to companies in various fields and areas remedies. We foster a culture based on pioneering high performance, teamwork and results orientation, aligning the legal advice with the objectives of our customers. Since 2004 we have the ISO 9001-2008 certification issued by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), which allows us to systematize the provision of our legal services, improve operational efficiency and increase the satisfaction of our customers, because the objectives are established evaluating their needs to the highest quality standards. Our team consists of professionals with solid training and strong orientation to excellence. Coordinated and efficient with the customer in order to obtain concrete and effective solutions work involves a specific and thorough approach each situation, for which it makes available to the customer and acquired the ability and experience. Practice Areas: Corporate Law Business Law Labor Law Civil Rights

Contact Details: Tucuman 637 3rd Floor CABA Argentina 4393-1133 / 3344/3434

TO ADVERTISE HERE PLEASE CONTACT : CONATACT@ LAWYERSWORLDWIDEAWARDS.CO.UK