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Worldwide Financial Advisor Awards Magazine Annual Advisors 2018
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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
www.deepnfar.com.tw
Worldwide Financial Advisor Awards Magazine Annual Advisors 2018 Index Afschrift
Tax Law Firm of the Year – Belgium
Deep & Far
Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year – Taiwan
Dimac Law Firm
Commercial Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year – Vietnam
Dr. Lukas Fantur
Company Law Firm of the Year – Austria
GÜRLICH &Co. Advokátní kancelář Law Firm of the Year – Czech Republic Infinity Partnership Limited
Accountancy Business Services Firm of the Year – UK
Lamont Pridmore
Dynamic Advisory Firm of the Year - UK
Law Office of Ramni Taneja
Constitutional Law Firm of the Year – India
Nicole Iseppi
Global Energy Lawyer of the Year
Sadis & Goldberg
Overall Law Firm of the Year – USA
Sturgeon Ventures LLP
Start Up Compliance Consultancy Firm of the Year - UK
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. Area of Practice: Intellectual Property, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret. 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 50% of the patent-experienced companies in that park have ever entrusted their IPR works to this firm. Experiences: Mr. Yu-Li Tsai, a patent attorney graduated from Department of Electrical Engineering of National Taiwan University (NTUEE), which is the best engineering school in Taiwan. Because of interest in communication system, he then attended in the Graduate Institute of Communication Engineering (GICE) of NTU. During his research life in GICE, he also started to get involved in knowledge and skills of patent-related matters for taking and receiving the qualification of patent attorney. Mr. Tsai also attended to receive an IP master from Law School of University of New Hampshire, also known as Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property, had an internship with InterDigital, Inc., and passed the U.S. Patent Bar Examination. Currently, Mr. Tsai is working for Deep & Far Attorneys-at-Law as a patent attorney. 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 wellbelieved that such properties are key factors for peoples to properly and competently behave themselves. Because the clients become more understood in the knowledge of IP and more budgetsensitive, they usually want to select an agent who can more efficiently and effectively deal with their IP matters. They often invite bids, set out tenders and call for interview before they decide to entrust a service provider. Taking patent for example, they gather information of costs for patent prosecution, previous works, and firm introduction materials in a preliminary choice stage, and hold an interview to obtain further details of the firm which has passed the preliminary choice stage. We represent international giants, e.g. InterDigital, MPS, Schott Glas, Toyo Ink, Motorola, Cypress, Google, Armani. We always keep updating the newest state of this firm, recruiting elite patent engineers and strictly
training them the essential skills, improving the efficiency and quality of service, and developing new strategies that can assist the clients effectively protecting their intellectual property rights. This firm believes that if the efficiency, quality, and enthusiasm of the services can be consistently monitored and maintained, overcoming complexities, challenges or changes is just a result rather than an issue. Our aspiration and directions would be developing more potential clients either in domestic or foreign countries, and expanding the size of this firm to assist more clients in pursuing most satisfactory IP protection. Although the domestic IP market, especially in the patent field in 2013 shrank a little, we expect this situation may finally change because there is a phenomenon that the gross economy is starting to recover in 2014.
Contact Details: Deep & Far Yu-Li. Tsai Tel: 886-2-25856688#900 Fax: 886-2-25989900//886-2-25978989 Add: 13th Fl., 27 Sec. 3, Chung San N. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan Web: www.deepnfar.com.tw Email: lawtsai@deepnfar.com.tw
Accounting Firm of the Year – UK Please introduce yourself, detail your areas of expertise and your experience. John Harrison and Company have offices in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. We are an innovative firm and have won many international awards for our work. We have recently won the Corporate Livewire award for the Best Financial Management Services in the UK for 2017 for the second year in a row and won the Acquisition International s award for the Most Innovative for Financial Management Services in the UK. Please provide an overview of your firm’s history and areas of expertise. Our Financial Management Service is designed to provide a full outsourced finance department to owner managed businesses. It is tailored to their needs to provide them with information and support that will help them manage their businesses more profitably. We specialise in helping businesses to become more successful. Using our skill with numbers, and the ideas of some of the world’s leading business thinkers and achievers, we’ve developed a series of processes, systems and tools to help businesses become much, much more successful. We believe that our clients should always have access to the best business development support that is available. We also believe that our clients should not pay any more tax than the law requires them to pay. So using our Tax Mitigation Service we plan our clients’ tax affairs so that they pay the least amount of tax possible. To provide the full range of specialised services our clients will require from their ‘back office’ finance department, we have put together a network of professional service providers covering business cost reduction services; an online debt recovery system; corporate and personal finance; tax mitigation; wealth management; research and development tax credits, insolvency support and so on. What’s your firm’s unique selling point? There are two things which differentiate us in the accountancy profession. First, we see our role as helping owner managed businesses build better businesses and have better lives, hence our strapline ‘Better Business, Better Life’ Our Business Development Programme takes business owners through a full process from goal setting, through strategic planning, business modelling, customer service standards, team building, operational efficiency and so on through to creating a Management Control Plan. The second is that we believe in setting the highest possible service standards which are backed by these guarantees: We guarantee that our fees will be agreed in advance for all the assignments that we undertake; we will always take our clients’ telephone calls when we are in our office or return them within seven working hours, failing which we will send our client £50; we will meet the deadlines that are set for any assignment or that assignment is free; and we will pay any penalties, interest and surcharges which might arise from our shortcomings. On top of all that, if anything we do falls short of our clients’ expectations we will refund our fee in full without question, or allow our client to reduce the fee to whatever level they feel Please tell us about the firm’s management in this (these) areas and their specific abilities. These are the core values upon which our business success has been built and on which our future success will be built. Work Expectations. Our work experience has to be sufficiently varied to give all team members exposure to all of the types of work that general practice, and our practice in particular, can give. The work we do has to be challenging and enjoyable.
Client Relationships. At all times, we have to maintain personal relationships with our clients. They must be made to feel welcome on every contact with our practice. They must always be aware of the work we are performing for them, the desired results, anticipated time scale and, most importantly, the progress we are making on their behalf. Client contact will always take precedence over anything else that we are doing at the time. Team Management, Development and Relationships. The personal development of all of our team members is vital for our own self esteem and for our future as a practice. We have to regard learning as a lifetime commitment. Our internal procedures have to ensure that every team member always has a personal development programme and given every assistance necessary to carry it out. We will always be aware of the maxim that ‘business creates life’ in the sense that we go to work to provide the means to make a better life for ourselves. We will always remember that our responsibilities to our families always take precedence over our professional ones as the latter can be delegated in times of need. Personal Standards. Greet and farewell clients by name, with eye contact and handshake if appropriate. Always speak politely using a person’s name, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ as appropriate. If you have an issue with someone, talk about it with them and in private and resolve the issue. When you talk to a person who is not present, speak as if they are listening to your conversation. Apologise and make restitution if someone is rightfully upset by your actions. Blame a system, not a person for errors or omissions. When things go wrong it is inevitably because our procedures have not been documented properly rather than individual incompetence. Always tell the truth. Trust is one of the most important factors in professional relationships. Once it is lost, the relationship is likely to be lost too. Quality. The quality and accuracy of our work should always be the highest level possible commensurate with its value to our client and naturally the amount they are prepared to pay for it. All of the work we do must be subject to review before it is submitted to our clients. Leadership. We have to be innovative in our service delivery. We have to always be aware that our clients’ needs will change over time so we must always observe those changes and amend our service offering where necessary. The role of leader is to provide the vision of our business progression, to carry out the necessary research, communicate it to the team members and provide them with the means to carry it out. Please detail any significant clients your firm has worked with and/or projects undertaken by your firm in the past year. We have been engaged by a $500 million American company which deals with liquid handling and has decided to expand into Europe. It handles any kind of liquid: water, wine, oil, corrosives; farm slurry and so on. They are a big contractor to the fracking industry in the US and are bringing their knowledge and experience into the European marketplace. At the moment they are open in the UK, Netherlands and Germany and our software is ideal for them as it is multi lingual, multi currency, allows branch reporting and consolidating accounts. We can send financial reports either in the local currency or over to the US in US dollars. We get two days after the month end to complete management accounts and we’re never late.
“Outstanding product, outstanding service, I would not hesitate to recommend Mr. Harrison’s accounting and consulting services to any company that is considering opening a business in the United Kingdom”. Richard Stanton, (of the American company)
“Dear Richard, I’m glad to hear that Mr. Harrison has provided you with a variety of accounting and consulting services. I will keep Mr. Harrison in mind for future US companies who are considering opening a business in the UK.” Ondre Seltzer, Business Development Associate, UK Trade & Investment, British Consulate-General | 2029 Century Park East, Suite 1350, Los Angeles. Also we’ve recently been appointed by a British company which has invented the greenest lightweight aggregate in the world which is used for concrete manufacture using raw material all of which goes into
landfill at the moment. We are working with them on their business plans and assisting them arranging the funding for the first UK plant which will generate sales of £50 million per annum. We have been chosen because our systems are expandable, fully documented in the cloud and we have access to efficient offshoring services which will provide any labour that we cannot source in the UK What challenges, complexities or changes has the firm experienced this year particularly bearing in mind the tough economic downturn we are all encountering? When I first obtained my practising certificate I could provide any of the services that my clients might require: accounts and tax returns; audit; wealth management and insolvency work. Over the years the latter three have been denied to us through regulation and licensing. When computers first became commercially available they gave us an exceptional technological advantage because in the small business sector only professional practices could afford to buy them. Things are very different now. People can go to college for three years, buy a £400 laptop and all of a sudden they can set up across the road as an ‘accountant’ at about 1/3rd of the fee we charge. So there we were. The last of our core services and the margin on it was falling through the floor. How did you overcome the complexities, challenges or changes? Around the end of 2013 I was at a 2020 conference where Chris Fredrikson was speaking. He was extolling the virtues of a book that had been written by Jim Collins and was the most read book on business management on the planet.. I had that book, but never read it. It was called ‘Built to Last’. Collins had carried out a study of businesses that had started out over 100 years ago and were still with us today and compared them with similar companies that set up at the same time but failed. He discovered that each of the long lasting companies had a mission. He didn’t mean one those woolly Mission Statements thought up by marketing gurus, he meant they has a real purpose, for example, GalxoSmithKline whose mission was to improve human health so if they are fighting cholera or polio or aids or some future disease it makes no difference.. So that set me thinking about my accountancy practice which had been founded in 1928. What had been our mission that had seen us through the last 90 years or so that would be relevant for the next 90 years? I knew from an old cash book that we still had that in the 1930s most of the work was insolvency work. As the Second World War came along accounts preparation became prevalent; in the 1970s when tax rates hit 98% tax mitigation was a big factor; from the 80s onwards computerised accounting services were prevalent. To me the common thread seemed to be that we were helping business owners build better businesses and in Paul Dunn’s words provide a better life for the owners, the workers and their customers so the strapline ‘Better Business, Better Life was born. I wondered what services can we provide that would fit into that definition in this digital age and I came to the conclusion that it would be financial management services, helping business owners set their long term strategic goals and achieve them. At its heart would be a Financial Management System and started researching electronic systems using the cutting edge technology that was becoming available at the time. Purchase invoices were e-mailed into the system, approved online and supplier payments sent into an online system for authorisation and release to our clients’ bank accounts; bank transactions were streamed into the accounting system and real time financial reports sent straight to our clients’ phone. The year end figures go into financial performance review software for graphical analysis, forward projections and financial modelling. You might have noticed that no single entry has been typed into the accounting system with a keyboard. Not a single one. And so it is with month end journals. Spreadsheets are created for things such as petty cash transactions, expense claims, month end journals and these are linked to a template which is used to upload the transactions into our accounting software, eliminating the possibility of keyboard error. What are the future aspirations and directions for the firm? How do you see the market progressing in 2018?
Business for Good
As part of our initiative to help spread the word about businesses giving back to the community, we play a big part in this thanks to Buy 1 Give 1. Due to B1G1’s incredible charities and stories, we are able to choose what charities and what giving we want to do. We have decided to link various tasks we complete to giving so that when we complete a certain task we will give to a project on our client’s behalf. The point of B1G1 is becoming a business for good. Here are some of the examples of the charitable giving that we make: •
As it means a lot to us to gain a new client at John Harrison and Company, when someone new signs we provide five hot, nutritious meal to persons in need in the UK.
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A business diagnostic is a great way for business owner to improve their business so when we complete a diagnostic we send a birthday treat to an orphaned child in South Africa
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Our Profit Improvement Programme really is a very valuable tool to help businesses grow. As it is so important tour clients, we have decided that when we complete this programme we shelter a child for a week in Nepal
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It’s really good for our cash flow when a client pays our fees on time so when they do we provide hospital patients with clean water for a day in Kenya.
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When file accounts at Companies House, we provide one square metre of rainforest protection in Australia
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When we file a tax return, we give seven days of access to warm clothes for winter protection in Ukraine.
Get and Give a Million We have just launched major new initiative called Get and Give A Million to help the region’s businesses put £1 million into their bank accounts and make the world a happier place by creating a million smiles We want to make a real impact on the lives of business owners. An impact that flows over into their families, communities, economies and the wider world. An impact that will help make the world a better place for us all. We launched “Get and Give A Million” as a free initiative that helps in two ways. Firstly, by using our skills and experience to find ways of putting £1 million into the bank accounts of our clients to give better lives for business owners, their team members and loved ones (this is the “Get A Million” part). And secondly by helping them to fulfil their corporate social responsibility by giving which creates impacts and a million smiles around the world supporting the UN’s Global Goals (this is the “Give A Million” part).
Contact Details: John Harrison & Company 78 Carlton Rd Worksop Nottinghamshire S80 1PH 01909 472310 john@johnharrison.co.uk
Law Firm of the Year – Czech Republic The law office GÜRLICH & Co was founded on 1st February 2002. All members of the firm are experienced lawyers possessing outstanding professional expertise in various branches of law. Skilled lawyers, qualified office staff and a lot of experience – that’s our law firm. We are fully capable of offering legal Services to both individuals and legal entities in almost all fields of civil and commercial law, all over the territory of the Czech Republic, both in Czech and English language. We also cooperate with a number of external lawyers, all experts in their respective fields, to ensure the best possible outcome for our clients. In the event of cross-border transactions and litigation, this office hires its cooperating international law offices as well as external foreign lawyers. Still, this Law Firm remains a purely Czech legal office free of any financial or other influence exerted by foreign and/or local nationals. This allows the firm to provide its services in compliance with law, professionally and independently. Our law firm focuses mainly on the following areas of law: Civil law, Corporate and business law, Real Estate law, Intellectual property, Labor law and Litigation. Above all we deal with, among the advisory on real estate property transactions (e.g. sale, purchase or lease of apartments and commercial property), drafting all documents relating to real estate financing, drafting all security related documents (mortgages, lien over property and other assets including sets of movable assets, lien over IP or a business or part thereof, security / collateral agreements relating to banking accounts, shares and ownership interests, as well as numerous fiduciary assignments of rights demanded by banks), arranging registration and all other related steps, including advice on governing law. Moreover, we focus on advisory to developers, on investment in real estate, lease and sublease agreements, liens on real estate, creation of easements, building law. Our law firm provides its services at a high professional level, quickly and with complete independence. Two of our key values that help to drive businesses of our clients are flexibility and personal approach that we manage to maintain through the hard work of our young but skilled colleagues who are at all times prepared to offer tailor-made solutions. Within the scope of legal assistance, our law firm provides prevailingly advisory services in selecting the most suitable procedure with a view to client’s needs, prepares various documents and arranges for the preparation of opinions and legal analyses. The highest level of professionalism that we try to maintain encompasses taking into account forthcoming legal amendments, detailed continuous study of judicature of both
the national and European courts. However, while focusing on professionalism we never forget that it goes hand in hand with a personal approach which ensures that clients can always rely on our services and we provide our best in the shortest possible time with a broad level of transparency and detailed records of our performance. Scope of Legal Services: Business Transactions Civil Law Intellectual Property Corporate Law and Business Law, Public Procurement Labour Law Real Estate Litigation Contact details: GĂœRLICH & Co Politickych veznu 19 110 00 Prague 1 Czech Republic tel.: +420 222 101 591 fax: +420 222 101 590 email: info@akrg.cz web: www.akrg.cz
Arbitration & Litigation Advisor of the Year – Indonesia Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo (LGS) was founded in 1985 by Timbul Thomas Lubis, Mohamed Idwan (‘Kiki’) Ganie and Arief Tarunakarya Surowidjojo. LGS specializes in both Commercial Transactions and Commercial Disputes, including criminal law. As well as helping to put the deal together we can also help to prevent or solve problems in its implementation. Our lawyers are specialized in confirming what the legal problem is, but do not leave the solution to the client, they are also trained to suggest commercial solutions to what has started as a legal problem or legal solutions to what has started as commercial problems. Mohamed Idwan (‘Kiki’) Ganie is the Managing Partner of Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo (LGS). He graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Indonesia and holds a PhD in Law from the University of Hamburg. Dr. Ganie is a Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Anti-Trust Lawyers, a member of the Regional Panel of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), and a fellow (FSIarb) of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators. Dr. Ganie has more than 30 years of legal experience, and specializes in commercial transactions and commercial litigation, including alternative dispute resolution and has acted as an expert in a number court and arbitration proceedings. His expertise covers general corporate/company law, banking law, finance, bankruptcy and restructuring, mining, investment, acquisitions, infrastructure projects/project finance, antitrust, and shipping/aviation, with a particular focus on corporate governance and compliance.
Founding Partners: Mr. Timbul Thomas Lubis heads the Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo litigation section. Mr. Lubis specialises in commercial transactions and company law, as well as labour, property and real estate law. Dr. Mohamed Idwan Ganie is the Managing Partner of Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo. Dr. Ganie specializes in commercial transactions and commercial dispute resolution, and has a focus on corporate governance. Mr. Arief Tarunakarya Surowidjojo specializes in corporate law and has acted as the lead lawyer in hundreds of IPOs, rights issues and other capital market transactions, and more than 100 M&A deals.
Partners: Mr. Abdul Haris Muhammad Rum’s field of expertise includes general corporate, restructuring, capital markets, M&A, project finance, syariah, and oil and gas law. Mr. Harjon Sinaga has a strong general corporate background and specializes in commercial litigation, concentrating in the fields of bankruptcy and antitrust. Mr. Rofik Sungkar’s practice focuses on litigation, debt restructuring and general corporate law.
Ms. Dini Retnoningsih specialises in corporate transactions. Mr. Mochamad Fajar Syamsualdi specialises in M&A. Mr. Ahmad Jamal Assegaf specialises in restructuring, investment, M&A, and telecommunications. LGS has experience representing a diverse range of clients, including domestic and multinational corporations, public and private companies, Government instrumentalities and State Owned Enterprises. Dr. Ganie’s international commercial transaction and litigation clients include: Goldman Sachs (US), Temasek Holdings (Singapore), Hutchison Whampoa (Hong Kong) and Mitsui (Japan). Clients are increasingly looking for stability (or better: sustainability) and strategic direction. We have made it our mission not only to service existing but also anticipated client needs. We are therefore skilled not only to advice what the "the law says", but also what the clients could or should do to solve the legal aspects of a legal or commercial problem or to support our Clients' strategic direction. In three years’ time we see the firm to have achieved its mission to be the Indonesian firm with the largest transaction and dispute resolution division and with the largest network of branch offices throughout Indonesia to provide not only expertise on central government laws, regulations and policies, but also regional laws, regulations and policies, and to provide assistance wherever the legal issues arise within Indonesia. All that with a view to increase value, to be more effective and cost efficient for the benefit of our clients and also to assist other firms who require legal services in the region (provinces) of Indonesia.
Contact Details: Dr. Mohamed Idwan (‘Kiki’) Ganie Managing Partner Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo Address: Menara Imperium 30th Floor Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said Kav. 1 Kuningan Jakarta 12980, Indonesia Tel: +62 21 831-5005, 831-5025 Fax: +62 21 831-5015, 831-5018 Email: ganie@lgslaw.co.id Website: www.lgsonline.com
Law Office of Ramni Taneja Constitutional Law Firm of the Year - India Ramni Taneja is a citizen of India, having been educated in Mumbai, India, and London, England. She enrolled as an Advocate on 17th October 1980, on the Roll of the Bar Council of Maharashtra, [Mumbai], India; subsequently transferred to the Bar Council of Delhi, India, on 20th October 1997. On 3rd March 1997, she was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, [now known as the Senior Courts of England and Wales]. In 1999, she was appointed as a Notary by the Government of India, New Delhi, India. Since 1997, Ramni Taneja practises in New Delhi, India, as an Advocate in the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Delhi, apart from various other tribunals and courts in Delhi and in India. From 1980 till 1982 she practised as an Advocate with Little & Co., Advocates and Solicitors, Mumbai, India; she headed the office of Little & Co., Advocates, in New Delhi, India, from 2002 till 2006. From 1983 till 1997, Ramni Taneja was licensed and practised as a Legal Consultant with A.R. Hilal & Associates, Advocates and Legal Consultants, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her law firm, Law Office of Ramni Taneja, began in New Delhi, India in August 2006. Ramni Taneja completed her school education in the United Kingdom [UK] at Grey Coat Hospital, Westminster, London, England, UK, as a consequence of which she obtained the University of London, General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Levels and Advanced Levels, between 19721974. She obtained her BA Honours [First Class Honours] Degree in English Literature [Major] French Literature [Subsidiary] in 1977 from Elphinstone College, University of Bombay, India. She obtained her LLB Degree [First Class] in 1980 from Government Law College, University of Bombay, India. She was awarded the Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes Françaises Modernes in 1975 by l’Alliance Française, Paris, France, [Mention Tres Honorable: i.e. Distinction] and was ranked first in the examination in 1975 in India and Asia. Ramni Taneja is the author of Foreign Direct Investment and Globalisation, published by Eastern Book Company, 2014. She has written legal articles that have been published in international and Indian legal journals on various legal issues Ramni Taneja’s principal areas of legal practice covering litigation and transactional legal work are: all areas of commercial law, civil law, corporate law, constitutional law and criminal law. Other areas of legal practice covering litigation and transactional law inter alia are: Arbitration [international and domestic], air law, banking law, consumer protection law, due diligence, direct and indirect taxation and international taxation, extradition law, laws relating to asylum, family law, foreign direct investment, including foreign exchange law, insurance law, initial public offerings, intellectual property law, infrastructure law, employment law, laws governing the media, mergers and acquisitions, immigration and nationality law, maritime law, succession law, private international law, public international law and property law. Contact Details: RAMNI TANEJA, Advocate and Notary LAW OFFICE OF RAMNI TANEJA Address: A 34 DEFENCE COLONY NEW DELHI 110024, INDIA Telephones: +91 11 4155 2051; +91 11 4155 2052 Fax: +91 11 4155 2053 email id: ramni@ramnitaneja.com http://www.ramnitaneja.com
Tax Advisory Firm of the Year – Portugal PwC firms collaborate with organizations and individuals to create the value they seek. PwC, a network of independent firms, is present in 157 countries and has approximately 223,000 employees who share the objective of providing quality services in auditing, consulting and taxation. PwC in Portugal, Angola and Cape Verde has 34 partners, of which 21 are in the Lisbon office, 9 in Porto and 4 in Luanda, and some 1,300 permanent employees in the Lisbon, Porto, Luanda and Praia offices. The vast majority of professionals are licensed in business management, finance, economics, accounting, law, engineering or social sciences, all being offered the chance to complement their academic training, and often receive specific professional training. Jaime Carvalho Esteves, is Partner of PwC and heads the taxation department of PwC in Angola, Cape Verde and Portugal. He is also the leader of the Government and Public Sector area of PwC. He is a referee of the Administrative Arbitration Center (CAAD) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum for Competitiveness. He specializes in national and international tax planning, transfer pricing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, ultra and high net worth individuals and family businesses, including family offices . He holds a law degree from the Catholic University of Porto. Postgraduate in European Studies from the Catholic University of Lisbon and in Commercial Law from the same University. Executive training at the New Forum of the New University of Lisbon, INSEAD and IMD. He collaborates regularly with several institutions of higher education and with the media, and has published several studies in the area of taxation. He frequently participates as a speaker in courses, seminars and conferences related to taxation in Portugal and abroad. Throughout his career he has been distinguished with several nominations and awards attributed by entities of reference in the area of taxation. Recently he was recommended by Who's Who Legal as one of the world's leading practitioners in the following areas: Corporate Tax 2017 and Consulting Experts 2017. Contact Details: Tel: +351 213 599 601 Email: jaime.esteves@pt.pwc.com
Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year – Philippines Mr. Simeon V. Marcelo, in 1979, graduated among the top of his law class in University of the Philippines and placed No. 5 in the bar examinations. With big corporations, then President Ramos and other prominent individuals as clients, he had distinguished himself as a topnotch litigator after twenty years of private practice of law. He caught national public attention during the 2000 impeachment proceedings against President Estrada when he was selected to present the prosecution’s star witness. In February 2001, he was appointed as Solicitor General. Having won all of his major cases, he is considered one of the most successful Solicitors General. This led to his appointment in October 2002 as the youngest head of the country’s independent anti-corruption body. Despite severe lack of resources, he was able to pursue an effective crusade against corruption, earning praises from local and foreign media. The Washington Post stated that Mr. Marcelo actively pursued a crusade “taking on the most powerful vested and entrenched interests in a country that perennially ranks among the worlds’ most corrupt xxx”; “targeting the most corrupt agencies, daring to prosecute even members of the historically untouchable military.” (10 June 2005, at page A14) He led the prosecution team that secured the historical first-ever criminal conviction of a President. In January 2008, he returned to private practice with two publications describing him as “perhaps the country’s best litigator”. Immediately, he was engaged as counsel of top corporations and even by the Central Bank to prosecute the persons responsible for the biggest bank fraud case in the country’s history. Since then, he won many major legal victories, particularly at the Supreme Court. Just last year, he again led his team in winning a multi-billion case in the Supreme Court. In 2013-2014, he served with an ICC Arbitral Tribunal that resolved two related disputes that arose from allegations of corruption. The following year, he headed the panel that secured a favorable award in an important construction arbitration dispute. Subsequently, he became the Chairman of the Tribunal that handled a very significant international arbitration case. Incidentally, he handled his first arbitration case in 1984 and was a founding trustee of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. in 1996. From 2008-2014, he served as a member of the World Bank’s highly-prominent Independent Advisory Board. He was President of the Philippine Bar Association from 2009-2010, the oldest, largest voluntary organization of lawyers. The University of the Philippines Alumni Association conferred upon him the 2013 Centennial Year’s Distinguished Alumni Award in Public Service. Currently, he serves as legal counsel in high-profile cases in various courts, including the Supreme Court, aside from being active in arbitration and the crusade for good governance. Fifteen partners led by former Presidential Legal Counsel/Secretary of National Defense Avelino J. Cruz, Jr. and former Solicitor General/Ombudsman Simeon V. Marcelo, name partners of their former law office, founded Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia (CMTLAW) to establish a lasting legal institution anchored on professionalism, meritocracy, excellence,
innovation and mutual respect. Its leadership is rich in experience in the public/private sectors as well as in international organizations (e.g., World Bank and Asian Development Bank). Consequently, CMTLaw is deeply committed to delivering the best legal services to help its clients attain optimum business success, as well as contribute to national building. Now, CMTLaw has twenty partners. CMTLaw’s lawyers have three decades of experience in Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Corporation & Special Projects, Mining & Natural Resources, Energy, Infrastructure Transportation & Public Utilities, Intellectual Property, and Taxation. By matching arduous training with expansive experience (which also enables it to attract top legal talents), CMTLaw delivers tailored solutions to its broad spectrum of clients that includes established conglomerates, leading banking and financial institutions, multinational corporations and even entire industries and government regulatory institutions like the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Apart from what was just mentioned above, the Firm has unmatched experience in all aspects of the Philippine legal system, including court litigation, alternative dispute resolution, government and infrastructure programs, intellectual property, corporate structures and anti-corruption initiatives. This experience comes from almost thirty years in legal practice of the Firm’s lawyers. Our founding partners also have the unique distinction of having served in the highest position of government with Atty. Avelino J. Cruz, Jr. as Secretary of Defense and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Simeon V. Marcelo as Ombudsman and Solicitor General, and Joe Nathan P. Tenefrancia as the Head of the Legal department of the Office of the President. Other Partners have also served in top positions in government. This experience, which has been imparted to other members of the Firm, has allowed us a unique understanding of the Philippine legal system and allows our Firm to serve our clients most effectively. The Firm is managed by its Management Committee headed by the Managing Partner and Chairman, Mr. Joe Nathan P. Tenefrancia (a Name Partner); Mr. Manuel L. Manaligod, Jr., Vice-Chairman; Chief Finance Officer, Ms. Susan D. Villanueva; Secretary, Ms. Aida Araceli G. Roxas-Rivera and three (3) Members, Ms. Patricia A. O. Bunye (Senior Partner), Mr. Rodel A. Cruz (Senior Partner) and Mr. Pancho G. Umali (representative of the Junior Partners). The different practice groups of the Firm are supervised by their respective Department Heads. Contact Details: CRUZ MARCELO & TENEFRANCIA Simeon V. Marcelo – Founding Partner 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th Floor, One Orion Tower 11th Avenue corner University Parkway Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634 Metro Manila Philippines
Corporate Finance Accountancy Firm of the Year—Greece KPMG in Greece is member of the global KPMG network of professional services firms. With a presence in Greece since 1971, we are 400 outstanding local professionals providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services, to help our clients meet their goals. Our team combines cumulatively over 100 years of expertise related to various industries and areas of expertise, such as investment banking, industrial companies, audit, tax and legal, thus being able to source the ideal experts for each engagement in order to deliver a unique and value added service to the client. The corporate finance practice of KPMG Greece has served as a pioneering advisor to a large number of clients and decision makers including global corporations in the retail/consumer goods industry, manufacturing, telecoms, banking, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals. Services offered include M&A, Valuations, Capital Raising, Restructuring, and Structured Financial Modelling as well as Private Equity Advisory services. KPMG’s corporate finance arm has been among the leading advisory firms to be appointed as advisors to the Hellenic Republic in advising them in privatizations and restructuring projects. Our Corporate Finance practice is led by professionals having a vast combined experience of over 30 years in advisory and investment banking practices. Certain macroeconomic conditions in Greece have driven many companies in financial difficulties and indebtedness. In this context, companies have to strive dealing with correlated difficulties such as high unemployment, low private consumption, lack of liquidity, low investing appetite, real estate properties devaluation and increased corporate taxation. KPMG has met each client’s expectation in a very challenging and demanding environment, where creativity is also required when taking all these factors in consideration when providing the best advice to our clients. Indicative List of Clients we have worked with recently, include: Forthnet S.A. (listed telco) Power Public Corporation National Bank of Greece Ilva Group A leading resorts operator (undisclosed) Eurobank SA Starbulk (NASDAQ listed company) Hellenic Republic – restructuring and privatization projects Delhaize Group Goodyear Hellas
Dromeus Capital We normally build our solutions based on our previous experience in similar cases, and are flexible enough to draw on the relevant expertise outside our organization when required. That being said, we do also deliver tailor made services to meet our clients’ objectives in very complex projects. The local market will be highly affected by the progress in the political scene and the results of the elections which are to take place by the end of January. The debate for the so-called “Gr-exit” has come up again, but we believe that a smoother solution will prevail. Assuming that no macroeconomic accident will occur in 2015, we will continue to grow the Corporate Finance practice with a focus on the most promising sectors of the Greek economy such as tourism, the financial sector and telecommunications. Debt restructuring and refinancing issues will continue to be of priority within 2015 too. Contact Details KPMG Greece Thanos Tsotsoros Director, Financial Advisory Services, Head of Corporate Finance & Restructuring. atsotsoros@kpmg.gr tel. + 30 210 60 62 100
IP Law Firm of the Year – Mexico With more than 75 years of experience, Goodrich has a long tradition of standing alongside its clients when helping them make their business objectives a reality. By means of a cross practice among service areas and industry teams, our carefully trained lawyers achieve an innovative approach towards the rendering of contemporary legal services tailored to the demanding business community worldwide. We pride ourselves in knowing what drives key industry sectors and are able to provide on a daily basis, the best creative and cost-effective business solutions beforehand. Our clients are medium-size, as well as leading global companies of numerous nationalities and economic sectors. We ensure that our clients are competently represented wherever their businesses take them. This is why, in addition to our network of correspondents in Mexico and our own office in Paris (since 1971), Goodrich actively participates as founder firm of the Bomchil Group, an association of independent law firms with offices in practically every Latin American country. Today, Goodrich has a professional and administrative staff of over 250. Professional ethics and effective team work, leading to solid solutions and constant innovation are embedded throughout our firm. In addition to sponsoring training programs for our lawyers, both, nationally and internationally, we encourage the participation of our partners as part time lecturers and research fellows in high ranking law schools in Mexico. Goodrich actively participates in trade associations, local and international bars. Some of our members are frequently invited to speak at both, domestic and foreign conferences, as well as to hold leadership positions in sections of bar associations and industry organizations. Last but not least, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, pro bono work and gender equality are also essential elements of our existence. In our firm we are constantly striving to renew ourselves and in being prepared to face the ever-changing legal challenges that lie ahead. We are a firm of young lawyers with the highest professional and ethical standards. Practice Areas: Antitrust Banking & Finance Bankruptcy Corporate & M&A Environment Law & Climate Change Immigration Intellectual Property Labor Law & Social Security Litigation & ADR Mining & Natural Resources Oil & Gas Power Generation & Clean Energies
Real Estate & Tourism Tax Law & International Trade TMT Transportation The vast majority of our intellectual property work is for non-Mexican companies conducting business in Mexico. Our staff of attorneys, engineers and computer specialists helps adapt foreign patent specifications and claims to Mexican law, secure patent inventions and trademark registration and maintain them by handling the necessary renewals. Our computer system, which is linked to the Mexican Patent and Trademark Department, permits us to provide our clients with a timely notice of their intellectual property matters. We also perform trademark searches and prepare and register license agreements. Due to recent changes in technology, we are increasingly being called on for assistance in licensing and litigation relating to computer software as well as for complex licensing negotiations and settlements involving patents, trademarks and copyrights. Our lawyers handle litigation for clients in all areas such as licensing, patent and trademark infringement, including counterfeiting, unfair competition cases, pirating and unlawful duplication of computer software. We are active players in Entertainment and Sport deals. In keeping with our pioneering spirit and desire to be in the vanguard of international legal developments, Goodrich opened a European office in 1971 in Paris. Today the Paris office is attended by qualified Mexican attorneys who speak French. They handle the needs of our European clients with interests in Latin America. The lawyers travel widely throughout Europe, maintaining close contacts with leading European law firms, companies and business organizations and participating in international conferences and forums on matters affecting Latin America. Modern communications allow us to support our Paris office with the full resources of the Mexico City office. Goodrich recognized long ago that our clients’ needs required us to extend our presence beyond Mexico City. Today, we have collaborating attorneys throughout Mexico. Our office in Paris and participation in the Bomchil Group associated with offices in every Latin American country enable us to ensure that our clients are competently represented wherever their businesses take them. As our clients’ needs continue to change, Goodrich, Riquelme will grow to satisfy them.
Contact Details: Paseo De La Reforma 265 06500 Mexion D.F. mailcentral@goodrichriquelme.com Telephone: (52 55) 55 33 00 40 Fax: (52 55) 55 25 12 27
Full Service Law Firm of the Year – Portugal Raposo Bernardo is full service international law firm born 20 years ago, with offices in 9 countries, two continents (Portugal, Spain, Poland, Romania, Angola, Cape Verde, GuineaBissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe). Our 70 lawyers are specialized in the structural economic sectors such as Banking and Financial Markets, Energy and Infrastructure, Construction and Real Estate, Health and Pharmaceutical, Insurance, Tourism or Transports. The firm has been consistently recommended by Legal500 EMEA, Chambers and Partners and IFLR1000 in all the relevant practice areas covered for the jurisdictions where it acts. Furthermore, Raposo Bernardo has been recognized by its performance by Finance Monthly, Corporate INTL, ACQ, and many other specialized legal publications. The firm stands for delivering top quality in every operation performed, wherever its jurisdiction, thus enhancing the sharing of relevant knowledge and local experience and transforming it into something useful by all our lawyers in their daily work. We believe this award is further evidence our firm makes a valuable long-term difference in our clients’ businesses. Areas of expertise: Corporate and M&A Banking and Finance Capital Markets Energy and Natural Resources EU and Competition Employment Tax Dispute Resolution Arbitration Public Law Real Estate Intellectual Property Raposo Bernardo managing partners are strong technically, academically best reputable lecturers, and experimented lawyers in complex and innovative international operations. The managing skills are clearly identified by the hierarchy of managing global partners and country managers, who are able to produce a sustainable decision making process to respond to the needs of the international network, in real time. Nelson Raposo Bernardo is the global managing partner of Raposo Bernardo. His reference practice areas are banking and finance, capital markets, corporate law, M&A, project finance and private equity. He advises national and multinational leading players in operations concerning debt, equity, structured finance and securitisation, M&A, project finance, private equity, restructuring and regulation. He is also strongly experienced and reputed in legislating, being co-author of the present Portuguese Securities Code and has led several legislative reform committees, in several countries, in banking, financial, real estate and construction areas. He has published books and articles on corporate law, banking and contract law, and participated as a speaker in seminars and conferences in Portugal and abroad. He was a member of a commission of the Conselho Superior da Magistratura (Supreme Judicial Council), for the approval of ad-hoc judges (2000) and consultant for Capital Markets of the Portuguese Auditors Association (1998-2006).
He holds a degree in Law from the Law School of the University of Lisbon, a Masters in Juridical Sciences (Corporate Law) from the same School, where is he is also presently working on his doctorate in Corporate Law. Assistant Professor of Corporate and Commercial Law at Law School of the University of Lisbon and in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise Start-Up and Management courses at INDEG/ISCTE (Audax) (2005present), one of the best reputed business schools in Portugal. He is chairman of boards of general meetings of several companies and associations. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. Joana Andrade Correia co-heads Raposo Bernardo’s corporate and M&A department. For over ten years, she has dedicated her work to this area, building a solid experience and notable reputation. Throughout her career, she was involved in numerous relevant domestic and international operations, concerning corporate restructuring and mergers and acquisitions for reference players of different sectors, like pharmaceutical, banking and finance, tourism and energy, among others. Outside the Portuguese jurisdiction, Joana has also participated in elaborating several legislative packages, by invitation of different governments and of the World Bank. She holds a degree in Law from the University of the Lisbon Law School and is a post-graduate in Business and Corporate Law (by the Catholic University of Lisbon), in Legistics (by the University of Lisbon Law School) and in Tourism Law (by the Estoril Tourism School). She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. Contact details Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo, Ed. Aviz, nº 35, 18º, 1050-118 Lisboa – Portugal Tel: (00351) 21 312 1330 Fax: (00351) 21 356 2908 • E-mail: lisboa@raposobernardo.com • www.raposobernardo.com
Business Advisory Services Firm of the Year – Ireland Firm Profile: Averian Global was established in 2008 to meet the needs of clients undergoing organisational or strategic change. The firm has grown organically and through acquisition (most recently Bridgewater Management in Ireland) to become one of the leading consulting firms in Europe and the Middle East offering Strategic, Technical and Solution Consulting to clients of all sizes. Averian Global now helps meet the needs of the world’s largest companies experiencing strategic challenges and undergoing significant business transformation. Since formation, the company has built a client base of successful SME’s, multinational and blue chip clients. Averian has been instrumental in adding significant value to these organisations and has a track record of success across many sectors to include Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Financial Services, Insurance, Utilities and Telecommunications. Our team of experienced and dedicated strategy professionals are chosen for their broad range of skills and are expected to have practical hands on entrepreneurial experience allied with sound academic knowledge. Our consultants have experience in delivering business strategies, transformation and organizational change programs. Through our innovative ‘CSI’ offering (C-Suite Initiatives) we focus on the achievement of business value along with very strong analytical and communication skills which enable us to manage change initiatives to solution delivery. To date we have created initiatives valued at over $1bln for our clients. On our Technical side, we have built specialist SWAT teams – experts in Software Analysis and Testing to ensure clients position only the best and most appropriate solution to meet their needs. Averian has also recently acquired BusinessChallenger.com, an innovative cloud based solution to provide consistent and expert reviews of business documents in order to remove ambiguous or vague requirements within initiatives from the earliest possible stage. This solution is currently in use amongst several Enterprise Support agencies and bodies across Ireland and the UK. At Averian, we understand the link between People, Process and Technology – we build on this and develop practical workable solutions through strategic guidance, business analysis, design, and planning and solution delivery. It is our passion for helping businesses grow that makes Averian the best there is.
Areas of Expertise: Our service offerings are as follows –
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Strategy / Business Model Development / CSI – C Suite Initiatives Technical and Solution Design and Programme Management • SWAT – Software Analysis and Testing • Financial/Accounting Services/ PMO / Test Services • Business Restructuring – Operational, Organisational, Strategic • Business Planning and Feasibility Studies • Training & Business Mentoring •
Contact Details: Averian Global – Alan Carey, Chief Executive
Limerick Office: Bridgewater House 89 O’Connell Street Limerick, Ireland T: +353 61 512122
Offices in Dublin, London, New York and Dubai
Employment Disputes Law Firm of the Year – Turks & Caicos Mark Anthony Fulford is a Managing Partner at F Chambers Attorneys based in Providenciales. He is an organizer and communicator with extensive experience in public administration and policy making, public relations, banking, sales and marketing. His expertise lies in Inward Investment, Corporate Structuring, Development, Immigration, Employment and Real Estate. He is an outstanding graduate of the University of Buckingham Law School where he was the first Turks and Caicos Islander to receive the coveted Merit Prize Award. At Buckingham University he served as President of the Law Society a position that ushered him into the company of distinguished leaders including His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. Prior to returning to the TCI where he is now the Managing Partner of F Chambers, he gained work experience in an array of practice areas with reputable law firms in London, and in Bermuda. Fulford has successfully conducted numerous cases in the Magistrate Court, Labour Tribunal, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in the Turks and Caicos Islands. He serves as the President of the Legislative Committee of the TCI Bar Association. He is a founding member and Chairman of the Advocates Legal Group, which is the largest group of Legal Aid lawyers that undertake litigation for the indigent. He is a member of the International Bar Association and sits on the Law Firm Management committee. Fulford has served as Special Assistant to the first Premier of the TCI and as an Advisor to the second Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. He regularly provides his opinion on specially commissioned work to the current Premier. Contact Details Unit 007 Emily House, 1105 Leeward Highway, P.O. Box 666 Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands
Email: info@fchamberslaw.com Telephone: +1 649 339 6275 Fax: + 1 649 941 7777
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