Now into its fifth year, the eagerly anticipated ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2006 provides recognition for Hong Kong's outstanding legal achievers. And there is much to celebrate this year, with both transactional and non-transactional areas of law enjoying something of a resurgence after some challenging times of late.
Always an entertaining evening - where else will you see your legal peers juggling sticks of fire? - the event once again offers you the opportunity to mix business with pleasure during an evening of fine dining, high spirits and the essential free flowing wine and beer.
The Conrad Hotel's elegantly appointed Grand Ballroom is the venue of choice and will provide the stage for this black tie event. ALB magazine also is grateful for the continued support of Hong Kong's premier legal event by an ever impressive list of sponsors, as well as by many other generous organisations.
Never one to rest upon its laurels, ALB magazine has once again brought innovation to its annual flagship event, broadening the scope of categories that acknowledge excellence among corporate counsel, as well as short-listing the most complex legal work in a number of core transactional categories. Deals eligible for consideration must have closed during the financial year of 1 April 2005 through to 31 March 2006.
So, while all of the old favourite categories make a welcome return - such as the prestigious Managing Partner of the Year Award, Hong Kong Law Firm of the Year Award and Investment Bank Team of the Year Award - be ready to press the flesh with a broader range of lawyers this year as we celebrate success across 36 award categories.
With more firms short-listed for more categories, this year's Awards promises to be the most exciting yet. Over the next few pages, we detail this year's official list of finalists, with the winners kept strictly confidential until the evening itself.
HONG KONG LAW AWARDS FINALISTS
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Charltons
Jonathan Rostron Solicitors
Lea & White
The Macallan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Award
Chambers of the Year
Finalists:
Des Voeux Chambers
Parkside
Temple Chambers
Guy Laroche Award Criminal Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Boase Cohen & Collins
Haldanes
Robertsons
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Allen & Overy
Baker & McKenzie
Deacons
Johnson Stokes & Master
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo
Construction Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Masons
Minter Ellison
Insurance Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
Clifford Chance
CMS Cameron McKenna
Deacons
Herbert Smith
Kennedys
Shipping Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Clyde & Co
DLA Piper
Holman Fenwick & Willan
Ince & Co
Richards Butler
IT/Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Allen & Overy
Arculli & Associates
Bird & Bird
Linklaters
Minter Ellison
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
City University of Hong Kong Award Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Clifford Chance
Deacons
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Herbert Smith
Johnson Stokes & Master
Linklaters
Richards Butler
Grant Thornton Award Insolvency & Restructuring Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Johnson Stokes & Master
White & Case
Employment Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Baker & McKenzie
Deacons
Johnson Stokes & Master
Simmons & Simmons
Tanner De Witt
Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Baker & McKenzie
Deacons
Lovells
So Keung Yip & Sin
Wilkinson & Grist
Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Clifford Chance
Deacons
Linklaters
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood
Simmons & Simmons
Horwath Hong Kong CPA Limited Award Matrimonial Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Boase Cohen & Collins
Haldanes
Hampton Winter & Glynn
Stevenson Wong & Co
HSBC Bank International Limited Award Offshore Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Appleby Spurling Hunter
Conyers Dill & Pearman
Harney Westwood & Riegels
Maples and Calder
Walkers
Fortis Intertrust Award Tax & Trusts Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Baker & McKenzie
Bryan Cave
Johnson Stokes & Master
Lea & White
ABN AMRO Private Banking, Global Wealth Solutions Award
Banking Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Allen & Overy
Baker & McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Johnson Stokes & Master
Linklaters
Lovells
Real Estate In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
Hong Kong Land
Hutchison Whampoa
Sun Hung Kai
Construction In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
Gammon Construction Limited
Hong Kong Airport Authority
Housing Authority
KCRC
MTRC
Insurance In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
AIG
Chubb
Essar
Prudential
Swiss Re
Holman Fenwick & Willan Award Shipping In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
COSCO
Hutchison Port Holdings Limited
Noble Group
OOCL
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Award IT/Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
CSL
Hewlett-Packard
Hutchison Global Telecom
PCCW
Smartone
Wharf T&T
Media & Entertainment In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
Disney
PCCW
Star TV
Time Warner
TOM Online
Warner Brothers
Banking & Financial Services In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
Asia Commercial Bank - now Public Bank (HK)
Hang Seng Bank
Standard Chartered
Top Executive Award Investment Bank In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
Credit Suisse
Goldman Sachs
Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley
UBS
Blancpain Award Hong Kong In-House Lawyer of the Year
Finalists:
David Lamb, Hongkong Land
Edith Shih, Hutchison
Eirene Yeung, Cheung Kong
Ella Wong, Star TV
DLA Piper Award Hong Kong In-House Team of the Year
Finalists:
To be announced on the evening
Asset Finance Deal of the Year
Finalists:
Korea Line Corporation
Firms: Linklaters; DLA Piper; Lee & Ko; Morgan & Morgan; Clifford Chance; Kim & Chang; Patton Moreno; Richards Butler
Banks: Macquarie Bank; Standard Chartered
Thai Airways - A340-500/600
Firms: Baker & McKenzie; Norton Rose
Bank: Barclays Bank
Mitsui OSK Lines - Qatar LNG carriers
Firms: Allen & Overy; JSM
Banks: DnB NOR Bank ASA; Société Générale; The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Sweet & Maxwell Asia Award Structured Finance & Securitisation Deal of the Year
Finalists:
China Construction Bank
Firms: Freshfields; King & Wood
Banks: Standard Chartered Bank; HSBC; CITIC Trust and Investment acted
IndoCoal
Firms: White & Case; Sidley Austin; Paul Hastings; Hadiputranto Hadinioto & Partners; Mochtar Karuwin Komar; Ali Budiardjo Negroho; Venture Law; Jones Day; Maples and Calder
Banks: Merrill Lynch; PT Danatama Makmur
Accountants: Siddharta, Siddharta and Widjaja; Doli Bambay & Sudamuadji
Samsung Card
Firms: Paul Hastings; Shin & Kim; Horizon Law Group; Hwang Mok Park; Walkers
Banks: Standard Chartered Bank; HSBC
Chinatrust Commercial Bank
Firms: Lee and Li; Linklaters; Clifford Chance; LCS; Allen & Overy
Bank: UBS
Hsinchu International Mortgage Loan
Firm: Jones Day
Banks: Ambac Assurance Corporation; Calyon; Deutsche Bank
Project Finance Deal of the Year
Finalists:
Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A.
Firms: Skadden; Clifford Chance; Henrique Saldanha
Banks: SCCIB; Banc of America Securities Asia; Deutsche Bank
Gangwon Wind Power Project
Firms: WuHyun; Latham & Watkins; Bae Kim & Lee
Banks: BNP Paribas; Industrial Bank of Korea; EKF; BNP Paribas
Pusan New Port Project II
Firms: Kim & Chang; Allen & Overy; Lee & Ko; Linklaters; Shearman & Sterling
Banks: DZ Bank; Calyon
K-Power Kwangyang IPP
Firm: Baker & McKenzie
Bank: Korean Development Bank
Debt Market Deal of the Year
Finalists:
XinAo Gas Holdings
Firms: Linklaters; Clifford Chance; Maples and Calder; Woo Kwan Lee & Lo
Bank: Deutsche Bank
Mandra Forestry Holdings Limited
Firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Slaughter and May; Commerce & Finance Law Offices; Conyers Dill & Pearman; Milbank Tweed; Morrison & Foerster; Walkers; Jingtian & Goncheng; Linklaters
Bank: Morgan Stanley
Accountant: BDO McCabe Lo & Company
Hopson Development
Firms: Linklaters; Shearman & Sterling; Conyers Dill & Pearman
Banks: Credit Suisse; Morgan Stanley
Chinese Future Corporation
Firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Slaughter and May; Commerce & Finance Law Offices; Herbert Smith; Jin Mao PRC Lawyers; Conyers Dill & Pearman
Bank: Morgan Stanley
Accountant: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd
Galaxy Casino
Firms: White & Case; Sa Carneiro & Pinheiro Torres; Davis Polk & Wardwell
Banks: Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch
Hays Award Equity Market Deal of the Year
Finalists:
Link REIT
Firms: Allen & Overy; Clifford Chance; Linklaters; Shearman & Sterling; Simmons & Simmons
Banks: Goldman Sachs; HSBC; UBS
China Construction Bank
Firms: Herbert Smith; Skadden; Milbank Tweed; Commerce & Finance Law Offices; Freshfields; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Haiwen & Partners
Banks: Morgan Stanley; CSFB; CICC; CCB International Capital Limited
Accountant: KPMG
Dongfeng Motors
Firms: Herbert Smith; Haiwen & Partners; Slaughter and May; Debevoise & Plimpton; Commerce & Finance Law Offices
Banks: China International Capital Corporation (CICC); Deutsche Bank; Merrill Lynch
Chunghwa Telecom
Firms: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell; Baker & McKenzie; Lee and Li; Chang & Associates
Banks: Goldman Sachs; Morgan Stanley; UBS
LG.Philips LCD
Firms: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Cleary Gottlieb; Kim& Chang; Shin & Kim
Banks: Morgan Stanley; UBS; ABN AMRO; Citigroup
Accountant: Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers
Lotte Shopping
Firms: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Cleary Gottlieb; Kim & Chang; Woo Yun Kang Jeong & Han
Banks: Goldman Sachs; Nomura Securities
Bally Award M&A Deal of the Year
Finalists:
Beijing Yanhua privatisation
Firms: Linklaters; Herbert Smith; Skadden; Haiwen & Partners; Deheng Law Offices; Coudert Brothers; Commerce & Finance Law Offices; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Banks: Morgan Stanley; CICC; Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers
Accountant: KPMG
Sinochem reverse takeover
Firms: Herbert Smith; Allen & Overy; Preston Gates & Ellis; Tianyuan Law Firm; Conyers Dill & Pearman
Banks: Cazenove Asia Limited; Goldman Sachs; Somerley Limited
Accountants: PwC; Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Bank of America - CCB
Firms: Cleary Gottlieb; King & Wood; Deacons; Milbank Tweed; Commerce & Finance Law Offices; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Banks: Morgan Stanley; CICC
Accountant: KPMG
Pacific Alliance - Goodbaby Group
Firms: White & Case; Sidley; Allen & Overy
Bank: Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank
Standard Chartered - Bohai Bank
Firms: Linklaters; King & Wood; Bird & Bird
RBS - Bank of China
Firms: Linklaters; Fangda Partners; Dundas & Wilson; Sullivan & Cromwell; Herbert Smith; Jun He Law Offices; Shearman & Sterling; Baker & McKenzie; Skadden; Milbank Tweed; Weil Gotshal & Manges
Bank: Merrill Lynch
Standard Chartered - Korea First Bank
Firms: Allen & Overy; Kim & Chang; Cleary Gottlieb; Woo Yun Kang Jeong & Han
Banks: Lehman Brothers; UBS
Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong Award China Practice of the Year
Finalists:
Baker & McKenzie
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Jones Day
O'Melveny & Myers
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Shearman & Sterling
Skadden
Lufthansa German Airlines Award Managing Partner of the Year
Finalists:
Christopher Stevens, Orrick
Marc Harvey, Linklaters
Mark Lloyd Williams, Herbert Smith
Perry Noble, Freshfields
Richard Tanner, Tanner De Witt
Blancpain Award Hong Kong Law Firm of the Year
Finalists:
Baker & McKenzie
Deacons
Johnson Stokes & Master
Richards Butler
Tanner De Witt
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo