Winners Announced for China Law & Practice Awards 2019

Shanghai-based Fangda has worked on several winning transactions in the deal awards categories. Last year, it represented a Chinese consortium led by ANTA Sports and FountainVest in a $5.2 billion acquisition of Helsinki-based sportswear maker Amer Sports; this deal won this year's Outbound Deal of the Year. Fangda also represented regular client Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. on a partnership with online luxury retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter, winner of TMT Deal of the Year. 

In addition, Fangda also took home four Firm of the Year awards in competition law, intellectual property, M&A and regulatory and compliance. Beijing partner Kate Yin was awarded Regulatory and Compliance Lawyer of the Year.

Meanwhile, Allen & Overy took home International Firm of the Year. The finalists in that highly competitive category included Baker McKenzie, Clifford Chance, Linklaters, and last year's winner Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The Magic Circle firm advised China CITIC Bank Corp. on a $3.5 billion financing to fund Chinese manufacturer Tianqi Lithium Corp.'s acquisition of a minority stake in New York-listed Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile; the deal was named Finance Deal of the Year. Allen & Overy also represented Diageo Plc. on its acquisition of a bigger stake in Chinese spirits maker Sichuan Shuijingfang Co. Ltd., the M&A Deal of the Year.

In addition, Allen & Overy also received Finance and Real Estate Firm of the Year awards.

Linklaters took Most Innovative Firm of the Year. Last year, the firm was finally able to seal the deal with China's Zhao Sheng Law Firm in forming a joint operations office in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone; the two firms were able to collaborate on several shortlisted matters including as counsel to China Merchants Group on the reorganization project of Liaoning Port. The Linklaters-Zhao Sheng model was slightly different from the rest of the FTZ JOs because the Magic Circle firm managed to transfer a few of its own lawyers into the Chinese firms and made the collaboration more smooth. Also, Linklaters' Nakhoda technology and AI platform also won Best Use of Technology award.

Jingtian & Gongcheng's Hong Kong office, officially launched earlier this year, was named this year's Best New Office. The Hong Kong office evolved from the firm's alliance with two former Mayer Brown transactions partners and has now expanded to include a Hong Kong law disputes practice.

Chinese phonemaker Xiaomi Corp.'s legal department won In-House Team of the Year for domestic companies. The Beijing-based company was the first to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last year after the listing rules were changed to allow dual-class share structures. LEGO Toy (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. received the same award for multinationals.

A full list of the winners is here.

DEALS OF THE YEAR  年度杰出交易

Debt Securities 债务性证券

Bank of China $1.83B Greater Bay Area Bond

Linklaters 年利达律师事务所

Clifford Chance 高伟绅律师事务所

JunZeJun Law Offices 君泽君律师事务所

Jingtian & Gongcheng 竞天公诚律师事务所

Equity Securities 权益性证券

Yancoal Australia Dual primary listing

Slaughter and May司力达律师事务所

Gilbert + Tobin

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer富而德律师事务所

Herbert Smith Freehills 史密夫律师事务所

ShineWing信永中和會計師事務所

King & Wood Mallesons 金杜律师事务所

Baker McKenzie 贝克麦坚时律师事务所

Finance  融资

Financing for acquisition of SQM

Latham & Watkins 瑞生律师事务所

King & Wood Mallesons 金杜律师事务所

White & Case

Allen & Overy 安理国际律师事务所

Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所

JunHe 君合律师事务所

M&A  并购

Diageo's acquisition of Shuijingfang

Allen & Overy 安理国际律师事务所

Haiwen 海问律师事务所

JunHe 君合律师事务所

Outbound  对外投资

ANTA, FountainVest's acquisition of Amer Sports Corp.

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

Kirkland & Ellis凯易律师事务所

White & Case

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 富而德律师事务所

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison宝维斯律师事务所

Projects & Energy 项目及能源

China Merchants Group's $3.5 billion Djibouti free trade zone project

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

Simmons & Simmons西盟斯律师事务所

TMT  电信、传媒及科技

Alibaba's strategic partnership with YOOX Net-A-Porter

Ropes & Gray 瑞格律师事务所

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

Slaughter and May司力达律师事务所

JunHe 君合律师事务所

FIRMS OF THE YEAR  年度杰出律师事务所

Banking & Finance  银行及金融

China: 中国律所

Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Allen & Overy 安理国际律师事务所

Capital Markets  资本市场

China:  中国律所

Tian Yuan Law Firm 天元律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom 世达律师事务所

Competition  竞争法

China:  中国律所

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Linklaters 年利达律师事务所

Dispute Resolution  争议解决

China:  中国律所

Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Herbert Smith Freehills 史密夫律师事务所

Healthcare & Life Sciences  医疗及生命科学

China:  中国律所

King & Wood Mallesons 金杜律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Cooley科律律师事务所

Intellectual Property  知识产权

China:  中国律所

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Baker McKenzie 贝克麦坚时律师事务所

Investment Funds 投资基金

China:  中国律所

Jingtian & Gongcheng 竞天公诚律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Shearman & Sterling

Labor & Employment  劳动法

China:  中国律所

Dentons 大成律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Baker McKenzie 贝克麦坚时律师事务所

M&A  并购

China:  中国律所

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Clifford Chance 高伟绅律师事务所

Private Equity & Venture Capital  私募及风投

China:  中国律所

Han Kun Law Offices 汉坤律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Latham & Watkins 瑞生律师事务所

Projects & Energy 项目及能源

China:  中国律所

Tian Yuan Law Firm 天元律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Herbert Smith Freehills 史密夫律师事务所

Real Estate  房地产

China:  中国律所

Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Allen & Overy 安理国际律师事务所

Regulatory & Compliance  监管及合规

China:  中国律所

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Clifford Chance 高伟绅律师事务所

TMT 电信、传媒及科技

China:  中国律所

TransAsia 权亚律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Mayer Brown孖士打律师行

Trade  国际贸易

China:  中国律所

Jincheng Tongda & Neal 金诚同达律师事务所

International:  国际律所

Steptoe & Johnson世强律师事务所

Best New Office 最佳新办公室

Jingtian & Gongcheng, Hong Kong 竞天公诚律师事务所, 香港

Offshore  离岸律师事务所

Walkers 汇嘉律师事务所

DEALMAKERS OF THE YEAR  年度杰出交易律师

China Dealmaker  中国律所杰出交易律师

Chen Dafei, Han Kun Law Offices 陈达飞, 汉坤律师事务所

International Dealmaker  国际律所杰出交易律师

He Li, Davis Polk & Wardwell 何鲤, 达维律师事务所

LAWYERS OF THE YEAR  年度杰出律师

Competition  竞争法

Janet Hui, JunHe 许蓉蓉, 君合律师事务所

Labor & Employment  劳动法

Patrick Gu, Llinks Law Offices 辜鸿鹄, 通力律师事务所

Private Client  家族及私人客户

Mingjun Jia, Zhong Lun Law Firm 贾明军, 中伦律师事务所

Real Estate & Construction  房地产及工程建设

Furong Deng, Zhong Lun Law Firm 邓福荣, 中伦律师事务所

Regulatory & Compliance 监管及合规

Kate Yin, Fangda Partners 尹云霞, 方达律师事务所

Rising Star 新秀律师

Amy Lupeng Liu, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett 刘璐芃, 盛信律师事务所

Pro Bono Firm of the Year 年度最佳公益法律服务律所

Han Kun Law Offices  汉坤律师事务所

Best Use of Technology 最佳科技应用

Linklaters' Nakhoda technology platform

IN-HOUSE TEAMS OF THE YEAR  年度企业法律顾问团队

Chinese Company  中国企业

Xiaomi Corp. 小米集团

International Company  国际企业

LEGO Toy (Shanghai) Co. Ltd 乐高玩具(上海)有限公司

GENERGAL COUNSEL OF THE YEAR 年度总法律顾问

Chinese Company  中国企业

Yu Tat Fung, Yuexiu Group 越秀集团

International Company  国际企业

Yibing Mao, Marriott International 毛怡冰, 万豪国际集团

SSQ GRAND PRIX AWARDS |  SSQ特别大奖

Most Innovative Firm of the Year  年度最创新律师事务所

Linklaters 年利达律师事务所

China Firm of the Year  年度中国律师事务所

Fangda Partners 方达律师事务所

International Firm of the Year  年度国际律师事务所

Allen & Overy 安理国际律师事务所