Whilst not much is guaranteed during this strange time, the people behind ranking law firms in the legal directories can, in an oddly reassuring way, always be relied on to keep the home fires burning. The very basic fact remains; whether we're all enjoying the good times, or enduring the more difficult, the world will always need legal advice, and the likes of Legal 500 will continue to speak with over 300,000 clients globally to obtain their feedback on which law firms meet the criteria required by today's in-house counsel and business leaders, wherever in the world their work takes them.
In preparation for, and following lockdown, Hassans, and its associated fiduciary arm, Line Group, worked quickly to mobilise 250 staff to ensure business continuity, to ensure professionals were accessible, and supported, to be fully functioning when clients needed us most. Whilst rewarding, for sure, to read fabulous soundbites about our lawyers and see them hit the top ranks year on year, the true value is that the legal directories provide us with a benchmark as to how our clients feel about our service to them, our expertise, and where we can improve. And that's what matters most. During and after Covid-19, the recognised lawyers accredited in today's results are working hard to help our clients deal with the difficulties they are facing, and they will continue to help our clients recover and thrive.
So, with much gratitude, our clients and peers, globally, have once again taken the time to speak for us, and we are grateful to be able to publish the following Legal 500 EMEA results:
Hassans is once again ranked in the top tier for all sections ("Hassans maintains its top position as the largest and most established firm") which this year includes a new section for FinTech with Vikram Nagrani, Anthony Provasoli and Aaron Payas listed as leading lawyers.
Hassans is also the sole leader in seven out of the 11 sections including Corporate, Commercial and M&A ("the 'very dynamic and commercially astute' team is 'well-connected and provides excellent solutions' "), FinTech ("handles all types of fintech-related matters, including token sales, DLT and providers' license applications"), Gambling Law ("unparalleled breadth of knowledge"), Private Client ("stands out for its 'personal service and its willingness to go all the way to help clients'"), Real Estate and Construction ("the top firm for real estate and construction in Gibraltar"), Shipping (" 'top firm' for admiralty work, and is noted for its strong expertise in ship arrests and registration") and Tax ("particularly strong on international tax planning").
Amongst the remaining top tier listings are Banking and Finance (" Hassans is the 'go-to' firm"), Dispute Resolution ("has a strong track record representing claimants and defendants in commercial litigation"), Investment Funds (" 'highly engaged team of professionals' ") and Technology, Media and Telecoms ("market-leading TMT practice").
The firm has also gained 25 leading lawyer recommendations with many lawyers being listed in multiple sections. The following lawyers have been listed this year for their specialist areas of work.
Francis Warne, Nigel Feetham, Tony Provasoli, Valerie Holliday and Yvonne Chu (Banking and Finance); Abigail Cornelio, Ian Felice, Isaac Levy, James Levy CBE QC, Michael Castiel, Peter Montegriffo QC and Vikram Nagrani (Commercial, Corporate and M&A); Daniel Feetham QC, Gillian Guzman QC, Lewis Baglietto QC (Dispute Resolution); Aaron Payas, Anthony Provasoli and Vikram Nagrani (FinTech), Peter Montegriffo QC (Gambling Law); James Lasry (Investment funds); Isaac Levy, James Levy CBE QC, Javier Chincotta, Peter Montegriffo QC and Vikram Nagrani (Private Client); Nicholas Howard (Real Estate and Construction); Lewis Baglietto QC (Shipping); Anthony Provasoli, Peter Montegriffo QC and Vikram Nagrani (Technology, Media & Telecoms); Grahame Jackson and Michael Castiel (Tax).
The "Next Generation" (junior/new/younger partner/s who make a material difference) partners recognised are Aaron Payas (Investment Funds), Gemma Vasquez and Ian Farrell (both for Real estate and Construction).
And finally, our "Rising Star" (associate/s who make a material difference to the practice) lawyer recognised is: Darren Martinez (Dispute Resolution).
Javier Chincotta, Managing Partner at Hassans, commented:
"We continue to work hard to keep our staff safe and, in accordance with Government and Public Heath guidance, continue to offer our services and thereby minimise the impact of COVID on business continuity. We continue to service those clients who require our assistance.
As ever, we are grateful to our clients and peers for participating in this process, as we are to the hardworking team at Hassans for their commitment to delivering the quality of service our clients and partners have come to expect of our firm."
The full rankings for Gibraltar can be seen here: http://www.legal500.com/c/gibraltar
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