Walkers' Hong Kong and Singapore offices have once again been ranked in Band 1 for Offshore Law by Chambers and Partners in their 2017 Asia-Pacific Guide.
Described by Chambers and Partners as 'Finance giants with impressive knowledge across BVI and Cayman law', Walkers had eight partners ranked in the guide, the same as in 2016.
One source described Walkers as "very commercial, responsive, flexible and very client-friendly," and a further source added: "They would be the premier offshore firm in Singapore".
Singapore managing partner, John Rogers, stated: "I am delighted to see that the hard work performed by our practices across the Asian region has been recognised by this leading legal directory".
Hong Kong managing partner, Andy Randall, commented: "This result reflects the quality and capabilities of our Asian offices and I look forward to building upon this success over the course of 2017".
Walkers' Notable Practitioners:
Fraser Hern (Band 1) heads the firm's insolvency and dispute resolution practice in Asia. He advises creditors, debtors and insolvency practitioners on contentious and non-contentious restructurings, and interviewees note that he is "clearly dedicated to giving responsive client service that goes the extra mile."
Arwel Lewis (Band 1) has a leading reputation for corporate work, especially in relation to private equity funds. He acted for Chinese government-backed investment fund China Media Capital on the formation of a joint venture with Warner Bros. to establish a new firm studio with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Los Angeles.
John Rogers (Band 1) advises on banking and finance, capital markets and private equity transactions and is considered a "well-respected, leading practitioner in Singapore." His expertise covers Cayman Islands and BVI law, and he has significant experience advising major clients throughout Asia.
Andy Randall (Band 2) manages the firm's Hong Kong office and is regarded as a "very good, incredibly commercial, excellent lawyer." He acted as Cayman counsel to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. on its acquisition financing of Sankaty Advisor's takeover of GE Capital's Australian Commercial Finance portfolio.
Denise Wong (Band 2) advised Alibaba regarding its take-private acquisition of NYSE-listed Chinese video website Youku Tudou. She attracts strong market recognition for her broad corporate and investment funds practice acting for significant Chinese clients on major transactions.
Thomas Granger's (Band 4) practice focuses on advising South-East Asian and Japanese clients on corporate and investment fund mandates. He played a leading role in the team advising Barings Private Equity Asia on its majority stake in Vistra Group Holding (BVI) and is considered to be "great at the technicalities of the deal as well as the details of the law."
Kristen Kwok (Up and Coming) assisted BNP Paribas regarding USD143.7 million floating rate guaranteed notes issued by Aeronautic Investments 18 to refinance loans arranged by BNP Paribas. She specialises in aircraft and ship financing matters as well as advising on a broader array of structured finance and capital markets matters.
Laura Rogers (Up and Coming) has a growing reputation as a "top-notch, commercially savvy lawyer" with expertise acting for investment fund managers, financial institutions and corporate clients on fund formation, transactions and governance matters.