Allen & Overy LLP - The Who's Who Legal 100 2013

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

With over 1,000 lawyers worldwide specialising in complex banking and finance matters, Allen & Overy is a clear frontrunner in this field and it is no surprise that this is the third year in a row that the firm has been named our banking law firm of the year. We list an incredible 25 lawyers from 13 offices in our banking chapter. Leading practitioners in this area include Kayal Sachi, a “go-to lawyer” in Singapore who is highly recommended by sources. She has a broad financing practice which includes restructuring. London-based Timothy Polglase, global head of the leveraged financial practice, is “superb” in complex matters surrounding domestic and cross border leveraged buyouts. In Sydney, Chris Robertson is a “leading specialist” in acquisition and leveraged finance, syndicated and bilateral lending and real estate finance.

A large number of Allen & Overy’s banking lawyers specialise in project finance and we list five lawyers who are highlighted in both chapters. The project finance practice at the firm is simply outstanding, with 23 lawyers recognised for their abilities in our research. In Hong Kong, Thomas Brown is “extremely personable” and has advised banks, export credit agencies and sponsors in a variety of sectors including power, oil and gas and telecommunications. He is also listed in the public procurement chapter. In Singapore, John Richards advises on Indonesian mining, commodity and infrastructure financings. He has “vast amounts of experience in Asia and is an excellent problem solver”. Outside of Asia, Bart Meesters is of counsel to the firm’s Amsterdam office and specialises in PPP projects and project finance. He is a “distinguished” practitioner and has been “very influential” in this area. New York-based Robert Kartheiser heads the office’s project practice and is “very knowledgeable about emerging markets, particularly Latin America”. He has “unique experience” gained while head of a power producer’s Latin American development group. In Sydney, Adam Stapledon impresses clients with his “sophisticated and strategic business advice” in structured and project finance.

Other banking lawyers of note include Daniel Ginting and Jason Huinink. Based in Jakarta, Ginting is the managing partner of Ginting & Reksodiputro which has an exclusive association agreement with Allen & Overy. He is “very active” in the market. In Sydney, Huinink is “one of the best finance lawyers in Australia” and has particular expertise in aviation financing, earning him an additional listing in our aviation chapter. Henri Wagner is managing partner of the firm’s Luxembourg office as well as the partner in charge of the banking and capital markets department. Wagner has over 20 years’ experience in the sector and is “very sharp-minded”.

Allen & Overy are our public procurement law firm of the year for the fourth consecutive time with 11 lawyers listed in the corresponding chapter. Aled Davies, managing partner of the firm’s Tokyo office, is a “key practitioner” and has advised clients across a range of industries. Adam Moncrieff is a “leading light” in project finance and public procurement. He has recently been relocated to the Vietnam office. In Europe, Helga Van Peer, head of the global public law practice, focuses on PPP projects for a wide variety of sectors and Arent van Wassenaer is a “full-service” public procurement practitioner with a practice that covers both contentious and non-contentious work.

Allen & Overy also has one of the highest numbers of inclusions for competition, where we feature 16 “terrific” practitioners. The firm has been involved in some of the highest-profile competition enforcement cases in recent years, with a full-service practice that covers abuse of dominance, cartels and merger control. This area is particularly well represented by the firm’s Belgium office which is home to three “stand out” lawyers. Dirk Arts is head of the Belgian competition law department and is a “well-regarded expert” in his field. Also at the firm is Martin Bechtold who has “exceptional experience in merger control”. Michael Reynolds is a “doyen” of the marketplace with over 30 years’ experience in the area. He was elected in early 2013 as the new president of the International Bar Association.

The firm fields an enviable 15 entries in our capital markets publication, including Stephen Miller and Angela Clist from the London office. Miller is “very strong on debt matters” while Clist is “greatly experienced” in public and private securitisations. One lawyer of particular note is Dirk Meeus, managing partner of Allen & Overy Belgium and co-head of the global corporate practice; he is a “leading lawyer” in both our capital markets and M&A chapters.

Allen & Overy has had a strong presence in the UAE since 1978 when it opened an office in Dubai. The firm has been unstoppable in the region and is now one of the most highly respected firms in the Middle East, with an additional office in Abu Dhabi which opened in 2007. As well as relocating top lawyers, the firm also hires the leading local practitioners, ensuring a world class practice which has intellectually gifted specialists with the benefit of local knowledge. The firm recently advised the Creditors’ Committees on the $14.4 billion restructuring of Dubai World. We list eight lawyers from the region, making Allen & Overy our UAE law firm of the year.

In Abu Dhabi, M&A specialist Khalid Garousha and telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) expert Tom Levine are highly rated by our respondents. Garousha is “fantastic to work with” and “very dedicated to his clients”. His practice focuses on regional M&A and ECM transactions. Levine is head of the TMT group in the Middle East as well as the firm’s global telecommunications practice. His commercial understanding and technical knowledge is “second to none”. Allen & Overy’s Dubai practice is particularly strong in finance. The “pre-eminent” Anzal Mohammed is responsible for the firm’s global Islamic finance practice and the capital markets practice in the Middle East. Head of the region’s restructuring practice Christian Saunders is highly recommended in our banking publication, while Nick Smith, head of investment funds in the UAE, is one of the “leading practitioners” in private funds. Several lawyers at the firm have expertise in multiple areas. The “talented” Bimal Desai excels in banking, public procurement, project finance and oil and gas and is noted for his “outstanding market knowledge”. Ian Ingram-Johnson is a “leading project finance practitioner” who works for high-profile clients in a variety of industries. He is included in our banking, project finance and public procurement chapters. Duncan Macnab also “excels” in project finance and public procurement and has “a wealth of experience” in advising on major infrastructure projects.

The firm fields lawyers in a further 21 practice areas, a testament to the wide-ranging expertise of Allen & Overy.