On 5 December 2019, the world's renowned legal directory Chambers and Partners ("Chambers") released the Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020. Among the 27 recognised practice areas, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) earned 21 Band 1 rankings, in particular, the practice of Projects & Infrastructure moving up to Band 1 for the first time. KWM struck a new record in Chambers Asia-Pacific Band 1 recognitions.
Amongst the 71 recognized KWM partners, 10 were named as Leading Lawyers above Band 1 and 14 from 14 practice areas as Band 1. This year, 15 additional partners from 8 practice areas were newly ranked.
KWM was ranked as a Band 1 Law Firm in the following 21 categories (same as the order in the list):
1. Aviation Finance
2. Banking & Finance
3. Capital Markets: China Domestic Issuances
4. Capital Markets: Hong Kong and Overseas Issuances
5. Capital Markets: Securitisation & Derivatives
6. Competition / Antitrust
7. Corporate Investigations / Anti-Corruption
8. Corporate / Commercial: East Coast: Guangdong
9. Corporate / Commercial: Western China: Sichuan
10. Corporate / M&A
11. Dispute Resolution
12. Employment
13. Energy & Natural Resources
14. Environment
15. Insurance
16. Intellectual Property: Litigation
17. Intellectual Property: Non-litigation
18. Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment
19. Projects & Infrastructure
20. Restructuring / Insolvency
21. Tax
In addition, KWM also achieved Band 2 ranking in International Trade / WTO (Respondent), Investment Funds and Real Estate; and Band 3 ranking in Corporate / Commercial: East Coast: Zhejiang, Healthcare and TMT.
Leading Lawyers (same as the order in the list):
· Senior Statesman: Wang Fuxiang (Restructuring / Insolvency)
· Eminent Practitioners:
Wang Ling (Banking & Finance)
Yang Xiaolei (Capital Markets (Debt and Equity))
Huang Tao (Dispute Resolution: Litigation, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration)
Ariel Ye (Dispute Resolution: Arbitration)
Zhang Shouzhi (Dispute Resolution: Litigation, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration)
Zhu Nongfan (Intellectual Property (Foreign Legal Consultant)
Li Zhongsheng (Intellectual Property: Litigation)
Tina Tai: (Intellectual Property: Non-litigation)
· Star Individual: Jiang Junlu (Employment)
· Banking & Finance: Jack Wang (Band 1), Robert Chen, Lv Yinghao, Ma Feng, Allen Zhong and Stanley Zhou
· Capital Markets (Debt and Equity): Tang Lizi (Band 1), Gong Mulong, Su Zheng, Wang Lixin, Zhang Yongliang, Zhou Ning and Zhou Rui
· Capital Markets (Securitisation & Derivatives): Fang Rong, Eddie Hu and Li Wenmin
· Competition / Antitrust: Susan Ning (Band 1) and Kate Peng
· Corporate Investigations / Anti-Corruption: Harry Liu (Band 1), Chang Junfeng and Wu Wei
· Corporate / Commercial: East Coast: Guangdong: Wang Lixin (Band 1), Feng Xiaopeng, Tao Zhangqi and Zhou Rui
· Corporate / Commercial: East Coast: Shandong: Li Ping, Zhang Ruji and Ren Zhanjiang
· Corporate / Commercial: Western China: Sichuan: Liu Rong
· Corporate / M&A: Xu Ping (Band 1), Xiong Jin, Mo Haibo and Richard Nie
· Corporate / M&A: China-based (International Firms): Huang Ling
· Dispute Resolution (Arbitration, International Firms): Jessica Fei
· Dispute Resolution (Arbitration): Liu Yuwu (Band 1)
· Dispute Resolution (Litigation): Liu Yuwu and Richard Yun
· Employment: Linda Liang, Lucy Lu and Yin Juquan
· Energy & Natural Resources: Xiong Jin
· Environment: Wu Qing (Brand 1)
· Healthcare: Mark Zhang
· Insurance: Yuan Min (Brand 1)
· Intellectual Property (Litigation): Mia Qu, Shi Yusheng and Xu Jing
· Intellectual Property (Non-litigation): Chen Wenping and Yang Xiaoli
· International Trade / WTO (Respondent): Xiao Jin (Band 1) and Liu Cheng
· Investment Funds: Alan Du and Gong Mulong
· Private Client / Wealth Management: Steven Wang (Band 1)
· Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment: Gong Mulong and Zhang Yi
· Projects & Infrastructure: Tian Wenjing (Band 1)
· Real Estate: Harry Du (Band 1) and Kathy Fan
· Restructuring / Insolvency: Daryl Hao, Liu Yanling and Zhao Kuncheng
· Shipping: Northern China: Edward Ma
· Tax: Tony Dong (Band 1), Bill Ye and Daisy Duan
