On 14 January 2021, The Legal 500, a leading international legal directory, released its 2021 Asia Pacific rankings. King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) was recognized in 26 practice areas, with 22 Tier 1 practice area rankings. In the newly established "Data Protection" and "Insurance" areas as well as two niche practice area "Dispute Resolution: Litigation" and "Dispute Resolution: Arbitration", KWM also received Tier 1 recognitions.
Of the 129 individuals on the list, 6 were named to the Hall of the Fame, 21 were ranked as Leading Individuals, 26 as Next Generation Partners, 14 as Rising Stars, and 69 were highly recommended lawyers in their respective practice areas.
KWM's ranked areas and recommended lawyers include (in the same order of the list):
The 22 practice areas that received Tier 1 rankings:
Antitrust and competition
Banking and finance
Capital markets
Corporate and M&A
Data protection
Dispute resolution: Arbitration
Dispute resolution: Litigation
Healthcare and life sciences
Insolvency and restructuring
Insurance
Intellectual property: Contentious
Investment funds
Labour and employment
Private equity
Projects and energy
Real estate and construction
Regulatory/compliance
Shipping
Tax
WTO/International trade
Regional coverage: Jiangsu Province: Nanjing
Regional coverage: Sichuan Province: Chengdu including Chongqing
The 4 practice areas that received Tier 2 rankings:
Fintech
Intellectual property: Non-Contentious
TMT
Regional coverage: Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou
The 6 partners who were recognized with the Hall of Fame designation:
Banking and finance: Jack Wang and Wang Ling
Capital markets: Zhao Xiaohong
Corporate and M&A: Xu Ping
Tax: Tony Dong
WTO/International trade: Xiao Jin
The 21 partners who were recognized as "Leading Individuals":
Antitrust and competition: Susan Ning
Capital markets: Zhang Yongliang
Corporate and M&A: Harry Du, Wang Kaiding
Data protection: Susan Ning
Dispute resolution: Contentious: Huang Tao, Ariel Ye
Healthcare and life sciences: Huang Jianwen
Insolvency and restructuring: Hao Zhaohui, Wang Fuxiang
Insurance: Yuan Min
Investment funds: Gong Mulong
Labour and employment: Jiang Junlu, Lucy Lu
Private Equity: Gong Mulong
Projects and energy: Tian Wenjing
Real estate and construction: William Jiang
Regulatory/compliance: Harry Liu
Shipping: Edward Ma
Tax: Bill Ye
Regional coverage: Jiangsu Province: Nanjing: Zhang Mingyuan
Regional coverage: Sichuan Province: Chengdu including Chongqing: Liu Rong
The 26 lawyers who were recognized as "Next Generation Partners":
Antitrust and competition: Chai Zhifeng, Zhang Ruohan
Banking and finance: Stella Wang
Corporate and M&A: He Wei, Huang Ling, Jennifer Yao
Data protection: Wu Han
Dispute resolution: Arbitration: Lv Mengdan
Fintech: Chen Fushen, Yu Leimin
Healthcare and life sciences: Song Ruiqiu, Zhu Yuanyuan
Insolvency and restructuring: Wang Le
Insurance: Lin Zhe
Investment funds: Han Yue
Private equity: Lin Zhijun
Project and energy: Liu Zhizhi
Real estate and construction: Xing Meidong
Regulatory/compliance: Han Yang, Li Ronghui, Xu Xiaodan
Tax: Daisy Duan
TMT: Zhang Hanyu
Regional coverage: Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou: Ye Guojun
Regional coverage: Sichuan Province: Chengdu including Chongqing: Guo Huan, Lu Yong
The 14 lawyers who received the "Rising Stars" recognitions:
Antitrust and competition: Gong Ting
Corporate and M&A: Yao Ping
Dispute resolution: Litigation: Li Dongjun and Liu Runze
Healthcare and life sciences: Li Lingbi, Sha Shuai
Insolvency and restructuring: Shen Yuhan
Insurance: Lai Yunjie
Investment funds: Dai Haixia, Wan Minxiu
Private equity: Alex Wang, Ren Liguang
Regulatory/compliance: Zhu Yuanyuan
Regional coverage: Sichuan Province: Chengdu including Chongqing: Tang Qi
The 69 individuals who were recognized as "highly recommended" lawyers (including practice heads):
Antitrust and competition: Kate Peng, Wu Han
Banking and finance: Ma Feng, Stanley Zhou, Wang Ning, Chen Fushen, Yu Leimin
Capital markets: Zhou Ning, Mu Peng, Wang Lixin, Gong Mulong, Peng Jin, Tang Lizi, Jiang Yifeng
Corporate and M&A: Wang Lixin, Tao Zhangqi, Ren Xiaolei
Dispute resolution: Arbitration: Liu Yuwu, Zhang Shouzhi, Jessica Fei, Dai Yue, Feng Dong
Dispute resolution: Litigation: Zhao Xianlong, Liu Lingyun, Yu Rihong
Fintech: Allen Zhong, Yang Xiaoquan
Healthcare and life sciences: Jianping Wang
Insolvency and restructuring: Liu Yanling
Intellectual property: Zhu Nongfan, Wang Maohua, Yang Xiaoli, Cecilia Lou, Li Xiaoyang
Investment funds: Zhang Yi, Alan Du, Helena Huang
Labour and employment: Liang Yanling, Liu Ting
Private equity: Zhang Yi, Richard Nie, Rocky Lee, Helena Huang
Project and energy: Lv Yinghao, Xiong Jin, Zhang Xiaolian
Real estate and construction: Harry Du, Tao Zhangqi, Yan Qiong
Regulatory/compliance: Wu Wei, Chang Junfeng
Shipping: Liu Xuanchi, Liu Xiaowen
Tax: Zhao Yan, Zhang Ci, Liu Bo
TMT: Zhao Xiaohong, Richard Nie, Rocky Lee, Sun Ji, Zhou Rui, Cecilia Lou, Xue Han, Tang Lizi
WTO/International trade: Liu Xinyu, Liu Cheng, Jing Yunfeng, Li Zhenghao, Cai Lei, Xiong Yi
Regional coverage: Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou: Jiang Conghua, William Jiang
Regional coverage: Jiangsu Province: Nanjing: Janet Gu
- Regional coverage: Sichuan Province: Chengdu including Chongqing: Liu Hu
