Linklaters LLP - Who's Who Legal 70

What is the Who's Who Legal 70?

Linklaters LLP in Who's Who Legal

	Project Finance
	12

	Insolvency & Restructuring
	2

	Business Crime Defence
	1

	Project Finance
	12

	Real Estate
	13

	Aviation
	1

	Life Sciences
	2

	Oil & Gas
	2

	Corporate Governance
	5

	Competition
	18

	Trademarks
	1

	Patents
	2

	Mergers & Acquisitions
	7

	Private funds
	5

	Construction
	2

	Private funds
	5

	Commercial Litigation
	6

	Management Labour & Employment
	1

	Banking
	11

	Corporate Tax
	15

	Mining
	3

	Environment
	3

	Insurance & Reinsurance
	1

	Arbitration
	2

	Public Procurement
	3

	Capital Markets
	26

With around 2,200 lawyers in 19 countries, Linklaters LLP is universally acknowledged as an international powerhouse. This magic circle heavyweight has 150 practitioners listed in 25 of our 31 chapters. The Brussels and Antwerp offices make a significant contribution to the firm’s overall listing and once again Linklaters wins our award for Belgium law firm of the year, with more nominees then any other firm in the country.

With a phenomenal 33 lawyers from 19 offices listed in the capital markets chapter, Linklaters takes our award for law firm of the year in this discipline. The firm’s “incredible pedigree” is unmatched in size or geographical breadth by any other firm in this sector. Eight are selected from London, including James Rice. A “structured finance and securitisation guru”, Rice is joined by the “first-class” Lachlan Burn, as well as Keith Thomson who is particularly highly rated for his knowledge of emerging markets. The firm is similarly strong across the continent, with further partners picked out as leaders in France, Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal and Italy. In Portugal, Jorge Bleck was repeatedly singled out as “one of the finest lawyers in the country” and in Luxembourg, Tom Loesch appears in both the capital markets and aviation chapters. Five more Linklaters partners are selected in Germany, including Berthold Kusserow. Counsel to the Frankfurt office and “one of the deans of the practice area worldwide”, his knowledge of debt issuance, structured products and bond issues is “unrivalled”. In Asia, eight nominees feature from offices in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Mary Matson is head of securitisation in Hong Kong and is seen as a “worldwide authority”. Tokyo-based Akihiro Wani and Paul Kruger in New York are both singled out for their capital markets and banking expertise.

With a global reach, the firm’s banking practice has a total of 10 nominees selected from seven countries. Two of Germany’s most highly nominated individuals once again include the “extremely knowledgeable” Berthold Kusserow, and Eva Reudelhuber, who is “very well versed in all types of financing”. London-based Nick Syson is co-head of the leveraged finance practice and has “one of the sharpest legal minds around”. Trevor Clark, co-head of the Asia Pacific banking and restructuring group, is “one of the outstanding experts in Hong Kong”. Further market leading nominees are selected in Belgium, Japan, New York and Russia.

The firm also performs well in our M&A research with seven lawyers from Europe and the Middle East featuring in the corresponding chapter. Linklaters fields four “impressive” lawyers in England. David Cheyne is the “main man” at the firm for M&A having accumulated 30 years of international experience. Richard Godden is “one of the big players”, alongside Charles Jacobs and Matthew Middleditch, who are “brilliant, sensible lawyers”. In the UAE Scott Campbell is highly regarded and Düsseldorf-based Ralph Wollburg also features. Cheyne, Godden, Middleditch and Wollburg supplement their entries with listings in the corporate governance chapter and Jacobs also features in the mining section.

Our research recognises 21 exceptional lawyers for their competition work. Seven practitioners from the Brussels office feature, including Gerwin Van Gerven. One of the most recommended competition specialists globally, he is also described as one of “the best lawyers in Brussels”. European offices demonstrate their expertise in this field with practitioners from London, Portugal, France, German and Poland. In New York, a former director of the bureau of competition of the Federal Trade Commission, Jeffrey Schmidt, is also listed.

In real estate, with 13 lawyers in 10 European offices, Linklaters ranks among the continent’s leading firms. Simon Clark of the London office is a “star” specialising in real estate taxation and investment structures for domestic and international investors, developers and tenants. Two lawyers from the Belgium office are listed in this chapter, including global head of real estate, Yves Moreau.

Eleven lawyers are listed in the tax chapter and six hail from the firm’s German offices. The much-admired Jens Blumenberg is based in the Frankfurt office with Andreas Schaflitzl and Sebastian Benz in Munich and Düsseldorf respectively. Lawyers from Paris, London and São Paulo, through Linklaters’ association with Brazilian firm Lefosse Advogados, also feature.

Linklaters is also recognised for its project finance practice and 10 lawyers from seven offices are listed in the corresponding chapter. A four-strong contingent makes the list in London, including the “wonderful” Clive Ranson and Bruce White. In the UAE, the “brilliant” Jonathan Inman is one of the most highly recommended names in the region, and along with White, complements this entry with a listing in the public procurement chapter. In Asia, Hong Kong-based Stuart Salt is a highly regarded project finance lawyer and also appears in the oil and gas section.