Profile: Baker & McKenzie

Baker & McKenzie - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

CORPORATE TAX
Ten Baker & McKenzie practitioners in as many jurisdictions make the cut in this year’s chapter. Two of the five US practitioners that we pick out feature in our list of elite practitioners: Chicago’s Richard Lipton is “very highly regarded” and New York-based David Tillinghast’s “outstanding reputation”, especially for cross-border work, has earned him a place among the practice area’s top tier. Former international tax counsel of the US Treasury Department, Leonard Terr in Washington, DC, also features prominently. Global tax practice chair John Peterson represents the Palo Alto office and Dallas’s David Glickman was lauded as “exceptional” by interviewees.
Michael Olesnicky is the only person listed in Hong Kong and Tokyo’s Yukinori Watanabe is considered “senior and respected”. Ronald Evans’s “truly excellent work” was noted at the Caracas office, while recommendations for Luis Briones Fernandez in Madrid and Fred de Hosson in the Netherlands reflect the firm’s formidable international reputation in the area.

MANAGEMENT LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Eight individuals from seven cities form the Baker & McKenzie contingent in the labour and employment chapter. In Frankfurt, co-chair of the global practice group Günther Heckelmann was praised for his M&A-related experience while two Spanish practitioners: Alejandro Valls in Barcelona and Eduardo Garcia-Calleja from Madrid come highly recommended. Francois Gabriel of the Brussels office was described as “superb”. “Shrewd operator” Christine O’Brien represents the London office and Joseph Van Vlijmen completes the European contingent. Toronto partner Stewart Saxe and Mexico City’s Jorge de Regil take the firm’s representation to a global level. The firm also features in the corporate immigration chapter.

INTERNET AND COMMUNICATIONS
Baker & McKenzie boasts a strong technology law profile and nine individuals feature in the internet and e-commerce chapter. Regarded as a “pioneer in the field” and “a superior global presence”, the firm’s notable clients include Yahoo!, Sony and Vodafone. In London, Harry Small was praised for his “undoubted expertise, prowess and dedication” in non-contentious advice. Robbie Downing’s “very strong international practice” also won praise. The “superb” Ruth Hill Bro operates from Chicago, joined by “outstanding privacy counsel” Michael Mensik. Matthias Scholz represents the Frankfurt office; Serge Gijrath carries the flag in Amsterdam. Esther Flesch covers the firm’s South American interests while Patrick Fair has been involved in much Australian regulatory work. New edition to the Tokyo office Yasunori Hashiguchi completes the group.

The telecommunications group achieved an impressive seven-lawyer showing Europe-wide, and boasts clients such as Hutchinson 3G. Joachim Scherer and Ulrich Ellinghaus feature in the German section, as do Robbie Downing and the “terrific” Peter Strivens in London.

IP AND FRANCHISE
The firm’s worldwide network of IP experts is capable of providing multi-jurisdictional expertise. Baker & McKenzie has nine nominees in eight jurisdictions in the trademarks chapter. The highly rated Margaret Boulware operates from Texas. Across the Atlantic the “fine work” of London practitioners was noted. Michael Treis represents the firm’s Swiss arm and Carles Prat and Eugene Arievich fly the flag in Barcelona and Moscow respectively. In Asia, Thai lawyer Sayumporn Sujintaya garnered praise. Two associated firms also make the cut: Quisumbing Torres’ Christopher Lim in Manila and Alvaro Correa in Colombia complete the ten. Boulware, Arievich and Sujintaya also make the cut in the patents chapter. Two nominees underline the firm’s international profile by their inclusion in the franchise section. Penny Ward, also listed for trademark work in Australia, makes a reappearance and Texas partner Michael Santa Maria was consistently recommended.

COMPETITION AND TRADE
Eight lawyers are recognised in the competition research. High-profile cases include its representation of the Russian diamond producer Alrosa Company before the European Court of First Instance, successfully obtaining the annulment of an earlier decision accepting commitments from De Beers to cease all purchases of rough diamonds from Alrosa. Thomas Campbell and Roxane Busey in Chicago attracted praise and well-respected London duo Lynda Martin Alegi and Samantha Mobley also performed well in the research. The “excellent judgement” of Tulio Freitas do Egito Coelho from Brazil is valued by clients.  Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi and Péter Vörös form the Hungarian contingent and Wimbanu Widyatmoko represents the firm in Indonesia. Contributors to the survey also rated three of the firm’s trade and customs lawyers highly.

PROJECT FINANCE AND RESOURCES
Baker & McKenzie achieves a seven-partner showing in the project finance chapter, which covers Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Singapore and Venezuela. Respondents “have only good things to say” about Singapore practitioner Paul Elliott; Ian Siddell represents the Bahrain office in the chapter. Four lawyers from the firm also appear in the mining chapter, three of whom hail from Latin America. Antonio Ortúzar from Chile stands out in particular, as does the “very active” Adolfo Duranona in Argentina. The firm’s further representation comes from Venezuela and Moscow. Another noted practitioner, Alexey Frolov from the firm’s Moscow office, also appears in the oil and gas chapter.

REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENT
Baker & McKenzie earns four listings in the environment chapter. “Renowned climate change expert” Martijn Wilder is joined by Andrew Beatty in Sydney. Mexican practitioner Federico Ruanova Guinea was deemed “very good” and Belgium’s Mario Deketelaere also received plaudits. The real estate research also revealed well respected lawyers from Belgium, Poland, Russia and Switzerland, and construction proved to be another strong suit with three leading names listed from offices in England, Australia and Thailand.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Two Baker & McKenzie practitioners had an enthusiastic reception in the arbitration research. In New York, Lawrence Newman’s “deep expertise” contributes to his “formidable” reputation and Andrew Aglionby is considered a “top practitioner”. Nick Pearson and Andrew Salgo, practising in England and Australia respectively, are recommended in the commercial litigation section. Business crime lawyer William Linklater, considered “one of the very best”, flies the flag for the Chicago office. He is joined by new addition Robert Tarun, who joined the firm’s San Francisco office in June 2007. He received a raft of nominations and is described by peers as “terrific, one of the very best”.

CORPORATE AND FINANCE
A duo of lawyers in the Poland and Philippines offices features in the banking chapter. Three capital markets practitioners from Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland make the cut including Koen Vanhaerents in Brussels, who heads the corporate finance group. Edward Zulkey appears in the insurance and reinsurance chapter. The merger and acquisition section sees Urs Schenker nominated as a top lawyer.

Three aviation finance lawyers made the cut, they work in the Brussels, Hong Kong and Beijing offices. China practitioner Harvey Lau is “always great to deal with” and in Hong Kong. Andrew Lockhart comes recommended for his representation of clients such as Thai Airways. Dominique Lechien’s practice is considered “very high value” and he also appears in the real estate chapter alongside three other highly rated lawyers at the firm.