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Mori Hamada & Matsumoto and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett stood out among the crowd at the 2015 Japan Law Awards on June 18, taking home some of the most coveted awards including the Japan Deal Firm of the Year, Japan Law Firm of the Year and the International Deal Firm of the Year.

The 11th annual event, held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Tokyo, celebrated Japan’s leading law firms, in-house teams and individual lawyers across a total of 31 categories. The evening entertained more than 170 high-profile lawyers from international and domestic law firms, in-house counsel and business leaders in Japan.

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto was the most successful law firm of the night, taking home eight awards including the prestigious Japan Deal Firm of the Year and Japan Law Firm of the Year.

Simpson Thacher took home the International Deal Firm of the Year award, as well as prizes for Equity Market Deal of the Year (Skylark’s IPO), Real Estate Deal of the Year (Mitsui Fudosan Co’s global offering of common stock) and TMT Deal of the Year (Recruit Holdings’ IPO).

Baker & McKenzie, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Kirkland & Ellis, Nishimura & Asahi, Sidley Austin and White & Case won the award for the Japan Deal of the Year – Suntory Holdings Limited’s acquisition of Beam Inc.

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu was crowned the Banking Law Firm of the Year, while Nishimura & Asahi was voted the Tax Law Firm of the Year. Anderson Mori & Tomotsune was recognised as the Employment Law Firm of the Year and the Best China Practice Law Firm of the Year.

Among international law firms, Morrison & Foerster bagged the Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year award, while Herbert Smith Freehills won the American Chamber of Commerce In Japan Award for International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year.

The event celebrated the achievements of in-house counsel, with Morgan Stanley revealed as the Japan In-House Team of the Year. SoftBank won the TMT In-House Team of the Year Award, while Itochu Corporation took home the Innovative In-House Team of the Year prize.

The night also recognised individual excellence, with Anderson Mori’s Ryu Umezu named Managing Partner of the Year, and Morgan Stanley’s Christopher Hathaway crowned In-House Lawyer of the Year.

For a full list of winners, please click here.

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