ALB Asia 40 Under 40 continues its tradition of recognising exceptional legal talent across Asia, selected from 600 outstanding nominees. The lawyers featured on the list represent diverse jurisdictions and practice areas. They were meticulously chosen through a rigorous selection process, evaluating their work quality, client and colleague recommendations, and their potential for future growth.
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ALB Asia's annual 40 Under 40 list showcases the most accomplished lawyers under the age of 40, working in Asia, whether in law firms or in-house positions.
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The list features 40 lawyers who have exhibited exceptional performance by providing high-quality services, advising on significant deals, and handling critical disputes, among other notable achievements. These lawyers have received recognition from their colleagues, superiors, and clients.
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To be eligible for the list, lawyers must be based permanently in Asia. However, submission does not guarantee a spot on the list, and ALB does not have the olbigation to explain the inclusion or omission of any specific lawyers.
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Jittipong Champreechar
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Jittipong Champreechar, a senior associate at Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners, is a disputes expert who advises on high-profile criminal cases, money laundering, white-collar crimes and complex civil lawsuits before all levels of courts. His main achievements in the past year include the defence of a client against allegations made by the Attorney General, National Anti-Corruption Commission involving criminal offenses under the Thai Criminal Code and the Act on Offenses Relating to the Submission of Bids to Government Agencies. He also represented an energy company in relation to an accident involving a pipeline explosion, including an investigation and advising the client on risk mitigation. In addition, he successfully represented a well-known individual in criminal proceedings in relation to one of the biggest bitcoin schemes in Thailand. Champreechar is enthusiastic about utilising his legal knowledge and experience in seeking positive outcomes and justice for his clients. He receives praise from his clients, who comment. “Khun Jittipong has excellent skill in giving spontaneous responses in unexpected circumstances. He is a very hard-working person and able to understand clients’ cases in a timely manner with his great intuition. He is a highly responsible person that clients can rely on” and “Khun Jittipong has played a key role in presenting, planning and managing several high-profile cases. His expertise and experience in criminal investigations and litigation cases is exceptional, mitigating potential risks for our executives, leading to a favourable outcome.” “As the lead partner in litigation, I have seen him improve his skills as a lawyer and advance rapidly. He is not only able to serve our key clients exceptionally well, but he also has strong commercial sense as well as very good service mind,” said Phisit Dejchaiyasak, senior counsel and head of litigation at Weerawong C&P. |
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Naufal Fileindi
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Naufal Fileindi, partner at GHP Law Firm, is a technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) lawyer who also advises restructuring and M&A. He was named a winner of ALB’s Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyers in 2022. Fileindi’s notable cases include assisting leading Indonesian beauty company Beautyhaul’s corporate restructuring in relation to the series B funding, audio platform Noice’s group restructuring in relation to its investment, a leading global lubricant company Repsol in an acquisition, and Hainan Rubber Group’s acquisition of Halcyon Group that has 19 latex processing factories in Indonesia. Fileindi thinks the legal literacy in Indonesia is not at the level that many are generally happy with and aims to bring his team and himself to expand the reach of Legal 1O1, a pioneer of digital legal initiative in Indonesia he founded, to a new level. Fileindi also strives to make a name of Indonesia as a champion of digital technology in the ASEAN region first, and later on globally. “Since joining us, Naufal has demonstrated a very keen perspective in the technology and media sector. He helped shaped the media, digital technology, and IP practice group into a bigger and renowned practice for us,” said Bonie Guido, Founding Partner of GHP Law Firm. “He is a big team player, and we are proud of what he has accomplished thus far.” |
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Ayumi Fukuhara
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Ayumi Fukuhara, partner at Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, advises on crisis management and cross-border investigations, white-collar crimes as well as business and human rights (BHR) issues, taking full advantage of her experience as a public prosecutor at the Ministry of Justice from 2007 to 2013. Her compliance advisory practice includes assisting Japanese companies to develop compliance programs with respect to BHR, including human rights due diligence, as well as advice on individual transactions from the perspective of BHR. One of Fukuhara’s achievements is investigating an incident where an employee of IT solution provider’s sub-contractor lost a USB flash drive containing a large amount of personal information data, analysing root causes and making recommendations as a member of the third-party investigation committee established by the company. Fukuhara has been enthusiastic about helping human rights compliance. She believes the government’s Guidelines for Respecting Human Rights in the Supply Chain, which she helped develop, have contributed to Japanese companies advancing their human rights efforts but there is room for improvement. Fuku-hara aims to work with the government and companies to further accelerate the efforts. “Her experience as a former prosecutor in the field of compliance, white collar crime and internal investigations, as well as her deep understanding of business, has earned her the trust of many of our corporate clients,” says NO&T managing partner Fumihide Sugimoto. |
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Robert Hasan
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Robert Hasan, a partner at IABF Law Firm, specialises in technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) with a focus on data protection in addition to general corporate, M&A, and banking and finance. He advises major state-owned corporations, infrastructure companies and technology companies on restructuring, divestments and other transactions. As a partner of the firm, Hasan aspires to take IABF to a higher level of legal services by developing new practice areas among other things. Also, he wants to become a role model to the younger generation by sharing knowledge and facilitating them in legal skills. Hasan regularly gives law students lectures and webinars in the Faculty of Law in Pelita Harapan University. “His knowledge and professional experience were valuable and played a significant part in accomplishing our assignment,” said one of his clients, Daniel Tumpal Nico, head of Investment and Advisory at financial service company PPA Kapital. Hasan “has been the rising star of our firm since he joined IABF Law Firm eight years ago as an intern. He is a hardworking man and very attentive to his clients,” noted Ivan F. Baely, Managing Partner of IABF, “He always produces excellent quality of works to the satisfaction of the clients. He is the future of IABF Law Firm that we hope can take IABF Law Firm to the next level.” |
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Andrew Heng
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Andrew Heng, a director at Eng and Co, specialises in M&A, venture capital and technology matters. He joined the firm in mid-2020 against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic which was then in full swing. “I joined with a clear focus on building up our corporate/M&A practice and delivering great service to clients on complex transactions in Singapore and region-ally,” Heng said. A year later in 2021 he was promoted from associate director to a director of the firm. Eng and Co is a relatively young firm, celebrating its fifth anniversary in October this year, but it has already made a name by undertaking complex and innovative transactions across borders in the ASEAN region. Heng advised Singa-pore Trade Data Exchange (SGTraDex) on its innovative national-level data sharing project which launched in June 2022. Other examples of recent notable transactions include advising Proxtera on an equity investment by investors including Ant Group, EDB Investments and CerraCap, and advising Singapore-headquartered tech company Avanseus Holdings on its business combination agreement with a NASDAQ-listed SPAC, Fat Projects Acquisition Corp. Heng has a strong and diverse client base, advising international and local clients, listed companies, technology start-ups, high-net-worth individuals and family offices. “We value his ability to mix technical legal expertise with a deeply client-focused and commercial approach,” said Rachel Eng, managing director of Eng and Co. Clients have given the feedback that they appreciate his commitment and ability to find solutions to the challenges that one inevitably encounters in the course of transactions.” |
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Jeremiah Huang
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Jeremiah Huang is a director of Icon Law, the Singapore member of the ASEAN-wide ZICO Law network (currently being integrated into KPMG). He is an award-winning specialist in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate transactions/matters, and holds numerous accreditations in related fields. Huang is no stranger to Asian Legal Business, having previously won the Singapore Rising Star award. Since then, he has acted for Malaysian unicorn, Carsome, in its much-talked-about financing round, SGX-listed Hyphens Pharma and its digital healthtech unit DocMed Technology in various corporate actions (most notably, DocMed’s expansion into Vietnam via joint venture with the equity owners of Hoang Duc, one of the country’s leading pharmaceutical and medical supplies distributors), the shareholders of Brylchem Group in their sale to global chemicals giant, IMCD, and the Chairman of SGX-listed Sakae Holdings in his proposed sale of shares thereof. Other longstanding clients of his include Singapore unicorn, Ninja-Van, leading data centre builder, ACME Associates, and KPMG and its various offices globally. “I have worked with many lawyers and can confidently say that Jeremiah is amongst the best … his intelligence, dynamism and attention to detail is breathtaking”, says Timothy Chen, CEO of DocMed Technology. KC Ching, Car-some’s Head of Legal, noted Jeremiah’s “exceptional legal expertise and unparalleled dedication”, while KPMG’s Global Head of Legal, Stuart Fuller says, “he brings excellence, creative problem solving and enthusiasm to all that he does, with a laser-like focus on client service”. |
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Charanya Lakshmikumaran
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In the intricate world of taxation and commercial disputes, Charanya Lakshmikumaran stands as a paragon of legal acumen. A partner at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS), Charanya boasts a career spanning over 15 years, navigating high-stakes battles in tax, arbitration, regulatory, and anti-trust domains. Her expertise in customs, goods and services tax, and pre-GST tax laws is unparalleled, regularly advocating for her diverse clientele in India’s highest courts. Lakshmikumaran in her journey in law has been mentored by luminaries, including the former Attorney General of India, K K Venugopal. Her contributions to landmark cases, such as the right to privacy as a fundamental right to resisting challenges to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, showcase her legal prowess. Beyond her courtroom victories, Lakshmikumaran is a guiding light in regulatory compliance, steering businesses through the complexities of data protection laws. Notably, she is also a gifted Indian Classical vocalist, gracing audiences with her melodious tunes. Her accolades, including recognition as an Asian Legal Business Top 15 Southeast Asia Litigator 2023 and India Rising Star 2022, underscore her exceptional abilities. Charanya Lakshmikumaran isn’t just a lawyer; she’s a strategist, a litigator, and a virtuoso harmonising the complexities of law with finesse and grace. |
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Renu Menon
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Renu Menon advises on a range of financing matters including bilateral and syndicated loans, acquisition financing, project and infrastructure financing, green financing, debt restructuring and debt capital markets. She also advises on regulatory and stock exchange related work, mergers and acquisitions and other general corporate matters. She stands out for one-of-a-kind, first-in-market mandates. Most recently, she was Singapore counsel to Pfizer and Pfizer Investment Enterprises in the issuance of $31 billion debt offerings guaranteed by Pfizer in what is the fourth-largest U.S. bond sale is ever. She acted on Sindicatum Renewable Energy’s issuance of multicurrency international green bonds guaranteed by GuarantCo. This transaction marked several firsts: first international green bonds denominated in INR and first INR-denominated bonds issued in accordance with both the ICMA’s Green Bond Principles 2017 and the ASEAN Green Bond Standards. Menon’s important clients include Tuan Sing Holdings, Metro Holdings, Lee Kim Tah and Pfizer, among other notable companies. “Renu is a rising star in the finance and restructuring fields, and has a true talent for the profession,” said Sushil Nair, deputy CEO and co-head, corporate restructuring & workouts of Drew & Napier. “She is actively involved in significant transactions and is a core member of the team.” |
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Ng Si Ming
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Ng Si Ming is a partner and co-founder of Chua & Partners, a boutique dispute resolution law firm based out of Singapore. Chua & Partners was established earlier this year by a group of experienced dispute resolution partners formerly practicing in a large Singapore firm. Together with his partners, Ng aspires to develop and establish the firm as a reputable and trusted choice for dispute resolution. Ng has a diverse dispute resolution practice with a focus on international arbitration and other forms of commercial dispute resolution for the infrastructure, construction, and energy sectors. With a dozen years of experience, he advises on disputes over infrastructure and construction projects, complex financial transactions, joint ventures, shareholders, service agreements, and Web 3.0 and digital assets. One of Ng’s notable cases, while at his previous firm, involved the successful representation of Hitachi, Ltd. in SIAC arbitration proceedings initiated by POSCO ICT over a railway construction contract in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. A client commends Ng for “his compo-sure, structured thinking process, work ethic” and “excellent representation”. Ng contributes to the legal fraternity by serving in the teaching faculty for the Part B Preparatory Course of the Singapore Bar Examinations and on the Young SIAC (YSIAC) Council. He also served as an assessor determining applications for relief under the Singa-pore COVID-19 (Temporary) Measures Act 2020, for which he received the Singa-pore Ministry of Law Special Volunteer Award (COVID-19) in 2022. Outside the law, Ng volunteers with the Singapore Police Force. |
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Dimas Nandaraditya,
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Dimas Nandaraditya is general counsel of Indonesian technology company Traveloka Group. As one of the youngest general counsels of Southeast Asia’s large unicorns, he works directly with founders, board members, and investors on key investment agreements, partnership arrangements, M&A transactions, and new product launches among other things. Nandaraditya formed the legal, compliance and risk team of Traveloka from scratch in 2016 and now it has more than 40 people and covers Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and India. He was named among ALB’s Indonesia Rising Stars in 2023. With 15 years of experience mostly as an in-house counsel, Nandaraditya has been working closely with the business side from real estate development to car leasing, industrial wood production and shipping. He also spent five years at Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners, a member firm of Baker McKenzie, where he advised on finance, banking and projects including $1.5 billion notes issuance by the government of Indonesia, which won ALB’s Deal of the Year in 2014. |
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Ngan Nguyen
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Ngan Nguyen, counsel at VILAF, possesses a wealth of expertise in banking and finance, M&A, private equity and real estate. Over the past year, Nguyen has been involved in a series of high-profile cross-border cases and transactions. Nguyen advised Mitsui & Co’s on a subscription of 27.5 percent equity stake in Mainstream Renewable Power, and Armstrong Asset Management on its exit from Dam Nai Wind Power Project and Gia Lai Electricity JSC. Nguyen played a pivotal role in advising the formation of a joint venture between Sojitz and Vietnam Livestock Corporation JSC (a subsidiary of Vinamilk) to invest in one of Vietnam’s largest cattle farm and beef processing complexes. Some other notable transactions include advising on investment of IFC in numerous Vietnamese corpora-tions including Nam Long Group, Mavin Group, BAF JSC, and Gamuda’s acquisition of several residential projects in Vietnam. Nguyen’s influence extends beyond her legal accomplishments. Tung Ngo, Managing Partner of VILAF emphasised her invaluable contributions, stating, “Ngan is an invaluable member of VILAF, leading and mentoring a team of 10 lawyers from trainee to associate levels. Her level of competence has allowed the team to close high-profile deals in the last two years that she has been a counsel. As managing partner and Ngan’s direct supervisor, I value her opinion the most and rely on her to accomplish tasks on her own, mostly without prompting”. Beyond her demanding legal practice, Nguyen is a passionate advocate for philanthropy. She has taken a proactive role in establishing and managing the VILAF Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to providing financial support, primarily in education and healthcare, to underprivileged children in Vietnam. Ngan’s commitment to philanthropy through the VILAF Foundation underscores her dedication to making a positive impact on the community and those she serves. |
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Rashel Ann Pomoy
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Rashel Ann Pomoy, a junior partner and deputy head for labour and employment at Villaraza and Angangco Law Offices, advises on litigation, arbitration, and labour. She made history in January 2021 when she became the youngest person to be promoted to a junior partner in the firm’s more than 40 years of existence. Some of Pomoy’s notable cases are representation of current and former officials of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) on a criminal case for money laundering, which resulted in the dismissal of the charge on demurrer to evidence which was sustained by the Philippine court, claim for damages filed by RCBC against Bangladesh Bank for defamation and filing and prosecution of cases against employees of RCBC that participated in the commission of the crime against RCBC. She also led counsel of one of the most expensive estate case cases in the Philippines that involves the estate of the tycoon George Ty, estimated to be worth around $3 billion. Pomoy’s clients include big names such as Amazon Operations Services Philippines, Twitter (now X) and Seyfarth Shaw, in addition to Rizal Commercial Banking, one of the country’s biggest financial institutions. “Not only is she trusted by the clients, her professionalism and reliability also benefit the Firm itself. She is instrumental in the strengthening of the Firm’s labour practice,” said Alejandro Alfonso E. Navarro, senior partner and group head of the labour and employment practice group at Villaraza and Angangco said. “During the pandemic, she was responsible for shepherding both the prevention and control measures in the office and the Firm’s vaccination program.” |
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Sngeeta Rai
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Sngeeta Rai, a director in Davinder Singh Chambers, handles complex civil and commercial disputes. Rai has acted for clients, including listed companies and high-net-worth individuals, in a wide spectrum of cases such as contractual disputes, medical negligence and shareholder disagreements. Rai began her legal career as a Justices’ Law Clerk to the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court of Singa-pore. Subsequently, she also undertook a judicial role as an Assistant Registrar. Executive Chairman Davinder Singh SC describes Rai as “one of the finest lawyers of her generation”. He says that Rai has “a very sharp legal mind and is passionate about her work”, “puts clients at ease” and that clients “go to her for solutions”. Chief Executive Officer Jaikanth Shankar describes Rai as “a rising star” and “an exceptionally intelligent lawyer who always has the facts at her finger-tips”. He says that she is “making her mark in commercial litigation” and is “adept at dealing with factually and legally complex cases”. Rai is a “top-class lawyer” who is “sharp”, “responsive” and has a “superb knowledge of Singapore law and practice” says an instructing counsel. Another instructing counsel states that Rai dis-plays an “extremely high level of professionalism and confidence” and that the quality of Rai’s work is “exemplary”. Rai is a “top notch lawyer with a big heart”, says a client. |
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Eunyoung Row
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Eunyoung Row, a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee, is a dispute resolution expert with more than a decade of experience. Her notable cases include: successfully defended vice president JY Lee and key officers of Samsung Electronics who were charged for, among others, alleged bribery; and involved in an arbitration case filed by a Korean resort company against Hilton seeking cancellation of a management agreement executed between them due to a breach, and played a significant role in facilitating the resolution of the case by both parties. Row’s clients are Korean Blue Chips such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, SK group, LG, POSCO Holdings and Hyundai Motor. Although she has already made a name as a star litigator, Row aspires to expand her expertise to advising on compliance that would help mitigate a wide range of legal risks of clients in advance and provides useful advice in a timely manner. She also aims to grow as a good leader by systematising her work experiences and know-how and passing them down to her junior professionals in her team. “Her greatest strength is that she always accurately understands the core of the case and creates the most suitable solution for the client. This ability comes from the experience of carrying out many major cases of BKL and the attitude of having many conversations with custom-ers and looking for related materials,” says Soonik Kwon, partner and the head of BKL’s domestic disputes practice group. |
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Siregran Sakuliampaiboon
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Siregran Sakuliampaiboon is a counsel at Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners and advises on M&A, foreign investment in Thailand, corporate structuring, and corporate management, focusing on cross-border transactions. Her client base covers many industries, including the food and beverage, energy, consumer goods, retail, and manufacturing sectors. Siregran is a seasoned professional with international experience in Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. Siregran’s notable cases include landmark cases such as facilitating Blackstone’s $14 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Emerson Electric’s Climate Technologies division, a ground-breaking deal in the HVACR industry. She also orchestrated Thai Beverage Public Company’s $25.5 million investment in a U.S.-based tech company and oversaw Global Power Synergy Public Company’s restructuring of its battery business, amounting to 2.43 billion baht ($66.6 million). She received praise from Sittiporn Roytrakul, Assistant Vice President, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, “What truly sets Siregran apart in the deal is her unwavering dedication to her client’s best interests. She demonstrates genuine empathy and understanding of her client’s needs and concerns, and she works tirelessly to provide us with the best legal representation possible.” Commending Siregran, Li Fang, TEO, one of her clients and a partner of Shook Lin & Bok in Singapore, said “having (a) competent local counsel I could trust and rely on in a cross-border transaction really made all the difference in helping the client get the deal across the line.” “We are happy to entrust her with important deals and we are impressed by how she manages complex issues with astute judgment and is always able to come up with innovative solutions.” Sunyaluck Chaikajornwat, a senior partner at Weerawong noted. “We anticipate continued professional growth and success for her and are absolutely certain she will make an exceptional leader of our firm in the future.” |
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Agung Santoso
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Agung Santoso is a partner at Armand Yapsunto Muharamsyah & Partners (AYMP) and specialises in banking and finance, derivatives and structured products. He mainly represents global and regional financial institutions (both commercial and private banks) in their financing transactions and/or advice in structuring their banking products in the jurisdiction. Santoso acted as the Indonesian legal counsel for lenders in up to $4+ billion (in aggregate total) syndicated loan deal(s) respectively to several sub-holding subsidiaries of Pertamina (Indonesia state-owned company in the oil and gas sector). To highlight the gravity of his works, he was involved in $5.4+ billion financing transactions during the past 12 months alone. Going forward, together with the firm (led by Arie Armand, managing partner AYMP), Santoso plans to continue their long-standing effort to participate in and support the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), regulators and other stakeholders in the financial sector to promote safe and efficient derivative market in Indonesia. To name a few, the firm is currently in the ongoing process (mandate) of updating its ISDA’s netting and collateral opinions for the jurisdiction. “He maintains and provides a high level of legal services to AYMP’s anchor clients,” said Arie Armand, Managing Partner of AYMP. “I have a great and continued pleasure of working with him for this decade representing and assisting clients to meet their objectives and avoid unnecessary risk.” |
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Anshul Sunil Saurastri
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Anshul Sunil Saurastri is a Partner at Krishna & Saurastri Associates LLP. He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management and overall strategic initiatives of the firm. ’s practice is focused on all aspects of intellectual property, dispute resolution and general corporate law. He is known for his practical, commercial-minded, and multi-disciplinary approach. Saurastri has extensively advised on protecting brands, inventions, designs, and creative works, and has procured numerous trademarks, patents, designs, and copyright registrations. He also has substantial experience in complex prosecution, oppositions, invalidations and appeals. He has rendered numerous opinions on infringement and invalidity of IP. Saurastri also has considerable experience in IP and commercial disputes and has represented before High Courts and the Supreme Court. Saurastri has also advised on protecting trade secrets, confidential information, data and privacy. Additionally, he has massive experience in technology transfers, joint ventures, M&As, business transfers, share and asset purchases, licenses, franchises, and distribution. Saurastri had previous experience working in private equity, venture capital, and research and development in the U.S. before entering the legal profession. He holds a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor's degree in applied sciences from Case Western Reserve University, and a degree in law from GLC. Saurastri is currently an Advocate and Patent Attorney. |
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Peerasanti Somritutai
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Peerasanti Somritutai is a partner in the corporate M&A practice and co-head of Real Estate at Kudun and Partners. Based in Bangkok, he advises on real estate, corporate and M&A including investment, loans and joint ventures. Some of Somritutai’s notable cases are representing Raimon Land PLC. on its joint venture arrangement with MEA Commercial Holdings, a Southeast Asia-based investment arm of Mitsubishi Estate, to develop Grade-A office building in downtown Bangkok; establishing and acting for Ally Kex Private Equity Trust, Thailand’s first close-ended private equity trust dedicated to real estate, on its approx. THB 0.8 billion-worth investments to provide financing for several nearly completed real estate projects with liquidity issues; and advising Thai investors of Shiseido (Thailand) and Shiseido Thailand on Shiseido Thailand’s spin-offs of its Laura Mercier products to an Asia-Pacific operating arm of Orveon Global U.S. Somritutai “consistently provides clear explanations for his opinions, offers alternative options to his clients, and recommends the most effective approaches for managing various situations,” said Kudun Sukhumananda, managing partner of Kudun and Partners. “It is evident that his clients deeply value his expertise and place their trust in him. I am confident his lawyering career will only grow and get brighter and the sky is the limit for him.” Somritutai’s plans and career ambitions revolve around elevating the firm’s real estate practice to new heights. While aiming to strengthen the firm’s expertise and legal service in the field, he is driven by a desire to go beyond conventional boundaries and create a real estate practice that truly stands out and is widely recognised as one of the top-tier and go-to law firms amongst the world’s leading legal directories. |
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Melissa Thng,
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Melissa is a skilled and experienced advocate who specializes in handling complex commercial disputes both in arbitration as well as in court. She has been described by her clients as being “easy to work with, highly reliable, experienced, diligent and practical” and having a “very special ability to find creative solutions to the issues at hand”. Some of her notable cases include acting for one of the alleged key accomplices in the Keppel Club fraud, wherein which the Club claimed losses exceeding S$37 million against a former employee for allegedly creating and issuing fictitious memberships for over a decade, and Group Lease Holdings, in which Melissa defended a Thai-based financing company against serious allegations of accounting fraud made by its former strategic business partner from Japan. This year, Melissa successfully resisted proceedings to set aside an international arbitral award in a long-standing dispute between a Chinese state-owned entity and several companies that used to be part of a global renewable energy group based in the USA. Melissa also represents Terraform Labs, Do Kwon and Luna Foundation Guard in a representative claim commenced by 377 holders of UST cryptocurrency tokens in the Singapore High Court, alleging fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy in relation to the sudden crash of the UST in May 2022. Melissa is also an active member of the international arbitration fraternity. She regularly conducts seminars and workshops for the SIAC, and was a founding member of the YSIAC Commit-tee in 2014. |
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Satomi Umezu
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Satomi Umezu, partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, is a finance lawyer with expertise in real estate finance and other capital market transactions that use security tokens. In the past 12 months, she has been involved in 10 public real estate security token offerings projects with a total value of 35 billion yen ($238 million). One of her notable cases is advising on Japan’s first public real estate security token offering (STO) in July 2021 with Kenedix as the sponsor and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking as the trustee as the trustee’s legal counsel. Her clients include Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking, SBI Shinsei Bank, a major utility and an infrastructure company. The digital asset transactions market in Japan is rapidly expanding and Umezu is committed to helping to develop this area and plans to further expand her experience and continue to find new areas where she can make use of her expertise such as the fast-growing fintech sector. “Not only does she have extensive knowledge and experience in law and the business practices of the real estate finance sector, she also understands the unique preferences and policies of her clients and offers sound advice with a balanced business perspective,” Souya Satou, joint general manager, real estate finance division of SBI Shinsei Bank, says. “[Umezu] has been advising major Japanese financial institutions, including trust banks, on STOs since the early days when the STO market was still developing in Japan, and is recognised as one of the most experienced lawyers in the STO market,” Ken Kawai, partner of Anderson Mori Tomotsune, comments. |
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Helen Wang
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Helen Wang is a partner at offshore firm Carey Olsen and a specialist of commercial litigation, shareholder disputes, estate and private clients-related disputes, and insolvency and restructuring matters. She is also a full TEP member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). As a native speaker of Cantonese and Mandarin and fluent in English, she can support both Chinese- and English-speaking clients. She has worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, and London. Some of Wang’s notable cases are acting for a Cayman Islands listing vehicle in a long-drawn shareholder dispute and acting for shareholders of the Cayman holding company of a multimillion-dollar renewable energy business in just and equitable winding up proceedings. Wang aspires to establish herself as the leading figure and role model in the offshore dispute space. To achieve this goal, she actively engages in various thought leadership and speaking opportunities. “These platforms allow me to share the valuable experiences and knowledge I have gained from practising law in multiple jurisdictions. My objective is to inform legal practitioners about how proceedings in offshore jurisdictions can influence the overall litigation strategy and contribute to the jurisprudence in common law jurisdictions,” she said. Wang is also committed to empowering other female lawyers in the profession. In commending Wang, Anthony McKenzie, Managing Partner of Carey Olsen Singapore, noted “Helen has brought on several premium clients and work following her move to Carey Olsen – a testament of her exceptional reputation among clients and peers.” |
THE LIST
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ALB ASIA 40 UNDER 40 2023 |
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LAW FIRM |
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Abhinav Bhalaik Jittipong Champreechar Jungji Choi Richa Choudhary Naufal Fileindi Reggy Firmansyah Julie Fu Ayumi Fukuhara Robert Hasan Andrew Heng Jeremiah Huang Akira Iizuka Charanya Lakshmikumaran Jason Leung Loren Leung Liu Xin Tess Lumsdaine Renu Menon Arka Mookerjee Sharad Moudgal |
Ng Si Ming Ngan Nguyen Nicol Ong Intan Paramita Rashel Ann Pomoy Sngeeta Rai Eunyoung Row Siregran Sakuliampaiboon Agung Santoso Anshul Sunil Saurastri Sham Shun On, Donald Peerasanti Somritutai Tananan Thammakiat Melissa Thng Anu Tiwari Kristine T. Torres Binh Tran Satomi Umezu Timothy Wan Helen Wang |
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IN-HOUSE |
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Shashank Jain Samuel Loh Khian Seah Kueh Xiu Ying Dimas Nandaraditya Edward Tung |
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