Annual Review 2009 - Watson, Farley & Williams

AUGUST
2009
The Bangkok team is ranked Top
Tier in dispute resolution in Thailand
by Asialaw.
WFW Singapore sets up a Project &
Structured Finance practice, recruiting
Josh Clarke as a partner, while partner
Mehraab Nazir moves to join him from
the London office.
SEPTEMBER
2009
The firm is shortlisted for the
second time by Top Legal – for ‘Best
International Law Firm of the year
with offices in Italy’.
In the Legal 500 listings WFW is
ranked in 10 new practice areas under:
corporate and commercial; VAT and
indirect tax; dispute resolution; human
resources; insurance; projects, energy
and natural resources; real estate; and
transport.
WFW makes the finals of the 2009
Lloyd’s List Asia Awards for ‘Law Firm
of the year’ and ‘Financier of the year’.
OCTOBER
2009
WFW income to the half year ending
31 October 2009 is £34 million, 15%
ahead of the same period in the
previous year.
The firm makes the Asia Legal
Business Fast 30 list for the first time,
reflecting financial performance that
outshines most other international
law firms in Asia.
Three members of the New york team
– Al yudes, Stephen Millman and Leo
Chang – are named ‘2009 New york
Metropolitan area Super Lawyers’.
With the Israeli Embassy, WFW
London co-hosts a delegation of
visiting Israeli companies specialising
in the development and innovative
application of new clean technologies.
The London office participates in
Jeans for Genes Day to raise funds for
research into genetic disorders affecting
children in the UK. The money also
provides support for their families.
WFW Bangkok volunteers donate
used computers to the Mirror
Foundation ‘Computers for Children’
project, contributing to the education
of deprived hill tribes in Northern
Thailand.
Hemscott AIM Advisers ranks the
firm joint second for number of
basic materials clients and third for
number of oil & gas clients.
NOVEMBER
2009
WFW opens an office in Madrid,
recruiting five lawyers under the
leadership of partners Joaquín Sales
and María Pilar Garcia.
In Paris, the firm celebrates 20 years
in the capital with a reception that also
marks senior consultant Nigel Moss’
retirement from the partnership.
Legal 500 acknowledges WFW
Bangkok’s excellence in dispute
resolution and shipping, with tier
one rankings for both.
WFW is named ‘Best Law Firm
in England for Employment Legal
Work 2009’ by Corporate International
Magazine.
Navjote Chan, from the Singapore
office, and friends climb Mount
Kinabalu in Borneo to raise money
for Cancer Research.
More than 130 delegates consider
current trends in the shipping industry
at the 10th annual Ship Finance
Seminar organised by WFW Hamburg.
Joining forces with The British Council
Thailand, the Bangkok team raises
money for the needy by running a
second-hand book stall at the longestablished
Ploenchit charity fair.
DECEMBER
2009
yEAR IN REVIEW 17
WFW is shortlisted as ‘Law Firm of
the year ’ in the Legal Business 2010
Awards.
Décideurs Juridiques raises the
Paris team’s ranking in Advisors of
Turnaround Companies to ‘Excellent –
Band 1’. The promotion acknowledges
its success in corporate recovery work,
particularly in relation to insolvency
and complex restructuring plans.
A fifth Trade & Commodities
Finance briefing of the year is held
by WFW London, this time focusing
on the complex issue of consent to
assign receivables.
The London office raises £901 in a
Christmas raffle. With matched funds
from the firm, the £1,802 is divided
between Shelter, Oxfam, Make-A-
Wish, Help the Aged and Mercy Ships.
Watson, Farley & Williams Annual Review 2009