PART 1 - IMP ORTANT DATESOPENING OF NOMINATIONS

26 February 2018
DEADLINE OF NOMINATIONS

4 April 2018

Please submit nomination forms to tracy.li@tr.com
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINALISTS

May 2018

Complexity - the degree to which a work and any issues
involved require the crucial exercise of legal expertise,business acumen or innovative solutions
Domestic law firm - that which is headquartered in Japan
Firm size - total number of lawyers in a law firm, excludingof counsel, special counsel and the like. For international lawfirms, it refers to those who are based in Japan.
Impact or significance - the degree to which clients and otherstakeholders, the bench and bar, an industry or the Japanregion may be affected
Innovativeness - the degree to which a work involves the application of a new concept or creative solution, process, service,
program or the like to existing systems and processes, thus
improving organisational capabilities and adding more value
to output

AWARDS CEREMONY - TOKYO

13 June 2018

International law firm - that which is headquartered outsideJapan
AWARDS INQUIRIESContact Tracy Li at tracy.li@tr.com or call(852) 2847 2046 for further details.
SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIESContact Amantha Chia at amantha.chia@tr.com or call(65) 6870 3917 for further details.

Japan element - any of the following component of work: (a)one of the counsel representing a party is based in Japan; (b)one of the parties in interest is based in Japan; (c) any contract
indispensable to the completion of work was executed inJapan; or (d) the subject matter of the transaction is closely
connected to the region

PART 2 - SUBMISSION INSTRUC TIONSWork - a transaction, case or matter, service, program, initiative or the like, provided to stakeholders

GENERAL GUIDELINES— All submissions, whether by self-recommendation ornomination, must be written in the ALB submission form.
Otherwise, the same will not be accepted.
— The coverage period for the entries is 1 January - 31
December 2017.
— The contact persons provided in the submission form will
be contacted by ALB, as may be necessary.
— No more than three hyperlinks may be incorporated in
the submission form to support any information expressly
stated therein.
— All categories require the submission of three entries,
unless otherwise provided below or in the submission
form.
— For frequently asked questions about the awards, please
visit the FAQ page.
PART 3 - JUD GING CRITERIA
Breadth - the degree to which a work involved numerous jurisdictions, legal practice areas, parties and industries

PART 4 - AWARD C ATEGORIESDEAL CATEGORIES
1
Debt Market Deal of the Year2
Equity Market Deal of the Year
3
M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize)
4
M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)5
Projects, Energy and Infrastructure Deal of the Year
6
Real Estate Deal of the Year
7
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal ofthe Year8
Japan Deal of the Year
Specific Guidelines
a. Announcement/completion of deals - Only deals thathave been announced or completed between 1 January
and 31 December 2017 are eligible for submission. Deals
that have been announced but are pending completion
during this period may be submitted but will no longer beeligible for submission next year or when the same shallhave been completed.

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b.
c.

d.

Japan - The submission of deals with significant Japanelement is strongly encouraged.
Midsize and Premium categories - An organisation may
submit a total of three deals for each categories, provided
that no more than two deals are submitted for either
Midsize or Premium category.
Deal size - The following deal size requirements should
be complied with:
1.
2.

3.

e.

Debt Market Deal of the Year: Each deal
submitted must have a minimum financial value(MFV) of USD 1 billion.
M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize/Premium): For
the premium category, each deal must have aMFV of USD 1 billion; for the midsize category,each deal must have a MFV of USD 500 million
but must not exceed USD 1 billion.
Equity Market Deal of the Year; Projects, Energyand Infrastructure Deal of the Year; Real Estate
Deal of the Year and Technology, Media andTelecommunications Deal of the Year: Each deal
submitted for these categories must have a MFVof USD 750 million.

Japan Deal of the Year - The winners from the other deal
categories will automatically become finalists for Deal of theYear. Therefore, this category is not open for submissions.

Criteria
The judges will take into account the following factors: breadth,complexity, innovativeness and impact or significance of deals.
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
9. Dealmaker of the Year
10. Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year
11. Foreign Lawyer of the Year
12. In-House Lawyer of the Year
13. Managing Partner of the Year
14. Woman Lawyer of the Year
Specific Guidelinesa.
Number of nominees - An organisation may put forward
only one of its members for every category.
b. Nomination - A third-party submission for any categorymay only be considered when the nominee’s team has notnominated anyone of its members for the same category.
c.
Residence - A candidate must be a resident of the region.
d. Dealmaker of the Year - The deals submitted must exhibit
the candidate’s expertise in deal making across various
deal types.
e.
Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year - The key works
must show the candidate’s expertise in at least two modesof dispute resolution.
f.
Foreign Lawyer of the Year - This is open to all registeredforeign lawyers.

g.

Woman Lawyer of the Year - This is open to all woman
lawyers, whether from a law firm or in-house team of apublic or private entity.

Criteria
The judges will take into account the following factors: theentrants or nominees’ leadership, professional accomplishments (in terms of the breadth, complexity, innovativeness andsignificance) and social contribution.
IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES
15. Banking and Financial Services In-House Team of theYear
16. Construction and Heavy Industries In-House Team ofthe Year
17. Innovative In-House Team of the Year
18. Manufacturing and Retail In-House Team of the Year
19. Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House
Team of the Year
20. Japan In-House Team of the Year
Specific Guidelinesa.
Physical office - All in-house teams with physical office inJapan are qualified to join the contest.
b. Composition of in-house team - To join the submissions
for any in-house category, the team should consist of atleast two lawyers.
c.
Innovative In-House Team of the Year - This is open toin-house teams that have applied a new concept or creative
solution, process, service, program or the like to existing
systems and processes, thus improving organisational
capabilities and adding more value to output. An in-houseteam may submit a maximum of three innovative works.
d. Japan In-House Team of the Year - This is open to
all in-house teams regardless of industry. The works
submitted must exhibit an exemplary spectrum of thein-house team’s capabilities and achievements.
Criteria
The judges will take into account the following factors: theentrants or nominees’ professional accomplishments (in termsof the breadth, complexity, innovativeness and impact or significance), innovation, development and social contribution.
FIRM CATEGORIES
21. Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year
22. Boutique Law Firm of the Year
23. Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year
24. Insolvency Law Firm of the Year
25. International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year
26. International Deal Firm of the Year
27. International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
28. Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year
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30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.

Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year
Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year
Litigation Law Firm of the Year
Maritime Law Firm of the Year
Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year
Projects, Energy and Infrastructure Law Firm of the Year
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the YearSpace Law Firm of the YearTax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year
Japan Law Firm of the Year

Specific Guidelinesa.
Physical office - All law firms holding an office in Japanare qualified to submit for any of the categories, except
Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Yearb. Boutique Law Firm of the Year - This category is open for
submissions to law firms that specialize in limited areasof legal practice with no more than 15 partners.
c.
Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year - Law
firms headquartered in Japan are qualified to submit forJapan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year.
d. International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year Law firms headquartered outside of Japan are qualifiedto submit for International Intellectual Property Law Firmof the Year.
e.
Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year - The category
is open for submissions to law firms that do not have officein Japan. Each keyword submitted for these categories
must have a “Japan element” as defined above.
f.
Overseas Practice of the Year - The category is open for
submissions to domestic law firms headquartered in Japan.
g. Deals as entries - No minimum financial value is requiredof deals submitted in any firm category, except as may beprovided below.
h. Japan Deal Firm of the Year - Only law firms headquarteredin Japan that have completed at least five deals may join
this contest. Each deal must be at least USD200 million
in size. The deals should show the expertise of the law
firm across various deal types.
i.
International Deal Firm of the Year - Only international law
firms that have completed at least five deals may join thesubmissions for this category. Each deal must have a sizeof at least USD200 million. The deals should show theexpertise of the law firm across various deal types. EachASS O CIATE SP ON S ORS

OFFIC IAL R ECRUITMEN T SITE

AL B SUPP O RTS

j.

deal submitted for these categories must have a “Japanelement” as defined above.
Japan Law Firm of the Year - This is open for submission
to all law firms holding an office in Japan. The category
requires the submission of key works showing the firm’s
expertise in various areas of legal practice, the firm’s initiatives for the engagement and development of its people,
its CSR strategy and its most significant contribution tothe legal community.

Criteria
The judges will take into account the following factors: professional accomplishments (in terms of the breadth, complexity,innovativeness and impact or significance), innovation, development and social contribution.
PART 5 - JUD GING PANEL
The panel of judges will be composed of at least 30 reputable
members from the legal academe, in-house teams, law firms,legal associations and non-profit organisations in the region.
Each judge will evaluate only the categories assigned to him
and with which he does not have any conflict of interest.
The judges will rank the nominees according to the abovementioned parameters and only the top finalists will be includedin the shortlist.
The finalist with the highest rank in every category winsthe award.

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