Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance wins 'Derivatives Law Firm of the Year' from Asia Risk

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has been named 'Derivatives Law Firm of the Year for 2015' by Asia Risk.

The win comes after another successful year for the Firm advising on derivatives, financial markets products and regulatory matters across Asia Pacific.

Asia Risk said, "While some of its competitors excel in either derivatives transactional business or advisory work, Clifford Chance has been active in both specialisms with spectacular results this year, including being instructed on multibillion dollar deals for regional banks and winning a clutch of exclusive mandates."

Hong Kong partner Francis Edwards said, "We have worked hard to provide our clients with the best advice in the market by executing complex structured transactions, while at the same time navigating the barrage of global regulations and the fast paced developments in the Chinese regulatory environment for asset classes such as equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies."

Clifford Chance regularly works with leading financial institutions, trade groups and regulators on product and regulatory developments and prepares responses to consultation papers for the industry. In addition, the Firm holds regular seminars on the current and expected issues affecting the financial markets. These issues include those relating to EMIR, Dodd-Frank and the Volcker rule, Basel III requirements, global regulatory reforms relating to OTC derivatives and bank resolution and China regulatory developments.

Singapore partner Paul Landless added, "We've had an exciting year advising various banks, financial investors and corporates on a range of deals, in particular on repackaging, structured finance and equity solutions, and supporting leading derivatives exchanges and financial market infrastructure in their regional expansion. We believe we differ by playing an active role for several trade associations on market initiatives and staying close to regulators, central banks and governmental authorities so that we can give clients the very best insights and keep them at the forefront of all developments across the region."

Tokyo partner Leng-Fong Lai said, "Our deep understanding of clients, products, markets and regulations across the Asia Pacific region enables us to offer an exceptional service with the greatest insight and value-add. It's great to be a part of an integrated team with such multijurisdictional reach and strength."

The team has recently advised a consortium of 16 major banks with ASIFMA (Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association) on the Hong Kong and PRC regulatory and compliance issues in preparation for the launch of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect; many market participants on their brokerage and equities trading arrangements for Stock Connect and their equity derivatives and structured notes linked to shares traded through Stock Connect; various banks and asset managers on products and transactions using the new 2014 Credit Derivatives Definitions; and the Asian Development Bank, several regulators and central banks on the introduction of using GMRA (Global Master Repurchase Agreement) repo technology and trading practices for central banks, and improving inter-bank funding.