The Legal Adviser of the Year for APAC was awarded to Clifford Chance with judges saying its successful transactions in difficult jurisdictions put it ahead of other contenders.  

One judge said: “The 3 case studies cover project finance, M&A and fund advice, thus providing a full spectrum of credible evidence of Clifford Chances’s capability in the APAC infra space.”  

The submission said: “Throughout APAC, our team comprises lawyers and legal advisors with extensive experience in handling complex transactions across the entire spectrum and lifecycle of infrastructure assets, from traditional core assets to core plus/value add. We achieve these outcomes by fostering close working relationships with our clients and ensuring seamless collaboration across practice groups and geographical boundaries. The team frequently operates across multiple time zones and has successfully executed some of the largest deals in the APAC market. 

“Infrastructure transactions are often subject to stringent regulations and require specialist consultation. We have these capabilities in-house, with our respective practice groups managing regulatory, construction, foreign investment, and environmental aspects.” 

The firm advised on some of the highest profile deals in the region including advising APG’s co-investment with ADIA and INA in Indonesia’s Trans-Java Toll Road, which was given an award.  

It also advised a sustainable developer AGP on a strategic investment by Stonepeak.  

Clifford Chance also advised telecommunications infrastructure company OMS on a $400 million investment by KKR. And was involved in the $3.7 billion financing of the 1,022MW Hai Long offshore wind project.  

Another judge also pointed out the novel energy transactions Clifford Chance advised on. These include the Barito Wind’s acquisition of five Indonesian wind farm assets; an Asian development bank on the early retirement of a coal-fired power plant in Indonesia, and a sustainable aviation fuel plant in Pakistan. 

A member of the judging panel said: “Clifford Chance also set out successful transactions in some more difficult jurisdictions, such as SAF in Pakistan and battery transaction as well as innovations such as sustainability linked loans/bonds etc. Overall, an excellent well-rounded submission.”