Baker McKenzie and its partner FenXun have achieved remarkable success in the recently released Legal 500 Greater China 2026 Guide. This prestigious ranking showcases the firms' expertise and reputation in the legal industry. A true testament to their excellence!
The firms collectively earned an impressive 63 practice area rankings and 71 individual lawyer rankings. Among these, 45 practices were recognized as Tier 1 or Tier 2, and an outstanding 44 lawyers were inducted into the Hall of Fame or Leading Partner categories.
But here's where it gets interesting: Baker McKenzie saw significant improvements in their Dispute Resolution and Regulatory practices, moving up to Tier 1 in Litigation (Hong Kong) and gaining recognition in White Collar, Compliance, and Investigations (Hong Kong). FenXun also made waves with improved rankings in Antitrust and Competition and Real Estate and Construction.
In the individual rankings, 62% of the 71 lawyers were placed in the prestigious Hall of Fame/Leading Partner category. Baker McKenzie gained eight new individual rankings and three improved rankings, while FenXun added one new ranking and one improved ranking to their roster.
The practice areas that earned the top Tier 1 rankings include:
- China: Labor and Employment, Real Estate and Construction, and Tax (all Foreign Firms)
- Hong Kong SAR: Antitrust and Competition, Asset Finance (including Aviation and Shipping Finance), Dispute Resolution, Corporate Tax, Intellectual Property, and Real Estate
- Taiwan: Antitrust and Competition, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate and M&A, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Energy, and Projects, and TMT
And this is the part most people miss: the recognition of individual lawyers who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. Here's a glimpse of the exceptional legal minds:
- China: Grace Li, Duan Cui, Shirley Wang, Howard Wu, Hong Zhang, Leo Zhang, Zhenyu Ruan, Wenchao He, Zheng Lu, Ting Zhang, Alexander Gong, Luis Zhang, and Vivian Wu
- Hong Kong SAR: Stephen Crosswell, Vivian Tsang, Allen Ng, Andrew Lockhart, Sally Hung, Christina Lee, Tracy Wut, Cynthia Tang, Pierre Chan, Steven Sieker, Karen Man, Grace Fung, Martin Tam, Loke-Khoon Tan, Isabella Liu, Ruby Chan, Andrew Sim, Jason Ng, Edwin Wong, Hayley Irons, Jonathan Isaacs, Tess Lumsdaine, Sonia Wong, Derek Poon, Robert Wright, Xinxing Chen, Edmond Chan, Jeremy Ong, May Lau, Mini vandePol, and Lex Kuo
- Taiwan: Sonya Hsu, Fang-Yi Jen, Justin Liang, Bee Leay Teo, Evangeline Wang, Alex Chiang, Mark Tu, Sophia Huang, Kevin Wang, Michael Wong, Gwyneth Gu, Sean Shih, Anna Hwang, Robert Lee, Grace Shao, Monica Chao, Seraphim Ma, Sabrina Hsu, Tiffany Huang, Jady Kao, Michael Wong, and Henry Chang
The Legal 500 rankings are a comprehensive evaluation, considering various factors such as the firms' work over the past year, team experience and depth, specialization, and, most importantly, client feedback.
So, what do you think? Are these rankings a true reflection of the legal industry's top performers? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! We'd love to hear your insights and spark a discussion on the legal landscape.
