The awards survey senior corporate counsel only, with this year's winners chosen from a pool of more than 2,000 individual client assessments.
The criteria for the awards focus on the ability to add real value to clients' business above and beyond other players in the market. This year, 355 individual winners across 70 jurisdictions were recognised in the Client Choice International segment.
Client Choice explains, "Our research begins with a readership survey of International Law Office (ILO) and Lexology in-house counsel subscribers. Clients are asked to rate individual lawyers and law firms on the following client service criteria: quality of legal advice, value for money, commercial awareness, effective communication, billing transparency, tailored fee structures, response time, sharing of expertise and use of technology.
"To ensure that the results cannot be influenced, law firms are not informed when this initial round of research is conducted. The results of this survey are used to draw up shortlists for each work area.
"Shortlisted candidates are then invited to submit up to five referees. The research team conducts follow-up interviews and additional research where necessary. While based on thorough and coherent research, the results remain the subjective views of the Client Choice team."
Peter Hesseling was a winner in the category General Corporate South Africa. Hesseling is a director of the firm's corporate and commercial practice and a member of the executive committee. He has extensive experience in insolvency law, company law, corporate restructuring, transaction structuring, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, black economic empowerment, the investment industry, various types of financing and selected areas of tax law.
During the research phase, clients said of Hesseling, "Peter strikes an excellent balance between debate, advice and action, understanding that it is delivery of a successful result for the client that matters the most."
"He is good in assessing the crux of a matter and focuses his time and attention on such matters. He therefore provides quality services in a prompt, efficient and effective manner.
Dr Emil Brincker was a winner in the category: Corporate Tax South Africa, for the fourth year in a row. Dr Brincker is a director and national head of the firm's tax practice. His experience encompasses corporate finance, corporate reorganisations and restructurings, exchange control, export finance, funding, general banking and commercial, including derivative transactions, empowerment transactions, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Ltd and the Takeover Regulations Panel, project finance and tax law, including income tax, tax disputes, value added tax, stamp duties, pay-as-you earn, capital gains tax and other fiscal statutes. Dr Brincker obtained his PhD in company law in 1992.
Clients said that Dr Brincker "provides quality legal advice and demonstrates a total service over a wide front, despite the mass of legislation affecting business; his knowledge is not restricted to income tax."
"Emil Brincker is highly respected in his field, even by his opponents. He is ethical, and has an inherent feel for justice and equity and sound judgement."
