Deacons wins Investment Funds and Intellectual Property awards at The 2004 Asian Legal Business Awards

October, 2004 - Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Deacons is pleased to announce that the firm was awarded the 2004 Asian Legal Business "Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year" and "Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year" awards at a presentation ceremony held on 24 September 2004.

The winners of the 2004 Asian Legal Business Awards are chosen by an independent panel of judges after reviewing information submitted by the finalists along with the research report based on nominations from senior in-house counsel, private practitioners, barristers, regulators, rating agencies and legal recruiters.

Lindsay Esler, Managing Partner of Deacons said, "We are delighted to win these two awards. They reflect our leading position in these market segments and our ongoing commitment to a building world class practice in Hong Kong. It is particularly pleasing to have won the Investment Funds award edging out the US and UK based global firms nominated in this category."

Winning the Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year confirms the Financial Services practice's market leadership which was ranked as the sole top-tier law firm for Unit Trusts & Investment Funds in the Asia Pacific Legal 500 in the 2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 editions (an annual independent survey of legal players in the Asia Pacific Region published by Legalease).

Deacons' Financial Services practice has a reputation for obtaining authorisation for new and innovative investment products in a variety of jurisdictions. Members of the group acted for:

- the first US funds to be authorised in Hong Kong;

- the first French FCPs to be authorised in Hong Kong;

- the first multi-manager fund to be authorised in Hong Kong;

- the first "Best of Breed" sub-advisory fund to be authorised in Hong Kong;

- the first fund of hedge funds to be authorised in Hong Kong;

- the first guaranteed hedge fund to be authorised in Hong Kong;

- the first guaranteed fund with returns linked to a hedge fund index;

- the first guaranteed fund with returns linked to a hedge fund index;

- the first "ethical" fund and the first "green" fund to be authorised in the UK; and

- the first Cayman fund to be offered to the public in Japan.


The ALB Award for Intellectual Property is the latest in a stream of awards and accolades to this pre-eminent practice group which was rated in worldwide surveys conducted by Managing Intellectual Property (a Euromoney publication) in the years 2003 and 2004 as the number one firm in Hong Kong for both Patents and Trade Marks.

Deacons’ Intellectual Property Practice Group has been ranked first-tier for the past four years by Asia Pacific Legal 500 (2000/2001, 2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 editions).

In the same publication, Lindsay Esler (managing partner) and Chris Britton (partner) have been acknowledged three times as leading lawyers in the area of Intellectual Property (2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 editions).

Lindsay Esler (managing partner) has been nominated four times as one of Asia’s Leading Lawyers in the area of Intellectual Property in the AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers Survey (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004).

Chris Britton (partner) and Charmaine Koo (partner) have been nominated as Asia’s Leading Lawyers in the area of Intellectual Property in the AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers Survey (2003).

Deacons’ Intellectual Property Practice Group has been ranked Highly Recommended for the past three years by Global Counsel 3000 (2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 editions).

Lindsay Esler (managing partner) has been acknowledged as a leading lawyer in the area of Trademarks in the Who’s Who Legal - The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2002 edition).

Christopher Britton (partner) was listed as the leading media lawyer in the Guide to the World's Leading Technology, Media and Telecommunications Lawyers in 2002 published by Euromoney Legal Group.

Lindsay Esler (managing partner) and Charmaine Koo (partner) were listed in the Guide to the World's Leading Trade Mark Law Practitioners in 2002 published by Euromoney Legal Group.

As one of Hong Kong's largest Intellectual Property firms, Deacons represents 44 of the owners of the world's 75 leading brands (as identified by Interbrand - 2001).

Deacons has over 17,000 active clients in all aspects of intellectual property — these clients include many international "household" names as well as Hong Kong’s blue chip enterprises and institutions.

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