This content is from: Direct Tax
2019 Asia Tax Awards: The winners
The winners of International Tax Review’s 2019 Asia Tax Awards have been announced.
Professional services firm EY was awarded Asia Tax Firm of the Year, with KPMG crowned as Asia's Transfer Pricing and Disputes and Litigation Firm of the Year.
A total of 18 jurisdictions were celebrated in ITR's national, regional and leader awards at a three-course gala dinner at the Marina Mandarin in Singapore on Thursday, May 9 2019.
While professional services firms dominated the awards, law firm Baker McKenzie emerged as a challenger to tax advisory and litigation work in Asia, and was crowned International Tax Law Firm of the Year in Asia.
Shortlisted firms were assessed according to three primary metrics: transactional value, complexity, and innovation for matters completed between January 1 2018 to December 31 2018.
A full list of the winners are listed below.
National awards
Australia Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> EY
> Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
> MinterEllison
Australia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
MinterEllison
> KPMG
> Transfer Pricing Solutions Australia
Australia Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
> Ashurst
> KPMG
> MinterEllison
China Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> KPMG
China Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> EY
China Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> KPMG
Cambodia Tax Firm of the Year
DFDL
> Deloitte
> VDB Loi
Cambodia Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
DFDL
> Deloitte
> VDB Loi
Hong Kong Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> EY
Hong Kong Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> EY
Hong Kong Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> EY
India Tax Firm of the Year
Dhruva Advisors
> Advaita Legal
> Ashok Maheshwary & Associates
> BDO India
> Deloitte
> ELP Law
> EY
> KPMG
India Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Advaita Legal
> Ashok Maheshwary & Associates
> ELP Law
> EY
> KPMG
> Nangia Advisors
> SKP
India Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Advaita Legal
> Ashok Maheshwary & Associates
> Deloitte
> Dhruva Advisors
> EY
> KPMG
> Nangia Advisors
> SKP
Indonesia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Baker McKenzie
> KPMG
>TaxPrime
Indonesia Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> KPMG
> TaxPrime
Indonesia Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
Japan Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> DLA Piper
> KPMG
> Nagashima Ohn & Tsunematsu
> Withers Worldwide
Japan Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
Japan Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> DLA Piper
Malaysia Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> PwC
> EY
> KPMG
> Shearn Delamore & Co
Malaysia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> KPMG
> Wong & Partners
Malaysia Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> EY
> Shearn Delamore & Co
Myanmar Tax Firm of the Year
VDB Loi
> DFDL
> EY
> KPMG
New Zealand Tax Firm of the Year
Russell McVeagh
> Chapman Tripp
> Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
New Zealand Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> EY
> Russell McVeagh
New Zealand Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Russell McVeagh
> Ben Gully
> Deloitte
> EY Law
> KPMG
Philippines Tax Firm of the Year
Quisumbing Torres (Baker McKenzie)
> KPMG RGM&Co
> Navarro Amper & Co (Deloitte)
Philippines Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co (EY)
> KPMG RGM&Co
> Navarro Amper & Co (Deloitte)
Philippines Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
ZGLaw
> BDB Law
> KPMG RGM&Co
> Navarro Amper & Co (Deloitte)
> SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co (EY)
Pakistan Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
Singapore Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
> Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
> EY
> KPMG
Singapore Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> EY
> Grant Thornton
> Transfer Pricing Solutions
Singapore Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
> Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
South Korea Tax Firm of the Year
Yoon & Yang
> Deloitte
> Kim & Chang
> KPMG
> Yulchon
South Korea Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Yoon & Yang
> Deloitte
> Kim & Chang
> KPMG
> Yulchon
South Korea Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Kim & Chang
> Deloitte
> KPMG
> Yoon & Yang
> Yulchon
Sri Lanka Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
Taiwan Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> KPMG
Taiwan Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> KPMG
Taiwan Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
Thailand Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> DFDL
Thailand Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Baker McKenzie
> KPMG
Thailand Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> KPMG
Vietnam Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DFDL
Vietnam Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
PwC
> Deloitte
> DFDL
> EY
> KPMG
Vietnam Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
> PwC
Regional awards
Asia Tax Transactions Firm of the Year
EY
> Ashok Maheshwary & Associates
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> Dentons Rodyk
> Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
> KPMG
> PwC
Asia Tax Policy Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> Dhruva Advisors
> KPMG
> PwC
> Yulchon
> Yoon & Yang
Asia Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> EY
> PwC
> Russel McVeagh
Asia Tax Technology Firm of the Year
KPMG
> BDO
> Deloitte
> EY
Asia Tax Innovator of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> EY
> PwC
> Yoon & Yang
Global Executive Mobility Tax Team of the Year
Minter Ellison
> Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
US Corporate Tax Team of the Year in Asia
Baker McKenzie
> EY
> KPMG
Asia Best Newcomer of the Year
Transfer Pricing Solutions
> Transaction Square (India)
> Shah V G & Co (India)
Withholding Tax Team of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Dhruva Advisors
> Deloitte
> EY
Asia Indirect Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Advaita Legal
> Deloitte
> EY
> GNV
> Grant Thornton
> MinterEllison
> Yulchon
Asia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> EY
> MinterEllison
> PwC
International Tax Law Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Ashurst
> DLA Piper
> Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
Asia Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> EY
> Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
> Kim & Chang
> PwC
> Yulchon
Asia Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
> KPMG
In-house awards
In-house Transfer Pricing Team of the Year
Tencent Holdings
> DBS Bank
> Discovery Communications India
> Infosys
In-house Tax Team of the Year
Infosys
> Discovery Communications India
> DBS Bank
> GNV Consulting Services
> Walmart India
In-house Tax Director of the Year
Ben Choy, Tencent Holdings
> Ivan Budiarnawan, PT Astra International
> Umang Dhingra, Discovery Communications India
> Sunil Kumar Dhareshwar, Infosys
> Mukhlis Ishak, PT Freeport Indonesia
Leaders awards
Asia Tax Disputes & Litigation Practice Leader of the Year
Angela Wood, KPMG Australia
> Yun Heui Cho, Yulchon
> Leung Yew Kwong, KPMG Singapore
> Ji Soo Lee, Kim & Chang
> Carmen McElwain, MinterEllison
> Ponti Partogi, Baker McKenzie
> Steven Sieker, Baker McKenzie
> Tori Sullivan, EY Law Ltd
Asia Transfer Pricing Practice Leader of the Year
Luis Coronado, EY
> Yong Whan Choi, Yulchon
> Kaoru Fukazawa, Deloitte Tohmatsu
> Hitesh Gajaria, KPMG India
> Charles Oetomo, GNV Consulting Services
> Shannon Smit, Transfer Pricing Solutions
> Geoffrey Soh, KPMG Singapore
> Masaki Yamada, Deloitte Tohmatsu
Asia Tax Practice Leader of the Year
Edmund Leow, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
> Woo Hyun Baik, Kim & Chang
> Carlo Franchina, KPMG Australia
> Dinesh Kanabar, Dhruva Advisors
> Brendan Kelly, Baker McKenzie
> Kyu Dong Kim, Yulchon
> Edmund Leow, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
> Khoon Ming, KPMG China
> Jack Sheehan, DFDL
Regional Impact Cases of the Year
> Substantial GAAR panel challenge win for taxpayer: KPMG Australia
> Completion of one of the largest and longest tax litigation disputes in Australia: Ashurst Australia
> Indonesian mine tax reassessment: Baker McKenzie Indonesia
> Landmark application of product sharing contract transfer tax on cross border M&A transactions in the oil & gas industry: Deloitte Indonesia
> Tax exemption criteria clarification and defence for major cryptocurrency platform: Yoon & Yang South Korea
> Tax clarification on pension funds investing overseas: KPMG Japan
> Requirements for qualified spin-offs in South Korea, resulting in largest tax assessment in Korean history: Kim & Chang
> Secured no WHT treatment for global software company in Japan: EY Japan
> Tax policy development for Labuan International Insurance Association Malaysia: Deloitte Malaysia
> Tax avoidance and interest deductions in Frucor Suntory New Zealand v CIR: Bell Gully
Regional Impact Deals of the Year
> Takeda acquisition of Shire: Ashurst; Linklaters; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Slaughter and May
> Walmart acquisition of Flipkart: Allen & Gledhill; Dentons Rodyk & Davidson; Gibson Dunn & Crutcher; Gunderson Dettmer; Hogan Lovells; Khaitan & Co; Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
> Hitachi acquisition of ABB’s power grids business: Baker McKenzie; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Unilever acquisition of Horlicks nutrition business: Baker McKenzie; Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
> Unibail acquisition of Westfield: Allens; Clifford Chance; Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier; Debevoise & Plimpton; Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills; King & Wood Mallesons; Lacourte Raquin Tatar; Loyens & Loeff; NautaDutilh; Shearman & Sterling; Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
> Coles demerger from Wesfarmers: Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills and Herbert Smith Freehills
> Renesas acquisition of Integrated Device Technology: Covington & Burling; Latham & Watkins; Morrison & Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
> Merger of Vodafone India with Idea Cellular: DMD Advocats; EY; Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas; Slaughter and May; S&R Associates; Vaish Associates
> China Tower IPO: Clifford Chance; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Global Logistics Properties IPO: Allen & Overy
> Vinhomes IPO: Allen & Overy; Latham & Watkins; VILAF