No. 1 / Index 99.0
Bijal Ajinkya
InfluenceAsia ranks Ajinkya first because her 2025 contribution placed a technically demanding and culturally sensitive practice area at the center of India's legal modernization.
2025 Annual Edition / InfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 InfluenceAsia Lawyers 50
Counsel for a more complex Asia
Core principle: A leading 2025 lawyer must combine technical excellence, client consequence, ethical judgment, cross-border fluency, legal-market influence, institutional contribution and a publicly identifiable role in shaping law, business, regulation or dispute resolution around Asia.
Ranking Introduction
Individual lawyers defining Asia-facing legal practice.
Short introduction
2025 InfluenceAsia Lawyers 50 recognizes individual lawyers whose work defined the legal profession around Asia in 2025. The list covers dealmakers, litigators, arbitrators, capital-markets lawyers, regulatory advisers, IP leaders, fintech and AI specialists, energy counsel, knowledge-system builders and law-firm leaders whose contribution reached beyond ordinary client service.
Editorial positioning
The ranking is an independent InfluenceAsia editorial and research list. It is not a directory import, billing table, partnership seniority list, law-firm proxy ranking, court-win count, paid profile product or awards aggregation. Placement reflects a composite view of 2025 contribution, professional authority, Asia-Pacific relevance, client impact, innovation, cross-border value and enduring legal influence.
Geographic scope
Asia-Pacific, Greater China, India, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, and globally based lawyers whose 2025 work materially affected Asia-facing legal markets
Professional scope
Private-practice lawyers, senior counsel, advocates, arbitrators, law-firm leaders, legal innovators and specialist practitioners with clear professional contribution in 2025
Annual relevance
The 2025 legal year rewarded lawyers who could advise through uncertainty: AI governance, data incidents, crypto regulation, digital bonds, private wealth succession, cross-border M&A, shareholder pressure, energy reform, capital-market reopening, regional arbitration, sanctions risk, restructuring pressure and the modernization of law-firm operating models.
Editorial promise
Every included lawyer is real, identifiable and supported by a public professional record before or during 2025. The list excludes fictional lawyers, anonymous commentators, purely academic figures without practice relevance, former practitioners without 2025 legal contribution, and lawyers whose Asia relevance is incidental rather than material.
Annual Thesis
Theme title
Counsel For A More Complex Asia
Theme statement
The 2025 edition is built around Counsel For A More Complex Asia: the year when elite lawyers were judged by their ability to guide clients through legal risk that was simultaneously commercial, technological, geopolitical, regulatory and reputational.
Strategic reading
InfluenceAsia gives exceptional weight to lawyers who did more than execute instructions. The most important lawyers of 2025 created frameworks, stabilized markets, resolved conflict, improved institutional capability, built trust in new asset classes, advanced governance and made Asian legal practice more sophisticated.
Professional lens
The strongest lawyers in 2025 combined individual craft with institutional consequence. They were not only star practitioners, but market translators: able to move between law, business, policy, technology, capital, culture and dispute strategy.
Leadership Group
The top five lawyers in the 2025 register.
The leading group reflects tax and private-client strategy, knowledge systems, corporate institution-building, Greater China transactions and technology governance.
No. 2 / Index 98.6
Maki Kadonaga
InfluenceAsia ranks Kadonaga second because her work changed the internal architecture of legal practice, showing that legal excellence depends on systems as well as individuals.
No. 3 / Index 98.2
Cyril Shroff
InfluenceAsia places Shroff in the top tier because he combines legal authority, market leadership and institutional vision at a moment when India is becoming more globally central.
No. 4 / Index 97.8
Kay Ian Ng
InfluenceAsia ranks Ng highly because Hong Kong's highest-stakes corporate work still depends on lawyers who combine transaction execution with board-level judgment.
No. 5 / Index 97.4
Stella Cramer
InfluenceAsia includes Cramer near the top because AI and data governance became core legal infrastructure in 2025, not a peripheral technology specialty.
Eligible Subjects
Eligibility rules for individual lawyer inclusion.
The ranking evaluates individual lawyers, not law firms, and requires material 2025 professional relevance plus a defensible Asia connection.
Eligibility Area
Professional status
Eligible individuals must be lawyers, advocates, senior counsel, registered foreign lawyers, arbitrators with legal practice standing, or law-firm partners whose legal work remains central to their influence.
Eligibility Area
Asia connection
Lawyers may be based in Asia-Pacific, lead Asia-facing practices, advise Asian clients, shape Asian legal markets, or hold Asian heritage with internationally significant legal contribution.
Eligibility Area
Activity window
Lawyers must have material professional relevance in 2025, with stronger weighting for 2025 mandates, legal innovation, regulatory contribution, public disputes, market leadership, institutional reform or cross-border legal influence.
Eligibility Area
Practice scope
Eligible work includes M&A, capital markets, private equity, banking, restructuring, arbitration, litigation, investigations, competition, tax, private client, IP, AI, data, fintech, digital assets, energy, infrastructure, employment, compliance and legal operations.
Eligibility Area
Exclusions
The list excludes judges in active judicial office, public officials acting solely in government capacity, anonymous commentators, non-lawyer executives, legal academics without practice influence and lawyers whose contribution cannot be publicly verified.
Eligibility Area
Transition rule
A lawyer remains eligible despite a 2025 transition or retirement when the lawyer's work materially shaped the legal year.
Eligibility Area
Independence
InfluenceAsia does not import external rankings, awards, directories, court tables, deal tables, revenue figures or law-firm submissions into the final order.
Top 20 Register
Index-led summary table.
A compact reference table for the highest-ranked lawyers before the full 50-entry profile dossier.
| Rank | Lawyer | Market Base | Practice Authority | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bijal AjinkyaPartner, Khaitan & Co | India | Tax, private client, investment funds and succession planning | 99.0 |
| 2 | Maki KadonagaPartner and Chief Knowledge Officer, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune | Japan | Knowledge management, law-firm innovation and legal operations | 98.6 |
| 3 | Cyril ShroffManaging Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas | India | Corporate law, financial regulation, governance and institution-building | 98.2 |
| 4 | Kay Ian NgManaging Partner, Hong Kong, Sullivan & Cromwell | Hong Kong | M&A, capital markets and corporate governance | 97.8 |
| 5 | Stella CramerAPAC Head of Tech Group, Clifford Chance | Singapore | Technology, data, AI policy and digital transformation | 97.4 |
| 6 | Davinder Singh SCExecutive Chairman, Davinder Singh Chambers | Singapore | Commercial litigation, arbitration and advocacy | 97.0 |
| 7 | Sae Youn KimSenior arbitration lawyer, Kim & Chang | South Korea | International arbitration and cross-border litigation | 96.6 |
| 8 | Robert AshworthCo-head of Global M&A, Freshfields | Hong Kong | M&A, private equity and board-level corporate advice | 96.2 |
| 9 | Cheng LimHead of Cyber Practice, King & Wood Mallesons | Australia | Cybersecurity, data privacy and technology governance | 95.8 |
| 10 | Kevin (Kap-You) KimCo-founder, Peter & Kim | South Korea and international arbitration | Investment treaty and commercial arbitration | 95.4 |
| 11 | Pravin AnandManaging Partner, Anand and Anand | India | Intellectual property litigation and strategy | 95.0 |
| 12 | Haiping LiPartner and Co-head of China Practice, Skadden | Hong Kong and Greater China | Corporate finance, M&A and capital markets | 94.6 |
| 13 | Zia ModyCo-founder and Managing Partner, AZB & Partners | India | M&A, private equity and corporate law | 94.2 |
| 14 | Xiao WeiFounding Partner, JunHe | China | Corporate law, M&A and capital markets | 93.8 |
| 15 | Ben HammondHong Kong Managing Partner, Ashurst | Hong Kong | Financial regulation, fintech and digital assets | 93.4 |
| 16 | Shaun WuPartner, Paul Hastings | Hong Kong and Greater China | Investigations, white-collar defense and preventive compliance | 93.0 |
| 17 | Jaclyn TsaiCo-founder, Lee, Tsai & Partners | Taiwan | Technology law, fintech, crypto regulation and M&A | 92.6 |
| 18 | Tony DamianCo-head of M&A, Australia, Ashurst | Australia | Public M&A, takeovers and board advisory | 92.2 |
| 19 | Wang JunfengGlobal Chairman, King & Wood Mallesons | China | Securities, M&A, international commerce and legal institution-building | 91.8 |
| 20 | Nandakumar PonniyaAPAC Chair, Global Dispute Resolution, Baker McKenzie | Singapore | International arbitration and cross-border litigation | 91.4 |
Full Ranking Dossier
All 50 ranked lawyers, with 2025 signal and rationale.
Each entry includes rank, lawyer, 2025 platform, market base, practice authority, 2025 signal, lawyer type, profile language, InfluenceAsia rationale and Lawyer Leadership Index score.
Rank1
Tax and private-client strategist
Bijal Ajinkya
99.0
2025 PlatformPartner, Khaitan & Co
Market BaseIndia
Practice AuthorityTax, private client, investment funds and succession planning
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her work made private-client structuring, succession planning and cross-border tax advice a defining legal-innovation story in India.
Profile for Webpage
Bijal Ajinkya is a Khaitan & Co partner whose work spans international tax, private client, investment funds, cross-border structuring and succession planning.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Ajinkya first because her 2025 contribution placed a technically demanding and culturally sensitive practice area at the center of India's legal modernization.
Rank2
Legal-knowledge innovator
Maki Kadonaga
98.6
2025 PlatformPartner and Chief Knowledge Officer, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Market BaseJapan
Practice AuthorityKnowledge management, law-firm innovation and legal operations
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her legal-knowledge systems helped redefine how a major Japanese law firm manages research, workflow and professional capability.
Profile for Webpage
Maki Kadonaga is a partner and Chief Knowledge Officer at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, where she works on knowledge management and legal-service efficiency.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Kadonaga second because her work changed the internal architecture of legal practice, showing that legal excellence depends on systems as well as individuals.
Rank3
Corporate-law institution builder
Cyril Shroff
98.2
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Market BaseIndia
Practice AuthorityCorporate law, financial regulation, governance and institution-building
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He remained one of India's most consequential lawyers as the market confronted AI, global-firm entry, capital reform and corporate expansion.
Profile for Webpage
Cyril Shroff is Managing Partner of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and one of India's most influential corporate, regulatory and governance lawyers.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia places Shroff in the top tier because he combines legal authority, market leadership and institutional vision at a moment when India is becoming more globally central.
Rank4
Greater China dealmaker
Kay Ian Ng
97.8
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Hong Kong, Sullivan & Cromwell
Market BaseHong Kong
Practice AuthorityM&A, capital markets and corporate governance
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He led high-stakes Greater China transactions and remained one of Hong Kong's most authoritative corporate lawyers.
Profile for Webpage
Kay Ian Ng leads Sullivan & Cromwell's Hong Kong office and advises on major M&A, capital markets and corporate matters.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Ng highly because Hong Kong's highest-stakes corporate work still depends on lawyers who combine transaction execution with board-level judgment.
Rank5
Technology and AI-policy lawyer
Stella Cramer
97.4
2025 PlatformAPAC Head of Tech Group, Clifford Chance
Market BaseSingapore
Practice AuthorityTechnology, data, AI policy and digital transformation
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
She helped shape AI, technology and data-policy advice for major funds, platforms, regulators and financial institutions across Asia.
Profile for Webpage
Stella Cramer leads Clifford Chance's APAC tech practice and advises on data, AI, platform collaborations, technology transactions and digital transformation.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Cramer near the top because AI and data governance became core legal infrastructure in 2025, not a peripheral technology specialty.
Rank6
Senior advocate and disputes leader
Davinder Singh SC
97.0
2025 PlatformExecutive Chairman, Davinder Singh Chambers
Market BaseSingapore
Practice AuthorityCommercial litigation, arbitration and advocacy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His continued presence in major disputes and 2025 public recognition confirmed his place as one of Asia's pre-eminent advocates.
Profile for Webpage
Davinder Singh SC is one of Singapore's most distinguished litigators, active in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Singh because his advocacy continues to define elite courtroom craft in Asia's most sophisticated disputes hub.
Rank7
International arbitration lawyer
Sae Youn Kim
96.6
2025 PlatformSenior arbitration lawyer, Kim & Chang
Market BaseSouth Korea
Practice AuthorityInternational arbitration and cross-border litigation
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her arbitration practice connected Korean parties to global dispute forums across commercial, biotech, financial and manufacturing matters.
Profile for Webpage
Sae Youn Kim is a senior member of Kim & Chang's international arbitration and cross-border litigation practice.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Kim because Korea's disputes market has become deeply global, and her work connects Korean clients to international arbitral forums.
Rank8
M&A and governance adviser
Robert Ashworth
96.2
2025 PlatformCo-head of Global M&A, Freshfields
Market BaseHong Kong
Practice AuthorityM&A, private equity and board-level corporate advice
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
With decades of Asia experience, he continued to advise on major corporate strategy and high-value cross-border transactions.
Profile for Webpage
Robert Ashworth is Freshfields' co-head of global M&A and a long-standing Asia corporate lawyer with major Hong Kong and China experience.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Ashworth because his practice reflects decades of board-level trust across the region's most consequential corporate matters.
Rank9
Cyber and data-risk lawyer
Cheng Lim
95.8
2025 PlatformHead of Cyber Practice, King & Wood Mallesons
Market BaseAustralia
Practice AuthorityCybersecurity, data privacy and technology governance
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His work on data breaches, cyber resilience and AI-era trust made him one of Asia-Pacific's most important technology-risk lawyers.
Profile for Webpage
Cheng Lim leads cyber work at King & Wood Mallesons and advises on privacy, data security, major data breaches, regulatory engagement and technology governance.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Lim because cyber incidents in 2025 were no longer only technical events. They became board, regulator, customer and litigation events requiring legal leadership.
Rank10
Arbitration institution builder
Kevin (Kap-You) Kim
95.4
2025 PlatformCo-founder, Peter & Kim
Market BaseSouth Korea and international arbitration
Practice AuthorityInvestment treaty and commercial arbitration
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He remained a defining Korean arbitration figure while his firm expanded its Asia-Pacific reach in 2025.
Profile for Webpage
Kevin Kim is a co-founder of Peter & Kim and one of Korea's most respected arbitration practitioners.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks him because his arbitration work and institutional expansion helped position Korean disputes practice in the global market.
Rank11
Intellectual-property litigator
Pravin Anand
95.0
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Anand and Anand
Market BaseIndia
Practice AuthorityIntellectual property litigation and strategy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His IP leadership continued to shape Indian patent, trademark, personality-rights and innovation-protection jurisprudence.
Profile for Webpage
Pravin Anand is the managing partner of Anand and Anand and one of India's defining IP litigators.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Anand because IP law in India has become a strategic field for technology, pharmaceuticals, brands, creators and personality rights.
Rank12
China capital-markets lawyer
Haiping Li
94.6
2025 PlatformPartner and Co-head of China Practice, Skadden
Market BaseHong Kong and Greater China
Practice AuthorityCorporate finance, M&A and capital markets
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
She remained central to China-linked listings, corporate finance and new-economy company transactions.
Profile for Webpage
Haiping Li is a Skadden partner and co-head of the firm's China practice, focused on corporate finance, M&A and capital markets.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Li because Chinese new-economy companies and investors need counsel who can translate between U.S., Hong Kong and mainland market expectations.
Rank13
Corporate-law leader
Zia Mody
94.2
2025 PlatformCo-founder and Managing Partner, AZB & Partners
Market BaseIndia
Practice AuthorityM&A, private equity and corporate law
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
She continued to represent the highest end of Indian corporate legal judgment across private capital, restructuring and foreign investment.
Profile for Webpage
Zia Mody is co-founder and managing partner of AZB & Partners and one of India's most respected corporate attorneys.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Mody because her influence spans transactions, private capital, governance and the development of India's premium corporate bar.
Rank14
Chinese corporate-law statesman
Xiao Wei
93.8
2025 PlatformFounding Partner, JunHe
Market BaseChina
Practice AuthorityCorporate law, M&A and capital markets
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
As a foundational figure in China's private legal profession, he remained a reference point for corporate-law authority and legal institution-building.
Profile for Webpage
Xiao Wei is a founding partner of JunHe and a highly regarded figure in Chinese corporate, M&A and capital-markets law.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Xiao because his career represents the professional formation of China's modern private legal market.
Rank15
Digital-finance regulatory lawyer
Ben Hammond
93.4
2025 PlatformHong Kong Managing Partner, Ashurst
Market BaseHong Kong
Practice AuthorityFinancial regulation, fintech and digital assets
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His digital-bond and financial-regulation work helped translate Hong Kong's digital-finance ambition into legally credible infrastructure.
Profile for Webpage
Ben Hammond leads Ashurst's Hong Kong office and financial-regulation practice, with deep involvement in digital finance and complex regulatory matters.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Hammond because Hong Kong's digital-asset and tokenized-finance ambitions require lawyers who can connect innovation to regulatory credibility.
Rank16
Investigations and compliance lawyer
Shaun Wu
93.0
2025 PlatformPartner, Paul Hastings
Market BaseHong Kong and Greater China
Practice AuthorityInvestigations, white-collar defense and preventive compliance
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His 2025 work pushed Asian investigations practice toward earlier risk detection, forensic analytics and board-level compliance strategy.
Profile for Webpage
Shaun Wu leads major Hong Kong and China investigations and white-collar defense work for Paul Hastings.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Wu because his 2025 approach moved investigations from reactive crisis response toward preventive compliance architecture.
Rank17
Fintech and technology lawyer
Jaclyn Tsai
92.6
2025 PlatformCo-founder, Lee, Tsai & Partners
Market BaseTaiwan
Practice AuthorityTechnology law, fintech, crypto regulation and M&A
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
She remained a bridge between private practice, public policy and Taiwan's digital-asset regulatory architecture.
Profile for Webpage
Jaclyn Tsai co-founded Lee, Tsai & Partners and has deep experience in Taiwan technology, fintech, blockchain, public policy and M&A.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Tsai because she has shaped the legal conditions under which Taiwan's digital economy and crypto governance can mature.
Rank18
Public M&A lawyer
Tony Damian
92.2
2025 PlatformCo-head of M&A, Australia, Ashurst
Market BaseAustralia
Practice AuthorityPublic M&A, takeovers and board advisory
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His 2025 move strengthened one of Australia's most important M&A platforms and signaled continuing intensity in premium deal counsel.
Profile for Webpage
Tony Damian is an Australian M&A lawyer with deep experience in takeovers, governance, shareholder activism and strategic board advice.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Damian because major Australian dealmaking in 2025 required judgment shaped by decades of premium M&A work.
Rank19
Chinese legal institution builder
Wang Junfeng
91.8
2025 PlatformGlobal Chairman, King & Wood Mallesons
Market BaseChina
Practice AuthoritySecurities, M&A, international commerce and legal institution-building
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He remained one of China's most influential lawyer-leaders, connecting domestic legal development with international commercial practice.
Profile for Webpage
Wang Junfeng is Global Chairman of King & Wood Mallesons and a principal founding figure in China's modern commercial-law profession.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Wang because legal market leadership in China is inseparable from institution-building and cross-border commercial credibility.
Rank20
Regional disputes lawyer
Nandakumar Ponniya
91.4
2025 PlatformAPAC Chair, Global Dispute Resolution, Baker McKenzie
Market BaseSingapore
Practice AuthorityInternational arbitration and cross-border litigation
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His disputes work across technology, construction, energy, restructuring and finance kept him central to regional commercial conflict.
Profile for Webpage
Nandakumar Ponniya chairs Baker McKenzie's Asia-Pacific dispute resolution practice and handles arbitration and litigation across major sectors.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Ponniya because regional disputes in 2025 needed both courtroom strategy and cross-border commercial judgment.
Rank21
Litigation and arbitration advocate
Cavinder Bull SC
91.0
2025 PlatformChief Executive Officer, Drew & Napier
Market BaseSingapore
Practice AuthorityLitigation, arbitration, competition and regulatory advocacy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He remained one of Singapore's most formidable courtroom advocates and a key institutional leader in complex disputes.
Profile for Webpage
Cavinder Bull SC is CEO of Drew & Napier and one of Singapore's most prominent commercial litigators and arbitration advocates.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Bull because Singapore's legal market depends on advocates who can carry complex disputes through courts, regulators and arbitral forums.
Rank22
Southeast Asian disputes leader
Tiziana Sucharitkul
90.6
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Tilleke & Gibbins
Market BaseThailand and Southeast Asia
Practice AuthorityDispute resolution, firm leadership and regional strategy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her leadership combined commercial disputes, international client service and Southeast Asian legal-market development.
Profile for Webpage
Tiziana Sucharitkul is managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins and a senior disputes practitioner in Thailand.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Sucharitkul because her work combines legal leadership, international client service and Southeast Asian market development.
Rank23
M&A and private-equity lawyer
Haigreve Khaitan
90.2
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Khaitan & Co
Market BaseIndia
Practice AuthorityM&A, private equity and corporate strategy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He continued to anchor one of India's most important corporate practices as the market scaled private capital and family-business transitions.
Profile for Webpage
Haigreve Khaitan is a managing partner at Khaitan & Co and a senior figure in Indian corporate, M&A and private-equity law.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Khaitan because India's transaction market needs lawyers who can advise founders, boards, financial sponsors and institutions with equal authority.
Rank24
Corporate and law-firm strategy leader
Sridhar Gorthi
89.8
2025 PlatformPartner and Management Committee Member, Trilegal
Market BaseIndia
Practice AuthorityM&A, private equity and law-firm modernization
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His 2025 role linked major Indian deal work with institutional reform, governance and a more innovation-led law-firm model.
Profile for Webpage
Sridhar Gorthi is a Trilegal partner and management committee member focused on M&A, private equity and corporate law.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Gorthi because his 2025 influence extended from deal execution to the modernization of Indian law-firm governance.
Rank25
AI, data and privacy lawyer
Takashi Nakazaki
89.4
2025 PlatformPartner, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Market BaseJapan
Practice AuthorityAI, data privacy, cybersecurity and technology regulation
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His AI, data and cyber practice made him a core legal interpreter of Japan's technology-governance transition.
Profile for Webpage
Takashi Nakazaki is an Anderson Mori & Tomotsune partner focused on AI, data protection, cybersecurity, privacy, IP and technology law.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Nakazaki because Japan's AI and data-governance environment needed lawyers who could bridge regulation, business adoption and cyber risk.
Rank26
Finance and restructuring lawyer
Andrew Brereton
89.0
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Singapore, King & Spalding
Market BaseSingapore
Practice AuthorityFinance, restructuring, workouts and private credit
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He remained a leading Asia-based lawyer for complex cross-border financing, restructuring and special situations.
Profile for Webpage
Andrew Brereton leads King & Spalding's Singapore office and advises on financing, restructuring, workouts and private credit matters.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Brereton because Asia's 2025 restructuring and special-situations market required sophisticated cross-border finance judgment.
Rank27
Capital-markets lawyer
Li He
88.6
2025 PlatformPartner, Davis Polk
Market BaseBeijing and Hong Kong
Practice AuthorityCapital markets, IPOs and China-linked listings
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His capital-markets work continued to connect Chinese issuers, investment banks and global securities law.
Profile for Webpage
Li He is a Davis Polk partner with deep experience in U.S. and Hong Kong IPOs and other China-linked securities offerings.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes He because capital markets remained a crucial legal bridge between Chinese companies and international investors.
Rank28
Equity capital-markets lawyer
Philippa Stone
88.2
2025 PlatformPartner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Market BaseAustralia
Practice AuthorityEquity capital markets, M&A and governance
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
She remained one of Australia's dominant ECM lawyers, advising at the intersection of capital raising, takeovers and listed-company governance.
Profile for Webpage
Philippa Stone is a Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer partner and one of Australia's leading ECM and corporate lawyers.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Stone because capital raising, corporate governance and public-market confidence remained central to Australia's 2025 legal economy.
Rank29
Antitrust and merger-control lawyer
Ma Chen
87.8
2025 PlatformPartner, Han Kun Law Offices
Market BaseChina
Practice AuthorityAntitrust, merger control and foreign investment security
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His competition-law practice remained highly relevant to multinational transactions, investigations and China's evolving security-review regime.
Profile for Webpage
Ma Chen is a Han Kun partner with extensive experience in merger filings, antitrust investigations and foreign investment security review.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Ma because Chinese competition and security-review law increasingly affects multinational transactions and market access.
Rank30
Regional senior counsel
Lee Eng Beng SC
87.4
2025 PlatformSenior Partner, Rajah & Tann Singapore
Market BaseSingapore and Southeast Asia
Practice AuthorityRestructuring, insolvency, banking and regional leadership
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He continued to guide one of Southeast Asia's most important legal networks while maintaining deep restructuring and finance credibility.
Profile for Webpage
Lee Eng Beng SC is a senior partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore and chairperson of Rajah & Tann Asia.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Lee because he combines restructuring and finance authority with leadership across one of Southeast Asia's most important legal networks.
Rank31
Corporate-finance lawyer
Lina Lee
87.0
2025 PlatformPartner, A&O Shearman
Market BaseHong Kong
Practice AuthorityEquity capital markets and corporate finance
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her Hong Kong corporate-finance practice remained central to issuers and institutions raising capital across Asian markets.
Profile for Webpage
Lina Lee is an A&O Shearman partner in Hong Kong focused on equity financing and corporate finance transactions.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Lee because capital formation in Asia depends on lawyers who can manage issuers, underwriters, regulators and investors across jurisdictions.
Rank32
HKEX and China listings lawyer
Jason Xu
86.6
2025 PlatformPartner, Davis Polk
Market BaseBeijing and Hong Kong
Practice AuthorityHKEX listings, follow-on offerings and M&A
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His work across listings, privatizations and regulatory matters made him a key China capital-markets lawyer.
Profile for Webpage
Jason Xu is a Davis Polk partner advising on Hong Kong listings, follow-on offerings, M&A, privatizations and regulatory matters.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Xu because China-linked issuers need deep execution capability in a market where disclosure and regulatory judgment are decisive.
Rank33
Projects and infrastructure lawyer
Joe Zhou
86.2
2025 PlatformPartner, Fangda Partners
Market BaseHong Kong and Greater China
Practice AuthorityProjects, infrastructure, cross-border M&A and energy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His projects and infrastructure work connected Chinese investors to large-scale transport, environmental and energy assets.
Profile for Webpage
Joe Zhou is a Fangda partner specializing in cross-border M&A, infrastructure, energy and inbound and outbound investment.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Zhou because Asia's energy and infrastructure work increasingly requires counsel comfortable with financing, construction and international investment risk.
Rank34
Legal-service innovation leader
Sam Nickless
85.8
2025 PlatformPartner and Chief Executive Officer, Gilbert + Tobin
Market BaseAustralia
Practice AuthorityLaw-firm leadership, technology and legal-service design
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His leadership helped make innovation, AI readiness and operating excellence central to a leading Australian firm's identity.
Profile for Webpage
Sam Nickless is partner and CEO of Gilbert + Tobin, where he leads strategy, operations, innovation and technology-enabled legal service.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Nickless because 2025 made law-firm operating models a serious component of legal excellence.
Rank35
Finance and people-strategy lawyer
Hiroshi Niinomi
85.4
2025 PlatformPartner, Nishimura & Asahi
Market BaseJapan
Practice AuthorityReal estate finance, structured finance and people strategy
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His 2025 work linked Japanese finance expertise with a broader modernization of law-firm people systems.
Profile for Webpage
Hiroshi Niinomi is a Nishimura & Asahi partner active in real estate finance, structured finance, project finance and institutional people strategy.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Niinomi because he connected technical finance expertise with the management reforms needed for a modern Japanese law firm.
Rank36
Next-generation arbitration lawyer
Mino Han
85.0
2025 PlatformPartner, Peter & Kim
Market BaseSouth Korea
Practice AuthorityInternational arbitration, construction and infrastructure disputes
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His arbitration practice showed the next generation of Korean disputes leadership across infrastructure and investment matters.
Profile for Webpage
Mino Han is a Peter & Kim partner focused on international arbitration, construction disputes and infrastructure-related matters.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Han because his practice represents the emerging generation of Korean arbitration talent with global technical depth.
Rank37
Korean disputes leader
Jong-Han Oh
84.6
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Shin & Kim
Market BaseSouth Korea
Practice AuthorityCommercial disputes, investigations and firm leadership
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
He remained prominent in Korean disputes and litigation strategy while leading one of the jurisdiction's major firms.
Profile for Webpage
Jong-Han Oh is a managing partner at Shin & Kim with a strong profile in litigation and commercial disputes.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Oh because Korean disputes work has become more prominent as Korean companies expand globally and face more complex risk.
Rank38
Hong Kong disputes lawyer
Charles Mo
84.2
2025 PlatformPartner, Morgan Lewis
Market BaseHong Kong
Practice AuthorityLitigation, investigations and financial disputes
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His Hong Kong disputes practice stood out in 2025 for complex commercial litigation and cross-border risk management.
Profile for Webpage
Charles Mo is a Morgan Lewis partner in Hong Kong focused on litigation, investigations and cross-border commercial disputes.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Mo because Hong Kong's disputes market requires lawyers who understand financial, corporate and regulatory pressure at once.
Rank39
Greater China litigator
Frederick Hui
83.8
2025 PlatformPartner, Zhong Lun Law Firm
Market BaseHong Kong and Greater China
Practice AuthorityLitigation and cross-border disputes
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His disputes work reflected the growing sophistication of Greater China litigation and international commercial conflict.
Profile for Webpage
Frederick Hui is a Zhong Lun disputes lawyer with a strong Greater China litigation and commercial conflict profile.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Hui because Chinese and Hong Kong-linked disputes increasingly require regional strategy and international awareness.
Rank40
Malaysian commercial litigator
JJ Chan
83.4
2025 PlatformManaging Partner, Chan Ban Eng & Co
Market BaseMalaysia and regional disputes
Practice AuthorityLitigation, directors' liability and commercial disputes
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His courtroom practice and disputes profile made him one of Malaysia's notable voices in regional commercial litigation.
Profile for Webpage
JJ Chan is managing partner of Chan Ban Eng & Co and handles commercial disputes, directors' liability and contentious advisory work.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Chan because Malaysia's disputes market deserves recognition for advocacy beyond the region's largest legal centers.
Rank41
Vietnamese disputes lawyer
Hoang Phuoc
83.0
2025 PlatformSenior Associate, Global Vietnam Lawyers
Market BaseVietnam
Practice AuthorityCommercial litigation and dispute resolution
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His 2025 disputes recognition signaled the rising visibility of younger Vietnamese litigators in Asia's legal market.
Profile for Webpage
Hoang Phuoc is a Global Vietnam Lawyers disputes practitioner whose 2025 profile showed rising Vietnamese litigation talent.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes him because Vietnam's commercial-law market is producing a new generation of lawyers visible beyond the domestic bar.
Rank42
Indonesian corporate and disputes lawyer
Lia Alizia
82.6
2025 PlatformIndonesian corporate, employment and disputes lawyer
Market BaseIndonesia
Practice AuthorityEmployment, corporate litigation, IP and restructuring
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her practice remained important to multinationals navigating Indonesian employment, commercial, IP and restructuring disputes.
Profile for Webpage
Lia Alizia is an Indonesian lawyer with more than two decades of experience across employment, corporate, litigation, restructuring, IP and arbitration.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Alizia because employment and commercial disputes are increasingly strategic for multinationals operating in Indonesia.
Rank43
China outbound lawyer
Tommy Liu
82.2
2025 PlatformPartner, Hogan Lovells
Market BaseGreater China
Practice AuthorityCross-border transactions and Chinese outbound expansion
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His work supported Chinese companies as they navigated overseas growth, regulatory complexity and international deal execution.
Profile for Webpage
Tommy Liu advises Chinese companies on international expansion, transactions and regulatory complexity.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Liu because Chinese outbound legal work in 2025 required pragmatic cross-border navigation under geopolitical pressure.
Rank44
China technology lawyer
Alex Roberts
81.8
2025 PlatformPartner, Linklaters
Market BaseGreater China and international technology markets
Practice AuthorityTechnology law, China regulatory adaptation and cross-border advisory
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His practice helped clients interpret fast-moving China technology regulation and international market access.
Profile for Webpage
Alex Roberts works on China technology, regulation and cross-border business issues for international clients.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Roberts because technology law in Greater China became a market-access discipline as well as a compliance discipline.
Rank45
Energy and infrastructure lawyer
Hemant Sahai
81.4
2025 PlatformFounding Partner, HSA Advocates
Market BaseIndia and South Asia
Practice AuthorityEnergy, infrastructure, power reform and regulation
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His energy-law work continued to influence electricity-market reform and investment frameworks in South Asia.
Profile for Webpage
Hemant Sahai is founding partner of HSA Advocates and a leading Indian energy, power and infrastructure lawyer.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Sahai because energy-market reform in South Asia depends on lawyers who can draft frameworks, not merely review documents.
Rank46
Singapore finance lawyer
Jessica Lee
81.0
2025 PlatformPartner, A&O Shearman
Market BaseSingapore
Practice AuthorityProject finance, structured finance and sustainability-linked lending
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her finance practice supported Asian infrastructure, private credit, green finance and cross-border lending.
Profile for Webpage
Jessica Lee is an A&O Shearman partner advising on project finance, structured finance, corporate lending, sustainability-linked finance and private credit.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Lee because Asian infrastructure and private-credit growth require finance lawyers fluent in both bank and sponsor expectations.
Rank47
Offshore corporate lawyer
Judy Lee
80.6
2025 PlatformPartner and Asia Group Head, Appleby
Market BaseHong Kong and offshore markets
Practice AuthorityOffshore corporate finance, funds and fiduciary services
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her offshore practice remained important to Asian capital flows, investment funds and corporate structuring.
Profile for Webpage
Judy Lee is Appleby's Asia Group Head and a Hong Kong partner focused on Bermuda, Cayman and BVI corporate law, funds and capital markets.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Lee because offshore law remains a quiet but essential layer of Asian investment, funds and corporate finance.
Rank48
Investment funds lawyer
Nicholas Chan
80.2
2025 PlatformPartner, Kirkland & Ellis
Market BaseHong Kong
Practice AuthorityInvestment funds, private equity and liquidity solutions
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
His funds practice represented the institutional depth behind Asia's private-capital and liquidity-solutions market.
Profile for Webpage
Nicholas Chan is a Kirkland partner in Hong Kong focused on private equity investment funds and liquidity solutions.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Chan because Asia's private-capital market increasingly depends on sophisticated fund formation and secondary liquidity work.
Rank49
Corporate and governance icon
Teresa Ko
79.8
2025 PlatformSenior corporate lawyer, Freshfields through 2025 transition
Market BaseHong Kong and Greater China
Practice AuthorityCorporate, capital markets and governance
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her 2025 retirement transition closed a landmark career that helped shape Hong Kong equity capital markets and governance practice.
Profile for Webpage
Teresa Ko was a senior Freshfields corporate lawyer through her 2025 transition and a long-standing figure in Hong Kong securities, governance and capital markets.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia includes Ko because her 2025 transition marked the close of a career that helped define Hong Kong's modern corporate-law bar.
Rank50
Indonesian disputes lawyer
Melati Siregar
79.4
2025 PlatformSenior Partner, UMBRA Strategic Legal Solutions
Market BaseIndonesia
Practice AuthorityLitigation, ADR and regulated-sector disputes
Index NameInfluenceAsia Lawyer Leadership Index
2025 Signal
Her disputes practice showed Indonesia's increasing depth in complex commercial, regulatory, energy and state-linked litigation.
Profile for Webpage
Melati Siregar is a senior UMBRA partner focused on litigation, ADR and regulated-sector disputes.
InfluenceAsia Rationale
InfluenceAsia ranks Siregar because Indonesian commercial and regulatory disputes are becoming more significant to Asia-Pacific business risk.
Research Dimensions
A 100-point editorial research scale.
The model weighs legal contribution, technical authority, client impact, Asia-Pacific relevance, innovation, institutional influence and professional stewardship.
24
2025 Legal Contribution
The lawyer's identifiable contribution to important legal work or legal-market development during 2025.
Evaluated: Matters, reforms, advisory frameworks, disputes, transactions, innovation, leadership transitions, policy influence and public professional contribution.
18
Technical Authority
The depth of the lawyer's legal skill and specialist credibility.
Evaluated: Practice reputation, doctrinal command, courtroom or deal execution, regulatory precision, drafting sophistication and subject-matter expertise.
16
Client And Market Impact
The degree to which the lawyer's work affected clients, markets, industries or institutions.
Evaluated: Board-level influence, deal consequence, dispute stakes, market education, regulatory confidence, sector adoption and cross-border relevance.
13
Asia-Pacific Relevance
The lawyer's importance to Asian jurisdictions, Asian clients or Asia-facing legal flows.
Evaluated: Local authority, regional practice, multilingual or cross-cultural capability, Asian market trust and international bridge-building.
11
Innovation And Future Readiness
The lawyer's contribution to new legal-service models, AI, data, fintech, knowledge systems or future legal infrastructure.
Evaluated: AI strategy, digital finance, knowledge management, cyber response, operational reform, legal technology and new regulatory frameworks.
10
Institutional Influence
The lawyer's role in building firms, practices, networks, legal norms or next-generation talent.
Evaluated: Leadership, mentoring, practice formation, professional governance, firm strategy, diversity and market institution-building.
8
Stewardship And Integrity
The lawyer's contribution to ethical judgment, responsible advice, public trust and professional credibility.
Evaluated: Responsible advocacy, risk governance, pro bono, public-interest work, inclusion, client judgment and long-term reputation.
Methodology
How the 2025 legal register was assembled.
InfluenceAsia applies a normalized editorial research process designed to compare lawyers across different practice areas, jurisdictions and forms of professional contribution.
Method Element 1
Ranking model
InfluenceAsia applied a 100-point editorial research model across seven dimensions: 2025 Legal Contribution, Technical Authority, Client and Market Impact, Asia-Pacific Relevance, Innovation and Future Readiness, Institutional Influence, and Stewardship and Integrity.
Method Element 2
Evaluation period
The editorial record was assessed through 31 December 2025. Later career events are not used as ranking evidence in this edition.
Method Element 3
Contribution screen
High placement requires a clear 2025 legal contribution: a market-shaping matter, practice innovation, policy or regulatory contribution, major dispute, transaction leadership, institutional reform, public-interest work or sustained authority in a strategically important practice.
Method Element 4
Evidence type
Review considered public professional biographies, practice credentials, matter record, institutional roles, 2025 legal-market contribution, jurisdictional relevance, cross-border impact, innovation work, leadership responsibility and professional credibility.
Method Element 5
Comparability rule
Lawyers were normalized first within their own practice area, then across the full Asia-Pacific legal ecosystem. A tax lawyer, litigator, arbitrator, M&A lawyer, capital-markets partner, technology adviser and legal-operations innovator are not measured by identical indicators.
Method Element 6
Individual rule
The ranking evaluates individual lawyers, not the prestige of their firms alone. A strong platform may support a lawyer's impact, but placement requires identifiable personal contribution.
Method Element 7
Transition rule
Lawyers who changed roles, retired, or entered a transition during 2025 remain eligible when their work materially shaped the legal year.
Method Element 8
Integrity rule
InfluenceAsia excludes unverifiable lawyers, fictional names, inactive figures without 2025 relevance, judges in active judicial office, purely academic commentators, paid-profile claims and individuals whose legal contribution is only incidental.
Method Element 9
Editorial judgment
Final placement reflects InfluenceAsia's independent editorial judgment after research normalization. The index is not a revenue ranking, billings ranking, win-rate table, legal directory table, awards table, client recommendation or professional certification.
Copyright and Legal Statement
Original InfluenceAsia publication notice.
This publication is prepared as an independent InfluenceAsia editorial and legal-market leadership ranking.
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Originality
2025 InfluenceAsia Lawyers 50 is an original editorial and research ranking prepared under the InfluenceAsia name. The ranking structure, annual thesis, research dimensions, written summaries, ordering logic and presentation language are original to this edition.
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Inclusion does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, partnership, client relationship, referral relationship, employment relationship, legal certification or commercial affiliation between InfluenceAsia and any listed lawyer, law firm, chambers, client, court, regulator, government body, company or rights holder.
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The ranking is editorial analysis and should not be used as legal advice, legal-service procurement advice, conflicts guidance, client recommendation, regulatory advice, investment advice or professional certification.
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Accuracy posture
The edition is written from a 2025 publication perspective and avoids later career evidence in ranking rationale. Public facts should be rechecked before legal, commercial, investor-facing, procurement or archival publication.
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