ITR is delighted to announce the winners of the 10th ITR Asia Tax Awards.
KPMG was announced as the Asia tax firm of the year, achieving widespread national and regional success. Deloitte and EY were crowned as Asia transfer pricing firm of the year and Asia tax litigation and disputes firm of the year, respectively. These two firms also won a string of awards across the Asia-Pacific region in a number of categories.
Discovery claimed the title as the Asia in-house direct tax team of the year, while Infosys and Lupin were recognised as the leading in-house transfer pricing and indirect tax teams, respectively.
Baker McKenzie, Grant Thornton and DFDL were among the firms who won regional awards for their excellence.
Given the difficult environment due to COVID-19, we are unable to host an awards ceremony this year to recognise the work highlighted below. However, we remain keen to fulfil any promotions that firms would like to undertake on the back of their success and request that you contact ITR's head of business development for events, James Murray, with any queries.
Please also listen to our first ITR Awards webinar, where we announce the winners.
A full list of shortlisted firms for the 2020 ITR Asia Tax Awards was released in June 2020.
National Awards
Australia Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills
• Ashurst Australia
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• KPMG
• MinterEllison
Australia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: MinterEllison
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills
• Johnson Winter & Slattery
• KPMG
• Transfer Pricing Solutions
Australia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Ashurst Australia
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills
• KPMG
• MinterEllison
Cambodia Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: DFDL
• Bun & Associates
• Deloitte
• Sciaroni & Associates
• Tilleke & Gibbins
China Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• EY
• JunHe
• Zhong Lun
China Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• KPMG
China Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• Jingtian & Gongcheng
• WTS China
• Zhong Lun
Hong Kong SAR Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• Oldham Li & Nie
Hong Kong SAR Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• EY
Hong Kong SAR Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• EY
India Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Dhruva Advisors
• AZB & Partners
• Deloitte
• EY
• Khaitan & Co
• KPMG
• Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
India Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Ashok Maheshwary & Associates
• Dhruva Advisors
• EY
• Grant Thornton
• KPMG
• Nexdigm (SKP)
India Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Dhruva Advisors
• Advaita Legal
• Deloitte
• Economic Laws Practice, Taxand India
• EY
• Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
• Trilegal
Indonesia Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
• Assegaf Hamzah & Partners
• DDTC
• Deloitte
• GNV Consulting
• KPMG
• RSM
Indonesia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• DDTC
• GNV Consulting
• Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
• MUC Consulting Group
• TaxPrime
• SF Consulting, Crowe Indonesia
Indonesia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: GNV Consulting
• Assegaf Hamzah & Partners
• Deloitte
• EY
• Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
• KPMG
• TaxPrime
Japan Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
• Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)
• Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
• Nishimura & Asahi
• Withers Japan Zeirishi Houjin
Japan Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)
• Deloitte
• DLA Piper
• KPMG
• Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, Taxand Japan
• Nishimura & Asahi
Japan Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
• Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
• Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)
• EY
• Nishimura & Asahi
• TMI Associates
• Withers Japan Zeirishi Houjin
Malaysia Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Baker Tilly
• KPMG
• Shearn Delamore & Co
• Wong & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
Malaysia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Baker Tilly
• EY
• KPMG
• Wong & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
Malaysia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Shearn Delamore & Co
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
• Wong & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
Myanmar Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: VDB Loi
• DFDL
• EY
• KPMG
• Tilleke & Gibbins
New Zealand Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Bell Gully
• Buddle Findlay
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• Russell McVeagh
New Zealand Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
• Russell McVeagh
• TP EQuilibrium AustralAsia - A Duff & Phelps Transfer Pricing Alliance Partner
New Zealand Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: EY Law
• Bell Gully
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• Russell McVeagh
Pakistan Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Akhund Forbes Hadi
• Grant Thornton
• Vellani & Vellani
• Yousaf Amanat & Associates
Philippines Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
• Deloitte
• Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra
• KPMG R G Manabat & Co
• Quisumbing Torres, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
Philippines Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• KPMG R G Manabat & Co
• SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co (EY)
Philippines Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Zambrano Gruba Caganda & Advincula
• Deloitte
• Du-Baladad and Associates, WTS Global
• KPMG R G Manabat & Co
• SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Singapore Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Allen & Gledhill
• Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
• Deloitte
• EY
• Rajah & Tann
• Withers KhattarWong
Singapore Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
• BDO
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• RSM
• Transfer Pricing Solutions
Singapore Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
• Deloitte
• Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
• Drew & Napier
• EY
• KPMG
• Rajah & Tann
South Korea Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Yulchon
• Deloitte
• Kim & Chang
• Lee & Ko
• Samjong KPMG
South Korea Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Kim & Chang
• Samjong KPMG
• Yoon & Yang
• Yulchon
South Korea Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Kim & Chang
Deloitte
Lee & Ko
Samjong KPMG
Yulchon
Sri Lanka Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Julius & Creasy
• D L & F De Saram
• John Wilson Partners
• KPMG
• Sudath Perera Associates
Taiwan Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Baker McKenzie
• EY
• Grant Thornton
• KPMG
Taiwan Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Deloitte
• Grant Thornton
• KPMG
Taiwan Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
Thailand Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• DFDL
• Kudun & Partners
• Lorenz & Partners, WTS Global
Thailand Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• Kudun & Partners
• Tilleke & Gibbins
Thailand Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: Baker McKenzie
• Blumenthal Richter & Sumet
• KPMG
• Lorenz & Partners, WTS Global
• R&T Asia (Thailand), Rajah & Tann
Vietnam Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Deloitte
• DFDL
• UHY
• WTS Tax Vietnam, Grünkorn & Partner Law, WTS Global
Vietnam Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Baker McKenzie
• DFDL
• KPMG
• RSM
Vietnam Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: DFDL
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• UHY
Individual Awards
Asia Tax Practice Leader of the Year
Winner: Dinesh Kanabar, Dhruva Advisors
• Jenny Clarke, KPMG
• Atsushi Fujieda, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
• Manuel Makas, Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills
• Jack Sheehan, DFDL
• Jean Loi, VDB Loi
• Adeline Wong, Wong & Partners, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International
Asia Transfer Pricing Practice Leader of the Year
Winner: Theresa Goh, Deloitte
• Felicia Chia, KPMG
• Tony Gorgas, KPMG
• Vijay Iyer, EY
• Charles Oetomo, GNV Consulting Services
• Craig Silverwood, MinterEllison
• Tae Yeon Nam, Kim & Chang
Asia Tax Litigation and Disputes Practice Leader of the Year
Winner: Steven Sieker, Baker McKenzie
• Sudipta Bhattacharjee, Advaita Legal
• Yun Heui Cho, Yulchon
• Goh Ka Im, Shearn Delamore & Co
• Carmen McElwain, MinterEllison
• Vikna Rajah, Rajah & Tann
• Tori Sullivan, EY Law
Asia Indirect Tax Practice Leader of the Year
Winner: Lachlan Wolfers, KPMG
• Sarah Chin, Deloitte
• V. Lakshmikumaran, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
• Kenneth Leung, EY
• Sachin Menon, KPMG
• Sumet Mingmongkolmitr, Blumenthal Richter & Sumet
• Barbara Phair, Ashurst
In-house Awards
In-house Tax Team of the Year
Winner: Discovery
• Aboitiz Equity Ventures
• Freeport
• Infosys
• Lupin
• RBS
• Sime Darby Berhad
In-house Transfer Pricing Team of the Year
Winner: Infosys
• Discovery
• Macquarie Group
• Rio Tinto
In-house Indirect Tax Team of the Year
Winner: Lupin
• Discovery
• Infosys
In-house Tax Director of the Year
Winner: Ramesh Khaitan, Lupin
• Yin Ling Chuw, Sime Darby Berhad
• Sunil Kumar Dhareshwar, Infosys
• Umang Dhingra, formerly Discovery
• Alison Haines, Carlton & United Breweries
• Kevin Witts, HSBC
In-house Transfer Pricing Director of the Year
Winner: Renu Narvekar, Tata Consultancy Services
• Arthur Begetis, ResMed
• Nick Leak, Rio Tinto
• Patrick Thompson, Morgan Stanley
In-house Indirect Tax Director of the Year
Winner: Dinesh Mittal, Walmart
• Pritam Kaur, Syngenta
• Mohan Nusetti, Lupin
Tax Official of the Year
Winner: Chris Jordan, Commissioner of Taxation, Australia
• Caesar Dulay, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Philippines
• Wang Jun, Commissioner of the State Administration of Taxation, China
• Robert Pakpahan, former Director General of Taxes, Indonesia
• Akhilesh Ranjan, former Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) member, India
Deals and Cases
Impact deals
Alibaba HKEX IPO: Fangda Partners, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, King & Wood Mallesons, Maples and Calder, PwC, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Anta Sports acquisition of Amer Sports: Fangda Partners, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Kirkland & Ellis, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, White & Case
ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel acquisition of Essar Steel: Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, L&L Partners, S&R Associates, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, Shearman & Sterling
Asset World Corporation SET IPO: Allen & Overy, Latham & Watkins, Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners, White & Case
Brookfield/Infratil acquisition of Vodafone NZ: Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Brookfield Business Partners acquisition of Healthscope: Ashurst, King & Wood Mallesons
Budweiser HKEX IPO: Clifford Chance, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Fangda Partners, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Gilbert + Tobin, Kim & Chang, King & Wood Mallesons, PwC, Sullivan & Cromwell
CapitaLand acquisition of Ascendas-Singbridge: Allen & Gledhill, Drew & Napier, WongPartnership
FWD Group completes acquisition of SCB Life Assurance: Baker McKenzie, Linklaters, Slaughter and May
KKR acquisition of LCY: Baker McKenzie, Lee & Li, Simpson Thacher Bartlett
IRCTC BSE/NSE IPO: Hogan Lovells, J Sagar Associates, M/s Crawford Bayley & Co
Postal Savings Bank of China SSE IPO: Haiwen & Partners, King & Wood Mallesons
PTTEP acquisition of Murphy Oil: Adnan Sundra & Low, Gibson Dunn, Jones Day, Skrine
SK Group acquisition of a stake in Vingroup: Baker & McKenzie, Equity Law, Latham & Watkins, YKVN
Tata Steel acquisition of Bhushan Energy: AZB & Partners, L&L Partners, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Regional Awards
Diversity and Inclusion Firm of the Year in Asia
Winner: KPMG (Asia-Pacific)
• Baker McKenzie (Thailand)
• Deloitte (New Zealand)
• Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills
Best Newcomer of the Year in Asia
Winner: Transaction Square
• CTL Strategies
• Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra
• Nitya Tax Associates
• TBrights
US Corporate Tax Team of the Year in Asia
Winner: Grant Thornton
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
Regional Tax Law Firm of the Year in Asia
Winner: DFDL
• Allen & Gledhill
• Rajah & Tann
• Tilleke & Gibbins
• Transfer Pricing Solutions
International Tax Law Firm of the Year in Asia
Winner: Baker McKenzie
• Ashurst
• Dentons
• DLA Piper
• Withers
Asia Global Executive Mobility Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Ashok Maheshwary & Associates
• Deloitte
• Grant Thornton
• Lorenz & Partners, WTS Global
• MinterEllison
• Shearn Delamore & Co
Asia Withholding Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
• Deloitte
• Dhruva Advisors
• KPMG
• Shearn Delamore & Co
• VDB Loi
• Yulchon
Asia Tax Innovator of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• EY
• Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra
• Transfer Pricing Solutions
• TraTax, WTS Malaysia
Asia Tax Technology Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Deloitte
• KNAV
• KPMG
• Riverus Technology Solutions, Verus
• Taxamo
• Yulchon
Asia Tax Compliance and Reporting Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• EY
• RSM
• UHY
• Yoon & Yang
Asia Tax Policy Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Baker McKenzie
• DDTC
• DLA Piper
• Du-Baladad and Associates, WTS Global
• KPMG
• Rajah & Tann
Asia Tax Transactions Firm of the Year
Winner: Kim & Chang
• Allen & Gledhill
• Baker McKenzie
• EY
• Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills
• KPMG
• Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Asia Indirect Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
• Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
• Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
• Shearn Delamore & Co
• Yulchon
Asia Tax Litigation and Disputes Firm of the Year
Winner: EY
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• Kim & Chang
• KPMG
• Rajah & Tann
• Yulchon
Asia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Winner: Deloitte
• Baker McKenzie
• EY
• KPMG
• Grant Thornton
• RSM
• Transfer Pricing Solutions
Asia Tax Firm of the Year
Winner: KPMG
• Baker McKenzie
• Deloitte
• DFDL
• DLA Piper
• EY
• Rajah & Tann
Editors' Choice
For his services to furthering direct taxation in India
Winner: Akhilesh Ranjan
