Ahead of The Lawyer Awards 2018 in association with Travelers, Carey Olsen managing partner Alex Ohlsson talks to The Lawyer about the impact of winning the Offshore Firm of the Year award last year.
In a short paragraph can you tell us a bit more about the initiatives that led you to enter and consequently win Offshore Firm of the Year?
We knew we had enjoyed another year of strong growth ahead of entering the awards, but also felt that there were a number of groundbreaking deals that our lawyers had acted on which meant we stood a good chance of winning. These deals included advising SoftBank Group on the establishment of the world’s largest ever investment fund (the US$100bn SoftBank Vision Fund), advising Liberty Media on its US$8bn acquisition of Formula One Group and advising Northern Trust on the world’s first ever commercial deployment of blockchain technology for the private equity market. Not only that, we had also just opened our Hong Kong office, less than a year after launching in Singapore and which further increased our footprint in Asia.
What did it mean for you to win the award last year?
It was an honour to be recognised as Offshore Law Firm of the year by The Lawyer. The awards are the benchmark for excellence in the legal profession, so to be named the best in our field was a fantastic accolade and testament to the fact that our teams continue to work hard to provide outstanding expertise and results for our clients.
How did winning affect staff morale?
Everyone at Carey Olsen was delighted with the firm’s success. Recognition from a respected outside source of their hard work and commitment is always well received.
What reaction did you have from your clients?
We had a considerable number of clients contact us to congratulate us on winning the award. It is clearly recognised as a very prestigious award to win.
Why did you choose to attend the awards ceremony and what were your views on the night itself?
The awards night is a great networking opportunity as it brings together some of the most influential people from the legal industry in one room. The scale of the night itself is very impressive; with so many people in attendance it’s a great moment when you hear your name read out as the winner of your category.
Are you looking forward to the awards in June, and why do you think it’s important to attend industry events like this?
The event always serves as a good way of not only meeting up with existing clients and contacts, but also as an opportunity to forge new relationships with people you might not have had the chance to come into contact with before.
The Lawyer Awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Tuesday 26th June 2018 at the iconic Grosvenor House Hotel in the heart of London’s Mayfair. Don’t miss out on being amongst the industry elite at what promises to be the largest celebration of legal excellence in Europe. Book your table here: www.thelawyerawards.com
