FinanceAsia’s Japan Achievement Awards are the industry standard for recognising excellence in finance.
Banks wishing to submit for this year’s awards should look at the below categories, which are broken up into House awards and Deal awards.
The awards recognize skillful cross-border deal-making and intermediation of cross-border flows.
We may, depending on the level of activity during the year, ultimately decide not to award winners in some of the categories.
HOUSE AWARDS
BEST BANK
This award recognizes the financial institution that has achieved the most within commercial banking and at its securities business during the period. Judging will focus on the bank’s overseas’ strategy, new initiatives and support of Japanese clients as they expand abroad.
BEST INVESTMENT BANK
Presentations should demonstrate the bank’s success across ECM, DCM, M&A and secondary market trading. Banks will be judged on how they have served clients and furthered market development. We will place particular emphasis on cross border deals, distribution and flows.
BEST FOREIGN INVESTMENT BANK
Presentations should demonstrate the bank’s success across ECM, DCM, M&A and secondary market trading. Banks will be judged on how they have served clients and furthered market development. We will place particular emphasis on cross border deals, distribution and flows.
BEST M&A HOUSE
The best M&A houses will have been involved in the key cross-border deals. Credit will be given to houses that have initiated landmark transactions that serve clients’ needs. Conversely, failed transactions will be judged negatively. The ability to show expertise across sectors will count favourably. Pitches should specify clearly the announced date of transactions and the date they closed.
BEST ECM HOUSE
This award is designed to reward the bank that has helped Japanese issuers access international investors during the year, has played a prominent role in landmark transactions and developed the market. This award includes IPOs, follow-ons and equity-linked transactions. Aftermarket performance will be taken into consideration.
BEST DCM HOUSE
This award focuses on houses that have been most active in helping Japanese borrowers to raise debt in yen, as well as in dollars, euros and other international currencies.
BEST SAMURAI HOUSE
This award recognises houses that issue yen-denominated bonds in Japan for non- Japanese issuers. Credit will be given for both volume of issuance, diversity of issuers and best execution.
BEST FX HOUSE
The winner of the best FX house will be able to demonstrate a deft intermediation of cross-border flows, use of cutting-edge technology, research, provision of liquidity and the division’s contribution to the group. Market and survey data may be submitted.
BEST ISSUER
This award recognizes issuers that are frequent and skillful users of the domestic and international debt markets. Both volumes of issuance as well as use of different products and markets will be given weight. We welcome nominations by banks.
BEST LAW FIRM
Presentations should demonstrate the law firm’s success across corporate finance. Firms will be judged on how they have served clients and furthered market development. We will place particular emphasis on cross border deals.
DEAL AWARDS
Deal awards are given to companies or financial sponsors originating the transaction, with the support of lead bookrunners or advisers. Nominations welcome, but please list all bookrunners or advisers that worked on the deal in addition to your own bank.
DEAL OF THE YEAR
BEST ECM DEAL
BEST CROSS-BORDER M&A DEAL INTO ASIA EX-JAPAN
BEST PRIVATE EQUITY DEAL
BEST DCM DEAL
BEST FIG DEAL
BEST PROJECT FINANCING IN ASIA EX-JAPAN
AWARDS FAQ
Deadline for submissions: Thursday 5 March, 2015.
All submissions should be emailed to Silvia Barbiero - [email protected] - or sent as hard copies to: Silvia Barbiero, FinanceAsia, 23/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Please email [email protected] and [email protected] to discuss the timetable for pitch meetings, which will take place in Tokyo mid-March.
We will announce the awards in the first two weeks of April.
What is the period under consideration for these awards?
March 31, 2014 to April 1, 2015.
Do you give credit for self-led deals?
No.
Is it acceptable for submissions to contain graphics, tables, charts etc?
Positively encouraged
For individual deal awards, are one- or two-page case studies acceptable?
Positively encouraged
Are deals eligible if they haven’t closed by the submission deadline but are expected to close before the fiscal year-end?
Yes.
Can we enter one deal in different categories — such as cross-border M&A and deal of the year — with a single pitch document?
Yes.
Do you consider announced deals for the M&A house award?
Yes, for the house award we consider the body of work that banks have been involved on during the calendar year. However, for individual deal awards we only consider closed deals.
Do we need to send a separate submission for the deal of the year category?
No, we will decide this award from the entire universe of deal submissions.
Is there a limit to the number of deals we can submit per category?
In general, we prefer that banks select their single best deal for each category, but we understand that this is not always possible.
