Counsel of the Year awards 2018

Thursday, May 10th, 2018.

Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse, Hong Kong
Shan Kwong Rd, Happy Valley

Supported by

axiom Singapore Inno Tech logo yokuk

The aim of the awards is to honour both individual in-house counsel and legal teams that have pursued excellence within their organisations during the past year, and to showcase their achievements and provide inspiration to our community of 21,000 in-house counsel across Asia and the Middle East. The winning legal teams, and counsel within, will be able to demonstrate a range of achievements, including those in the areas of:

  • Dedication
  • Innovation
  • Efficiency & Value
  • Integration
  • Encouragement & Improvement
  • CSR & Diversity

Shortlisted nominees will be invited to our annual In-House Community Awards Ceremony & Celebration, to be held in Hong Kong on 10th May, 2018.

Nominations for In-House Teams of the Year 2018

Banking

 

Axis Bank Limited
CIMB Group
DBS Bank Ltd
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
Malayan Banking Berhad (‘Maybank’) Group
Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited
Reserve Bank of India
UBS AG

 

Conglomerate

Aboitiz Equity Ventures
Daimler Greater China Ltd.
Godrej Industries Limited
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.
MMC Corporation Berhad
Seah Holdings
Sinochem International Corporation
Unilever Indonesia Tbk

Energy & Natural Resources

Aboitiz Power Corporation
AFGRI Group
CLP Holdings Limited
DNV GL Group Legal
Schlumberger Indonesia
Sinochem Petroleum Exploration & Production Co., Ltd

Financial Services (ex-Banking)

Asian Development Bank
CCB International
Haitong International Securities Group Limited
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
Sinovation Ventures

Insurance

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited
Sun Life Malaysia Assurance Berhad
Taikang Insurance Group Inc.

Life Science & Pharma

Bayer (China) Limited
DKSH Vietnam Co., Ltd.
Sanofi (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Manufacturing & Engineering

ABB China
Aecom Indonesia
Akzo Nobel (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
Alstom Transport
Anheuser-Busch InBev, Asia-Pacific North Zone
Astra Honda Motor
China Machinery Engineering Corp. (CMEC)
Continental Korea
Corning China (Shanghai) Regional Headquarters
Harman International India Private Limited
KONE Elevators
Schneider Electric
Unilever
United Technologies Climate Controls & Security

Property, Infrastructure & Logistics

China International Marine Containers (Group) Co. Ltd.
COSCO SHIPPING Ports Limited
edotco Myanmar Limited
Far East Organization
FedEx Express International BV
Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.
Swire Pacific Offshore Group

Retail & Healthcare

Aditya Birla Retail Ltd. & Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.
Aeon Co. (M) Bhd.

Technology, Media & Telecom

Alibaba Group Hong Kong
Alibaba Group International
Dell
Dolby Laboratories
FIS Global
Lazada Group
LG Display Co., Ltd. – IP Division
NetApp
Singtel
Sony (China) Limited
Telstra International Limited
Tencent Holdings Limited
twoFour54
Viacom18 Media Private Limited

Travel & Leisure

Flash Entertainment FZ LLC
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterGlobe Aviation Limited
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (“Melco)
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited

Other

Accenture
Black & Veatch
Kuehne + Nagel MEA
Nord Anglia Education
Rekso Group
SATS Ltd.
Tharawat Saudi Arabia

Sponsor Industry Awards

Individual industry awards above are available for sponsorship.

Email: rahul.prakash@inhousecommunity.com

 

CLICK TO CONTACT

 

Nominations for In-House Counsel of the Year 2018

Mr. Alex Liam Legal Manager Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts Pte Ltd
Mr. Andrew Cooke General Counsel Flash Entertainment
Mr. Anurag Bansal Head of Corporate Legal TATA Power Delhi Distribution Ltd.
Mr. Carson Tse Associate Director & Legal Counsel Manulife (International) Limited
Mr. Christopher Stephens General Counsel Asian Development Bank
Mr. Giles Menezes General Counsel Yahlive
Mr. Hemant Kumar Group General Counsel Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
Mr. Jeffrey Koch Senior Vice President, Head of Legal – Dell APJ and Greater China Dell
Mr. Jeremy Tan Senior Legal Counsel, South Asia Akzo Nobel
Mr. Khusnudhon Corporate Banking Legal Group Head Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk
Mr. Michael Ting Vice President and Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Manulife (International) Limited
Mr. Osama Issaq Alhaj Head of Legal & Board Secretary Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
Mr. Parvesh Kheterpal Vice President Legal, (EPC & Solar) Lanco Group
Mr. Robert Yuming Bao Group VP & CLO Jereh Group
Mr. Tim Sung General Counsel Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (“Melco)
Ms. Amy Fang Yao Deputy General Manager of Legal Department COFCO Packaging
Ms. Gladys Chun General Counsel Lazada Group
Ms. Gyl Eun Chung Associate , Legal and Compliance Team Hanwha Systems Co., Ltd.
Ms. Iris Cheng General Counsel Shanghai Real Estate (Commercial) Holdings Limited
Ms. Thuy Nguyen Thi Phuong Legal Director VNG Corporation
Ms. Valerie Velasco Senior Director, APAC Legal NetApp
Ms. Varsha Gupta Regional, Legal Counsel Reckitt Benckiser

Private Practice and Visionary Firms Awards shortlist TBC

Highlights from 2016 and 2017 Counsels of the Year Awards

 

Panel of Judges

 

Evangelos Apostolou

Evangelos Apostolou

President at EMEA SirionLabs

a seasoned legal professional, Evangelos was General Counsel, Asia-Pacific, and Partner, Ernst & Young and General Counsel, Asia-Pacific, British Telecom. Evangelos is currently President at EMEA SirionLabs.

Kirsty Dougan

Kirsty Dougan

Head of Asia, Axiom

Head of Asia for Axiom, one of the world’s leading providers of legal advisory services. Previously Kirsty served as Senior Regional Counsel to Diageo where she started and built Diageo’s legal function for the Greater China region.

 

Cherine Ghali

Cherine Ghali

ex General Counsel at Dubai Group

Cherine Ghali, was previously General Counsel at Dubai Group in the UAE, winner of both the Change Management, Middle East category and overall Middle Eastern Legal Team of the Year accolades at the 2017 In-House Community Awards.

Michelle Gon

Michelle Gon

Partner at McDermott Will & Emery

Michelle Gon is a partner of McDermott Will & Emery. She is stationed at the firm’s strategic alliance office, MWE China Law Offices, in Shanghai. Previously Michelle was a Principal at Baker & McKenzie Shanghai, Managing Partner of the firm’s Taipei office, and served as the Chief Legal Officer/Vice President of Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, and an International Attorney for McDonald’s Corporation, headquartered in Illinois.

David Miles

David Miles

Chairman of Asia Community Venture

David Miles, former partner Executive Committee member and Chairman of Asia Latham & Watkins. Currently Chairman of Asia Community Venture.

Patrick Dransfield

Patrick Dransfield

Co-Director, In-House Community | Publishing Director, ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL

Patrick Dransfield is Co-Director of In-House Community. Patrick has over 20 years of experience working in the legal industry: firstly as a Publisher and later Asia Managing Director of Euromoney Institutional Investor, and then as Marketing and Business Development Director for Asia for Shearman & Sterling and White & Case respectively.

Tim Gilkison

Tim Gilkison

Managing Director, In-House Community | ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL

Tim is the founder of In-House Community and has over 20 years of experience in publishing and of hosting forums specifically for the In-House Community of corporate counsel in Asia and the Middle East.


BOOK YOUR SEAT NOW

To Attend, please email us at

Email: congress@inhousecommunity.com

 

CLICK TO BOOK

Nominated entirely by in-house counsel and corporate decision-makers in the In-House Community, the following Commended External Counsel of the Year, 2018 (listed jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction), all received the outstanding recommendation of their clients.

The In-House Community Counsels of the Year awards ceremony that takes place on May 10, 2018 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse in Hong Kong. All of the commended counsel in attendance will also be recognised and receive a certificate at the awards evening.

Commended Counsel can register to attend the ceremony at the bottom of this page.

CHINA

In no particular order:

Liu Huang Huan of JunHe is outstanding” … “a very professional lawyer”

Arthur Mok (Ropes & Gray regional Managing Partner) and Geoffrey Lin (Ropes & Gray Managing Partner, Shanghai) lead a great team. Experienced with unparalleled service.”

XiaoGang (Sean) Wang of Shearman & Sterling is a sharp lawyer, quickly identifying the client’s needs giving targeted advice.”

Judie Ng Shortell, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison is very responsive … good communication with client.”

Michael Han of Fang Da is an outstanding external lawyer.”

Alex Aitken of Herbert Smith Freehills is academically excellent, which is a true compliment in this money-driven region.”

HONG KONG, S.A.R.

In no particular order:

Teresa Ko is an excellent problem solver.”

Nicholas Plowman at Ogier has great knowledge and gives ‘out of the box’ solutions”

Martin Tam, of Baker McKenzie stands out for his expert knowledge in insurance in Hong Kong” …“My choice of outstanding counsel is Martin Tam of Baker McKenzie”

Vivian Ho of Proskauer Rose is responsive, professional and has good project management skills.”

Jonathan Stone at Skadden knows his stuff and his way around closing a deal.”

“The IP lawyer Loke-khoon Tan at Baker McKenzie is incredibly responsive. With deep knowledge and legal expertise. He also has great communication and interactive skills.”

Ricky Yiu of Mayer Brown JSM stands out with his wealth of industry knowledge. He is conscious of his client’s budget and sensitive to our unspoken concerns. He is always there for the client, 24/7, literally, giving client peace of mind.”

Eva Chan at Simmons & Simmons is very responsiveness and has outstanding knowledge of the funds space.”

KK Cheung of Deacons stands out for his good service.”

“I am impressed by the legal expertise and knowledge of Tommy Tong of Herbert Smith Freehills.”

INDIA

In no particular order:

Anjan Dasgupta, Partner at HSA Advocates, always keeps himself up-to-date with national and global trends. He understands business from an operational point of view and provides timely and practical advice.”

Cyril Shroff brings complete knowledge and skill as a lawyer to bare across the spectrum of issues affecting the financial services sector.”

Yashasvi Mohanram of Platinum Partners in Mumbai handled a number of equity dispositions for us and did an excellent job, working through a variety of problematic issues with multiple internal stakeholders.”

Atul Dua (Advaita Legal) has always provided me with practical solutions instead of plain-vanilla legal verbage.”

INDONESIA

In no particular order:

“I definitely consider Dr. Mohamed Idwan Ganie as my outstanding lawyer. His skills, experience and attitude are all excellent.” …  “My vote for outstanding corporate lawyer goes to Kiki Ganie because he has practiced for a long time and proves eligible in all criteria” [see Dr. Ganie’s profile]

Ahmad Soemadipradja has excellent business knowledge, is creative, highly-reputable and experienced in private legal matters.”

Widyawan of Widyawan & partners is good in managing his associates to provide good-quality legal solutions. He knows our industry very well”

Bagus SD Nur Buwono (Bagus Enrico & Partners) stands out for his business knowledge and legal expertise.”

Mark Innis at Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners has a wealth of experience and provides very sound legal advice in his area of expertise.”

MALAYSIA

In no particular order:

Hy Chong (Managing Partner at Azman Davidson & Co) is quick to understand the needs of a company and thorough in his work, he gives practical, value for money advice.”

Sharizan Sharif, Partner of Azmi & Associates – excellent level of responsiveness and always keeps track of corporate-legal developments.”

Hanim Hamzah (ZICO Law) is an outstanding external counsel.”

John Matthew of Christopher & Lee Ong has vast knowledge in different areas of law and is meticulous in his legal analysis.”

“Ms. Sarita Ashok Khandar from Messrs. Alvin John & Partners is just amazing in her work.”

Christopher Lee – Speak to any of his clients and it is clear that his experience and skills make him second to none in his field.”

Lilian Liew (Zaid Ibrahim & Co) demonstrates legal expertise, business acumen and good understanding of our business.” … “Lilian Liew, is a master in financing.”

Tan Kong Yam from Kadir Andri & Partners is very knowledgeable and competent. He is able to meet the deadline even though tight timeline was given.”

“Ms. Tang Ai Leen at ZUL RAFIQUE & partners has great experience in handling property related transactions and joint ventures.”

Chang Wei Mun (Raja, Darryl & Loh) is an extremely experienced lawyer in construction. He is full of ideas, and importantly, solutions which are usually acceptable to all parties.”

“We found Jaya Singam of Messrs B H Lawrence & Co to be knowledgeable and skillful. He is very approachable and carries with him a friendly but professional working manner when he deals with his clients at all times.”

Chong Yee Leong of Rahmat Lim & Partners (and Allen & Gledhill) is qualified in both Singapore and Malaysia. He (along with his team) is very efficient, reliable and always takes extra efforts to assist the client. He gives us confidence that our case is well taken care of.”

Shannon Rajan of Skrine – His advice is clear and will always aligned with our business needs, without compromising the legal position. He is accessible 24-7. He gives recommendations that are in the best interests of the company.”

Norazmi Norazman of Messrs Azmi Fadzly Maha & Sim is an up and coming lawyer in corporate and litigation matters. Very prompt and highly responsive. Offers sound legal advice that is both legally and commercially viable.”

May Tai of Herbert Smith Freehills is responsive and able to address client concerns and anticipate expectations.”

Khairul Fazli Abdul Kadir of Azmi & Associates is helpful, attentive to client’s needs and an expert in Intellectual Property. He is always professional whilst maintaining a good rapport with his client.”

“Ms. Fuzet Farid (of Fuzet Farid) has vast knowledge in her specialist areas of Maritime, Shipping and Aviation, she also provides valuable support to our company in basic taxation and company secretarial matters.”

PHILIPPINES

In no particular order:

Atty. Raul Tito Maxelmo A. (Toby) Estrella is very responsive and considers his client’s management realities when providing his opinions.”

Atty. Victor Lazatin and Patricia-Ann Prodigalidad of ACCRA are both outstanding. They think outside the box.”

Atty. Mario Bautista (Managing Partner of Poblador Bautista & Reyes) takes a hands-on personal approach to his work.”

Atty. Alexander J. Poblador is a well-rounded lawyer who assesses transactions from various angles, especially potential litigation.”

Atty. Jose Martin R. Tensuan stands out for his responsiveness, ability and expertise.”

Atty. Albert Vincent Y. (Albert) Yu Chang (Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)) is licensed in the Philippines and US and thus able to effectively assist Philippine clients navigate the US legal environment.”

Atty. Vicente Gerochi (VI) of Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan shows legal expertise, highly-professional, and responsive to the needs of the client.”

Atty. Perry Pe of Romulo Mabanta – He is one of the best, if not the best among private practice lawyers in the Philippines. Always provides timely and accurate advice.”

“For his legal expertise and professionalism, Atty. Carlos Roberto Z. Lopez at SyCip stands out”

Atty. Francis Ed Lim (ACCRA Law) is an outstanding, competent and professional lawyer.”

SINGAPORE

In no particular order:

Steve Tan at Rajah & Tann is a fast, value-adding, effective counsel”

Susan Kong of Q.E.D. Law Corporation is strong in banking, finance, corporate and M&A. Sharp, intelligent, driven and hardworking.”

K. Muralidharan Pillai of Rajah & Tann is extremely skilled, knowledgeable and competent. Very practical, he picks up on commercial needs and concerns quickly. Prompt, despite being in heavy demand, he is a man of integrity who gives he’s best no matter how big or small the matter.”

Eng Beng Lee, managing partner at Rajah & Tann is a legal heavyweight.”

Danny Lim (Rajah & Tann) very dedicated and a deal maker in M&A, provides practical solutions and can get the deal moving within a tight deadline.”

Alvin Yeo of Wong Partnership is a brilliant legal strategist.”

Nandakumar Ponniya at Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow (and his team) give quality advice at a competitive price and give prompt responses.”

Edwin Tong (Allen & Gledhill) is well-regarded, advises with a common sense approach and is commercially sensible. What’s more, his fees are reasonable and he is a lawyer with a heart.”

Francis Mok at Allen & Gledhill is an expert on regulatory matters and the ‘go to’ guy for banking & finance regulatory matters.”

Celeste Ang (Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow) is an excellent practitioner. Very responsive and ready to help. Great to work with.”

Low Kah Keong (WongPartnership) will consider and tailor his advice to suit the requirements of the business and the prevailing circumstances. Such flexibility coupled with deep legal expertise makes him an exceptional lawyer.”

Sandy Foo from Rajah & Tann provides great advice and has worked on an impressive list of deals.”

Sim Chong from Sim Chong LLC is a great litigator, with particular expertise on injunctions.”

Ken Chia (Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow) is very experienced in negotiating IT outsourcing documents and he does it with a smile, no matter how antagonistic the vendor!”

SOUTH KOREA

In no particular order:

Kwang-wook Lee at Yoon & Yang stands out for his kindness and professionality.”

Hye Yeon Lim at Hwang Mok Park is excellent in corporate and competition law. She has great communication skills and understands the client needs very well, providing proactive legal service.”

Hyun Wook Park at Bae, Kim & Lee has incredible knowledge in acquiring reorganized companies whilst also leading a team of attorneys covering M&A, real estate and corporate governance, meeting most of our company’s needs.”

THAILAND

Jessada Sawatdipong at Chandler MHM is simply one of the best in the area of banking and project finance.”

Chavalit Uttasart of Siam City Law provides outstanding expertise and insight into the legal issues affecting for those working in the Thai Jurisdiction.”

“Khun Rittichai Ngodngam (Norton Rose) has outstanding technical knowledge advising with the right balance of legal and business requirements.”

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES and Middle East

In no particular order:

Chris Gunson always provides excellent value and blends legal and commercial advice to ensure a transaction will progress in a manner agreeable to all parties.”

Nick O’Connell gets into the detail of the matter and also brings ancillary issues to the attention of his clients. To put it simply, Nick thinks ahead of the issue itself to protect his client’s interests. He is very responsive and responsible.”

Nick Sharratt is a rising star. He displays business knowledge, responsiveness, legal expertise, is professional and good at listening.” … “Nick Sharratt at Winston & Strawn is outstanding for his client service and project management”

Dr. Faraj A Ahnish stands out for his business knowledge, acumen and professionalism”

“I consider Matthew Shanahan (Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla) to be the leading private practice lawyer in this region because of his extensive knowledge and experience in financial services and regulation as well as his pragmatic approach.”

Naji Hawayek of Clyde & Co. really knows how to take care of his client, even when work is done with a different department in the firm. He’s always on top of the ongoing matters and ensures consistency and quality in all legal work done. If there is an area that he is uncomfortable with, he will simply state that and would not risk quality of work for the sake of the bill.”

Charles Fuller at Hogan Lovells is very good at client relationship management. A proactive and commercially-minded lawyer.”

VIETNAM

In no particular order:

Duc Tran of Allen & Overy remains an outstanding counsel. His profile tells.”

“Ms. Dao Nguyen of DN Legal always has a practical approach to legal issues.”

Nguyen Hoang Anh at Mayer Brown JSM stands out for his business knowledge, acumen and responsiveness. He provides value for money service.”

Bui Ngoc Hong at LNT & Partners … for his professionalism, customer experience, budget accuracy and creativity.”

Chau Huy Quang at Rajah & Tann (LCT) is an intelligent, open-minded and effective lawyer.”

Seats at the 2018 Counsels of the Year Awards & Celebration are strictly limited (to a maximum of 150 for both In-House and External Counsel nominees) so please do book early.

If you are one of our Commended External Counsel, you are invited to sign up below.

In addition, our overall individual ‘External Counsel of the Year, 2018‘ will be selected from the list of Commended Counsel listed above, and announced at the ceremony on May 10th.


Purchase your Tickets to the In-House Community Counsels of the Year 2018 Awards Ceremony below

Two Tickets Package

Bring a guest and share your celebration!
US$1595
  • 2 Tickets to the Awards Dinner
  • Extended Profile with winners logo on ‘Find a Lawyer
  • Downloadable Commended Counsel – Winner’s Logo
  • Profile and testimonial in the Commended Counsel Guide

Ticket only

US$595
  • 1 Ticket to the Awards Dinner

Highlights from 2016 and 2017 Counsels of the Year Awards

 

Panel of Judges

 

Evangelos Apostolou

Evangelos Apostolou

President at EMEA SirionLabs

a seasoned legal professional, Evangelos was General Counsel, Asia-Pacific, and Partner, Ernst & Young and General Counsel, Asia-Pacific, British Telecom. Evangelos is currently President at EMEA SirionLabs.

Kirsty Dougan

Kirsty Dougan

Head of Asia, Axiom

Head of Asia for Axiom, one of the world’s leading providers of legal advisory services. Previously Kirsty served as Senior Regional Counsel to Diageo where she started and built Diageo’s legal function for the Greater China region.

 

Cherine Ghali

Cherine Ghali

ex General Counsel at Dubai Group

Cherine Ghali, was previously General Counsel at Dubai Group in the UAE, winner of both the Change Management, Middle East category and overall Middle Eastern Legal Team of the Year accolades at the 2017 In-House Community Awards.

Michelle Gon

Michelle Gon

Partner at McDermott Will & Emery

Michelle Gon is a partner of McDermott Will & Emery. She is stationed at the firm’s strategic alliance office, MWE China Law Offices, in Shanghai. Previously Michelle was a Principal at Baker & McKenzie Shanghai, Managing Partner of the firm’s Taipei office, and served as the Chief Legal Officer/Vice President of Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, and an International Attorney for McDonald’s Corporation, headquartered in Illinois.

David Miles

David Miles

Chairman of Asia Community Venture

David Miles, former partner Executive Committee member and Chairman of Asia Latham & Watkins. Currently Chairman of Asia Community Venture.

Patrick Dransfield

Patrick Dransfield

Co-Director, In-House Community | Publishing Director, ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL

Patrick Dransfield is Co-Director of In-House Community. Patrick has over 20 years of experience working in the legal industry: firstly as a Publisher and later Asia Managing Director of Euromoney Institutional Investor, and then as Marketing and Business Development Director for Asia for Shearman & Sterling and White & Case respectively.

Tim Gilkison

Tim Gilkison

Managing Director, In-House Community | ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL

Tim is the founder of In-House Community and has over 20 years of experience in publishing and of hosting forums specifically for the In-House Community of corporate counsel in Asia and the Middle East.


BOOK YOUR SEAT NOW

To Attend, please email us at

Email: congress@inhousecommunity.com

 

CLICK TO BOOK

The In-House Community 'Counsels of the Year Awards 2018'

Bringing together the crème de la crème of the legal industry in Asia and the Middle East to recognise their achievements.

Dedication | Innovation | Efficiency | Value | Integration | Encouragement | Iimprovement | CSR | Diversity

In-House Community Counsels of the Year – Join the Celebration

 

The In-House Community Counsels of the Year Awards Ceremony 2018 will again honour counsels from across the region, that have pursued excellence in their roles. All commended counsels and in-house teams will receive their certificate of recognition on the night.

During the ceremony we will also announce our overall industry and specialist category winners, as well as the In-House Community Team of the Year, In-House Counsel of the Year, Deal Firm of the Year, and Visionary Firm Awards.

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Date & Time

from 6.30pm, on Thursday, 10 May 2018
Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse, Hong Kong
Shan Kwong Rd, Happy Valley