China

• Our reputation in China is confirmed by our rankings in the Asia legal directories and our pre-eminent position in numerous league tables published by Bloomberg, Refinitiv and MergerMarket
• We have 13 partners and over 60 associates, trainees and paralegals in our Beijing and Hong Kong offices who are engaged in a broad range of corporate, commercial and financing work.

Our main areas of practice include:

• Corporate and M&A - We advise on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, often involving multiple jurisdictions, in China. We have experience of all types of corporate and commercial work, including general advice on listing, governance and board matters, joint ventures and other strategic co-operation arrangements and restructurings.
• Competition - We advise on all aspects of competition law in China and Asia and work as an integrated team with our offices in London and Brussels. We have been at the forefront of Hong Kong’s sector-specific competition practice and in the Asia Pacific region our experience includes cross-border mergers and merger control regulation, competition litigation, including appeals and private actions, and antitrust advice.
• Equity and Debt Capital Markets - We have extensive experience of equity and debt capital markets transactions, handling primary and secondary offerings in many different industry sectors and acting for both issuers and underwriters, as well as advising on bond issues and debt programmes. We provide US, Hong Kong and English law capabilities for capital markets transactions in Hong Kong.
• Private Equity - We advise on the full range of transactions, from venture capital investments to cross-border deals and from initial investment all the way through to exit.
• Financing - We act for lenders, borrowers, issuers, underwriters and sponsors on a broad range of financing transactions.
• Dispute Resolution - We advise on a wide range of matters, including commercial and financial disputes, shareholder disputes, commercial fraud, domestic and international arbitrations, regulatory and other formal inquiries and investigations and judicial review.
• Real Estate - We have a substantial property practice which covers commercial and residential property work, including property development and financing, acquisitions and disposals and REITs.

Rankings

ALB Asia M&A Rankings 2019

Band 1

• Hong Kong
• China International

Chambers Asia Pacific 2021

Leading firm in Asia-Pacific Region for:

• Corporate/M&A

Leading firm in China for:

• Corporate/M&A: The Elite (International Firms)
• Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms)  
• Competition/Antitrust (International Firms)  
• Banking & Finance (International Firms)  

Leading firm in India for:

• Corporate/M&A (International Firms) (Desk based Abroad in UK)

Highly regarded lawyers are:

• Banking & Finance: Hong Kong-based (International Firms) - China - Peter Lake
• Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms) - China - Benita Yu and John Moore
• Competition/Antitrust (International Firms) - China - Natalie Yeung (Band 1)
• Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms) – China - Benita Yu (Band 1), Lisa Chung, Jason Webber and Chris McGaffin
• Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory (International Firms) – China - Peter Lake

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021

Top bands for the following Hong Kong practice areas:

• Corporate (including M&A) Band 1
• Antitrust and competition Band 1
• Banking and finance
• Capital markets - Debt
• Capital markets - Equity

Hong Kong Leading lawyers are:

• Antitrust and competition - Natalie Yeung 
• Capital markets - Equity - Benita Yu and John Moore
• Corporate (including M&A) - Peter Brien 

IFLR1000 Asia-Pacific 2021

Leading firm for:

• Hong Kong - M&A – Band 1
• Hong Kong - Banking
• Hong Kong - Capital markets: Debt
• Hong Kong - Capital markets: Equity
• Hong Kong - Financial services regulatory
• Hong Kong - Private Equity
• China – M&A – Foreign
• China – Capital Markets – Foreign

Highly regarded lawyers are:

• Lisa Chung - Banking and Private Equity
• Peter Lake - Banking
• John Moore - Capital Markets: Equity
• Charlton Tse - Capital Markets and M&A
• Jason Webber - Private Equity
• Benita Yu - Capital Markets: Debt, Capital Markets: Equity and M&A
• Natalie Yeung - Competition

Rising star:

• Chris McGaffin - M&A

FT Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers 2019

We were ranked:

• Commended for advising the Lai Sun Group in the section Enabling Business Growth and Transformation 
• Commended for advising the Hong Kong Association of Banks in the section Enabling Business Growth and Transformation

FT Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers 2018

We were ranked:

• Commended for advising CNBM on their merger-by-absorption of Sinoma under the section Managing Complexity and Scale
• Commended for advising Alibaba on the acquisition of Sun Art Retail under the section Enabling Business Growth
• Commended for advising Yingde Gases who were acquired by PAG Capital under the section Driving Value

Awards

The Asia Legal Awards 2020

• The Firm is a finalist for M&A Deal of the Year: North Asia - Cathay Pacific Airways’ Acquisition of Hong Kong Express Airways
• The Firm is a finalist for M&A Deal of the Year: South & Southeast Asia - FWD Group's Acquisition of Siam Commercial Bank’s Life Insurance Business

IFLR Middle East Awards 2019

• The firm won Domestic Deal of the Year - Merger of Alawwal bank with The Saudi British Bank
• The firm was a finalist for M&A Deal of the Year - United Energy Group’s acquisition of Kuwait Energy plc

China Law & Practice Awards 2019

• The firm won TMT Deal of the Year 2019 - Alibaba's strategic partnership with YOOX Net-A-Porter 
• The firm won Equity Securities Deal of the Year 2019 - Yancoal Australia Dual primary listing
• The firm was a finalist for Finance Deal of the Year 2019 - MTR’s financial arrangements for the new $10.7 billion Express Rail Link

• The firm was a finalist for Projects & Energy Deal of the Year 2019 - MTR Express Rail Link project

The Asia Legal Awards 2019

• The firm won M&A Deal of the Year: North Asia - Takeda Pharmaceutical’s acquisition of Shire
• The firm won M&A Deal of the Year: South Asia - Merger of Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers