The Legal 500

Maples and Calder has ‘a competitive edge as far as Cayman funds are concerned’, where there are ‘highly specialised partners with a profound understanding of multi-lateral matters and well-qualified, promising associates’. The team recently enhanced its presence in Hong Kong through the arrival of six new lawyers. At partner level, Gareth Griffiths relocated from the firm’s Cayman Islands outfit and the ‘great-to-work-with’ Michael Gagie joined from Harney Westwood & Riegels, where he was managing partner of the Hong Kong office. In 2010, the team advised Winsway Coking Coal Holdings on a HK$4.2bn global offering and primary listing of shares on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, after it was announced in 2009 that companies incorporated in the BVI are allowed to list in Hong Kong. For corporate matters, managing partner Christine Chang is recommended, and for investment funds, Spencer Privett has ‘profound knowledge of the legal frameworks and a very fast understanding of client operational needs’.

‘Stand-out offshore law firm’ Walkers advises on investment funds, finance, corporate and insolvency matters, and is praised for its ‘willingness to go the extra mile’ and ‘investment in client relationships’. A number of associate arrivals and partnership promotions took place during 2010 and 2011, and the Hong Kong investment funds group now has a new head in the ‘technically strong and commercially savvy’ Denise Wong. Wong recently acted as Cayman Islands counsel to MGM China Holdings on its $1.5bn Hong Kong IPO, which is one of the largest gaming IPOs globally. For corporate and finance matters, Andy Randall is a ‘preeminent offshore lawyer and a pleasure to work with’. On the insolvency side, the ‘personable and responsive’ Fraser Hern was recently promoted to partner and continues to act as BVI and Cayman Islands counsel to the liquidators of Lehman Brothers Commercial Corporation Asia on a variety of issues.

‘The best choice for advice on Bermuda law’, Conyers Dill & Pearman has been in Hong Kong for over 25 years and delivers ‘good quality work products and practice advice from a commercial perspective’. The firm is highly regarded for transactional work and advises on the laws of multiple jurisdictions (now including those of Cyprus). The group was recently instructed by Tongjitang Chinese Medicines Company on the first privatisation of a Cayman company listed on a US exchange to use the merger provisions in the Companies Law, introduced in 2009. Work highlights also feature advice on a raft of IPOs and representing China Unicom on its $1.823bn convertible bonds issuance. The team is led by the ‘very experienced and knowledgeable’ Lilian Woo, and Christopher Bickley is also a ‘great resource, combining precise legal analysis and practical advice’.

Impressing with a ‘very good level of service’, Ogier expertly advises on all aspects of BVI, Cayman and, more recently, Guernsey and Jersey law. The firm enhanced its Hong Kong offering in 2010, through establishing a new private client and trust practice, headed up by leading Guernsey and BVI trust specialist Marcus Leese, addressing the needs of the growing number of high-net-worth individuals in Asia. Headline work for the Hong Kong group included acting as Jersey counsel for a syndicate of banks acting as underwriters on the $59.2bn IPO of Glencore International’s London and Hong Kong listing. The ‘very smart and creative’ James Bergstrom recently took over as Hong Kong managing partner, following his relocation from the Cayman Islands office.

Commended for its response times, business acumen and in-depth legal knowledge, Appleby has a broad coverage of offshore jurisdictions and is strong for finance and transactional work. The four-partner group recently acted as Jersey counsel for the Aluminium Corporation of China, the world’s second largest primary aluminium producer, on its entry into a joint venture with leading international mining group Rio Tinto. Frances Woo leads the Hong Kong office and is recommended alongside Judy Lee (‘a very pragmatic, insightful and efficient lawyer’, who offers ‘great commercial understanding and excellent client service’).

Harney Westwood & Riegels dealt with the loss of Michael Gagie to Maples and Calder by transferring global managing partner Richard Peters to run the Hong Kong office. The firm has also reinforced its commitments to litigation, and in April 2011, Ian Mann relocated from the BVI office and was appointed Asia head of litigation. Mann is an English barrister and experienced advocate of the offshore courts, and has established a practice group, which primarily handles contentious trusts and PRC-based shareholder disputes. The group also handles banking and finance, investment funds, private equity and corporate and commercial work for clients such as HSBC and Citigroup.