The Legal 500 > Baker & McKenzie > Hong Kong,

Baker & McKenzie

14TH FLOOR, HUTCHISON HOUSE, 10 HARCOURT ROAD, HONG KONG

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Hong Kong : Asset finance

Within Asset finance, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

The asset finance group at Baker & McKenzie regularly represents airlines, purchasers, lessees, lessors, lenders and other participants in a broad range of transactions, and is well regarded for its aviation expertise. Andrew Lockhart and Allen Ng recently advised Thai Airways on part of its 2012- 2017 aircraft acquisition plan, which involves operating lease transactions relating to 37 aircraft. Clients also include Air China, Shanghai Airlines and DBS Bank.

Hong Kong : Banking and finance

Within Banking and finance, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie continues to develop its banking and finance credentials, most notably in relation to China outbound financings for major PRC banks. In this regard, the firm’s peerless international network comes into its own, with a diet of cross-border deals into far-flung jurisdictions such as Columbia. Real estate finance is another key area with it representing Bank of China (Hong Kong) on its HK$5.4bn syndicated construction term loan to a Macau-incorporated property holding company. Andrew Lockhart and Barry Cheng are recommended, as is recently elected partner Sally Hung.

Hong Kong : Capital markets (debt)

Within Capital markets (debt), Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Its impressive following among Hong Kong listed PRC corporates means Baker & McKenzie is frequently called upon to assist with debt offerings. In July 2012, the firm represented Cheung Kong on its HK$1bn senior perpetual bond, the first Hong Kong dollar-denominated corporate perpetual bond issued in Hong Kong. The firm also represented Yanzhou Coal Mining Company in its $1bn investment-grade notes issue. Brian Spires and Andrew Lockhart are recommended.

Hong Kong : Capital markets (equity)

Within Capital markets (equity), tier 4

Baker & McKenzie has a fine record in acting for PRC state-owned enterprises on H-share offerings. In 2011, Rosanna Chu in Hong Kong and PH Chik in Beijing led a team that represented CITIC Securities in connection with its HK$13.2bn global offering. Elsa Chan heads the securities practice in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong : Construction

Within Construction, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie’s construction practice has a strong foundation in non-contentious matters, and, with the addition of commercial litigator James Kwan in 2011, now has a developing contentious practice. Practice head David Smith leads on advisory matters, and played a key role in advising MTR on the $3bn planning and design of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and acting on the $5.5bn redevelopment of Ocean Park. The group is also acting in four arbitrations concerning the redevelopment of an infrastructure project in Hong Kong. Special counsel Catherine Mun has left to join Bird & Bird.

Hong Kong : Corporate (including M&A)

Within Corporate (including M&A), Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie’s excellent China practice has enabled it to advise on a growing number of PRC outbound deals, as well as a series of transactions in the oil and gas sector. In 2011 it represented a consortium of Chinese companies, including CITIC Group, on its $1.95bn acquisition of a 15% stake in Brazil’s Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração. On the energy side, it advised Hong Kong listed China Gas Holdings on the unsolicited proposed $2.2bn offer made by Sinopec and ENN Energy. Real estate and TMT are other key sectors for the practice. Dorothea Koo, Yuk Tong Cheung, Nancy Leigh and Tracy Wut are key members of the Hong Kong practice.

Hong Kong : Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

At Baker & McKenzie, eight partners in Hong Kong cover commercial litigation, international arbitration, and compliance and regulatory matters. The latter has developed rapidly through Cynthia Tang, while anti-corruption specialist Dominic Wai was promoted to partner in 2012. Trusts and estates cases are another key area for the practice. Gary Seib heads the department.

Hong Kong : Dispute resolution: international arbitration

Within Dispute resolution: international arbitration, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie is heavily focused on PRC disputes, with particular prominence in property, projects and post-M&A cases. The firm represents both foreign multinationals and Chinese corporations, and has a particularly strong record in CIETAC arbitrations. James Kwan has certainly made an impression since joining the firm in 2011. Gary Seib provides further senior-level expertise.

Hong Kong : Employment

Within Employment, Baker & McKenzie is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie’s clients praise the firm for its strength in depth across the Asia Pacific region, which gives the firm ’a real competitive advantage’, and ’substantial manpower’, making it ideal for time-sensitive matters. Team head Jennifer Van Dale is ’a fantastic lawyer; she is very responsive, and her regional co-ordination skills are formidable’. Van Dale leads on non-contentious matters, and Susan Kendall on contentious instructions. Recent mandates include a multi-jurisdictional investigation into a former senior employee of a major Dutch clothing company, and managing BT’s regional employment portfolio.

Hong Kong : Insurance

Within Insurance, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Paul Tan’s insurance team at Baker & McKenzie provides ’fast turnaround times, expert advice and good industry knowledge’. Non-contentious work highlights included restructuring a German insurer’s Hong Kong business, while on the contentious side, the firm handled a High Court liability action for a Hong Kong insurance company. The ’very responsive and client-focused’ Martin Tam is also recommended, as is Gary Seib.

Hong Kong : Intellectual property

Within Intellectual property, Baker & McKenzie is a first tier firm,

Headed by Loke-Khoon Tan, Baker & McKenzie’s ’excellent’ five-partner practice is widely recognised as equally strong across trade mark, patent and copyright matters. Recent highlights include acting for LVMH Group in relation to a $3.5m enforcement action against a global syndicate with ties to Kong Hong. On the patent and copyright side, Shih Yann Loo advises global pharmaceutical companies on various infringement matters. Isabella Liu is noted for her expertise within the life sciences sphere. Other clients include Nokia and Microsoft.

Hong Kong : Investment funds

Within Investment funds, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie is ’an industry leader for REIT work’, an area where Milton Cheng is ’extremely pre-eminent’, and Jason Ng is also highly regarded. Martin Tam is recommended for ETF work, and recently represented China Merchant Securities on its first ETF established in Hong Kong. The team is praised for its ’very business-oriented and client-focused’ approach.

Hong Kong : Private equity

Within Private equity, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie represents an impressive mix of pension funds, sovereign funds and more traditional private equity funds, and has a particularly fine reputation in the real estate sector. In 2011, the team advised Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on its HK$2.26bn acquisition of a 50% stake in Hong Kong Interlink. Yuk Tong Cheung and Dorothea Koo head the Hong Kong department.

Hong Kong : Projects and energy

Within Projects and energy, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie’s projects, infrastructure and energy team handles a broad range of inbound and outbound instructions. Recent mandates include handling the planning and design of Express Rail Link’s Hong Kong section for MTR Corporation; a HK$5.5bn master redevelopment project for Ocean Park Corporation; and all matters relating to the HK$21.6bn development of West Kowloon Cultural District for the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. David Smith is recommended.

Hong Kong : Real estate

Within Real estate, Baker & McKenzie is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie’s ’business acumen is strong, and knowledge of real estate and REIT is extremely strong’ from partner to associate level. The department is headed by Rico Chan, whose strengths lie in projects and construction, M&A and real estate, and hotel investment. Recent work includes acting for Gaw Capital and CSI Properties on the establishment of a joint venture for the acquisition of 100% interest in Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon from LaSalle Investment Management. Milton Cheng is ’an extremely pre-eminent lawyer within Asia’s real estate / REIT sector’. Angela Lee has become a consultant.

Hong Kong : Regulatory

Within Regulatory, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Noted for their ’fast turnaround times and expert knowledge’, the lawyers at Baker & McKenzie ’really get to the root of the problem’. In 2012, the team represented Mega Capital (Asia) in a SFC disciplinary action relating to their role as sponsors in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing. Jason Ng and Milton Cheng are recommended, as are the ’tenacious’ Karen Man, and the ’client-focused’ Martin Tam.

Hong Kong : Restructuring and insolvency

Within Restructuring and insolvency, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie promoted Gary Seib to lead the team following the retirement of former practice head Stephen Eno. In addition, Kwun-Yee Cheung and Dominic Wai were promoted in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Seib and Cheung are advising the liquidators of EganaGoldpfeil (Holdings) on all aspects of a complex, multi-jurisdictional liquidation, which involves debts valued in excess of HK$3.5bn. Barry Cheng and Anthony Poon are also well respected.

Hong Kong : Structured finance and securitisation

Within Structured finance and securitisation, tier 4

Baker & McKenzie handles asset-backed securities, commercial mortgage backed securities, CDOs and commercial paper conduit transactions. Andrew Lockhart, Barry Cheng and Allen Ng are recommended partners, as is Sally Hung, who recently acted for a leading bank on a HK$780m pre-IPO, cash-backed secured bridging loan facility to an offshore company.

Hong Kong : TMT

Within TMT, Baker & McKenzie is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie has an impressive technology, media and telecommunications client base for which it undertakes the full spread of work, including M&A, outsourcing/IT transactions, and regulatory and compliance matters. Highlights included advising an international hotel group on the transfer of its IT system to a cloud-based system, and assessing the regulatory aspects of the rollout of media and software applications by a US media company in China. The group also acted on the establishment of a number of joint ventures within the space. Nancy Leigh leads the three-partner team. Special counsel Anna Gamvros is also recommended.

Hong Kong : Tax and trusts

Within Tax and trusts, Baker & McKenzie is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie’s tax and trusts team provides ’excellent commercial advice’ on corporate taxation matters and private client instructions. It is particularly noted for its strength in depth; ’while other firms may have one or two people in this area, it has a whole team’. Led by Michael Olesnicky, the practice provides the full spread of taxation advice to financial institutions, REITs, governmental bodies and multinationals. Steven Seiker handles wealth management and tax litigation, Richard Weisman is recommended for US tax advice, and Susan Kendall is well known for trust litigation. All are praised for their ’in-depth specialist knowledge and their ability to offer practical solutions’. Weisman is currently advising an Asian government on an income tax treaty with the US.

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Legal Developments by:
Baker & McKenzie

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Legal Developments in Hong Kong

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Hong Kong Enacts Competition Law

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