Latham & Watkins LLP > Beijing, China > Firm Profile

Latham & Watkins LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

China > Restructuring and insolvency: foreign firms Tier 1

Latham & Watkins LLP's Greater China restructuring and insolvency group has a strong debtor-side and creditor-side practice that is involved in matters across capital structures for borrowers, sponsors, institutional and distressed investors (individually and as ad hoc committees). The team offers local expertise in both public high-yield bonds and private bank debts. Recent mandates that the team has advised on include China Fortune Land Development and Hong Kong Airlines. The team is headed by Howard Lam , who regularly represents insolvency practitioners, bondholders, distressed funds and bank lenders. Flora Innes has vast experience in complex corporate restructures, insolvency proceedings, and cross-border disputes.

China > Dispute resolution: Litigation: foreign firms Tier 2

Latham & Watkins LLP’s Greater China litigation and trial team focuses on complex multi-jurisdictional disputes, along with high-stakes domestic commercial litigation, arbitration and contentious regulatory matters. Practice chair Hui Xu is particularly focused on multi-jurisdictional, white-collar investigations and litigation, and Dominic Geiser, a summer 2022 partner recruit from Herbert Smith Freehills, is a specialist in contractual, financial and company disputes, as well as conflicts involving investors, shareholders and joint ventures. Promoted to counsel in the firm’s Beijing office in early 2023, Sean Wu acts in disputes concerning fraud, sanctions, and anti-corruption and anti-bribery issues.

China > Fintech: foreign firms Tier 2

Emerging fintech companies, traditional financial institutions, venture capitalists and web3 ecosystem participants trust Latham & Watkins LLP to handle mandates ranging from NFT platform launches, to payments service agreements, to global cybersecurity compliance programmes. Simon Hawkins, who leads both the firm’s Asia and global fintech industry groups, frequently advises on regulatory implications of blockchain and distributed ledger technology. Farhana Sharmeen, who operates from the firm’s Singapore office, is another key contact. Kieran Donovan has since left the practice.

China > TMT: foreign firms Tier 2

Based in Hong Kong, Latham & Watkins LLP’s Greater China TMT team showcases a broad spectrum of regulatory, transactional, and litigation expertise in the tech domain, from tech transactions and intellectual property to data privacy and security. Ex practice co-head Kieran Donovan has since left the practice. Frank Sun advises Chinese tech entities on M&A.

China > Private equity: foreign firms Tier 3

The Greater China practice at Latham & Watkins LLP is consistently engaged in the largest and most complex private equity transactions in the region, heavily involved in high-growth sectors including technology, healthcare and e-commerce, as well as advising PE clients on their infrastructure related investments throughout Asia. Based out of Hong Kong, Simon Cooke has advised on multiple landmark joint values, equity investments, disposals and privatisations, while Frank Sun is also a key contact for complex in-bound and out-bound China transactions. Stephen Shi is known for his experience in cross-border M&A.

China > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms Tier 4

Fielding M&A specialists from offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, Latham & Watkins LLP's Greater China lawyers routinely advise on high-profile corporate and M&A transactions. Clients also benefit from the group’s ability to leverage the firm’s enviable capital markets and banking and finance expertise for major deals.  Simon Cooke heads the Asia private equity practice from Hong Kong. Frank Sun and Stephen Shi are also key contacts.

China > Regulatory/compliance: foreign firms Tier 4

Latham & Watkins LLP advises its international client base on multijurisdictional investigations involving the FCPA, Chinese bribery laws, and financial crimes. Typical matters include drafting anti-corruption policies, compliance plans and procedures, and assisting with transactional due diligence. Hui Xu chairs the practice and is based in Beijing. Xu’s practice encompasses civil and criminal litigation, arbitration, investigations and regulatory enforcement actions. In Beijing, Sean Wu advises on all matters related to fraud, professional standards, sanctions, and trade compliance.

China > Banking and finance: foreign firms Tier 5

Latham & Watkins LLP‘s finance department in Asia is led by Hong Kong and Singapore-based Andrew Bishop, whose track record includes assisting global private equity firms and financial institutions with groundbreaking financings in China, Australia, India, Japan and Singapore. Fellow partner Howard Lam routinely advises corporations, banks and financial sponsors on major finance deals.