The Legal 500 > Asia Pacific > China > Banking and finance: foreign firms

Clifford Chance LLP is widely respected for its advice to international and domestic investment banks, private equity sponsors, funds, borrowers and corporations on complex cross-border financing transactions, and has the ability to advise on Hong Kong, English, Australian and US law-governed transactions. In recent matters, the practice advised Bank of China and HSBC on the financing for the acquisition by a group consortium, led by CITIC Capital Holdings and Caixin Global, of Euromoney Institutional Investor's Global Marketing Intelligence Division. Cross-border corporate, leveraged and acquisition financing expert Timothy Democratis and Jiahua Ni, who specialises in PRC-related cross-border financings, are the principal mainland China contacts. In Hong Kong, Anthony Wang advises arrangers and lenders on acquisition financing and syndicated loans in Asia; Dauwood Malik is noted for debt, infrastructure, real estate development and investment financing; Matthew Truman specialises in acquisition finance, syndicated lending and restructuring transactions; Edith Leung recently advised on a syndicated green term loan for REC Group; and Vicky Ma is focused on global energy and infrastructure projects.

Baker McKenzie FenXun acts for commercial and investment banks, dealers and financial intermediaries, private equity and mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as corporate users of credit and financial products, governments and governmental agencies. The practice's experience includes acquisition and trade finance, project financing, structured finance, syndicated loans, regulatory compliance and restructuring, along with aircraft and asset finance and financial services regulation. Allen Ng, who divides time between Shanghai and Hong Kong, advises on aircraft leasing and financing deals, Simon Leung is based in the Beijing and Hong Kong offices, and Grace Li is an experienced special counsel in Shanghai. In Hong Kong,  Andrew Lockhart is an asset and structured finance expert; Sally Hung's practice includes structured finance, project loans and debt restructuring; and consultant Barry Cheng acts on project finance and banking for lenders and borrowers.

Norton Rose Fulbright regularly acts for international and major Chinese banks as well as a large number of international and local Chinese sponsors, borrowers and corporations. The practice's scope of work covers project financing, acquisition finance, export credit financing, asset finance, and real estate financing and sovereign lending; it also has particular sector expertise in power, oil and gas, infrastructure, mining and commodities, transport, and financial institutions. In recent years, Beijing's Paul Wee Ei Don has advised on large Chinese outbound financings involving countries from Australia and Angola to the Ukraine and Venezuela. Former partner Fei Kwok left for Clyde & Co LLP.

White & Case LLP is well known for its assistance on large banking and finance deals that emanate from Asia, including leveraged acquisition financings, real estate finance, project financing and asset finance. The team also acts for credit funds and hedge funds, as well as securities houses, on debt, equity-linked and equity investments in Asia and around the world. David Li is a highly rated Beijing contact and Shanghai's Frank Shu is a senior legal consultant. In Hong Kong, Eric Berg is the head of the firm’s Asia Pacific region, Eugene Man leads the Asia Pacific banking and restructuring practices, and Baldwin Cheng is well known for advising both Chinese and global banks on major pan-Asian financings.

DLA Piper's Hong Kong-based team acts for a wide range of borrower, lender and alternative capital provider clients. Recent work includes advising Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, the third-largest bank by market capitalisation in Australia, on a $300m syndicated term and revolving facility that was provided to China Water Affairs for the development, construction and purchase of water integrated projects in the PRC. Matthias Schemuth heads the Asia finance, projects and restructuring group, which also fields Paul Lee, Carolyn Dong and of counsel Tom Van Hoof.

Hogan Lovells International LLP's scope of work covers structured, leveraged, acquisition, real estate, asset and pre-IPO financings. Experienced in project financing, Jun Wei is the key Beijing contact, while Owen Chan in Hong Kong leads the Hong Kong and mainland China-based international banking and finance lawyers. Shantay Cong is an experienced senior associate working across the Shanghai and Hong Kong offices, and Louise Leung in Hong Kong was recently made partner.

Focused on the debtor side, Kirkland & Ellis' practice advises private equity sponsors, credit funds and strategic corporate investors, with the team covering all key financing products across the Asia Pacific region. David Irvine heads up the Hong Kong-based Asia debt finance practice and has extensive experience in major cross-border, leveraged and acquisition financing transactions. Other names to note are Jacqueline Zheng and Daniel Abercromby; Karen Ho was made partner.

Latham & Watkins LLP acts for both lenders and borrowers in major banking and finance deals, including syndicated lending, complex acquisition financings, leveraged lending and leveraged recapitalisation transactions, as well as structured note and private placement deals. In Hong Kong, Gary Hamp is a former co-chair of the firm's global banking practice and Howard Lam chairs the Hong Kong finance department; Manas Chandrashekar was recently elected partner.

Mayer Brown advises lenders and borrowers on financings involving leveraged matters, acquisitions, bi-lateral and syndicated loans, real estate, funds, structured products, aviation and shipping, projects and trade finance. Hallam Chow joined the Beijing office in 2018 from White & Case LLP as head of projects (China) and has worked with Chinese and international lenders and borrowers on major outbound and inbound transactions in the technology, energy, oil and gas, healthcare, real estate and logistic assets sectors. Boya Shen is the mainland senior associate to note, and in Hong Kong, Richard Stock heads the firm's asset finance team.

In addition to Stephenson Harwood's advice to banks and other financial institutions on the lender side, the practice is regularly instructed in borrower matters. Representative work includes bilateral loan transactions and general banking matters. The Hong Kong-based team's principal contacts are Mark Reed and Stephanie Wong; King-Tak Fung is also a key adviser.

Simmons & Simmons' Beijing-based Yongmei Cai specialises in banking, cross-border finance, derivatives, debt capital markets and financial regulatory work. In recent years, she has focused on cross-border structured trade and commodities finance transactions for international finance institutions.