Hongkai Zhou > Stephenson Harwood > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile

Lauded by clients as ‘forward-looking’ and ‘excellent’, Stephenson Harwood draws superlative praise on account of its wide-ranging capabilities in advising a balanced array of stakeholders, including banks, financial institutions, leasing companies, commercial lenders, lessors, airlines, and export credit agencies, on cross-jurisdictional deals across aviation and shipping arenas. The firm’s aviation finance team, one of the largest in Hong Kong, is well-versed in handling the entire spectrum of matters, including financing, leasing, and trading of commercial aircraft and business jets across Hong Kong, the wider APAC region, and Europe. Associates Raina Xian and Louis Ng excel in these areas. Under the leadership of Simon Wong, whose expertise covers aircraft repossession and airline insolvency and rehabilitation, the team has handled a host of defaults and debt restructurings. The firm’s shipping subgroup, co-headed by Hongkai Zhou and Simone Liu, is emblematic of the eclectic nature of the firm’s workflow. In addition to providing advisory and risk mitigation services, the team is frequently involved in cross-border financings and restructuring matters.

Stephenson Harwood has a large team of Hong Kong shipping specialists and has further expanded with the arrival of Paul Ho in October 2023 from Ince & Co who excels in maritime and international trade, and ship finance. It is highly rated for ship financing mandates and shipping disputes, covering the full spectrum of shipping litigation work, from dry and wet charterparty work to insolvency and restructuring matters. In addition to its work for major international banks, credit agencies, owners, and operators, the group also acts for commodities finance companies. The practice is jointly led by Elizabeth Sloane, who is an expert in distressed enforcement and crisis management of urgent situations across both dry and wet sides of shipping, and Hongkai Zhou, who is noted for his shipping finance capabilities. Andrew Rigden Green is another senior practitioner experienced in marine and international trade matters, and Jason Toms is noted for his extensive experience in both wet and dry shipping matters and commercial litigation. Elton Chan is a shipping finance expert.