Addleshaw Goddard

The firm: Imaginative solutions to pivotal business problems.

Good business depends on good advice. Which, ultimately, comes down to four words. Yes. No. Stop. Go. Many of the world’s most recognised and respected businesses – including 43 FTSE100 clients in the last two years –  turned to Addleshaw Goddard to deliver just that kind of simple answer. They rely on the firm’s lawyers around the world to find imaginative solutions to their pivotal business problems, and to get things done.

Lawyers in the Hong Kong office speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese and conduct matters not only in Hong Kong but throughout the greater China region.

In conjunction with the firm’s international offices, it has a formal alliance with Hashidate Law Office in Japan and works with a network of leading independent commercial law firms in Europe, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, India and China to provide clients with a seamless cross-border capability. It also has highly regarded dedicated business groups for Africa, India, Korea and Malaysia.

Areas of practice
Capital markets/IPO: the firm aims to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of the IPO process and therefore the team of dedicated IPO lawyers and professionals  seeks to offer value at all stages of the IPO process. Clients will always have access to a partner who is close to the detail of the transaction, while at the same time the administrative and process-driven tasks will be undertaken cost-effectively by the firm’s IPO working team.

Corporate/M&A: Addleshaw Goddard’s corporate/M&A practice offers an impressive track record of leading expertise. M&A – both public and private, and also disposals, restructurings and reconstructions; joint ventures – acting for both local and international partners in respect of onshore and offshore joint venture establishment and exits; foreign direct investment – acting for internationals in respect of their investments and establishments in a wide ranging of emerging market locations; corporate finance – assisting borrowers and lenders on a wide range of finance and lending agreements; fund raising and other forms of equity and debt financing; commercial transactions – assisting international companies in respect of their distribution, manufacturing, sales, agency, franchise and other commercial contracts; private equity – acting for funds, investors and investee companies on a broad range of investment and equity structures.

Dispute resolution: the firm advises clients in respect of all forms of commercial litigation, contentious regulatory investigation and dispute resolution – from navigating the Hong Kong court and contentious regulatory processes to international arbitration. Its lawyers have been involved in many high-profile cases in Hong Kong and throughout the region. The firm is also committed to alternative dispute resolution methods and encourages its lawyers and clients to use them if they are the appropriate strategy for achieving the best outcome.

Fraud, regulatory and corporate crime: the team has experience of representing multinational corporations, financial institutions and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. In addition to local experience, the firm’s lawyers in the UK have represented clients in some of the highest profile cases before the English courts in recent years.

International arbitration: the firm’s international arbitration group comprises specialist arbitration practitioners who between them have many years of experience acting as counsel on major international arbitrations and advising multinationals, banks and governments on arbitrations seated in all of the main arbitral centres.

Employment: Addleshaw Goddard’s employment group is frequently asked by international corporates to co-ordinate regional reviews to ensure and manage global standards of practice, for which purpose the firm works closely with a network of similarly specialist employment firms across Asia.