Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Firm Profile
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Offices
UNITS 1801-08 & 10, 18TH FLOOR GLOUCESTER TOWER, THE LANDMARK
15 QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL
CENTRAL, HONG KONG
Hong Kong
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Hong Kong > Investment funds Tier 2
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP's one-partner team, led by Anne-Marie Godfrey, punches above-its-weight, due, in part, by its ability to work in an integrated fashion with practitioners based in situ in several key fund jurisdictions, including Singapore, New York and London. It is regularly instructed by a broad coverage of stakeholders in the funds space, including asset managers, trustees, custodians and institutional investors. The team is best-known for its hedge fund expertise, and is also active in the closed-end space, including in relation to offshore China and China-oriented US dollar private equity funds, as well as Hong Kong-based credit funds.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Akin Gump has represented our company on several of our investments into hedge funds. The firm is widely known for its investment management expertise and has developed a niche in LP representation.’
‘At a time when keeping abreast of developments has become critical when faced with zero face-to-face contact, Akin have led the way in assisting their clients to maintain relevance and understanding of the changing terms of reference.’
‘Anne-Marie Godfrey is an aggressive negotiator with good commercial sense.’
‘Anne-Marie Godfrey remains the standout service provider in the funds industry in Hong Kong/Asia. Accessibility, energy and up-to-date understanding of the legal developments are the primary reasons for this.’
‘The very detailed and responsive Dan Morrissey is a stand-out lawyer with a strong understanding of hedge funds.’
Hong Kong > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 2
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Hong Kong team works very closely with counterparts in the US and Europe, to provide a truly international restructuring practice. It acts for groups of bondholders, distressed-debt investors, mezzanine lenders and other creditors, and has considerable experience in the real estate, technology, retail and energy sectors. Naomi Moore heads the practice and is the key name for distressed debt and restructuring transactions across Asia-Pacific; she has particular experience in insurance and reinsurance insolvency and restructuring.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is technically strong, with broad experience, and in particular with bonds and other structured products’.
‘Naomi Moore is responsive, hard working and commercially minded, with a highly collaborative approach’.
Key clients
Voluntary Administrators (and later, deed administrators) of Virgin Australia
Ad Hoc Committee of Noteholders of New Cotai LLC
Informal Steering Committee of Noteholders of Hyflux Limited
Payless ShoeSource, Inc.
Ad Hoc Group of Noteholders of Valaris plc
Holders of various private placement notes issued by ED&F Man Treasury Management plc
Work highlights
- Advised the voluntary administrators (and later, deed administrators) of Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, as special noteholder liaison counsel, liaising with noteholders under several issuances of notes with an aggregate value of approximately AUD$1.9bn, in connection with the company’s voluntary administration.
- Represented an ad hoc committee of holders of Payment -in-Kind (PIK) notes issued by New Cotai, LLC and New Cotai Capital Corp. in its restructuring through chapter 11 proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court.
- Representing an informal steering committee of holders of S$265m Medium Term Notes issued by Hyflux Limited, an SGX listed, global environmental solutions company with more than S$2bn debt which was subject to s211B moratorium proceedings and recently placed into judicial management proceedings in Singapore.
Hong Kong > Dispute resolution: international arbitration
China > Restructuring and insolvency: foreign firms Tier 2
Widely recognised as one of the leading creditor practices in Asia, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Hong Kong restructuring team regularly works alongside the firm’s robust financial restructuring teams in the US and Europe. The practice was recently particularly active in cross-border financial restructuring, as well as several, large distressed matters in the Asia-Pacific region. Hong Kong-based Naomi Moore is a go-to lawyer for significant distressed debt and restructuring transactions and has a particular focus on schemes of arrangement and cross-border insolvency matters, as well as substantial experience in insurance and reinsurance insolvency and restructuring. At counsel level, Jeremy Haywood is also a name to note.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Voluntary administrators of Virgin Australia
Deed administrators of Virgin Australia
Ad hoc committee of Noteholders of New Cotai
Informal steering committee of noteholders of Hyflux
Payless ShoeSource
Ad hoc group of Noteholders of Valaris
Holders of various private placement notes issued by ED&F Man Treasury Management
Work highlights
- Acted for the voluntary administrators (and later, deed administrators), as special noteholder liaison counsel of Virgin Australia, in connection with the company’s voluntary administration.
- Represented an ad hoc committee of holders of payment-in-kind notes, issued by New Cotai and New Cotai Capital Corp, in a restructuring through Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court.
- Representing an informal steering committee of holders of S$265m medium term notes that were issued by Hyflux, an SGX-listed, global environmental solutions company, which was subject to s211B moratorium proceedings and recently placed into judicial management proceedings in Singapore.
China > Regulatory/compliance: foreign firms Tier 4
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP > Firm Profile
Firm Overview:
Akin Gump is one of the world’s largest law firms, with 20 offices and over 900 lawyers and advisors worldwide, handling high-profile and high-value matters for clients around the globe. In Asia, the firm advises its clients across a wide range of practices and industries, working closely with the firm’s European, Middle East and US offices.
*The firm’s legal entity in Hong Kong is Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a firm of solicitors which is regulated by the Law Society of Hong Kong.
Main Areas of Practice:
Financial Restructuring:
Akin Gump’s Asia financial restructuring team is widely recognised for its representation of creditors and, combined with the firm’s market-leading US and European financial restructuring teams, is an integral part of a top-tier global financial restructuring practice. With unrivalled experience acting for bondholders, noteholders and other creditors of companies in financial distress on complex, cross border restructurings, the team plays a leading role in most major Asia- Pacific restructurings.
Corporate/M&A & Private Equity:
Lawyers in the Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore offices guide clients through all stages of their corporate and private equity transactions, from deal structuring, through negotiation to post-acquisition issues. Akin Gump represents clients across numerous industries and sectors in relation to private and public company mergers, acquisitions and disposals, joint-ventures and buyouts.
Corporate Investigations:
Well-known for its deep knowledge of business practices in the region, the firm’s Asia-based investigations team covers antibribery and FCPA-related investigations, antitrust, fraud, sanctions, export controls, World Bank issues and securities-related matters.
International Trade:
The firm’s international trade team advises clients on all aspects of international trade law including on the regulatory and compliance aspects of cross-border transactions and a range of trade related issues, including compliance trade policy and WTO matters. The firm represents a number of Asia-Pacific governments with many of its lawyers serving as former government officials, offering significant insight into the workings and considerations of governments.
Investment Management:
As a leading alternative investment management practice serving clients in the world’s primary financial centres, Akin Gump offers unparalleled depth of technical knowledge and experience. The firm’s investment management practice encompasses all aspects of fund formation and ongoing operations including fund structuring and management, investor relations and portfolio company representation. Akin Gump’s representation of a broad range of asset managers and institutional investors gives it proprietary insight on emerging private equity and hedge fund market trends.
Capital Markets:
From its Beijing and Hong Kong offices, Akin Gump represents investment banks, issuers and securities houses as well as venture capital and private equity firms in the full range of public and private debt and equity transactions, including initial and secondary public offerings, Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings, traditional private placements and debt restructurings.
Finance:
The firm’s finance and alternative credit team represents investor clients on new debt and equity investments throughout Asia-Pacific, including secured and unsecured credit facilities, straight and convertible bonds and other debt instruments. The team also advises on alternative financing solutions, including pre-IPO investments and other financing structures.
Energy:
Akin Gump advises clients on many of the largest and most complex energy projects across Asia-Pacific, regularly advising exploration and production clients on LNG project development and upstream oil and gas acquisitions and divestitures. The firm acts on conventional and renewable energy project development and financing, as well as the purchasing and selling of power projects and companies.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution:
The dispute resolution practice advises investment firms, financial institutions, corporations and insolvency office holders on contentious matters across Asia. The team represents clients in commercial litigation and international arbitrations related to distressed debt and equity investments, finance arrangements, contentious insolvency and restructuring situations, bondholder disputes and shareholder activism campaigns.
Additional Information
https://www.linkedin.com/company/akin-gump-strauss-hauer-&-feld-llp/
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Partner in Charge | Sebastian Rice | ||
| Asia | |||
| Corporate and commercial | |||
| Corporate investigations/anti-corruption | |||
| Cross-border transactions | |||
| Customs and import control | |||
| Dispute resolution | |||
| Energy | |||
| Export controls and economic sanctions | |||
| Finance | |||
| Financial restructuring | |||
| Global project finance | |||
| Hedge funds | |||
| International trade | |||
| Investment management | |||
| Private equity funds | |||
| Litigation | |||
| Mergers and acquisitions | |||
| Tax |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mr Daniel Cohen | Daniel Cohen handles complex, cross-border disputes in the Asia-Pacific region, a significant… | View Profile |
 | Mr Steven Franklin | Steven Franklin’s practice focuses on public and private cross-border transactions, including M&A,… | View Profile |
 | Ms Anne-Marie Godfrey | Anne-Marie Godfrey has extensive experience of advising investment managers throughout Asia on… | View Profile |
 | Mr Stephen Kho | Stephen Kho focuses on trade and investment policy, and dispute resolution, including… | View Profile |
 | Ms Naomi Moore | As a partner in Akin Gump’s financial restructuring group, Naomi’s practice focuses… | View Profile |
 | Mr Matthew Puhar | Matthew Puhar focuses on public and private cross-border corporate, corporate finance, debt… | View Profile |
 | Ms Tatman Savio | As a partner in Akin Gump’s international trade practice, Tatman Savio counsels… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Firmwide lawyers and advisors : 900+ Hong Kong lawyers : 20Languages
Cantonese English Mandarin Shanghainese HindiOther
Other offices : Abu Dhabi Other offices : Beijing Other offices : Dallas Other offices : Dubai Other offices : Fort Worth Other offices : Frankfurt Other offices : Geneva Other offices : Hartford Other offices : Houston Other offices : Irvine Other offices : London Other offices : Los Angeles Other offices : New York Other offices : Philadelphia Other offices : San Antonio Other offices : San Francisco Other offices : Singapore Other offices : Washington DCDiversity
Diversity and Inclusion
At Akin Gump, we believe the various perspectives and experiences of our lawyers and staff help us achieve exceptional results for our clients and bring important insights into all aspects of the firm.
Firmwide Resource Group
Our firm sponsors seven firmwide resource groups (FRG) for lawyers and staff focused on Abilities, Asian, Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Parents/Caregivers, and Women. These FRGs complement the firm’s efforts related to recruiting, professional development, and fostering inclusive workplaces. They are voluntary and open to all attorneys and staff.
Local Diversity and Inclusion Councils
Akin Gump has a firmwide Diversity and Inclusion Council to guide the execution of the firm’s diversity and inclusion strategy. We also have local diversity and inclusion councils in each U.S. office, and London. Diversity and inclusion councils offer lawyers and staff a chance to communicate ideas to firm management and to recommend additional initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion at the firm.
Family Friendly Policies
At Akin Gump, we support lawyers through policies and programmes that enable them to effectively manage and integrate work, family, and other responsibilities. The firm has a Reduced Work Schedule Policy, which allows lawyers to work reduced schedules and remain on partnership track. In particular, we have a significant track record of promotions of women who have availed themselves of the policy.
We also have an Agile Work Programme that recognises that agile work arrangements play an important role in providing excellent client service at the highest levels while also providing flexibility for our lawyers.
The firm works with Bright Horizon’s Family Solutions to offer our employees care for children and dependent adults.
Pro bono
Our lawyers defend human rights by representing asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and the NGOs that assist them. Our pro bono matters include public interest litigation, legislative counselling, poverty law and transactions, in each of Akin Gump’s offices. The firm is also focused on leveraging our tremendous pro bono commitment to address injustice and pursue equality throughout our communities.
Asia
Akin Gump’s Asian offices are committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment where all members of the Akin Gump community can thrive and grow. We maintain a culture that sees differences as strength. Local chapters of our firmwide resource groups support our LGBTQ+, women lawyers, and also support family and caregivers.
We have an active chapter of our Women’s FRG in the Hong Kong office. The group provides a forum for the firm’s women to build relationships internally and externally and provide targeted professional development. In Hong Kong, in addition to local social events, our Women’s FRG were sponsors of The Women’s Foundation’s International Women’s Day lunch, the annual Women of Influence Conference by American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Tedx TinHau Women event, and hosted an in-house training session on communicating and presenting with impact and confidence.
We are also sponsors of the Hong Kong LGBT+ Attorneys (HKGALA) Network, which aims to promote LGBT+ diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in Hong Kong.