Firm Profile > Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP > Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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
Investment funds Tier 2
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is well known in the alternative investment funds arena. The firm has a global network of offices which includes the key financial centres of Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London and Geneva, and is well equipped to deal with regional regulatory issues, including those relating to the SEC, National Futures Association (NFA), the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), the Alternative Investment Funds Managers Directive (AIFMD) and the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). Areas of expertise include private equity funds, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds, retail funds and private funds. The team also advises on the acquisition of asset management companies, formation and structuring of private offshore US dollar funds, custodian and brokerage arrangements, US tax advice and derivatives documentation. Team co-head Anne-Marie Godfrey advises investment managers and advisers, distributors, trustees, fund service providers, and sovereign and institutional investors on investment fund-related issues.Testimonials
‘Anne-Marie Godfrey is an industry leader in the Asian funds legal community’
‘Up-to-date knowledge leading to accurate and practical advice, backed up by prompt execution with an emphasis on attention to detail’
‘Tamilia Chiu is hands-on, efficient, very good at meeting clients’ needs, project management and communicating with regulators’
‘Anne-Marie Godfrey is responsive, flexible with client demands and has a strong reputation’
‘Anne-Marie Godfrey has surrounded herself with a first-rate team’
Restructuring and insolvency Tier 2
Led by the 'hardworking and diligent' Naomi Moore , Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP's 'commercial and solutions-oriented' Hong Kong team acts as a fulcrum for creditor clients engaged in pan-Asian matters, and is able to leverage the firm's top-tier restructuring prowess out of London and the US on multi-jurisdictional global mandates. Leveraging the firm's overarching hedge fund expertise, the team is best known for its work on behalf of bondholders, with recent high-profile instructions including its work, alongside lawyers from the London office, for an ad-hoc group of senior unsecured creditors on the high-profile restructuring of the Noble Group.
Testimonials
‘Naomi Moore and her team are a pleasure to work with and provide smart, decisive and knowledgeable advice to bondholders on restructuring and insolvency matters.’
Key clients
Ad hoc group of senior unsecured creditors of Noble Group
Informal Steering Committee of Noteholders of Hyflux
CW Group Holdings
Ad hoc Committee of Bondholders of New Cotai
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 more than 1,000 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. Akin Gump’s Asia offices work very closely together, and 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:
Capital Markets:
Akin Gump represents investment banks, securities houses and venture capital and private equity firms in the full range of public and private debt and equity transactions, such as initial and secondary public offerings, Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings, traditional private placements and debt 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/Anticorruption:
Well-known for its deep knowledge of business practices in the Asia-Pacific 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.
Energy:
Akin Gump advises clients on many of the largest and most complex energy projects across Asia-Pacific. The team regularly advises exploration and production clients in LNG project development and upstream oil and gas acquisitions and divestitures. The firm is one of the leading law firms working in conventional and renewable energy project development and financing as well as the purchasing and selling of power projects and companies.
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. Financing experience includes myriad alternative financing solutions, including pre-IPO investments and other financing structures in China and across the region.
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.
International Trade:
The firm’s Asia-Pacific international trade team advises clients on all aspects of international trade law including on the regulatory and compliance aspects of cross-border transactions and on a range of trade related issues, such as 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 Funds:
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 Asia 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.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution:
The firm’s full-service dispute resolution practice advises hedge funds and other financial institutions with interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Work on contentious matters focuses on, among other things, restructurings, distressed debt investments, lending arrangements, bondholder disputes and shareholder activism campaigns.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mr Daniel Cohen | View Profile | |
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Anne-Marie Godfrey | View Profile | |
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Stephen Kho | View Profile | |
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Naomi Moore | View Profile | |
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Mr Matthew Puhar | View Profile | |
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Tatman Savio | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Firmwide lawyers and advisors : 1,000+ Hong Kong lawyers : 24Languages
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 : Moscow 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 that 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. Our diversity strategy includes the following goal areas: leadership commitment, recruiting and diversity pipeline, professional development and inclusive workplaces, and strategic partnerships.
Firmwide Resource Groups
Our firm sponsors seven firmwide resource groups (FRG) for lawyers focused on Abilities, Asian, Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Parents/Caregivers, and Women. These FRGs compliment the firm’s efforts related to recruiting, professional development, and fostering inclusive workplaces. They are voluntary and open to all attorneys.
Local Inclusion Councils
Akin Gump has a firmwide Inclusion Council to guide the execution of the firm’s diversity and inclusion strategy. We also have local inclusion councils in each U.S. office, as well as in London. Inclusion councils offer a forum for lawyers and personnel to proactively communicate ideas to firm management and to recommend additional initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion at the firm.
Family Friendly Policies
Akin Gump recognizes the importance of supporting our lawyers through policies and programs that enable them to effectively manage and integrate work, family, and other responsibilities. The firm has a Reduced Work Schedule Policy, which allows all 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 Program that recognizes 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 has partnered 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 nongovernmental organizations that assist them. Our pro bono matters include significant public interest litigation, legislative counseling, poverty law and transactions, both large and small, in every one of Akin Gump’s offices.
Asia
The Asian offices of Akin Gump 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 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.