Eversheds Sutherland > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Firm Profile
Eversheds Sutherland Offices

37/F, One Taikoo Place, Taikoo Place
979 King's Road, Quarry Bay
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
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Eversheds Sutherland > The Legal 500 Rankings
Hong Kong > Antitrust and competition Tier 2
Eversheds Sutherland combines litigation and regulatory expertise to service local and international clients from its base in Hong Kong. It has noted experience in advising the Competition Commission and the Communications Authority on a range of matters, and also acts for multinationals in relation to large multijurisdictional cases, leaning on its international network for support. Adam Ferguson heads the ‘solid and responsive‘ practice and is qualified in Hong Kong, England and Wales, and Ireland; he is experienced in the aviation, financial services, broadcasting and telecoms sectors. Mark Hughes is a name to note for disputes. Mark Yeadon retired in June 2021.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The firm has a very experienced and talented competition team in Hong Kong’.
‘They have the ability to call on the broader strength of the firm’s European competition lawyers for additional experience and capacity’.
‘Adam Ferguson is a very smart and talented competition lawyer and leads the Hong Kong team’.
‘Adam Ferguson is easy to work with and clearly demonstrates substantive litigation knowledge’.
‘Adam Ferguson is capable of handling the most complex matters’.
‘Eversheds Hong Kong is among the leading competition practices in Hong Kong’.
‘They frequently act for the regulator – the Competition Commission – in major litigation, and so have unique insights into the regulatory environment’.
‘A very solid, hands-on and responsive competition litigation team’.
Key clients
Competition Commission
Cathay Pacific Airways
Communications Authority
CNPC
New World Developments
HNA
Work highlights
- Acting for the Competition Commission in its first enforcement action under the Second Conduct Rule of the Competition Ordinance, alleging an abuse of market power by Linde and the involvement of an individual in the alleged abuse.
- Acting for the Communications Authority (CA) in the defence of High Court judicial review proceedings brought by Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited, against the CA and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.
- Advising a number of airlines on competition and regulatory self-assessments.
Hong Kong > Labour and employment Tier 3
Eversheds Sutherland, which acts for clients ranging from individuals to large multinationals, has recently advised on C-suite dismissals, COVID-19 issues and litigation involving issues over post-termination covenants. The team is led by Shanghai-based Jack Cai and Hong Kong-based Jennifer Van Dale, who specialises in non-contentious employment and data privacy work. Rachael Shek left for Clyde & Co LLP in December 2020.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Depth of knowledge and experience. Advice is practical and benchmarked to market practice. Diverse team lead by a strong female partner. Unparalleled commitment to service and ability calibrate staffing to meet the needs to the client and transaction/matter needs.’
‘Jennifer van Dale. She has deep experience in the Hong Kong market and is a pre-eminent subject matter expert. Paired with that, she takes a commercial and problem-solving approach to her advice, so it is useful to her clients. She is a proactive partner to her clients.’
‘Eversheds Sutherland provides very practical business advice, as well as excellent legal advice, versus some other firms that simply write extensive memos quoting law but without any conclusions.’
‘Jennifer Van Dale is the driving force behind the Hong Kong employment practice at Eversheds Sutherland. She is an exceptional lawyer with practical advice that is actionable. Her depth and breadth of knowledge in employment law is outstanding.’
Key clients
Kering
FTI
Rolls Royce
Li & Fung
Mandarin Oriental Hotels
Robert Half International
China Mobile International
JAS Worldwide
Work highlights
- Assisted JAS Worldwide with its acquisition of France’s Geopost to acquire its Tigers freight forwarding subsidiary.
Hong Kong > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3
Eversheds Sutherland handles both contentious and non-contentious restructuring and insolvency matters under the leadership of Kingsley Ong. Ong, who speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew, also leads the debt capital markets, derivatives, structured finance and securitisation practices in Asia. The team has extensive experience in insolvency workouts and in unwinding complex financial instruments. Alex Doughty relocated from the London office in July 2020, and Kingsley Ong departed to CMS in November 2021.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is very knowledgeable and epitomises the versatility that the firm offers’.
‘It offers top quality advice across a variety of transactions’.
‘Very responsive and commercially minded’.
Key clients
Axis Bank Limited
Bank J. Safra Sarasin
CMB Wing Lung Bank Limited
Ernst & Young (Hong Kong Liquidators of Manley Toys Limited)
Gibson Innovations Limited
Golden Pillars (H.K.) Limited
Grant Thornton (as liquidators of Gibson Innovations)
The Great European Carnival Limited
Hempworks International Limited
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) and Syndicated Bank Group
ICBC International
KPMG (as liquidators of Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, MF Global)
Li & Fung
Liberty Group
MDME Limited
Meritz Securities Co Ltd
Southwest Securities (HK) Brokerage Limited
Tewoo (H.K.) Limited and Tianjin Huawu Trade Co., Ltd. (PRC State Owned Enterprise Group)
Xiwang Special Steel Company Limited (HK Stock code 1266.hk)
Work highlights
- Kingsley Ong acts as Hong Kong Law Expert Witness for the Hong Kong Liquidators, in a heavily contested US Chapter 15 recognition proceedings relating to Manley Toys.
- Advised a leading HK-listed property development conglomerate on its successful HK$1.75bn debt restructuring.
- Advised Gibson Innovations on its insolvency in 22 jurisdictions across 4 continents.
Hong Kong > Structured finance and securitisation Tier 3
Eversheds Sutherland‘s five-strong team has strong connections with a wide range of clients, including arrangers, collateral managers, originators and trustees. Its work covers a myriad of securitisation and structured finance deals across multiple jurisdictions in the region. Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, Ong has a strong reputation advising on default-related work and excels in unwinding and closing out distressed/defaulted securitisations, derivatives and structured products. Recently promoted senior associate Polly Chiu is recommended.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘It is a capable DCM/banking team with a distinct edge in securitisation. Its track record and involvement in countless well-profiled deals speak for their sophistication and strong ability to execute complex projects.’
‘Simon Barrell is a very knowledgeable and experienced lawyer.’
Key clients
Bank J. Safra Sarasin Ltd
BOCI Leveraged & Structured Finance
Citibank
Citicorp International Limited
CMB International Finance
CMB International Securities Limited
CMBI Global Markets Limited
China Merchants Securities
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
DBS Bank
Glory Sun Securities Limited
Haitong International Securities
Hong Kong Capital Finance Corporation
HSBC
Li & Fung
Prudential Group
Siegfried Service Limited
Tian Lun Group Ltd/ China Tian Lun Gas Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Siegfried (as originator, servicer, transaction administrator) on a $1bn trade receivables securitisation tap programme.
- Acted as lead transaction counsel for a leading Hong Kong money lender on a HK$2bn RMBS.
- Advised a leading Hong Kong-listed property development conglomerate on its successful HK$1.75bn debt restructuring.
Hong Kong > Banking and finance Tier 4
Eversheds Sutherland has notable experience in commercial banking, trade finance, real estate finance, acquisition finance, project finance and structured finance deals. The practice handles domestic and cross-border bilateral and syndicated lending transactions and is led by Michael Yau, who advises local and PRC banks on lending, general banking, regulation and compliance matters.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team has a lot of experience on structured trade financings’.
‘Samuel Chau is excellent and very experienced in real estate financings’.
‘Michael Yau is our “go-to” for trade financings’.
‘The team is very attentive and have extensive knowledge’.
‘The team is tri-lingual and practical’.
‘They are flexible on fee arrangements and overall I find the firm good value for money’.
‘Eversheds is one of our bank’s go to firms who have consistently provided exceptional and reliable support to all of our needs’.
‘Quick turnaround time’.
Hong Kong > Capital markets (equity) Tier 4
Led by the ‘very experienced’ Stephen Mok , Eversheds Sutherland‘s ‘young and hungry‘ team provides ‘approachable and practical‘ advice to issuers from a range of sectors, including biotech, healthcare and property, on their Hong Kong IPOs, spin-off listings and secondary placings. The team’s ability to leverage an extensive international network also ensures that it is well-positioned to advise on complex multijurisdictional matters. Hong Kong and UK-qualified partner Dickson NG is ‘knowledgeable and pragmatic‘. Norman Hui joined Dentons Hong Kong in February 2021.Practice head(s):
Stephen Mok (Head of Corporate, Asia)
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The Eversheds ECM team is young and hungry. They are approachable and practical, and are able to deal with complex multi-jurisdictional issues given the strong capability across their network.’
‘The team is very business-oriented.’
‘Stephen Mok is very experienced, with very good commercial sense.’
‘Dickson Ng is knowledgeable and hands-on, understands clients’ needs and is pragmatic.’
Key clients
EuroEyes International Eye Clinic Limited
China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited (CICC)
Jilin Province Chuncheng Heating Company Limited
BOCI Asia Limited
Acme International Holdings Limited
Imagi International Holdings Limited
China Gas Industry Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.
Fortune Financial Capital Limited
CCB International Capital Limited
Imagi International Holdings Limited
CGN New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.
CITIC Resources Holdings Limited
Hong Kong > Corporate (including M&A) Tier 5
Eversheds Sutherland handles inbound Asian transactions for global clients as well as outbound transactions on behalf of China and Hong Kong-based entities. Charles Butcher heads the Asian international M&A and private equity practices; he is thoroughly experienced in multi-jurisdictional transactions, investments and projects with a track record in a diverse array of industries including TMT, life sciences, energy and financial services. Senior partner Stephen Mok spearheads the corporate offering and leverages notable knowledge in assisting Chinese enterprises on their Hong Kong Stock Exchange listings, as well as guiding Hong Kong-listed companies on main securities transactions and compliance.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Their standout feature is thoughtful and meticulous service.‘
‘The professionalism and cooperative spirit of lawyers are the basis for our ongoing cooperation.‘
‘The team is very experienced and professional, knowledgeable. They are able to give professional and feasible advice when we come across problems within reasonable cost control. Also, the ability to explain and deliver their advice to lay-client. ’
‘The individuals are responsive, detailed-minded and patient, also quick response.’
‘The team is strong – all thoughtful and committed lawyers and technically adept. Their drafting and document presentation is of a very high standard. ’
‘Charles Butcher is an excellent partner – technically very knowledgeable and client-focused. Charles takes the time to consider the options and chooses the one best suited to his client. Charles’ knowledge of the Asian M&A market is extremely impressive. ’
‘The team are commercially focused and in tune with our needs. The seamless transition between Hong Kong and Shanghai teams gets results faster and with less fuss. Good use of technology sharing through the Collaborate Platform. Always willing to go the extra mile.’
‘Charles Butcher is a class act. As well as just getting the job done, provides very useful market/territory insight which is very valuable.’
Key clients
Baird Capital
Belt Road Investment Group
Cassia Investments
CGN Energy International Holdings Co., Limited
China-LAC Cooperation Fund
Cielo Talent
CITIC Limited
Eaton
FTI Consulting
G4S plc
Hanwha Asset Management
HNA Group
Iron Mountain
JAS Worldwide
Nissin Foods Company Limited
Owens & Minor
Rolls-Royce
Stolt-Nielsen
Tricor Group
Vecor Technologies Pty Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised CGNEI on its acquisition of the 100% equity interest in the Brazilian wind power company Atlantic Energias Renováveis S.A. (Atlantic) from Actis Capital and the post-completion purchase price adjustment.
- Advised CLAC Fund on its acquisition of a minority equity interest in the container terminal at Terminal De Containeres de Paranaguá, the second largest port in Brazil.
- Advised CITIC Limited on its US$ 533 million sale of a 22% stake in McDonald’s mainland China and Hong Kong business to CITIC Capital.
Hong Kong > Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 5
The ‘meticulous’ Eversheds Sutherland litigation and dispute management team is particularly strong in the administrative law, regulatory and financial services domains. Led by Mark Hughes, who has experience handling internal investigations and alleged misconduct enquiries, it also works on enforcement actions, primarily through competition specialist Adam Ferguson. Also of note are John Siu and Duncan Watt who are able to ‘provide the commercial edge’ in disputes. Rachael Shek departed and previous practice head Mark Yeadon left for Conyers earlier in 2021.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Eversheds is one of our bank’s go to firms on litigation/contentious matters.’
‘John Siu and Duncan Watt are both very experienced and knowledgeable lawyers who can provide the commercial edge at all times.’
‘Hard-working and meticulous.’
Key clients
Communications Authority of Hong Kong (the regulator for telecoms and broadcasting)
Competition Commission of Hong Kong
DuPont
HSBC
Hang Seng Bank Limited
Madam Bi XiaoQiong
Mr. Han JianPeng
Incu Global Limited
Kyko Global Inc.
Bank of Communications Co., Ltd
BOCI Securities Limited
Barclay Pharmaceutical
China > Fintech: foreign firms Tier 2
Eversheds Sutherland‘s Hong Kong-based Asia technology group acts for large institutional clients and start-up unicorns on a broad spectrum of technology matters. With established experience in technology, commercial and financial regulatory matters, the team has a particular focus on critical technology outsourcing transactions and digital transformation projects, including in the aviation sector. Representative work for the group ranges from infrastructure outsourcing (private and public cloud), core banking and payments platforms to software licensing and data centres. Heading the firm’s technology practice group across Asia, Rhys McWhirter‘s recent experience includes leading (on behalf of global financial services institutions) the negotiation of several high-profile and novel emerging technology transactions, which involved blockchain and AI; and banking and finance leader Michael Yau handles fintech work.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Rhys McWhirter managers the ES Asia TMT practice – and is an excellent contact. We work with Rhys on tech contracts throughout Asia and recommend his knowledge and expertise very highly.‘
‘Rhys McWhiter is a great contact for all TMT matters in China and Asia.‘
‘Rhys McWhiter is proactive and focused on achieving good commercial outcomes for his clients.‘
Key clients
Thought Machine Group
Ping Pong Global Payments
Sunrate Global Payments
VBill Payment
China Merchants Bank
Blackhawk Network
Blue Insurance
Work highlights
- Advised Thought Machine Group on a number of strategic technology arrangements throughout Asia, which involved the licensing of its core-banking platform, Vault, to various financial institutions.
- Advised international unicorn Ping Pong Global Payments on its charge card, merchant acquiring and payment facilitator businesses in Hong Kong.
- Assisted China Merchants Bank with an innovative offering to its securities clients.
China > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms
Eversheds Sutherland, a UK-founded firm active in over 32 jurisdictions, is geared to support on both inbound Asian transactions for global clients as well as outbound transactions on behalf of China and Hong Kong-based entities. In Shanghai, Jack Cai spearheads the China inbound M&A team, often acting on behalf of major international companies on cross-border transactions. Jay Ze, who operates from the Beijing office, provides the department with transactional prowess in the energy and natural resources sector and fronts the corporate practice.Practice head(s):
Key clients
Baird Capital
Belt Road Investment Group
Cassia Investments
CGN Energy International Holdings Co., Limited
China-LAC Cooperation Fund
Cielo Talent
CITIC Limited
Eaton
FTI Consulting
G4S plc
Hanwha Asset Management
HNA Group
Iron Mountain
JAS Worldwide
Nissin Foods Company Limited
Owens & Minor
Rolls-Royce
Stolt-Nielsen
Tricor Group
Vecor Technologies Pty Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised CGNEI on its acquisition of the 100% equity interest in the Brazilian wind power company Atlantic Energias Renováveis S.A. (Atlantic) from Actis Capital and the post-completion purchase price adjustment.
- Advised CLAC Fund on its acquisition of a minority equity interest in the container terminal at Terminal De Containeres de Paranaguá, the second largest port in Brazil.
- Advised CITIC Limited on its US$533m sale of a 22% stake in McDonald’s mainland China and Hong Kong business to CITIC Capital.
Eversheds Sutherland > Firm Profile
As a global top 15 law practice, Eversheds Sutherland provides legal advice and solutions to a global client base ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to the largest multinationals.
Our teams of lawyers around the world operate seamlessly to deliver the legal know-how and strategic alignment that clients need from their advisors to help further their business interests. Clients describe us as creative and well-versed in cutting edge legal work – we listen well in order to understand how and where we can be most effective and add the greatest value.
We shape our advice to the unique circumstances and challenges of each project, and ensure the right people are in the right places to offer insight and certainty – from the day-to-day to the most complex, multijurisdictional matters.
What unites us is our commitment to service excellence through a solution-oriented approach. We know our clients’ businesses, the industries and markets they operate in, and we know that great relationships yield the best outcomes.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Managing Partner Asia | Stephen Kitts | stephenkitts@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 3262 |
Corporate | Stephen Mok | stephenmok@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 3213 |
Banking and Finance | Michael Yau | michaelyau@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 3237 |
Litigation and Dispute Resolutions | Mark Yeadon | markyeadon@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 3225 |
Intellectual Property | Cedric Lam | cedriclam@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 3202 |
Employment | Jennifer Van Dale | jennifervandale@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 4945 |
Commercial | Rhys McWhirter | rhysmcwhirter@eversheds-sutherland.com | +852 2186 4969 |
Lawyer Profiles
Languages
Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) EnglishPress Releases
Eversheds Sutherland: Wenzel Röhsner has been admitted to the Vienna bar
26th April 2022 Wenzel Röhsner, LL.M. (29) has been admitted to the Vienna bar in March 2022 and appointed Legal Director at Eversheds Sutherland in Austria. He specializes in intellectual property and litigation law with a focus on tort, civil and corporate law.Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce the admission of Michael Röhsner to the Vienna bar
24th January 2022 Michael Röhsner, LL.M. (26) has been admitted to the Vienna bar in December 2021 and has been promoted to Legal Director at Eversheds Sutherland in Austria. He focuses on data protection, IT law and cybersecurity.Eversheds Sutherland berät Reconomy bei Übernahme der deutschen Noventiz-Grupp
7th January 2021 München, 10. Dezember 2020 - Die globale Wirtschaftskanzlei Eversheds Sutherland hat Reconomy, den führende Anbieter von Entsorgungs- und Rücknahmelösungen in Großbritannien, bei der Übernahme des deutschen Entsorgungsfachbetriebs Noventiz beraten. Verkäufer ist das deutsche PE-Haus SEAFORT Advisors.Legal Briefings
Corporate reorganisations: key considerations on a global reorganisation project
Robin Johnson, Christian Mense and Nicola Evans continue their series of papers on corporate reorganisations. In this article, they look at the key considerations on a multinational reorganisation project.The deal is done – what happens next?
In the third of their series of articles on corporate reorganisations, Robin Johnson, Christian Mense and Nicola Evans of Eversheds Sutherland consider what to do once an agreement is signed When a company buys a business or group of companies, a lot of work, time and cost goes into due diligence of the target. Due …Recent motives and trends for corporate reorganisations
In the fourth of their series of articles on corporate reorganisations, Robin Johnson, Christian Mense and Nicola Evans give on overview on the most recent motives and trends for corporate reorganisations.Why employers should engage more with employee mental health
For several years, employers have been urged to do more to look after the mental health of their workforce. Even before the pandemic, in January 2019, mental health at work was a primary discussion topic at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting accompanied by huge estimations of the financial impact, globally, in terms of lost …
Comparative Guides
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Finland: Intellectual Property
Published: July 2021
Authors: Petteri Häkkänen Kati Rantala Minna Hanninen Sara Väyrynen
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Intellectual Property laws and regulations that may occur in Finland.
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Sweden: International Arbitration
Published: October 2021
Authors: Jonas Löttiger Hans Forssell
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to International Arbitration laws and regulations that may occur in Sweden.
- Antitrust and competition
Firm Rankings
- China > Fintech: foreign firms