Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Firm Profile

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Hong Kong > Private equity Tier 1

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has a dedicated private equity offering in Hong Kong focusing on large-scale cross-border transactions. It is in demand for its blend of expertise in private equity and corporate transactions combined with 'very hands-on advice and support'. The team covers a broad range of deals including high-value public company privatisations and minority investments. Meanwhile, the firm’s strong debt financing and leveraging capacity is well-suited to the needs of private equity sponsors, and a deep understanding of regional markets allows the firm to operate for its network of global clients across the APAC region. Practice leader Tim Gardner, and Chris Welty, regularly advise the firm’s key corporate and sponsor clients on complex leveraged and managed buyouts, public-to-privates, joint ventures, minority investments and cross-border deals.

Hong Kong > Corporate (including M&A) Tier 2

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is noted for its work in public markets, with experience handling SPAC deals and take-privates, and also acts for private equity funds and their portfolio companies in M&A transactions. The team’s work encompasses deals in highly regulated sectors such as technology, financial services and data centres. Tim Gardner heads the Hong Kong office, in addition to serving as co-head of the Asia offices, and has considerable experience in both cross-border M&A and private equity. Henry Ong is qualified in the UK and Hong Kong, with a client base spanning both sponsors and strategic investors, while Chris Welty takes the lead on public-to-private deals.

Hong Kong > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP was recently joined by the restructuring and insolvency group from Ropes & Gray LLP, led by Kathleen Aka. The move has strengthened the Hong Kong branch of the firm’s global restructuring outfit and brought a dedicated group of restructuring practitioners within the fold who can deal with the full life cycle of high-profile restructuring and insolvency matters without sourcing expertise elsewhere. The team has been active for a number of bondholders in relation to China property development restructurings, and rising star Tara Hamilton acts for a range of stakeholders involved in distressed situations, advising on a broad spectrum from informal restructuring of distressed entities, through to formal in-court insolvency processes and recovery.

Hong Kong > Banking and finance Tier 4

Leveraging the firm’s strong M&A capability, as well as handling financing transactions independent of the firm’s role on the corporate front, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP‘s three-strong Hong Kong team is best known for its leveraged finance advice to regional and international private equity firms, including TPG Capital and MBK Partners. Counsel Kevin Yao takes the lead on much of the work, where he frequently collaborates with other international offices including London and New York.

China > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms

Under the leadership of Charles Ching, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has made a name for itself in handling public M&A involving Chinese companies and US markets, advising on take-privates as well as SPAC deals. The group is also noted for its work representing foreign investors, particularly private equity houses, on buyouts of Chinese companies. The team is active on deals involving the fast-growing sectors of healthcare and logistics, as well as the politically sensitive semiconductor industry. Alongside Ching, Yujing Liu is recognised for her work on outbound investments and was promoted to counsel in January 2022.

China > Private equity: foreign firms

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP‘s Greater China team is sought out for big-ticket domestic and cross-border acquisitions, mergers, takeovers, privatisations, disposals, distressed M&A, spin-offs and joint ventures; and its expertise ranges from auctions, exits, take-privates and growth investments, to secondary deals, PIPEs, and other public transactions. Key private equity clients for Shanghai and Beijing-based China practice head, Charles Ching, include Advent International, CBC Group, FountainVest Partners, Primavera Capital, Warburg Pincus, and other international and regional-based sponsors. At counsel level, Beijing’s 2022-promoted Yujing Liu focuses on advising Chinese companies on their outbound investments into Europe and Asia; and in Shanghai, Kenny Yu focuses on competitive and proprietary buyouts, disposals, joint ventures, growth equity investments, PIPE transactions, and private equity fund formation. Over in Hong Kong, office managing partner Tim Gardner regularly advises global, pan-Asia and local private equity sponsors and corporate clients on deals in the Asia-Pacific region.