Matt Roberts > Maples Group > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile

Ann Ng, Matt Roberts, and John Trehey jointly lead the team at Maples Group, which is hailed by clients as the ‘market leader for offshore law firms in Asia‘. Ng specialises in fund formation and often acts for investors and sponsors, Roberts primarily assists financial institutions and SPACs with corporate governance matters and the full spectrum of capital markets issues, and Trehey is known for his extensive cross-border disputes and insolvency expertise, often handling matters involving Cayman Islands and BVI structures. Derrick Kan often handles matters concerning listings in the US, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, while Aisling Dwyer often appears before the Cayman Islands and BVI courts on behalf of private equity houses and ultra-high-net-worth families. Nick Stern is well-versed in cross-border insolvencies and restructurings. Terence Ho is well-known for his expertise in the structuring and formation of hedge, private equity, and venture capital funds, and Josie Ainley is recommended for her knowledge of downstream transactions and the maintenance of hedge funds. Key figures within the team include Vivian Lee, who routinely assists with the listing of Cayman Islands company shares in Hong Kong and the US, and Jessica Zhan often advises financial institutions and SOEs on series financings and SPACs.

Maples Group‘s global brand and presence in multiple jurisdictions provides a more than solid platform for the Singapore office. The team works closely with colleagues in Hong Kong and across the globe (including BVI, Cayman Islands, Dubai, Dublin, Jersey, London and Luxembourg) on a range of matters in the corporate, finance, insolvency, funds and investments, and dispute resolution sectors. It has continued to advise on numerous headline and landmark transactions, including the first de-SPAC transaction in Singapore and several other de-SPAC deals. The Singapore team is also noted for its prominence in structured debt programmes and for its expertise in fund finance and private credit. Working with Hong Kong colleagues, the Singapore group provides further senior firepower in fund launches. Based in Asia since 2006, Michael Gagie is regional head for Asia and leads the finance team in the region, also leading the global BVI legal practice. Matt Roberts is Asia head of corporate, splitting his time between Hong Kong and Singapore. Nick Harrold is an experienced partner in funds and investment management, along with Iain Anderson and Ian Clark, the latter joining from Harneys in 2023. Dispute resolution specialist Cherrin Wong was promoted to counsel in 2024.