Donna Wacker > Clifford Chance > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile

The global financial markets restructuring team at Clifford Chance regularly advises major international banks, funds, private equity investors, and corporates on a wide spectrum of R&I work. Most matters are cross-border, as the the firm leverages its pan-Asian coverage and its capacity to combine expertise across a full spectrum of products and practices, such as finance, litigation, and dispute resolution. An illustrative instance of this strength is the team’s robust response to the aftermath of disruptions in the airline industry, which has notably affected many of the firm’s clients, leading to a collaborative effort between the R&I practice and the aviation finance practice. In addition to its expertise in aviation, the team excels in sectors like TMT, food and beverage, and energy. Donna Wacker heads the contentious insolvency practice and regularly leads on complex cross-border liquidations. The non-contentious side of the practice is led by Scott Bache, a key contact for international corporates seeking guidance on the full spectrum of restructuring and insolvency matters. Other key figures within the team include Soo Khim Keoy, an experienced litigator, the ‘extremely hard-working and exceptionally intelligent’ Phoebe Lo, who specialises in corporate insolvency and restructuring work, and Thomas Walsh, whose practice focuses on cross-border disputes.

Clifford Chance is a popular choice among a stellar roster of banking and funds clients to advise on a myriad of regulatory issues, both on a standalone basis as well as in the context of transactional work. In this context, not only is the firm able to call upon market-leading product experts who act on the front end of deals, but also core regulatory experts who are at the cutting edge of developments in the market. Although it does handle purely domestic work, many of the mandates handled by the team have a cross-border complexion, where the firm is particularly well-suited to act by virtue of its ability to work alongside colleagues with product and regulatory expertise in key global offices, including in the US, UK and Europe. Rocky Mui handles non-contentious matters, both in relation to conventional funds/banking regulatory matters as well as within the fintech space – a sector which he has particular expertise and insight. Donna Wacker heads up the overarching APAC financial regulatory group and specialises in contentious mandates including enforcement actions and internal investigations. Financial services luminary Mark Shipman retired in May 2023.

Clifford Chance LLP‘s ‘litigation team is absolutely top-notch‘. With longstanding on-the-ground experience in Greater China, the firm’s disputes practice is consistently selected by both corporations and individuals to act in high-value commercial litigation. Representative areas of expertise include shareholder disputes, as well as trust and commercial conflicts that involve cross-jurisdictional issues. Clients further appreciate the firm’s regulatory defence practice’s credentials. IP and technology disputes expert Ling Ho is Hong Kong litigation and dispute resolution head; Donna Wacker is a renowned senior practitioner who handles complex commercial, financial services and insolvency litigation; Soo Khim Keoy is a ‘first-rate litigator‘; and Thomas Walsh is an aviation and insolvency-related litigation specialist. Also in Hong Kong, Michael Wang focuses on banking litigation and contentious regulatory matters, and Jonathan Wong represents financial institutions, investors and multinationals in disputes. In Shanghai, PRC, Hong Kong and New York-qualified practitioner Lei Shi is experienced in PRC-related commercial litigation.

Clifford Chance’s restructuring team provides advice and technical expertise to creditors, lenders, coordinating committees, private equity sponsors, insolvency practitioners, and debtors on complex cross-border matters. The Hong Kong-based team comprises restructuring and insolvency specialists as well as experts from other practice areas to offer well-rounded advice to clients. Asia Pacific restructuring and insolvency group head, Scott Bache, specialises in advising financial institutions, hedge funds, private equity funds, and financial advisors on a broad range of restructuring matters. Donna Wacker, who heads the contentious insolvency practice, has expertise advising clients on complex issues around close-out valuations, custodian duties, asset valuations, asset recovery and cross-border insolvency issues. Other key team members include Soo Khim Keoy , Phoebe Lo, Thomas Walsh, Yvonne Shek, and associate Hinny Leung.

Primarily based in Sydney, the practice group at Clifford Chance handles mandates involving enforcement agencies, displaying broad expertise in advising on post-settlement remedial actions, crisis management and proceeds of crime matters.  Angela Pearsall is particularly adept at acting for accounting firms in financial reporting litigation. Dividing her time between Hong Kong and Sydney, Donna Wacker frequently handles investigations into cryptocurrency trading platforms and rate-fixing. Since publication, former practice co-head Tim Grave departed in February 2024.