Linklaters houses an 'absolutely exceptional and unparalleled' team whose expertise spans the full spectrum of corporate and M&A matters. Dubbed the 'queen of Asia private equity', practice co-head Betty Yap is well-known for handling the full range of foreign direct investments involving China, joint ventures, and cross-border M&A matters. 'Absolute legend' Matthew Middleditch co-leads the team with his 'truly incredible work ethic', and is noted for his deep knowledge of bancassurance issues. Roger Cheng draws on his prior regulatory experience at the SFC to assist with public M&A within the tech and real estate sectors, displaying 'outstanding expertise'. Christopher Yip has since left the firm.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Linklaters has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions transactions in various industries and can provide us with tailor-made legal service solutions based on the characteristics of each transaction.’
‘They have an incredible amount of legal talent, combined with impressive commercial acumen. Turnaround delivery time on doucmentation that was second to none.’
‘Matthew Middleditch leads from the front with a truly incredible work ethic, a market reputation that allows him to asbolutely conduct the orchastra when in negotiations and an ability to work seemlessly with all around him. It was an honour and a pleasure to watch him represent us.’
- ‘Betty Yap - truly the queen of Asia private equity. Her insight throughout the deal was invaluable, we always felt one step ahead of the other side and she commands with such a delicate touch. We can all learn from Betty.’
‘The team is absolutely exceptional and unparalleled in its professionalism, experience in the sector and M&A practice, and the level of dedication shown throughout the processes. The consistency shown by different members of the Linklaters team is also very high.’
‘Matthew Middleditch is an absolute legend. He is not only extremely experienced (fair to say the most experienced lawyer on the street for this practice), but also very dedicated and hands-on.’
‘The team is unique in their product expertise. Across M&A and ECM, if I had a bet-the-farm transaction, I would want Linklaters Hong Kong to look after me. They have an extremely good grasp of the regulatory landscape and help me pre-empt and avoid unexpected traps.’
- ‘Roger Cheng has outstanding expertise in Hong Kong public takeovers and works super efficiently. For public M&A - he has unrivalled insights into what the SFC thinks and expects. It helps a lot with managing risks up front.’
Key clients
- Citi
- Harneys
- Ageas
- Royal Golden Eagle
- Swire Pacific
- Goldman Sachs
- Nestlé
- Jardine Matheson
- CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings
- CK Hutchison
Work highlights
Advised Royal Golden Eagle on the approximately US$3.3bn pre-conditional voluntary conditional cash offer by Isola Castle Ltd for all the issued shares in Vinda International Holdings.
Advised Jardine Matheson on the sale of its 50% stake in Jardine Aviation Services Group, an airport ground handling services provider at the Hong Kong International Airport, to Menzies Aviation and the sale of its stake in Hong Kong-listed Greatview Aseptic Packaging Company.
Advised global offshore law firm Harneys on the sale of its fiduciary business, Harneys Fiduciary.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Matthew Middleditch
Practice head
Matthew Middleditch; Betty Yap
Other key lawyers
Roger Cheng