Appleby maintains a strong reputation in Hong Kong for its expertise across high-value transactional and contentious work. The firm is particularly active on M&A, including SPAC transactions, and has a standout restructuring and insolvency practice, regularly advising on major PRC real estate debt restructurings. Investment funds, dispute resolution, and private client work also feature prominently. Co-chair David Bulley is highly regarded for private equity M&A and restructuring, while fellow co-chair Eliot Simpson is a key figure in disputes. Fiona Chan leads the banking and finance team, noted for her expertise in complex restructuring and acquisition finance, and Judy Lee is a go-to for equity and debt capital markets mandates. The team strengthened its disputes, restructuring and investment funds offerings with the hire of John McCarroll, who joined from Harney Westwood & Riegels (BVI) LP, counsel Charles Wong, who joined from Harneys in June 2025, and Freya Xu, who joined from Mourant in November 2024, respectively.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Capable, efficient and attuned with the market. Responsible and capable of meeting strenuous client demands. ’
‘Lorinda Peasland - very experienced and knowledgeable. Calm under pressure. Charles Wong - up-and-coming rising star. ’
‘The team at Appleby are very good at what they do. They are super attentive, proactive and able to distil the legal issues and provide very concise and commercial solutions for clients. ’
‘Vincent Chan is an excellent asset to have on any offshore transaction. Very fluent in English and Mandarin, Vincent brings with him a tremendous understanding of offshore laws that makes it very easy to work with him.'
- 'Regarding the strengths of their practice, I believe the team's comprehensive quality and diverse capabilities are a significant advantage. Many of the team members I've worked with possess a deep understanding of at least one business sector.'
‘An outstanding partner I've worked with is Eason Huang, a partner at Appleby in Hong Kong. I'm incredibly satisfied with the service quality of Eason and his team.'
Key clients
- Hotel 101 Global Pte Ltd
- Ascendent Capital Partners
- Zhongliang Holdings Group
- China Everbright Greentech Limited
- CIMC Enric Holdings Limited
- China Everbright Water Limited
- J-STAR Co., Ltd.
- Ascendent Capital Partners
- Allied Group
- Cloud Light Technology Limited
- Hailan Holdings Limited
Work highlights
Advised Ascendent Capital Partners for the USD1.6 billion acquisition of Hollysys Automation Technologies.
Advised Zhongliang Holdings Group Company Limited on the USD1.2 billion restructuring of its offshore debt by way of a Hong Kong scheme of arrangement.
Advised J-STAR on the closure of the J-STAR Continuation Series Funds.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
David Bulley; Eliot Simpson
Other key lawyers
Vincent Chan; Fiona Chan; Judy Lee; Lorinda Peasland; John McCarroll; Freya Xu; Charles Wong; Eason Huang