Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has continued the expansion of its Asian private capital practice with the addition of former White & Case partner Anthony Vassey in Hong Kong. 

Vassey has over 20 years of experience advising private equity firms, funds and companies on cross-border M&A, private credit and debt, and restructuring and insolvency. He advises across the entire investment lifecycle and has particular expertise in the financial services, consumer and natural resources sectors.

He was most recently the chief operating officer of consulting firm Teneo’s structuring arm Teneo Value+, which works with businesses to improve profitability, cash flow and capital efficiency.

Before joining Teneo Value+ in 2021, Vassey was a partner in White & Case’s Hong Kong-based corporate M&A practice for over a decade. He earlier worked at Slaughter and May in London and Hong Kong.

Vassey’s addition comes amid a rising demand for private capital work, particularly in Hong Kong, which is “a hub for funds investing across the region,” said HSF’s Asia head of corporate Andy Blacoe in a statement. 

“Our share of work from the private capital industry has grown strongly in Asia across the industry lifecycle,” added Asia managing partner Graeme Preston. 

HSF has strategically expanded its private capital team across Asia to meet this increasing demand in the last two years. In January, the firm added Benjamin Lohr as a partner in Hong Kong from Clifford Chance. In September last year, HSF hired Peiwen Chen as a partner – also from White & Case – and relocated partner Malika Chandrasegaran from the firm's Sydney office.