In its annual list, ALB highlights some of Asia’s distinguished lawyers working with offshore law firms. These legal professionals have outperformed their peers and earned wide recognition from their clients with high-quality advice and support. The lawyers on the list were selected based on client recommendations sent directly to ALB. Some lawyers have been profiled.
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KATE HODSON
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As the head of ESG (Legal) of Ogier, Hodson advises GPs and fund managers on the establishment and structuring of private equity funds and hedge funds as well as advising on their fund investments. Hodson, who has more than 14 years’ experience, joined the Ogier partnership in 2015 when she was 34, becoming the youngest partner in the firm and the first female partner in the Hong Kong office. She was appointed to lead the ESG (Legal) practice upon her competition of Masters in Energy and Environmental Law from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Hodson is believed to be the only private practice investment funds lawyer in Asia with environment law expertise and launched the first of its kind Sustainable Investing and Impact Funds practice for an offshore law firm at Ogier. She is also one of a small number of offshore lawyers working in the Japan market. She represented a large number of sponsors and fund managers as well as their onshore counsel on fund formation and capital raising advice, including advising WWF-Hong Kong on the restructuring and updating of the fund legal documents for the Climate Impact Asia Fund SP; and advising on the launch of 8F Aquaculture Fund Southeast Asia LP (Fund) closed with capital commitments of $61 million for the first close with a target total capital commitment of $120 million. Clients of Hodson include investment houses, high-profile fund managers and family offices, such as RRJ Capital, Nomura Bank (Luxembourg) S.A, Daiwa Asset Management, Grand Alliance Asset Management, Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited. “Kate is technically excellent, so clever and commercially minded. She is so fast at grasping complex issues and practically finding solutions,” says a client. Adds praises her as being “very commercially practical, with a strong associate bench |
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JEREMY LIGHTFOOT
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Lightfoot joined Carey Olsen in February 2020 and has more than 15 years of legal experience. As the head of the dispute resolution and litigation practice in the firm’s Hong Kong office, his practice is focused on high-value and complex commercial and corporate litigation, insolvency and restructuring matters under the laws of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. Prior to joining Carey Olsen, Lightfoot was based in the British Virgin Islands with another offshore law firm before relocating in 2017 to lead its litigation, insolvency and restructuring practice in Hong Kong. Before moving offshore, he practiced for a decade as a barrister at a leading chamber in London. Among his most noteworthy work, Lightfoot acted for a key shareholder in a high-value (more than $300 million) and high-profile shareholder dispute concerning a Cayman Islands-registered company involving some of the largest allegations of fraud ever made in respect of a HKSE-listed company. He also represented the successful claimant in securing enforcement in the British Virgin Islands of a PRC judgment, which is believed to be the second reported time that such result has been achieved. During the period of 2020 to 2021, Lightfoot has acted as lead partner for the majority shareholders in a complex dispute with proceedings in three jurisdictions regarding control of a Cayman incorporated company with a valuation of $40 billion. Lightfoot was listed by ALB in 2021 as one of the Top 15 Offshore Litigators in Asia in consideration of his outstanding performance in several notable cases. “Jeremy is one of the most professional lawyers I’ve ever worked with. We can trust him with many difficult problems,” says a client. Another says Lightfoot has “excellent knowledge of the law, he anticipates what the next moves of the opponents will be, thus he can guide us properly and bring successful results.” |
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JENNY NIP
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As the Hong Kong-based Head of PRC Group at Campbells, Nip is dedicated to all areas of corporate transactions, including capital market transactions, M&A, take-private deals, downstream private equity financing and investment deals. Nip has represented issuers, arrangers and investors in pre-IPO financings and listings of BVI and Cayman Islands companies on stock exchanges around the globe. IPOs she has advised on include Mediwelcome Healthcare, Keymed Biosciences and UNQ Holdings Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; and Hywin Holdings and Infobird on NASDAQ. She has also been closely involved in equity and debt transactions, including the Series A financing for HT Flying Car, Series D financing for Rainmed Medical Limited, bond issuance and listings of XD and Huafa 2021 I Company Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and the acquisition of Smithfield Foods by Shuanghui Group. Nip has been named on the ALB Offshore Client Choice list in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and featured as a Notable Mention in 2017. A few of her clients include New World Development Company Limited, Wharf (Holdings) Limited, Akeso, Peijia Medical Limited, Zhuhai Huafa Group, Hywin Holdings, XD, Mediwelcome Healthcare Management & Technology, Yonghe Medical Group, and Jiangxiaobai Holdings. One client is quoted as saying: “She is quite familiar with Chinese clients and their way of thinking and handling things. She always makes efforts to address clients’ concerns.” Another adds: “In addition to her solid tech-nical skills, she is also highly innovative and practical in terms of provision of legal solutions. She is also a very hard-working lawyer, reachable 24/7.” |
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JAMES NOBLE
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Noble, formerly the Singapore managing partner of another leading offshore firm, joined Carey Olsen in 2019 as its Asia head of the litigation, insolvency and restructuring team. Carey Olsen now has the largest offshore litigation team in Singapore. A specialist in complex and high-value shareholder litigation, asset recovery, cross-border enforcement and insolvency, Noble has over 20 years of experience advising on a broad spectrum of commercial, trust and estate disputes and private wealth matters. Noble regularly acts in market-leading cases. He recently represented an ASX listed mining entity in ICC arbitration proceedings, as well as on a first-of-its-kind Part XIX application in the BVI. He has also represented major stakeholders in a worldwide dispute relating to the largest timber company in Malaysia. One of the appeals in the proceedings was recently heard in the Privy Council in London. Caldicott Worldwide, KPMG, China Huarong International Holdings, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Hillhouse Capital Management, Deutsche Bank, and Ernst & Young are some of his prominent clients. Noble is the only litigator in Singapore to be admitted in both Cayman and BVI. He is also a registered Bermuda practitioner. Noble was named by ALB in its list of Offshore Client Choice lawyers of 2021. He was also recognised as one of ALB’s Top 15 Offshore Litigators in Asia. “James is an excellent lawyer who remains highly responsive and pragmatic in the most challenging circumstances,” says a client. Another says he is “deeply experienced in offshore disputes, able to provide quick advice, and very astute on strategy.” |
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ANTHONY OAKES
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Oakes, who joined Ogier’s Hong Kong office in January 2014 and became partner in 2015, is the head of finance practice in Asia, providing BVI and Cayman legal advice pertaining to financing transactions and restructuring. He has more than 27 years of experience. Oakes has worked extensively on refinancing, schemes of arrangement, investor/shareholder rights and actions, bond restructurings, private equity, cross-border leveraged and acquisition financing transactions, M&A and IPO. Since joining Ogier, Oakes has advised on several notable transactions, including assisting as BVI counsel to Contemporary Amperex Technology on its $1.5 billion debt offshore bond issuance, which was the largest US dollar bonds issuance made by a Chinese private enterprise and nominated in the Debt Market Deal of the Year(Premium category) at ALB China Law Awards 2021; and acting as Cayman Islands counsel in connection with a tender offer by Lenovo Perpetual Securities Limited for its outstanding $1 billion on 5.375 percent perpetual securities in the form of cumulative preferred shares, which also made the finalist in the Debt Market Deal of the Year (Premium category) at the ALB China Law Awards 2021. Oakes’ clients include world-renowned financial institutions and consulting firms, such as Credit Suisse, ICBCI and PwC. He is recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the related fields by multiple awards in the industry. He has been among the only few lawyers that have been featured in the ALB Offshore Client List for six consecutive years (2016-2021). “Tony is a fine operator who is the perfect blend of attributes that any lawyer should have - empathy, perspective, care and conscientiousness,” says a client. “Tony has been pivotal when we have faced a very difficult structure and his proposed approach facilitated the deal going ahead – for which our own clients were very grateful. He is also just a wonderful person, which matters.” |
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NICHOLAS PLOWMAN
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Plowman, a founding member of Ogier’s Hong Kong office, has more than sixteen years of experience working in the offshore legal sector in the region. Under his leadership, Ogier’s Hong Kong office has grown to more than 120 people, including 62 in the legal team. Plowman is widely regarded as one of Hong Kong’s finest private equity, hedge fund and venture capital lawyers specializing in BVI and Cayman Islands law. Among some of his most significant cases in recent years, he advised his longstanding client LionRock Capital on its acquisition of a 31.05 percent share in Italian football club Inter Milan; advised TT Bond Partners on the establishment and structuring of joint venture arrangements in respect of the acquisition by Gopher Investments of Finalto from Playtech plc for $250 million; acted as BVI counsel to All-Stars Investment Cayman Limited in relation to the establishment and offering of a private equity fund raising vehicle investing in a $1.1 billion capital raising by Xiaomi Corporation by way of series F financing, which marked China’s largest TMT deal of 2014 and the largest ever private placement of a China-based technology company. Plowman has represented a number of high-profile fund managers in Asia, including Partners Capital, C Ventures, Janchor Partners, All Stars Investment Limited, Bosera Asset Management, Complus Asset Management, Lion Financial Group, Misaki Capital, RV Capital, and GCI Asset Management. Among the number of awards and accolades that he received, Plowman has been named as one of the top offshore lawyers in Asia by ALB on the Offshore Client Choice list for six consecutive years (2016-2021). A client praises Plowman as being “incredibly collaborative and I know I am going to receive the best offshore advice in the market when I turn to Nick.” Another adds that he “consistently delivers to the highest standard… collaborative, commercial and client -focused.” |
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ROBERT SIT
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Sit, who joined Travers Thorp Alberga following more than ten years of legal experience gained from both onshore and offshore law firms in Hong Kong and Australia, specializes in corporate law, capital markets, open-end and closed-end funds. Sit is qualified to practice in multiple jurisdictions, including Australia (West Australia and New South Wales), New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong, England & Wales and the Greater Bay Area of Mainland China (admission pending). He is also an expert in providing to-the-point solutions and versa-tile offshore legal advice to clients based in Mainland China with multilingual proficiency and in-depth knowledge of the market and business culture. He has acted extensively on general corporate matters, including initial public offerings of shares of Cayman issuers on both Hong Kong Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange, M&A, joint venture formation and start-ups. Examples are acting for PFC Device (a listed Cayman company in Hong Kong) in connection with its privatization by way of scheme of arrangement; acting for Dafeng Port Heshun Technology Company Limited on the issuance of a credit enhance-guaranteed bond due 2024 backed by Bank of Jiangsu’s Yangcheng Branch; and acting for the creditor and filing a winding up petition on behalf of the creditor in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands against a Cayman company listed in Hong Kong. Sit advises clients across a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from multi-national banks and financial institutions, asset management companies, to state-owned and privately-owned companies in mainland China and overseas, including AMTD IDEA Group and PFC Device Inc. “Robert is responsive, practical and brings a commercial approach to matters,” says a client. Adds another: “He knows what clients want and can always deal with issues in a simple and commercial way, even if the issues may not fall within his areas of expertise.” |
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PETER VAS
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Vas, who has been in the industry for around a decade, joined Loeb Smith in its Hong Kong office in 2020 with a focus on banking and finance, corporate and restructuring transactions. Earlier in his career, Vas worked for a major U.S. firm in London, and then relocated to the Channel Islands to join an international offshore law firm. In 2015, he was seconded to Hong Kong and has practiced there ever since. During his time at Loeb Smith, he has been heavily involved in broadening the firm’s presence in the banking and finance areas outside of its traditional strong areas of investment funds and blockchain technology transactions in Asia. Vas has acted on some of the largest and most complex banking and financing and corporate and restructuring transactions in the Asian market. These have included providing BVI and Cayman Islands law advice in connection with China Vanke’s participation in a consortium to take Global Logistic Properties private in a transaction valued at around $11.6 billion, which was Singapore’s largest M&A deal on record and Asia’s largest private equity buyout at the time; and providing offshore law advice to M&G and MetLife in connection with a 514-million-pound ($672 million) loan to refinance Dolphin Square, which involved more than 500 SPV companies. Some of Vas’ clients include Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Caldera Pacific, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, China Vanke Co., Ltd., CTBC Bank Co., Ltd., ICBC, Ping An Bank Co., Ltd., Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co., Ltd., and Citicorp International Limited. “Peter is very practical and listens carefully to what is needed, and therefore able to provide pragmatic advice,” says a client. “He is always available, which is exceptionally rare for offshore counsel.” Another client calls him “consistently excellent.” |
THE LIST
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ALB OFFSHORE CLIENT CHOICE LIST 2022 |
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VINCENT CHAN NICHOLAS DAVIES JAMES GADEN NORMAN HAU KATE HODSON JEREMY LIGHTFOOT PAUL LIM JENNY NIP JAMES NOBLE ANTHONY OAKES NICHOLAS PLOWMAN SAM ROBERTSON DANIELLE ROMAN ROBERT SIT PETER VAS |