International law firm Dechert has opened an office in Hong Kong through a formal association with local firm Hwang & Co, which will henceforth be known as Dechert LLP in association w
International law firm Dechert has opened an office in Hong Kong through a formal association with local firm Hwang & Co, which will henceforth be known as Dechert LLP in association with Hwang & Co.
Basil Hwang, who is managing partner of Hwang & Co and has been elected a partner of Dechert, is qualified to practice law in Hong Kong, England, and Singapore. His practice focuses on advising private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds investing in China and advising issuers and underwriters in securities offerings.
‘The decision to establish an office in Hong Kong results from our assessment of our clients’ current and potential business interests in Hong Kong and mainland China,’ says Dechert chairman Barton J. Winokur. ‘It is clear that many of our clients consider a China strategy imperative.’
Dechert’s Hong Kong office will focus on private equity, venture capital, and hedge fund formation and investing, capital raising and sales of equity stakes through capital markets offerings, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and Asia-bound and outbound strategic and financial investments.
Keith Robinson, a partner in the firm’s financial services group, is transferring to Hong Kong from Washington DC to work in the area of financial services and investment funds.
Craig L. Godshall, a partner in the corporate and securities group, has received authorisation from the Hong Kong Law Society as a registered foreign lawyer practising in the territory. Other Dechert corporate and securities partners, notably James Lebovitz and James Croock, will focus on the US and English law aspects of client transactions.
Candy Tsui, a Hong Kong and UK-qualified lawyer, has joined the office in Hong Kong along with Juliana Kho, an associate, and Carmen Cheng, a trainee solicitor. Derek B. Newman will transfer to the Hong Kong office while Jianlin Song and James Stonehill will divide time between Hong Kong and other Dechert offices.
Dechert is an international law firm first established in the US in 1875 that now has more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The firm is a leading adviser on private equity, hedge funds and mergers and acquisition transactions, representation of issuers and underwriters in capital markets offerings, financial services and asset management, real estate and structured finance, and arbitration and litigation.
Hwang & Co has focused to date on private equity and growth capital transactions in greater China, IPOs and listings in Hong Kong and the US, Hong Kong corporate and securities law, and mergers and acquisitions.
