海问律师事务所近日迎来邹兆麟、王重、陈敏三位律师以合伙人身份加盟，他们此前都曾任职于史密夫斐尔律师事务所，专注于香港资本市场领域，未来将驻海问北京、香港办公室工作。
邹兆麟律师曾任史密夫斐尔北京代表处首席代表及管理合伙人。他1997年加入史密夫斐尔，是市场上首批从事中国企业H股上市的律师，曾参与成都电缆、南京熊猫的首批赴港上市，并先后在华能国际、招商银行、建设银行、中国粮油控股、中石化、中海油等大型企业上市项目中担任牵头合伙人。
王重律师主要业务领域为香港资本市场、跨境投资并购。他2003年在史密夫斐尔开始执业生涯，后于2011年以顾问身份回归史密夫斐尔北京办公室，并于2016年晋升为合伙人。
陈敏律师主要业务领域为香港资本市场、收购兼并和香港上市公司常年法律服务。他于2007年加入史密夫斐尔北京办公室，并于2020年晋升为合伙人。
王、陈两位律师作为牵头合伙人，合作协助了一系列生物科技、高科技企业的香港上市项目。
海问表示，三位合伙人加入后，将与香港办公室现有资本市场合伙人陈嘉信律师一起，极大地加强其在香港资本市场领域的服务力量。
根据海问官网，其香港办公室目前有10位合伙人，不过其中多位同时工作于北京、香港两地。资本市场一直是海问香港的重点领域之一，其占据着一定的市场份额，2022年共参与3宗香港上市，今年截至5月底则参与2宗，在中国律师中排名第八位。
三位合伙人的离开或许早有端倪：2022年11月，史密夫斐尔曾宣布焕新中国领导层，由常驻上海的合伙人刘依兰律师领导其北京和上海代表处，彼时的新闻稿中已未再提及邹、王、陈三名律师。目前其北京办公室有2名合伙人。
在一份声明中，史密夫斐尔告诉ALB，其在大中华地区（北京、上海、香港）目前仍有6名资本市场领域合伙人。“我们持续承诺于中国市场，北京、香港、上海办公室也将保持成长。今年以来，在我们的领先业务领域，以及我们的中国联营所科伟，都见证了客户需求的稳步增长。”
“增长领域包括资本市场、并购和公司业务、争议解决、私人资本、TMT，以及能源交易等领域。伴随张卫华律师近期加盟科伟，作为亚太业务扩张的一环，我们今年也在寻求律师数量的增长，并为未来发展做好准备。”史密夫斐尔说。
Haiwen nabs 3 Greater China cap markets partners from HSF
PRC law firm Haiwen & Partners has hired Hong Kong capital market veterans Tom Chau, Wang Zhong, and Isaac Chen as partners from Herbert Smith Freehills. The trio will split their time between Haiwen’s Beijing and Hong Kong offices.
Chau, who joined HSF back in 1997 and used to serve as the head of the firm’s Beijing office, is regarded as one of the pioneers of Hong Kong capital markets work involving mainland companies. Chau participated in the first batch of H-share listings of early mainland companies, including that of Chengdu Putian Telecommunications Cable Company in 1994, and Nanjing Panda Electronics Company in 1996. He also acted as the leading partner in a number of major IPOs, such as those of Huaneng Power International, China Construction Bank, China Merchants Bank, Sinopec, and CNOOC.
Wang Zhong also focuses on capital markets, cross-border investments, and mergers and acquisitions in Hong Kong. Having started his legal career at HSF in 2003, Wang re-joined the firm in 2011 in Beijing as a counsel and was promoted to partner in 2016.
Chen, whose main focuses are Hong Kong capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and general advisory of Hong Kong-listed companies, joined HSF in Beijing back in 2007 and was promoted to the partnership in 2020. Together, Wang and Chen have worked on a series of IPOs for Chinese biotech and high-tech companies.
In a statement, Haiwen said that the addition of the three partners will further strengthen the firm’s Hong Kong capital markets practice, which is now led by partner Philip Chan.
According to Haiwen’s website, its Hong Kong office now has ten partners, with a few shuttling between Beijing and Hong Kong. Capital markets has been one of the key areas for Haiwen in Hong Kong, and the firm has steadily grown its market share, now ranking eighth among all PRC law firms in the city. It acted in three IPOs in 2022, and two as of May this year.
Rumours of the trio’s departure had been circulating since November last year when HSF announced a refreshed management team, helmed by Shanghai partner Nanda Lau, to lead the firm's Beijing and Shanghai offices, and the names of Chau, Wang and Chen were missing. Their exits mean that HSF now has two partners in Beijing.
In a statement to ALB, HSF says that the firm currently has six Capital Markets partners across Greater China (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong). "We remain committed to China and to growth across our three offices - Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Client demand has increased steadily this year, both in our own leading practices and within our successful China-law joint operation with Kewei," says the firm.
"We're seeing growth in capital markets, M&A and corporate, disputes, private capital, TMT and energy transition work. Following Kewei's hire of Justina Zhang, we're planning further targeted headcount growth this year as part of our wider Asia expansion."
