在这份年度榜单中，ALB评选出了亚洲地区最为杰出的离岸律师。这些法律专业人士借助高质量的法律建议和服务支持，获得了客户广泛认可，在同辈中脱颖而出。ALB根据客户直接提供的反馈评定出了此份榜单。下文中，您可以一览部分上榜律师的风采。
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凯特·赫臣
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作为奥杰ESG业务主管，赫臣为基金发起人、基金经理就设立、搭建私募基金和对冲基金，以及基金投资提供法律意见。 赫臣从业已14年有余，她于2015年、34岁之际成为奥杰的合伙人，是该所历史上最年轻，也是香港办公室第一位女性合伙人。 赫臣是亚洲唯一一位拥有环境法背景的私人执业领域投资基金律师，并在奥杰创办了离岸律师事务所中绝无仅有的可持续投资及影响力基金业务。她也是少数能够在日本市场执业的离岸律师之一。 “凯特在技术上堪称完美，她非常聪明，也很有商业头脑。她能快速掌握复杂难题，并提出脚踏实地的解决方案。”一位客户说。 |
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赖晋美
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赖晋美律师于2020年2月加盟凯瑞奥信，迄今他已有超过15年的法律执业经验。作为该所香港办公室争议解决和诉讼业务负责人，他关注于百慕大群岛、开曼群岛，及英属维尔京群岛法律下的高额及复杂商业诉讼，以及破产重整事宜。 他代理过诸多值得关注的案例，包括在一起开曼群岛注册公司的高金额、高关注度股东纠纷中代理一位关键性股东，该案涉及到与港交所上市企业有关的大型欺诈指控。他还帮助一位在中国内地判决中胜诉的原告在英属维尔京群岛展开判决执行。 “赖是我共事过的律师中最职业的一位。我们可以放心把许多困难问题交给他。”一位客户说。 |
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聂淑娴
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作为Campbells律师事务所中国部主管，聂淑娴律师擅长各类型公司交易，包括资本市场交易、并购、私有化项目，以及私募基金投融资事宜。 聂律师就pre-IPO融资，以及英属维尔京群岛及开曼群岛公司在国际交易所的上市，为发行人、承销商及投资人提供服务。聂律师曾于2016、2019、2020及2021年上榜ALB 客户首选离岸律师榜单，并于2017年被该榜单列为值得关注律师。 一位客户评价道：“聂很熟悉中国客户，以及他们思考和处理事情的方式。她努力解除客户的各项疑虑。”另一位则说：“过硬的法律技巧外，她还能提供兼具创新性与务实性的法律解决方案。她很刻苦，为客户提供7天/24小时的服务。” |
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詹诺倍
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詹诺倍曾在另一家市场领先的离岸律师事务所新加坡办公室担任管理合伙人，他于2019年加入凯瑞奥信，并担任该所亚洲诉讼、破产和重组业务负责人。凯瑞奥信目前拥有新加坡规模最大的离岸诉讼团队。 詹律师拥有超过20年执业经验，是复杂且高额股东诉讼、资产追回、跨境执行及破产领域专家，就广泛的商业、信托及继承纠纷、私人财富事宜提供建议。 詹律师是新加坡唯一一位同时获许在开曼及英属维尔京群岛执业的诉讼律师。他同时拥有百慕大群岛执业资格。 “詹是一位出色的律师，在最具挑战的情况下也能快速反应，提出切实建议。”一位客户说。另一位则称赞他“深谙离岸争议解决，反应迅速，能制定老练的诉讼策略”。 |
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ANTHONY OAKES
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Oakes于2014年1月加盟奥杰香港办公室，并于2015年升任合伙人。他目前领导该所在亚洲的金融业务，就融资交易及重组事宜，提供开曼群岛及英属维尔京群岛法律下的建议。他从业已逾27年。 Oakes在再融资、债务整理方案、投资者/股东权利及诉讼、债券重整、私募基金、跨境杠杆及收购融资、并购及IPO领域拥有丰富经验。加入奥杰后，他参与了多宗重要交易。 “Tony拥有杰出的掌控力，也有一位律师应有的各项特质：同理心、视角、关切，以及责任心。”一位客户说。“Tony在一宗困难交易中扮演了关键性角色，他提出的方法使得交易可以顺利进行，我们的客户因此充满感激。他还是个极可爱的人。” |
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包乐文
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包乐文律师是奥杰香港办公室的创始人之一，在该区域拥有超过16年的离岸执业经验。在他的领导下，奥杰香港办公室拥有了一支规模超120人的团队，其中62人耕耘于法律领域。 包律师被公认为香港最优秀的开曼群岛及英属维尔京群岛法律专家之一，就私募股权、对冲基金及风险投资提供法律意见。近年他参与的重要案例包括：为老客户莱恩资本就收购国际米兰足球俱乐部31.05%股权提供意见；为金融公司TT Bond Partners就2.5亿美元合资公司的设立提供意见。 一位客户称赞包乐文律师“是极佳的合作伙伴，只要找Nick，就能得到最佳的离岸法律建议”。 |
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薛正睿
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加入泰特加律师事务所前，薛正睿律师已经在香港、澳大利亚的在岸及离岸律师事务所积累了逾十年执业经验，专长于公司法、资本市场，以及开放和封闭型基金业务。 薛律师拥有多法域执业资格。借助流利的语言能力、对市场及商业文化的深刻了解，他尤其擅长为中国内地客户提供切中肯綮的离岸法律意见。 他就广泛的公司事务提供意见，包括开曼群岛发行人在港交所及纽交所的IPO事宜、并购、合资企业设立，以及初创公司法律问题。 “薛律师反应快速，能提供脚踏实地且符合商业逻辑的意见。”一位客户说。另一位补充道：“他知道客户想要什么，总能用简单且商业化的方式解决问题。” |
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PETER VAS
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Vas律师执业已逾十年，他于2020年加盟Loeb Smith香港办公室，重点关注于银行金融、公司业务，以及重组交易。在Loeb Smith执业期间，他帮助该所极大拓展了在银行与金融业务领域的影响力。 Vas参与过亚洲市场部分规模最大、复杂度最高的银行与金融、公司，以及重组交易，其中包括就万科集团所在财团私有化普洛斯的交易提供开曼群岛及英属维尔京群岛法律下的意见；为M&G投资基金及大都会人寿保险就海豚广场再融资贷款提供离岸法律意见等。 “Peter很脚踏实地，能够仔细聆听客户需求，因此提供切实的法律意见。”一位客户说。 |
ALB Offshore Client Choice List 2022
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.”
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THE LIST
THE LIST
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ALB 2022年客户首选离岸律师榜单 |
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VINCENT CHAN 陈颖恒 NICHOLAS DAVIES JAMES GADEN NORMAN HAU 侯洛文 KATE HODSON 凯特·赫臣 JEREMY LIGHTFOOT 赖晋美 PAUL LIM 林明良 JENNY NIP 聂淑娴 JAMES NOBLE 詹诺倍 ANTHONY OAKES NICHOLAS PLOWMAN 包乐文 SAM ROBERTSON DANIELLE ROMAN 罗丹霓 ROBERT SIT 薛正睿 PETER VAS |