Among the many legal professionals involved in offshore transactions in Asia, there are some who regularly surpass client expectations. This year, Asian Legal Business surveyed clients to pick a group of 10 outstanding lawyers who make up its inaugural Offshore Client Choice list. While sharing the common traits of rock-solid advice and a commitment to client service, these lawyers have their own views on what motivates a top-tier legal professional and what challenges they face at the frontlines of some of the most complex offshore transactions in Asia today. The list is in alphabetical order.
SURVEY BY ALB, WRITE-UP BY SERGIO HELD
Alan DICKSON
CONYERS DILL & PEARMAN
The director and head of Conyers’s Singapore office, Alan Dickson focuses on corporate and commercial law, particularly on securities, private equity, investment funds and M&A.
Dickson studied in Canada and holds a B.A. from Mount Allison University and an LLB from Dalhousie University. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society in Canada and a member of the Bar in Bermuda, British Virgin Islands (BVI) as well as England and Wales, although he is not currently practicing in that latter.
In some three decades practicing, 16 of those years with Conyers, Dickson has been recognised for his work in Asia and Latin America and in both offshore and midshore jurisdictions.
“Alan is extremely enthusiastic about the case, as well as meeting the wishes of the client, and this enthusiasm never seems to fade regardless of any obstacles that might arise,” says a client.
David LAMB
CONYERS DILL & PEARMAN
A partner and co-chair at Conyers’s Hong Kong office, David Lamb specialises in capital markets, corporate law and M&As. Lamb is admitted as a solicitor in the BVI, a barrister and attorney in Bermuda, a solicitor in England and Wales and a solicitor in Hong Kong.
Besides heading up an active practice, Lamb has written many articles on corporate law for a wide range of publications across Asia. He is also a contributing editor to Negotiating and Structuring Acquisitions in China and acted as a judge at the International M&A Awards in New York last year.
“We have the fortune to work in a firm where the cultural paradigm is collegiate,” says Lamb. “Work should be challenging but it should also be fun. When you are following your passion the distinction between work and play vanishes. Life is an adventure and we should have no fear of embarking upon it.”
Lamb is motivated in much of his work by people and his firm´s culture followed by the opportunity to be innovative, imaginative and creative.
“David is able to handle pretty much whatever you throw at him,” says a client. “Aside from being very versatile, I value the fact that he provides peace of mind.”
Ian MANN
HARNEYS
The head of offshore litigation and restructuring at Harneys in Hong Kong, Ian Mann studied at the University of Southampton and holds an LLM from Churchill College University of Cambridge. He is admitted as a barrister in New York, England and Wales and BVI, although he is currently only practicing at BVI.
Some of Mann’s most notable career achievements include being appointed as BVI counsel to the joint administrators of the Estate of Nina Wang – the deceased widow of kidnapped Hong Kong chemical magnate Teddy Wang – and his active participation in some of Asia´s largest offshore restructurings as well as in advising in several shareholder disputes in relation to offshore vehicles from Asian companies.
“In the past year, an independent boutique restructuring and insolvency firm did a survey and found that Harneys had been involved in more restructuring/insolvency filings than any other offshore law firm in the world. This was an incredible achievement for us,” he says.
Mann says he is motivated by his clients in Asia, who prefer face-to-face meetings and like to have deep understanding of their advisors’ character and background.
“With that comes a lawyer-client relationship that is far richer than what one typically has in the West. Clients tend to be more loyal in Asia and repeat business is far more satisfying for me than new work,” he says.
Recently, Mann oversaw the expansion of Harneys into Bermuda and was directly involved in the firm’s own M&A activity. “As a lawyer, from the advisor perspective, it is sometimes possible to feel a bit distant from the underlying commercial issues. It has been a delight to have been at the forefront of Harneys’s own commerce,” he says.
“Ian is a first class practitioner in the offshore market, a go-to lawyer for restructuring and insolvency, particularly for complex and contentious matters,” says a client. “He has created a superb team with global coverage. I strongly recommend him to my fellow partners and clients.”
John MELIA
APPLEBY
John Melia has been working in Asia for more than a decade. He joined Appleby in 2006, after working with Reed Smith Richards Butler in Hong Kong. Since 2009, he has been a partner at the firm in the Isle of Man.
For Melia, the key to work is being part of a team. “Appleby is a hugely collegial environment where the contribution of every team member is critical. In addition to my own work, I focus on helping other team members fulfil their immense potential,” he says.
Melia’s notable achievements with Appleby include advising Dongpeng Holdings Co Ltd and PW Medtech Group in their IPOs on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as well as Macau Studio City in a loan facility.
According to Melia, the most important motivation is delivering the outcome that the client wants, on time and on budget. “We have worked on transactions this year where we have been required to advise on Bermuda, BVI, Cayman and Isle of Man law, all from the Hong Kong office,” he says.
“I have worked extensively with John on many transactions and cannot recommend him highly enough. He always delivers,” says a client, adding that he is “smart, commercial, dedicated and above all client-focused.”
Ann NG
MAPLES AND CALDER
Now a partner at Maples and Calder, Ann Ng is motivated by working with dynamic people who are committed to their work, responsible and respectful to others, and driven to be the best in their field.
She studied law at the University of Melbourne, from where she also holds a degree in commerce. Specialising in financial services and corporate law, Ng is an expert in structuring and restructuring hedge funds, private equity, venture capital and infrastructure funds, among others.
Her latest professional achievements include launching the main investment fund managed by Blue Pool Capital, a multi-billion dollar professionally managed family office based in Hong Kong, as well as rolling out nearly 20 new investment funds in the last 12 months for China’s leading wealth and asset management service providers. Last year, Ng was selected as a mentor in the pilot Women in Law HK Mentoring Program for 2016.
“Ann is remarkably supportive and there’s never any question about the quality of her advice or whether she will come through on time,” says an appreciative client. “You can always count on Ann.”
Jenny NIP
MAPLES AND CALDER
Jenny Nip, the first Mandarin-speaking partner at Maples and Calder, motivation comes from “client satisfaction” and the opportunity to work with “appreciative clients, remarkable professionals and amazing colleagues in reaching a common objective.”
Nip is a solicitor in England and Wales and she also holds an LLB from the Tsinghua University.
Besides Mandarin, Jenny also speaks Cantonese and English.
Her experience and areas of expertise are related to M&As, banking and capital market transactions in Hong Kong and the U.S.
Her most notable achievements to date include engineering and implementing tailor made transaction structures for Asian clients and completing 60 capital market deals in the last 36 months, not to mention several dozen M&A deals including the acquisition of Smithfield Foods by Shuanghui Group (now the WH Group).
Her approach to work, one which has served her well so far, is to view “client success as our success, resolve complicated legal issues in the simplest manner and strive for the best and help clients achieve their goals.”
“She can communicate with the onshore counsel and clients very effectively to ensure smooth transactional process. She always comes up with innovative and practical solutions to resolve the clients’ problems,” says a client.
Anthony OAKES
OGIER
With expertise in banking, capital markets, corporate and commercial transactions and structured finance, Anthony Oakes heads up Ogier’s finance practice in Asia from his base in Hong Kong.
Oakes is admitted to practice in New South Wales, Australia, BVI, Hong Kong and England and Wales. Among his salient professional achievements, Oakes lists his work as Cayman Islands counsel for Garuda Indonesia in the flag carrier’s $500 million sukuk. The transaction was the first non-sovereign USD-denominated sukuk out of Indonesia and a significant Islamic financing transaction.
Oakes looks to his team for motivation. “It is great to build a strong team of people who are enjoyable to work with and create a fun and relaxed environment in the office,” he says. “A strong team will also challenge you and internal training sessions become learning experiences for all, through discussion of differing viewpoints.”
A big part of his work philosophy is to make the needs of his clients the priority. “I believe that our work is all about understanding – understanding our clients, their needs, their questions,” he says. “Clients are all different.. If you truly understand your clients’ questions and their underlying priorities, you can provide answers and solutions that are very helpful to them. That way, long-term and trusted relationships can be forged.”
And clients reciprocate in kind. “Anthony is one of the best offshore lawyers I have worked with,” says one.
Nicholas PLOWMAN
OGIER
Based in Hong Kong since 2007, Nicholas Plowman is the founding partner of Ogier’s Hong Kong office. His areas of expertise are corporate and commercial law, hedge funds, investment funds M&As, private equity and real estate.
Since Ogier opened in Hong Kong, Plowman has been building the firm´s Cayman Islands and BVI investment, funds and venture capital practices across Asia and works with major fund managers in the region.
For Plowman, a big motivating factor is the challenge of evolving and building his own practice, the Hong Kong office and ultimately the firm’s presence in Asia.
“Ogier has come a long way in the nine years it has been in Hong Kong,” he says. “We were not the first offshore law firm to establish an office here, but I feel like we have now caught up with our competitors who had been in Hong Kong for longer than us as a firm. In many areas now, we are really offering a leading product in this market.” His work philosophy is to try and provide the best advice for his clients.
“Nicholas is responsive and offers practical advice. I have enjoyed working with in the past and would be happy to work with him in the future when opportunities arise,” says a client, who also praises him as “very commercial and pragmatic.”
Leon SANTOS
COLLAS CRILL
A group partner in Collas Crill’s Singapore office, Leon Santos became a qualified lawyer in 1999 in Australia. One of his notable achievements in the past year is advising one of the largest private equity fund managers in Singapore on their recent fundraising, as well as representing leading air filtration business MayAir Group on their London initial public offiering, which attracted blue chip institutional UK investors.
Santos has experience in offshore and onshore projects involving private equity and hedge funds, banks and corporations. Building trust with clients, getting great feedback and winning repeat work drive him to do his best, he says.
“To be responsive and really listen to what clients are saying” is key to his approach to work, shares Santos. This goes hand in hand with staying competitive in an environment where legal work is increasingly become commoditised – a major professional challenge.
His practice also covers corporate finance, commercial issues, M&As and business contracts across diverse sectors.
“Leon gets the job done on time and on budget,” says a client. Another lauds his “acute commercial sense, knowledge of latest relevant legal developments and knowledge of market standards.”
Paul SEPHTON
HARNEYS
“My philosophy is to combine the highest levels of service with the professionalism that our clients expect and deserve,” says Paul Sephton, who was recently promoted to partner at Harneys’s finance and corporate department.
Sephton advises onshore law firms, financial institutions and publicly listed and private companies in Asia. “I am privileged to work with high-calibre clients on the most sophisticated and innovative transactions, so the motivation to deliver beyond our clients’ expectations is easy to find,” he adds.
And in a hectic legal environment, one of Sephton’s main challenges is to keep Harneys ahead of its competitors, even in the fast-moving market.
“The legal industry in Asia is deeply competitive,” says Sephton. “We have a number of quality competitors and there are increasingly more market entrants. Pressure on pricing is high and a lot of work is being taken in house. Our biggest challenge is to find new ways to add value for our clients and remain relevant in an ever-evolving market.”
“Paul is an excellent legal operator who brings a calm and diligent approach to deals. He is able to deal with complex legal issues and bring transactions to speedy and effective conclusions,” says a client.
