HONG KONG--(Antara/BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a leading law firm to global financial institutions and corporations, announces the appointment of a team of three partners and four counsel to its Greater China practice, based in Hong Kong.

Led by partner Michael Liu, who has 30 years of experience advising on a range of corporate transactions in Hong Kong and London, the team is one of the most experienced in the Hong Kong legal market. With long standing and in-depth experience advising Hong Kong, PRC and international corporations, as well as financial advisors and investment banks on a wide range of corporate and regulatory matters, the team also includes partners Jane M. S. Ng and Stephen Chan, counsel Simon Berry, Olivia Wong, Terris Tang and Eva Tam, and several associates. Michael, Jane, Simon, Olivia and Eva have already started at the Firm.

Michael Liu and his team join Cadwalader from Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong, where Liu was co-chair of the firm’s Greater China Practice and was previously the managing partner of its Hong Kong office.

The team’s experience over the past three decades in Hong Kong and China spans a wide range of matters, including public take-overs, private M&A, joint ventures, IPOs, regulatory and compliance matters under the Hong Kong Listing Rules and securities legislation, equity, debt and structured financings, privatizations, reverse take-overs, regulatory investigations, restructurings, and other corporate advisory work. The team has advised on projects spanning numerous industries, including the financial services (FIG), energy, technology, media and entertainment (TMT), and mining sectors.

“Drawing on more than 200 years of history, Cadwalader’s position as one of the most pre-eminent Wall Street firms is what attracted us in the first place,” explained Liu. “Our team has been together for over twenty years and we share the Firm’s commitment to building its Greater China practice on the important foundations of quality clients and quality lawyers.”

Jim Woolery, Cadwalader’s Chairman-elect explained, “Our strategy is to maintain a strong presence in key global markets where our clients also have a significant footprint, and where the business opportunity matches our practice strengths. The appointment of Michael, Jane, Stephen and their high-calibre team, demonstrates our commitment to advise clients on the most demanding, innovative, time-critical and resource-intensive transactions in Hong Kong and China.”

“Internationally, Cadwalader is known as a top law firm for corporate and capital markets transactions,” said Greg Petrick, Co-Chair of Cadwalader's Financial Restructuring Group and Head of International Practice Development. “We are fully committed to enhancing our capabilities for clients from our Hong Kong and China offices and we are honoured to have Michael and his team join our existing cast of talented lawyers in the region.”

Pat Quinn, Cadwalader’s Managing Partner-elect, said, “Michael and his colleagues are a great fit at Cadwalader. They share our focus on excellence in client service and talent development. We are pleased to welcome this experienced and highly respected team of attorneys to our practice.”

Cadwalader has been advising clients from its Hong Kong office since 2010, providing premier legal services to leading U.S., U.K. and European financial institutions and multinational companies doing business and investing in Asia. In Hong Kong, Cadwalader also serves Asian-based entities in their international business activities and investments in the U.S. and throughout the world. The Hong Kong office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP operates as a foreign law firm registered with the Law Society of Hong Kong. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP also practices law in Hong Kong in association with Joseph P.C. Lee & Associates, a Hong Kong law firm registered with the Law Society of Hong Kong.

About Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, established in 1792, is an international law firm serving a diverse client base, including many of the world's leading financial institutions and corporations in more than 50 countries. With offices in New York, London, Charlotte, Washington, Houston, Beijing, Hong Kong and Brussels, Cadwalader offers legal counsel in antitrust, banking, corporate finance, corporate governance, energy, environmental, executive compensation, financial restructuring, health care, intellectual property, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, private wealth, real estate, regulation, securitization, structured finance, tax and white collar defense. For more information, visit www.cadwalader.com.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP — Additional Information

1. Biographies

Jim Woolery serves as Chairman-elect of Cadwalader and co-chair of its Corporate Group. His practice focuses on advising public companies, boards of directors and special committees in connection with mergers and acquisitions, activist defense, proxy contests and corporate governance matters. Jim joined the Firm from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., where he was co-head of Mergers & Acquisitions for North America. Prior to his time at J.P. Morgan, Woolery was a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where he established and led the Firm's Strategy and Business Development Group.

Pat Quinn, Managing Partner-elect, oversees the Firm’s operations. He has practiced at Cadwalader for more than 26 years and has been a member of the Firm’s Management Committee for nine years. Quinn is an expert in the securitization field and prior to taking on the Managing Partner role was Co-Chair of the Firm’s Capital Markets practice, a market leader in securitization and structured products.

Gregory Petrick is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Financial Restructuring Group and Head of International Practice Development. He has represented debtors, official unsecured creditors’ committees, secured lenders, state regulators, and trustees in complex business reorganizations. Petrick is currently the managing partner of the Firm’s London office and maintains a presence both there and in Hong Kong.

Michael Liu was with Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong prior to joining Cadwalader. Earlier in his career, Liu was a global board member, senior partner (China) and head of Asia Corporate at Allen & Overy’s Hong Kong office where he worked for 14 years. He served as a Hong Kong Financial Secretary-appointed independent director of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited, member of the Takeovers and Mergers Panel of the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong, and council member of The Law Society of Hong Kong. He is currently a member of the Risk Management Committee of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and a member of the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal. Liu received his LLB from London School of Economics and Political Science in 1983 and is admitted in Hong Kong and England and Wales.

Jane M. S. Ng’s practice spans M&A and corporate finance transactions broadly with a PRC-focus. She joined Cadwalader from Latham & Watkins where she was a partner in the firm’s corporate practice. Prior to that, Ng was a partner at Allen & Overy in Hong Kong. She received her LLB and LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Ng is admitted in Hong Kong and England and Wales and has been practicing in Hong Kong for 20 years.

Stephen Chan joins Cadwalader as a partner from Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong where he was a partner designate. He has handled numerous high profile global offerings and listings in Hong Kong, and has advised on many major transactions in various industries such as media, retail, mining and financial services. Prior to that, Chan worked at the Hong Kong office of Allen & Overy. Also, he was previously seconded to Goldman Sach’s Asian Special Situation Group and handled private equity and distressed debt matters. He received a Postgraduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course from the College of Law in London, and BA from John Hopkins University. Chan is admitted in Hong Kong.

Simon Berry was previously a partner at Latham & Watkins and at Allen & Overy, and has been practising in Hong Kong since 1992. His practice is primarily focused on representing financial institutions and intermediaries in a wide range of contentious and non-contentious regulatory work and mergers and acquisitions. He is chairman of The Law Society of Hong Kong's Investment Products and Financial Services Committee and Competition Law Committee. Berry received his LLB from University of Auckland and is admitted to practice in Hong Kong, England and Wales, and New Zealand.

Olivia Wong focuses on Listing Rules’ compliance and regulatory investigations, as well as IPO and M&A transactions. She was previously counsel with Latham & Watkins, and consultant at Allen & Overy. Prior to that, Wong was with the Listing Division of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited. She received her LLM from the University of Hong Kong and is admitted to practice in Hong Kong.

Terris Tang has nearly 10 years of experience in Hong Kong on a wide range of corporate finance matters, including IPOs, M&A, corporate restructurings, DCM and private equity matters. He received his MA Laws from Cambridge University and is admitted to practice in Hong Kong and the State of New York.

Eva Tam was previously counsel at Latham & Watkins and a consultant at Allen & Overy. Tam focuses on general corporate work. She received her LLM from London School of Economics and Political Science and is admitted to practice in Hong Kong and England and Wales.

2. Selected Signature Deals of the New Team in Hong Kong and China Over the Last 25 Years

  • Establishment of CCASS (Central Clearing & Settlement System) in the early 1990’s, now operated by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
  • HK and NASDAQ IPO’s of Hong Kong Television Network Limited
  • Advising the Hong Kong Government on the mergers of the stock exchange, the futures exchange and the clearing houses in Hong Kong and the subsequent demutualization and listing of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
  • HK IPO and listing of Tracker Fund of Hong Kong
  • Sale by Cable & Wireless plc of its controlling stake in Asia Satellite Telecommunications Ltd
  • First IPO on the GEM board in 1999 (Timeless Software Limited)
  • Take-over of Union Bank of Hong Kong, now part of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
  • Restructuring of the Guangdong Enterprises (Holdings) Ltd
  • Privatization of Manhattan Card Co Ltd
  • Sale and purchase of Cable & Wireless HKT
  • Advising the Hong Kong Government on the issue of 3G licences through a spectrum auction
  • Sale of Chase Manhattan's retail banking and credit card businesses
  • HK IPO of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited following the merger of 13 Hong Kong authorized banks
  • Advising the Beijing Government in relation to the key sports facilities projects for the Beijing Olympics 2008
  • Listing of China Life Insurance Company Limited in Hong Kong and in New York
  • Subsidiarisation of Citigroup retail bank by a private members bill in Hong Kong
  • HK IPO of China Power International Development Limited
  • Reverse takeover and new listing of Sinofert Holdings Limited
  • HK IPO of Bank of China Limited
  • First REIT IPO in Hong Kong (The Link REIT)
  • HK IPO of The Ming An (Holdings) Company Limited
  • Privatizations of The Ming An (Holdings) Company Limited (HK listed) and TOM.com (HK and NASDAQ listed), PCD Stores (Group) Limited (HK listed)
  • Purchase of KBC's Asian derivatives and convertibles businesses
  • HK IPOs of Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Co., Limited and China Suntien Green Energy Corporation Limited
  • HK IPO of CITIC Securities Company Limited
  • Introduction of Fortune REIT on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
  • HK IPO of GZI REIT (now Yuexiu REIT), the first REIT investing in PRC property listed in Hong Kong
  • HK IPO of Regal REIT - the first hotel REIT listed in Hong Kong
  • HK IPO of New Century REIT - the first REIT IPO of China hotel properties in the world
  • Major and connected acquisition by New Century REIT of a hotel in Shenzhen
  • CVC backed management buy-out of Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited (HKBN), the team advised on the initial establishment of HKBN and various investment proposals concerning this company
  • RMB13.4 billion injection of Guangzhou International Finance Centre into Yuexiu REIT (and associated HK$3.2 billion capital raising)
  • HK IPO of Huishang Bank Corporation Limited

Contacts

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Bridget Uebel, +852 2946 1283
bridget.uebel@cwt.com
or
Kara Fitzsimmons, +1 212 504 6708
kara.fitzsimmons@cwt.com

Source: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

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