Simpson Thacher announced today that it has officially launched its Hong Kong law practice following the completion of the required regulatory measures necessary to enable it to practise Hong Kong law. The addition of the Hong Kong law practice enhances the Firm’s very successful China practice developed over the last two decades.
As previously announced, Christopher Wong has joined the Firm and Celia Lam will be joining the Firm in the middle of October. Joining the Firm as partners, Ms. Lam and Mr. Wong bring decades of Hong Kong law experience advising clients on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions. They will be joined by a strong team of over ten experienced Hong Kong solicitors to provide Hong Kong law advice to the Firm’s existing and potential clients in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions. Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Ms. Lam was a partner with Linklaters, where she served as Co-Managing Partner for the Greater China region (Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai), and Mr. Wong was a partner with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he was Head of the Corporate Practice for China.
Pete Ruegger, Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee, said, “The formal launch of our Hong Kong law capability demonstrates the Firm’s commitment to the Greater China region. The ability to advise clients on Hong Kong law as well as U.S. law further strengthens Simpson Thacher’s market leading position.”
Leiming Chen, the Head of Simpson Thacher’s China practice, commented, “The Firm is committed to offering our clients based in Greater China, as well as those with interests in the region, the capabilities they need for their most complex transactions. Under the skillful leadership of Celia and Chris, our Hong Kong law practice will work seamlessly with the rest of our China practice, offering clients broader expertise and enhanced services, particularly with respect to capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions.”
The Firm’s Hong Kong law advice will be offered from both its Hong Kong and Beijing offices. A substantial portion of the 40 lawyers in the Firm’s Hong Kong office, together with approximately 20 lawyers based in the Firm’s Beijing office, work extensively on transactions involving Chinese companies and other entities.
Simpson Thacher's China Practice
With offices in Beijing and Hong Kong, the Firm has been active in China for two decades. The Firm’s China practice is built upon the strength of the Firm’s leading reputation, skill and experience globally. Advising clients across the full spectrum of corporate work, lawyers in the Firm’s China practice have significant expertise in cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, international capital markets transactions and the representation of private equity clients, both in strategic investments and in fund formation. The Firm’s lawyers also engage in leveraged and acquisition finance and represent Chinese clients in U.S. litigation and international arbitration. With the addition of the Hong Kong law practice, the Firm’s China practice will have nine partners and over 40 other lawyers at all experience levels located in the Firm’s Hong Kong and Beijing offices, most of whom are fluent in Mandarin Chinese.