King & Wood Mallesons is strengthening its capability as the only global law firm that is headquartered in Asia with the appointment and relocation of a number of specialised partners across the firm.
Cross-border debt and equity capital markets specialist Hao Zhou has been appointed as a partner in the Hong Kong office. Hao is dual qualified in the US and Hong Kong and joins KWM from another leading global law firm where he led a number of ground-breaking securities offering transactions, advising both Chinese issuers and international investment banks.
"Hao brings a wealth of experience in high yield and the other China-facing DCM areas. An essential element in our strategy of becoming a top tier securities practice in the HK market is to acquire US securities law capability, and to use that capability to support our issuer clients across Australia, China and Hong Kong. Hao’s appointment is the first – and a very important - step in building this capability, and I expect that we will continue to add further capability in this practice area in the region," said Stuart Fuller, Global Managing Partner.
KWM’s Hong Kong securities practice will provide clients with expert advice in relation to Reg S only and Rule 144A offerings of high yield bond, investment grade bond involving different types of cross-border credit enhancement structure, liability management exercises such as consent solicitations and tender offers and IPOs on the HKEX.
Like securities, the need to provide US law advice to in the international funds market, for limited and general partners and their investors alike, is of critical importance. KWM currently has this capability in its London and Hong Kong offices, but to broaden and deepen its client offering, the firm will relocate Partner George Pinkham and Managing Associate Parik Dasgupta to KWM’s New York office in October.
George is currently based in Hong Kong and is a recognised expert in the structuring and creation of international investment funds with extensive knowledge of onshore and offshore fund structures and the US and European regulatory rules applicable to investment funds. Parik is currently based in London and has extensive experience in advising on investment fund structuring and formation. He has represented both US and non-US sponsors of buyout, growth capital, secondary, distressed debt, technology, international private equity, mezzanine, credit opportunities and other global investment funds.
"George and Parik are both highly skilled US qualified lawyers with an impressive international network. They have extensive experience in advising funds on US, European and Asia based fund structures and will focus on providing this specialist advice to our existing international clients on their fund-raising initiatives as well as their acquisition projects. They will be further supported by a number of other US qualified lawyers across the firm," said Fuller.
The firm has already moved a number of partners and lawyers around the firm on both long-term and short-term secondments to deepen relationships and create a mobile and culturally fluent workforce that thinks beyond borders.
The merger of our talents across the regions in which we operate is fundamental to the alignment of our global capabilities with the needs of clients around the world. These appointments and relocations will allow for greater connectivity and collaboration across our global firm as we support our clients on their cross-border deals," said Rupert Li, Global Coordinator, Corporate, M&A and Securities.