Rising Stars

Leading firms in Foreign-based expertise

Carey Olsen

Overview

Leveraging the expertise throughout its UK and Asia offices, Carey Olsen’s ‘incredibly responsive and effective’ global Caribbean-focused practice draws on ‘deep reservoirs of expertise and experience’ to field ‘the A-Team of all offshore practices operating today’. The firm’s team is spread across its London, Hong Kong and Singapore offices, covering Bermuda, BVI and Cayman law with particular experience in corporate, finance, funds and insolvency work, and litigation.

For more information on specific regions, please click on the tabs below.

Acting for ‘a stellar array of clients drawn from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond, which underscores the firm’s status as the best of the best’, Carey Olsen Hong Kong LLP utilises the expertise of managing partner Michael Padarin as a go-to name for fund issues, including the formation, operation and restructuring of funds, particularly those with Cayman law elements. Jeremy Lightfoot leads the litigation practice in Hong Kong and is praised as ‘an outstanding litigation lawyer and an impressive critical thinker’; the litigation team was further bolstered in mid-2023 with the recruitments of Tim Haynes and Matthew Watson, who focus on Cayman and Bermuda issues, respectively. In Carey Olsen Singapore LLP, managing partner Anthony McKenzie also leads the corporate practice, while James Noble, who is praised as ‘quite simply the best of the best’, heads up the litigation, insolvency and restructuring practice. Tom Katsaros is the primary contact in the jurisdiction for investment fund work, and litigator Helen Wang is singled out as ‘very experienced with great cross-jurisdictional knowledge and analysis’.
Key names in Carey Olsen LLP’s London office include managing partner Jasmine Amaria, who focuses on corporate, fund and finance work with a Cayman or BVI aspect, acting for clients in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Richard Brown is singled out by clients as ‘superb as a lawyer, as a litigator and as a strategist’, and provides ‘a seamless service that is second to none’; he is the primary contact for dispute resolution advice and insolvency issues involving BVI law and was further admitted as a registered associate of the Bermuda Bar in 2023. Counsel Sheba Raza is also a key name to note and ‘always feels part of the team she is working with’.

Responsables de la pratique:

Jasmine Amaria; Michael Padarin; Anthony McKenzie


Autres avocats clés:

Jeremy Lightfoot; Tim Haynes; Matthew Watson; James Noble; Tom Katsaros; Helen Wang; Richard Brown; Sheba Raza


Les références

‘Carey Olsen’s dispute resolution team is in my view the A-Team of all offshore practices operating today. They would be my go-to team for complex, multi-jurisdictional work involving any corporate or commercial dispute in the BVI or Cayman Islands, or arbitration in Singapore, and they have a stellar array of clients drawn from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond, which underscores their status as the best of the best.’

‘James Noble – Quite simply the best of the best – James possesses that rare combination in a team leader of great legal insight, great leadership skills and a frightening eye for detail. He also makes things happen – getting his clients from where they are to where they want to be.’

‘We work closely with Sheba Raza. The difference is that Sheba always feels part of the team she is working with as she takes the trouble to identify what is needed and when to play her role in any transactions that she is involved in.’

Principaux clients

Arrowcrest Limited


Attestor Value Master Fund LP


Babel Holding Limited


Bank of China


Bullish/Block.One


Caldicott Worldwide Ltd


Carbon Growth Partners


CITIC Bank


EQT AB


Fulham Company Limited


Fullgoal Asset Management (HK) Limited


G Medical Innovations Holdings Ltd.


Huaxing Growth Capital


IDEG Investment Management Limited


InterEnergy Holdings Limited


JD Sports Gym Ltd


Leapfrog Investments Group Ltd


Marunouchi Innovation Partners Co., Ltd.


Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group


Mubadala Petroleum (Thailand) Holdings Limited


Oasis Investments II Master Fund Limited


OCBC Wing Hang Bank


PayProp


Permira


Smarter Microelectronics


Spathiphy Capital Management Limited


Stoneway Capital Corporation


Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp


Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, (Hong Kong branch)


The Federal Republic of Nigeria


United Overseas Bank


XanPool


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted as BVI and Cayman corporate and regulatory counsel in connection with the combination of EQT AB with Baring Private Equity Asia.
  • Advised Marunouchi Innovation Partners Co., Ltd. on the successful launch of the Marunouchi Climate Tech Growth Fund L.P.
  • Acting for Babel Holding Limited, a Cayman company, with respect to the restructuring of its debts.

Conyers

Overview

Fielding teams in London, Hong Kong and Singapore, Conyers provides clients across the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific region with advice on a broad range of transactions including M&A, fund work and financing mandates. The firm covers Bermuda, BVI and Cayman law from each of the three bases, and counts a mixture of corporates, banks and other financial institutions on its client roster.

For more information on specific regions, please click on the tabs below.

In Conyers’ Singapore office, the group is particularly active in advising on company formation issues and listing vehicles in the ASEAN region, and also excels in capital markets work, investment fund mandates and issues relating to the banking, aviation, shipping, real estate, healthcare and natural resources sectors. Preetha Pillai is head of the office and handles corporate and securities work involving Bermuda, BVI and Cayman law; she is ably supported by counsel Stacie Seetho. Conyers‘ Hong Kong base is highly regarded for its capital markets knowledge and has recently been a go-to name for IPOs and dual listings. Christopher Bickley leads the office and specialises in corporate finance work, which is also a key stream of work for Richard Hall. Mark Yeadon leads the disputes and restructuring practice, which also includes Norman HauPiers Alexander is the key contact for funds work, and Vivien Fung focuses on Cayman-related financing issues.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, Conyers’ London base is home to office head Eric Flaye, who has previous experience in the BVI and excels in corporate work, handling M&A, joint ventures and private investment fund mandates; he is also an active member of the firm’s fintech practice. Nicholas Pattman is also recognised for his venture capital, private equity and hedge fund expertise and divides his time between London and Cayman. At counsel level, Barnabas Finnigan and Karoline Tauschke are key names to note, specialising in Cayman and Bermuda law issues, respectively.

Responsables de la pratique:

Preetha Pillai; Christopher Bickley; Eric Flaye


Autres avocats clés:

Christopher Bickley; Richard Hall; Mark Yeadon; Norman Hau; Piers Alexander; Stacie Seetho; Nicholas Pattman; Barnabas Finnigan; Karoline Tauschke


Principaux clients

Freightos Limited


Golden Wheel Tiandi Holdings Company Limited


Seadrill Limited


3i Infrastructure plc


Fidelis Insurance Holdings Limited


Linden Capital Partners


Mercuria Energy Group


International Finance Corporation (IFC)


Principaux dossiers


  • Provided Cayman legal advice to Freightos Limited on the completion of its business combination with Gesher I Acquisition Corp., a Cayman special purpose acquisition company.
  • Provided Cayman legal advice to ZJLD Group Inc. in connection with its HK$5.3bn IPO on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
  • Advised on the Cayman and BVI legal and regulatory aspects of Golden Wheel’s successful restructuring of three tranches of New York law governed senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $450m.

Mourant

Overview

With ‘a helpful and efficient team with a diverse background and solid sector expertise’, Mourant’s global Caribbean practice has recently seen notable growth across its London and Hong Kong bases. The firm is particularly well regarded for its private equity, fund, corporate, finance and restructuring and insolvency expertise, and also handles a range of contentious work; clients include banks, funds and global corporates.

For more information on specific regions, please click on the tabs below.


As ‘one of the strongest teams in the market’ with ‘a strong and friendly culture and great teamwork’, Mourant Ozannes’ Hong Kong office is well established in the region, handling BVI and Cayman-related corporate and finance work. Managing partner Paul Christopher is also local practice head of the corporate and funds group, and Simon Lawrenson is global practice leader for the finance and corporate practice. ‘Standout partnerDanielle Roman heads up the banking and finance team in Asia and is a go-to name for fund work, while the ‘impressiveJustine Lau leads the local litigation and restructuring and insolvency practice, and Claire Fulton is a key financing contact. At associate level, Lily Miao is notably experienced in fund finance work.

The London base of Mourant was recently bolstered following the appointment of Alex Last as managing partner of the office. Last relocated to the UK after several years in the firm’s Cayman office and is highly experienced in fund formation work and private equity mandates. Key recent highlights include advising private fund sponsors on the establishment and structuring of funds and fund finance matters.





Responsables de la pratique:

Paul Christopher; Alex Last


Autres avocats clés:

Simon Lawrenson; Danielle Roman; Justine Lau; Claire Fulton; Lily Miao; Michael Popkin


Les références

‘Mourant is a great boutique firm whereby they offer top and swift service to their clients! They have a strong and friendly culture with great teamwork! Being a client, I feel reassured that our case is being taken care of in their hands.’

‘I regard Claire Fulton and Justine Lau as one of the strongest teams in the offshore market covering the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious restructuring and insolvency work.’

‘They have a depth of experience in their core practice areas and are exceptionally good at providing a consistent, reliable product through a responsive and user-focused service. They are quality.’

Principaux clients

CVC Capital


Avilease Aviation Management Ireland Limited


Cithara Global Multi Strategy SPC


Natixis


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted as Cayman legal counsel to CVC Capital Partners on its privatisation of Razer Inc., a Hong Kong-listed gaming company incorporated in Cayman.
  • Provided Cayman law advice to Natixis, Hong Kong Branch in respect of a hybrid facility extended by Natixis, Hong Kong Branch as lender to R-Bridge Healthcare Fund, L.P., a buyout fund managed by CBC Group, as borrower.
  • Advised AviLease on the establishment of its new commercial aircraft financing and leasing platform.