Dechert partners up for HK office

Dechert LLP announced that it has opened its Hong Kong office by establishing a formal association with the local firm Hwang & Co and will be known in the city as Dechert LLP in association with Hwang & Co. This is Dechert’s first office in Asia.
Dechert’s Hong Kong office will focus on private equity, venture capital, and hedge fund formation and investing; capital raising and sales of equity stakes through capital markets offerings; cross-border mergers and acquisitions; and Asia-bound and outbound strategic and financial investments.
Dechert elected Basil Hwang, the managing director of Hwang & Co., a partner in the new firm. His primary focus has been on advising private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds investing in China and advising issuers and underwriters in securities offerings. “Our two firms had very complementary skill sets,” explains Hwang.
“Most of my experience is transaction-based representing investment funds and their portfolio companies, while Dechert has extensive expertise with fund formation and regulatory issues.”
The newly combined office will feature attorneys from Hwang & Co., new local attorneys and a few transfers from other Dechert offices. Keith Robinson, a partner in the firm’s financial services group, is transferring to Hong Kong from Washington DC, to work in the area of financial services and investment funds. Also Craig Godshall, a partner in the Corporate & Securities Group, has received authorization from the Hong Kong Law Society as a “registered foreign lawyer” practicing in Hong Kong. Other Dechert corporate and securities partners, notably James Lebovitz and James Croock, will focus on the US and UK law aspects of client transactions.
Other additions to the new office include Candy Tsui, a Hong Kongand UK-qualified lawyer, who has joined the office in Hong Kong along with Juliana Kho, an associate, and Carmen Cheng, a trainee solicitor.
Derek B. Newman will transfer to the Hong Kong office while Jianlin Song and James Stonehill will share time between Hong Kong and other Dechert offices.
“The decision to establish an office in Hong Kong results from our assessment of our clients’ current and potential business interests in Hong Kong and mainland China,” said Dechert Chairman, Barton J. Winokur.
“It is clear that many of our clients consider a China strategy imperative.” The law firm has several offices across the U.S., as well as London, Munich, Luxembourg, Brussels and Paris.