Tanner De Witt

Corporate and Commercial

Partner, Head of China Practice Group

River is a partner in the Corporate and Commercial Department and Head of the China Practice Group. River has a strong focus on high value mergers and acquisitions (including private equity investments), fund formation and regulatory matters. He also advises extensively on banking and finance matters, related commercial agreements and China matters. River is recognised in the 2020 guide of Legal 500 Asia Pacific and River’s work in the China market has been recognised in the China Business Law Awards 2021. River has recently completed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination.

River’s corporate practice focuses on complex and cross-border merger and acquisitions, private equity and pre-IPO investments, the establishment and the development of joint ventures, management buyouts and related commercial agreements. River’s clients include listed companies, family offices, financial institutions and high net worth individuals from China and other parts of the world.

River assists many financial intermediaries, private equity, venture capital and hedge fund owners to establish funds in Hong Kong and in offshore jurisdictions. The types of fund include exempted limited partnership (ELP) and segregated portfolio company (SPC) in Cayman and limited partnership fund (LPF) and open-ended fund companies (OFC) in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile River also advises financial intermediaries, trust and family offices, private equity, venture capital and hedge funds on non-contentious financial services regulatory and compliance matters in Hong Kong. This includes advising on the sale and purchase of licensed financial intermediaries, Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Money Lenders and Money Service Operators licensing, regulation and compliance matters. River also advises clients on regulatory matters for novel industries such as cryptocurrencies and fintech.

In addition to financial regulatory matters River is also experienced in advising clients on regulation relating to other important industries such as pharmaceutical, healthcare and life sciences.

Whilst River advises on Hong Kong law, he has a wide network and deep multicultural and multijurisdictional knowledge and experience that enables him to assist clients inside or outside of China on their cross-border business interests, financial transactions and business development needs.

Professional memberships

Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) The Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong’s China Committee The Law Society of Hong Kong