| A.S. Watson Group
With over 15,000 stores and 5.3 billion customers across 25 markets in Asia and Europe, A.S. Watson Group is the biggest health and beauty retailer in the world. It is...
| ABN AMRO
The ABN AMRO legal team in Hong Kong consists of four lawyers and one paralegal as part of a larger Asia Pacific team of 12 lawyers covering offices in Hong...
| Agricultural Bank of China - Hong Kong Branch
Agricultural Bank of China’s Hong Kong Branch was established in November 1995 as the first overseas branch for the parent Bank, which is one of China’s “big four” banks. At...
| Alibaba Group Holdings
‘Tim Steinert, who has led the [Alibaba] Hong Kong subsidiary’s legal functions for over a decade, is widely hailed as the forerunner and one of the most incisive legal minds...
| Allianz Global Investors
Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI or AGI) is a global investment management firm with €535bn assets under management offering equity, fixed income, alternative and multi-asset strategies. Founded in 1983, AllianzGI Hong...
| Amgen - Hong Kong
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Amgen’s Japan and Asia Pacific (JAPAC) region focuses on bringing innovative medicines to help patients across 14 markets, including China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and Southeast...
| Ant Financial Services Group
Ant Financial is a technology company that brings inclusive financial services to the world. As of January 2019, together with its global joint venture partners, Ant Financial served one billion...
| Arcadis Asia
Carl Watson, general counsel of Arcadis Asia and part of its Asia leadership team, heads the legal department which contains seven lawyers within the region, including three lawyers and one...
| AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications (AsiaSat), the leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its seven satellites. The AsiaSat satellite fleet serves both the broadcast and...
| Australia and New Zealand Banking Group
Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Banking Group’s legal team in Hong Kong consists of nine staff and is led by Ben Hamilton, head of legal for Asia. In the past...
| Bain Capital Private Equity
Founded in 1984, Bain Capital Private Equity is one of the world’s leading private investment firms. Amongst the firm’s staff in Asia is its talented legal team who impressed their...
| Bank of China (Hong Kong)
Headed by Carmen Kan, the legal department of Bank of China (Hong Kong) consists of 19 lawyers and four paralegals, covering areas including legal, compliance, operational risk, fraud risk and...
| Barclays
The Hong Kong legal team of Barclays is led by Rachel Huf who serves as general counsel Asia Pacific and consists of 19 lawyers and two non-lawyers. The team is...
| Bloomberg
Bloomberg is the world’s primary distributor of financial data and a top business news provider of the 21st century. Bloomberg’s legal department advises the business on a broad range of...
| BNP Paribas
‘Derek Göbel has overseen the Asia Pacific legal operations of BNP Paribas for decades, and runs an extremely business savvy team adept at providing sound, balanced legal advice in numerous...
| British American Tobacco Hong Kong
British American Tobacco’s (BAT) operations were established in Hong Kong in 1903, when the American Cigarette Company was incorporated to serve as BAT’s manufacturing arm in China, before being renamed...
| Bupa
Bupa is an international healthcare group, providing services such as health insurance, clinics, hospitals, dental centres, care homes, and more. It has been a health insurance specialist in Hong Kong...
| BYTON
Operating in six locations worldwide, BYTON is a Chinese all-electric vehicle automotive brand established in 2017 and incorporated in Hong Kong, co-founded by former BMW and Nissan Motor executives. The...
| Canon Hong Kong
One of the company’s first offices in Asia, Canon Hong Kong was established in 1971 and is today responsible for the sales, marketing and after-sales services for all Canon product...
| CCB International Holdings
‘Cathy Liu is the de facto head of legal of CCB International Holdings since the departure of Andrew Ning. She heads a team that regularly advises on a wide variety...
| China Development Bank, Hong Kong Branch
Founded in 1994, China Development Bank (CDB) is the world’s largest development finance institution, and the largest Chinese bank for financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance. Providing medium to...
| China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company
As head of legal and compliance at China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings, Lulu Zhang, who practised in an international law firm for over a decade in both Hong Kong...
| China International Capital Corporation (Hong Kong)
China International Capital Corporation (Hong Kong) is the offshore intermediate holding company for CICC, one of China’s leading investment banks. In his role as managing director and head of legal...
| China Merchants Securities International Company
Chief legal and compliance officer Johnny Chan heads the legal and compliance team of China Merchants Securities International and is supported by three Hong Kong qualified lawyers, who together with...
| China Orient Asset Management (International) Holding
Described by a nominator as ‘technically sound with strong business skills to boot’, head of legal at China Orient Asset Management (International) Holding Jin Zhai has oversight of all of...
| Christie's Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the regional hub in Asia for Christie’s, the famous British auction house, and the in-house legal team there looks after a wide range of legal matters on...
| CIMB
Serving as head of legal for North and South Asia as well as global head of legal for investment banking, Nicholas Chua leads a legal team of five at CIMB,...
| CITIC Capital Holdings
CITIC Capital Holdings (CITIC Capital) is an alternative investment management and advisory company. Yong Kai Wong is the managing director, head of special projects and co-general counsel at the company...
| CLP Holdings
“CLP Holdings is one of the two main electric power generation companies in Hong Kong. Headed by David Simmonds, group general counsel and chief administrative officer, CLP’s legal team consists...
| CLSA
As chief legal and compliance officer at CLSA, Jaclyn Jhin leads a team of 13 lawyers in Hong Kong, working with four additional lawyers outside of Hong Kong to provide...
| COSCO Shipping Ports
COSCO SHIPPING Ports, headquartered in Hong Kong, is a subsidiary and listed company of China COSCO, owned by COSCO Group. It is mainly engaged in container terminal operations, container manufacturing...
| Credit Agricole
‘Inge Cleuren-Holmes heads a legal team blessed with a combination of excellent lawyering skills and a keen business savvy. It regularly oversees and advises the bank’s teams on their involvement...
| Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) – Investment Banking and Capital Markets (IBCM)
Leading a team of six lawyers, David Chu is the managing director and head of Credit Suisse’s IBCM team in Asia Pacific, as well as the general counsel for Hong...
| CSFG International Asset Management
China Shandong Hi-Speed Financial Group (CSFG), the parent of CSFG International Asset Management, is a financial holding institution listed on the main board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange since April...
| DBS Bank
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, with over 280 branches across 18 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS has a growing presence in the three key...
| DFS Group
Headquartered in Hong Kong, DFS Group is the world’s leading luxury travel retailer. Established in Hong Kong in 1960, DFS Group continues to be a pioneer in global luxury travel,...
| Dragages Hong Kong
As a member of Bouygues Construction Group, Dragages came to Hong Kong more than 60 years ago. With a track record of successful projects, the company is today recognised as...
| Emperor Group
Emperor Group is a diversified group of companies with six listed companies and five non-listed businesses in Hong Kong. While the main focus of the Group remains in Hong Kong,...
| Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young’s Greater China general counsel’s office (GCO) is led from Hong Kong by Brian Pong, Asia Pacific area counsel and general counsel for Greater China. He heads the...
| Fox Networks Group Asia
Following on from its recognition in the 2018 edition of the GC Powerlist: Hong Kong Teams, Fox’s superb in-house legal outfit continues to impress under the leadership of executive vice...
| Fresenius Medical Care Asia Pacific
The legal team at Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong, the company’s Asia Pacific headquarters continues to impress after its inclusion in last year’s list, providing...
| Galaxy Entertainment Group
Galaxy Entertainment Group is one of the world’s leading resorts, hospitality and gaming companies. It is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Hang...
| Gammon Construction
Ashley Howlett is the executive director, general counsel and company secretary at Gammon Construction, leading a team of 11 people including a newly joined senior legal counsel. According to a...
| Gaw Capital
Gaw Capital is a uniquely positioned private equity fund management company that focuses on real estate markets in greater China and other high barrier-to-entry markets globally. Headed by chief legal...
| Goldman Sachs
The award winning Hong Kong legal department of Goldman Sachs has several sub teams dealing with different areas of legal matters. The business intelligence group is one team in the...
| Greater Bay Area Homeland Investments
‘Andrew Ning joined Greater Bay Area Homeland Investments as head of legal together with the CEO of CCB International and various key executives. He leveraged his experience in CCB International...
| Hang Lung Properties
Hang Lung Properties, the operating arm of Hang Lung Group, is a leading Hong Kong company that can boasts an extensive real estate portfolio in Hong Kong as well as...
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Following the split of the Hewlett-Packard Company, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) made its debut as a new entity on the New York Stock Exchange in 2015. HPE is a US...
| Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland is the largest theme park in Hong Kong and the fifth Disney Resort in the world. To date, Hong Kong Disneyland has welcomed millions of guests, both...
| HongKong Land
Founded in 1889, Hongkong Land is a major listed property investment, management and development group. A member of the Jardine Matheson Group, Hongkong Land owns and manages more than 850,000...
| Huawei
‘Liuping Song leads the legal team at Huawei, playing a vital role in the daily operations of this technology giant. Working within one of the world’s foremost technology firms presents...
| Hutchison Port Holdings
Hutchinson Ports continues to deserve recognition as a top in-house legal team in Hong Kong after its inclusion in last year’s edition of the GC Powerlist. The company is a...
| Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 19 premier brands. In 1969, Hyatt opened its first hotel outside the US in...
| Hysan Development
Hysan is a leading property investment, management and development company in Hong Kong, with a portfolio of more than four million square feet of high quality office, retail and residential...
| ICBC International Holdings
Since featuring in last year’s GC Powerlist: Hong Kong Teams, the legal team at ICBC International (ICBCI) has contributed to a list of significant transactions whilst seamlessly overseeing regulatory demands...
| Invesco Hong Kong
‘Invesco needs no introduction as one of the most experienced investment management companies operating in the Asia Pacific region. As of March 2018, Invesco managed US$934.2bn in assets globally and...
| Jardine Matheson Holdings
Continuing to achieve great success in the real estate investment industry, the in-house legal team at Jardine Matheson Holdings demonstrates the transactional and commercial legal acumen that sets it apart....
| Jefferies
US global investment banking firm Jeffries has served companies and investors for over 55 years, offering deep sector expertise across a full range of products and services in investment banking,...
| Klook
Founded in 2014, Klook is a world leading travel activities and services booking platform, having grown ‘from a small Sheung Wan office to a global presence in over 20 locations’...
| L'Oréal
French multinational L’Oréal has a well-established presence in the Asia market, having a wide range of products available to consumers across the region. L’Oréal’s award winning legal team in Hong...
| Li & Fung
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Li & Fung is the world’s leading supply chain solutions partner for brands and retailers. Operating one of the most extensive global supply chain networks in...
| Manulife Hong Kong
With global headquarters in Canada, Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group with operations in Asia, Canada and the US. Manulife started its operations in Hong Kong...
| Marriott International
Marriott International is a multinational diversified hospitality company that manages a broad portfolio of over 7,000 hotels and related lodging facilities spanning 131 countries and territories. Yibing Mao is the...
| McKinsey & Company
The global management consulting giant McKinsey & Company opened its first office in Hong Kong in 1985 and has been enjoying a strong presence ever since, with over 1,500 client...
| Melco Resorts & Entertainment
Listed on NASDAQ since 2006, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (Melco) is a developer, owner and operator of casino gaming and entertainment casino resort facilities in Asia. Led by executive vice...
| Morgan Stanley
Serving as executive director, Marco Chung heads both the private equity legal team and investment banking M&A legal team at Morgan Stanley Hong Kong, the global investment banking giant. Kevin...
| MTR
MTR, Hong Kong’s mass transit railway corporation, is the provider of underground, overground and other mass transit services for the country. Returning to the GC Powerlist: Hong Kong Teams following...
| Nan Fung Group
The in-house legal team at the Nan Fung Group, a powerful Hong Kong headquartered global real estate investment company and one of the first listed companies on the Hong Kong...
| National Australia Bank
‘Janet Chan and Eugene Khoo are senior counsels who jointly head the legal team at National Australia Bank (NAB) in Hong Kong. The legal team at NAB covers a broad...
| Natixis
‘Hilda Mak leads the Natixis Asia Pacific legal team, and is responsible for advising and managing the legal, regulatory, compliance and reputational risk matters for the bank across a broad...
| New World Development Company
Founded in 1970, New World Development Company was publicly listed in Hong Kong in 1972 and is a constituent stock of the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index. Its core business...
| Nomura International (Hong Kong)
Headed by Wanda Tung, managing director and general counsel for Asia, the legal team of Nomura International (Hong Kong) consists of 37 lawyers, six paralegals and four support staff and...
| Nord Anglia Education (NAE)
Nord Anglia Education is the world’s leading premium school organisation, with campuses located across 28 countries. Jodie Coutts is the chief legal officer and leads a team of nine core...
| Oasis Management
Oasis Management is a private investment fund management company which manages global, market neutral, multi-strategy funds with a primary focus on Asia. Oasis has operated its office in Hong Kong...
| PCCW
PCCW is a global company headquartered in Hong Kong which holds interests in telecommunications, media, IT solutions, property development and investments, among other businesses. The company holds a majority interest...
| Ping An Insurance Overseas Holdings
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China was established in Shenzhen in 1988. It was the first insurance company in China to adopt a shareholding structure and has now developed...
| Prudential Hong Kong
Prudential is one of the world’s leading financial services groups. With £657bn of assets under management it serves 26 million life insurance customers worldwide. In 1964, Prudential began providing insurance...
| Ralph Lauren Corporation
Ralph Lauren, the popular US fashion brand, is focused on an ambitious growth plan in Greater China and its in-house Asia Pacific legal team has been a key player in...
| Sa Sa International Holdings
Sa Sa International Holdings is a leading cosmetics retailing group in Asia. Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1997, it has over 270 retail stores in Asia selling...
| Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) is nationwide joint-stock commercial bank in China. Based in Shanghai, the Bank’s current registered capital stands at ¥29.4bn. Currently it operates a network of 41...
| SOCAM Development
Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1997, SOCAM Development is a member of the Shui On Group and is principally engaged with property and construction businesses, having operations...
| SSG Capital Management (SSG)
SSG is an alternative asset manager focused on investing in credit and special situations with over US$5bn assets under management. Richard Yee is the managing director and general counsel leading...
| Starbucks
Founded in 1971, Starbucks operates over 30,000 locations worldwide as of early 2019. It opened its first store in Hong Kong in 2000. The Starbucks legal team in Hong Kong...
| Sun Life Hong Kong
As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, Sun Life Hong Kong offers a broad range of insurance, retirement and investment products and services to...
| T Stone Group
T Stone Group is an integrated group of companies with expertise on investing in natural resources, real estate and cutting-edge technology ventures. It also provides a one-stop solution for high...
| Telstra
Telstra is Australia’s largest telecommunications company and has a longstanding international business with a focus on the Asia Pacific region. Today, it has approximately 3,500 employees based in 20 countries...
| Tencent Holdings M&A Transaction Team
Tencent Holdings is a Chinese multinational investment holding conglomerate founded in 1998, whose subsidiaries specialise in various internet-related services and products, entertainment, artificial intelligence and technology, both in China and...
| The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, providing horse racing, sporting and betting entertainment. The organisation is the largest taxpayer...
| The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels
Comprised of five lawyers and nine non-lawyers, the legal team of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) remains an innovative function within Hong Kong’s in-house industry. Led by group director...
| The Lane Crawford Joyce Group
The Lane Crawford Joyce Group is Asia’s premier fashion retail, brand management and distribution group, operating luxury department stores and boutiques, free-standing branded stores, e-commerce and omnichannel operations. Natalie Da...
| Tricor Services
Tricor is the leading business expansion specialist in Asia headquartered in Hong Kong, with global knowledge and local expertise in business, corporate, investor, human resources and payroll, as well as...
| Uber
Uber’s legal team in Hong Kong has 11 members and is led by Andrew Janis, serving as head of legal for Southeast Asia and North Asia. Having a range of...
| VF Corporation
Founded in 1899, VF is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. Theo...
| Vistra
Providing tailored trust, fiduciary, fund and corporate services, Vistra started its operations in Hong Kong in the 1980s and since then has grown to a global company with 4,300 employees...
| Walmart
Founded in 1962, Walmart is a US multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores and grocery stores, employing 2.2 million associates around the world. For...
| Wells Fargo
‘Maria Kiang, senior counsel Asia, has led a regional legal team at international banking giant Wells Fargo since 2011. This team covers a broad range of issues, advising on matters...
| WSP (Asia)
Involved in a number of important and complex projects including a major hospital re-development and airport and rail projects in Hong Kong, as well as monorail, sky tower, and wind...
| Yue Xiu Enterprises (Holdings)
As a specialist in real estate, transport, infrastructure and banking services, Yue Xiu Enterprises (Holdings) legal work involves multiple industries and a broad range of legal work, ranging from banking...
| Zhongtai International
‘Jane Yin helms the legal and compliance department at Zhongtai International. Overseeing one of the fastest growing and most dynamic financial advisory firms in the region, the team deals with...
| Zuellig Pharma
Zuellig Pharma is one of the largest healthcare services groups in Asia, having started operations almost 100 years ago, and has grown to become a US$13bn business covering 13 markets...
With its ideal location in fast-growing Asia and riding on the opportunities brought by the mainland economy, Hong Kong has developed into an international business hub, providing high value adding and knowledge intensive services to the globalised world. Hong Kong has recently seen new opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), China’s national strategy to fully leverage the composite advantages of the three areas and promote coordinated regional economic development. Hong Kong’s position as a global financial centre will also be strengthened and the in-house legal departments will have a large role to play in helping their businesses succeed.
The in-house legal market is characterised by Hong Kong’s status as a regional headquarters in Asia Pacific for multinational companies. In-house legal teams in Hong Kong are formed by talented lawyers who are able to handle multijurisdictional matters and keep up with regulatory changes in Asia Pacific as well as Europe and the US. With escalating trade tension between the US and China along with uncertainties surrounding the global economic outlook, the Hong Kong economy expanded modestly by 0.6% in the first quarter of 2019 and the in-house lawyers expect to see heightened regulatory control and a tighter market environment. Despite the challenges, the in-house legal teams selected for this list have demonstrated their exceptional ability by taking precautionary measures to mitigate any negative impact whilst working closely with business units to provide expert and tailored legal advice.
In this second edition of the GC Powerlist: Hong Kong Teams, it is our pleasure to again feature Hong Kong’s leading in-house legal functions. The in-house teams contained within these pages have successfully utilised their legal skills, commercial acumen and the latest technology to become true business partners at their respective organisations and are without question among the very best in the wider region.
All of us at Jones Day are delighted to be a part of the 2019 edition of the GC Powerlist Hong Kong, together with the in-house teams recognised. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each and every one included in the GC Powerlist Hong Kong Teams 2019 and celebrate your achievements and contributions to the corporate and legal ecosystems in Hong Kong and beyond.
We have had the privilege of working with many of you, and it is fantastic to see your efforts recognised. In particular, a special welcome back to those of you who were recognised in the 2018 edition of the GC Powerlist Hong Kong.
As the dominant commercial hub in Asia, Hong Kong is home to the regional headquarters of the world’s top business organisations and the base from which PRC businesses commence their global growth. The role of an in-house lawyer in Hong Kong is a rapidly evolving one, shaped by the relentless pressures of the global marketplace. Most of you have a purview that extends beyond Hong Kong, covering multiple jurisdictions, different legal systems, various practice areas and at the same time, prioritising commercial concerns while minimising legal risks for your institution.
At Jones Day, we understand the challenges you face. As one of the first US law firms to expand into Asia, we have witnessed various business cycles since the opening of our Hong Kong office in 1986, and have been proud to support our clients in Hong Kong and throughout the region through our Greater China offices and other offices worldwide.
As one of the world’s largest and most geographically comprehensive law firms, Jones Day is synonymous with responsive and dedicated client service. Spread over five continents, Jones Day has more than 2,500 lawyers in 43 offices based in key cities and financial centres, working together as “One Firm Worldwide”, providing our clients with seamless access to a full spectrum of practice areas. When client matters
have an interdisciplinary dimension, we are proud
to make available to our clients our unique blend
of talent and service across specialties and jurisdictions.
Jones Day’s partners hold a core set of common values, with a unity of purpose in providing unparalleled service and quality to our clients, reflecting Jones Day’s deep-rooted set of shared professional values which can be traced to our beginnings in 1893.
Our dedication to client service has not gone unnoticed: for example, in 2019, we were ranked Number 1 by BTI Consulting in its ‘Client Service A-Team’ survey for the third consecutive year, based on unprompted responses from more than 350 in-depth interviews with in-house legal counsel from the Fortune 500, and the 11th time since BTI has been publishing these results, an unprecedented achievement which also saw us secure “Best of the Best” rankings in all 17 categories.
We are honoured to play our part, in cooperation with The Legal 500, to once again congratulate all the in-house teams on their well-deserved inclusion in the GC Powerlist Hong Kong Teams 2019. We look forward to more years working in close partnership with each of you.
Blackstone Chambers congratulates all of the in-house lawyers recognised in The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist Hong Kong Teams 2019.
Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers based in London. Members of Chambers offer exoertise in the international arena acrossa range of specialist areas, including, arbitration, commercial litigation, financial services, public & regulatory law and international law.
For the third consecutive year, Legal 500 partnered with Red Legal Iberoamericana to celebrate the very best in-house counsel from across Europe who dedicate their efforts to the vibrant region of Latin America. In fact, these lawyers possess a unique set of skills that enables them to navigate the challenges and diversity of Latin America in an agile and well-versed manner.
The event took place at the Hotel Wellington in the elegant city of Madrid, Spain, on 7th November 2024. Attendees were welcomed by Sara Maggi, senior editor — research and content at Legal 500, who congratulated all the powerlisters for their contributions to business across Latin America and emphasised the importance of recognising such exceptional lawyers.
Julio Veloso, partner at Broseta Abogados, then took the stage. After offering his congratulations, he invited Alejandro Sainz, senior partner at Sainz Abogados, to join him on stage. They reiterated their pride in sponsoring this research and publication, which recognises unmatched talent.
Santiago González Pérez, vice president and senior employment counsel for EMEA at American Express, shared an in-house perspective on the challenges of working in-house and managing client expectations while operating in a business environment. He also highlighted the importance of being recognised by such prestigious publications.
The evening continued with a cocktail reception featuring drinks and canapés, alongside networking opportunities between talented peers. The event was a great success, and we look forward to next year, as we continue to recognise the efforts of Latin American specialists based across Europe.