East Asia - Hong Kong

Latham & Watkins LLP

More informationMore information

American firm Latham & Watkins LLP has operated in Hong Kong for over 25 years, developing a practice with US, English, and domestic law capabilities through its advisory work primary centered towards private equity clients, who turn to the firm for its capabilities in all the main aspects of banking and finance, including acquisition financing and leveraged lending. Practice chair Andrew Bishop is noted for his capabilities in multi-jurisdictional financing transactions on behalf of some of the world’s leading private equity firms and financial institutions, with recent engagements seeing him acting for Carlyle Asia Investment Advisors and Warburg Pincus on the financing of a number of significant transactions. Howard Lam's extensive knowledge makes him a key contact for clients seeking advice on China-related high-profile transactions. Other key names include Lynsey Edgar and Ruonan Duan, both elected to counsel in January 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Key clients

  • Warburg Pincus
  • Searchlight Capital Partners
  • Goldman Sachs Asset Management
  • Carlyle Asia Investment Advisors Limited
  • Global Infrastructure Partners
  • KKR
  • MBK Partners
  • Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board
  • EQT / Baring

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Howard Lam

Howard Lam

Latham & Watkins LLP

Howard Lam advises clients in China and across Asia on restructuring, special situations, private credit, and banking finance transactions. In his restructuring practice, Mr. Lam draws on more than two decades of experience to guide all types of parties to a transaction, including: Creditors, particularly banks and credit funds Debtors Insolvency practitioners Bondholders He regularly helps clients resolve a full range of difficult matters, including restructuring, bankruptcy, as well as distressed and other special situations. As a Mandarin and Cantonese speaker, trained in Hong Kong, UK, and Australian law, he brings a multicultural, multijurisdictional perspective to his matters. Familiar with the internal motivations and sensitivities of parties on all sides of a matter, he can help clients choose the best jurisdictions and legal regimes for implementing restructurings. He complements his creative problem-solving and decisive recommendations with an ability to remain even-keeled and diffuse tension in high-stakes situations, and so bring parties together around a solution. Mr. Lam is an INSOL Fellow and a regular speaker at international restructuring and insolvency conferences, and has served on the APLMA China and documentation committees, TMA Hong Kong board, and the executive committee of Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty (RIF). In Mr. Lam’s financing practice, he advises private equity sponsors, banks, and private capital lenders on a full spectrum of complex financing structures, including: Leveraged buy-outs Corporate acquisition financings China onshore/offshore financing Margin loans Direct lending transactions He draws on a keen sense of what is at market and insights from the firm’s global deal flow on cutting-edge financing terms to translate best practices in global jurisdictions to deals Asia.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Andrew Bishop

Other key lawyers

Howard Lam, Lynsey Edgar, Ruonan Duan