Drawing upon traditional financial services regulatory compliance/advisory expertise (as well as in the context of transactions handled by the firm) and also highly attuned to the rapidly evolving landscape for fintech matters, Norton Rose Fulbright is a popular choice for a myriad banks, funds, insurers, as well as fintech innovators. Splitting her time between Singapore and Hong Kong, the ‘excellent and very approachable’ Etelka Bogardi heads the team and offers unique insight into the regulator’s mindset (having herself formerly served as senior counsel at the HKMA). Her involvement on the fintech front is extensive and from her advice over a decade ago for the first cryptocurrency exchange established in Hong Kong, she has continued to sit very much at the vanguard of the digital assets space, including work for a cryptocurrency exchange on its global expansion and establishment in other jurisdictions. Harold Tin also handles fintech mandates as part of his overarching corporate practice, including crypto exchange compliance advice as well as M&A and capital markets work involving fintech entities.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'It is a great team that provides a very cost-effective service.'
  • 'Etelka Bogardi is excellent and very approachable.'

Key clients

  • CICC
  • CITIC Securities (Hong Kong) Limited
  • HSBC
  • Ping An of China Capital (Hong Kong) Company Limited

Work highlights

  • Provide a major cryptocurrency exchange with comprehensive and tailored legal solution in support of their global expansion and operation, involving financial services regulatory, licensing, corporate, acquisitions, venture capital investments, financing, disputes, restructuring, IP, data privacy, employment and tax.
  • Advised a number of digital assets firms, payment firms, cryptocurrency exchanges, trading firms, insurtech firms, traditional banks/financial institutions, digital banks and wider Fintech players on a variety of regulatory issues in Hong Kong, China and other jurisdictions across Asia and EMEA, including but not limited to licensing, product launch, compliance and market entry etc.
  • Advising numerous traditional and innovative financial services firms on a full spectrum of regulatory matters involving SFC supervisory matters, cross-border marketing rules, position limit rules and disclosure of interest rules etc.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Etelka Bogardi

Other key lawyers

Harold Tin, Ying Yeo, Conrad Lam