Sidley has had a presence in Asia Pacific for over 30 years and is one of the few U.S. law firms to have maintained on-the-ground capabilities to serve clients in the region for more than three decades. Sidley established its first office in the Asia Pacific region in Singapore in 1982, and since then, has continued to build on and enhance its capabilities for regional and global clients. In February 2013, Sidley was one of only four firms to be granted a license to practice local law in Singapore under Singapore’s Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) program.
With approximately 160 legal professionals resident in six offices—Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo—the firm represents banks and financial institutions, governments, and private and public companies, as well as multinationals and conglomerates in all sectors of commerce and industry. Such advocacy on behalf of clients has earned Sidley the reputation for being a leading law firm with recommended practices and recognized lawyers in many areas of law. The firm is also acknowledged for its sensitivity to cultural differences and extensive knowledge in the critical areas for international business.
Established in 1994 and located in the financial hub of Asia, Sidley’s Hong Kong office offers fully integrated services to international, regional and local clients. We represent international banks and other financial institutions, multinationals and conglomerates in all sectors of commerce and industry, as well as government bodies and agencies. Our team in Hong Kong includes over 70 lawyers who are qualified to practice Hong Kong, English and United States law.
We have a strong capital markets practice in Hong Kong focusing on public and private offerings in debt and equity securities. Our corporate finance team is one of the largest and most active in Hong Kong in terms of listings on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, Main Board and GEM Board. As we practice Hong Kong, English and U.S. law, we are also qualified to work on dual listings and other cross-border securities transactions. We have extensive experience in SEC-registered offerings as well as listings on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, the London Stock Exchange, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and, in conjunction with local advisers, stock exchanges in Jakarta, Korea and Singapore. Our investment funds team is recognized as a leading practice with a proven track record and has worked on a number of ground-breaking transactions in recent years. Sidley’s litigation team has been consistently ranked among the top contentious practices in Hong Kong and acts on complex commercial litigation, international arbitration and other methods of dispute resolution, as well as providing advice on regulatory and compliance issues. We have also been involved with significant restructuring, real estate and structured finance transactions in Asia.
In Hong Kong, Sidley’s practice areas include banking, corporate finance, debt and equity capital markets, listings on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (Main Board and GEM Board), international offerings incorporating U.S. listings or Rule 144A placements, international investment funds, international trade, litigation, arbitration and regulatory, life sciences, mergers and acquisitions, P.R.C. matters including foreign direct investment and joint venture representation, project finance, private equity and venture capital, real estate, restructuring and insolvency and securitization and structured finance.
Lawyers in Sidley’s Hong Kong office speak fluent Cantonese, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects and Korean, as well as English. Sidley’s premises are in Two International Finance Centre, situated in the central business district of Hong Kong, overlooking Victoria Harbour.