We opened our first Asia Pacific office in 1980 and have since gone on to build a significant presence in the region. Our 400-plus lawyers advise clients on the full range of business law for their regional and international activities.
Our Asia Pacific network began with our Hong Kong and Singapore offices which opened in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Since then, we've invested to keep pace with our clients' businesses and worked on opportunities both within and beyond the region.
We now have seven offices in four Asia Pacific countries. These include Beijing (1985) and Shanghai (1993), Tokyo (1987), Sydney and Perth (2011). In other countries where we don’t have offices, we have close working relationships with local law firms. This gives us a cost-effective way to deliver results for clients in every country in the region.
Multi-jurisdictional teams with a dedicated ASEAN focus
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) offers huge opportunities for investors. The ten country bloc – Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos the Philippines and Cambodia – is one of the fastest growing regions in the world.
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was set up in 2015. It is built to create a single market across ASEAN nations. With the AEC beginning to emerge, we offer a dedicated taskforce of partners and associates focusing on industry trends, opportunities and challenges for clients in the ASEAN region. Our Country Focus Groups for Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, include teams of lawyers based in all our practice areas and offices worldwide. These teams pool their knowhow and expertise for issues involving ASEAN jurisdictions.
Recent highlights
- Clifford Chance advises pro bono on the world’s first Orange Bond by Impact Investment Exchange
- Clifford Chance advises Biocare Projects on world's largest biochar carbon removal project
- Clifford Chance advises China Three Gorges Spain on its acquisition of a 619MW renewables portfolio in Spain from Nexwell Power
- Clifford Chance advises Bank of China (Hong Kong) and HSBC on world's largest retail green bond issuance
- Clifford Chance advises on Egypt's first samurai bonds issuance
Directory and client comments
Directory Listings
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026
- Band 1 in Arbitration (International)
- Band 1 in Aviation: Finance
- Band 1 in Banking & Finance
- Band 1 in Capital Markets: Debt
- Band 1 in Capital Markets: Equity
- Band 1 in Capital Markets: Securitisation
- Band 1 in Corporate/M&A
- Band 1 in Corporate/M&A: Private Equity
- Band 1 in Investment Funds: Hedge Funds
- Band 1 in Investment Funds: Private Equity
- Band 1 in Investment Funds: Registered Funds
- Band 1 in Projects & Infrastructure
Client comments
- "The team is able to tackle a range of challenges with expertise and efficiency. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, fostering innovative solutions and collaborative problem-solving."
- "Its deep command of cross-border dispute resolution combined with an acute understanding of regional regulatory and compliance landscapes distinguishes Clifford Chance."
- "Clifford Chance has extensive experience in cross-border dispute resolution, is very familiar with arbitration procedures and has a profound understanding of the laws of different countries."
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Arbitration (International)
- "It's a very dominant firm in this field. The firm is trustworthy and its work is always good."
- "It has a broad network, the firm stands out."
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Aviation: Finance
- "Clifford Chance demonstrates great market knowledge, has a well-staffed team, quick turnaround and provides solid commercial analysis."
- "Their advice helps the lenders in progressing a deal with difficult requests from the borrower, protecting the lenders’ rights and benefits."
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Banking & Finance
- "We appreciate the abundance of resources that Clifford Chance has and feel that everything is seamless in the way it approaches matters."
- "They are very helpful in terms of structuring transactions. They offer bespoke solutions to complex deal structures."
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Capital Markets, Equity
- The team stands out for its ability to deliver high-quality, commercially focused advice under tight deadlines. They have expertise across jurisdictions and take a proactive approach.
- Their team consistently delivers high-quality legal solutions across multi-jurisdictional transactions, with clear coordination and deep subject matter expertise
- The law firm offers smooth cooperation with local overseas offices, consistent quality of legal services and a full service.
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Corporate/M&A
- "Clifford Chance has a large team, a strong global footprint and good connectivity between offices. Its team has wide experience in the market and a good grasp of current market practice."
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Investment Funds: Hedge Funds
- "Clifford Chance showed leadership that allowed them to lead tough negotiations. They were also able to accurately understand our needs and quickly reflect them in negotiations and contract drafting."
- "They are not just dedicated to the work, but also understand and build upon on their relationships with clients. Their market intelligence is very useful as a client."
Chambers & Partners, Asia Pacific 2026 – Projects & Infrastructure
Awards
Our teams of talented lawyers have won us a string of awards that include:
- Asia-Pacific Law Firm of the Year
Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025 - China (International Firms) Corporate & Finance Firm of the Year
Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025 - Singapore Corporate & Finance International Law Advisers of the Year
Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025 - International Law Firm of the Year
Asian Legal Business China Law Awards 2025 - China Practice of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2025, 2024 - Digital Finance – International
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2025 - Specialist Award: Financial Services Regulatory – International
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2025, 2024, 2023 - International Firm of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024 - M&A Team of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024 - Securitisation and Structured Finance
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024 - Civil Litigation Law Firm of the Year
Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2024 - Corporate Citizenship Law Firm of the Year
Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2024 - Fintech Law Firm of the Year
Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2024 - Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2024 - Regulation and Investigations Law Firm of the Year
Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2024 - Innovative Law Firm (headquartered outside of Asia Pacific)
FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia 2023 - Innovative Lawyers in Transforming Industries
FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia 2023 - Debt And Equity-Linked Capital Markets Team of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2023 - International Firm of the Year
China Law and Practice Awards 2023 - Capital Markets Firm of the Year
China Law and Practice Awards 2023 - Competition International Firm of the Year
China Law and Practice Awards 2023
