Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance promotes 13 to counsel/consultants in Asia Pacific Globally the firm appoints 32 counsel

Hong Kong: Leading international law firm Clifford Chance today announces the appointment of 13 senior lawyers who have been promoted to counsel/consultant in Asia Pacific, effective 1 May. Globally, the firm has promoted 32 associates to the position.

The large number of promotions reflect the firm's continuing focus on developing our internal talent pool as they take the next step in their career progression.

Peter Charlton, Regional Managing Partner, Asia Pacific said, "I'd like to extend my congratulations to our new counsel and consultants. They have already made a great contribution to the success of our business and I look forward to working with them as they embark on this next step in their career with the firm."

The new counsel/consultants are the following:

• Angela Chan, Capital Markets (Hong Kong)
• Edward Johnson, Litigation and Dispute Resolution ( Hong Kong)
• Susan Wong, Finance ( Hong Kong)
• Nathan Landis, Litigation and Dispute Resolution (Perth)
• Yu Bing, Litigation and Dispute Resolution ( Shanghai)
• Mark Adams, Finance (Singapore)
• Daniel Tan, Finance (Singapore)
• Sze-Shing Tan, Corporate (Singapore)
• Mabel Tay, Capital Markets (Singapore)
• Anton Trixl, Finance (Singapore)
• Laura Sheridan Mouton, Finance ( Sydney)
• Keisuke Imon, Finance (Tokyo)
• Yasuyuki Takayama, Capital Markets (Tokyo)

Biographies of newly appointed counsel and consultants (photographs are available upon request):

Angela CHAN, Capital Markets, Hong Kong

Angela joined Clifford Chance in 2007 and advises on a wide range of international debt, hybrid, equity and equity-linked capital market transactions, including structured bond issues and restructuring of debt securities. She specialises in capital market issues by Chinese issuers and has worked with many Chinese state-owned enterprises across industries. Angela recently advised China Minmetals Corporation on its debut RMB2.5 billion issue, the biggest single tranche bond among the five state-owned enterprises approved to directly issue RMB bonds offshore. Prior to joining Clifford Chance, she worked as an M&A lawyer at Allen & Gledhill LLP in Singapore. She received her LLB from the National University of Singapore and is qualified in Singapore, England and Wales and Hong Kong.

Edward JOHNSON, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Hong Kong

Ed joined Clifford Chance in 2007 and specialises in contentious financial services regulatory matters and banking litigation. He moved to Hong Kong in 2004 and has over ten years’ experience in commercial and banking litigation, including shareholders’ actions, contract and employment law, corporate fraud and criminal investigations. Ed has represented various major international investment banks and listed companies in respect of regulatory investigations into market misconduct, insider dealing, market manipulation, IPO sponsor roles and disclosure of interest provisions. Recently, Ed has been acting for various private banks on mis-selling claims brought by customers following the global financial crisis. Ed obtained his law and economics degrees from the University of Technology, Sydney and Sydney University, respectively.

Susan WONG, Finance, Hong Kong

Susan joined Clifford Chance as a trainee in 2004 and specialises in banking and finance work. She has acted for both banks (international and Chinese) and borrowers on a variety of transactions including bilateral and syndicated facilities, acquisition finance, ECA-backed financings, real estate finance, casino financings, tax and other structured financings. Recently, Susan was involved in advising the lead arrangers, comprising of eight international and Chinese banks, on the US$1.4 billion equivalent (in HK dollars) senior secured facilities for the financing of the Studio City project in Macau. Susan has worked in Clifford Chance's Beijing, London and Tokyo offices prior to relocating to Hong Kong in 2011. She holds a BA Hons in Accounting and Law from the University of Manchester. Susan is qualified in both England & Wales and Hong Kong.

Nathan LANDIS, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Perth

Nathan is a key member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice in the Perth office who has acted on a range of significant disputes in Western Australia. Recently, Nathan acted for the Lanco group in defending a AUD3.5 billion claim made against companies and individuals in the group. Nathan was a senior associate at Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe prior to the merger with Clifford Chance in May 2011. He has also worked in the Middle East with a global law firm. Nathan is also a legal officer in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Australia and obtained his law and arts degrees from the Queensland University of Technology.

YU Bing, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Shanghai

Yu Bing joined Clifford Chance in 2010 and specialises in international arbitration, anticorruption compliance and employment disputes. She also advises clients on a wide range of PRC-related matters in respect of joint ventures, real estate, confidentiality, technology knowhow, product liability and enforceability of security, etc…She recently advised a Chinese oil company in disputes against a contractor in respect of the latter's liabilities for environment pollution under a production sharing contract. Yu Bing graduated from Fudan University with both bachelor and master degrees in law and received her LLM degree from New York University. Prior to joining Clifford Chance, she worked at the Hong Kong office of another Magic Circle Firm and a leading PRC firm' Shanghai office as a litigator.

Mark ADAMS, Finance, Singapore

Mark specialises in banking and structured finance, with a particular focus on asset finance and leasing. He also has experience of project finance, acquisition finance, restructurings, trade finance and Islamic finance. Mark has represented financiers, export credit agencies, borrowers and operating lessors on a range of financing and leasing transactions. Since joining Clifford Chance in 2012, he has assisted Export Development Canada on several financings to Indonesian carriers and acted for operating lessors such as Avolon and AerDragon on various leasing and sale transactions. Mark received his LLB from the University of Leicester and completed his LPC at BPP Law School.

Daniel TAN, Finance, Singapore

Daniel specialises in finance and advises both banks and borrowers on syndicated and bilateral facilities, and more recently has worked on a number of export advance facilities for large Indian corporations. He has also done a significant amount of Singapore law work on asset financing transactions. Daniel recently advised Standard Chartered on a proposed financing for The Straits Trading Company's planned acquisition of WBL Corporation. He is an active member of the Singapore office's community committee, and also takes a leading role on the Singapore office's internship programme. Daniel is qualified in England and Wales and in Singapore, He obtained his law degree from King's College London and holds a postgraduate diploma in Singapore law from the National University of Singapore. He joined Clifford Chance in 2006.

Sze-Shing TAN, Corporate, Singapore

Sze-Shing joined Clifford Chance in 2002 and worked in Clifford Chance's London office for eight years before relocating to Clifford Chance Singapore in 2011. She advises widely on M&A, joint ventures, restructuring and other corporate transactions, particularly in the Energy sector. She was part of the Clifford Chance team that recently advised Royal Dutch Shell plc on its acquisition of part of Repsol S.A.´s LNG portfolio outside of North America for a cash consideration of US$4.4 billion. Sze-Shing is a graduate of King's College, London and is qualified in England and Wales.

Mabel TAY, Capital Markets, Singapore

Mabel has been part of the global capital markets practice of Clifford Chance since 2006, first in London before joining the Singapore office in 2011. She advises on IPOs, block trades and other securities transactions involving a broad range of debt and equity-linked products, including convertible and exchangeable bonds, regulatory and other hybrid capital and securitised derivatives. She recently acted on the Rp 1.38 trillion (approx. US$143 million) selldown of shares in Indonesian retailer PT HERO Supermarket Tbk by Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited via its subsidiary, Mulgrave Corporation B.V.. Mabel received her LLB from the University of Nottingham. She is qualified in Singapore and England and Wales and has also obtained the CFA charter.

Anton TRIXL, Finance, Singapore

Anton is a project finance specialist in our Energy and Resources team based in our Singapore office. Anton has advised sponsors and lenders on a large range of projects and transactions in the energy, resources and infrastructure sectors in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. His recent work includes advising the lenders on the multi-award winning Tanjung Bin coal-fired power project in Malaysia, Vung Ro Petroleum on the development of its refinery complex in Vietnam, and Mubadala Petroleum on its Manora field development in the Gulf of Thailand. Anton joined Clifford Chance in 2008 and worked in our Dubai office until 2011, before re-locating to Singapore. Anton is qualified in New Zealand and obtained his law and arts degrees from the Victoria University of Wellington.

Laura SHERIDAN MOUTON, Finance, Sydney

Laura leads Clifford Chance's Australian debt capital markets (DCM) and US capital markets practices in Australia. Dual qualified to practise New York and Australian law, Laura advises Australasian financial institutions and corporates on US offerings, international debt funding programmes and Australian DCM transactions, including structured debt and high yield issues. She forms part of the firm's expanding leveraged finance capability in Australia, working with experienced leveraged finance partner Caroline Jury, who recently transferred to Sydney from the firm's London office. Laura recently advised Barclays Bank plc on Kiwibank's covered bond programme and on the US law aspects of the Lowy Family Group's A$663.7 million sale of its interest in Westfield Retail Trust. Prior to joining Clifford Chance in February 2012, Laura worked in the New York and Sydney offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Keisuke IMON, Finance, Tokyo

Keisuke joined Clifford Chance in 2004 and specialises in the finance and banking sector. He advises on asset finance transactions in particular, aircraft finance involving domestic and overseas financial institutions and leasing companies, as well as project finance and real estate finance. Recently Keisuke advised on the financing of an A320 aircraft to be operated by AirAsia Japan, various ECA guaranteed financing for major airlines and various operating leases by world leading leasing companies such as GECAS, AWAS Jackson to Japanese air operators. Keisuke has worked in the Clifford Chance Hong Kong and Tokyo offices and has experiences of working for a Japanese mega bank and a Japanese major trading house. He received his LLB from Kyoto University, attended the Legal Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan, and obtained his LLM from Warwick University School.

Yasuyuki TAKAYAMA, Capital Markets, Tokyo

Yasuyuki joined Clifford Chance in 2011 and specialises in financial regulations, capital markets and investment managements. Recently Yasuyuki advised ING Bank N.V. on its sale of bonds in Japan, raising JPY175.9 billion in aggregate. The bonds are listed on the TOKYO PROBOND Market, a new Japanese bond market for professional investors operated by the Tokyo Stock Exchange. He received his LLB from Keio University, attended the Legal Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan, and obtained his LLM from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.