Established, experienced and focused, we offer market leading expertise in Hong Kong across the full range of business law services for clients active in the region.
A top-tier track record and extensive resources
We opened our Hong Kong office in 1980, our first in the Asia Pacific region, and today we are the leading international firm in Asia Pacific.
Our track record of top-tier deals is built on substantial resources – clients have access to more than 150 lawyers in our Hong Kong office, and 400-plus lawyers in our seven other Asia Pacific offices in Australia, China, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
When projects involve jurisdictions outside Asia Pacific, or the input of specialist lawyers, we can call on the wider resources of our 3,400-lawyer firm.
Experience that delivers for domestic, regional and international clients
We use our experience of complex cross-border deals to manage multi-office teams efficiently and work effectively with local law firms in Asia Pacific countries where we don't have an office.
International clients value our on the ground regional network, particularly if they want to develop business in China or the region's other fast-growing economies. They know that our advice is based on hands-on local market experience.
Domestic and regional clients draw upon our teams' local and regional know-how – we in turn utilise our international network to help them with their activities outside the region. Our people are well known for their work with clients who want to access Hong Kong's financial markets.
A team that mirrors Hong Kong's role as a regional hub
Hong Kong is a hub for Asian business and we reflect this – we combine regional reach and deep sector expertise in a single office.
We do this in a number of ways. For example, our teams in Hong Kong all have strong links with, and first-hand experience of, the intricacies of the markets in mainland China, Japan, Korea, South East Asia and other parts of the region.
Recent highlights
- Clifford Chance advises on Harbour BioMed's US$220 million Hong Kong IPO and Listing
- Clifford Chance advises on Hang Seng TECH Index ETF tracking new flagship TECH Index
- Clifford Chance advises on Nongfu Spring's US$1.08 billion Hong Kong IPO and Listing
- Clifford Chance advises on China Bohai Bank's US$1.78 billion Hong Kong IPO and Listing
- Clifford Chance advises on JD.com's US$3.87 billion Hong Kong IPO and Secondary Listing
Directory and client comments
Directory Listings
Chambers Asia Pacific, Hong Kong 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Tier One in Aviation: Finance (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Banking & Finance (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Banking & Finance: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Capital Markets: Debt (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Competition/Antitrust (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Corporate/M&A: The Elite (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Financial Services (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in FinTech: Legal in Hong Kong
- Tier One in Investment Funds: Hedge Funds (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Projects & Infrastructure (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
- Tier One in Restructuring/Insolvency (International Firms) in China & Hong Kong
Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Hong Kong 2019, 2020, 2021
- Tier One in Banking and finance
- Tier One in Capital markets (debt)
- Tier One in Capital markets (equity)
- Tier One in Corporate (including M&A)
- Tier One in Investment funds
- Tier One in Private equity
- Tier One in Regulatory
IFLR 1000, Hong Kong 2019, 2020
- Tier One in Banking and finance
- Tier One in Project finance
- Tier One in Capital markets (debt and equity)
- Tier One in Corporate (including M&A and Private Equity)
- Tier One in Financial services regulatory
- Tier One in Investment funds (Hedge funds, Private Equity funds, Real Estate funds, Retail funds)
- Tier One in Restructuring and insolvency
Client comments
- "The team is excellent, they provide good responses and appropriate advice in every respect."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Aviation: Finance (International Firms) - "Their professionalism and commercialism won us over, and since then our partnership has grown."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Banking & Finance (International Firms) - "Clifford Chance is clearly a market leader in the Hong Kong IPO market, and is highly reputable and experienced as both issuers’ and underwriters’ counsel. They are always one of the firms we recommend, considering their reputation, quality, experience, and resources in the Hong Kong IPO market."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Capital Markets - "What's impressive is that they have a very good sense of the commercial, which is not necessarily the case for all lawyers. They are able to advise us on commercial goals and give suggestions for outcomes, which is refreshing to see."
- Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms)
- "The team is very good at both strategic planning and execution."
Chamber Asia Pacific 2020 – Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms) - "They give very comprehensive advice. You ask them a question and they are able to understand exactly where you are coming from and to advise beyond the book of law."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Financial Services (International Firms) - "They have good knowledge of the funds industry and have very good resources across the firm, if we have any issues that need broader expertise we can get that moving on pretty quickly."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Investment Funds - "solid and dependable"
"great depth of experience in cross-border transactions."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (International Firms) - "It's a broad team with broad disciplines who are able to respond in a very short time and are very client-focused, as well as understanding of the commercial drivers of a deal."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Projects & Infrastructure (International Firms) - "They are one of the few teams in the region who have sufficient bandwidth to cope with complex multi-jurisdictional matters."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 – Restructuring/Insolvency (International Firms)
Awards
- Asia Pacific Law Firm of the Year
Chambers Asia Pacific Awards 2020 - China practice of the year - International law firm
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2020
- International Firm of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2019 - International Firm of the Year
Asia Legal Awards 2019 - Syndicated Corporate Loan Law Firm of the Year
APLMA awards 2018, 2019 - Syndicated Project Finance Law Firm of the Year
APLMA awards 2017, 2018, 2019
