Baker McKenzie continues to grow its bench strength in Hong Kong with the appointment of leading Capital Markets and US Securities lawyer Chen Sheng. This comes only three months after the appointment of Tess Lumsdaine, as the Firm continues to respond to increased client demand.
Mr. Chen brings with him broad experience in both equity and debt capital markets offerings pursuant to Regulation S and Rule 144A, as well as global depositary receipts (GDR) offerings under the Shanghai-London Stock Connect and the China-Switzerland Stock Connect. Over the years, he has represented many investment banks and major corporations in the specialized technologies and new energy, life sciences and healthcare, and consumer goods and retail industries in Hong Kong IPOs and other international securities offerings. Mr. Chen joins the Firm from Clifford Chance.
“Hong Kong has been and will continue to be the destination of choice for IPOs, particularly for Chinese issuers with international ambitions. With the expansion of the Stock Connect schemes and the new listing regime for specialist tech companies, we expect IPO activities, particularly in those strategic sectors that China is promoting, to liven up this year,” Christina Lee, co-chair of the Capital Markets Practice in Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China, said. “We are excited about Mr. Chen joining our Capital Markets practice where he will add further depth to our expansive domestic and international securities service offering as we continue to respond to increasing client demand.”
Steven Sieker, managing partner of the Firm’s Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China offices, added: “Mr. Chen is an exceptional lawyer with deep industry experience and entrenched connections in China. We look forward to Mr. Chen joining us and contributing to the growth of our thriving Capital Markets practice.”
Baker McKenzie’s Capital Markets practice is well-recognized for advising on the most innovative and complex deals. The team was most recently awarded “Equity Team of the Year” and “Equity Deal of the Year” at the IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2023 for its work in a number of landmark cross-border capital fundraising deals, including in the first four GDR listings on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
In joining the Firm, Mr. Chen said: “I am excited to be joining Baker McKenzie, particularly at a time when capital raising activity is likely to pick up pace. I look forward to helping the Capital Markets practice build upon its success, and collaborating with my colleagues across the Firm’s global network to bring our full-service offering to clients.”
Mr. Chen’s appointment follows a number of recent significant lateral appointments in keeping with the Firm’s strategy to grow its transactional practice in key global money and business centers, including most recently the onboarding of finance & projects partner Jon Ornolfsson in Tokyo, leveraged finance lawyer Kevin Whittam and fund formation lawyer Shusmita Chowdhury in New York, banking & finance partners Anthony Kay in London and Holly Hart and Brendan Smith in Sydney, and capital markets lawyer Yingfei Yang in China with our Joint Operation platform partner, FenXun Partners.
