Watson Farley & Williams LLP — Hong Kong

About

- The Firm Watson Farley & Williams is a leading international law firm advising clients operating in the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors. With a network of offices spanning Asia, Europe and the USA, we bring together technical excellence and deep industry knowledge to deliver unparalleled advice on complex transactions and disputes. - Principal Areas of Work In all our core sectors, we provide integrated and commercially focussed advice across a broad range of capital markets, corporate, finance, dispute resolution, employment, real estate, regulatory and tax matters. - Senior Partner: George Paleokrassas - Managing Partner: Lindsey Keeble Energy (Mining; Oil and Gas; Power and Renewables; and Commodities and International Trade) - key contacts: Henry Stewart; María Pilar García Guijarro; and Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi Infrastructure (Airports; Digital and E-Infrastructure; Ports and Terminals; Roads, Bridges and Tunnels; and Social Infrastructure) - key contacts: Florian Kutzbach and José María Anarte Transport (Aviation and Aerospace; Maritime; and Rail) - key contacts: Jim Bell and George Macheras - Energy – Mining We leverage the wealth of experience across our global network to support industry players across the whole mining life cycle, including in the emerging sectors of seabed and space mining, as well as investor-state dispute settlement. We are the go-to advisors for all mining participants from owners/licensees, developers and sponsors to financiers, contractors and governments. Operating globally and in areas beyond national jurisdiction enables us to advise on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters in all the major mineral-producing areas of the world, from Africa and Australasia to Asia and the Americas. - Energy – Oil & Gas We have over 30 years’ direct industry experience advising clients across the whole of the oil and gas value chain, covering upstream, midstream and downstream. We also have in-depth knowledge of new fuels and gases such as LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and SAF to help support the industry’s energy transition. Clients include exploration, development and production companies, traders, offshore services, storage and distribution companies, refinery developers and operators, funds and investors, banks and governments. - Energy – Power and Renewables With an international offering of sector specialist lawyers, we are the natural choice for clients across the power and renewables space. We have long been at the forefront of new technology and developments in the industry and have a successful track record advising on all aspects of the value chain and life cycle of projects from conventional power to renewables such as onshore and offshore wind, solar, biomass, and waste to energy. By leveraging our regulatory, transactional, ESG and dispute resolution experience, we offer an unrivalled full service in sector to clients including developers, investors, sponsors, financiers, contractors and both governments and government entities. - Energy – Commodities and International Trade We offer a comprehensive sector offering covering disputes, structured trade finance, sanctions and regulatory, ESG, project development & finance, and corporate matters. Our historical focus on the energy, infrastructure and maritime sectors, which each have strong synergies with commodities and international trade, give us a unique 360-degree perspective, allowing us to support our clients operating in these sectors across all key service lines. Clients include major corporates, trading houses, mining majors, energy traders, banks, independent trade financiers, investment funds and agricultural and food companies. - Infrastructure With the global demand for infrastructure rapidly increasing, we support our clients on major projects around the world. We act for a broad range of participants across transport-relevant infrastructures ranging from airports, ports and terminals, rail and roads, bridges and tunnels. We also work on energy-relevant projects ranging from transmission and storage, water and waste management and renewable energy assets, as well as social infrastructure to emerging sub-sectors such as smart and digital infrastructure. Our multi-disciplinary team, based across our global network of offices, provides first-rate advice and guidance to all participants in the infrastructure sector. - Transport - Aviation and Aerospace Always abreast of trends within the aviation and aerospace sectors, we have over 40 years’ experience advising key industry stakeholders. These include aircraft and engine leasing companies, banks and financial institutions, funds and investors, export credit agencies, airlines, tour operators and manufacturers. What propels our service beyond that of our competitors is our active involvement in making impactful changes to the industry at a global level. This includes being the principal advisors to the Aviation Working Group (AWG) and the prime choice for legal advice focussing on the decarbonisation of the industry, alternative fuels and emissions reduction. - Transport - Maritime With the largest dedicated maritime legal practice worldwide, we have been helping clients address the industry’s ups and downs for over 40 years. Our unrivalled shipping experience attracts clients including shipowners, charterers, ship managers, P&I and FD&D insurers, investors, banks and financiers with substantial shipping portfolios. Areas of special expertise include maritime infrastructure, commercial shipping, container shipping and logistics, offshore oil & gas, cruise, commercial contracts, sanctions, disputes and regulatory, loan portfolios and restructuring. We are at the forefront of the industry move towards decarbonisation, including having advised on the development of the Poseidon Principles to support the IMO’s goal to reduce shipping’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. ### Languages - 25+ languages ### Staffing Figures - 0 Partners - 19 Offices

Practice areas

Lawyers in this office

Christoforos Bisbikos

Christoforos focusses on all types of cross-border asset and project financings (in particular ship lease and debt, including ECA, financings), loan restructurings, work-outs and enforcement. His clients include leading international banks in the shipping sector, Chinese financial leasing companies and top league shipping groups. Christoforos has a wealth of experience advising on finance deals involving Asia and the West and has led in high profile, award-winning and landscape changing ship finance transactions. He is recommended as a leading lawyer in Hong Kong for shipping finance by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Legal 500 most recently described him as “excellent”. He is registered as a Foreign Legal Consultant (England & Wales) with the HK law society. · Cross-Border Asset Finance

Jackson Chow

Jackson Chow is a Partner in the Assets & Structured Finance group, based in Hong Kong. Jackson specialises in structured and asset finance and leasing with a particular focus on aviation. He has advised on a vast range of cross border financing and leasing matters, including JOLCOs, French tax leases, Export Credit Agency supported financings, asset backed securitisations, syndicated portfolio loans, aircraft portfolio sales, PRC SPC structured financings, PDP financings, aircraft restructurings, sale and leasebacks and aircraft and engine operating / finance lease transactions, MRO agreements, simulator agreements, full and non-recourse financings. He has also advised major airlines on aircraft procurement contracts involving aircraft manufacturer’s and has been involved in numerous general (private jet) aviation financing and leasing transactions. His clients include a range of leading aircraft leasing companies, airlines, international financial institutions and high net worth individuals. Jackson regularly advises on award-winning transactions and is recognised as a leading lawyer for aviation finance by leading legal directories in Asia Pacific including Legal 500 and Chambers Asia Pacific. · Aviation Finance

Jian Guan

Partner of WFW Global LLP and a Foreign Legal Consultant (PRC) in WFW’s Hong Kong office · Asset Finance

Linh Doan

Widely recognised as a leading adviser to the Asian power markets, Linh has an impressive track record of advising on “first-of-their-kind” cross-border power projects. Her experience covers conventional power, renewables and mining & commodities. She regularly works with government entities, sponsors, lenders and investors on large power plant developments and financings, most notably in Vietnam where she has an unrivalled reputation for excellence and counts key government ministries and state utilities among her clients. Linh splits her time between WFW’s Hanoi and Hong Kong offices, and is the founding Partner of WFW LVN in the former city. · Power Markets

Madeline Leong

Madeline Leong joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2004 as a consultant and became a partner in 2005 in the firm's international Finance Group. Madeline has over 25 years’ experience practising law on an international basis. Her practice focuses on asset finance, project finance, leasing structures, ECA financings, structured finance, debt restructuring and work-outs. She has acted for most of the leading banks, leasing companies, other financial institutions and major sponsors, contractors, transportation, logistics and shipping companies/operators, and has particular experience in the transportation, natural resources and energy sectors. Recognised by Asia Pacific Legal 500 as possessing “mastery of the subject” of asset finance, a “star” who is “responsive, precise and knowledgeable” in banking and finance and an “intelligent, practical advisor" in the area of debt restructuring and insolvency.Madeline is head of the WFW Hong Kong office and has worked in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. She has considerable experience in Hong Kong, PRC and Korean transactions. She qualified as a solicitor of Western Australia (1989), in Hong Kong (1992) and in England and Wales (1992). Madeline is a regular speaker at maritime and finance international conferences and speaks fluent English, Cantonese and Mandarin. · Asset Finance

Marcus Gordon

Marcus has represented many shipping companies, oil companies (including oil majors), aviation companies, banks, FPSO owners, contractors, subcontractors and yards, in a variety of disputes, with certain claims exceeding US$1billion. Marcus is dual-qualified, in England & Wales and Hong Kong. “Marcus and his team in Hong Kong conducted the synchronised arrest and sale of numerous vessels in Hong Kong efficiently and cost effectively. The WFW team was extremely knowledgeable, responsive and easy to deal with and got a great result – a 100% recovery on the claim and legal expenses.” (Leading Bank Executive, 2020) “… the ‘amazing’ Marcus Gordon is recommended” (Legal 500 2014) · Dispute Resolution

Rosa Ng

Rosa Ng is a partner in the Corporate Group, based in Hong Kong. She has substantial experience of Hong Kong corporate finance matters and has advised on a broad spectrum of corporate finance matters including initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary equity and equity-linked offerings, mergers and acquisitions and regulatory/ compliance work. She has acted for issuers and underwriters in numerous securities listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange – Main Board and GEM Board, and she has advised listed companies on various types of transactional and compliance matters. In addition, Rosa has acted for funds in pre-IPO investments and has experience in bond issues. · Corporate Finance

Valerie Lee

Partner · Asset Finance