Moves – June 2, 2016

Hogan Lovells has added Sammy Li and Stephen Peepels in the firm’s capital markets practice within the Hong Kong corporate team. They cover a wide range of capital markets products spanning the Asia-Pacific region and will significantly enhance the firm’s capabilities in the region. Both partners are recognized leaders in Asia’s capital markets and have a long term track record of representing leading international and regional investment banks on significant corporate transactions. Li’s practice focuses on IPOs and secondary offerings on the HKSE, representing both international and PRC investment banks as well as Chinese issuers. He has completed multiple ECM transactions for Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Bank of Communications International over several years and has frequently worked on mandates for other major investment banks, including CICC and Citigroup. On the other hand, Peepel’s practice includes both debt and equity financing transactions, as well as private equity and M&A transactions, where his markets extend across the Asia-Pacific region. He is also known for his significant experience in the Indian capital markets, having advised on several of India’s largest securities offerings. Peepels’ recent transactions include acting for Rolta India Ltd on its US$200 million high yield bond offering, which was the first Rule 144A bond offering by an Indian company. He also represented Spring REIT in its Hong Kong IPO, led by Credit Suisse. Li joins from Paul Hastings whilst Peepels joins from DLA Piper.

Norton Rose Fulbright has added Colin Rice in its Asia capital markets team as a derivatives and structured finance partner based in the Singapore office. He joins from Credit Suisse AG Singapore where he was a Director in the General Counsel function covering APAC Global Markets and the South East Asia Country Coverage Legal Head. Rice previously worked in the derivatives and structured finance group at Allen & Overy in London, New York and Singapore. He has extensive experience advising on over-the-counter derivatives and structured products across all asset classes, structured finance and repackagings, repos and securities lending, strategic equity transactions and hedging. Rice also advises on global financial markets regulatory developments, including clearing and uncleared derivatives margin requirements.

Paul, Weiss has added Betty Yap and Judie Ng Shortell as partners in the corporate department in China effective 1 May 2016. Yap is based in the firm’s Hong Kong office. Her practice focuses on cross-border M&A, strategic investments, joint ventures, private equity and special situations transactions, and foreign direct investments involving China. Her clients include private equity firms, multinational corporations, financial institutions and mainland Chinese companies across a multitude of industries. Prior to joining the firm, Yap’s career highlights include advising JD Capital in its acquisition of 100 percent of Ageas’ life insurance operations in Hong Kong for US$1.38 billion; China Southern Grid in its acquisition, alongside China Light & Power, of a 60 percent shareholding in the Castle Peak power station in Hong Kong from ExxonMobil valued at close to US$4 billion; and Dairy Farm in its strategic investment in Yonghui Superstores, an A-share supermarket and retail company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, at close to US$1 billion. She is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and is admitted to practice law in Hong Kong and Victoria, Australia. On the other hand, Shortell is resident in the firm’s Beijing office. She focuses on China-related private equity investments, cross-border M&As, strategic acquisitions and special situations. Her clients are primarily financial institutions, private equity firms, Chinese companies and multinational corporations which operate across a number of industries. Prior to joining the firm, Shortell’s career highlights include advising Hony Capital on the acquisition of PizzaExpress for approximately £900 million (US$1.3b) and Standard Chartered in its acquisition, alongside Temasek, of a strategic stake in New China Life Insurance. She is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin and is admitted to practice law in Hong Kong.