Banking & Finance | Asia-Pacific

A&O Shearman has a market-leading practice at the pinnacle of banking and finance in the region, offering high levels of expertise across China and South-East Asia, particularly for transactions involving Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Renowned for its work acting for Asian and European financial institutions on their investments across the Asia-Pacific region, the firm is also capable of handling matters for borrowers. Its areas of expertise include syndicated loans, leveraged and acquisition finance and Islamic finance. Bolstered by an established Japan practice, the team is frequently instructed on shipping finance matters. The firm is also noted for its Australian corporate, acquisition and asset finance practice. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.

Baker McKenzie has a respected team with an impressive spread of offices across the Asia-Pacific region and established associations with firms in jurisdictions such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Its notable Tokyo office is also respected for the capabilities to provide both domestic and international advice, whilst the overall law firm is highly regarded for matters involving Thailand, Singapore and China. The firm is able to advise on regulatory compliance issues across a wide array of jurisdictions. The team is prominent in the fields of project and real estate finance across a range of jurisdictions and capable of advising on high-profile cross-border issues. It has strong acquisition finance expertise across the region and is able to offer advice on Shari'a-compliant financing.

Clifford Chance has a pre-eminent practice with a strong reputation for the depth and breadth of its team, especially in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The firm is able to advise on local law in those three locations, as well as providing US, Australian and English law expertise. The practice also offers substantial expertise for transactions involving India and Thailand. The firm is highly regarded for its aptitude in the areas of leveraged and acquisition finance and project finance, particularly in representing international banks. It has additional expertise across the region in real estate and aviation finance.

White & Case LLP is recommended for its capabilities in leveraged acquisition finance, with significant expertise in syndicated loans and project finance. It has prominent teams in Greater China and Singapore, with additional strength in Japan, and often advises on cross-border financing relating to India, Indonesia and the Philippines. The firm is particularly popular among European and Asian banks and other financial institutions, and is capable of assisting clients with asset financing mandates. The team is often instructed on transactions relating to the transport, real estate and financial services sectors.

Latham & Watkins is highlighted for its aptitude in finance transactions, including syndicated loans, leveraged and acquisition finance and refinancing transactions. The firm has well-regarded capabilities in both Hong Kong and Singapore, frequently acting on cross-border matters in project finance and structured transactions. It is well placed to advise on work across South-East Asia, in particular Malaysia and Indonesia, and is able to advise on Islamic financing structures. Clients include several international banks as well as major Asian banks and multinational corporates.

Linklaters has substantial expertise in complex finance transactions, earning frequent instruction on matters involving Greater China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. The firm handles complex leveraged and acquisition finance deals, and possesses a formidable reputation for handling syndicated loans and project finance. It acts for a prestigious line-up of multinational corporates, investment banks and credit funds.

Norton Rose Fulbright is highly regarded in the market for finance transactions involving the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors. It acts for a diverse clientele of international corporations and investment banks and is adept at handling cross-border matters due to its spread of offices, including China, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and Japan. The firm frequently assists on matters involving India and Indonesia, as well as being adept at handling Shari'a-compliant mandates. It is also able to advise major international banks on their fintech ventures.

Allens is noted for its leading full-service practice in Australia with top-tier domestic and international bank clients, as well as global corporates and funds. The firm possesses a market-leading acquisition finance practice with notable strengths in the areas of defence and logistics acquisitions, and is very well regarded for property financing and large syndicated corporate financing. The legal team is prominent in asset finance and leasing, operating across all major asset classes, notably including aircraft and automotive. Allens is also able to leverage its alliance with the global Linklaters network to further assist clients.

Freshfields offers notable experience in complex cross-border financing on behalf of major blue-chip corporates and multinational financial institutions. It offers expertise in its Hong Kong office with regular instructions to handle transactions relating to Vietnam and Japan, especially Chinese outbound transactions. The firm frequently acts on syndicated and bilateral loans, as well as refinancings. It has a busy China-focused leveraged and acquisition finance practice acting for private equity clients on significant matters.

Mayer Brown has a well-established finance group with a strong footprint across the region, offering impressive strength in Singapore and Vietnam, alongside a notable Hong-Kong based finance team. The team handles cross-border acquisition and leveraged finance mandates, acting predominantly on behalf of regional and international banks, and is particularly noted for its knowledge of structured trade and commodity finance work. The firm continues to broaden its regional footprint through the provision of transactional advice to banking organisations across South-East Asia. It remains a counsel of choice for an impressive roster of major PRC-based airlines, lessors and banks on aviation finance matters.

Milbank LLP has a respected finance team with a vast client base of top global financial institutions across the region. Clients benefit from its strong team in Singapore, alongside its active Japan-based practice. The firm is highly active in South-East Asia, regularly advising on lending relating to Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar. It regularly handles complex and significant banking and finance matters, representing capital lenders and borrowers in transactions and acquisition financing matters. The firm is adept and experienced at handling large cross-border transactions.

Ropes & Gray has an established finance team in Asia that works out of offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. The team is highly respected for its expertise regarding leveraged and acquisition finance and is regularly instructed by leading Asian and international banks, private equity firms and asset management companies including on major take-privates and refinancing mandates. The Japan office is especially known for its long-established client relationship with Bain Capital and affiliated companies.

DLA Piper has impressive China and Australia finance teams with support from an extensive regional network, including notable finance groups in Thailand and Singapore. It is well regarded for its expertise on a range of cross-border deals, including acquisition finance, project finance and syndicated lending. It regularly advises on outbound investments from Mainland China, with particular activity in the energy, TMT and insurance sectors. The firm also acts for a range of major lenders, including major Chinese institutional banks and Australian financial institutions as well as multinational banks.

Hogan Lovells is acknowledged for offering strong banking and finance expertise from its Singapore and Hong Kong offices, with experience covering PRC, India and Indonesia-related transactions. It also has a team in Australia that regularly advises on multi-jurisdictional matters. The firm has significant capability in leveraged and acquisition finance, and structured and asset finance. Its additional capabilities span real estate and pre-IPO financing, regularly advising regional and international clients, including investment banks, asset managers and other financial institutions.

Morrison Foerster LLP is a prominent firm with notable strength in Japan and Singapore and commended for its expertise in fleet, acquisition and leveraged finance as well as real estate financing. The team is known for acting for borrowers and lenders, and its impressive client base includes corporates, multinational private equity firms and global banks. It also offers capability in subscription line financings. It frequently advises on transactions relating to Japan and China and often acts on transactions in the technology, life sciences and energy sectors. The team is also able to advise clients in the fintech space on issues involving blockchain technology.

Reed Smith is an established choice of counsel for both borrowers and lenders, regularly advising on cross-border transactions. It offers a broad range of financing knowledge, with notable activity on syndicated loans, asset finance and leveraged finance. The team regularly represents an array of financial institutions and corporates, and has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, which illustrates the firm's capabilities in Greater China. The firm also has an office in Singapore and utilises its London office to advise on India-related mandates.

Stephenson Harwood has an established financing team that advises both lenders and borrowers out of its offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. It is especially noted for its expertise in trade and receivables financing and asset finance. Additionally, the firm handles a range of other finance work including syndicated and term loans. The firm is also active on India-related financings, coordinating advice predominantly from the Singapore and London offices.