Hong Kong National Security Law

Rico Chan is the Head of Baker McKenzie's China Real Estate Group and Co-head of its Asia Real Estate Group. He is also Head of the Firm's China Greater Bay Area Development. Rico has 30 years of legal experience in commercial transactions in China, particularly transactions and projects in the real estate, hotel and construction sectors. He joined the Firm in 1989 and was a resident partner of the Firm's Beijing office from 2000 to 2004. Rico has consistently been recognized as a leading lawyer in his areas of practice by Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

Kenny Cheung is a special counsel in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Cheung was as an associate at a leading software company, where he was responsible for coordinating and managing anti-piracy and litigation programs in Southeast Asia.

Kenneth Ching is a partner in the Banking & Finance practice. He has extensive experience advising banks, alternative capital providers, private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers on a wide range of cross-border financing transactions, including leveraged buyouts, take-privates, acquisition financings, funds financings, real estate financings, loan-like notes, non-contentious restructurings and other event-driven financings in the Asian and European markets. Clients comment that Kenneth is "technically strong and is very attentive and responsive. He safeguards clients' interests and facilitates completion of transactions by providing practical solutions. His involvement is reassuring for us and makes us feel like we are in safe hands." IFLR1000 (2020)

Jon Cowley is a member of Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office. Jon's practice focuses on Asia-Pacific customs and trade matters, including controversy and audit support, duty and indirect tax planning, supply chain structuring and trade compliance advice. Jon returned to Baker McKenzie after spending five years as Assistant General Counsel for Customs and International Trade at a major consumer product company, where he advised the business on trade and customs issues globally. He previously was a member of Baker McKenzie’s International Trade Controversies and Planning practice in Hong Kong, where he assisted multinational companies with China customs, export control, encryption, indirect tax and cross-border regulatory matters. Earlier in his career, Jon was a trade advisor with consulting firms in Silicon Valley and Chicago.

Stephen Crosswell is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Competition practice in Hong Kong, where he oversees competition matters in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam and Korea. He is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer for competition/antitrust by Chambers Asia. He wrote the Hong Kong chapters of Sweet & Maxwell's Competition Law in China & Hong Kong and the Oxford University Press Global Antitrust Compliance Handbook. Mr. Crosswell regularly speaks at leading antitrust events in Asia. He is also involved in capacity building with regional regulators and antitrust policy work. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Mr. Crosswell headed a Magic Circle firm's antitrust and competition practice in Hong Kong and coordinated their overall practice in Asia.

Christine is a special counsel in the Hong Kong disputes practice, specialising in corporate crime and investigations. She has over 10 years' experience in all forms of contentious work, including cross-border investigations and litigation, as well as other corruption-related matters. She has acted for clients in disputes with regulators and other parties, both through litigation and different forms of dispute resolution, including arbitration, mediation and complex negotiations. She previously worked for another top international firm in its offices in both Hong Kong and Australia.

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Before joining the Firm in February 2015, Philipp worked as an associate for a major Hong Kong law firm for 8 years. Prior to that, he worked for a leading Austrian law firm for 7 years. In 2011, he was appointed legal counsel to the Austrian Consulate in Hong Kong.

Simon S.K. Leung is a Partner in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office.

Jeremy is a senior lawyer in the Hong Kong office with over 10 years of experience advising REITs on their formation, acquisitions, disposals, equity/debt capital raising exercises and liability management exercises. He has worked on almost all of Hong Kong's largest REIT transactions, and has been recognised by Legal 500 as a "Next Generation Partner" for investment funds, as well as recommended in the area of REITs. Jeremy regularly engages in REIT advocacy and is an active board member of APREA's Hong Kong Chapter.

Derek Poon is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office and a member of the Firm's Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups. He is also the chair of Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Private Equity Group and a member of the Global Private Equity Steering Committee. Derek has extensive experience representing private equity firms, investment banks and major corporations on a wide variety of corporate matters, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, real estate private equity and distressed M&A transactions. Earlier in his career, Derek spent time on client secondment with Bain Capital with the Asia Private Equity team.

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Paolo Sbuttoni is a special counsel in the Hong Kong office of Baker & McKenzie and a member of the firm's IT & Communications Practice Group. He focuses on technology agreements and transactions, e-commerce, telecommunications regulatory matters, and data privacy. Mr. Sbuttoni has presented on a number of topics relevant to his field including cloud computing contracts, data privacy, and social media

Steven Sieker practices exclusively in the area of tax law, and is recognized as a leading individual in tax as well as private client and wealth management by Chambers Asia Pacific, Citywealth Leaders List and Guide to the World’s leading Tax Advisers. He has authored a wide range of key articles and publications, including the Hong Kong volume of the CCH series Tax Planning and Compliance in Asia. He is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), and was an executive director of STEP and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Steven is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales (non-practising), and is qualified as a barrister and solicitor in Alberta, Canada.

Grace Tso is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office. She has completed an attorney transfer program in the Chicago office.

Mini vandePol was appointed as the Chair of Baker McKenzie's Global Compliance & Investigations Group on 1 September 2014, after successfully completing five years as the Asia Pacific Regional Chair of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group. In this role, she leads a global team of more than 900 compliance and investigations practitioners in Asia Pacific, EMEA, Latin America and North America. Ms. vandePol's work engagements focus on anti-bribery and corruption investigations and risk management and mitigation in China, India and other parts of Asia in a variety of industries. Ms. vandePol and her team are responsible for the Global Overview of Anti-Bribery Laws (2nd Edition 2016) and is the editor of the very popular Global Attorney-Client Privilege Handbook (2nd edition 2014). She has written a number of articles in journals and other publications both in Australia, India and elsewhere in Asia Pacific on topics ranging from corporate compliance investigations and enforcement, fraud risk, international trade and sanctions compliance, and ethical business practices. She is also a highly sought after media spokesperson and has made several appearances in business media in Hong Kong, India, Australia and the US.

Tracy Wut is the managing partner for Baker McKenzie's China and Hong Kong offices. She is experienced in mergers and acquisitions and foreign direct investments in China. She regularly acts for clients in complex cross-border transactions, in particular in the pharmaceuticals and healthcare sector, and navigates clients through various issues relating to investments in China. She has been recommended as a leading lawyer in Corporate/M&A by Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A and Life Sciences by Chambers Asia and M&A and private equity by IFLR1000. She is the co-head of the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Industry Group in China and Hong Kong.

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Vivien Yu is a registered foreign lawyer in the Firm’s Employment practice group based in Hong Kong. She has over 11 years of immigration law experience in Hong Kong and overseas. Vivien is a qualified solicitor and a Registered Migration Agent in Australia. She has been with Baker McKenzie for over 8 years, leading the Greater China Immigration practice since 2013. Vivien is a registered Migration Agent with the Australian Government's Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.