Hong Kong SAR

Ogier is a 1,100-strong global offshore law firm that has served clients for over 150 years. The firm operates out of Hong Kong SAR and boasts a wide network of offices across the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dubai, Guernsey, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg. The firm is part of the offshore magic circle group of firms.  

Highlights  

Ogier’s Hong Kong office is strongest in finance, investment funds, private equity, M&A and capital markets. The team offers British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Guernsey and Jersey law services to clients in the Asian time zone, working together with Ogier’s Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo offices.  

Over the last year, the firm has provided guidance to issuers, lenders and acquirers on significant cross-border deals involving capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and structured finance. It has assisted clients such as Alibaba and Guming Holdings in industries including technology, consumer goods, financial services and private equity, utilising its expertise in offshore legal knowledge, specifically in Cayman and BVI law. 

Deal highlights include acting as the BVI and Cayman counsel to Guming in its IPO on the HKEX, and Zeekr’s US$441 million listing on the NYSE, which is the largest Chinese stock offering in the US in the past three years. 

The investment funds team was kept busy supporting clients across the full range of fund products, including hedge funds, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, energy, credit, debt, venture capital and fintech funds, as well as on hybrid funds, impact funds and socially responsible investing. 

Two new partners joined the firm in 2024: Joanne Collett, who specialises in dispute resolution and restructuring and insolvency, joined from Walkers, and Dennis Li, who joined from Travers Thorp Alberga, became part of the firm's investment funds practice. 

Key clients  

Key clients of the firm include Alibaba Group Holding, Cinda International Asset Management, China Life Franklin Asset Management, Guming Holdings, Line Investment Technologies Corporation, and Zeekr.  

Testimonials  

“Strong technically, responsive and efficient service.” (Banking client) 

“Response is always user friendly. Keep flexible in terms of fee arrangement.” (Banking client) 

“The most recent work we did with Ogier is one of the few market-leading transactions with very limited precedents. Ogier demonstrated their high level of knowledge and competency in conducting legal research. They helped the company in identifying potential risks and issues and guided the company through the regulatory requirement in Cayman Islands.” (Equity capital markets client) 

“Ogier has multiple service lines which enables the firm to offer service in multiple sectors, for example Listing Rules compliance, equity offering and debt offering. They are able to provide one-stop service to many of our projects. Their language proficiency also enables them to communicate with clients efficiently, particularly a company like us which has a strong presence in the PRC.” (Equity capital markets client) 

Anthony Oakes 

“Anthony Oakes is always accessible and service-focused.” (Banking client) 

“Anthony (Oakes) is always super helpful and super responsive.” (Banking client) 

Cecilia Li 

“The Ogier team led by Cecilia Li is very responsive and intelligent. Her proficiency in Mandarin and English enables her to communicate with clients in the PRC effectively. Cecilia is also known for her strategic approach in dealing with different issues. She is able to think outside the box and provide creative solutions, even though there might be different legal challenges.” (Equity capital markets client) 

“Cecilia Li stands out for her responsiveness and commercial approach to complex BVI/Cayman legal issues. She can generate creative solutions for her clients. Cecilia also has the ability to provide strong commercial advice on issues important for Chinese clients, while anticipating and avoiding unnecessary legal problems particularly in capital markets, such as US IPO, HK IPO and series financing.” (Equity capital markets client) 

“Cecilia has a very solid understanding of the Cayman Islands law, and she is able to answer questions even when there might not be any market precedent. She can guide the company through different issues and explain her view in a plain and straightforward manner. We also appreciate her attention to detail, thorough planning, punctuality, and care in our projects.” (Equity capital markets client) 

“Cecilia is a Hong Kong-based partner who has an established corporate and financing practice, specialising in Cayman Islands and BVI law. Her attention to details and responsiveness are what differentiate her from the others. We started our collaboration with Cecilia a year ago, and we are very pleased by her service after spending several years searching for a suitable Cayman adviser. We trust her with our financing projects, and Cecilia is able to deliver her work at a high standard consistently.” (Equity capital markets client)