Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Managing Partner: Neil Barr

Number of partners worldwide: 165

Number of other lawyers worldwide: 727

Languages: Collectively, Davis Polk lawyers speak more than 50 languages.

Greater China region offices: Beijing, Hong Kong

International offices: Tokyo, São Paulo, London, Madrid, New York, Northern California, Washington, DC

Firm Overview:  

Davis Polk is one of the world’s preeminent law firms, advising industry-leading companies and financial institutions on their most challenging legal and business matters. Its top-flight abilities are grounded in a distinguished history of 170 years, and its global, forward-looking focus is supported by offices strategically located in the world’s key financial centres and political capitals. The firm delivers first-class counsel and service across the entire range of its practice, which spans such areas including capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, finance, antitrust and competition, litigation and enforcement, private equity, tax, financial regulation, investment management, restructuring, executive compensation, fintech, intellectual property and technology, real estate, and trusts and estates.

The firm has a leading US law practice in each of its non-US offices and has top-rated local law capabilities in London and Hong Kong. Approximately 1,000 lawyers collaborate seamlessly across practice groups and geographies to provide clients with exceptional service, sophisticated advice and creative, practical solutions.

In London, the firm operates as Davis Polk & Wardwell London LLP; in Hong Kong, as Davis Polk & Wardwell, Hong Kong Solicitors; and in Brazil, as Davis Polk & Wardwell, Consultores em Direito Estrangeiro/Norte-Americano e Inglês.

Greater China Practice:  

Davis Polk is a leading global law firm in China, handling transactions and disputes for Chinese corporates, multinationals, funds and financial institutions.

Our history in China dates back more than 100 years, when we advised on financing transactions for landmark infrastructure projects. Today, we are one of the most highly regarded and sought-after law firms, with clients spanning new and traditional industries.

Our clients rely on us for our commercial-minded and creative advice in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions, as well as in investigations, enforcement and disputes. Our team combines in-depth knowledge of the Chinese market with extensive international experience.

We boast one of the largest presences among the top global law firms in China, with more than 100 legal professionals in Beijing and Hong Kong (our largest non-U.S. location). Substantially all of our lawyers are native or fluent Chinese speakers. We offer a fully integrated platform advising on US, Hong Kong and English law.

Key Practice Areas: 

Capital Markets:  

The firm has a leading capital markets practice in the Greater China region. Davis Polk acts on some of the most sophisticated and innovative transactions in Greater China, from headline-making Hong Kong and US IPOs for dynamic young companies to complex high-yield, investment-grade, and equity-linked debt offerings and liability management exercises. The firm regularly appears at the top of the capital markets league tables in China.

M&A/Private Equity: 

Davis Polk regularly counsels leading companies in Greater China, as well as those venturing into the region, on their most important acquisitions, strategic investments and joint ventures. The firm’s private equity lawyers assist financial institutions and sponsors in making acquisitions and dispositions for their own accounts and for the accounts of funds that they sponsor. Davis Polk’s experience and practice breadth give it a sophisticated understanding of China’s dynamic PE environment.

Litigation, Enforcement & Compliance: 

Davis Polk’s Greater China litigation, enforcement and compliance practice is highly regarded, and the firm has one of the largest dedicated teams of litigation lawyers on the ground in Hong Kong. Core areas in this sphere include government and internal investigations, international arbitration and dispute resolution, commercial litigation, corporate governance, transactional due diligence and compliance advice. The firm also has deep local experience in Hong Kong and top-tier US law capability on anticorruption, fraud, data privacy and cybersecurity, AML and sanctions issues facing companies doing business in China.