LAWYER PROFILE

Robert Ashworth

Greater China Region 2026

Freshfields

Ranked in 1 practice area

Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)

China

14 years ranked

About

Provided by Freshfields

Practice Areas

Robert is Freshfields’ Co-head of global M&A. He specialises in all forms of M&A and private equity and is known for board-level advice on corporate finance and governance matters. With over 25 years’ experience in Asia, he has led on many of the region’s most high-profile transactions, including Starbucks’ US$1.3bn buy-out of its East China business, Hutchison’s US$1.86bn sale of its fixed-line telecommunications business and various investments for PayPal in Asia.

Career

Robert has won numerous legal accolades and awards, including Dealmaker of the Year twice and International M&A Lawyer of the Year in 2018.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Greater China Region

Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms) - China

Senior Statespeople

Individual Editorial

Robert Ashworth is a pre-eminent lawyer who is singled out for his handling of sizeable acquisitions, joint ventures and investments for multinational entities across the technology and finance industries. He is co-head of the firm's global M&A practice.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

He is very good. He works seamlessly with us and is punctual in responses.
Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)Chambers Greater China Region

Ranked Individuals at Freshfields (28)

China

Daniel French
Banking & Finance: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
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Celia Zhou
Banking & Finance: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
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Daniel French
Banking & Finance: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance (International Firms)
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Celia Zhou
Banking & Finance: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance (International Firms)
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Gautam Agarwal
Banking & Finance: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance (International Firms)
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Bing Guan
Capital Markets: Debt (International Firms)
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Grace Huang
Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms)
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Richard Wang
Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms)
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Howie Farn
Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms)
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David Yi
Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms)
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Ninette Dodoo
Competition/Antitrust (International Firms)
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Xin Liu
Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms)
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Robert Ashworth
Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
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Edward Freeman
Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
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Alan Wang
Corporate/M&A: Mainland China-based (International Firms)
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Yuxin Shen
Corporate/M&A: Mainland China-based (International Firms)
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John Choong
Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms)
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Xin Liu
Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms)
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Stephanie Chiu
Employment: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
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Tim Mak
Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory (International Firms)
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Matthew O'Callaghan
Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory (International Firms)
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Tim Mak
Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory (International Firms)
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Richard Bird
Intellectual Property (International Firms)
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Ya Ma
Life Sciences (International Firms)
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Edward Freeman
Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (International Firms)
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