Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory (International Firms) | Greater China Region

Mark Johnson is held in high regard by market commentators, who see him as a longstanding member of the financial services regulatory sphere. He is an of counsel and is primarily known for contentious matters, advising international banks, PRC corporates and brokers on share ownership disputes, and on HKEX, SFC and US DOJ investigations as well as internal investigations.

James Wadham is a linchpin in Davis Polk's contentious regulatory team and continues to offer top-tier advice on regulatory investigations and enforcement issues. His enviable client roster includes a number of banks, hedge funds and asset managers.

Martin Rogers is a driving force of Davis Polk's contentious financial services department and widely seen as a market-leading force whose practice primarily focuses on regulatory enforcement work and complex litigation in the financial services space.

Tim Mak serves many financial institutions and listed companies from Freshfields' base in Hong Kong. He offers clients a wealth of experience in both contentious and advisory regulatory matters, handling matters ranging from the defence of IPO sponsors to internal and regulatory investigations on the contentious side, and regulatory transactional advice and compliance reviews on the advisory side.

Alan Linning handles a wide range of contentious regulatory mandates, spanning SFC misconduct investigations, virtual banking licence applications, internal reviews and MMT proceedings. He is co-head of Mayer Brown's Hong Kong financial services regulatory team. He has been particularly active on ESG and climate-related advisory work of late.

Andrew Chung of Linklaters' Hong Kong office leads advice for banks and financial institutions on both internal and external investigations. He leverages his practice with his previous in-house experience at an investment bank.

Cynthia Tang heads Baker McKenzie's contentious team, offering clients over two decades of experience handling financial services regulatory disputes. Her practice encompasses advising a range of banks on investigations relating to misappropriation of funds, anti-money laundering and hiring practices.

Kyle Wombolt remains a top choice for global and regional clients for their contentious regulatory and criminal matters. He is regularly called on to advise investors dealing with SFC investigations.

William Hallatt of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher's Hong Kong office brings banks and financial institutions a raft of experience in both contentious and advisory regulatory matters. He is adept at handling SFC and internal investigations, licensing applications and compliance advisory matters.

Dominic James boasts a wide-ranging contentious financial services practice, handling matters ranging from fraud recovery to defending parallel investigations and advising on disclosure obligations. He is usually sought after by fund managers, banks and asset managers.

Donna Wacker's regulatory practice spans both advisory and contentious work, including internal investigations, SFO applications and MMT proceedings. Her clients include financial institutions and investment firms.

Hannah Cassidy is head of Herbert Smith Freehills' Hong Kong financial services regulatory team, offering a broad practice spanning advice for financial services firms on misconduct investigations, internal investigations for fintech clients and advice on SFC applications.

Jill Wong regularly advises banks, cryptocurrency clients and e-commerce providers on regulatory issues, as well as advising on regulatory investigations and responding to inquiries from Hong Kong statutory bodies and regulators.

Gareth Hughes advises banks and financial institutions on internal investigations and reviews of regulatory obligations as part of his broader contentious practice. He is co-head of Debevoise & Plimpton's financial institutions department in Hong Kong.

Lisa Martin specialises in market misconduct investigations and advice. Corporations and financial institutions frequently rely on her advice on both domestic and cross-border matters.

Maria Sit leads Dechert's financial services disputes team in Hong Kong. She regularly acts for asset managers and investors on regulatory investigations, as well as advising on regulatory reporting obligations.

Jonathan Wong has a notable practice that predominantly covers contentious financial regulatory work. He frequently advises financial institutions and investment management companies on regulatory and internal investigations, as well as assisting them with responding to various enquiries.

Joshua Friedman handles regulatory investigations and enforcement actions. He regularly assists financial institutions, private equity houses and individuals on a wide range of financial matters.

Stephanie Chan is deemed a rising star in the market by commentators. Her deft handling of SFC and other regulatory investigations attracts many instructions from Hong Kong-listed companies.