Carol Hall to Head Walkers' New Hong Kong Investment Funds Group

HONG KONG, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading International Financial Centre law firm Walkers is pleased to announce the appointment of Carol Hall as Head of its newly-formed Investment Funds Group in Hong Kong. Clients in the region will benefit from the Group's expertise across the full spectrum of investment funds, covering hedge funds, private equity and distressed funds.

"Asia and Hong Kong in particular have been considerable focal points for Walkers' growth in recent years and we have received an excellent response from our clients in this region," said Ms. Hall. "The combination of specialist hedge fund and private equity attorneys within Walkers' Investment Funds Group will ensure we continue to provide advice that is commercially aware and technically excellent. We will also look for ways to add value, with a focus on responsiveness, which have always been hallmarks of Walkers' client service model."

Ms. Hall has more than 17 years experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and investment funds, including 11 years specifically in Hong Kong. She specialises in hedge funds and private equity funds and has led the development of Walkers' Hedge Funds practice in Hong Kong since joining as a partner in 2005. Ms. Hall will be supported in her role by partner Denise Wong who has a focus on hedge funds, private equity funds and all areas of corporate transactions.

"We anticipate a period of sustained hedge fund start-up activity in Asia over the next 12-to-18 months, with more managers from mainland China setting up shop in Hong Kong or Singapore and attracting money from mainland investors," Ms. Wong said. "Potential legislative changes could also result in managers establishing representative offices in or, in some cases, fully relocating to Asia from Europe and the United States."

Within the Investment Funds Group in Hong Kong, Walkers' attorneys possess unrivalled experience in all aspects of private equity fund structures and transactions including fund raising, secured lending, due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and other exit strategies.  The group's expertise in distressed funds is particularly highly regarded and Walkers regularly acts for funds, investors, service providers and affected financial institutions on distressed funds matters. In addition, clients in Asia are further supported by Walkers' Singapore office which operates seamlessly with the Hong Kong office.

"Our experience in establishing funds of virtually every known strategy and style for all the major players in the market gives Walkers a unique perspective on the investment funds industry. Those insights ultimately benefit our global clients," said Ms. Hall. "With the resurgence in client activity that we have seen in recent months in Asia, and with many managers now looking to structure funds with more complex strategies and higher levels of liquidity, 2010 promises to be a particularly interesting time for the market. Our expertise will be particularly important to ensure that our clients can structure funds that will meet their goals."

Walkers' Investment Funds Group is one of the largest specialist offshore investment funds teams in the world, with more than 85 lawyers across seven international offices, advising on the laws of the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Jersey. The firm advises most of the world's best known names in the investment funds world, including administrators, asset managers, promoters, institutional investors, private equity houses and onshore law firms. Walkers' Global Investment Funds Group is co-headed by partners Rod Palmer in Dubai and Vicki Hazelden in the Cayman Islands.

"I know that Carol will be able to take the Hong Kong Investment Funds team to the next level, and help move the global organisation forward. The integrated nature of our Global Investment Funds Group ensures that we are accessible to our clients anywhere at any time," said Mr. Palmer. "Our job is to be a core member of our clients' team and we are committed to delivering world-class client service whether the client is in Hong Kong, the United States, London, or anywhere on the globe."

Walkers' Investment Funds Group further benefits from access to a range of corporate, trustee and independent director services provided by Walkers Fund Services Limited, Walkers Corporate Services Limited and Walkers Corporate Services (BVI) Limited.

About The Walkers Group

From offices in the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jersey, London, and Singapore, the Walkers group provides legal and management services to leading FORTUNE 100 and FTSE 100 global corporations and financial institutions, capital markets participants, investment fund managers, and growth-and middle-market companies. The Walkers group is comprised of leading offshore law firm, Walkers; fund services provider, Walkers Fund Services Limited; and SPV and corporate services providers, Walkers SPV Limited, Walkers Corporate Services Limited and Walkers Corporate Services (BVI) Limited.

Walkers' expertise has been validated by numerous awards including "Offshore Law Firm of the Year" by Alpha Magazine, The Lawyer, PLC Which Lawyer? and Asian Legal Business. Walkers has also been honoured as the PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook Leading Cayman Islands Law Firm, Who's Who Legal Law Firm of the Year: Cayman Islands and has shared honours for "Offshore Legal Team of the Year" by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Many of Walkers' attorneys have also been recognised by the industry and their peers.

For more information on the Walkers group, visit us on the web at www.walkersglobal.com or contact us by e-mail at [email protected]. To contact Walkers by phone, call our Cayman Islands office at +345-949-0100, our Hong Kong office at +852 2284 4566, or our Singapore office at +65 6595 4670.

SOURCE Walkers