Locke Lord Expands Hong Kong Office in Association with Team From Cheung & Lee as Worldwide Platform Continues to Grow

HONG KONG, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm Locke Lord has raised its global profile through expansion of its Hong Kong presence through association with the Hong Kong law firm of Cheung & Lee. Five experienced Partners from Cheung & Lee – Balbir Bindra, Wing Cheung, Alfred Lee, Tej Mahil and Matthew Wong – will form the initial core team of Locke Lord's expanded international footprint in Hong Kong and boost the Firm's capabilities to serve clients on a number of fronts.

The Hong Kong solicitors will collaborate with Locke Lord's 34-member London team as well as with the Firm's 11 U.S. offices to serve an increasingly global marketplace. The five new Partners have earned excellent reputations in the international arenas of banking and finance, corporate, commercial litigation and mergers and acquisitions.

"Hong Kong represents one of the true centers of the global marketplace today, and we believe we have the right team in place to be front-line participants," said Firm Chair Jerry Clements. With an office in Hong Kong for more than two years, Locke Lord's addition of an on-the-ground team of experienced and respected lawyers helps propel the Firm's strategic growth strategy to the next level, she said, and, most importantly, provides the international capabilities the Firm's clients need. "We anticipate unlimited synergies and opportunities between our new Hong Kong association and our already strong global banking and finance, corporate and commercial litigation lawyers.  With this association now in place, we look forward to growing the team and our presence in this exciting region."

"I'm very excited about our association with Locke Lord," said Balbir Bindra, who will serve as Managing Partner of the Hong Kong office. "The Firm not only is known internationally for its strong legal capabilities and client service, but also for its culture and team work. Locke Lord's Hong Kong expansion is smart and strategic, and we look forward to working together to further grow and build its international brand."

‎The Cheung & Lee team will work closely with Locke Lord's established Asia and China practice, which includes U.S.-based lawyers who are already familiar with the Asian market and culture and many of whom speak the native languages. Locke Lord opened a Hong Kong office in January 2011 to provide needed services to U.S.-based clients working in Asia and to Asian-based clients with interests in the United States. The Cheung & Lee partnership helps bolster this growing Asia and China practice. Having a well-integrated team of lawyers in Hong Kong will extend the Firm's reach around the globe, Clements said.

Cheung & Lee's Partners include:

• Balbir Bindra focuses his practice on a wide range of banking, capital markets, derivatives, leveraged finance and structured finance matters. He has also been involved in several large divestments and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and major financings. His practice has included project financings, convertible debt, syndicated loans, derivatives, special situations, distressed asset trading and other structured products. He has advised on fund governance, portfolio management and international fund structures and has been involved in structuring and financing mining and oil and gas transactions throughout the world, including in China, Southeast Asia, South America and Africa. Bindra has been named as a leading individual in both Asia Pacific Legal 500, Chambers Asia for Structured Finance and Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Structured Finance Lawyers. He previously was head of Gide Loyrette Nouel's Asia Banking & Finance Group.
• Wing L. Cheung, a former public prosecutor for the Hong Kong Government, handles both transactional and contentious matters and advises clients in a wide range of corporate finance and commercial matters. He is particularly experienced in acquiring mining interests by listed companies. Along with his commercial litigation and arbitration experience, Cheung focuses on regulatory enforcement and compliance, particularly in relation to inquiries, investigations, disciplinary and other proceedings initiated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Cheung conducts professional training courses at the Hong Kong Securities Institute and is a frequent guest on radio talk shows and legal programs. Cheung previously handled transactional and contentious matters at K&L Gates.
• Alfred C. Lee focuses his practice on corporate finance, regulatory compliance of public companies and general corporate commercial matters. He advises issuers and sponsors in IPOs on the main board and GEM of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and also represents public companies and directors of public companies in investigations and disciplinary hearings of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Lee previously was a partner at K&L Gates' Hong Kong office.
• Tej Mahil has extensive experience in domestic and multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity investments and international joint ventures involving businesses operating in a diverse number of sectors across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. Mahil has substantial experience in the hospitality and leisure sector in the representation of international hotel, lodging and gaming companies. He represents international clients in connection with foreign direct investments and also advises banks and financial institutions on the financing of corporate acquisitions and infrastructure projects, with substantial experience in international debt capital markets. Mahil was named by International Financial Law Review as a "Leading Lawyer" in mergers and acquisitions (Hong Kong 2010, 2011) and in private equity/venture capital (China 2010, 2011). Mahil previously was a member of Winston & Strawn's Hong Kong M&A and Corporate practice.
• Matthew Wong's practice focuses on corporate finance, capital markets, foreign direct investments, and mergers and acquisitions, including IPOs and secondary offerings, corporate takeovers and restructurings, private equity and venture capital investments and funds and collective investment schemes. He frequently represents public companies, investment banks and fund managers on Hong Kong company law and securities regulatory compliance issues. Wong's significant experience includes China-related corporate and direct investment transactions, and he works closely with local Chinese counsel in numerous cross-border transactions in the Greater China Region. Wong previously was a partner at Stephenson Harwood.

Locke Lord LLP consistently ranks among American Lawyer's top 100 U.S. law firms. The Firm's full range of practice and industry areas serve international and national clients from offices in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. It has an excellent reputation in complex litigation, regulatory and transactional work, with its 650-plus lawyers building collaborative relationships and crafting creative solutions – all designed and executed to meet clients' long-term strategic goals.

SOURCE Locke Lord