Thailand Financial News

Jeffrey H. Chen hired to spearhead the firm’s Asian securitization and  structured finance practice
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP has received its operating license from the Law Society of Hong Kong and will officially open its doors in the Landmark Building of Hong Kong’s Central Business District on January 1, 2007.  Initially, the Hong Kong office will focus on securitization and structured finance throughout Asia, but will soon provide a broad range of legal services to local Asian companies seeking advice regarding the U.S.

and Europe, and to foreign companies operating in Asia. “Our primary goal is to provide clients with a base in China to develop integrated growth between the United States, Europe and Asia,” said Ty Fahner, Chairman, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. “Additionally, the firm intends to assist Chinese companies looking to grow internationally.  It promises to be a rewarding endeavor for the firm and its current and future global clients alike.” Jeffrey H. Chen, formerly a partner with Jones Day in Hong Kong, has joined Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw to grow the firm’s Asian capabilities. Mr. Chen, a finance partner specializing in securitization, is recognized in the 2007 directories of IFLR 1000 and Chambers Global as a leading lawyer in his field.  He will work alongside senior London corporate partner, Stephen Bottomley, who is relocating to Hong Kong. “Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw is one of the top securitization and structured finance firms in the world,” commented Chen.  “The firm is at the front line of every legal, regulatory and accounting development and reform in the industry.  The firm has established an impressive network of clients and contacts in the United States and Europe and the arrival in Asia gives me an unparalleled opportunity to integrate my practice with this leading structured finance firm.” Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw has pioneered securitization and structured finance since the practice’s inception in the 1970s.  The firm has dominated the field in the U.S. and Europe where it has been a leading force in every type of product innovation in developed markets and at the vanguard of transactions in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Attorneys at the firm authored The Securitization of Financial Assets, the leading treatise on asset securitization used by lawyers worldwide, and created and sponsor the highly regarded website http://www.securitization.net .  The lawyers in the securitization group are also experts in Basel II, Regulation AB and the Securities Offering Reform. “We are prepared to bring the entirety of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw’s unmatched securitization expertise to the Asian markets,” commented Paul Maher, London Senior Partner and Vice-Chairman elect.  “Part of the firm’s strategy is to ensure that we are able to surpass our clients expectations in locations that are increasingly important to their business. We feel that having two highly respected partners in Jeff and Stephen gives us the best possible start.” The Hong Kong office expands the firm’s Asian footprint.  For more than eight years Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw’s Global Trade Practice has operated a consulting office in Mainland China under the name MBP Consulting.  The Global Trade Practice, which includes several former trade negotiators and senior U.S. Government policy officials, including former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Mickey Kantor, has provided support to a diverse group of multinational clients ranging from real estate, financial services and insurance to energy, pharmaceuticals and mining.  The group advises in a variety of areas in China including developing market-entry strategies, identifying local partners for joint ventures, identifying investment opportunities, securing regulatory approvals, and developing and executing strategies to address market access barriers. “The Hong Kong office will significantly broaden the capabilities we’ll be able to offer both our U.S. and European clients,” said Peter Scher, head of the Global Trade Group and chair of the firm’s China Task Force.  “We look forward to working closely with Jeff and Stephen to identify key areas for growth throughout Asia.” The firm’s license takes effect on December 1, 2006, and the office expects to be fully operational early in the first quarter of 2007.
About Jeffrey Chen and Stephen Bottomley: Stephen Bottomley, a partner in the London office since 1988, advises on a wide range of corporate matters, specializing in corporate finance, M&A and venture capital work and in particular advising on London AIM admissions. He has been acknowledged as a leader in his field by both the Chambers UK and The UK Legal 500 directories as well as being recommended for corporate and M&A work in the PLC Cross-border M&A Handbook 2006/7.  Stephen will relocate to Hong Kong to head up the new office in January 2007.

SOURCE:  Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP CONTACT:  Stephen Bottomley,
Partner, Corporate Group, London, Peter Scher,
Partner, Global Trade Group, Washington DC, Will Hulbert,
Head of Marketing Communications, London, Aimee Jasculca,
Public Relations Manager, Chicago, all of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Web site: http://www.mayerbrownrowe.com