Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has acquired Hong Kong-based asset financing boutique William KK Ho & Co, two months after seven asset finance lawyers left to join Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW).
The five-lawyer team hire includes managing partner William Ho and partner Jackson Chow, who both specialise in asset financing.
Ho is an expert in aviation financing and has a broad range of experience across export credits, sovereign lending, tax leasing operating leases and the sale and purchase of aircraft and shipping vessels.
Chow’s clients include a number of airlines, banks and aircraft lessors. He has a broad range of experience covering cross-border financing transactions, asset backed securitisations, Japanese operating leases and French tax leases.
Associates Karen He, Clara Lam and Calvin Leung will also be joining the firm along with paralegal Victoria Li. BLP has also hired William KK Ho’s three business services staff.
BLP head of finance Adam Dann said: “The aviation financing and leasing market is booming at present. In the next 20 years, it is estimated that over 35,000 new aircraft will be required to meet an expected annual five per cent growth in world passenger travel.
“These hires enhance our global finance capabilities and are wholly in alignment with a key part of the firm’s overall strategy to continue to develop our debt finance and corporate capabilities.”
BLP also boosted its aviation practice through the recent hire of Colin Thaine as aviation business principal in April. Thaine specialises in aircraft financing in the aviation industry and has worked at Airbus, BCAL and Qantas.
The acquisition comes as the Hong Kong government prepares to launch a series of initiatives to promote the region as a leasing and financing centre.
The new team will join BLP on 18 July 2016.
BLP’s asset finance team took a hit in March when seven of the firm’s asset finance lawyers left to join HFW. The team was split across BLP’s Singapore and Hong Kong offices and included partners David Brotherton and Justin Sun.
