Ogier promotes three new partners in Hong Kong Corporate and Funds teams

Ogier has promoted three new partners in its Hong Kong Corporate and Funds teams.

Lin Jacobsen, Florence Chan and Cecilia Li became partners of the firm on 1 December having progressed through the firm's partner development programme.

Nicholas Plowman, practice partner of Ogier's Hong Kong team, said: "In what has been an extraordinary and challenging 12 months, Lin, Florence and Cecilia have continued to demonstrate outstanding legal expertise and best-in-class service to clients in the region. These promotions recognise the firm's commitment to developing our talent internally with Lin, Florence and Cecilia all training at and being with the firm for a number of years now. I'm looking forward to working with each of them to drive the continued success and growth of our transactional teams."

Ogier's funds team in Hong Kong was recently a finalist in the HFM Asia Services Awards 2021 and the firm's Corporate team has been named one of the top three offshore legal advisers for Asia-related SPACs in the Asia Business Law Journal's 2021 SPAC Super League.

Lin Jacobsen has worked onshore in both the US and Hong Kong in top tier international firms. Since joining Ogier, Lin's practice primarily involves working across a range of issues for investment funds, both open and closed ended, with a particular focus on clients based in China. She advises primarily on the laws of the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. Lin is a native Mandarin speaker and also holds, among other qualifications, a Juris Doctor degree (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar) from Columbia University in New York.

Clients say of Lin: "A highly responsive and dedicated lawyer – Lin has been very considerate and thoughtful during our preparation of the fund, raising questions and concerns that we may not have covered, and keeping us posted on any changes to Cayman law to ensure the fund remains compliant." (IFLR 1000 2021)

Nick Plowman, who heads Ogier's Asia funds team, said: "Lin is a fantastic funds lawyer. She's a huge asset to the partnership and I'm excited to see her develop in her new role."

Florence Chan, who specialises in downstream corporate advisory – acquisitions, investments and exits – is part of Ogier's multi-disciplinary Private Equity team. Florence is also well experienced with SPAC listings in the US. Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, she qualified in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, joining Ogier in 2012 to work on corporate finance transactions including initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Florence was part of the team that advised the innovative and award-winning Taiwan Cement Corporation's privatisation of TCC International Holdings Limited, structured through a Cayman Islands scheme of arrangement, as well as acting in two award-winning deals in China: Huya's US$10 billion merger with Douyu and Baidu's US$3.6 billion acquisition of YY Live, both named Deals of the Year 2020 by the China Business Law Journal.

Clients say of Florence: "A terrific partner in tough, time-sensitive deals."

Cecilia Li has a broad corporate finance practice with particular expertise in using BVI and Cayman companies in capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, corporate reorganisations and joint ventures. She also has extensive experience in banking and syndicated loan transactions, mortgage backed securities transactions and debt restructurings. As a native Mandarin speaker (also fluent in English and Cantonese), Cecilia regularly advises both international and Chinese clients across a broad range of corporate, fundraising and financing transactions. Her clients include listed companies, major Chinese state-owned enterprises, major investment banks, financial institutions and private equity houses.

Ogier's global head of Corporate law, Nathan Powell, said: "Florence and Cecilia are both exceptional lawyers who bring unique talents, skills and experience to our global team of corporate partners. Both have supported our clients on a number of landmark deals over many years with the firm. I am delighted that Florence and Cecilia are joining our leadership team which will significantly enhance the delivery of expert legal advice to our clients across the region."