Welcome to ALB 21st HONG KONG IN-HOUSE LEGAL SUMMIT 2024!

	DATE 12 SEPTEMBER 2024, THURSDAY
	TIME 8:30 AM - REGISTRATION 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
	VENUE CONRAD HONG KONG Grand Ballroom, Lower Lobby (Press “LL” at lift, or 1 level down from lobby level)

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GUEST-OF-HONOR

Mr Paul Lam Ting-kwok, SBS, SC, JP,  Secretary for Justice

Mr Paul Lam has been the Secretary for Justice since 1 July 2022. Before joining the Government, Mr Lam was a Senior Counsel in private practice specialising in general civil and commercial proceedings, and has passed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination. He was a former Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association from 2014 to 2017 and the Chairman from 2017 to 2018. He sat as a Deputy Judge of the High Court of Hong Kong for short periods each year since 2015. He was once enlisted in the Panel of Arbitrators of the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration and The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, and was once appointed by the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing as professor.

Mr Lam held a number of public service positions, such as Chairman of the Consumer Council, Chairman of the Administrative Appeals Board, Chairman of ICAC Operations Review Committee and Member of Independent Police Complaints Council

 

SPEAKERS

Drew Macaulay, Managing Director, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Consilio

Drew Macaulay is a Managing Director of Consilio, a global leader in Legal Consulting & Legal Services.

Drew is Consilio's primary subject matter expert in cross-border litigation, regulatory and internal investigations. Drew has particular expertise with multi-jurisdictional anti-corruption/bribery/FCPA and cartel investigations involving the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

Drew engages with clients in the early stages of projects to map out requirements and formulate a strategic plan that delivers project objectives while remaining compliant with applicable data privacy, banking secrecy or other legislation restricting movement of data.

Over the last thirteen years, Drew has led projects for Consilio clients in more than 30 countries. In addition to client project work, Drew has management responsibility for Consilio's business development teams across Europe and Asia.

 

Ben Cooper, Managing Partner, Ashford Benjamin

Ben is a Barrister of England & Wales (Middle Temple) and previously practised employment law in London, before moving into executive search.

He is the founder of Ashford Benjamin Legal Search, which includes the largest specialist legal search team in Hong Kong. He has placed over 200 lawyers into in-house roles over a 16-year career, including over 12-year in Hong Kong.

Ben has been a mentor for Women in Law HK, is a Board Director for the migrant support charity ReAct, and sits on the Seminar Committee for the ACC.

 

Basil Hwang, Managing Partner, Hauzen LLP

Mr. Hwang has over 26 years of dedicated experience in financial contentious and non-contentious matters. He is highly services regulation, in both regarded for his in-depth familiarity with policies, regulations and business practices in the Greater China region. He is adviser to several high-profile cross-border cryptocurrency litigation matters.

Mr. Hwang was the founder and managing partner of a US international firm’s Hong Kong office, the executive director of a Hong Kong Mainboard-listed company, and the general counsel and independent director of other public companies in Hong Kong and Singapore. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong). Mr. Hwang is regularly quoted by the financial media on financial services, fintech and insolvency matters.

 

Nickolas Sam, Partner, Hauzen LLP

Nick is also recognised for his expertise advising on the laws of the Marshall Islands and has been consecutively ranked every year since 2020 in the Asia-Pacific and Global editions of Chambers and Partners for his expertise in Marshall Islands law.  Clients praise him as “a very approachable and excellent resource for advice on the intricacies of Marshall Islands law.” He is also described as “extremely responsive and knowledgeable, and prompt, concise and user-friendly in his advice”.

Prior to joining Hauzen LLP, Nick founded a boutique corporate law firm in Hong Kong where he practised for five years, and before that was at global offshore firm Ogier, where he specialized in Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law matters. Additionally, he has also held directorships of companies listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

Nick holds qualifications as a solicitor in Hong Kong, New Zealand, England & Wales and the British Virgin Islands, as well as an attorney in the Marshall Islands.

 

Terence Wong, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP

Terence Wong is a Partner from Loeb & Loeb International Law Firm based in Hong Kong.  He is an experienced lawyer focusing on cross border litigation and arbitration between Hong Kong, Mainland China, and other jurisdictions in the region and around the world.  He has acted as an advocate as well as an arbitrator in court proceedings as well as arbitration proceedings, involving different industries such as engineering and construction, mining and resources, intellectual property, joint venture partners and shareholders disputes, international sale of goods, as well as cryptocurrencies. Terence regularly shares his experience via Seminars organized by professional bodies to lawyers and non-lawyers.

 

Jozsef C. Acabo, Regional Sales Director, Diligent

Jozsef currently serves as the Regional  Sales  Director  at  Diligent,  a  leading  governance,  risk  and compliance (GRC) SaaS company, serving over 1 million users from over 25,000 customers around the globe.

Jozsef has 18 years of Technology experience spanning from Software Development, Enterprise Software Implementation, Business Development and Sales across APAC. His most recent certifications include Climate Leadership certification from Diligent Institute, Sustainability Transformation for leaders from LinkedIn, Design Thinking from University of Virginia Darden Business School and Technology Entrepreneurship from Harvard. He is currently a member of Singapore Institute of Directors (SID).

Jozsef’s recent works include helping companies across Southeast Asia in transforming Governance, Risk, and ESG processes that spans across Conglomerates, PLCs, and Mid-sized Enterprises in Asia.

 

 

Edward Tung, Head of Legal and Compliance, ORI Capital

Edward is the Head of Legal and Compliance at ORI Capital, where he also chairs the Risk Management Committee. With over a decade of experience in the biotech and legal sectors, he has a proven track record of success in building and leading multidisciplinary teams through complex regulatory landscapes and high-stakes financial negotiations.

Edward's professional qualifications as a Solicitor, combined with his educational background of a Ph.D. in Medicine, provide a solid foundation for his multifaceted expertise. Recognized as Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House), one of Asia’s 40 Under 40, and among Asia’s top 15 Chief Compliance Officers by ALB, Edward's distinguished career highlights his contributions to the legal, compliance and biotech fields.

 

Winnie Ma, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Hang Lung Properties Limited

Winnie has been practising laws in Hong Kong and Mainland China with renowned international law firms and Fortune 500 companies for over 24 years.

A M&A lawyer by background, with strong skills in running, negotiating, and closing deals, coupled with her experience of working in different cultures, strong commercial acumen and focus on excellent corporate governance, Winnie has proven to be a trusted advisor in finding practical legal solutions in the in-house positions she held.

Winnie started her in-house career with leading the efforts that established AXA’s life insurance business in Malaysia and that expanded its business in Hong Kong with acquisitions.  In her early 30s, she was appointed as the General Counsel of Hutchison Telecommunications, and she has been in leadership positions since then.  Prior to joining Hang Lung, she was the Senior Vice President, General Counsel of PCCW, and the Vice President, Head of Corporate of Walmart China, and the Regional Legal Counsel of Walmart before then.  

Under her leadership, Hang Lung was awarded the “Awards of Excellence in Corporate Governance” from The Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies in 2021.  

Winnie is committed to empowering women and a firm believer of “We Can Have It All”.  She was on the steering committee of “Women in Leadership” program of Walmart, and a mentor of “Strive and Rise Program” organized by HK Government, and “Hang Lung Future Women Leaders Program” that empowers university students in HK and Mainland China. 

 

Ranajit Dam, Managing Editor, Thomson Reuters

Ranajit Dam is the Managing Editor of Thomson Reuters Legal Media Group, which includes Asian Legal Business, Asia’s foremost monthly publication covering the legal industry. A former lawyer, Dam has been a journalist for more than 15 years, after graduating from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Since then, he has worked in the United States, India, China and Singapore, where he is currently based.

 

Shih-Jern Liang, General Counsel, International, Ralph Lauren

Shih-Jern Liang is General Counsel, International at Ralph Lauren, where he manages legal and regulatory matters across the APAC and EMEA regions. He is part of International senior management and also supports the Company’s government relations and public affairs efforts. 

Mr. Liang was previously in private practice at Davis Polk & Wardwell, where he worked in the firm’s New York, London and Hong Kong offices, focusing on capital markets and corporate finance.

Mr. Liang is a graduate of University College London and Harvard Law School. He is admitted to practise in New York, England and Hong Kong. He has a keen interest in mentoring and is active through various university alumni mentoring initiatives. 

 

Kevin Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Gate.HK

Kevin Lee has joined Gate.HK, the Hong Kong entity of the Gate Group, since 2023 as Chief Executive Officer. He is an early adopter in cryptocurrency and digital assets since 2014, and he was the Head of Sales Trading of the first ever SFC-licensed digital asset trading platform in Hong Kong. Mr Lee has more than 15 years of experience in algorithmic trading and financial products in artificial intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining Gate.HK, Mr Lee has been working with major financial institutions, including BNP Paribas, Macquarie Group, and JPMorgan Chase. Mr Lee is also an endeavour in the growth of startups in Hong Kong, serving as the Country Manager for Yelp's successful launch in the region. Mr Lee holds a bachelor degree in business administration and a bachelor degree in software engineering from the University of Hong Kong.

 

Helene Li, Co-Founder & CEO, GoImpact

A seasoned management consultant and finance industry professional, Helene has held various senior management positions in Strategic Planning, Marketing and Branding throughout her career which includes tenure at global consulting giants Boston Consulting Group and Willis Towers Watson. 

Prior to founding GoImpact platform developed to accelerate the adoption of Sustainable Finance, Helene was Managing Director and Head of Strategic Planning, Brand and Communications Asia Pacific for BNP Paribas Wealth Management, a role she has held for 5 years. She also held similar roles at J.P. Morgan Private Bank and Swiss wealth management firm Lombard Odier. In these capacities, she was instrumental in advancing the agenda of Sustainable Finance and Investments across a broad client base of family offices and asset owners. 

Helene is a known Influencer and Key Opinion Leader in Fintech and Digital Transformation, recognized by Thomson Reuters Refinitiv as Top 5 in Asia Pacific, and globally a Top 2 Influencer in Sustainable Finance. She has received numerous accolades as Top 100 Women in Finance from FinTech Times, and Top 50 Hall of Fame Global Fintech Leaders. GoImpact platform has already forged partnerships with key players like Temasek Foundation, UNDP, Financial Times and Bloomberg since inception one year ago. In 2023, Helene has been appointed as one of five founding faculties for the newly launched Mandatory Accreditation Programme Part II: Leading for Impact for all Board Directors of publicly listed companies on Bursa Malaysia, which is an initiative of Securities Commission Malaysia, mandated by Bursa Malaysia and organized by Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia.

A sought-after speaker and moderator at Fintech and Sustainable Finance forums, Helene graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a First Class Honors degree in English and Economics. 

 

Sanjeev Aaron Williams, Solicitor and Writer on digital economy

Sanjeev Aaron Williams is a commercial litigation solicitor from international and Hong Kong firms. He leveraged law with business studies, entrepreneurship and tech. He is fascinated by startups and follows the Hong Kong startup scene. In addition, he writes on geopolitical risk and digital economy. His writings have appeared in World Money Laundering Report, China Daily and South China Morning Post. He was also a media partner for Bitcoin Asia 2024 held in Hong Kong.

 

 

Michael Ting, General Counsel (Legal and Compliance), Hong Kong and Macau, Manulife (International) Limited

Michael Ting is the General Counsel (Legal & Compliance) of Manulife (International) Limited (MIL) who spearheads the overall legal and compliance matters in relation to the insurance business in Hong Kong and Macau. Michael possesses legal qualifications in three different jurisdictions and has over two decades of solid legal and compliance experience and held various senior legal/compliance positions in life firms including Sunlife, New York Life and YF Life (formerly known as MassMutual Asia). In addition, Michael has extensive experience in representing MIL and the industrial groups for the talk-of-the-town legal issues. Michael is always keen to share his insight on the legal and regulatory issues with a vision to reunite the industry for a common goal.

 

Alexander Shaik, Partner and General Counsel, ADM Capital

Mr. Alexander Shaik is a Partner and General Counsel of ADM Capital.

He has over 25 years legal and commercial experience working on corporate and structured finance transactions. Mr. Shaik has been involved in over 200 innovative private credit transactions valued at over $5bn in all key markets across APAC including Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Before joining ADM Capital in 2005, Alexander Shaik was employed with US law firm, Sidley Austin, and prior to that, with Allen & Overy.

Mr Shaik’s role involves supervising legal, structuring, execution, enforcement, and regulatory compliance issues. He is also a member of ADM Capital’s Investment Committee.

 

Sanjeev Gathani, Legal and Compliance, RV Group (S) Pte Ltd

MBA and extensively qualified and accomplished privacy, governance, risk and compliance professional, corporate advisor/trainer and public speaker with 20+ years of experience working for a range of businesses across Asia. Subject Matter Expert (SME) leading consultancy businesses and creating and delivering first-rate training in bespoke workshops. First Singaporean to be awarded Full Member Corporate Governance Practitioner (MGP); to have completed the Advanced Corporate Governance Certificate programme and to gain the Master Access and Privacy Professional (MAPP) accreditation.

 

Agustin R. Montilla, IV, Senior Partner, Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles

Agustin R. Montilla IV is a senior partner in the Mergers, Acquisitions & Capital Markets practice of Romulo, serving clients over more than two decades.

Recent highlights include the perpetual equity offering that won Best Equity Deal and best Issuer for Sustainable Finance from The Asset in 2024; acquisition of the assets of the Hanjin shipyard from financial lenders;  acquisition by Aboitiz InfraCapital of the Mactan Cebu International Airport; the acquisition by Baring Private Equity Asia (now EQT) of Hinduja’s healthcare services business; the investment by GIC Private Limited into 17.5% of Ayala’s renewable energy platform (ACEN); separate tender offers by KKR for publicly held shares in First Gen Corporation; and recent debt as well as equity fund raises in the Philippines and international markets.

Mr. Montilla has served on the board of Lex Mundi and the Asia Society.  He currently serves on the boards of the Manila Polo Club and other non-profit organizations in the fields of education and assistance to persons affected by cancer.

 

Sebastian Ko, General Counsel, DFX Labs

Sebastian is the General Counsel of DFX Labs, an SFC deemed-to-be licensed virtual asset trading platform and subsidiary of Lian Lian DigiTech (2598.HK). In the past 5 years, he has specialised in advising on Web3 investments, digital asset regulation, and RWA tokenization.

Over 15 years, Sebastian has led legal-tech businesses at FiscalNote and Epiq, and has practiced fintech law at Linklaters and other leading  firms. He teaches legal innovation as Adjunct Lecturer of Law (HKU), and authored book chapters in The RegTech Book and The LegalTech Book (Wiley). He holds the BCL (Oxford), MBA (HKUST), BSc LLB (Monash), and PCLL (HKU). 

 

 

Patrick IP, Managing Director, China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund (CAF)

Mr. Patrick Ip joined China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund (“CAF”) in early 2011. CAF has the backing of the China government dedicated to making equity and quasi equity investments in ASEAN.  In his current capacity as the Managing Director and a member of the Investment Committee and Credit Committee he drives the investment team in sourcing, evaluating, managing and exiting investments in ASEAN. At CAF he had led a number of successful investments in sectors including infrastructure, telecom, healthcare, shipping and logistics in ASEAN countries. He has served on BOD to some of most notable companies in ASEAN. That include the largest port and the largest biomass power producer in Thailand/ ASEAN, the largest shipping and logistic company in the Philippines, the largest fiber optic network in Myanmar and Cambodia where he oversaw, the largest digital TV in the country. His other BOD and investment experience include the largest potash mining company in Laos/ASEAN, the fastest growing healthcare clinic company in Singapore/ASEAN, one of the largest independent telco tower companies and the largest nickel resources company in Indonesia. Prior to that, he held a senior position with the private equity arm of the French Exim bank, Natixis covering Asia. He also co-found a boutique Hong Kong SFC regulated buy side asset management firm in Hong Kong. He qualified with PwC London and Hong Kong where he held senior audit and advisory positions. He also served as an in house legal of the TMT division Wharf Group (a blue chip listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange).

Patrick is a CFA Charterholder, a CPA (HK) and a FCCA (UK) and holds a LLB (Hons) from London University Law Schools and a BA (Hons) from University of Leeds (UK) and a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors. He is ex Chairman of the Hong Kong Private Equity Finance Association and is a current external member to Hong Kong Science and Technology Park incubation admission panel.

 

 

Yvette Marie G. Rodriguez, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch

Yvette has been with Deutsche Bank since 2006 and is currently the Head of Capital Markets and M&A Legal for Asia Pacific.  She also chairs Deutsche Bank’s APAC Legal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council.   She first joined Deutsche Bank in New York in 2006 and moved to Hong Kong in 2012.   Yvette is responsible for advising DB on a broad range of debt and equity capital markets and M&A transactions for corporate and sovereign Asia-based clients. 

She is a New York and Philippines qualified lawyer.  Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, she worked at White & Case in New York from 1999-2005.  She also worked at Romulo in the Philippines from 1996-1998.

 

 

Nicole Lew, Head of Listing Compliance and Corporate Governance, Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Nicole Lew is the Head of Listing Compliance and Corporate Governance at Alibaba Group, with responsibility for both listing compliance and overseas compliance, as well as corporate governance for Alibaba Group. Prior to her current position, she was General Counsel of Alibaba Health Information Technology Limited, listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Nicole started her legal career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where she worked for eight years. She is a Hong Kong solicitor and is also qualified to practise law in England and Wales.

 

 

Hui Xu, Partner, Head of China Litigation and Investigation, Latham & Watkins LLP

Hui Xu, Chief Representative of Latham & Watkins’ Beijing office and head of China litigation and investigations practices, represents clients in multi-jurisdictional litigation, government investigations and enforcement, and compliance matters across financial services, technology, and life sciences sectors. As one of the few battle-tested regulatory investigation and litigation lawyers in top international law firms in China, Hui is widely renowned for his representation of Chinese companies and individuals in complex cross-border litigation, particularly in the US. His team was awarded 2023 Regulatory Compliance Firm of the Year by ALB China Law Awards.

Prior to private practice, Hui was a member of the in-house legal department at the China Chamber of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce of China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vivian Ng, Director, Legal, NetApp 

Vivian Ng is a Legal Director at NetApp.  Prior to joining NetApp, she was in private practice. She is qualified in Hong Kong as well as England and Wales. She is also a professional member of the International Compliance Association.

 

Raymond Goh, Chief Operating Officer, Quantum Capital

Raymond is the Chief Operating Officer of Quantum Capital, with oversight of corporate development, enterprise risk management, legal, compliance, corporate governance, and international regulatory affairs of the company’s operations, principal investments, and strategic initiatives around the world.

He has received numerous industry awards over the years and was recognized as one of the most influential corporate counsels in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist for China and Hong Kong in 2017.

Prior to joining Quantum Capital, he spent more than 20 years in various senior management, corporate development, and enterprise risk management roles with startups, multinational (public and private) diversified conglomerates, a leading bulge bracket investment bank, and in private practice with Magic Circle and Wall Street law firms where he focused on international capital markets transactions, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, technology, media and telecommunications, blockchain, digital assets, and Web3 transactions, strategic initiatives, and principal investments across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Raymond is a graduate of Columbia Law School, New York, and The Wharton School’s Advanced Management Program for Senior Executives.

 

Rob Head, Senior Director, Proposition Lead, Legal Content Solution, Head of Hong Kong Office, Thomson Reuters

 

Nicholas Langsford, Senior Legal Counsel, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

Nicholas is a Senior Legal Counsel on the Commercial Legal Team at Cathay Pacific who advises on a wide variety of commercial contracts, including IT software, services and infrastructure agreements.  Nicholas is a qualified attorney in New York and has over 18 years of experience advising on high-value technology, telecommunications, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and aviation transactions.”

 

Hsiang Low, General Counsel & Director of Operations, Riverchain

Hsiang is the General Counsel and Director of Operations at Riverchain, a FinTech startup in Hong Kong simplifying access to working capital for the construction industry. He is a qualified solicitor with 10+ years of legal experience, and practised at the UK & Asia offices of magic circle law firm Linklaters as a structured finance lawyer. He has also worked as the Head of Asia-Pacific at two legal tech startups, and was named one of the 30 legal tech innovators in the Asia-Pacific region to follow in 2023.

 

 

Elsa Ho, Senior Legal Operations Manager, HSBC

Elsa is a forward-thinking legal operations consultant known for getting things done. With expertise in project management and commercial law, she has transformed process-heavy industries by implementing innovative solutions for contract management and workflow automation. Elsa’s collaborative approach fosters teamwork, boosting productivity and cutting costs across organizations. As a Senior Manager at HSBC, she continues to inspire innovation and drive impactful and scalable changes, making her a true trailblazer in legal operations.

 

Stephanie Siu, Strategic Legal Solutions Manager, Thomson Reuters

Stephanie is the Strategic Legal Solutions Manager at Thomson Reuters, and looks over the legal technology suite in the region.

Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, she worked at a legaltech startup to spearhead their APAC business and onboarded their first clients in 7 new jurisdictions. There she led a team across business development, marketing, sales, implementation and delivery, and client succession functions, and negotiated creative partnerships locally.

Prior to her pivot to legal technology, Stephanie was a corporate lawyer at Reed Smith. She is also a regular lecturer and speaker at local universities and conferences on legal innovation, and was recognised as 1 out of 11 Women to Watch in Asia in 2023 for her contribution in the legaltech space.

 

Polly Poon, Senior Client Specialist, Thomson Reuters

Polly Poon is a Senior Client Specialist at Thomson Reuters, renowned for her expertise in legal technology and strategic product advocacy. With over a decade of experience and a strong foundation in software engineering, Polly excels in driving innovation and managing complex change initiatives. Her leadership spans regions including ANZ, APAC and the Middle East, where she enhances client success and operational efficiency. Polly's diverse client portfolio includes financial institutions, oil and gas, technology, where she fosters key partnerships and delivers transformative results. Her ability to influence stakeholders and navigate market dynamics makes her a trusted advisor in the industry.

 

Ronald Yu, U.S. Patent Agent; Digital Forensics Examiner

Ronald started his career at IBM where he worked on large scale computers and supported the development of new networking technology, working alongside people like Craig Newmark who would later go on to found Craigslist.   

He also worked at FedEx with the team that created the online system that powered supply chains for Sony and Apple. Ronald has also worked as a computer forensics examiner, an ISO 9000 specialist and technical writer before entering the legal community. 

He currently co-teaches a RegTech class at Chinese University’s engineering school and has taught IP and patent law at the law schools of City University, Peking University and the University of Hong Kong.