Bingham expanded its Hong Kong office by adding three partners namely, Laurence Isaacson, Vincent Sum and Mark Fucci.
Isaacson, a partner in Bingham’s structured transactions group, has relocated to Hong Kong from New York. He has represented clients in various complex asset-based deals such as CDO, loan, swap and fund offerings; structured products backed by different financial assets; credit linked notes; complex credit derivative offeringss; and other structured vehicles.
“Expanding our U.S. and U.K. strengths in structured finance to Asia allows us to focus our abilities to advise clients on complex asset-based transactions,” Isaacson said.
Meanwhile, Sum joins Bingham’s structured transactions group from Hogan Lovells in Hong Kong, where he led the firm's debt capital markets practice. Sum's background includes structured transactions, derivatives, structured credit, retail and non-retail structured funds, and debt capital markets. He advises arrangers, underwriters, portfolio managers, issuers, institutional investors and trustees. Sum is qualified to practice in Hong Kong, England and New York, and has focused on handling complex deals governed by the laws of those jurisdictions.
“Bingham is a market leader in structured transactions,” Sum said. “The firm’s focus and dedication of resources to Hong Kong and Asia means we are position to serve our clients with best-in-class lawyers who have critical relationships in the region.”
Fucci is a partner in Bingham’s global financial restructuring group. He has moved to Hong Kong from Bingham’s Tokyo office. Fucci has considerable experience in restructurings, insolvencies and complex financial transactions. He has been resident in Bingham’s Tokyo office since 2007 and has represented creditor clients in a number of major cross-border insolvencies, such as Spansion, a case involving parallel U.S. and Japan insolvency proceedings. He has also represented the Ad Hoc Committee of Senior Secured Lenders in the Delta Air Lines Chapter 11 case. The committee comprises over 60 insurance companies, hedge funds and other investors and holds more than $2.5 billion in leveraged lease debt and deficiency claims.
“Expanding in Hong Kong is a logical evolution of our cross-border restructuring practice especially with so many of our Hong Kong clients active in Japan,” Fucci said.
The expansion of the Hong Kong office, currently with 10 lawyers, continues Bingham’s investment and extension of its financial services area globally.
In June, Anne-Marie Godfrey joined the Hong Kong office as a partner in the investment management practice, where she advises investment advisers, fund administrators, trustees and other fund service providers on investment fund-related issues.
In January, Bingham expanded its U.S. and Asian antitrust capabilities to Europe by appointing Davina Garrod to its London office as a partner focusing in the financial services industry.
Last December, Bingham hired Sarah Smith in London, where she focuses on general finance and restructuring matters, and has considerable experience in structured finance and securitization, and domestic and cross-border asset-based lending.
In expanding its on-the-ground presence in Asia, Bingham relocated corporate partner Brian Beglin and restructuring partner Mark Deveno from New York to the 75-lawyer Tokyo team in the spring.
“Having Mark based in Hong Kong augments our already strong financial restructuring capabilities on the ground in Asia, a key global financial hub,” said James Roome, co-chair of Bingham’s global Financial Restructuring Group.
Bingham’s investment reflects a growing need within the financial services industry for high-level legal counsel based in Asia, said Chairman Jay Zimmerman. He noted the increased capability in Hong Kong and Tokyo, where Bingham is the fourth largest full-service law firm with 75 lawyers. In the last year, Bingham has expanded its leading financial services team in Asia to better service global clients conducting work throughout the continent.
“The addition of Larry, Vincent and Mark to our Hong Kong office reinforces Bingham’s commitment to growing our financial services team in key financial centers worldwide,” Zimmerman said. “With our exceptional on-the-ground talent and integrated global platform, Bingham is well-positioned to serve clients facing sophisticated legal issues related to doing business in Asia.”
“The expansion of Bingham’s premier structured finance and derivatives practice to Asia continues our strategy of building upon our market-leading practices to service our clients globally,” said Reed Auerbach, leader of Bingham’s structured transactions group. “Larry’s move and Vincent’s arrival to the Hong Kong office will be an immediate benefit to our clients doing business in Asia.”
