International law firm CMS is pleased to announce the appointment of Kingsley Ong as a partner in its Finance practice in Hong Kong. Kingsley joins the firm from Eversheds Sutherland, where he led its Debt Capital Markets, Derivatives, Structured Finance, Securitisation, Restructuring and Insolvency practices in Asia.
Kingsley is ranked as a Leading Lawyer by Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR1000. Described as “an absolute superstar” (IFLR1000, 2019), “a trusted counsel” (Chambers, 2021) and “one of the pre-eminent practitioners in the market” (Legal 500, 2020), Kingsley is the only lawyer in Asia recognised by Chambers in five categories (Banking & Finance, Derivatives, Structured Finance, Securitisation, and Restructuring/Insolvency) across three jurisdictions (China (Hong Kong), India, South Korea). In October 2021, based on client feedback, he was named the Client Choice 2021 Award Winner for Restructuring & Insolvency in Hong Kong.
Kingsley’s appointment builds on the team’s recent expansion in Hong Kong, following the arrival of capital markets & derivatives specialist Christopher Whiteley in July.
Nick Beckett, Managing Director of Lau, Horton & Wise LLP in Association with CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong LLP, comments: “Kingsley is a first-rate finance and debt restructuring partner, with a wealth of experience across Hong Kong and the wider APAC market. His arrival provides us with the full suite of finance and distress solutions capability in Hong Kong and will greatly enhance our offering to clients as we help them to navigate opportunities and challenges in a post-pandemic world. We are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”
Kingsley’s practice covers all aspects of financings, debt restructuring and insolvency workouts. He also actively takes appointments as Arbitrator in arbitrations conducted in both English and Chinese. His “phenomenal client base among Mainland China and the Cantonese community” has been highlighted as something that “differentiates him from other professionals in the market” (Chambers, 2018). He regularly acts on behalf of financial institutions, debt capital market participants, private credit players, trustees, securitisation participants, swap counterparties, credit rating agencies, insurers, liquidators, receivers, etc. Kingsley is a Notary Public, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (FHKIArb), and is qualified in Hong Kong, England & Wales and Singapore. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Law Faculty of The University of Hong Kong, and Secretary-General of The Asia Pacific Structured Finance Association (APSA).
Caryn Miller, CMS partner and joint managing director for Asia and the Middle East, comments: “CMS continues to demonstrate its commitment to global expansion with the addition of Kingsley to the Finance practice. With this appointment, we now have nine partners in Hong Kong across Corporate, Disputes, Finance and Commercial/IP. Kingsley’s extensive international experience, including in London and Singapore, means that we will be able to leverage more from our Finance platform across the APAC region and significantly strengthen our capabilities on the ground in Hong Kong.”
Will Dibble, Co-Head of the Finance Practice at CMS UK, adds: “We are committed to strengthening our Finance capabilities in regions that we have identified as strong growth areas for the firm. The arrival of Kingsley adds significant firepower to the practice and will enable us to diversify our client base across APAC and deepen our offering to capture further opportunities.”
CMS Hong Kong provides clients with a full-service offering for all multi-jurisdictional matters requiring international and local law elements. CMS Hong Kong operates in Association with Lau, Horton & Wise LLP to provide local law services.
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