China (LAWFUEL)- DLA Piper today announced the appointment of Kit Kwok as a partner in its corporate practice. Kit will be based in Shanghai yet will spend significant time working with other members of the corporate team in DLA Piper’s Beijing and Hong Kong offices. He adds further heft to DLA Piper’s well-established and growing China practice with expertise advising multinationals on legal and regulatory issues related to their investment and commercial activities in China, including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and general company representation matters. Kit joins DLA Piper from Roosevelt Sino Retailers where he was Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel overseeing all legal and operation matters for the company.
Kit has been working in Hong Kong and China since 1998. He has acted for and advised a diverse range of clients in relation to mergers and acquisitions activities in China, covering all aspects including structuring, due diligence, documentation, regulatory compliance and taxation planning. He also brings substantial experience advising financial services companies on the regulatory framework in the PRC as well as on the formation of joint ventures in fund management and futures brokerages in the PRC. Prior to Roosevelt Sino Retailers, Kit obtained extensive experience working in a global legal practice environment including at DLA Piper Hong Kong, Baker & McKenzie and Johnson Stokes & Master.
Roy Chan, Shanghai Office Managing Partner of DLA Piper, said: “We are delighted to have Kit rejoin the team in Shanghai and look forward to his involvement in the advancement of our China practice. Kit’s experience in advising multinational clients on complex transaction and investment matters will further enhance our corporate practice in the PRC.”
“Kit is a strong addition to our Shanghai and broader Asia region corporate team,” said Alastair Da Costa, Asia Managing Director of DLA Piper. “He joins us at a time when global corporate transactions are even more complex and challenging and clients need to strategically position themselves to minimise their exposure to risks, access markets and maintain or improve margins. With his depth of knowledge of the PRC market and diverse corporate and regulatory expertise, Kit will be a great asset to our clients in the region and fellow team members.”
Kit commented: “Few firms rival DLA Piper’s speed of growth in the PRC corporate scene. DLA Piper has the track record to seamlessly bring together cross-border teams on large-scale, complex transactions. The firm’s platform, its culture of teamwork, depth of talent and the opportunity to be part of the firm’s further growth in the region are important factors in my decision to rejoin DLA Piper at this time. I believe that DLA Piper, with its award winning corporate practice, is an excellent place for me to continue to develop my expertise in this field and help clients reach their business goals.”
DLA Piper is the winner of M&A Atlas Awards 2008 for advising Heckmann Corporation on its US$ 625 million acquisition of China Water and Drinks Inc and is named as the International Tax Firm of the Year 2008 by International Tax Review.
Kit is a US (California) qualified lawyer. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in Hastings College of the Law of the University of California in 1997 and his BA from Binghamton University, New York in 1992. He speaks fluent English and Mandarin.
