IFLR 1000
The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

Bingham McCutchen is a relatively new player in Hong Kong with an even newer structured finance and securitisation practice, but the team aims to make a mark in Hong Kong with the recent transfer of top US securities lawyer Laurence Isaacson from the firm's New York office. As Isaacson seeks to apply his structured finance experience to the emerging Chinese and Asian markets, Bingham's practice will be one to watch.

Bingham McCutchen is establishing its place in the Hong Kong M&A arena and will be an exciting firm to watch in the years to come. The firm already has a regional foothold with its large Japan office, and the Hong Kong office looks to establish a major practice in its own right. Bingham's well-established US reputation in the financial services area should allow for clients following the firm into Asia.

Recently, Bingham's M&A team represented Yorkville Advisors in connection with its equity line facility investment into Hong Kong-listed Zhongda International Holdings. The group also recently advised Asian fund of funds investment manager MCP Asset Management regarding its purchase of a Hong Kong-based asset management company.

Bingham McCutchen is a relatively new player to Hong Kong's market, as is its fund formation practice. However, the emerging practice has been garnering praise from clients who see the firm as "one to watch." Bingham's Hong Kong fund formation practice is led by Anne-Marie Godfrey, who brings her experience in funds ranging from pooled investment vehicles to hedge funds to retail and private equity.

One client notes that, "Anne-Marie and the team at Bingham are on par with tier two practices," and they expect to watch the firm continue to develop.

A relative newcomer to the Hong Kong restructuring and insolvency market, Bingham McCutchen's two strong restructuring and insolvency practitioners are helping the firm make its mark in the region.

Recently, Mark Fucci led in advising on the cross border restructuring of international chip maker Spansion. This was a parallel US Chapter 11 restructuring of publicly traded parent and a Japanese Corporate Reorganization proceeding of Spansion Japan. Bingham's team advised the secured lender group and obtained the first formal creditors committee appointment in Japanese insolvency history.

Also this past year, Fucci and partner Naomi Moore initially represented an ad hoc group of bondholders and subsequently represented the Voluntary Administrators in respect of US law aspects of the Voluntary Administration of Griffin Coal, one of Western Australia's largest coal miners. Griffin Coal had issued approximately $475 million of unsecured bond debt prior to its failure, and the Voluntary Administration culminated in the sale of Griffin Coal's coal and power assets. Reportedly, Voluntary Administrators Kordamentha anticipate a return to unsecured creditors in excess of 90 cents on the dollar.