Enjoying a first-class reputation in the market, Herbert Smith Freehills maintains a wide range of domestic and international disputes capability covering the full spectrum of advice across Asia-Pacific. The firm stands out in commercial disputes, international arbitration and white-collar crime. It also has the largest dedicated arbitration team in Greater China, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Apart from legal expertise, the firm is also recognised for its strategic and commercial approach to handling cases.
Dominic Geiser and Gareth Thomas are key names for commercial litigation. May Tai and Justin D’Agostino are particularly famous in the international arbitration space, whereas Kyle Wombolt is the dominant player in white-collar crime. Other notable lawyers include Simon Chapman and Kathryn Sanger.
On the commercial and transactions front, the firm is acting for both UBS AG and UBS Europe SE in defending proceedings commenced by the liquidators of China Metal Recycling in the court of first instance in respect of liabilities arising out of its sponsorship work for the IPO of China Metal Recycling. In another case, the firm successfully defended the Hong Kong branch of DBS Bank in a substantial High Court action brought by the liquidators of Galleria, a multinational furniture business. The firm is also acting for Bank of China International and BOCI Securities, two leading Chinese financial institutions in Hong Kong, in defending mis-selling claims exceeding HK$100 million ($12.7 million) brought by their private bank client who is a high-net-worth Chinese individual based in the Guangdong province.
In international arbitration, the firm continues to represent Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (SIPC) and Addax – subsidiaries of the Sinopec Group – in the largest fraud claim ever filed with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), valued in excess of $5.5 billion. This concerns the 2012 purchase by SIPC and Addax of a significant upstream business in the North Sea, which is now a multibillion-dollar liability.
Notable clients include Axiata Group, BOCI Securities, BYD Company, Credit Suisse and Essilor International.
