Ogier experts in Hong Kong named in ABLJ's top 50 offshore lawyers 2024

Five of Ogier's Hong Kong-based experts in BVI and Cayman law have been named on Asia Business Law Journal's A List of the top 50 offshore lawyers in 2024.

With the BVI and the Cayman Islands being two of the most widely used offshore financial centres by Asian companies, the popularity of fund structures, regulatory requirements and corporate governance have meant clients in Asia are seeking advice from highly experienced offshore counsel more than ever, says the report.

Hong Kong practice partner and funds specialist Nick Plowman said: "We particularly value client-led endorsements so it's fantastic to see that our talented team has been recognised by in-house counsel in Asia and Asia-focused partners from domestic and international law firms."

The Ogier specialists named in the top 50 are:

Kate Hodson

Kate is known as one of the best lawyers in her field. Clients says she's "highly responsive and knowledgeable as well as always keeping the client's expectations and budget in mind." Kate advises GPs and fund managers on the establishment and structuring of private equity funds and hedge funds as well as advising LPs on their fund investments. Part of Ogier's multi-disciplinary Private Equity team, her experience covers a broad range of strategies and industries, including real estate, credit funds, venture capital and infrastructure funds. Following her passion for sustainable investment Kate undertook a masters in Energy and Environmental law and launched Ogier's innovative Sustainable Investing and Impact Funds practice. Kate has a significant Japan practice, advising Japanese managers on establishing Cayman Islands unit trust fund structures and GP/LP closed ended fund structures. Kate also acts for a number of family offices in the set-up of private fund structures for HNWIs.

Anthony Oakes

Head of Ogier’s finance practice in Asia, Anthony has advised on a number of landmark and award-winning transactions including the first non-sovereign USD sukuk out of Indonesia and the complex but successful Mongolian Mining Corporation restructuring. He provides BVI and Cayman legal advice in relation to a broad array of financing transactions and restructurings, working extensively on refinancings, corporate restructuring and reorganisations, schemes of arrangement and investor and shareholder rights and actions. He also has experience of bond restructurings. Anthony also has a strong focus on corporate work – including mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, private equity structures and capital markets transactions. Known as "an incredibly strong lawyer", clients say "he’s the real deal and a star performer". He's recognised by all leading industry commentators for his expertise which also includes cross-border leveraged and acquisition financing transactions, margin loans, minority "back leverage" financings, mezzanine financings, fund-level financings, syndicated facilities and loan restructurings.

Oliver Payne

Commended for his legal knowledge, client handling and experience, Oliver is Head of Ogier's Dispute Resolution team in Asia. His practice spans all aspects of offshore litigation and includes complex, high value fund, shareholder and banking disputes, cross-border insolvency, and breaches of directors and trustees' duties. He is a key member of the firm's global Restructuring and Insolvency team. His recent work has included acting for a large financial institution involved in multi-billion dollar Cayman insolvency proceedings, and advising creditors, shareholders and liquidators in a number of Cayman insolvencies. Oliver has also been heavily engaged in a number of Cayman cases involving shareholder dissenter rights. Oliver has appeared numerous times before the Financial Services Division of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands and regularly works with or against silks from some of the top London sets and also has experience of resolving disputes via arbitration and mediation.

Nicholas Plowman

The founder of Ogier's Hong Kong office in 2007, Nick has built a strong reputation for his deep investment funds knowledge, pragmatism and to-the-point advice. Nick heads Ogier's significant Cayman Islands and BVI investment funds and venture capital practice in Asia, which is now the largest offshore funds team in the Hong Kong market. He acts for a wide variety of Asian fund managers in the private equity, hedge fund and venture capital space, and has invaluable experience with respect to a variety of the investment funds structures and arrangements being used throughout the market. He has been named one of the top offshore lawyers in Asia for six consecutive years and he has also been ranked as one of the "World's Leading Investment Funds Lawyers" in all four editions of another publication's Expert Guide. Nick's long-standing clients represent some of the more sophisticated and respected fund managers in Asia. He also specialises in guiding newly formed asset managers. Recent notable work includes advising on the establishment and launch of a Cayman open-ended hedge fund that won Best Emerging Hedge Fund in Asia in 2023.

Nathan Powell

One of the "crucial members of Asia's offshore legal sector", Nathan is Global Head of Ogier's Corporate legal services. Clients laud his commercial mindset and solution-oriented approach across complex legal landscapes. Nathan's work on complex, cross-border matters, including collaborating across jurisdictions, has helped overcome a challenging corporate market, with most recent advice to cross-border M&A transactions, de-SPAC business combinations and take privates. Nathan's broad corporate finance practice includes particular expertise in using BVI, Cayman and Jersey companies for capital markets, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions (public and private), consortium acquisitions, private equity structures and joint ventures. He is part of Ogier's multi-disciplinary Private Equity team where he specialises in downstream corporate advisory – acquisitions, investments and exits. Nathan also has a strong focus on refinancings, corporate and bond restructuring and reorganisations, member and creditor schemes of arrangement and investor and shareholder rights and actions.