Hong Kong-based law firm KWM appoints former partner from Ashurst, White & Case, and HSF as the head of its restructuring division.
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), Hong Kong's largest law firm by headcount, has made a significant move to expand its Hong Kong team. The firm has welcomed Damien Whitehead, a renowned restructuring and insolvency specialist, as the head of restructuring at its Hong Kong office.
Whitehead's extensive experience spans over two decades, with more than 15 years focused on the Asian market. His practice includes domestic and cross-border corporate restructurings, insolvency matters, turnarounds, workouts, credit management, enforcement, special situations, and related litigation.
The expansion of KWM's Hong Kong team is in response to mainland Chinese corporations increasingly pursuing overseas expansion opportunities. Whitehead's appointment is expected to grow KWM's regional client offering, given his extensive experience in Asia and technical expertise in restructuring.
Prior to joining KWM, Whitehead led the restructuring and insolvency practice at Herbert Smith Freehills' Hong Kong office. He has also worked at leading global law firms including Ashurst, White & Case, and most recently, he was a partner at local firm Howse Williams last year.
In addition to Whitehead, KWM Hong Kong has also added financial services partners Chin-Chong Liew and Ying Zhou to its office. Liew joined from Linklaters, while Zhou came from Zhao Sheng Law Firm, Linklaters' joint operation in China. Simon Zhang and five associates also joined KWM's Hong Kong office alongside Chin-Chong Liew and Ying Zhou.
Hao Zhou and Hayden Flinn, partners at KWM Hong Kong, issued a statement reflecting the firm's focus on supporting clients' regional and international business. They expressed their confidence that Whitehead's appointment would further strengthen KWM's restructuring team in Hong Kong.
With Whitehead's appointment, KWM now has 33 partners in its Hong Kong office. His client portfolio spans various restructuring and insolvency matters in the region, including banks, funds, creditor committees, debtor companies, trustees, and insolvency practitioners.
[1] Source: South China Morning Post, 2nd March 2023.
Damien Whitehead's extensive experience in restructuring and insolvency matters, coupled with his focus on the Asian market, is expected to lead to litigation and financing opportunities within King & Wood Mallesons (KWM)'s business. This expansion of KWM's Hong Kong team aligns with the increasing pursuit of overseas expansion opportunities by mainland Chinese corporations.
