Baker McKenzie adds Hong Kong's leading Capital Markets and M&A Partner

Baker McKenzie adds Hong Kong's leading Capital Markets and M&A Partner

Victoria Lloyd joins Baker McKenzie in Hong Kong from rival law firm Ropes & Gray

The US-based international law firm Baker McKenzie has strengthened its bench in Hong Kong by hiring a leading capital market and M&A partner.

Victoria Lloyd, who has over 25 years of experience, joins from Ropes & Gray where she was a partner of the Strategic Transactions Group.

Baker McKenzie has been making continuous efforts to bolster its bench strength and its transactional capabilities in the Asia Pacific, including Hong Kong.

Victoria has enormous experience in advising major Chinese and multinational corporations, investments banks and private equity investors on a wide range of corporate and commercial, corporate finance, and M&A matters. These include fundraising exercises, international securities offerings and joint ventures.

Besides, she has worked on several key transactions, which include the listings of China Lesso Group, Vinda International, Uni-President China Holdings, and Sinopec.

"With ample market liquidity and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's ongoing efforts to streamline the IPO process, Hong Kong continues to be the destination of choice for IPOs, particularly for Chinese issuers with international ambitions. In addition, with the large number of existing special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) seeking acquisition targets, SPAC transactions are likely to pick up pace as existing SPACs increasingly look to target Asia Pacific companies to complete business combinations," Helen Bradley, Baker McKenzie's Global Chair of Capital Markets, said.

"Victoria's strong capital markets and public M&A experience not only complements our global practice well, but also provides us with an opportunity to further strengthen our broad-based capital markets service offerings and meet our clients' growing needs as they seek for fundraising and investment opportunities across Asia Pacific and globally. We are thrilled that Victoria is joining us," Bradley added.

Victoria is a member of some of the prestigious commissions of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, including the Takeovers and Mergers Panel and Takeovers Appeals Committee.

In addition, Victoria is also a member of the Listing Committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which approves listings in Hong Kong, addresses disciplinary matters of securities market players, and determines Hong Kong securities policies, rules and regulations.

"Victoria's appointment further demonstrates our Firm's commitment in growing our transactional capabilities in Hong Kong. Her arrival is most timely as Hong Kong's economy bounces back considerably from the COVID-19 pandemic amidst the global economic recovery led by Mainland China and the US. Victoria's track record combined with her entrenched relationships with regulators in Hong Kong and many of the key corporations, private equity investors and financial institutions will help us build and expand the strength of the Firm today and emerge even stronger in the years to come," Steven Sieke, Baker McKenzie's Managing Partner for Hong Kong and Mainland China offices, said.

For her part, Victoria exuded excitement at getting associated with baker McKenzie. "I find the Firm's strong presence in Hong Kong and Mainland China and its leading transactional practice and full-service global platform particularly attractive. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Hong Kong and also around the world to further develop and grow our Capital Markets Practice, and to bring the Firm's full-service offerings to clients to serve their transactional, regulatory compliance and other advisory legal needs in Hong Kong and internationally."