OLN

OLN Marketing

Oldham, Li & Nie Advises on an Award-Winning Deal

by

Oldham, Li & Nie has advised on the deal ESR purchase of logistics assets from DLJ which has been recognised by the China Business Law Journal (CBLJ) as one of the “Deals of the Year 2022” in the category “Cross-border deals”.

The deal relates to the purchase by ESR, the largest real estate manager in the Asia-Pacific, of an 11-asset portfolio from US-based DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners for RMB4.4 billion (USD656 million).

The portfolio, consisting of logistics and industrial assets spanning 550,000 square metres of gross floor area cross the Yangtze River Delta ‒ including Shanghai, Kunshan, Suzhou, Taicang and Hangzhou ‒ is the largest of its kind sold in the “greater Shanghai” area.

Oldham Li & Nie acted as Hong Kong legal counsel to ESR, the deal was led by our Consultant Cermain Cheung and Associate Phyllis Wong.

Learn more about the winning deals – https://law.asia/deals-china-2022/

About China Business Law Journal

China Business Law Journal is a fully bilingual (simplified Chinese and English) monthly magazine for China-focused business and legal practitioners. CBLJ selects the deals of the years that stand out for their “overall significance, complexity, innovative nature and deal size”.

Oldham, Li & Nie Has Once Again Been Recognised as a Caring Company

by

We are pleased to be once again recognised by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) as a Caring Company. The award is a recognition of OLN’s commitment in Caring for the Community, Caring for its Employees and Caring for the Environment.

Caring Company Oldham, Li & Nie

Some of our initiatives in 2022:

  • During the most challenging months of Covid-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, we launched our 3rd “Free Will Campaign”, we drafted a free Will to everybody who donate a small amount of money to our partner charity – Helping Hand, an NGO dedicated to serving the elderly in Hong Kong. 100% of funds went towards providing food and other essentials to help the elderly affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
  • In October, we held a “Dress Pink Day” to show our support to our colleagues, friends, mothers, wives, sisters and daughters who have battled breast cancer. The staff and the firm made donations to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, their donations went to preventing and curing breast cancer through research, patient support, education and advocacy.
  • As part of our GO GREEN effort, we digitalized our engagement letters, switched to “e-sign” procedures and “think before you print” mentality.
About the Caring Company Scheme

The Caring Company Scheme was launched by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) in 2002 with the purpose to foster strategic partnerships among business and social services partners and inspire corporate social responsibility through caring for the community, employees and the environment.

OLN Has Once Again Been Recognised by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific

by

We are pleased to share that Oldham, Li & Nie has been recommended again by The Legal 500 in its 2023 Asia Pacific edition for our Commercial, Corporate and M&A practice. The Legal 500 stated “Under the leadership of Tracy Yip acts on corporate matters across Asia, including restructurings, acquisitions and disposals, corporate governance issues, joint ventures and commercial agreements. Yip heads up the firm’s M&A practice, while founder and senior partner Gordon Oldham has a particular focus on the drafting of commercial contracts and restructurings. Simon Wong is another name to note with experience across M&A and capital markets deals.”

OLN has also been named for the first time as the Firm to Watch for our Restructuring and Insolvency practice – “Oldham, Li & Nie, led by Richard Healy, carries a strong breadth of restructuring & insolvency matters and has garnered specific expertise in audit negligence as well as large scale winding up proceedings.”

OLN IP Services, our Intellectual Property consultancy, has also been recognised by the directory this year.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific Leading Firm 2023 Oldham, Li & Nie
Legal 500 Firms to Watch Oldham, Li & Nie
About The Legal 500 Asia Pacific

Published annually, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide provides unbiased commentary and insight into the legal marketplaces of 25 Asia Pacific jurisdictions.

The rankings reflect the results of detailed analysis of law firm submissions and thousands of interviews conducted by The Legal 500 team of experienced researchers.

The directory also lists Firms to Watch to highlight those likely to make their mark on the rankings in the years to come. 

OLN Recognised Again as a Leading Firm by Chambers and Partners

by

We are pleased to announce that Oldham, Li & Nie has been recognised once again as a Leading Firm by Chambers & Partners in its newly released Greater China Region Guide 2023.

Chambers & Partners is the world’s leading provider of legal research and analysis. Its second edition of Greater China Region Guide brings together extensive, independent in-depth market analysis, and rankings of the leading law firms and professionals across all four jurisdictions of the Greater China Region. It features five exclusive sections: China (International Firms), Hong Kong Bar, China (PRC Firms), Macau SAR and Taiwan Jurisdiction. 

Our departments were recommended as follows:

  • Corporate/M&A: Independent Hong Kong Firms – Band 3
  • Family/Matrimonial (International Firms) – Band 4

Our four lawyers received individual rankings:

Chambers Greater China Region 2023 Badge - Ranked Firm Oldham, Li & Nie

Oldham, Li & Nie contributed to the Lexology Getting The Deal Through (GTDT) series – Public M&A Hong Kong

by

The Lexology GTDT – Public M&A guide has been published. Our Partner Simon Wong prepared the Hong Kong chapter for the guide.

This reference guide enabling side-by-side comparison of local insights into public M&A issues worldwide, including types of business combination; principal laws and regulations; cross-border and sector-specific considerations; governing laws; filing and disclosure requirements; duties of directors and controlling shareholders; shareholder approval and appraisal rights; hostile transactions; break-up fees and frustration of additional bidders; government influence; conditional offers; financing; minority squeeze-outs; waiting and notification periods; tax; labour and employee benefits; restructuring, bankruptcy or receivership; anti-bribery, anti-corruption and sanctions issues; and recent trends.

Read and download the whole chapter below.

Download the Lexology Getting the Deal Through (GTDT) Public M&A Hong Kong Chapter

The Future Of Travel From A Family Law Perspective

by

(This article was published in the November 2022 Issue of “Britain in Hong Kong – The Future of Travel” magazine)

In Hong Kong, the quarantine rules have drastically eased after almost 3 years of tight restrictions.  In particular, the Hong Kong Government recently removed the hotel quarantine restriction.

With the ease of travel restrictions in Hong Kong, what is the future of travel from a family law perspective and the things you should consider ahead of your holidays? 

Whilst it may be desirable to book flights and pack your bags for a spontaneous trip, it is more complicated when you are divorced or are divorcing and have children to consider.  Prior to leaving Hong Kong with the children, an agreement must be reached with the co-parent. If an agreement is not reached, the parent who wishes to remove the children from the jurisdiction of Hong Kong for the holidays must apply to the Family Court for an order allowing him/her to remove the children from Hong Kong.  Given the delays with the Family Court, it is a good idea to apply as early as possible as it may take two (2) to three (3) months before it will  be decided by the Family Court.

For example, if you are planning a holiday with the children next summer and you are currently in dispute with your spouse about these holidays, you should meet with your solicitor as soon as possible and apply to the Family Court preferably no later than January 2023 to avoid pressure with respect to air tickets and hotel bookings.

The Family Court orders have a deadline for the return of children to Hong Kong.  However, it is preferable to have flexible dates built into the Family Court order so that if there is a delay caused by a flight cancellation or you or your family member has a sudden onset of Covid-19 whilst traveling, provisions will be made in the Family Court order so that the extraneous events which you have no control over, do not cause you to be in breach of the Family Court order and does not result in further court applications being made.   

Ahead of travel, another document you may want to consider is a Deed of Parenting. A Deed of Parenting is a legal document that simply states that you and your spouse are the legal parents of the children.  On a practical level, you can take with you the original birth certificates of the children (instead of a Deed of Parenting) or preferably have your solicitor sign a certified true copy of the birth certificate so you do not have to take the original documents with you whilst traveling.  Whilst a Deed of Parenting is not needed in a “traditional” family, these days families are often made up of same-sex couples where the birth certificates will not assist.  In these circumstances, a Deed of Parenting will be helpful.  A Deed of Parenting can clearly state the legal parents of your children without any question or issue.

This may be important during these travel times when customs and immigration officers are burdened with ever-changing rules for individuals coming in and out of their country. 

Another legal document parents may wish to consider is a Deed of Guardianship.  A Deed of Guardianship sets out guidelines for the caring and well-being of minor children in the event of both parents passing away or temporary unavailability due to unforeseen circumstances such as unexpected quarantine during Covid-19 times, especially if you test positive upon arrival in Hong Kong and are required to quarantine at a designated hotel or quarantine facility.

A Deed of Guardianship is a legal document signed by both parents and two witnesses and sets out specific guidelines regarding the care of your minor children.  A Deed of Guardianship will set out the minor children’s primary caretakers and can also identify temporary guardians until such time the minor children can be in the care of their parents or permanent guardians.

Deed of Guardianships may be especially important to expatriates living in Hong Kong, especially when family members are not in the same jurisdiction.  For many expatriates, having a Deed of Guardianship can provide parents with the peace of mind about the care of their children in emergency situations.

It is important to speak with a solicitor who can assist in the preparation of travel with your children.  Oldham, Li & Nie (“OLN”) has a full-service matrimonial team well-versed on such topics and can provide comprehensive advice. Having the appropriate documents prior to travel is imperative in this post-Covid world and can provide you with peace of mind!