Owen Chan, regional managing partner for Asia-Pacific at Hogan Lovells
Hogan Lovells has designated Owen Chan as a regional managing partner for Asia-Pacific and a member of the firm’s International Management Committee in Hong Kong.
“Our focus going forward will be to further grow and deepen our private capital, infrastructure and energy, and technology offering, which we see as key growth drivers for the region,” Chan told Asia Business Law Journal.
He noted that the firm’s traditional strength in life sciences and international trade would continue.
Chan has been with the firm’s Hong Kong office since 2008, most recently as a partner in the corporate and finance practice. He has advised financial institutions, private equity funds and multinational corporations on complex financing transactions, as well as regulatory and insolvency matters.
He has also served on the firm’s board for six years, representing the region. His tenure as a regional managing partner is three years, with a possible extension.
Discussing major transactional and advisory trends in Asia, Chan observed growing outbound investment flows from China into emerging markets such as Latin America and the Middle East, particularly in infrastructure, energy and technology.
These regions are seeking strategic partners, and Chinese companies are responding, according to Chan. He has also anticipated continued growth in these areas, fuelled by global supply chain diversification and the push for energy and digital transformation.
Within APAC, the firm advises on technology, renewable energy, electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, data centres and life science R&D, alongside increasing trademark and patent litigation, regulatory scrutiny (including data and cybersecurity), and evolving trade policies.
“One area of focus for me now is how to expand our client base, in particular on the private equity front,” said Chan.
From a jurisdictional perspective, Chan has seen the Asia-Pacific as one of the firm’s fastest-growing regions, with significant growth in new clients this year. The firm is deliberately investing in the region at a time when others are scaling back, according to him.
He also noted the firm’s commitment to China, where clients rely on support to navigate a complex regulatory landscape. The firm has expanded its team with leading M&A and private equity hires and continues to focus on cross-border work.
Chan has also seen record investment in the Singapore office with multiple high-profile lateral hires, strengthening its private equity, funds, disputes and regulatory capabilities.
In the past year, the firm has added 12 new partners across Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam, most of them in private equity, fund formation, M&A, dispute resolution, and projects and infrastructure.
