Mergers and Acquisitions

We provide professional advisory services for public and private companies in merging and acquiring assets and companies. We emphasize the need of planning and efficiency, and we regularly advise our local and international corporate clients on legal matters relating to cross-border and cross-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions, complex joint ventures, sale and purchase of assets, and corporate management. We also help to handle matters regarding sale and purchase of Hong Kong, Mainland China, and other foreign corporations, due diligence, planning and restructuring, private equity, venture capital, capital withdrawals, direct investment, joint venture arrangement, contractual joint venture (especially for PRC investment), drafting of various agreements including but not limited to shareholders’ agreement, management agreement, distribution agreement, agency agreement and board resolution.  

Corporate Finance and Capital Market

We are experienced in advising clients on Listing Rules, corporate compliance and other relevant laws. We represent sponsors, underwriters, listed companies and private companies in placing, rights issue and other capital and debt financing activities. We assist clients to conduct initial public offerings (“IPO”) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (“HKEX”), handle pre-IPO matters such as preliminary financing and restructuring, as well as to liaise with the HKEX regarding the suitability for listing on behalf of the clients. Furthermore, we specialise in advising sponsors on Listing Rules and compliance matters, and to liaise with regulatory bodies on their behalf.

Securities & Futures

We offer comprehensive assistance to financial service companies in establishing companies and acquiring relevant licenses in Hong Kong. We advise clients on their investment services and investment products in accordance with the Securities and Futures Ordinance, Listing Rules and other relevant regulations. Furthermore, as Hong Kong SAR becomes an important financial hub for investment funds in Asia, we also place heavy emphasis to provide compliance services and relevant advices to investment funds and fund managers.

Insurance & Regulatory

We provide a broad range of customised legal services to financial and insurance institutions, including but not limited to application for licenses, sales team management, and insurance products compliance.

Corporate and Business

We offer comprehensive and tailor-made legal services to industrial and service sectors on a wide range of matters such as setting up of trust, advising on trust structure, manufacturing, distribution, sale and purchase of goods, franchise, marketing, licensing, employment contract, employee benefits, and competition law. We also assist clients in the setting up of funds (including fiat funds and crypto funds), and provide advice on such structure and associated tax issues.

Technology Management

Blockchain technologies are rich in innovation and ideas that can generate considerable value for our clients. At L&Y, we advise our clients on the intellectual property and technology management strategies to assist our clients in deriving the maximum value from their intellectual property.  Our team possesses expertise in Blockchain intellectual property practice, we offer advisory services on patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs etc. in addition to services covering the prosecution, acquisition, licensing and enforcement of intellectual property.   In addition, our firm provides legal advice on artificial intelligence (“AI”) related matters. We advise clients on the intellectual property, assignment, and transfer of AI, and the discussion of such technology in compliance with security laws and other related laws in Hong Kong, and also assist clients in the implementation of AI into businesses in a legal and secure manner.

Initial Coin Offerings

Initial Coin Offering, Token Sale or Coin sales (“ICO”) is an innovative new way of raising capital for project based ventures. Hong Kong is becoming a strong ICO hub due to its regulatory systems, business friendly tax system, robust corporate services industry and its proximity to the Chinese cryptocurrency market. L&Y was one of the law firms advising the very first public ICO in Hong Kong on a wide variety of issues including regulatory advisory (e.g. whether the token sale would be considered as a collective investment scheme (“CIS”)), marketing, strategy and technology advisory. L&Y works closely with the client’s team to ensure all aspects of the ICO are catered for in a diligent manner.  We believe that our passion for innovation motivates us to deliver considerable added value for our clients and their ICO projects.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are software implementations of legal contracts.  They enhance the efficiency of the contracting process, a streamlined logistics chain and provide a superior level of security. As part of our commitment to innovation, L&Y is proud to offer smart contract legal services to our clients, we have partnered with well renowned developers to deliver legally enforceable customised smart contracts governed by Hong Kong law. We also assist clients in the implementation of cloud system in their businesses in compliance with personal data privacy laws in Hong Kong.

Fintech and Techfin Licensing

Due to the novel nature of Fintech and Techfin, a business may face legal and regulatory uncertainties. At L&Y we are committed to navigating our clients though the legal and regulatory landscape by leveraging our expertise and experience with the relevant Hong Kong financial regulations. We offer consultancy services for application for various licences in Hong Kong, including but not limited to the Money Services Operators Licence (“MSO”), the Money Lenders Licence (“MLO”), the Stored Value Facilities Licence (“SVF”), Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) Type 1 (dealing in securities), Type 2 (dealing in futures contracts), Type 4 (advising on securities), Type 5 (advising on futures contracts), Type 6 (advising on corporate finance), Type 9 (asset management) and Type 10 (providing credit rating services) license, and The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”) Virtual Bank License. We also advise clients on the applicability of the relevant securities, futures, anti-money laundering (“AML”)/ counter terrorism financing and data privacy legislation and regulations.

Cryptocurrency

We offer comprehensive and customised legal services to cryptocurrency exchanges in the incorporation and operation of their cryptocurrency exchanges (including both centralised and decentralised exchanges). We regularly advise local and international cryptocurrency exchanges on a wide range of matters, such as company structure, operational concerns, business and legal risks, day-to-day management, and general taxation advices.   Our firm is experienced in advising both individual and institutional clients on a wide range of cryptocurrency related matters, ranging from trading, blocktrade, to crypto mining.   In relation to trading, we assist clients on the structuring of transactions, sale and purchase of cryptocurrency, implementation of commercial contracts, and advise on the related commercial risks. We provide escrow services, and advise and guide clients through blocktrade so as to minimize the associated risks. We also provide professional advisory services in the structuring of cryptocurrency mining business and the associated tax issues.