DeHeng Law Offices (“DeHeng”), one of the largest Chinese law firms with a global presence, recently announced the successful completion of its merger with a local law firm in Hong Kong, as part of its efforts to enhance its service offerings in the Asian financial hub.

The merger involved the amalgamation of DeHeng’s Hong Kong branch with Chungs Lawyers, a reputable local law firm in Hong Kong, giving it a new name of DeHeng Law Offices (Hong Kong) LLP ("DeHeng Hong Kong”), as per the official statement released by DeHeng. The integration is expected to bolster the firm’s capabilities and enable it to provide comprehensive legal solutions to its clients in the region.

DeHeng Hong Kong: A Leading Law Firm with a Strong Track Record

DeHeng Hong Kong is one of the leading law firms providing comprehensive legal services in Hong Kong. It was founded in 2018 as Chungs Lawyers, began its association with DeHeng in 2019, and completed the merger with DeHeng in 2023. Over the years, DeHeng Hong Kong has expanded from a team comprised of about 20 staff at its establishment to more than 70 staff today, with its practice areas expanded from mainly equity capital markets, to debt capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, compliance and SFC licensing, banking and finance, dispute resolutions, and insolvency and restructuring etc.

DeHeng Hong Kong is now the Hong Kong branch of DeHeng. DeHeng is one of the most prominent law firms headquartered in China. DeHeng, established in 1993, has over 4,000 legal professionals around the globe, who serve clients through a network of 52 offices located in leading financial centres across Asia, Europe and the United States. During the past 30 years, DeHeng has been recognized as one of the largest law firms in China by Asian Legal Business. Chambers & Partners, one of the most authoritative international legal ranking agencies, has also named DeHeng’s lawyers in several global guides and regional guides.

The representative cases of DeHeng Hong Kong’s team members on the markets include:

  • Advised Beijing SinoHytec Co., Ltd. (stock code: 2402) (“SinoHytec”) on its listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“Hong Kong Stock Exchange”) – SinoHytec is the first Chinese fuel cell systems company with dual listings of A-shares and H-shares
  • Advised Huaibei GreenGold Industry Investment Co., Ltd. (stock code: 2450) (“Huaibei GreenGold”) on its listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange – Huaibei GreenGold is a construction materials provider with state-owned background located in Huaibei City, Anhui Province, the PRC
  • Advised Uju Holding Limited (stock code: 1948) (“UJU”) on its listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange – UJU is mainly engaged in providing one-stop cross-media online marketing solutions, in particular online short video marketing solutions, through its media partners for its advertiser customers to market their products and services
  • Advised on the listing of Shanghai Conant Optical Co., Ltd. (stock code: 2276) (“Conant”) on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the full circulation of H shares – Conant is a leading resin spectacle lens manufacturer in the PRC with sales to over 80 countries

Building DeHeng Hong Kong: Founding Partners Reflect on Their Background and Working Relationship

Ernest Chung and Danny Hong, founding partners of DeHeng Hong Kong, discussed their backgrounds and the strong working relationship they have developed over the years. Ernest shared his journey, saying, "I've been fortunate to have a diverse career, working in a top-tier law firm in Hong Kong as well as one of the best boutique firms specialising in corporate financing. My experience in the field of corporate finance, IPOs, and M&A over 20 years has been invaluable in establishing DeHeng Hong Kong." He added, "Being recognized by the Hong Kong Securities Institute and Asia Laws is an honour, and I believe it reflects my commitment to providing top-notch legal services in the corporate and capital markets sectors."

Danny, who has been working alongside Ernest for more than 15 years, spoke about their partnership, stating, "Ernest and I share a strong bond and complementary skill sets. Our background in general commercial and corporate matters, as well as our experience with IPOs and listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has helped us build a strong foundation for DeHeng Hong Kong." Danny further elaborated on his own background, saying, "Before joining DeHeng Hong Kong, I had the privilege of working in one of the best boutique law firm specialising in corporate financing and one of the largest Chinese law firms. These experiences have shaped my approach to legal practice and have been instrumental in fostering our firm's growth." Danny added, “Ernest has been instrumental in shaping my legal career. His dedication to provide top-notch legal service has not changed since day one”.

“During the difficulties of COVID, our firm still successfully completed our 9 IPOs, putting us being one of the top local firms on the list of completed IPO cases over these years. I believe that such achievement demonstrates our resilience and strive for success.” Danny supplemented.

On their working relationship, Ernest added, "Our partnership has been truly rewarding, and we've learned a lot from each other. We're excited to continue building on our past experiences and strong working relationship as we take DeHeng Hong Kong to new heights. DeHeng Hong Kong’s success is also owing to a stable core team of experienced and committed fellow partners and associates who have been an indispensable part of our team since the establishment of Chungs Lawyers. The partners and associates you see today in our firm have been with us since they were trainees or when they were junior associates. They have grown with us so has our firm"

Merger Between DeHeng Law Offices and Chungs Lawyers Allows for Expanded Legal Solutions in Asian Financial Hub

Chungs Lawyers, the predecessor entity of DeHeng Hong Kong before the merger, was established in 2018 to provide superior legal services to its clients and expand its capabilities. The merger has allowed the firm to bring together the expertise of both firms, providing a competitive advantage in the market and enabling it to better serve clients with international business interests.

As a part of DeHeng, DeHeng Hong Kong will have access to a vast network of legal professionals and resources worldwide, giving clients a truly international perspective and expertise. The merger will also allow the firm to increase its market share and establish itself as a leading law firm in Hong Kong.

Looking to the future, the firm’s plans include continued growth and expansion in Hong Kong and beyond, with a focus on providing innovative and effective legal solutions to clients. The firm is committed to staying ahead of the curve and to ensuring that it is providing top-quality legal services to clients across industries.