Nixon Peabody first established an Asia-Pacific presence in 2008, opening an office in Shanghai. Since then, we have expanded to Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore. With the China-US economic relationship growing and Singapore emerging as an important South Asian hub, NP’s existing footprint positions us to serve clients effectively in these key markets.
Our Asian offices are busy supporting clients from Asia with needs in the US and US and international clients needing support in Asia.
David Cheng has led our Asia-Pacific practices during this period of growth.
Tell us about the culture in our Asia-Pacific offices. What makes NP Asia-Pacific special?
Our Asia-Pacific offices serve as a bridge between the US and the economic powerhouse countries in Asia. Our offices allow us to provide seamless service to clients in both geographies. We like to use the expression “local ties, global reach” to describe our approach. NP’s commitment to client service and culture of collaboration is a powerful combination, allowing us to provide top-flight legal advice and support across the globe.
Are there any recent projects/successes out of NP Asia-Pacific that you would like to share?
Our Capital Markets practice has been very busy. Due to certain macroeconomic trends, many Asian companies are turning to the US stock markets to raise funds instead of Asian markets. In April, for example, I had the opportunity, along with Chicago partner David Brown, to ring the bell at Nasdaq to celebrate the initial public offering of our client Four Leaf Acquisition Corporation. We also assisted our client from Hong Kong, the largest shareholder of Obagi (US), in one of the most significant recent listings on Nasdaq—a $1.4 billion transaction. We are currently working with several other Asian companies working on IPOs or other significant capital markets activities in the US.
What trends/legislation are attorneys in the offices thinking about?
The ongoing global supply chain crisis combined with new US tax incentives around clean energy and semiconductors has piqued the interest of Asian companies looking to expand and invest in America. In addition, many American companies are reshoring some of their operations and adopting a "China Plus One” strategy, which focuses on expansion in other developing economies to avoid overreliance on the Chinese market. This will keep our clients and NP lawyers in the US across many practices busy for some time.
Tell us about the impact the NP Asia-Pacific offices are making in their communities?
We are particularly proud of our work with Enterprise Singapore (ESG). ESG is a government agency that assists Singaporean companies looking to expand globally. We have worked with dozens of companies, convening seminars and other thought leadership platforms detailing best approaches to a successful launch in the US. It is exciting to see these companies invest in America and do well.
What do you see on the horizon for the Asia-Pacific market?
While there are geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds, we are optimistic that as China reopens to global visitors and travel, the people-to-people interactions will help to stabilize relations and fuel increased economic activity. We are also looking forward to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit occurring in San Francisco in November. The summit will bring together leaders from 21 economies across the region, and our SF office will play a role in the program.
Personal Question: When you’re not at work, where can we find you? What are your interests outside of the office?
I am a foodie and because of that I also enjoy exercising daily—running and strength training. The international cuisine scenes in these cities are out of this world. As travel restrictions have been lifted across Asia, I encourage anyone who has not been to these vibrant cities to come and experience them firsthand.
