Iris Leung

Capital Markets Partner, Hong Kong SAR

“Dual-qualified in U.S. and Hong Kong law, I advise corporates and financial institutions on major corporate and capital markets deals, typically involving U.S. legal advice. I have a deep understanding of Chinese and international practice to help all sides on a transaction bridge cultural, practical and legal differences to complete their strategically significant deals.”

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Iris advises leading Chinese and international companies and financial institutions in China, Hong Kong and Singapore on major corporate and capital markets deals. She has extensive experience advising corporate and institutional clients, private equity firms and international financial institutions on their global principal and strategic investments. Iris also has specialist knowledge of advising Chinese and Hong Kong companies on their outbound investments and capital markets transactions.

In 2015 and 2016, Iris was awarded the Euromoney LMG Rising Star.

Work highlights

Iris has led, or been a key advisor, on many landmark deals. These include advising:

  • Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Hutchison Whampoa on their US$100bn merger and reorganisation and Cheung Kong Property Holding's spin-off listing, the largest corporate restructuring in Asia in 2015
  • China Cinda Asset Management on its US$3.2bn Rule 144A preference share issuance
  • China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) on its US$2bn Rule 144A Medium Term Note (MTN) establishment and subsequent draw-down
  • the underwriters on the US$1bn listing of Orient Securities Company, a joint venture partner with Citigroup and with A-shares listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange
  • the underwriters on US$3.1bn business trust IPO of Hong Kong Electric Investments
  • China Everbright Bank on its US$3.4bn IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
  • Morgan Stanley as the sponsor of the secondary listing of Hong Kong depositary receipts of Fast Retailing Co., the operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain
  • Alibaba on its US$5.9bn capital raising to purchase its shares back from Yahoo
  • COFCO Land Holdings on its US$1.8bn reverse takeover of Hong Kong Parkview Group

Professional experience

Iris regularly updates investment banks and corporate clients in presentations on market and regulatory developments.

Education and qualifications

Iris studied neuroscience at the University of California and holds a Juris Doctor from the American University, Washington D.C. She also gained a graduate diploma in financial engineering from Stanford University of Hong Kong and is an honorary fellow of the Asian Institute of International Financial Law, University of Hong Kong.

She speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.