Experience · selected matters
Whatever the matter — I’ve likely sat on your side of it before.
Practising in Hong Kong since 2009, on the company and founder side throughout — M&A and venture financing, cross-border structuring, regulatory and licensing, and market entry. A selection of anonymised matters follows.
The range
Across practice areas and sectors.
Practice areas
Sectors
Selected matters
Anonymised — and grouped by the kind of problem.
No client names. Figures are limited to documented matters.
HKEX-listed logistics group
10+ acquisitions and JV formations over a decade; the latest acquired 30+ overseas subsidiaries at RMB 4B+ — Deal of the Year, China Business Law Journal.
PRC sportswear group
Global sports-apparel brand acquisition — diligence, deal structuring, and execution.
Logistics & real-asset group
Acted on the group’s largest M&A of the year.
Major China internet group
A strategic investment in Tokyo.
PRC wealth-management group
Acquisition of Hong Kong entities — structure, due diligence, and transaction documents.
Payments / POS company
Majority investment into the company by a Hong Kong telecom group — a founder-side exit.
Innovation business unit
Spun off from a traditional professional-services firm into a standalone company.
Shanghai-listed company
Pre-IPO restructuring of HK operations — WFOE / VIE build-out; capital investment exceeding RMB 2B.
Cross-border JVs
China–UK fashion; Japan–HK/PRC climate control; Shenzhen–Europe software.
HK / offshore holdcos
Cross-border structuring with HK holdcos and BVI / Cayman top-cos.
HK private family business
Structured the startup-incubation and investment arm — policy, governance, and investment-paper template.
US-listed PRC internet group
Investment advisory across multiple China tech sectors.
UAS manufacturer
Offshore structuring and general corporate advice.
PRC property group (HK sub)
A notes offering later exchanged into Europe-listed notes.
Overseas venture fund
Proposed investment into a PRC consumer company — structuring, due diligence, PRC-counsel coordination.
Alternative-investment platform
Regulatory compliance and SFC rules advice.
Technology company expansion
SFC and MSO licensing, among other matters.
Web3 businesses
VATP licence applications and general regulatory advisory.
Establishing HK operations
Leading PRC consumer, e-commerce, and tech companies — strategy, local knowledge, operational contracts.
International brand
HK market entry and expansion.
Korean-listed entertainment group
Multi-year general legal adviser to its HK subsidiary.
Chain F&B brands
Multiple chain F&B brands — franchise design, corporate structures, and multi-outlet expansion.
Co-working business
Shareholding restructuring and overseas expansion.
Listed companies & multinationals
Compliance and dispute advisory.
Founder in distress
Advised on transferring certain investor interests to another platform — pre-dispute planning and risk management.
HKSAR ITVFC
VC advisory to the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund — a past engagement.
In their words
Clients who keep coming back.
A few words from founders and operators we've worked with — from first seed rounds to ten-year relationships.
OLN has represented us on every fundraising round since our seed. Cermain and Phyllis prepare, negotiate and close every document with real efficiency — and a deep understanding of Hong Kong's investment landscape. They've given us guidance and confidence at every stage.
A client of ten years, and we recommend Cermain wholeheartedly. She cuts to the heart of complex commercial questions, clarifies the legal position fast, and tailors practical, risk-controlled solutions we can act on. Responsive, clear, and genuinely accountable.
Cermain's team is among the most professional and efficient we've worked with. They grasp what we need quickly, get straight to the point, and give clear, comprehensive, practical advice on complex issues — always responsive, always reassuring.
Cermain has been a trusted legal partner to me and to Return Helper from day one — consistently thoughtful, responsive, and bringing real professionalism to every matter.
Thanks to Cermain and Phyllis, our first round of financing negotiations went smoothly and efficiently. Responsive, clear and professional throughout.
Cermain thinks like a founder, not only a lawyer. She tells us what's worth fighting for and what isn't — and she's still our first call whenever something matters.
Shared with each client's permission. Some quotes are translated from Chinese and lightly condensed for length.
Standing
Recognised by the profession — and trusted to serve it.
- Deal of the YearChina Business Law Journal
- HK Law Firm of the YearOLN · Asialaw Awards 2025
- Chair, Women Initiative APECGlobaLaw
- Member, Appeal PanelBasic Housing Units
- AdjudicatorRegistration of Persons Tribunal
- Member, Immigration TribunalSecurity Bureau
- Part-time Lecturer, HKU Law SchoolCommercial Contract Drafting
- Editorial DirectorLegal Industry Review · China & HK
A matter that doesn’t fit a box?
That’s usually mine.
Whether you’re weighing an acquisition, a cross-border structure, a licence, or a market-entry plan — that’s exactly the conversation I’m happy to have.
Anonymised throughout — no client names. Figures are limited to documented matters. Illustrative of practice; not legal advice.