K&L Gates Enhances Funds and M&A Practices with New Partner Trio in Hong Kong

Hong Kong – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Sook Young Yeu, Scott Peterman, and William Ho as partners in the firm’s integrated funds and private equity practices. The trio joins K&L Gates’ Hong Kong office from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP – where Yeu served as administrative partner of the Hong Kong office for the past 15 years – and is accompanied by two associates.

With extensive experience across the funds industry, and in Asia, Yeu and Peterman have represented virtually every type of fund, including private equity and venture capital funds, real estate investment funds and private REITs, hedge funds, buyout and restructuring funds, mezzanine funds, funds-of-funds, co-investment funds, emerging manager platform funds, and emerging market ETFs. Their combined credentials include admissions to the California, New York, and Hong Kong bars, enabling them to assist clients on a broad range of U.S. and Hong Kong regulatory and compliance matters.  

Ho focuses on M&A and private equity transactions. His practice includes representing early to late stage technology companies and on all aspects of their capital raisings, joint ventures, acquisitions, and exits. He also represents major private equity funds and venture capital funds in their investments across Asia, with a particular focus in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.

“The additions of Sook, Scott, and Will significantly broaden and deepen our funds and private equity practices in Asia,” said David Tang, K&L Gates’ Managing Partner, Asia.  “Along with being skilled practitioners, they bring in-depth industry experience in the technology, media, telecommunications, and FinTech sectors.  Their combined depth, capability, and market insights will allow us to better serve our regional and global clients who are increasingly seeking advice around opportunities across the Asia-Pacific markets.”

Michael Caccese, K&L Gates Chairman and a leader of the firm’s global asset management and investment funds practice, stated: “We are excited that Sook, Scott, William, and the two associates are joining the ranks of the leading lawyers in the K&L Gates’ global asset management and investment funds practice as an important addition to one of the largest asset management legal teams globally. With these additions, we are pleased to expand the services we deliver to clients in this industry throughout the world.”

The trio’s arrival follows the additions of partners Kasey L. Lekander and Yasho Lahiri and of counsel David Owen to the firm’s asset management and investment funds practice, and partners Raphaël Bloch, Harry Kingsley, and Steven Olenick to the corporate practice, earlier this year. K&L Gates has welcomed more than 20 new partners and of counsel in 2020, including in the firm’s corporate, tax, health care, environment, land and natural resources, asset management and investment funds, IP litigation, restructuring and insolvency, government contracts, and investigations, enforcement and white collar practices.

K&L Gates’ asset management and investment funds practice is one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States and globally and has more than 150 lawyers in offices in the United States, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East, devoted to assisting the investment management, funds, and professional investor communities. The practice is ranked in U.S. News-Best Lawyers’ annual “Best Law Firms” report as a top-tier practice for “Mutual Funds Law” and “Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law.”

The firm’s corporate/M&A practice is one of the most substantial in the legal industry, with more than 500 lawyers in offices on five continents assisting clients in the structuring, financing, and completion of domestic, international, and cross-border transactions. The group serves as counsel to a broad array of Global 500, Fortune 100, FTSE 100 corporations, privately held and venture-backed companies, partnerships, private equity firms and other investment funds, management groups, and entrepreneurs. Recently, the practice helped to earn K&L Gates the distinction of corporate “Law Firm of the Year” in U.S. News-Best Lawyers’ annual “Best Law Firms” report and recognition from Forbes as one of America’s top corporate law firms.