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Caught in a Bind? Ethical Dilemmas in PE Deal Negotiations

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Ethical dilemmas are inevitable issues that PE lawyers will need to address during deal negotiations.

Ethical dilemmas are inevitable issues that PE lawyers will need to address during deal negotiations.In this webinar, led by Morrison & Foerster partners Timothy Blakely, Marcia Ellis, Sarah Thomas, Serena Tan, and Nicholas Sheets, we will explore ethical dilemmas using scenarios commonly experienced during PE deal negotiations. We will discuss what is permitted under New York and California ethics rules and how these issues may be viewed differently under Hong Kong rules.Following content presented by the speakers, you will have the opportunity to break into small discussion groups to explore real life scenarios, including what to do if:<ul><li>You discover that the counterparty has made some incorrect assumptions about matters of fact related to your fund;</li><li>Incorrect statements are made to the counterparty by investment personnel from your fund during negotiations;</li><li>A member of the business team of the counterparty (which you know is represented by outside counsel) calls you directly; and</li><li>There are clear conflicts of interest between the founder and the counterparty, and they are not separately represented.</li></ul><hr>

Caught in a Bind? Ethical Dilemmas in PE Deal Negotiations

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Tim is managing partner of Morrison & Foerster’s Hong Kong office. He is also head of the firm’s Hong Kong Litigation Department. Tim’s practice focuses on government and internal investigations and complex commercial litigation and international arbitration matters.Tim represents companies and individuals in, among other matters:<ul><li>Government investigations</li><li>Regulatory enforcement proceedings</li><li>Internal investigations</li><li>International arbitrations</li><li>Securities class action lawsuits</li><li>Complex dispute-related matters</li><li>Regulatory compliance issues</li></ul>Tim has represented multinational and Chinese clients in various industries, including telecommunications, biotechnology, publishing, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.Tim also is a member of both the firm’s FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption and Global Ethics + Compliance teams. He conducts internal investigations throughout Asia of potential violations of anti-corruption laws, leads pre-acquisition anti-corruption-related due diligence and post-closing remediation, and regularly provides advice, counseling, and training to clients about FCPA and anti-corruption related issues.Tim has deep experience representing companies and individuals in high-stakes contentious matters involving U.S. and Hong Kong law. Before relocating to Hong Kong in 2011, he spent 10 years practicing in New York and California, handling fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract, securities litigation, investment disputes, commercial arbitration, and enforcement-related matters, from inception through trial. His practice continues to have a strong U.S. nexus, and he regularly advises clients facing disputes and enforcement actions originating in the U.S. and involving U.S. law.As a Hong Kong solicitor, Tim has been instructed by clients in key contentious proceedings and arbitration-related matters before Hong Kong courts, as well in proceedings with Hong Kong regulators and statutory tribunals. He has advised clients in investigations by, inter alia, the Securities & Futures Commission, and in proceedings before the Telecommunications (Competition Provisions) Appeal Board. He regularly acts for clients in Hong Kong-seated, international arbitration proceedings.Chambers Asia-Pacific quotes clients saying that Tim “is incredibly intelligent and always well prepared. He is an excellent interviewer and his depth of knowledge of the subject matter is outstanding” and that he “knows Western practices but also appreciates and understands the peculiarity of Chinese laws and practice.”

Timothy Blakely律师是美富律师事务所香港办事处的管理合伙人，同时也是本所香港诉讼部门的主管。Blakely律师的主要业务为政府和内部调查，以及复杂的商业诉讼和国际仲裁事宜。Blakely律师经常代表公司和个人处理的事宜包括：<ul><li>政府调查</li><li>监管程序</li><li>内部调查</li><li>国际仲裁</li><li>证券集体诉讼</li><li>复杂的争议相关事宜</li></ul>他也就监管合规问题向客户提供法律服务。Blakely律师曾代表电信、生物技术、出版、医药及金融服务等多个行业的跨国及中国客户处理有关事宜。Blakely律师也是本所全球反腐败及合规工作组的成员。他在全亚洲就可能违反各国反腐败法的行为开展内部调查，领导进行收购前关于反腐败的尽职调查工作和交割后的纠正事宜，并经常向客户提供关于美国《反海外腐败法》及反腐败问题的法律服务及培训。Blakely律师在代表公司和个人处理涉及美国和香港法律的高案值争讼事宜方面拥有丰富经验。在2011年移居香港之前，Blakely律师曾在纽约和加州执业十年，处理欺诈、不实陈述、合同违约、证券诉讼、投资争议、商业仲裁及执行的相关事宜，其工作贯穿从初始到案件审判的全过程。目前，Blakely律师的业务仍与美国密切相关，他经常协助客户处理源于美国或涉及美国法律的争议和执法行动。作为一名拥有香港事务资格的律师，Blakely律师曾受客户委托在香港法院处理重要的争讼程序和仲裁相关事宜，以及在香港监管机构和法定特别法庭处理各种程序。他曾就由香港证券及期货事务监察委员会等进行的调查以及在香港电讯（竞争条文）上诉委员会进行的程序向客户提供咨询。他还经常代表客户处理在香港进行的国际仲裁程序。

Timothy Blakely

Managing Partner, Hong Kong

Marcia’s practice focuses on private equity transactions and complex mergers and acquisitions involving companies and other assets located in Asia. Having practiced in Asia for more than a quarter of a century, Marcia is one of the most experienced M&A lawyers active in the Asian market. In the past three years, she has advised clients on deals with a total aggregate value well in excess of US$249.8 billion.​Marcia regularly advises leading investors on M&A transactions, including SoftBank Vision Fund, Alibaba, GLP, Bain Capital, BlackRock, Farallon Capital, Ascendent Capital Partners, Silver Crest Acquisition Corp., PAG, Hillhouse, Hony Capital and Celadon Partners. In addition, she is experienced in representing U.S., UK and Asia based institutional investors in the acquisition, financing and disposition of real estate in China, Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia, including numerous logistics and internet data center projects, and investment in and acquisition of real estate developers.From 2008 through 2011, she was the Chief Legal Officer for Asia of D. E. Shaw, where she assisted various group entities in making, restructuring, and exiting investments in various countries in Asia, including a number of significant and highly structured investments in China and India.Clients consider Marcia as a "super skilled technical lawyer" who offers "incredible problem-solving skills on all aspects of matters, both legal and commercial". A client said that "Finding a lawyer whose judgement you trust and who knows how far they can push the boundaries is not easy, and Marcia is the best lawyer I've worked with."Marcia is the Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Private Equity Practice, a member of our global board of directors, and a member of our global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Steering Committee. She has also been named to Law360’s 2022 and 2023 Private Equity Editorial Board and elected as the Co-Chair of AmCham Hong Kong’s Women of Influence Committee. Marcia has been recognized as one of the Women of Influence in Private Markets: Private Equity by Private Equity International in 2024.

Marcia Ellis（艾琳）律师的执业重点是涉及亚洲境内公司和其它资产的私募股权交易和复杂并购。Ellis律师在亚洲执业超过二十五年，是活跃在亚洲市场经验最丰富的并购律师之一。在过去三年间，她为客户完成的交易的合计价值超过2498亿美元。Ellis律师经常为大型投资者提供并购交易法律咨询，这些投资者包括软银愿景基金、阿里巴巴、普洛斯、Bain Capital、贝莱德、Farallon Capital、上达资本、Silver Crest特殊目的收购公司、PAG、高瓴资本、弘毅投资以及Celadon Partners。此外，在代表美国、英国、亚洲机构投资人方面她也富有经验；她代表客户处理收购、融资、处置中国、香港及亚洲其它地区的房地产，其中包括许多物流和互联网数据中心项目，也处理对房地产开发商的投资与收购。从2008至2011年，Ellis律师是德劭集团亚洲区的首席法务官。在德劭集团，她协助各集团实体处理在亚洲多个国家进行的投资、投资重组及投资退出事宜，包括在中国和印度进行的多个重要及高度结构化的投资。客户评价Ellis律师是一位"技巧高超的律师"，她拥有 "极其出色的解决问题的能力，包括法律问题和商业问题 "。一位客户称："找到一位拥有令人信任的判断力，并能尽力突破极限的律师并不容易，而她是我合作过的最好的律师"。Ellis律师是美富律师事务所的全球私募股权业务联席主席，本所全球董事会成员，兼本所环境、社会与治理（ESG）指导委员会委员之一。她还当选《法律360》（Law 360）2022年度和2023年度私募股权业务编辑委员会成员，以及香港美国商会最具影响力女性（WOI）指导委员会联席主席。Ellis律师还荣获Private Equity International评为2024年“私募股权领域：私募市场最具影响力女性”之一。

Marcia Ellis

Global Co-Chair of Private Equity Practice

Serena represents global and regional fund managers and institutional investors in the formation of private equity, private credit and real estate funds. Her practice focuses on both offshore funds (including the Cayman Islands, BVI, Delaware, Luxembourg, Singapore, and Hong Kong) and RMB funds (including QFLP and QDLP funds). She is the Deputy Chair of the firm’s Global Private Funds Group and Chair of Greater China Private Funds practice.Serena advises fund managers on the formation of an array of private equity funds (including buyout, growth capital, venture capital, and co-investment funds) and private credit funds across a wide range of sectors, including consumer, financial services, healthcare, technologies, TMT, and travel/leisure. Serena’s representative private equity fund manager clients include Affirma Capital, Ascendent Capital Partners, Ally Bridge Group, CBC Group, Fosun, GLP, Hony Capital, Junson Capital, KHL Capital, Kowloon Nights, Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia, Makers, ORIX Asia Capital, Ping An Overseas Holdings, Sailing Capital, SoftBank Ventures Asia, and Taiwania Capital.Serena advises on real estate fund managers on the formation of real estate funds and joint ventures with experience across many asset classes, including offices, logistics, industrial parks, residential, hospitality, and retail. Serena’s representative real estate fund manager clients include BHG, GLP, Hony Capital, and Sino-Ocean Capital. Serena’s diverse practice also encompasses advising on fund secondaries transactions such as GP-led restructuring, continuation funds, stapled secondaries, and secondary purchases of limited partner interests. In addition, Serena frequently advises fund managers on arrangements among principals, carried interest plans, and employee co-investments, regulatory and compliance matters, and internal governance matters. She also has deep experience of fund of funds, funds-of-one, separate accounts, and family offices.In addition, Serena regularly represents institutional investors in investments in private investment funds, including insurance companies, family offices, banks, and asset management firms.  Serena’s representative institutional investor clients include China Ping An, China Life, CMB, FWD, ICBCI, Great Wall, The Wharf Holdings, and Wheelock.Year after year, Serena is widely acknowledged by legal directories as one of the leading private funds partners in Asia. Recent recognition includes being ranked as a leading partner by Chambers Global (2019-2024), Chambers Asia-Pacific (2019-2021), Chambers Greater China (2022-2024), and Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2020-2024). She was featured in ALB’s “Asia’s 40 Under 40” list of the most accomplished young lawyers in 2018. Under Serena’s leadership, the Private Funds Team in Asia has advised Asia-based GPs on more than 30 fund formation transactions (raising in excess of US$25 billion), and was shortlisted for the 2021 PEI Awards for Asia Law Firm of the Year in the Fund Formation category.Serena has been recognized by clients as a “highly diligent and talented” practitioner with “excellent professional knowledge and a strong commercial sense” and their “go-to lawyer for fund formation work that has a Chinese component.” Clients highlighted her as “an ideal partner” who “understands the differences between offshore funds and RMB funds and the differences between international investors and Chinese investors” and “has the outstanding ability to design optimal structures, bridge gaps, and find solutions.”Serena is a Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Law Society of Hong Kong. She has over 15 years of experience practicing law in New York and China.

谭律师代表国际及亚洲基金管理人和机构投资者处理私募股权基金、私募债权基金和房地产基金设立事宜。她的业务重点同时涵盖境外基金（包括开曼群岛、英属维尔京群岛、特拉华州、卢森堡、新加坡和香港基金）和人民币基金（包括合格境外有限合伙人基金（QFLP）和合格境内有限合伙人（QDLP）基金）。她是本所全球私募基金业务组副主席及大中华区私募基金业务部主席。谭律师代表基金管理人设立多支私募股权基金（包括收购基金、成长型资本基金、风险投资基金和共同投资基金）和私募债权基金，涵盖了消费市场、金融服务、医疗健康、技术、科技、媒体和电信（TMT）以及旅游休闲等众多行业。谭律师具代表性的私募股权债权基金管理人客户包括亚赋资本、上达资本、汇桥资本集团、康桥资本、复星、普洛斯、弘毅资本、佳辰资本、达胜资本、Kowloon Nights、摩根士丹利亚洲私募股权、Makers、欧力士亚洲资本、平安海外控股、赛领资本、软银亚洲风投和台杉投资。谭律师代表地产基金管理人设立地产基金及合资企业，项目经验包括写字楼、物流、工业园区、住宅、酒店和商业地产等众多资产类别。谭律师具代表性的地产基金管理人客户包括华联长山兴、普洛斯、弘毅资本和远洋资本。谭律师在延续基金、由普通合伙人牵头的重组、捆绑式二级市场交易以及在二级市场购买有限合伙人权益等基金二级市场交易中有丰富的经验。另外，谭律师经常就基金管理人关键人安排、收益分成计划、员工共同投资、监管与合规事宜以及内部治理事宜向基金管理人提供咨询。她在设立母基金、专项基金、基金专户和家族办公室相关事宜方面也有丰富经验。此外，谭律师还经常代表保险公司、家族办公室、银行和资产管理机构等机构投资者处理其私募投资基金投资事宜。谭律师具代表性的机构投资者客户包括中国平安、中国人寿、中国招商银行、富卫、工银国际、中国长城、九龙仓和汇德丰。谭律师连年被法律名录广泛认可为亚洲顶级私募基金合伙人之一。她最近分别被《钱伯斯全球法律指南》（2019-2024年）、《钱伯斯亚太法律指南》（2019-2021年）、《钱伯斯大中华区法律指南》（2022-2024）和《亚太法律500强》（2020-2024年）评为领先合伙人。她还于2018年入选《亚洲法律杂志》的亚洲律师明日之星“40 位40 岁以下杰出律师”名单。在谭律师带领下，本所亚洲私募基金团队曾就30多项基金设立交易向亚洲普通合伙人提供咨询（筹集金额超过250亿美元），并入围了2021年PEI奖项中的基金设立领域亚洲年度律所奖。客户称谭律师是位“极其勤勉且才华出众”的执业者，“具备丰富的专业知识和强烈的商业意识”，是“处理涉华基金设立工作的最佳律师”。客户强调她是“理想的合作伙伴”，“深谙境外基金和人民币基金之间的差异以及国际投资者和中国投资者之间的差异”，“在设计最优结构、消除差异以及找到解决方案方面拥有非凡的能力。”谭律师是香港律师会注册外国律师。她在纽约和中国有超过15年的法律执业经验。

Caught in a Bind? Ethical Dilemmas in PE Deal Negotiations

19 Jun 2020 12:30 AM - 1:45 AM HKT