Charles Russell Speechlys has announced the appointment of Gaven Cheong as partner within the funds team in Hong Kong.
Gaven joins the Firm from Tiang & Partners, where he served as head of investment funds for three years from 2021 and was instrumental in establishing the investment funds practice. Gaven has almost 20 years of fund formation and Hong Kong regulatory experience. His practice covers the establishment and structuring of a wide range of collective investment schemes including hedge funds, real estate funds, private equity arrangements, hybrid funds and other private investment structures, and regulatory advice in relation to general investment management activity.
Gaven is a pioneer in the crypto fund formation and regulatory advice space, having helped obtain the first regulatory licences in Hong Kong for the management of a fund of crypto funds and shortly after that, a pure virtual assets fund. Qualified to practise in Western Australia, Hong Kong and England & Wales. Gaven is fluent in English and Cantonese and is conversant in Mandarin.
David Collins, partner, who is responsible for the firm’s business advisory & transaction services division, which includes the corporate, commercial, employment, immigration, financial services and banking teams, comments: 'We are very excited to have Gaven joining the Firm. His hire significantly extends our reach in the hedge fund and private equity arena in Asia across both traditional finance and crypto, and his nearly two decades of experience strengthens our capabilities in an increasingly dynamic and complex area. Gaven’s experience in high-value fund formation work also perfectly complements our existing Financial Services Regulation & Funds practice and will bring value to clients in a range of jurisdictions. We wish him a very warm welcome.'
Simon Green, partner and head of Asia, comments: 'Gaven’s appointment marks our sixth Partner hire across Hong Kong and Singapore since the start of last year and underlines our international growth ambitions. His hire closely follows Corporate Partner Tun Zaw Mra joining at the start of January, and Corporate & Commercial Partner Shirley Fu joining with her team in April 2024, marking another exciting development for us in the region. Looking ahead to 2025, we will continue to grow and develop our international offices in Asia in line with market trends and client demand.'
Gaven Cheong comments: 'Charles Russell Speechlys is growing quickly in Asia and has a strong presence in the region. The Firm also has an interesting track record of clients and matters relating to my areas of expertise and presents a significant opportunity for me to grow and develop my practice. I am looking forward to being part of a Firm on such a clear growth trajectory and look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues in due course.'
