Senior Associate – Transactional Funds and Regulatory Advisory

Company Description

Who We Are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Job Description

About the Role

The Senior Associate will join Clifford Chance’s Transactional Funds and Regulatory Advisory Practice in Hong Kong. The role involves advising clients on a broad range of investment funds matters, including fund formation, structuring, regulatory compliance, and transactional work. The successful candidate will work closely with partners and other team members, providing high-quality legal advice to international and local clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide regulatory advice on SFC and other relevant Hong Kong and international regulations affecting funds and asset managers, including licensing, ongoing compliance, and regulatory investigations.
• Advise on the structuring, offering, and distribution of retail and private funds, as well as the regulatory aspects of digital assets, tokenisation, and virtual asset service providers.
• Draft, review, and negotiate fund documentation, offering materials, side letters, and related agreements.
• Advise on fund-related transactions, including secondary transfers, co-investments, and joint ventures.
• Support clients with ongoing compliance and regulatory matters, including licensing and registration requirements.
• Liaise with regulatory authorities and manage regulatory filings as required.
• Advise on ESG and sustainable finance matters as they relate to funds and asset management.
• Mentor and supervise junior lawyers and trainees within the team.
• Contribute to business development initiatives and client relationship management.

Qualifications

Key Requirements

• Qualified solicitor in Hong Kong or another common law jurisdiction.
• Minimum 5 years’ post-qualification experience in investment funds, asset management, or financial regulatory work, ideally gained at an international law firm.
• Strong technical knowledge of Hong Kong funds and regulatory frameworks; experience with cross-border matters is advantageous.
• Experience advising on digital assets, tokenisation, and virtual asset regulatory issues is preferred.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills in English; proficiency in Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin) is an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex matters and work effectively in a team environment.
• Strong client management skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality service.

Additional Information

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.

Find out more about our inclusive culture here