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© 2013 Dorsey & Whitney LLP

  • Cornell Law School (J.D., 2000), Cornell International Law Journal, General Editor
  • University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1997), Major in Economics; minors in Psychology and Asian & Middle Eastern Studies; Vice-President and Treasurer, Chinese Students’ Association

  • New York
  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Registered Foreign Lawyer

  • Conversant in Cantonese-Chinese

Kenneth K. Kwok

Partner
Hong Kong
P: (852) 2105-0261
F: (852) 2524-3000
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Kenneth is a partner in the Corporate group in the Hong Kong office. Kenneth represents and advises issuers and underwriters in public and private capital raising transactions (including equity and debt), buyers and sellers in mergers & acquisitions (including cross-border transactions) and sponsors of and investors in private equity funds (including fund formation and investment transactions). In addition to his practice focus on capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and private equity, Kenneth also advises on matters involving U.S. securities regulation, corporate governance, joint ventures and general corporate and commercial transactions. Kenneth began his career in Dorsey's New York office in 2000. After a stint in Dorsey's Tokyo office in 2003-2004, Kenneth has been based in Dorsey's Hong Kong office since November 2004.

Representative Transactions

Capital Markets and Securities Regulation
  • Advised Tsui Wah Holdings Limited, the leading cha chaan teng 茶餐廳 chain owner and operator in Hong Kong, as special U.S. counsel in its initial public offering in Hong Kong and concurrent Rule 144A / Regulation S offering (US$97 million).
  • Advised Morgan Stanley, JM Financial, CLSA and HSBC as international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutions placement in India, Section 4(a)(2) placement in the United States and Regulation S placement outside the United States of equity shares of IndusInd Bank Limited (US$370 million).
  • Advised Xiao Nan Guo Restaurants Holdings Limited, the largest self-owned mid-to high-end Chinese cuisine full-service restaurant chain headquartered in the PRC, as special U.S. counsel in its initial public offering in Hong Kong and concurrent Rule 144A / Reg S offering (US$65 million)
  • Advised Edelweiss Financial Services Limited as international counsel in the estimated Rs. 940 million (US$18.8 million) qualified institutions placement in India and Regulation S private placement outside India of Development Credit Bank Limited
  • Advising Southeast Asia-based casino operator as special US counsel in its proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering (size to be determined)
  • Advising a natural resources company as special US counsel in its initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering (size to be determined)
  • Advised Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas, JM Financial and IDFC Capital as international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutions placement in India and Regulation S placement outside the United States of equity shares of IndusInd Bank Limited (US$250 million)
  • Advised CITIC Securities Corporate Finance (HK) Limited as special US counsel in the concurent initial public offering in Hong Kong and Regulation S placement outside the United States of PAX Global Technology Limited (US$118 million)
  • Advised JM Financial Consultants Private Limited, UBS Securities India Private Limited and Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Private Limited as sole international counsel in the initial public offering in India and concurrent Rule 144A offering of Orient Green Power Limited (US$200 million)
  • Advised SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd. as special U.S. counsel with respect to its secondary listing and initial public offering in Hong Kong and concurrent Rule 144A offering (US$438 million)
  • Advised BNP Paribas Capital (Asia Pacific) Limited as special U.S. counsel in the initial public offering in Hong Kong and concurrent Rule 144A offering of Huiyin Household Appliances (Holdings) Co., Ltd. (US$80 million)
  • Advised Enam Securities Private Limited as sole international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutions placement in India, Section 4(2) placement in the United States and Regulation S placement outside India of Magma Fincorp Limited (US$26 million)
  • Advised Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Private Limited and JM Financial Consultants Private Limited as sole international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutions placement in India, Section 4(2) placement in the United States and Regulation S placement outside India of Dewan Housing Finance Limited (US$80 million)
  • Advised International Taifeng Holdings Limited as special U.S. counsel in its initial public offering in Hong Kong and Regulation S placement outside the United States (US$74 million)
  • Advised Collins Stewart Inga Private Ltd and Antique Capital Markets Limited as sole international counsel in the concurrent Qualified Institutional Placement in India and Regulation S placement outside India of equity shares of Unity Infraprojects Limited (US$16 million)
  • Advised Deutsche Equities India Private Limited and Anand Rathi Financial Services Limited, as sole international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutional placement in India and Regulation S placement outside India of equity shares of Ackruti City Limited (US$64 million)
  • Advised IDFC-SSKI Limited and Edelweiss Capital Limited as special international counsel in the initial public offering in India and concurrent Regulation S offering outside India of Man Infraconstruction Limited
  • Advised Morgan Stanley and IDFC-SSKI Limited as international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutions placement in India and Regulation S placement outside the United States of equity shares of IndusInd Bank Limited (US$100 million)
  • Advising BNP Paribas Capital (Asia Pacific) Limited as special U.S. Counsel in the proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering of a PRC steel pipe manufacturer(size to be determined)
  • Advised Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited and ICICI Securities Limited as international counsel in the initial public offering in India and Rule 144A offering of Shriram EPC Limited (US$38 million)
  • Advised Solargiga Energy Holdings Limited, a PRC-based silicon wafer manufacturer, as special U.S. counsel with respect to certain aspects of its initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering (US$125 million)
  • Advised Sino Gold Mining Limited, an Australian-based PRC gold mining company, in its secondary listing and initial public offering in Hong Kong (US$114 million)
  • Advising Anglo Chinese Corporate Finance, Limited and Cazenove Asia Limited as special U.S. counsel in the proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering of a Hong Kong shipping company (size to be determined)
  • Advising BNP Paribas Capital (Asia Pacific) Limited and UBS AG as special U.S. counsel in the proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering of a Hong Kong-based printing company (size to be determined)
  • Advising BNP Paribas Capital (Asia Pacific) Limited as special U.S. counsel in the proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering of a PRC chemicals manufacturer (size to be determined)
  • Advising a PRC real estate development company as special U.S. counsel in the proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering (size to be determined)
  • Advising Cazenove Asia Limited as special U.S. counsel in the proposed initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering of a PRC real estate development company (size to be determined)
  • Advising ICICI Securities Limited as international counsel in the initial public offering in India and Rule 144A offering of an Indian real estate development company (size to be determined)
  • Advised Indian Bank, SBI Capital Markets Limited, Enam Financial Consultants Private Limited, ICICI Securities Limited and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited, as sole international counsel in the initial public offering in India and Rule 144A offering of Indian Bank (US$181 million)
  • Advised UBS Securities India Private Limited, YES Bank Limited and SSKI Corporate Finance Private Limited as sole international counsel in the initial public offering in India and Regulation S offering outside India of Advanta India Limited, a hybrid seeds company (US$48 million)
  • Advised Computime Group Limited, a Hong Kong-based automation controls and device provider, as special US counsel in its initial public offering in Hong Kong and Rule 144A offering (US$58 million)
  • Advised Apollo Tyres Limited and JM Morgan Stanley as sole international counsel in the concurrent qualified institutional placement in India, Section 4(2) placement in the United States and Regulation S placement outside India
  • Advised DSP Merrill Lynch as sole international counsel in the sale of shares of Unity Infraprojects Limited, a construction company, in the initial public offering in India and Rule 144A offering outside India (US$53 million)
  • Advised Citigroup, DSP Merrill Lynch, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, Enam Financial Consultants, and SBI Capital Markets as sole international counsel in the sale of shares of Union Bank of India in a follow-on public offering in India and in concurrent private placements and Rule 144A offering outside India (US$115 million)
  • Advised DSP Merrill Lynch and ICICI Securities as sole international counsel in the sale of shares in Jagran Prakashan Limited, an Indian newspaper company, in the initial public offering in India and Rule 144A offering outside India (US$75 million)
  • Advised Citigroup, DSP Merrill Lynch, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, Enam Financial Consultants, and SBI Capital Markets as sole international counsel in the sale of shares of Andhra Bank in a follow-on public offering in India and in concurrent private placements and Rule 144A offering outside India (US$175 million)
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on a bridge financing and purchase of preference shares issued by a majority owned U.S.-listed foreign private issuer
  • Advised a Hong Kong public company on the U.S. securities law aspects of the HK$55 million warrant offering
  • Advised a U.S. credit card processor on a private placement of its equity securities
  • Advised a New York-based asset management company on its initial U.S. public offering
    Regularly advise "foreign private issuer" clients on U.S. securities law reporting and compliance issues, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
  • Regularly advised various U.S. public company clients on SEC reporting and continuous disclosure requirements

Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity
  • Advising a private equity fund investor in a minority stake investment in a PRC based animation company
  • Advised private equity fund investor in connection with a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering by a U.S. listed company based in China
  • Advised management on the buyout of a collectibles manufacturing company from its parent
  • Advised Imation Corp., a U.S. removable data storage manufacturer, on the acquisition of Memorex, a leading recordable media manufacturer
  • Advised subsidiary of U.S.-based health service benefits company on the purchase of equity interests in an Indian third-party administration service provider
  • Advised a Hong Kong chemically-treated entry mat and carpet maintenance and cleaning service provider in the sale of its business to a multi-national company
  • Advised a Hong Kong semiconductor leadframe manufacturer in the debt and equity financing of major customer and affiliate
  • Advised a Hong Kong executive recruitment company in the sale of its business to an Australian public company
  • Advised a South Korean digital navigation company on the sale of its business to a U.S. public-listed digital navigation company
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on the acquisition of a U.K. toy developer
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on the acquisition of certain technology rights in connection with a reverse merger with a U.S. public company
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on the establishment of a joint venture with a U.S. individual to obtain character licenses and to develop toy and entertainment products
  • Advised a U.S.-based alcoholic beverage distributor in an arbitration matter involving a dispute with a Korean manufacturer
  • Advised a Korean government client on the sale of two securities and investment management companies
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on a holding company reorganization and acquisition of a U.S. public company
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on the acquisition of a U.S. specialty doll developer
  • Advised a Hong Kong client on the acquisition of a printer and manufacturer of hand-made books, specialty packaging and other paper products
  • Advised a Japanese communications company on an acquisition of cable television operations on United States military bases in Japan
  • Advised a Japanese executive recruiting company on the sale of its business to a U.S. public company
  • Advised a U.S. cardiovascular device company with the acquisition by its Japanese subsidiary of a Japanese software development company
  • Advised a multinational express courier client on the acquisition of the remaining equity interest in a joint venture in Japan and the leasing of certain cargo facilities
  • Advised a U.S. client on the establishment of a joint venture in Japan
  • Advised a U.S. public company client on an equity investment in one of Japan’s largest retail operations
  • Advised a French aircraft systems company on the acquisition of a U.S. aircraft arresting systems developer
  • Advised an international directories publisher on the acquisition of a independent publisher of yellow pages in the western United States
Private Equity Funds
  • Advised on the formation of several offshore private equity funds, including structuring and the preparation of offering memoranda and general corporate matters
  • Advised various hedge fund clients with the preparation of offering memoranda, bridge financing transactions and general corporate matters

Attorney Articles

May 14, 2012
US Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act – Implications for Indian Issuers and Financial Institutions
April 6, 2009
US Regulatory Reforms in a Time of Global Financial Crisis