Charltons has a dynamic capital markets practice with extensive experience in representing issuers, sponsors, major shareholders, underwriters, cornerstone investors and placees in connection with listings on both the Main Board and the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. We have particular experience in advising on the listing of Chapter 21 funds on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and of mineral company IPOs under Chapter 18 of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Rules. We have brought both private and state-owned Chinese enterprises to market, and also acted on listings involving overseas companies. We have been involved in some of the largest and most ground-breaking deals to have come to the Hong Kong market in the past decade. We acted as Hong Kong legal adviser to the major shareholder of AIA, which raised more than HK$159 billion in its 2010 IPO.
Charltons is involved not only in advising on the listing process and application of the Listing Rules, but in shaping the regulatory framework. Julia Charlton was a member of the Listing Committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange from 2012 – 2018 serving the maximum permitted continuous term of six years. Julia Charlton was appointed to the SFC’s Takeovers Panel and Takeovers Appeals Panel in October 2005 and continues to serve on these panels. We have been involved in market consultations on many of the major rule changes and developments through which the Hong Kong capital markets have evolved in recent years. Most recently, we acted as coordinating counsel on the drafting of the Hong Kong Sponsor Due Diligence Guidelines, a major market initiative creating a set of guidelines relating to the Hong Kong legal and regulatory requirements and market practice for IPO due diligence on listing applicants.
