Adrian Fong is an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Corporate Department and Financial Institutions Industry Group. 

Adrian focuses on financial regulation, including licensing matters, prime brokerage arrangements, asset management, securities dealing, financial market regulations, intermediary and distribution arrangements, product development and structuring, and fintech.

Prior to joining Latham, Adrian worked in the Hong Kong office of a leading international law firm.

Adrian’s experience includes advising:

  • Multiple international insurers on sale of their Hong Kong insurance business, establishing authorized insurers in Hong Kong and other insurance regulatory matters*
  • A private wealth manager on restructuring its client and intragroup agreements, as well as in respect of new precious metals and cryptocurrency product lines*
  • A major retail bank on introducing a portfolio-based suitability wealth management service, including drafting terms and conditions, opining on digital offerings, and advising on various associated banking and securities requirements*
  • A cryptocurrency derivatives exchange on establishing new product lines, launching mobile apps, preparing an inter-dealer broker agreement, and drafting their contractual documentation, terms of service, and exchange rules*
  • Financial institutions on various near-contentious matters, including regulatory inspections and investigations into unlicensed activities and possible breaches of regulatory requirements*
  • A major APAC fund, acting as fund counsel on general fund obligations, co-investment transactions, fund restructuring, side letters, regulatory queries, and general day-to-day fund matters*
  • A multinational trading firm on various regulatory matters including the establishment of a new introducing business line and licensing matters arising out of their associated businesses*
  • A leading global bank’s restructure of its global legal and business operations in connection with its ring-fencing and resolution planning, advising on a variety of local and regional regulatory aspects to provide strategic analysis and advice including on licensing requirements, regulatory legal opinions, operational continuity, as well as capital and liquidity*
  • A leading Hong Kong bank on various local and regional regulatory issues relating to, among other things, licensing, change of control, banking exposure and financial products requirements*
  • An international bank on the closure of multiple regulated branches in Asia as part of the bank’s strategy of consolidating its international operations*
  • Financial institutions on licensing, authorization, and regulatory issues in Hong Kong, in particular banks, money brokers, licensed corporations, money lenders, insurers, automated trading service providers, and insurance intermediaries*
  • Fund managers, in particular private equity and hedge funds, on the licensing and marketing regime in Hong Kong and implications of regulatory change in Hong Kong*
  • Financial institutions on major compliance and regulatory obligations (including in the form of jurisdictional regulatory reviews) under the banking, securities, insurance, and data protection regimes*
  • Financial institutions with respect to regulatory issues arising as a result of global business reorganizations*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham

Bar Qualification

  • Hong Kong (Solicitor)

Education

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Laws, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours), The Chinese University of Hong Kong