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Iris Leung
Iris Leung

Iris Leung

Partner
Hong Kong
+852.2230.3580
Email Iris Leung @ Iris.Leung@klgates.com
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Iris Leung is a partner and a member of the Capital Markets practice group. Both US- and Hong Kong-qualified, she advises corporates and financial institutions on corporate and capital markets deals. She has advised issuers and underwriters on a significant number of landmark and first of its kind listings of Chinese and multinational companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, as well as in other major global financial markets such in Switzerland, London, Germany and the US.  She has also advised bulge bracket investment banks and private equity and venture capital funds on their innovative capital markets and M&A transactions and on their strategic investments. 

Iris has a deep understanding of Chinese and international practices, which she leverages to bridge cultural, practical and legal differences to help parties complete their strategically significant deals.

From 2019 to 2021, Iris was named the Most Influential Woman – Capital Markets Law (Hong Kong) by Acquisition International. From 2015 to 2017, she was awarded Euromoney LMG Rising Star – Hong Kong Capital Markets.  

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Iris studied neuroscience at the University of California and holds a Juris Doctor from the American University, Washington D.C. She also received executive education (General Management Program) from the University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School and is an honorary fellow of the Asian Institute of International Financial Law, University of Hong Kong.

She speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

  • Recognized by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a Recommended Lawyer for Capital markets (equity) in Hong Kong, 2024
  • IFLR Europe 2020 Deal of the Year, Equity – the US$1.54 billion GDR listing of Huatai Securities on the London Stock Exchange 
  • Deal of the Year 2018, China Business Law Journal – Qingdao Haier’s D-share IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
  • IFLR Women in Business Law Awards Asia-Pacific, Capital Markets Finalist, Hong Kong 2020
  • Acquisition International – Most Influential Woman, Capital Markets Law, Hong Kong, 2019–2021
  • Euromoney LMG Rising Star – Hong Kong Capital Markets, 2015–2017
  • Co-Author, U.S. PCAOB and Chinese CSRC enter into Statement of Protocol: Agreement could resolve conflict over PCAOB inspection of auditors based in China and Hong Kong (Aug 2022)
  • Co-Author, Variable interest entities – what should Chinese companies be disclosing?  SEC Staff issues “sample letter” with comments intended to elicit detailed disclosure about the VIE structure of China-based companies (Dec 2021)
  • Co-Author, SEC finalizes Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act rules, PCAOB focuses on audits in CN and HK: The PCAOB has determined it cannot inspect auditors in China or Hong Kong and the SEC will begin identifying affected issuers after annual reportsf or 2021 are filed. (Dec 2021)
  • Co-Author, U.S.-listed Chinese companies face delisting risk under new U.S. law (Dec 2020)
  • Co-Author, Proposed US legislation targets US-listed Chinese companies, Lexology (May 2020)
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