Ricky Chow, former vice-president of the listing division at the HKEX, has rejoined Kirkland & Ellis as a partner at its Hong Kong office, further strengthening the firm’s Asia capital markets practice.
Before returning to Kirkland, Chow served at the HKEX from 2021 and was promoted to vice-president of the listing division in 2023, where he was responsible for IPO application vetting. Prior to joining the HKEX, he was a capital markets lawyer in Kirkland’s Hong Kong office.
Lu Mengyu, the partner who heads Kirkland’s Asia corporate and capital markets practice, said in a press release: “Chow is a rare talent with strong legal expertise and years of experience at the HKEX, where he developed a deep understanding of listing regulation and mechanics of the approval process. Amid increasingly complex global capital markets and rising compliance standards, his return brings valuable regulatory insight and practical experience to our team. His expertise, particularly in IPO vetting standards and regulatory requirements, will further enhance our ability to help clients navigate complex listing challenges and reinforce the firm’s leading position in capital markets legal services.”
Chow began his legal career at Shearman & Sterling, where he trained and practised, before joining Mizuho Securities’ Hong Kong office to focus on legal and compliance matters.
He joined Kirkland in 2018 and, during his time at the firm, was seconded for seven months to JP Morgan, advising on global investment banking legal matters across the Asia-Pacific region.
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