River Stone

Biography

River is a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial Department and co-head of the China Practice Group. As one of the youngest partners in the firm, he has emerged as a key player within the China market. He has been recognised in ALB 2022 Asia 40 under 40 and lauded as a next generation partner by Legal 500 since 2022.

River’s specialisation spans from complex and high-value mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, fund formation, banking and finance matters to general corporate and compliance matters, trust and family office. His diverse clientele includes listed companies, family offices, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals globally, in particular those from Mainland China.

River’s portfolio extends to fund establishment, guiding financial intermediaries, private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds through the intricacies of creating funds in Hong Kong and offshore jurisdictions. His adept handling of exempted limited partnerships (ELP), segregated portfolio companies (SPC), limited partnership funds (LPF), and open-ended fund companies (OFC) solidifies his reputation. River has also advised on the sale and purchase of licensed financial intermediaries, financial law and regulation compliance, and regulatory affairs for emerging industries like cryptocurrencies and fintech. His expertise further extends to pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life sciences, showcasing a holistic approach to regulatory counsel.

While rooted in Hong Kong law, River’s extensive multicultural and multijurisdictional knowledge empowers him to assist clients globally in navigating cross-border business interests, financial transactions, and business development needs. River completed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination in and underscores his commitment to staying at the forefront.

Biography

• Acted for A-Mark in its acquisition of entire share capital in LPM in Hong Kong. The consideration is USD 85 million.
• Acted as the lead counsel for a leading Chinese bank on: its multimillion USD acquisition and subscription of series B shares in a large Chinese car park operator, its multimillion USD subscription of series C shares in a Singapore-headquartered biotechnology company, and its multimillion USD acquisition of series C shares in a US clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.
• Acted for CCBI on its subscription of series A shares in OrbusNeich Medical Group Limited. The consideration is USD30 million.
• Acted for CCBI’s extension of 2 private notes issued by leading online bank. The principal amount of the notes is USD 35 million. The deals above involve drafting, reviewing, negotiating and revising complicated note and note purchase agreements, further amendments to the note and note purchase agreement.
• Advising a leading IT company in the multi-billion USD disposal of its entire share capital in a Hong Kong company which holds two large biotech companies in the UK and Germany.
• Advised Mindray Group in various matters such as its EMS Project agreement with Singapore manufacturer.
• Advising Shenzhen Investment Holdings Co Limited on its HKD2.5 billion placement of shares in China Vanke Co., Ltd. (2202. HK), a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the largest real estate developers in PRC.
• Advising one of the largest SOEs in the Shandong province of China on the establishment of a USD300 million SPC fund in the Cayman Islands.
• Assisting Hung Sing Group in establishing various SPC funds and advising them in respect of the ongoing operation of the funds.
• Assisting China Innovation Capital in establishing various SPC funds and LPF funds and advising them in respect of regulatory matters in the operation of the funds.
• Instructed by a Hong Kong-listed biopharmaceutical company in China to advise on various pharmaceutical regulatory matters.
• Instructed by TWE Group as its Hong Kong general counsel to advise on various food and beverage regulatory issues in Hong Kong.
• Annual retainer with CEB International Group to advise on various compliance issues such as preparing client agreements, preparing asset management agreements, and advising the client as to various SFC-related questions.
• Acting as the counsel for Rudong County Jinxin Transportation Engineering Construction Investment Co., Limited in its issuance of credit enhanced bonds (3 tranches) in Hong Kong. The total amount of the bonds are USD300 million.

Biography

• Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide- Greater China 2023 “Next Generation Partner“ in Commercial, Corporate and M&A
• Rising Star 2023 by China Business Law Journal
• Awarded Asia 40 Under 40 2022 by Asian Legal Business
• Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide – Greater China 2024 “Key Lawyer“ in Corporate

Biography

• “Legal Dynamic FT. Starlink Hub” – Youth Foreign Related Legal Elites Development Program
• Federation of Hong Kong Hubei Association’s Greater Bay Area Legal Exchange
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions Risk Ready China in Shenzhen 2025

Biography

• Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA)
• The Law Society of Hong Kong
• Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce