Profile details
About Teresa Ko
Teresa is Freshfields’ China Chairman and a founding partner of our Asia capital markets practice. Described as “an icon in the industry”, she is one of the most prominent corporate and securities lawyers in Hong Kong.
Over her 25-year career, Teresa has helped numerous Chinese state-owned, privately-owned and international companies to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE), including advising on eight out of the ten largest IPOs in Hong Kong. She also has an impressive record on public and private M&A transactions and advises on joint ventures and corporate governance matters.
Among her many public service appointments, Teresa currently serves as one of four co-Chairmen of the HKSE’s Listing Review Committee. She is also a Deputy Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)’s Takeovers and Mergers Panel and a Trustee of the IFRS Foundation. Teresa became the first female to chair the HKSE’s Listing Committee in 2009. She also served as a non-executive director of the SFC from 2012 to 2018.
Teresa has long championed greater gender diversity within the firm, in the legal profession more widely, and on the boards of Hong Kong-listed companies and listing applicants. She was named in the HERoes list of 100 Women Executives (part of the HERoes Women Role Model List) in 2019 and was named “Best in capital markets: Equity” in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Awards 2019.
Teresa joined Freshfields in 1988, becoming a partner in 1993 and China Chairman in 2011. She speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
Recent work
- Advising on the listings of numerous Chinese state-owned, privately owned and international enterprises on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, including the 'big four' banks, Cinda Asset Management, Tencent, Imax China, Fast Retailing, L’Occitane International, Samsonite International and AIA.
- Advising Hutchison Whampoa on its merger with CK Hutchison Holdings and Cheung Kong Property Holdings on its spin-off and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by way of introduction.
- Advising HSBC in the first ever foreign-controlled securities joint venture with Quianhai Financial Holdings.
- Advising Zhongwang USA, a subsidiary of Zhongwang International Group, on its $2.33bn acquisition of Aleris Corporation, a US-based global aluminium rolled products producer, from a consortium of shareholders led by Oaktree Capital Management along with Apollo Management and Sankaty Advisors.
- Advising China International Capital Corporation on its $2.5bn acquisition of a 100 per cent equity interest in China Investment Securities Company.
Qualifications
Education
- Jesus College, Cambridge, UK (Master's degree in law, first class)
Professional qualifications
- Solicitor, England & Wales, and Hong Kong (1986)
Public service
- The Hong Kong Stock Exchange – Listing Review Committee – Co-Chairman (2019~)
- The Securities and Futures Commission – Takeovers and Mergers Panel – Deputy Chairman (2004~), Takeovers and Mergers Panel – Member (2001~), Takeovers Appeal Committee – Member (2001~)
- IFRS Foundation – Trustee (2018~)
- HKUST Business School Advisory Council – Council Member (2013~)
- Cyberport Advisory Panel – Panel Member (2018~)
- Women in Law Hong Kong – Advisory Board Member (2019~)