Profile details
About Matthew O'Callaghan
Matthew is Head of Freshfields’ financial services practice in Asia and Co-lead of the Asia fintech/digital team. He is also the managing partner of our Hong Kong office.
Matthew’s leading practice in Asia covers regulatory support for banks, non-bank lenders, insurers, broker-dealers, fund managers and fintech clients across the Asia-Pacific region.Together with his team they provide practical legal and regulatory advice across the region.
Matthew joined Freshfields from Goldman Sachs where he held a number of roles across Europe and Asia. He has extensive in-house and private practice experience advising on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues affecting financial institutions across Asia and Europe.
Recent work
- Advised numerous global banking groups on matters in relation to their roles as prime brokers and custodians.
- Advised numerous private equity groups on setting up and licensing new entities to carry out private equity businesses in Hong Kong, anti-money laundering, client documentation, compliance policies and general Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission code of conduct.
- Advised numerous international banks on Hong Kong legal and regulatory issues relating to ‘virtual account’ and ‘e-wallet’ services, which are aimed predominantly at e-money institutions, e-commerce entities and other payment service providers.
- Advised China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited and Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) Limited, the Joint Sponsors, and the syndicate comprising 27 underwriters of the global offering and secondary listing of Alibaba Group Holding Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Qualifications
Education
University of Technology, Sydney, Australia (business; law)
Professional qualifications
- Admitted to practice in Hong Kong, New South Wales (Australia) and England & Wales