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Sharon E. Hartline
Partner, Hong Kong
Contact Info
Sharon E. Hartline
Partner
9th Floor Central Tower
28 Queen's Road Central
Hong Kong
T: + 852 2822 8733
F: + 852 2845 9070
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Awards
White & Case Credited on Three Deals of the Year
Project Finance Team of the Year – Asia
Practice Experience
Ms. Hartline, a corporate and finance attorney, has more than 20 years’ practice experience, including more than 16 years in Asia in the areas of corporate, finance, private equity and private investment funds work. She has acted on numerous investment and finance transactions for various international funds as well as set up private equity funds (traditional, distressed debt, real estate and secondary opportunity), hybrid funds, hedge funds and fund of funds for various fund sponsors in Asia. Investors in such funds have included US tax exempt, US state pension plan and ERISA investors, as well as various non-US investors. She has also acted for a variety of investors from the United States, Europe and Asia investing in private investment funds focused on the Asian region and has advised hedge funds on various US and HK regulatory issues, including licensing matters.
Ms. Hartline is experienced on both the buy and sell side of strategic stake sale transactions and joint venture acquisitions both for Asian and international companies. She has structured, negotiated and documented complex joint ventures for a major US financial institution in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. In Hong Kong, Ms. Hartline has acted for sellers and buyers in connection with auction sales of various types of Asian businesses. In 2005, Ms. Hartline acted for a telecommunications group that acquired a close to 20% stake in a Hong Kong listed company. In 2004, she completed an acquisition financing involving two fund investors buying a stake in a company that owned several power projects in China and elsewhere.
For six years she spent a significant amount of time working on cross-border transactions involving the Philippines. Originally trained as a finance lawyer, Ms. Hartline also has substantial experience in international financings, particularly project financings of power and water facilities.
In the recently published Chambers Asia 2009 guide it was noted that
Clients also admire her for taking “great care in understanding what it is we want to do and coming up with the optimum solution, not just one off the shelf.
”
Bars and Courts
Solicitor, High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2004
New York State Bar, 1986
Education
JD, Columbia Law School, 1985
BA, Muhlenberg College,
summa cum laude
, 1982
Awards and Recognition
Chambers Global 2009
Hedge Funds – Tier 1
Chambers Asia 2008
Private Equity/Hedge Funds – Tier 1
Fund Management Hong Kong – Tier 1
International Hedge Fund Lawyer of the Year, Asian Investor 2007
Best Law Firm for Asset Management, Asia Asset Management Awards 2007
Best Law Firm for Asset Management, Asian Investor 2006
Publications
Author of Frustrated hedge fund potential,
Financial Times
, November 2005.
Author of Regulation of managers of offshore funds in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong,
Guide to Hedge Funds in Hong Kong
, April 2005.
Author of The start-up conundrum: Where is the best place to set up a fund management business in Asia—Hong Kong or Singapore?
Asian Counsel
, March 2005.
Author of Three Steps to Philippine Security,
Project Finance International
, May 14, 1993; wrote an article for clients on the 2001 Philippine Electric Power Industry Reform Act.
Languages
English
Citizenship
United States
Practices
Bank Finance
Banking
Investment Funds
Mergers and Acquisitions
Telecommunications, Media and Technology
Recent News
Singapore Offers Tax Incentives in Wealth Play
Singapore Steps up Efforts to Attract Fund Houses
More...
Recent Publications
China Practice Brochure (PDF)
Frustrated Hedge Fund Potential
Events
US Investors and the Issues with ERISA, CFTC Restrictions and Pending Regulation
Goldman Sachs Asian Hedge Funds CFO/COO Conference 2006