Loeb Smith was honoured to be awarded Law Firm of the Year: Client Service at the Hedgeweek® US Awards 2025 held last week in New York.

Partner, Robert Farrell, and Senior Associate, Juliette Schembri, attended the award gala to accept the accolade and celebrate this achievement. This recognition underscores the firm’s consistent commitment to providing exceptional legal services to clients worldwide. This honour inspires us to continually push forward, grow stronger, and deliver effective legal advice and solutions to our clients.

Event photos: US Awards 2025 – Hedgeweek – Law Firm of the Year – Client Services | Loeb Smith

Global Vision. Client Focus.

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We are so excited to share that @LoebSmith has been shortlisted in three categories at the ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2025, namely:

  • Fintech Law Firm of the Year 
  • Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year 
  • Offshore Law Firm of the Year

The winners will be announced at the ceremony on 12 September 2025 in #HongKong.

Thank you all who contributed to this achievement!

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We have also been shortlisted for the first time for the Asia Legal Awards 2025 recognising the region’s most outstanding legal achievements. Now in its 12th year, this prestigious ceremony honours the most significant transactions, cases, and legal work that have shaped the industry across Asia.

Well done Hong Kong team!

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Overview

Yuri is an Associate in Loeb Smith’s Hong Kong office. She has over 5-years cross-border legal services experience as an attorney in another jurisdiction where she advised on the formation and launch of investment funds, trusts and finance related matters.  She speaks Mandarin, English and Korean.

Yuri specialises in advising on the formation and launch of investment funds in both Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands, and also on M&A, joint venture transactions, series financings, and other corporate involving various Cayman Islands or BVI trusts and company structures. For private clients, she also advises on various Cayman Islands and BVI trusts and foundations companies.

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Loeb Smith ranked by Lexology as Legal Influencers Q1 2025 for Private client – Central and South America for  Cayman Islands law and BVI law related topics! 🥳🎉

Follow us to stay updated or catch up with the latest articles and legal insights on this link: https://www.loebsmith.com/news/

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We are very pleased to share that our law firm has been ranked again as one of the HONG KONG FIRMS TO WATCH (2025) by Asian Legal Business.

Visit ALB to read the announcement:

https://www.legalbusinessonline.com/features/rankings-alb-hong-kong-firms-watch-2025

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We are excited to be shortlisted once again in the “Best offshore law firm” and “Best offshore law firm – client service” categories for the With Intelligence HFM Asia Services Awards 2025!

Last year we won the “Best offshore law firm – client service” award and had a fantastic time celebrating with friends and other professionals at the With Intelligence HFM Asia Services Awards evening.

It is a pleasure working with clients and professional parties in #HongKong, mainland #China #SouthKorea #Japan and other parts of Asia to advise on investment funds employing varying strategies to invest in all asset classes.

Being shortlisted in 2025 is industry recognition of our expertise in the investment funds sector and our long-term commitment to delivering outstanding client service.

With offices in Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, our integrated business model combined with our far-reaching approach to innovation and client service, enables us to meet the ever-evolving needs of clients and grow alongside them through sustainable partnerships.

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Hong Kong April 2, 2025 Loeb Smith Attorneys, one of the leading offshore corporate law firms with a strong growing presence in the APAC region, is pleased to announce that it has advised Hong Kong listed company, CTF Services Limited (formerly known as NWS Holdings Limited) (00659.HK) (“CTF”), in its series of direct and indirect acquisitions of shares in uSmart Inlet Group Ltd (“uSmart”), the Cayman holding company of a leading technology group (with more than 20 global subsidiaries) specialising in the financial industry, dedicated to providing professional one-stop financial and wealth management services and solutions primarily in Hong Kong and Singapore to both retail and institutional clients, for a total consideration of approximately US$130 million. Loeb Smith Attorneys acted as the Cayman and BVI legal counsel to CTF.

CTF’s indirect wholly owned BVI subsidiary has entered into conditional sale and purchase agreements and relevant share charge arrangements in its favour (the “Acquisitions”) on March 18, 2025. The completion of the Acquisitions is subject to satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions precedent.

The Loeb Smith team included Kate Sun and Max Lee in Hong Kong. Partner and Head of the firm’s Corporate and Investment Funds Group, Gary Smith, commented, “It is very encouraging to see that our firm has a growing presence and is building strong momentum in the APAC market, where our clients are entrusting us with a wide variety of transactional work and important projects. We are thrilled to be working with reputable and well-established listed companies in Hong Kong like CTF, that allow us to advise in such large-scale acquisitions and achieve the necessary milestones together with other professional parties in support of our clients. Mergers and acquisitions, along with capital markets and litigation practices, are other key focus areas of our practice in Asia, and as a young and vibrant firm, we still see continued growth opportunities in this space.”

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About Loeb Smith Attorneys

Loeb Smith Attorneys is one of the leading offshore corporate law firms considered one of the most active and knowledgeable firms for advising on offshore investment funds formation and launch of all asset classes including public securities, private equity, venture capital, real estate, and virtual assets. Other areas of strength and growth are advising on M&A, Finance, Corporate Restructurings, Capital Markets, Regulatory Compliance, Investments, Logistics, Shipping and Aviation.

Considered a leading law firm in the Fintech and Blockchain Technology space, Loeb Smith also advises on token issuances, application for VASP licences for Web 3.0 businesses, Metaverse infrastructure and other virtual asset service providers, and utilising Cayman and BVI structures to develop virtual asset platforms for DAOs. Loeb Smith’s clients are investment managers, financial institutions, onshore counsels, and HNWIs who the firm advises on day-to-day legal issues and complex, strategic matters.

Some of our firm’s recent accolades are: winning Leading Firm in Client Satisfaction 2024 award by Legal 500; ranked in Investment Funds category and listed as one of the Firms To Watch for Corporate & Commercial by Legal 500 in 2024; named as Recommended Firm by IFLR 1000 from 2021 to 2024; named in Offshore Client Choice List by Asian Legal Business from 2021 to 2023; ranked amongst Top 30 Asia’s Fastest Growing Law Firms by Asian Legal Business in 2023 and 2024; ranked in The A-List: Top Offshore Lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal in 2022 and 2024; named as one of the ALB Hong Kong Firms to Watch 2024; winning Best Law Firm – Fund Domicile at Hedgeweek US Emerging Manager Awards 2023 and 2024; winning Best Law Firm – Fund Domicile at Private Equity Wire US Emerging Manager Awards 2023 and 2024; winning Best Law Firm – Fund Domicile at Private Equity Wire US Awards 2023; and winning The Best Offshore Law Firm – Client Service at With Intelligence HFM Asia Services Awards 2024.

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www.loebsmith.com
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS   |  CAYMAN ISLANDS  |  HONG KONG

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Hong Kong (14 March 2025) Further to the announcement on 22 November 2024, Loeb Smith Attorneys is pleased to announce its role as legal advisor in the successful completion of the going private merger transaction of First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. (the “Company”), an education service provider primarily focusing on high schools in Western China. This significant transaction, effective 10 March 2025, transforms the Company to a private company and the American depositary shares of the Company are no longer quoted on the OTC market and the Company’s ADS program was terminated. The Company intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Form 15 suspending the Company’s reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company’s obligations to file with or furnish to the SEC certain reports and forms, including Form 20-F and Form 6-K, will be suspended immediately as of the filing date of the Form 15 and will terminate once the deregistration becomes effective.

Loeb Smith Attorneys served as the Cayman Islands legal counsel to the Special Committee and the Loeb Smith team of lawyers advising on the closing of the transaction was led by Partner, Gary Smith and included team members Kate Sun and Frost Wu in Hong Kong.

Loeb Smith Attorneys looks forward to delivering more insightful and strategic advice and legal support to clients on a diverse range of M&A transactions in the APAC region.

First High-School Education Group Announces Completion of Going Private Transaction | Morningstar

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About Loeb Smith Attorneys

Loeb Smith Attorneys is one of the leading offshore corporate law firms considered one of the most active and knowledgeable firms for advising on offshore investment funds formation and launch of all asset classes including public securities, private equity, venture capital, real estate, and virtual assets. Other areas of strength and growth are advising on M&A, Finance, Corporate Restructurings, Capital Markets, Regulatory Compliance, Investments, Logistics, Shipping and Aviation.

Considered a leading law firm in the Fintech and Blockchain Technology space, Loeb Smith also advises on token issuances, application for VASP licences for Web 3.0 businesses, Metaverse infrastructure and other virtual asset service providers, and utilising Cayman and BVI structures to develop virtual asset platforms for DAOs. Loeb Smith’s clients are investment managers, financial institutions, onshore counsels, and HNWIs who the firm advises on day-to-day legal issues and complex, strategic matters.

Some of our firm’s recent accolades are: rankings in IFLR1000, Legal 500; winning Best Law Firm – Fund Domicile at Hedgeweek US Emerging Manager Awards 2023 and 2024; winning Best Law Firm – Fund Domicile at Private Equity Wire US Emerging Manager Awards 2023 and 2024; winning Best Law Firm – Fund Domicile at Private Equity Wire US Awards 2023; recognised amongst Top 30 Asia’s Fastest Growing Law Firms in 2023 by Asian Legal Business; ranked in The A-List: Top Offshore Lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal in 2022 and 2024; winning The Best Offshore Law Firm – Client Service at With Intelligence HFM Asia Services Awards 2024; ranked in ALB Hong Kong Firms to Watch 2024 list.

www.loebsmith.com
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS   |  CAYMAN ISLANDS  |  HONG KONG

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Overview

Vanisha Harjani brings over 17 years of robust legal experience to Loeb Smith as a Corporate and Finance Partner in the firm’s Hong Kong office. She specialises in cross border corporate and finance transactions, including securitisation, asset-based trade financing and structured products across various jurisdictions. Vanisha has a strong focus on fund formation, registration, licensing and compliance for funds and fund managers in the BVI and Cayman Islands, as well as advising on M&A , capital markets and regulatory matters. Recently transitioning from another law firm and as a director of a corporate services firm, Vanisha is dedicated to providing strategic legal advice and exceptional client service.

Her experience encompasses complex cross-border M&A deals, structured finance, and innovative fintech projects such as tokenized funds, digital assets, and RWA integrations.

Vanisha is adept at navigating regulatory compliance matters across the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, ensuring clients meet necessary legal requirements while optimising their operations. She has played a critical role in high stakes transactions, notably assisting with Templewater Bravo’s HKD3.2 billion acquisition of New World First Bus Service and City Bus as well as acting as BVI counsel in respect of Hong Kong’s first rated RMBS in over two decades which received Best Structured Finance Deal of the Year (Hong Kong) (2025) .

Vanisha has advised a diverse clientele, including banks, corporates, and funds on a wide range of legal, banking and finance matters. Her legal expertise is underpinned by strong relationship management and leadership skills, ensuring that clients receive tailored, results-driven solutions.

With a passion for helping businesses thrive, Vanisha is dedicated to fostering strong client relationships built on trust and transparency.

Vanisha is qualified in UK and in the BVI and is fluent in English and Hindi.

Latest Updates and News

INSIGHTS | 18 May 2026

BVI law: Treatment of DAOs in insolvency situations

How BVI is addressing the legal implications of decentralised autonomous organisations (“DAOs”) with regards to their assets and liabilities.
INSIGHTS | 18 May 2026

Cayman Islands – Guiding Principles for General Partners of private equity funds and venture capital funds in Response to Information Requests from Limited Partners

Section 22 of the Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership Act (2025 Revision) (“ELP Act”) provides: “Subject to any express or implied term of the partnership agreement, each limited partner may demand and shall receive from a general partner true and full information regarding the state of the business…
INSIGHTS | 15 May 2026

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Learn about the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards in the British Virgin Islands, including procedures for monetary and non-monetary judgments, as well as the recognition and enforcement of Convention and non-Convention arbitral awards.
INSIGHTS | 14 May 2026

Key issues in series financing transactions from a BVI and a Cayman Islands law perspective

Explore key issues in series financing transactions from a BVI and Cayman Islands law perspective, including the legal advantages, common due diligence processes, and the specific features that make these jurisdictions attractive for startups and early-stage companies.
INSIGHTS | 11 May 2026

Cayman Islands – The latest position regarding tokenised funds

The Cayman Islands’ Mutual Funds (Amendment) Act, 2026 and the Cayman Islands’ Private Funds (Amendment) Act, 2026 both came into force as of March 24, 2026.

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