Bio
Freya is a Counsel in Appleby’s Investment Funds practice, specialising in the formation, organisation, and operation of a diverse range of investment funds, including both open- and closed-ended vehicles, as well as their associated investment management entities in the Cayman Islands and BVI. She provides comprehensive counsel to funds at all stages of operation, offering expert advice on fund formation and governance matters.
With extensive experience in the fund sector, Freya adopts a holistic approach to meet her clients’ diverse needs. Her practice covers the entire lifecycle of fund development, from initial setup, launch to ongoing operations and maintenance and the deregistration/liquidation of the funds. She skillfully navigates the complexities of establishing joint venture structures and is adept at structuring and managing partnerships and corporate entities. Freya is dedicated to providing robust support to her clients throughout all stages of their investment funds, with a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and strategic guidance.
Freya’s expertise offers extensive multidisciplinary and cross-jurisdictional legal advice across various practice areas to clients, including many of the world’s leading financial institutions, public companies, corporations, fund promoters, and high-net-worth individuals. Her fluency in Chinese enables her to effectively advise numerous Chinese fund sponsors on both inbound and outbound fund matters, bridging the gap between local and international investment landscapes.
Before joining Appleby, Freya refined her skills at two other offshore law firms in Hong Kong, where she was a key member of the investment funds team for several years. She previously worked at Kirkland & Ellis and Rouse Shanghai.
With a steadfast commitment to excellence and a client-centric approach, Freya continues to cultivate enduring relationships with her clients, guiding them through the complexities of the ever-evolving market and helping them achieve their investment objective.
Bio
Freya is a Counsel in Appleby’s Investment Funds practice, specialising in the formation, organisation, and operation of a diverse range of investment funds, including both open- and closed-ended vehicles, as well as their associated investment management entities in the Cayman Islands and BVI. She provides comprehensive counsel to funds at all stages of operation, offering expert advice on fund formation and governance matters.
With extensive experience in the fund sector, Freya adopts a holistic approach to meet her clients’ diverse needs. Her practice covers the entire lifecycle of fund development, from initial setup, launch to ongoing operations and maintenance and the deregistration/liquidation of the funds. She skillfully navigates the complexities of establishing joint venture structures and is adept at structuring and managing partnerships and corporate entities. Freya is dedicated to providing robust support to her clients throughout all stages of their investment funds, with a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and strategic guidance.
Freya’s expertise offers extensive multidisciplinary and cross-jurisdictional legal advice across various practice areas to clients, including many of the world’s leading financial institutions, public companies, corporations, fund promoters, and high-net-worth individuals. Her fluency in Chinese enables her to effectively advise numerous Chinese fund sponsors on both inbound and outbound fund matters, bridging the gap between local and international investment landscapes.
Before joining Appleby, Freya refined her skills at two other offshore law firms in Hong Kong, where she was a key member of the investment funds team for several years. She previously worked at Kirkland & Ellis and Rouse Shanghai.
With a steadfast commitment to excellence and a client-centric approach, Freya continues to cultivate enduring relationships with her clients, guiding them through the complexities of the ever-evolving market and helping them achieve their investment objective.
Work Highlights
- Represented a prominent real estate fund group, one of the largest in Hong Kong, during the launch of several funds to invest in Japan and Hong Kong. One of these funds achieved a significant milestone as the first of its kind raised in Asia.
- Provided strategic counsel to a top private equity fund based in China, with assets totalling approximately US$1 billion, focusing its investments in the Macau region. This engagement involved advising on fund formation and identifying investment opportunities within the local market.
- Advised an asset management firm on the launch of a tokenised investment fund and the formation of a related special purpose vehicle (SPV). This initiative represents one of the first actively managed hedge funds in Asia to be tokenised and in the region to incorporate cryptocurrencies as an asset class.
- Assisted a leading investment management and advisory firm, one of the largest funds publicly listed in both Hong Kong and the USA, in establishing several funds, including private equity funds, standalone mutual funds, and SPCs.
- Served as BVI counsel to a leading private equity investor and fund manager in setting up a BVI incubator fund /professional fund aimed at compounding capital through on-chain wallet transactions and investing in various forms of securities, financial instruments, and other portfolios.
- Represented a Cayman-based private equity fund with assets totalling US$1.3 billion, focusing on investments in growth and expansion-stage private companies within the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.
- Represented a closed-ended private fund structured as a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company, with its seven segregated portfolios operating as separate funds investing in a high-profile IPO listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and other markets.
- Acted as offshore counsel and listing agent for a leading Chinese asset management company’s new Cayman corporate structure hedge fund, which employs multiple investment strategies across various asset classes in both China and US markets.
- Advised a leading asset management firm on the launch of three cryptocurrency funds. These funds represent Asia’s first regulated 100% virtual asset funds, featuring tokenised interests.
- Represented a prominent Hong Kong asset management company in investments across private equity and hedge funds.
- Provided advisory services for the establishment of a venture capital fund, backed by a U.S. company and a Chinese semiconductor firm, aimed at investing in Indonesia, with a target fund size of USD 2 billion.
- Advised on three umbrella funds for a leading financial services group.
- Represented a prominent real estate fund group, one of the largest in Hong Kong, during the launch of several funds to invest in Japan and Hong Kong. One of these funds achieved a significant milestone as the first of its kind raised in Asia.
- Provided strategic counsel to a top private equity fund based in China, with assets totalling approximately US$1 billion, focusing its investments in the Macau region. This engagement involved advising on fund formation and identifying investment opportunities within the local market.
- Advised an asset management firm on the launch of a tokenised investment fund and the formation of a related special purpose vehicle (SPV). This initiative represents one of the first actively managed hedge funds in Asia to be tokenised and in the region to incorporate cryptocurrencies as an asset class.
- Assisted a leading investment management and advisory firm, one of the largest funds publicly listed in both Hong Kong and the USA, in establishing several funds, including private equity funds, standalone mutual funds, and SPCs.
- Served as BVI counsel to a leading private equity investor and fund manager in setting up a BVI incubator fund /professional fund aimed at compounding capital through on-chain wallet transactions and investing in various forms of securities, financial instruments, and other portfolios.
- Represented a Cayman-based private equity fund with assets totalling US$1.3 billion, focusing on investments in growth and expansion-stage private companies within the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.
- Represented a closed-ended private fund structured as a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company, with its seven segregated portfolios operating as separate funds investing in a high-profile IPO listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and other markets.
- Acted as offshore counsel and listing agent for a leading Chinese asset management company’s new Cayman corporate structure hedge fund, which employs multiple investment strategies across various asset classes in both China and US markets.
- Advised a leading asset management firm on the launch of three cryptocurrency funds. These funds represent Asia’s first regulated 100% virtual asset funds, featuring tokenised interests.
- Represented a prominent Hong Kong asset management company in investments across private equity and hedge funds.
- Provided advisory services for the establishment of a venture capital fund, backed by a U.S. company and a Chinese semiconductor firm, aimed at investing in Indonesia, with a target fund size of USD 2 billion.
- Advised on three umbrella funds for a leading financial services group.
Qualifications & Education
Freya is admitted as a solicitor in the UK. She was also admitted as a PRC lawyers by Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China.
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- East China University of Political Science and Law
Freya is admitted as a solicitor in the UK. She was also admitted as a PRC lawyers by Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China.
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- East China University of Political Science and Law
