The Team

BLF is composed of a team of 20+ bi-cultural professionals and internationally qualified lawyers in our various offices. Our lawyers have known each other and worked together for many years – a rare feature in the environment of law firms operating in China and Asia. This stability is an important guarantee of quality for our clients whose legal matters can be followed over time by the same legal professionals.

BLF is the result of the entrepreneurial approach of lawyers who worked at several major international law firms. Our independence and work methods guarantee the flexibility necessary to place the customer relationship at the heart of our activity.

Please see below for the detailed biographies of our key contacts.

KEY CONTACTS

Matthieu Bonnici

An international lawyer with over 15 years of legal experience at top US and UK lawfirms advising a diverse range of clients on investing and operating in China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

His core practice covers mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and general corporate matters in multiple industries, with a focus on businesses driven by technology. In addition, Matthieu has large experience in China-related disputes, especially with respect to commercial contracts, employment and foreign direct investments.

In a fast-evolving China regulatory framework, Matthieu represents numerous companies in the context of regulatory, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering issues in regulated sectors including financial services, healthcare, food and beverage.

Matthieu is also a frequent advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs and startups in connection with their setup, structuring, operations and fundraising including friends and family rounds, seed rounds and Series A.

He is also the author of various publications on Chinese law.

Bertrand Theaud

Over the last 20 years, Bertrand has advised numerous clients mergers & acquisitions, private equity, corporate restructuring and general corporate matters across a variety of industries in China and Asia. He has occupied partner and managing partner positions at some of the most prestigious international lawfirms.

Bertrand has also gained first-hand investment experience during his time acting partner in the China-focused private equity fund of Edmond Rothschild Bank.

A serial entrepreneur, Bertrand has funded, managed and sold various businesses engaged across a diverse range of industries, including Statrys – the bank alternative for businesses in Asia.

Bertrand is a mentor at Chinaccelerator, Asia’s first startup accelerator.

Benny Lok

Benny has more than 15 years of experience acting as a lawyer. He offers his clients a wide range of professional legal services including among others commercial disputes, civil and criminal litigations, and dispute resolution. His expertise also includes estate planning, probate and wills, as well as property conveyancing. Benny frequently represents and advises clients on regulatory matters, in particular on the occasion of audits and investigations by the competent supervision authorities.

An Hong Kong solicitor and foreign registered lawyer in China, Benny was one of the first lawyers to seize the potential of and establish a practice in the Greater Bay Area, the Chinese government’s scheme to link the cities of Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing into an integrated economic, technologic and business hub.

He is the contributor and an organizer of numerous Greater Bay Area seminars and talks sponsored and encouraged by local authorities.